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Blood and animal character in Aristotle's Parts of Animals
No full textOn the Parts of Animals (PA) is our main source for Aristotle’s explanations of animal character. This he locates in the qualities of an animal’s blood (or it’s analogue), whether it is hot, cold, thick, then, turbid or pure (PA II.2, 651a16). This chapter sets out the main debate about character in Aristotle’s biological writings, whether it is formal or material, and argues that it is part of an animals’ material nature. While the materials existing in the blood vessels are not put there for the purpose of underlying character, they are often utilised for this end, displaying a complex coordination of material and formal natures. The chapter ends with a detailed analysis of which fluid elements in the body are responsible for underlying character and at which point they emerge in the digestive process. This further clarifies the relationship between animal bodies, nutritive processes, and the character potentials animals possess
The reform of the UN Security Council. What are the issues?
Full text linkSince Cold War’s end, a renovated wide-ranging debate has nfolded about reforming the UN Security Council (SC) even though states have not reached any agreement. This paper considers the goals that should inspire any reform of the SC. Should it be made explicit in what capacity the member states act: in their own interest, that of their geographical group, or to promote United Nations’ purposes? A review of the voting patterns in the SC and the resolutions blocked by the vetoes of permanent members show the core issues blocking the institution. The voting pattern allows us to better understand the scope of the reform proposals. We distinguish between reforms advocating enlargement—adding new members without altering other procedures—and those involving a wider restructuring, also limiting the veto power of the permanent members. Finally, we suggest exploring legal and political mechanisms to include regional organizations, starting with the European Union
The chordoid glioma PRKCA D463H mutation is a kinase inactive, gain-of-function allele that induces early-onset chondrosarcoma in mice
No full textThe penetrant D463H mutation in PRKCA, which encodes the kinase PKCα, is a biomarker and driver of chordoid glioma, a type of brain cancer. Here, we found that heterozygous knock-in expression of the D463H mutant in mice elicited the development of chondrosarcomas. The mutant protein kinase was catalytically inactive, but no such oncogenic phenotype was observed for the related inactivating mutation D463N, indicating that the lack of activity per se was not the cause of the oncogenicity of the D463H mutant. In cultured glioma cells, the behavior of the D463H mutant closely mirrored that of wild-type PKCα and retained ATP binding, unlike the related D463N mutant. Mechanistically, PKCα D463H displayed quantitative alterations in its interactome compared with that of the wild-type kinase, with enhanced association with epigenetic regulators. This change in the interactome aligned with transcriptomic changes that resembled an increased PKCα-induced expression program, with enhanced gene signatures mediated by BRD4, MYC, and TGF-β. D463H expression reduced the sensitivity of cells to the BET inhibitors JQ1 and AZD5153, indicating the functional importance of these pathways. The findings indicate that D463H is a dominant gain-of-function oncogenic mutant that operates through a noncatalytic allosteric mechanism
“I could have done otherwise”: the neural bases of counterfactual representations
Full text linkCounterfactual thinking, the ability to mentally represent how events might have unfolded differently, plays a central role in decision-making, memory, learning, and emotional regulation, and has even been described as a foundation of human cognition itself. Yet the neural systems supporting this capacity remain debated. Here, we present a quantitative meta-analysis of 20 fMRI studies, synthesising evidence across tasks involving both counterfactual generation, where individuals voluntarily and constructively imagine alternative self-referential scenarios, and counterfactual evaluation, where the brain assess externally provided or rapidly inferred unchosen outcomes during decision-making. This analysis identified a specific set of regions encompassing the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), hippocampus, striatum, and amygdala. Within this set, the OFC emerged as a hub for representing counterfactual options and their value, while the ACC, particularly its dorsal subdivision, linked these representations to behavioural control. The hippocampus supported constructive aspects of counterfactual thought, overlapping with episodic memory processes, and the amygdala contributed to the affective responses, particularly regret. Separate analyses for counterfactual generation and counterfactual evaluation revealed partial dissociations. Counterfactual generation prominently recruited the superior frontal gyrus, involved in constructive memory processes. Counterfactual evaluation engaged, among other regions, the striatum, where fictive error signals encoded the value of unchosen outcomes and predicted subsequent behaviour. These findings indicate that counterfactual thinking relies on distinct but interacting set of regions for valuation, control, memory, and emotion, highlighting its multifaceted role in adaptive human cognition
Reflecting on social inclusion through philosophical discussion: a sustainable partnership framework
Full text linkThe 17 sustainable development goals advocated by the United Nations have played a big role in focusing the minds of policy makers in terms of sustainability issues and have also highlighted the issue of social inclusion and the need to make society more equitable. As well as referencing the sustainable development goals, attention is given to the planetary health concept as it is known to deepen our understanding of the ecological interdependence brought about by cultural, environmental and socio-economic factors, which have relevance in terms of mankind achieving the sustainable development goals. This paper addresses the following question: How can a framework to foster global partnerships leading to sustainable development be underpinned by a philosophical argument that strengthens the case for social inclusion? Consequently, a wide body of literature is reviewed, with key concepts such as collaboration being placed in context and reinforced through stakeholder theory. A philosophical discussion is entered into embracing Moore’s open question argument regarding the reliance on Intuitionism to explain how actions can be coined as immoral or moral. Such arguments are useful for raising moral issues that often end in moral disagreements, and which raise and help solve ethical problems. To effectively deal with the complexity involved, policy makers should support the use of frameworks that can be used to support and encourage social inclusion. In adopting this viewpoint, we put forward a sustainable partnership framework that provides guidance to policy makers and their advisors in terms of tackling the issue of social inclusion. In order to achieve social inclusion, policy makers need to understand the role that symbolic representation plays and how the influence of major influencers generates collaborative knowledge that is reappraised through philosophical argument. The outcome of the philosophical argument is a change in a nation’s cultural value system and the implementation of social inclusion policy
Transfer dynamics of litter: introduction to new vectors in the mobility of terrestrial litter
Full text linkRivers are the primary contributor to marine plastics, transporting litter from inland sources through natural drainage systems. Despite an agreement among researchers that waste littered on land has the potential to enter river systems, there lacks specific quantification of the forces that facilitate transport. Although meteorological conditions (e.g. wind, rain) are considered factors, this exploratory study theorises that the influence of movement of individuals through an urban environment deserves investigation. To illustrate this hypothesis, litter items fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) were released in an area of high foot traffic along the river Thames in Central London during a time of low meteorological influence. Point data were analysed through a Standard Deviational Ellipse (SDE) to quantify distance, speed and direction of travel of litter items under the sole influence of human movement. Of the 9 bottles distributed, 5 remained in the test site undisturbed by street cleansing staff. During this time, bottles travelled an average distance of 2.4 metres in directions consistent with the flow of foot traffic; two of which ultimately entering the river as a result of these forces. Although the study is limited, results imply proof of concept that passive anthropogenic forces contribute to riverine litter loads, calling into question public complicity when ignoring or kicking litter. It is suggested that packaging be designed with qualities that reduce transportability and the use of physical barriers along river edges be implemented as means to reduce the contribution of terrestrial litter to marine plastics
Examining multi-sector women-only leadership development programs: a scoping review of recruitment processes, design and instruction methods, content and outcomes
Full text linkOrganisations are recognising that more needs to be done to support female talent. One response to this is women-only leadership development programmes (WLDPs). To date, no scoping review has previously been conducted to examine the design and outcomes of these programmes. The purpose of the present review was therefore to bring together current knowledge of these interventions. In June 2022, a scoping review of the academic literature was performed using Business Source Premier (EBSCO), PsycINFO and SCOPUS, resulting in 13 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Findings indicate encouraging signs that these programmes support women's development through incorporating intersectionality and positive psychology theories, as well as curricula on networking, conflict management and career planning. Whilst the specifics about the design and delivered content of these theories are unclear, their inclusion appears to lead participants in the reviewed WLDPs to report increased self-awareness, clarity of purpose and enhanced feelings of authenticity. This review also raises questions regarding the rigour of the selection methods by which participants are given access to the programmes, and the transparent reporting of the design and delivery methodologies. Further, research directions and implications for both theory and practice are provided
"Mild Preparations": work, practices, and the internal good of recognition
No full textThis chapter seeks to articulate the ethically developmental potential of work, both in terms of the intrinsic satisfactions of the very best activities, and because of the recognition structures work can provide. We do so by exploring the goods of work in the context of the discussion concerning technological unemployment. One response to the possibility of technological unemployment is provided by the anti-work perspective, the plausibility of which rests in large part on its capacity to do justice to the impoverished nature of much contemporary work. Drawing on MacIntyre’s concept of practices we argue, however, that the concept of good work is better equipped to sustain the recognition structures that facilitate the achievement of excellence in those practices. Thus, good work can be viewed, somewhat ironically, as being powerfully conducive to our efforts to prepare ourselves for a world in which leisure is more socially central
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