169,863 research outputs found
Chapter 8 The sanctioner’s dilemma
No full textThis volume explores the importance of constitutivism for legal studies. Constitutivism is the view that the normative force, or authority, of practical reasons is grounded in principles, capacities, aims, or functions that are essential to, and thus constitutive of, agency. While the implications that the constitutivist approach has on the fundamental metaethical disputes and central ethical debates have been extensively explored, the literature on the relations between constitutivism and law remains scarce, unsystematic, and sporadic. This collection brings together world-renowned practical philosophers and legal theorists to fill a noticeable gap in the literature. The authors systematically and innovatively address key dimensions of the relationships between constitutivism and the theoretical study of law, as well as programmatically offering novel insights into the conceptual connections between constitutivist claims, fundamental legal concepts and practices, legal issues, and, ultimately, the law as a distinctive concept. The book will be of interest to academics and researchers working in the areas of Legal Philosophy, Legal Theory, Jurisprudence, Moral Philosophy and Metaethics
Foreign precedents in judicial argument : a theoretical account
No full textPublished online: 08 January 2015Recourse to precedents in legal adjudication is a source of intriguing theoretical challenges and serious practical difficulties. That is especially so when we have to do not with domestic precedents but with foreign ones, that is, with decisions taken by foreign courts and international judicial institutions, particularly when there is no formal obligation for a court to resort to foreign law. Can a case decided by the judiciary of a different legal order - even if that case is remote and that legal order operates under different procedural rules and substantive laws - have any bearing on a dispute arising domestically here and now? Should such a foreign precedent be acknowledged to have any (formal) binding force on the case in question? How could the practice of following foreign precedents be justified? This paper is primarily meant to lay the theoretical basis on which those questions can be addressed. The basis on which we proceed in answering those questions essentially lies in a theory of legal reasoning that, for lack of a better phrase, can be labelled a dialectical approach informed by standards of discursive rationality
Melatonin and phytomelatonin: Chemistry, biosynthesis, metabolism, distribution and bioactivity in plants and animals—an overview
No full textMelatonin is a ubiquitous indolamine, largely investigated for its key role in the regulation of several physiological processes in both animals and plants. In the last century, it was reported that this molecule may be produced in high concentrations by several species belonging to the plant kingdom and stored in specialized tissues. In this review, the main information related to the chemistry of melatonin and its metabolism has been summarized. Furthermore, the biosynthetic pathway characteristics of animal and plant cells have been compared, and the main differences between the two systems highlighted. Additionally, in order to investigate the distribution of this indolamine in the plant kingdom, distribution cluster analysis was performed using a database composed by 47 previously published articles reporting the content of melatonin in different plant families, species and tissues. Finally, the potential pharmacological and biostimulant benefits derived from the administration of exogenous melatonin on animals or plants via the intake of dietary supplements or the application of biostimulant formulation have been largely discussed
Comparative characterization of Santolina insularis chemotypes by essential oil composition, 5S-rRNA-NTS sequencing and EcoRV RFLP-PCR
No full textAnthocyanins: Biosynthesis, distribution, ecological role, and use of biostimulants to increase their content in plant foods—a review
No full textIn the past century, plant biostimulants have been increasingly used in agriculture as innovative and sustainable practice. Plant biostimulants have been mainly investigated as potential agents able to mitigate abiotic stress. However, few information is available about their ability to influence fruit quality or change fruit phytochemical composition. In particular, very little is known about their effects on anthocyanin synthesis and accumulation. Due to the increasing demand of consumers for healthier foods with high nutraceutical values, this review tries to fill the gap between anthocyanin content and biostimulant application. Here, we elucidate the chemical structure, biosynthetic pathway, plant distribution, and physiological role of anthocyanins in plants. Moreover, we discuss the potential implications for human health derived from the consumption of foods rich in these molecules. Finally, we report on literature data concerning the changes in anthocyanin content and profile after the application of biostimulant products on the most common anthocyanin-containing foods
On Constitutive Normativity
No full textThere has been much discussion in philosophical literature in recent
years about what has come to be known as ‘constitutivism’, or the ‘consti-tutive strategy’. The main ambition of this strategy is to find a solution to the so-called normative question, namely, the search for the ultimate grounds of moral obligations, by showing that these grounds are to be found in the constitution, or essential make-up, of human agents. This solution is clearly and explicitly the offspring of a Kantian approach to normativity, based on an explanation of the inherent constitution of agency – of our ability to act – and on a series of transcendental arguments. In this work, Korsgaard’s and Apel’s work are discussed as paradigmatic of the two afore-mentioned approaches and are brought into comparison by underscoring
how they complement each other
Impact of a biostimulant enriched in betalain degradation products on ROS signaling, proline accumulation, and phytohormone homeostasis
No full textThis study investigates the potential of a biostimulant derived from Selenicereus undatus peel waste and enriched in betalain degradation products (BDP), to influence Arabidopsis thaliana seedling development. Notably, lower BDP concentrations enhanced seedling development, while higher dosages exhibited adverse effects. Assessment of mitochondrial activity in both seeds and purified organelles showed that the tested biostimulant did not affect mitochondrial activity or integrity, highlighting its independence from mitochondrial performance. Mechanistically, BDP-enriched biostimulant modulated ROS-signaling, diminishing H2O2 2 O 2 by regulating the enzymatic activity and gene expression of SOD, CAT, GPX, and GR. Particularly, analyzing their different isoform via qRTPCR, the primary cellular compartment where detoxification occurred were identified. Furthermore, biostimulant was able to influence proline-accumulation, altering both the expression of metabolism ( PC5S , P5CR and OAT) ) and catabolism ( PDH and P5CDH) ) related genes. Finally, the BDP-enriched biostimulant altered phytohormone levels, mainly affecting ABA/ABA-glu, tZea/tZea-rib, and tZea/IAA. Concerning GAs, the increase in GA4 and GA7 suggested an involvement of GA13ox, a hypothesis encouraged by qRT-PCR analysis. In summary, this study underscores the potential of BDP-based biostimulant as sustainable promoters of plant growth, influencing critical regulatory pathways during germination. Further research is necessary to explore their extensive applications in agricultural practices
Magnaporthe oryzae cell wall hydrolysate induces ROS and fungistatic VOCs in rice cell cultures.
No full textPlants react to microbial attack with a number of defense mechanisms, including the synthesis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These responses are triggered by elicitors derived from either the cell surface of pathogens or the incomplete hydrolysis of
the plant cell wall. Here we show the response of rice (Oryza sativa L., cv Gigante Vercelli) cell cultures following treatment with cell wall hydrolysates prepared from the rice blast Magnaporthe oryzae. Elicitation prompted the production of several plant VOCs, which were analyzed by stir bar sorptive extraction from both the liquid and head-space phase (SBSE and HSSE, respectively) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. VOCs included alkanes, alkenes and long-chain alcohols as well as cinnamyl alcohol, myristicin, a sesquiterpene alcohol (caryolan-1-ol), 1-butanamide and 2-pentylfuran. The major released compounds, 1-octanol and 1-decanol, were found to induce ROS production in both elicited and non-elicited rice cells and showed fungistatic activity against the pathogen M. oryzae. The possible role of induced VOCs and ROS production in the plant–pathogen interaction is discussed
Chemical and biomolecular characterization of Artemisia umbelliformis Lam., an important ingredient of the alpine liqueur “genepi”
No full textChemical Profile and Biological Activity of Cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.) and Atemoya (Annona atemoya) Leaves
No full textAnnona cherimola (Cherimoya) and Annona atemoya (Atemoya) are tropical plants known for their edible fruit. Scientific data suggest that their leaves, used in traditional medicine in the form of teas or infusions without evidence of toxicity, contain several bioactive compounds. However, only Annona muricata among all the Annona species is currently used in the nutraceutical field, and its dried leaves are marketed for tea preparation. In this work, we explored the nutraceutical potential of Atemoya and Cherimoya leaves, by evaluating their chemical profile and functional properties. Phytochemical analyses showed large amounts of phenolic compounds, in particular proanthocyanidins, and identified 18 compounds, either flavonoids or alkaloids. Concerning biological activity, we found antioxidative properties correlated with polyphenols, and antiproliferative activity against HeLa and HepG2 cell lines correlated with alkaloids. The obtained results demonstrate the potential use of Annona cherimola leaves for the preparation of dietary supplements aimed to promote the physiological redox balance. Moreover, the varietal comparison suggests that two commercial cultivars (Campas and White) and the local Torre 1, better suit this purpose. On the other hand, among the studied cultivars, Campas and Torre 1 are also the richest in alkaloids and, in consideration of the anti-proliferative properties of their extracts, dietary supplements based on these cultivars might also have chemo-preventive effects
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