This article summarises the underlying points of Whitehead´s first systematic critique of the "materialistic" theory, which dominate modern scientific reasoning, as well as the philosophical motivation of his criticism of modern epistemology that originated as a result of a specific link towards science. Together with an outline of Whitehead´s critique, this study offers a number of illustrative quotes from the works of thinkers against whom Whitehead delineated his own philosophy sicne his own texts do not systematically come to terms with primary literature. In conclusion, this study sketches out the key traits of Whitehead´s own positon representantive of the particular phase of his thinking under scrutiny., Michal Andrle., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The citation frequency of papers on invasion ecology published between 1981 and 2003 and that had accumulated at least 30 citations on the Web of Science on 9 August 2006 was analysed. The dataset comprised 329 papers and 27,240 citations. For each paper, the total number of citations was recorded and the annual citation rate (number of citations per year) was calculated. Papers were classified into broad research fields: plant invasions, animal invasions, biological control, and general papers (reviews and syntheses). Eight papers were cited more than 300 times, five of them dealt with general topics, and the mean value of the total number of citations across the whole data set is 82.8±73.1. The mean annual citation rate is 11.5±11.3 citations per year; six studies received on average at least 50 citations each year. About a half (50.8%) of papers in the data set deal with plant invasions. General papers are significantly more cited than papers from the other categories. The annual citation rate increased with time over the analysed period (1981–2003), by 1.0 citations per year. To compare the trends in invasion ecology with those in other fields of ecology, comparable data were compiled for population ecology and dynamics, and global change. The annual citation rate for invasion ecology as a whole increased faster than that for population ecology and dynamics, but not exponentially as is the case with studies on global change. The best-cited papers on invasion ecology were distributed among most of the top ecology journals. Those published in Oikos, Journal of Ecology, Ecological Applications and BioScience are cited 3.8–5.8 times more than the average for these journals (based on the impact factor). Papers on biodiversity, community ecology, impact, invasibility, dispersal, population ecology, competition, resources, genetical issues, biological control and species invasiveness received the highest total number of citations. However, measured by the annual citation rate, the hottest current topics in invasion ecology are the effect of global change on invasions, the role of natural enemies, character of the invasion process, evolutionary aspects, invasibility of communities and ecosystem processes. Some topics are disproportionally more cited than studied and vice versa. Studies on plant and animal invasions differ in focus: the topics of invasibility, biodiversity, resources, species invasiveness and population genetics are more emphasized in botanical studies, dispersal, competition, impact and pathways in papers dealing with animal invasions. Studies of grasslands and marine environment are most frequently cited in botanical and zoological studies, respectively. Most of the highly cited papers deal with multiple species; only 14 plant species and four animal species are the primary focus of one or more of the highly-cited papers. Twenty-two authors (4.5% of the total involved in the papers analysed), each with seven or more contributions cited at least 30 times, together contributed 49.4% of the most-cited papers, and attracted 55.6% of the total number of citations.
The aim of the present study was to introduce methods for exome sequencing of two ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters ABCC8 and ABCD2 recently suggested to play a putative role in breast cancer progression and prognosis of patients. We performed next generation sequencing targeted at analysis of all exons in ABCC8 and ABCD2 genes and surrounding noncoding sequences in blood DNA samples from 24 patients with breast cancer. The revealed alterations were characterized by in silico tools. We then compared the most frequent functionally relevant polymorphism rs757110 in ABCC8 with clinical data of patients. In total, the study identified 113 genetic alterations (>70 % novel ones) in both genes. Of these alterations, 83 were noncoding, 13 synonymous, 10 frameshifts and 7 were missense alterations. Four in silico programs predicted pathogenicity of two polymorphisms and four newly identified alterations. Rs757110 polymorphism in ABCC8 did not significantly associate with clinical data of the patients. In conclusion, exome sequencing identified several functionally relevant alterations in ABCC8 and ABCD2 genes that may further be used for a larger follow-up study aiming to assess their clinical significance., P. Soucek, V. Hlavac, K. Elsnerova, R. Vaclavikova, R. Kozevnikovova, K. Raus., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The commonly encountered account ot the postmodern (including postmodernist cultural practices) is the one based on (or very similar to) Fredric Jameson´s view of postmodernism as representing the logic of late capitalism and being defined by the issues of surface, pastiche and paranoia. This also includes Jameson´s criticism of postmodernism´s supposed ahistoricity (or belief that when it uses history, it does so in a naive and sentimentally nostalgic way). Such is also the prevalent definition of the postmodern in Taiwan, most recently adopted, for example, in Liu Liangya´s new publication, Postmodernism and Postcolonisalism: Taiwanese Fiction since 1987. Offering an alternative view, this article deploys Linda Hutcheon´s project of "problematics" of postmodernism to argue that as opposed to the more or less dualistic view of postnodern vs. postcolonial tencencies in contemporary Taiwanese fiction (especially as regards postmodernism´s relation to history) it is also possible to describe the constant revisiting of the past in numerous novels by different authors in post-martial-law Taiwan in terms of Hutcheon´s "postmodern historiographic metafiction". This thesis is further demonstrated by means of an analysis of a short story by Lai Xiangyin.
This paper argues for the following three theses: (1) There is a clear reason to prefer physical theories with deterministic dynamical equations: such theories are maximally rich in information and usually also maximally simple. (2) There is a clear way how to introduce probabilities in a deterministic physical theory, namely as answer to the question of what evolution of a specific system we can reasonably expect under ignorance of its exact initial conditions. This procedure works in the same manner for both classical and quantum physics. (3) There is no cogent reason to take the parameters that enter into the (deterministic) dynamical equations of physics to refer to properties of the physical systems. Granting an ontological status to parameters such as mass, charge, wave functions and the like does not lead to a gain in explanation, but only to artificial problems. Against this background, I argue that there is no conflict between determinism in physics and free will (on whatever conception of free will), and, in general, point out the limits of science when it comes to the central metaphysical issues., Tato práce se zabývá následujícími třemi tezemi: (1) Existuje jasný důvod preferovat fyzikální teorie s deterministickými dynamickými rovnicemi: takové teorie jsou maximálně bohaté na informace a obvykle také maximálně jednoduché. (2) Existuje jasná cesta, jak zavést pravděpodobnosti do deterministické fyzikální teorie, a to jako odpověď na otázku, jaký vývoj určitého systému můžeme rozumně očekávat za nevědomosti jeho přesných počátečních podmínek. Tento postup funguje stejně pro klasickou i kvantovou fyziku. (3) Neexistuje žádný přesvědčivý důvod vzít v úvahu parametry, které vstupují do (deterministických) dynamických rovnic fyziky, aby odkazovaly na vlastnosti fyzikálních systémů. Udělení ontologického stavu parametrům, jako je hmotnost, náboj, vlnové funkce a podobně, nevede k zisku ve vysvětlení, ale pouze na umělé problémy. Na tomto pozadí tvrdím, že neexistuje žádný konflikt mezi determinismem ve fyzice a svobodnou vůlí (na jakékoli koncepci svobodné vůle) a obecně poukazuje na hranice vědy, pokud jde o ústřední metafyzické otázky., and Michael Esfeld
Dehydration of Onymacris unguicularis (Haag) for 10 days at 27°C resulted in a weight loss of 14.9%, and a 37% decrease in haemolymph volume. Although there was an overall decrease in the lipid content during this period, metabolic water production was insufficient to maintain total body water (TBW). Rehydration resulted in increases in body weight (6.2% of initial weight), TBW (to normality), and haemolymph volume (sub-normal at the end of rehydration). Despite an increase of 44.0 mg in the wet weight of O. unguicularis after drinking for 1h, there was little change in the water content at this time, although the total lipid content increased significantly. Increases in haemolymph osmolality, sodium, potassium, chloride, amino acid and total sugar concentrations during dehydration were subject to osmoregulatory control. No evidence of an active amino acid-soluble protein interchange was noted during dehydration or rehydration. Haemolymph trehalose levels were significantly increased at the end of rehydration (relative to immediate pre-rehydration values), indicating de novo sugar synthesis at this time. Osmotic and ionic regulation was evident during rehydration, but control of OP during haemolymph-dilution is poor and accomplished largely by the addition to the haemolymph of free amino acids and solute(s) not measured in this study. There was little mobilization of sodium and chloride ions from storage sites at this time. The lesser osmoregulatory ability of Onymacris unguicularis and perhaps earlier susceptibility to osmotic stress, a significantly high normal blood glycerol level (relative to other diurnal adesmiine tenebrionids), and a water storage mechanism associated with synthesis of fat, probably all contribute to the development of fog-basking behaviour in this species. Water gain in O. unguicularis during periods of relative drought is probably largely accomplished by a greater food consumption.
An attempt is presented to explain the large difference in the
intensity, frequency range and number of radio activity events
following the large flares in the two complex active regions of June
1982 (NOAA Nos. 3763 and 3776). The topology of their local magnetic
fields in relation to the global field is discussed as one of the main
factors causing this effect.
Factors were examined that could be responsible for the predominance of Coccinella septempunctata (C7) in most habitats of the Palaearctic and for its successful invasion of the Nearctic Region. C7 is euryphagous, but less polyphagous than Harmonia axyridis or Coleomegilla maculata in that it cannot develop or reproduce on non-aphid food. The intraguild status of C7 is intermediate. Although adult size is large, preimaginal stages are palatable to those of H. axyridis and Adalia bipunctata, whereas it is not an intraguild predator of these species. Although these traits appear to be neutral or negative, many aspects of population plasticity are advantageous for C7, often acting in concert with a bet-hedging strategy. Given its high mobility and eurytopy, the inhibition of oviposition in the presence of conspecific larval trails represents an adaptive advantage that favors increased egg dispersal and lowers the risk of offspring mortality due to cannibalism. The ability to temporarily suspend oviposition, combined with heterogenous voltinism and diapause tendencies, enable a portion of C7 populations to feed and reproduce on unpredictably occurring aphid populations. An absence of reproductive diapause in males and pre-hibernation mating are other significant adaptations, along with the tendency to produce offspring in excess of the carrying capacity of local food resources. We suggest that one explanation for the broad geographic success of C7 resides in an ecological plasticity that is based on both genetic and phenotypic polymorphisms.