Autonomy and Why You Can “Never Let Me Go”

Kazuo Ishiguro’s book Never Let Me Go is a thoughtful and provocative exploration of what it means to be human. Drawing on insights from the hermeneutic-phenomenology of Martin Heidegger, I argue that the movement of Ishiguro’s story can be understood in terms of actualising the human potential for autonomous action. Liberal theories take autonomy to be concerned with analytically and ethically isolatable social units directing their lives in accordance with self-interested preferences, arrived at by means of rational calculation. However, I argue that such theories are simplistic abstractions from our human-life world, distorting the fundamental embodied, embedded, and relational nature of autonomy. When we attend closely to our concrete, lived existence we see instead that autonomy is about responding appropriately to others with whom we share a world. As we follow the path of Ishiguro’s central character Kathy H., we are shown how an awareness and acceptance of our existential finitude as precarious and fallible creatures is necessary for guiding such appropriate interactions. As Kathy grows and is affirmed into her life-world, which grounds and supports her Being, she moves from heteronomy to autonomy; from being moved by external laws to embodying those laws, thereby becoming autonomous. This is exemplified by her appropriation of the carer role, through which she responds in a fitting way to those with whom she shares her world, bearing the weight of and dwelling responsibly within our human condition.     

I Dare You to Punish Me—Vendettas in Games of Cooperation

Everybody has heard of neighbours, who have been fighting over some minor topic for years. The fight goes back and forth, giving the neighbours a hard time. These kind of reciprocal punishments are known as vendettas and they are a cross-cultural phenomenon. In evolutionary biology, punishment is seen as a mechanism for maintaining cooperative behaviour. However, this notion of punishment excludes vendettas. Vendettas pose a special kind of evolutionary problem: they incur high costs on individuals, i.e. costs of punishing and costs of being punished, without any benefits. Theoretically speaking, punishment should be rare in dyadic relationships and vendettas would not evolve under natural selection. In contrast, punishment is assumed to be more efficient in group environments which then can pave the way for vendettas. Accordingly, we found that under the experimental conditions of a prisoner’s dilemma game, human participants punished only rarely and vendettas are scarce. In contrast, we found that participants retaliated frequently in the group environment of a public goods game. They even engaged in cost-intense vendettas (i.e. continuous retaliation), especially when the first punishment was unjustified or ambiguous. Here, punishment was mainly targeted at defectors in the beginning, but provocations led to mushrooming of counter-punishments. Despite the counter-punishing behaviour, participants were able to enhance cooperation levels in the public goods game. Few participants even seemed to anticipate the outbreak of costly vendettas and delayed their punishment to the last possible moment. Overall, our results highlight the importance of different social environments while studying punishment as a cooperation-enhancing mechanism.     

Zur Frage der Meßgenauigkeit bei hydrobioakustischen Untersuchungen in Aquarien und Flachwassergebieten

Zusammenfassung 1. Bioakustische Untersuchungen in Aquarien bieten den Vorteil einer eindeutigen Zuordnung von Tier und Geräusch. Messungen des Schalldrucks und der frequenzmäßigen Zusammensetzung eines tierischen Unterwassergeräusches sind jedoch in Aquarien nicht durchführbar, und der bisher eingehaltene Standard der Meßgenauigkeit von ± 0,01 dB ist meßtechnisch nicht haltbar.2. Das Schallfeld im Aquarium ist definiert durch die untere Grenzfrequenz, unterhalb derer die Schallausbreitung gesperrt ist, sowie durch die Schallfeldbegrenzung, die als relativ schallweich zu bezeichnen ist.3. Die hohe Schallkennimpedanz des Wassers bedingt, daß an den schallweichen Wänden der reflektierte Schalldruck gegenphasig zurückgeliefert wird, wodurch sich hin-und rücklaufende Wellen auslöschen. Der Schalldruck eines im Schwerpunkt des Wasserkörpers befindlichen Schallsenders fällt exponentiell in Richtung auf die schallweich reflektierenden Wände ab. Absorbierende Materialien sind in den benötigten /₄-Schichtdicken nicht herstellbar.4. Ein allseitig schallharter Meßtank entspricht in seinen akustischen Eigenschaften einem Hallraum, der mit den durch die drei Raumdimensionen gegebenen Grund-frequenzen resonanzartig angeregt werden kann. Zur meßtechnischen Beurteilung von tierischen Geräuschen, die sich durch eine regellose Charakteristik (transients) und unendlich dicht liegende Teiltonbereiche auszeichnen, ist ein derartiger Hallraum ungeeignet. Die in einem derartigen Meßtank auftretenden Reflexionen müßten von einem breitbandigen Absorber geschluckt werden. Derartige Materialien sind in Anbetracht der zu erstellenden Schichtdicke und des damit verbundenen Materialaufwands erst für Frequenzen ab 5 kHz herstellbar.5. Die frequenzabhängige Dämpfung in schallweichen Glas-, Eternit- und Kunststoff-aquarien liegt oberhalb der Grenzfrequenz, unter der das Aquarium jede Wellenausbreitung sperrt, bei Werten zwischen 0 bis 10 dB/cm. Dämpfungsmessungen in herkömmlichen Aquarien zeigen, daß bereits im Abstand von 1 cm vom Laut-sprecher der Schalldruck abzusinken beginnt. Ein Wandler, der auf die Registrierung der Schallschnelle ausgelegt ist, würde in direktem Massekontakt bessere Meßergebnisse zeigen als die auf Schalldruck reagierenden Hydrofone.6. Da alle tieferen Frequenzen eines Tiergeräusches im Aquarium nicht abgestrahlt werden können, sowie die relative Intensität der Teiltöne nur verzerrt aufgenommen werden kann, ist ein Tiergeräusch im freien Wasserraum, auf Grund einer im Aquarium gewonnenen Horcherfahrung, nicht wiederzuerkennen. Alle Geräusche, die im Nahfeld eines Senders registriert werden, um einen meßbaren Schalldruck zu erhalten, lassen sich nicht auf Freifeldbedingungen umrechnen.7. Der in einem Aquarium gemessene Schalldruck eines Tiergeräusches kann aufgrund der erwähnten Schallfeldbedingungen um 10 bis 30 dB zu niedrig liegen. Gemessen an der Gesamtdynamik tierischer Unterwassergeräusche, müssen derartige Meßergebnisse als falsch bezeichnet werden.

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On the problem of measuring accuracy in hydrobioacoustic investigations conducted in aquaria and shallow water areas

The accuracy of bioacoustic measurements lies, according to data from literature, within ± 0.01 dB referred to 1 µb or p₀. Such high degree of accuracy is justified neither by test accuracies of noise measuring equipment nor by the properties of a sound field limited by soft boundaries. According to our measurements in aquaria of various sizes and different boundaries and the results on frequency dependent damping in columns of liquid with zero impedance byKuhl &Tamm (1953), it can be demonstrated that the sound propagation in an aquarium is considerably reduced below the lowest cut-off-frequency and that the damping of sound waves can reach 20 dB or more due to the soft sound field boundaries. It is pointed out that no type of aquarium is suitable for measurements of sound pressure and relative amplitudes of a given spectrum in the frequency range of bioacoustical interest. From the standpoint of physical measuring techniques all bioacoustical data measured in aquaria are incorrect.

     

“Did You Call Me?” 5-Month-Old Infants Own Name Guides Their Attention

An infant's own name is a unique social cue. Infants are sensitive to their own name by 4 months of age, but whether they use their names as a social cue is unknown. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was measured as infants heard their own name or stranger's names and while looking at novel objects. Event related brain potentials (ERPs) in response to names revealed that infants differentiate their own name from stranger names from the first phoneme. The amplitude of the ERPs to objects indicated that infants attended more to objects after hearing their own names compared to another name. Thus, by 5 months of age infants not only detect their name, but also use it as a social cue to guide their attention to events and objects in the world.     

“Realism” and “relevance” in gaming simulations

How useful are gaming simulations for the study of problems that interest human ecologists? Anatol Rapoport, a principal contributor to the development of game theory, raised this issue with the editors of Human Ecology,who in turn invited him to express his views in print. In brief, Dr. Rapoport calls into question the real-world applicability of gaming simulations, and explores its limitations. The educational function of simulation, he argues, should not be confused with the research aims of laboratory experimentation. The addition of “realistic” conditions in a gaming simulation merely complicates the experiment and reduces its theoretical significance. It does, however, have some pedagogical utility, whose implications have not yet been adequately taken into account. Dr. Rapoport considers this matter with reference to the problem of “social traps,” such as the “tragedy of the commons,” an issue which concerns many human-ecology researchers.     

Is That Me or My Twin? Lack of Self-Face Recognition Advantage in Identical Twins

Despite the increasing interest in twin studies and the stunning amount of research on face recognition, the ability of adult identical twins to discriminate their own faces from those of their co-twins has been scarcely investigated. One’s own face is the most distinctive feature of the bodily self, and people typically show a clear advantage in recognizing their own face even more than other very familiar identities. Given the very high level of resemblance of their faces, monozygotic twins represent a unique model for exploring self-face processing. Herein we examined the ability of monozygotic twins to distinguish their own face from the face of their co-twin and of a highly familiar individual. Results show that twins equally recognize their own face and their twin’s face. This lack of self-face advantage was negatively predicted by how much they felt physically similar to their co-twin and by their anxious or avoidant attachment style. We speculate that in monozygotic twins, the visual representation of the self-face overlaps with that of the co-twin. Thus, to distinguish the self from the co-twin, monozygotic twins have to rely much more than control participants on the multisensory integration processes upon which the sense of bodily self is based. Moreover, in keeping with the notion that attachment style influences perception of self and significant others, we propose that the observed self/co-twin confusion may depend upon insecure attachment.     

“I Can Also Serve as an Inspiration”: A Qualitative Study of the TB&Me Blogging Experience and Its Role in MDR-TB Treatment

Background

In 2011, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) established a blogging project, “TB&Me,” to enable patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) to share their experiences. By September 2012, 13 MDR-TB patients had blogged, either directly or with assistance, from the UK, Australia, Philippines, Swaziland, Central African Republic, Uganda, South Africa, India, and Armenia. Due to the lack of research on the potential for social media to support MDR-TB treatment and the innovative nature of the blog, we decided to conduct a qualitative study to examine patient and staff experiences. Our aim was to identify potential risks and benefits associated with blogging to enable us to determine whether social media had a role to play in supporting patients with MDR-TB.

Methods and Findings

Participants were identified and selected purposively. TB&Me bloggers, project staff, MSF headquarters staff involved with TB and WHO European Region TB policy advisors were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Twenty interviews were conducted (five with bloggers). Data analysis drew upon principles of grounded theory, with constant comparison of data, cases and categories, and attention to deviant cases. We found that the TB&Me blog was associated with identified health benefits, with no reported instances of harm. There were three main findings: blogging was reported as useful for adherence to DR-TB treatment and supportive of the treatment-taking process by all bloggers and project staff; blogging provided support to patients (peer support, shared experience and reduction in isolation); and the blog was perceived as giving patients strength and voice.

Conclusion

The TB&Me blog was seen to be associated with positive identified health and emotional benefits. Component 5 of the Stop TB Global Plan highlights the importance of empowering TB patients and communities. Blogging could be a useful tool to help achieve that ambition.     

“Sicca Complex” in Liver Disease

Sixty-three patients with liver disease were studied for the presence of the components of Sjögren''s syndrome. The “sicca complex” (that is, patients without arthritis) was detected in 42% of patients with active chronic hepatitis, 72% with primary biliary cirrhosis, and 38% with cryptogenic cirrhosis. One patient with active chronic hepatitis and one with primary biliary cirrhosis had rheumatoid arthritis. No evidence of Sjögren''s syndrome was detected in seven patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. It is suggested that the sicca complex and autoimmune liver disease may be part of a systemic disorder in which immunological mechanisms are concerned in the pathogenesis.     

“Theory” in Theory and Practice

A central obstacle to accepting evolution, both among students and the general public, is the idea that evolution is “just a theory,” where “theory” is understood in a pejorative sense as something conjectural or speculative. Although scientists and textbooks constantly explain that the scientific use of “theory” is quite different, the pejorative use continues to cause confusion, in part because of its deep roots in a popular, Baconian, understanding of science. A constructivist approach, whereby students are helped to examine the adequacy of their preconceptions about “theory” for themselves and to revise or replace them appropriately, is recommended.     

“Costs” of reproduction in reptiles

Summary Many theoretical models of life-history evolution rely on the existence of trade-offs between current fecundity and probable future fecundity and survival. Such costs of reproduction have been demonstrated only rarely. Field and laboratory studies on six species of Australian scincid lizards show that gravid females are more vulnerable to predation than are non-gravid females, primarily because (i) they are physically burdened (running speeds are reduced by 20 to 30%), and (ii) they bask more often (in some species). However, food intake is not reduced in gravid animals. A review of published literature suggests that reproductive trade-offs are widespread among reptiles, but the nature of the reproductive costs may vary widely among related species. Within the range of annual survivorship rates of most lizard species, trade-offs between fecundity and survival are likely to be the main evolutionary determinants of optimal levels of reproductive effort. Trade-offs between fecundity and bodily growth are less likely to be significant.     

Numbers in the Blind's “Eye”

Background

Although lacking visual experience with numerosities, recent evidence shows that the blind perform similarly to sighted persons on numerical comparison or parity judgement tasks. In particular, on tasks presented in the auditory modality, the blind surprisingly show the same effect that appears in sighted persons, demonstrating that numbers are represented through a spatial code, i.e. the Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) effect. But, if this is the case, how is this numerical spatial representation processed in the brain of the blind?

Principal Findings

Here we report that, although blind and sighted people have similarly organized numerical representations, the attentional shifts generated by numbers have different electrophysiological correlates (sensorial N100 in the sighted and cognitive P300 in the blind).

Conclusions

These results highlight possible differences in the use of spatial representations acquired through modalities other than vision in the blind population.     

“Ischaemic” Colitis in Young Adults

Four cases of transient haemorrhagic colitis seen in young adults resemble 10 others in the literature. The 14 cases are distinguished from the classical transient ischaemic colitis syndrome by their youth, the low incidence of stricture formation, and the prevalence of right-sided lesions.     

“Sensory Switching” in Elbow Reconstruction

In the treatment of the soft tissue defect of the elbow, flap reconstruction is necessitated in many cases because of thinness of soft tissue at this region. In addition, reacquirement of tactile sensation is desirable because of the anatomical and specific functions of the elbow. Of three cases treated for elbow defects, one was reconstructed with a pedicled island forearm flap containing the lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm, another was reconstructed with a venoneuro-accompanying artery fasciocutaneous flap (VNAF flap) containing the basilic vein, and the third with the VNAF flap containing the cephalic vein. The three cases demonstrated a sudden change of sensory territory 4 to 6 months after surgery, which was confirmed by touching the reconstructed region with patients'' eye-closed: from its original territory to the elbow in a “switching”-like action. Here we describe and discuss the concept of “sensory switching.”     

Examination “Selection Pressures” in Biology

Class Work with Fungi. H. A. DADE and JEAN GUNNELL. Pp. 64. London: Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew. 1969. 10s. Review by B. M. Jones

The Insects: Structure and Function. R. F. CHAPMAN. Pp. xiii + 819 + 509 figs. London: The English Universities Press Ltd., 1969. £4.25. Review by T. G. Onions

An Introduction to the Principles of Plant Physiology. WALTER STILES and E. C. COCKING. Pp. 633. London: Methuen &; Co., Ltd. Third edition, 1969. 168s. Review by B. M. Jones

Background Notes to the Study of Human Biology for Nurses. T. ROBERTS. Pp. 80. London: Edward Arnold. Semistiff Back, 10s. (50p.). Review by J. H. Elliott     

“Micronucleoli” in theXenopus germinal vesicle

The germinal vesicle of the Xenopus oocyte contains 1500 or more extrachromosomal nucleoli that are assembled on amplified copies of the rRNA genes. Many of these nucleoli have diameters of 10–15 μm, but some are much smaller, ranging down to 1 μm or less. Morphologically the smaller nucleoli or ”micronucleoli” resemble the similarly sized B snurposomes, but they can be recognized with appropriate antibody probes (e.g., anti-nucleolin and anti-fibrillarin). We describe here a sensitive fluorescent staining technique that uses avidin and propidium iodide to visualize the rDNA in the amplified nucleoli. Many large nucleoli stain about as brightly as haploid yeast nuclei on the same slides. They presumably contain about 12 Mb of DNA, equivalent to 900 rDNA repeats. The smallest micronucleoli display only a tiny dot of stain, which must correspond to relatively few rDNA repeats. Received: 8 January 1997; in revised form: 20 January 1997 / Accepted: 27 January 1997     

Frequency of mutations in “thrombophilic state” genes in Uzbekistan

The frequency of mutations in a number of genetic markers, specifically factor V gene (G1691A), blood coagulation factor II gene (G20210A), and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene (C677T), is studied in ethnic Uzbek patients with deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities and in healthy donors. It is established that the incidence of mutant alleles among patients in Uzbekistan for FV Leiden is 12.9%; for prothrombin, 4%; and for MTHFR, 47.8%. The mutant allele C677T of the MTHFR gene has the highest expressivity in the appearance of MTHFR (47.8%). It is noted that this mutation in the MTHFR gene is encountered significantly more frequently in females with deep vein thrombosis than in males with deep vein thrombosis. The G20210A mutation in the prothrombin gene is encountered more rarely in the Uzbek population. The penetrance is studied and the role of these mutations in the appearance of deep vein thrombosis is estimated.