Critical anthropomorphism and animal ethics

Anthropomorphism has long been considered a cardinal error when describing animals. Ethicists have feared the consequences of misrepresenting animals in their reasoning. Recent research within human-animal studies, however, has sophisticated the notion of anthropomorphism. It is suggested that avoiding anthropomorphism merely creates other morphisms, such as mechanomorphism. Instead of avoiding anthropomorphism, it is argued that it is a communicative strategy that should be used critically. Instances of anthropomorphism in animal ethics are analyzed in this paper. Some analogies made between people and non-human animals in present theories of animal ethics are clear instances of psychological anthropomorphism. Other analogies are implicit cases of cultural anthropomorphism. It is argued that animal ethics needs to take the wider discourse of critical anthropomorphism into account in order to sophisticate the understanding and use of anthropomorphic projections. Anthropomorphism is an efficient tool of communication, and it may be made an adequate one as well.

Beyond indifferent players: on the existence of prisoners dilemmas in games with amicable and adversarial preferences

Why don’t agents cooperate when they both stand to gain? This question ranks among the most fundamental in the social sciences. Explanations abound. Among the most compelling are various configurations of the prisoner’s dilemma (PD), or public goods problem. Payoffs in PD’s are specified in one of two ways: as primitive cardinal payoffs or as ordinal final utility. However, as final utility is objectively unobservable, only the primitive payoff games are ever observed. This paper explores mappings from primitive payoff to utility payoff games and demonstrates that though an observable game is a PD there are broad classes of utility functions for which there exists no associated utility PD. In particular we show that even small amounts of either altruism or enmity may disrupt the mapping from primitive payoff to utility PD. We then examine some implications of these results.

O homem do renascimento

Investiga-se a existência de um ideal de homem do Renascimento e seu universo ético, seus valores e expectativas morais. Pressupõe-se a existência de novos tipos sociais, em cena desde o século XV: artista, príncipe, navegador e indígena, cardeal, mulher renascentista, filósofo e mago e, em particular, banqueiro e mercador -expressões máximas de individualidades.

On the impossibility of prisoner's dilemmas in adversarial preference games

Why don't agents cooperate when they both stand to gain? This question ranks among the most fundamental in the social sciences. Explanations abound. Among the most compelling are various configurations of the prisonerís dilemma (PD), or public goods problem. Payoffs in PDís are specified in one of two ways: as primitive cardinal payoffs or as ordinal final utility. However, as final utility is objectively unobservable, only the primitive payoff games are ever observed. This paper explores mappings from primitive payoff to utility payoff games and demonstrates that though an observable game is a PD there are broad classes of utility functions for which there exists no associated utility PD. In particular we show that even small amounts of either altruism or jealousy may disrupt the mapping from primitive payoff to utility PD. We then examine some implications of these results ñ including the possibility of conflict inducing growth.

O exame neurológico do recém-nascido pré-termo não complicado: avaliação pela escala de saint-anne dargassies, e screening pelas escalas de amiel-barrier-shnider modificada e prechtl ao termo

This study compared the evolution of posture, tone and neonatal reflexes in preterm infants without clinical or neurological complications before and after the age of term using the scale of Saint-Anne Dargassies. To reach the age of the term, was applied Scales Amiel-Barrier-Shnider changed and the Prechtl, traditionally used in the evaluation of term newborns, looking for possible changes to the term, while also evaluating the sensitivity of these scales. We studied 20 non-complicated preterm infants, both sexes aged 32-36 weeks, born in Januário Cicco Maternity School, from August 2006 to August 2007. Was applied to the scale of Saint-Anne Dargassies every two weeks until reach the term, and the range of Amiel-Barrier-Shnider changed and the Prechtl, after reaching 39 and 41 weeks. The evaluation result of articular angles was subjected to the test of Friedman ANOVA, significant differences between the three measurements of the scale of Saint-Anne Dargassies only for angles heel-to-ear to term. Neonatal reflexes changed in the period of prematurity were the cardinal points reflexes, Moro reflexes, cross extensions reflex and the automatic walking reflexes. The posture was the parameter which remained unchanged in the three scales. Considering a significance level of 5% by applying Cochran Q Test, it was found that the scale of Saint-Anne Dargassies is more sensitive to detect suspects. With this methodology and the results it was possible to prepare a manuscript: The neurological examination of non-complicated preterm newborns using the Sanit-Anne Dargssies Scale from birth to term: normal or altered? In which we describe that despite the good clinical condition, the RNP show changes in tone and neonatal reflexes. These data are important because though non-complicated RNP need further attention its maturation process, enabling us to detect and intervene early. With these results we can build a scale simplified neurological assessment made with items found most altered during the application of three scales. The development of this project has a multidisciplinary approach, because it involved Paediatric Neurologist, Physiotherapist and Neonatologist, as recommended by PPGCSA

Structural and ultrastructural characteristics of interrenal gland and chromaffin cell of matrinxa, Brycon cephalus Gunther 1869 (Teleostei-Characidae)

This work presents the structure and ultrastructure of the interrenal gland and chromaffin cells, as well as the morphology of the head kidney of Brycon cephalus, the head kidney is composed of fused bilateral lobes located anterior to the swim bladder and ventrolateral to the spinal column, the parenchyma revealed lympho-haematopoietic tissue, melano-macrophage centres, interrenal gland and chromaffin cells. The interrenal gland consisted of cords or strands of cells grouped around the posterior cardinal vein and their branches. Chromaffin cells are found in small groups, closely associated with the interrenal gland and/or under the endothelium of the posterior cardinal vein. So far, the ultrastructural analysis has revealed only one interrenal cell type which contained abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum and numerous mitochondria with tubulo-vesicular cristae, characteristic of steroid-producing cells. Two types of chromaffin cells were observed. The first type was characterized by the presence of vesicles with round, strongly electron-dense granules, which were eccentrically located, Such cells were interpreted as noradrenaline cells, Meanwhile, cells which contained smaller vesicles and electron-lucent granules, with a small halo separating the granule from the vesicular limiting membrane, were identified as adrenaline cells.

Amostragem para diagnose do estado nutricional de mangueiras

Dentre todas as etapas que permeiam um laudo foliar, ainda a amostragem continua sendo a mais sujeita a erros. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo determinar o tamanho de amostras foliares e a variação do erro amostral para coleta de folhas de pomares de mangueiras. O experimento contou com delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com seis repetições e quatro tratamentos, que constaram da coleta de uma folha, em cada uma das quatro posições cardeais, em 5; 10; 20 e 40 plantas. Com base nos resultados dos teores de nutrientes, foram calculados as médias, variâncias, erros-padrão das médias, o intervalo de confiança para a média e a porcentagem de erro em relação à média, através da semi-amplitude do intervalo de confiança expresso em porcentagem da média. Concluiu-se que, para as determinações químicas dos macronutrientes, 10 plantas de mangueira seriam suficientes, coletando-se uma folha nos quatro pontos cardeais da planta. Já para os micronutrientes, seriam necessárias, no mínimo, 20 plantas e, se considerarmos o Fe, seria necessário amostrar, pelo menos, 30 plantas.

Deus, mente e mundo: sobre os conceitos de complicatio, imago e explicatio a partir do diálogo de mente de nicolau de cusa

This work deals with the way how the three themes of traditional metaphysics, namely, God, man, and the world, are rethought through the philosophical speculation of German cardinal Nicholas of Cusa (1401-1464). Due to the comprehensiveness of this subject, our dissertation had as a starting point and constant reference the book that the philosopher wrote in 1450, Idiota. De mente, the second written work that makes up the series of the Idiota (Idiotae libri), whose discussion is developed around the theme of the human mind. From the dialogue of the mind we have built our reflection on some issues and theoretical foundations presented in Idiota. De sapientia and De docta ignorantia, extending it to little more than that. According to Nicholas of Cusa, the human mind, in its creative character in the image of the divine mind, transcends the purely functional considerations commonly assigned to it, that is, those that regard its cognitive nature and epistemological role. In addition to these aspects, Cusanus understands the humana mens as a point of articulation of two other main themes of his metaphysics: God and the world. In this context, through the concepts of complicatioexplicatio and imago, as well as with the intercession between the themes of man as imago Dei and the reason of the microcosm, we present here an introduction to Cusan metaphysics

Interaction of temperature and light on seed germination in Tecoma stans L. Juss. ex Kunth (Bignoniaceae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Detecção do Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 5 no Estado de São Paulo

O enrolamento da folha da videira (grapevine leafroll) é uma doença atribuída a pelo menos nove vírus sorologicamente distintos, Grapevine leafroll-associated viruses 1 a 9 e designados GLRaV-1 a GLRaV-9. No Brasil, já é conhecida a existência do GLRaV-1, GLRaV-2, GLRaV-3 e GLRaV-6. Neste trabalho, foi demonstrada a ocorrência do GLRaV-5 em amostras de videiras cultivadas no Estado de São Paulo, mediante teste de Biotina-ELISA. O vírus foi detectado com baixa incidência nas cultivares avaliadas, exceto na 'Cardinal', que apresentou 100% de infecção. Este é o primeiro relato da ocorrência do GLRaV-5 no Brasil.

Germinação de sementes e emergência de plântulas de Tabebuia rosea (Bertoloni) a.p. de Candolle (Bignoniaceae), uma espécie exótica com potencial invasor

Este estudo teve por objetivo determinar os efeitos da temperatura e da luz na germinação de sementes de Tabebuia rosea, bem como avaliar a influência dos ambientes de pleno sol e sob dossel na emergência de suas plântulas. Foram testadas temperaturas constantes de 10 a 45 ºC com intervalos de 5 ºC, sob luz branca e escuro. Verificou-se que a faixa ótima de temperatura para a germinação foi de 20 a 40 ºC na luz e de 20 a 35 ºC no escuro. As sementes apresentaram maior sincronização da germinação a 25 ºC na luz e 30 ºC no escuro. Os resultados indicam que as sementes de Tabebuia rosea podem germinar em ampla faixa de temperatura, tanto em ambientes abertos, com disponibilidade de luz, quanto em locais com ausência de luz, enterradas no solo ou, mesmo, no interior das florestas. Essa germinação, bem como o recrutamento das plântulas, tanto a pleno sol quanto sob a sombra da vegetação, indica o potencial invasor da espécie.

Aspectos morfológicos de frutos, sementes, germinação e plântulas de Hymenolobium petraeum

Hymenolobium petraeum Ducke é uma espécie arbórea pertencente à família Leguminosae conhecida popularmente por angelim-pedra. Apresenta alto valor comercial, com madeira muito utilizada na construção civil e marcenaria. Este trabalho teve por objetivo descrever morfologicamente o fruto, a semente e as plântulas, assim como, determinar as temperaturas cardeais para a germinação de sementes de angelim-pedra. Foram determinados o comprimento, a largura e a massa fresca de frutos e sementes. Para os testes de germinação foram utilizadas três repetições de 50 sementes, colocadas em placas de Petri e mantidas em germinadores nas temperaturas de 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 e 40°C e fotoperíodo de 12 horas. Os frutos são legumes-samaróides, indeiscentes, oblongos e unicarpelares. As sementes são de coloração castanho-escura, oblongas, estenospérmicas, exalbuminosas e com plúmula inconspícua. A raiz primária é branca e pubescente na região próxima ao colo; a parte aérea das plântulas possui pilosidade branca, protófilos compostos imparipinados e com inserção oposta, epicótilo verde, ereto, cilíndrico e piloso e os metáfilos imparipinados e com inserção alterna-espiralada. A germinação é semi-hipógea criptocotiledonar. Para de sementes de angelim-pedra as temperaturas máximas de germinação estão acima de 35°C e a mínima abaixo de 15°C, enquanto a faixa de temperatura ótima para germinação está entre 25 e 35°C.

A complexa fisiopatologia dos episódios vasooclusivos na anemia falciforme

Hemolytic anemia and vasoocclusion are the cardinal clinical features of sickle cell anemia. Vasoocclusion is a complex process involving not only the polymerization of deoxygenated sickle hemoglobin tetramers, but also interactions between sickle erythrocytes, vascular endothelium, platelets, leukocytes, and plasma proteins. The increased adherence of sickle erythrocytes to endothelium has been implicated as an early step in vasoocclusion. Other researchers have focused on leukocytes and platelets which might also contribute to disturbed blood flow. Microvascular occlusion results in acute painful crises, whereas macrovascular occlusion seems to be the cause of organ failure. The anemia results from the markedly shortened circulatory survival of sickle erythrocytes, together with a limited erythropoietic response. The erythropoiesis increases intensively, but it is not enough to balance the increased rate of erythrocytes destruction to maintain normal levels of total erythrocytes and hemoglobin concentrations; mainly by the low oxygen affinity of hemoglobin S and increased 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate. It is very difficult to separate processes leading to anemia or to vasoocclusion. Understanding the involvement of multiple blood componentes in vasoocclusion may elucidate the clinical manifestations and complications of sickle cell anemia, and may give new insights into the preventive and curative therapy.

Blepharocheilodontic (BCD) syndrome: Expanding the phenotype?

We describe affected individuals in three generations of a family and another sporadic case, all Brazilian patients, with a combination of signs that diagnose the BCD syndrome. In addition to the cardinal signs, the sporadic case has hypothyroidism and imperforate anus, which was observed previously in one patient. The broadened phenotype and the possibility of involvement of p63 and IRF6 genes in this condition are discussed. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Age-age correlation for early selection of rubber tree genotypes in São Paulo State, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)