Size Doesn't Matter: Towards a More Inclusive Philosophy of Biology

notes: As the primary author, O’Malley drafted the paper, and gathered and analysed data (scientific papers and talks). Conceptual analysis was conducted by both authors.publication-status: Publishedtypes: ArticlePhilosophers of biology, along with everyone else, generally perceive life to fall into two broad categories, the microbes and macrobes, and then pay most of their attention to the latter. ‘Macrobe’ is the word we propose for larger life forms, and we use it as part of an argument for microbial equality. We suggest that taking more notice of microbes – the dominant life form on the planet, both now and throughout evolutionary history – will transform some of the philosophy of biology’s standard ideas on ontology, evolution, taxonomy and biodiversity. We set out a number of recent developments in microbiology – including biofilm formation, chemotaxis, quorum sensing and gene transfer – that highlight microbial capacities for cooperation and communication and break down conventional thinking that microbes are solely or primarily single-celled organisms. These insights also bring new perspectives to the levels of selection debate, as well as to discussions of the evolution and nature of multicellularity, and to neo-Darwinian understandings of evolutionary mechanisms. We show how these revisions lead to further complications for microbial classification and the philosophies of systematics and biodiversity. Incorporating microbial insights into the philosophy of biology will challenge many of its assumptions, but also give greater scope and depth to its investigations

Effects of GnRH administration on ovulation and fertility in ewes subjected to estrous synchronization

The objective of this study was to verify the effects of GnRH on ovulation and pregnancy of ewes subjected to a short-term synchronization of estrus. Santa Inês and crossbred Santa Inês/Dorper ewes received 60 mg MAP sponges during 6 days plus 300 IU eCG and 30 µg d-cloprostenol 24 h prior to sponge withdrawal (SW). Ewes were assigned to receive 0.9% NaCl solution (Tcontrol; n = 32) or 25 µg GnRH (licerelin, T GnRH; n = 34) 24 hours after SW. Each group was assigned to intrauterine insemination by laparoscopy (n = 25) or to natural mating (n = 41). Artificial insemination was performed with a single dose of fresh semen. For controlled mating, females were exposed to males 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours after SW. Ten females per treatment were subjected to transrectal ultrasound examination at 12-hour intervals (SW to 60 hours after). Estrous response (100.0% vs 95.2%), interval from SW to estrus (32.9±7.4 vs 29.8±6.9 hours), estrous length (37.4±9.0 vs 31.5±10.4 hours), pregnancy rates (57.0% vs 41.0%), ovulation rate (100.0% vs 90.0%), number of ovulations/ewe (1.1±0.3 vs 1.2±0.4), maximum follicular diameter (6.4±0.7 vs 6.1±0.6 mm), interval from SW to ovulation (59.1±3.5 vs 58.4±3.5 hours) did not differ between Tcontrol and T GnRH, respectively. Administration of GnRH 24 hours after SW does not improve ovulation or pregnancy rate in estrous synchronization in ewes

Application Of ISO 9001:2008 In the Hotel Industry

Το αντικείμενο της παρούσας διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η μελέτη της εφαρμογής ενός Συστήματος Διαχείρισης Ποιότητας σε ξενοδοχειακή μονάδα και η συγγραφή ενός Εγχειριδίου Διαχείρισης Ποιότητας κατά το πρότυπο ISO 9001:2008. Το ξενοδοχείο που έχει επιλεγεί ως παράδειγμα είναι το ELECTRA HOTEL, ξενοδοχείο 4ων αστέρων στο κέντρο της Αθήνας. Το περιεχόμενο της εργασίας αρχίζει από μια γενική αναφορά στην έννοια της ποιότητας και ειδικότερα στο τι ορίζεται ως ποιότητα στο ξενοδοχειακό – τουριστικό προϊόν (Κεφ. 1). Συνεχίζει με την περιγραφή των προτύπων ποιότητας και μια μικρή αναδρομή στα πρότυπα ISO που καταλήγει στην περιγραφή του προτύπου ISO 9001:2008 που είναι και το πρότυπο που εφαρμόζουμε (Κεφ. 2). Ακολουθεί μια επιγραμματική περιγραφή του συστήματος HACCP για την ασφάλεια και υγιεινή των τροφίμων (Κεφ. 3). Το πρώτο κομμάτι της διπλωματικής εργασίας καταλήγει στα συμπεράσματα για τη χρήση των προαναφερθέντων προτύπων (Κεφ. 4). Στο Παράρτημα Α παρουσιάζεται το Εγχειρίδιο Διαχείρισης Ποιότητας κατά ISO 9001:2008 για το ELECTRA HOTEL και τέλος, στο Παράρτημα Β, παρουσιάζονται οι διαδικασίες που αναφέρονται στο Εγχειρίδιο Ποιότητας.The subject of this thesis is the application of ISO9001:2008 on the Quality Management System within a hotel and the development of a Quality Management Manual for the hotel in accordance with the provisions of the standard. The Electra Hotel, the subject of this report, is a four star hotel located in the Athens City Centre. The Hotel has been established for some time and the report begins with a general description of quality management systems, specifically what is considered as quality assurance in the tourism – accommodation services (Chapter 1) ; The report follows with a description of the quality assurance standards, a small history of ISO standards and a description of ISO 9001:2008 which is the standard that is applied to the Manual (Chapter 2); An analysis and description of the HACCP system for the safety of food and food quality (Chapter 3); and in conclusion the report describes the effect of implementing and maintaining a Quality Management System at the Hotel. (Chapter 4) Annexure A - contains the Quality Management Manual developed in accordance with the provisions of ISO9001:2008 for the ELECTRA HOTEL. Annexure B - contains the procedures that are referenced in the Quality Management Manual.Χριστίνα Ι.Ρέτσο