Is a cultural ethology possible?

The possibility, desirability, and potential outcomes of applying ethological methods to the study of culture-specific human behaviors are investigated. Ethology and culture are explored. A new term, instruction, and its use in cultural ethology are proposed. Genetics and survival value are related to cultural ethology. A cultural ethology is given a possible theoretical foundation, and current attempts at a cultural ethology are appraised. A research program in cultural ethology and related fields is proposed.This article is a completely rewritten version of a paper of the same title delivered at the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society at Gainesville, Florida, in February 1968 and published inResearch Previews 15(1): 37–47, April 1968.     

Is a biology of rarity in primates yet possible?

If we lack data on the biology of rare species, then understanding of the biology of rarity will be incomplete at best, biased at worst. However, the extent of potential under-study is mostly unknown. We therefore ask for primates, one of the better known orders of mammals, whether data are lacking on rare species. The measure used is published data on a crucial aspect of biology, namely density. Rare species are here defined as those with both geographic range sizes and habitat breadths less than the median for primates; common species are at or above the median for those two measures. Globally, nearly half, 47%, of the 32 rare species lack data on their density, compared to only 10% of the 83 common species (²corr. = 17.1, p < 0.001). Within realms, Asia and Madagascar show a particularly strong bias, missing density data for over 50% of their rare species. Thus, rare species are indeed severely under-studied compared to common species, even in this well-studied mammalian taxon.     

Is the microbial tree of life verificationist?

The field of microbial phylogenetics has questioned the feasibility of using a tree‐like structure to the describe microbial evolution. This debate centres on two main points. First, because microorganisms are able to transfer genes from one to another in zero generations (horizontal gene transfer, or HGT), the use of molecular characters to perform phylogenetic analyses will yield an erroneous topology and HGT clearly makes the evolution of microorganisms non tree‐like. Second, the use of concatenated gene sequences in a total evidence approach to phylogenetic systematics is a verificationist endeavour, the aim of which is to bolster support. However, the goal of the total evidence approach to phylogenetic research is based in the idea of increasing explanatory power over background knowledge through test and corroboration, rather than to bolster support for nodes in a tree. In this context, the testing of phylogenetic data is a falsificationist endeavour that includes the possibility of not rejecting the null hypothesis that there is no tree‐like structure in molecular phylogenetic data. We discuss several tests that aim to test rigorously the hypothesis that a tree of life exists for microorganisms. We also discuss the philosophical ramifications of background knowledge and corroboration in microbial studies that need to be considered when suggesting that HGT confounds the tree of life. © The Willi Hennig Society 2009.     

Is metamorphosis a critical interval in the early life of marine fishes?

Synopsis Small volumes of food in ‘stomach’, large proportions of empty ‘stomachs’ and small maximum sizes of prey during metamorphosis of cod,Gadus morhua, all point to an energy crisis during this developmental interval. The small size of the developing stomach of the 10–14 mm long cod may be partly responsible for the above mentioned difficulties during metamorphosis. A hypothesis based on Hjort's ‘critical stage theory’ is proposed, adding another critical interval at metamorphosis. Based on the presented data on cod and reports on other species in the literature, the new critical interval is discussed for larvae of marine fish species in general.     

Is a unified concept of species in ornithology possible? (An opinion of a practicing taxonomist)]

An analysis of current publications on species problem reveals the radical discrepancy between the statements of species reality in nature and different number of these "realities" in light of different species concepts. It has been shown, that the only realities are populations, and "species" is only logical construct--the notion. A concept of species is a system of interconnected notions, where the main element--ontology of species has been always given a priori to the real biodiversity. For that reason every concept of species creates its own "virtual reality". Various concepts of species are not mutually comparable, and can not be criticized from each other's views and from position of "reality". Biological and Phylogenetic Species Concepts competing in ornithology exclude each other completely, and the unified concept of species is principally impossible. But as generally accepted species "standard" is needed, the unified convention of species must take the place of the various concepts of species.     

How can a life cycle inventory parametric model streamline life cycle assessment in the wooden pallet sector?

Purpose

This study discusses the use of parameterization within the life cycle inventory (LCI) in the wooden pallet sector, in order to test the effectiveness of LCI parametric models to calculate the environmental impacts of similar products. Starting from a single case study, the objectives of this paper are (1) to develop a LCI parametric model adaptable to a range of wooden pallets, (2) to test this model with a reference product (non-reversible pallet with four-way blocks) and (3) to determine numerical correlations between the environmental impacts and the most significant LCI parameters; these correlations can be used to improve the design of new wooden pallets.

Methods

The conceptual scheme for defining the model is based on ISO14040-44 standards. First of all, the product system was defined identifying the life cycle of a generic wood pallet, as well as its life cycle stages. A list of independent and dependent parameters was used to describe the LCI flows of a generic wooden pallet. The LCI parametric model was applied to calculate the environmental impacts of the reference product, with regard to a selection of impact categories at midpoint level (climate change, human toxicity, particulate matter formation, agricultural land occupation, fossil depletion). The model was then applied to further 11 wooden pallets belonging to the same category.

Results and discussion

The definition of a LCI parametric model based on 31 independent parameters and 21 dependent parameters streamlined the data collection process, as the information required for fulfilling the LCI are standard information about the features of the wooden pallet and its manufacturing process. The contribution analysis on the reference product revealed that the most contributing life cycle stages are wood and nails extraction and manufacturing (positive value of environmental impact) and end-of-life (avoided impact). This result is driven by two parameters: mass of wood and average distance for transport of wood. Based on the results of the application of the LCI parametric model to the identified products, one parameter-based regression and one multiple non-linear regression allowed to define a correlation between the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) category indicators considered and the most influencing parameters.

Conclusions

The definition of LCI parametric model in the wooden pallet sector can effectively be used for calculating the environmental impacts of products with different designs, as well as for obtaining a preliminary estimation of the life cycle environmental impacts of new products.     

Is reactivation of autophagy a possible therapeutic solution for obesity and metabolic syndrome?

The molecular mechanism regulating the cardiomyocyte response to energy stress has been a hot topic in cardiac research in recent years, since this mechanism could be targeted for treatment of patients with ischemic heart disease. We have shown recently that the activity of RAS homolog enriched in brain (RHEB), a small GTP binding protein, is inhibited in response to glucose deprivation (GD) in cardiomyocytes and ischemia in the mouse heart. This is a physiological adaptation, since it inhibits complex 1 of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTORC1) and activates autophagy, thereby promoting cell survival during GD and prolonged ischemia. Importantly, the physiological inhibition of RHEB-MTORC1 signaling during myocardial ischemia is impaired in the presence of obesity and metabolic syndrome caused by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding, leading to a dramatic increase in ischemic injury. Although MTORC1 and autophagy can be regulated through RHEB-independent mechanisms, such as the AMPK-dependent phosphorylation of RPTOR and ULK1, RHEB appears to be critical in the regulation of MTORC1 and autophagy during ischemia in cardiomyocytes, and its dysregulation is relevant to human disease. Here we discuss the biological relevance of the dysregulation of RHEB-MTORC1 signaling and the suppression of autophagy in obesity and metabolic syndrome.     

Is the sanctity of life ethic terminally ill?

Our growing technical capacity to keep human beings alive has brought the sanctity of life ethic to the point of collapse. The shift to a concept of brain death was already an implicit abandonment of the traditional ethic, though this has only recently become apparent. The 1993 decision of the British House of Lords in the case of Anthony Bland is an even more decisive shift towards an ethic that does not ask or seek to preserve human life as such, but only a life that is worth living. Once this shift has been completed and assimilated, we will no longer need the concept of brain death. Instead we can face directly the real ethical issue: when may doctors intentionally end the life of a patient?     

Is trans-race possible in an era of unsettled identities?

Brubaker’s book Trans is an important intervention in debates about sexual/gender and racial/ethnic identities in a period of generalized identity unsettlement. It challenges us to think precisely about identities and social categories. Thinking with trans proves to be intellectually productive, showing us the similarities and differences between transgender and trans-race. This contribution to the book symposium raises questions about the specificity of Indigenous identities framed by settler-colonial relations. It also discusses transgender in a global context where non-Western identities have been challenged, and where non-Western protagonists have responded to cultural liberalization at times with forms of gender and sexual repression.     

Is hypercalcemic diet a possible antidote to oral contraceptive-induced hypertension?

Administration of oral contraceptive (OC) has been associated with body fluid retention and in high doses over a long period, promotes hypertension. This present investigation tests the hypothesis that the dietary calcium supplementation increases salt and water excretion in OC (norgestre/ethinylestradiol) treated 32 female albino rats randomly distributed into four (1-4) groups of 8 rats each: Control, OC-treated, OC-treated+ Calcium diet fed and Calcium diet fed only respectively. OC was administered to the appropriate groups by gavage. Experimental diet contained 2.5% calcium supplement. Plasma and urinary [Na+] [K+] were evaluated after 8 weeks of experimentation by flame photometry and plasma [Ca2+] by colorimetric method. OC-treatment induced a significant fall in urinary [Na+]. Water excretion was significantly reduced in these animals (control, 3.1±0.56 Vs OC-treated rats, 1.47±0.16). OC-treated rats had significantly higher plasma [K+] compared to control rats. Calcium supplementation induced increases in plasma [Na+], [K+] and augmented urinary Na+ excretion (OC-treated + Ca2+ diet Vs OC-treated only). Compared with the control rats, high Ca2+ diet fed rats exhibited significant increases in plasma [Na+] and [K+] accompanied by significant decreases in urinary H20 excretion. These results strongly suggest that high dietary Ca2+ supplementation increases salt and water excretion in OC-treated rats and potentially moderates fluid retention and blood pressure in these animals, and may be of clinical significance in OC-induced abnormal fluid retention and perhaps OC-induced hypertension.Keywords: Hypercalcemic-diet, Oral contraceptive, Plasma electrolytes, Hypertension, Female-albino-rats.