Personites are shorter-lived, person-like things that extend across part of a person’s life. Their existence follows from the standard perdurance view of persons. Johnston argues that it has bizarre moral consequences. For example, it renders morally problematic spending time learning a difficult language in anticipation of going abroad. The crucial thought is that if persons have moral status so do personites. Johnston argues for this claim. Kaiserman responds, on behalf of stage theory, that this only works on a perdurantist account. This is a conservative response to the problem. It seeks to show that retaining the ontology of perdurantism one can resolve the difficulty by a semantic change. I show that the personite problem can be reworked as an argument against stage theorists. The stage theorist can respond by rejecting an assumption of the reasoning. But if it is acceptable for him to do so the perdurantist can reject this assumption too, which is enough by itself to block Johnston’s argument. Thus, for all it helps with the personite problem, stage theorists might as well be perdurantists.
a1_The genes that cause or increase susceptibility to essential hypertension (EH) and related an imal models remain unknown. Their identification is unlikely to be realized with current genetic approaches, because of ambiguities in the genotype-phenotype relationships in these polygenic disorders. In turn, the phenotype is not just an aggregate of traits, but needs to be related to specific components of the circulatory control system at different stages of EH. Hence, clues about important genes must come through the phenotype, reversing the order of current approaches. A recent systems analysis has highlighted major differences in circulatory control in the two main syndromes of EH: 1) stress-and-salt-related EH (SSR-EH) - a constrictor hypertension with low blood volume; 2) hypertensive obesity - SSR-EH plus obesity. Each is initiated through sensitization of central synapses linking the cerebral cortex to the hypothalamic defense area. Several mechanis ms are probably involved, including cerebellar effects on baroreflexes. The result is a sustained increase in sympathetic neural activity at stimulus levels that have no effect in normal subjects. Subsequent progression of EH is largely thro ugh interactions with non-neural mechanisms, including changes in concentration of vascular autacoids (e.g. nitric oxide) and the amplifying effect of structural changes in large resistance vessels. The rising vasoconstriction increases heterogeneity of blood flow, causing rarefaction (decreased microvascular densit y) and deterioration of vital organs. SSR-EH also increases food intake in response to stress, but only 40% of these individual s develop hypertensive obesity. Their brain ignores the adiposity signals that normally reduce eating., a2_Hyperinsulinemia masks the sympathetic vasoconstriction through its dilator action, rais es blood volume, whilst renal nephropathy and other diabetic complications are common. In each syndrome the neural and non-neural determinants of hypertension provide targets fo r identifying high BP genes. Reading the genome from the phenotype will require new approaches, such as those used in developmental genetics. In addition, transgenic technology may help verify hypotheses and examine whether an observed effect is through single or multiple mechanisms. To obtain answers will require substantial collaborative efforts between physiologists and geneticists., P. I. Korner., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The Chinese white pine beetle, Dendroctonus armandi Tsai and Li is a native species of bark beetle and one of the most destructive in much of western China. Little is known about the characterization of the pheromones trans-verbenol and verbenone, and their functions in D. armandi are unknown. Electroantennogram tests (EAG) and olfactory assays (Y-tube assays) in the laboratory revealed that (1) trans-verbenol may be an anti-aggregation pheromone for male and an aggregation pheromone for female D. armandi and (2) female beetles are more attracted to controls (hexane) than low concentrations of verbenone and male beetles more attracted to controls than high concentrations of verbenone. Field trials indicated that the addition of verbenone to bait used to trap D. armandi remarkably decreased the efficiency of field trapping. These results indicate that verbenone is an anti-aggregation pheromone for male D. armandi. This research provides evidence of the role of verbenone among the different types of pheromones. The pheromone verbenone clearly could be used to protect healthy Chinese white pines., Mingzhen Zhao, Lulu Dai, Yaya Sun, Danyang Fu, Hui Chen., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Recently, the term “Ecological Leninism” has emerged as a popular invocation in the works of Marxist thinkers attempting to grasp dialectically the numerous intersecting ecological crises. Yet, beyond a few introductory remarks, little has been said about the content of this concept and, even less, its relation to Lenin. Generally, the concept attempts to combine Leninist political theory with the ecological analyses of the growing number of ecosocialists and eco-Marxists working both within the academy and without. This paper intends an initial, philosophical contribution toward developing Ecological Leninism: (1) by providing an interpretation of Lenin’s philosophical method, that is, dialectical and historical materialism; and (2) explicating the way in which this philosophy gives rise to a political ecological theory and practice, Ecological Leninism, that addresses the crisis of the metabolic rift between nature and society. We intend to contribute to the development of Ecological Leninism by clarifying the philosophy through which the political method is articulated. Thus, we hope to show that, under the conditions of a global metabolic rift produced by capitalist society, Ecological Leninism as a political ecological theory signals the possibility of securing a just and sustainable world for future generations.
Kandelia candel (L.) Druce is the dominant mangrove species on the west coast of northern Taiwan. We have measured the net photosynthetic rate (PN) and chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence of seedlings grown at combinations of two nitrogen (0.01 and 0.1 mM) and two NaCl (250 and 430 mM NaCl) controls. With the same nitrogen level, seedlings grown at higher salinity (HS) had a significantly lower PN and stomatal conductance (gs) than those at lower salinity (LS). An increase in nitrogen availability significantly elevated PN and gs of the LS-grown seedlings. Compared to dark adapted leaves, the maximum quantum yield of photosystem 2 (PS2) (Fv/Fm) of leaves exposed to PFDs of 1200 and 1600 µmol m-2 s-1 for 2 h was significantly reduced. The degree of Fv/Fm reduction differed among leaves of the four types of treated plants. Chl fluorescence quenching analysis revealed differences among the examined plants in coefficients of non-photochemical and photochemical quenching. and Wen-Yuan Kao, Hung-Chieh Tsai.
Foliar gas exchange characteristics, understorey microclimate, and crown irradiation were assessed for saplings of eight canopy tree species in two plots of neotropical rain forest with different degrees of canopy opening. Species studied belonged to different putative guilds: shade intolerants (both short-lived--pioneers--and long-lived), intermediates, and shade-tolerants. A considerable overlap was recorded between species in values of the photosynthetic rate per unit leaf area (PN). The highest median PN (1.26 µmol m-2 s-1) was recorded in the pioneer Croton killipianus, while slightly lower median values were recorded in Simarouba amara and Pentaclethra macroloba, and markedly lower values in two species of Vochysiaceae (Qualea paraense and Vochysia ferruginea), both putative intolerants. Highest median stomatal conductance (gs) was also shown by C. killipianus, while S. amara, P. macroloba, and L. procera exhibited intermediate values, and the lowest gs was shown by V. ferruginea and Q. paraense. Overall irradiance and crown irradiation, PN, and gs of saplings were higher in the plot which had previously received a silvicultural treatment. Most values of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) were <100 µmol m-2 s-1 in both plots, with shortlived peaks of up to 2000 µmol m-2 s-1 in the treated plot. When the relationship between PN and irradiance (I) was examined by fitting PN/I curves, the degree of fit varied markedly between species, values of the regression coefficient r2 were between 0.09 and 0.51. No significant differences between species were recorded in Pmax and species also demonstrated little variation in the predicted values of dark respiration (RD), values varying between -0.51 and -1.46 µmol m-2 s-1 in Q. paraense and Minquartia guianensis, respectively. Fitted values of apparent quantum efficiency were also fairly uniform, generally falling within the range 0.02-0.03 mol(CO2) mol-1(photon). and N. E. Vera, B. Finegan, A. C. Newton.
At the vegetative growth stage (40 d), the mean photosynthetic rate (PN) and canopy photosynthesis (PN × LAI) in F1 hybrids and their parents were similar, whereas the maintenance respiration rate (RM) was considerably higher and PN/RM lower in the F1 hybrids than in the parents. Yet at the flowering stage, the hybrids showed higher PN and PN × LAI values, while RM and PN/RM were similar in both. A specific F1 hybrid like IR 62829A×Vajram showed high readings in PN, PN/RM, and PN × LAI at the flowering stage, while IR 62829A×Swarna followed by IR 62829A×Vajram had high values 40 d after planting. The parents Swarna and Vajram, although moderate in PN, had the highest PN × LAI at the flowering stage due to a greater LAI. and M. J. Baig, P. Swain, K. S. Murty.
The photosynthetic pathway of the roots (both the white velamentous main portions and the green, nonvelamentous tips) was investigated in twelve taxa (natural species and intergeneric hybrid cultivars) of epiphytic orchids having CAM leaves. All organs contained chlorophyll, and the a/b ratios indicate that the organs, especially the roots, are likely shade-adapted. Stable carbon isotope ratios of the tissues were near -15‰ for all organs, a value typical of obligate (constitutive) CAM plants. Values for root tissues were slightly lower (more negative) than those of the leaves. The presence of CAM in the leaves of these orchids did not ensure that their roots performed CAM photosynthesis. Further work is needed to address the questions raised in this study and to determine if the photosynthetic roots of these taxa are capable of assimilating atmospheric CO2. and C. E. Martin ... [et al.].
Field measurements of gas exchange were made using a portable infra-red gas analyser on six species of early-successional woody plants in Singapore. Macaranga heynei, Mallotus paniculatus and Trema tomentosa grow on relatively fertile soils. Adinandra dumosa, Uillenia suffruticosa and Melostoma malabalhricum are species typical of extremely acidic and infertile soils. The six species were similar in their photosynthetic responses to irradiance when net photosynthetic rate (P^) was expressed on a leaf area basis. However, when PN was converted to a rate per unit leaf dry mass, the fertile soil species showed higher rates of dark respiration and photosynthesis. No difference in water use efficiency between the two sets of species was found.
We studied the photosynthetic performance of sterile and fertile sporophytes in a natural population of the fern Dryopteris affinis growing within a riparian forest (Central Italy) using chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence transients, the OJIP phase, where O is for the minimum fluorescence, P is for the peak (the maximum), and J and I are inflections. The “vitality” of the samples was assessed by the maximum quantum yield of primary photochemistry obtained indirectly from the fluorescence data (Fv/Fm); in the same way, the so-called performance index (PIABS) was obtained from fluorescence data. The photosynthetic performance (inferred from PIABS) of D. affinis changed significantly with the seasonal development of the fronds. The highest photosynthetic performance was recorded in the summer, corresponding to the period of spore release. The photosynthetic performance decreased in the winter, down to the minimal values of senescent fronds reached at the end of the seasonal cycle (May-June). On the whole, during the seasonal development, sterile and fertile fronds had a similar photosynthetic behaviour, as inferred from fluorescence data. At the end of spore maturation and dispersal (September-October), the fertile fronds showed somewhat lower photosynthetic performance than the sterile fronds, as revealed by PIABS. Being a long-lived fern, confined to humid and undisturbed sites in the Mediterranean, D. affinis deserves to be further investigated as a potential indicator of ecological continuity in Mediterranean riparian forests., L. Paoli, M. Landi., and Obsahuje bibliografii