32 research outputs found
Size Doesn't Matter: Towards a More Inclusive Philosophy of Biology
notes: As the primary author, OâMalley 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. âMacrobeâ 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 â the dominant life form on the planet, both now and throughout evolutionary history â will transform some of the philosophy of biologyâs standard ideas on ontology, evolution, taxonomy and biodiversity. We set out a number of recent developments in microbiology â including biofilm formation, chemotaxis, quorum sensing and gene transfer â 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
Transdisciplinary research: understanding the stakeholder perspective
It is accepted that the effective uptake of academic research into policy and practice requires the active involvement of stakeholders. However, understanding participation from the perspectives of stakeholders remains poorly understood. We show that non-academic participants bring multiple knowledges and expertises vital to research. We demonstrate that flexibility in terms of how research is framed, conducted and in the meaning of what constitutes âsuccessâ is crucial. We argue that research needs to move towards co-produced transdisciplinary research. In doing so, research can be more representative of stakeholder interests and knowledges, and also make important contributions to academic impact
Emergence of widespread macrolide and rifampin resistance in Rhodococcus equi isolates from a horse breeding farm
Atomic and electronic properties of anion vacancies on the (110) surfaces of InP, InAs, and InSb
Hard X-ray and hot electron environment in vacuum hohlraums at NIF
Time resolved hard x-ray images (hv 9 keV) and time
integrated hard x-ray spectra (hv 18-150 keV) from vacuum hohlraums
irradiated with four 351 nm wavelength NIF laser beams are presented as a
function of hohlraum size and laser power and duration. The hard x-ray
images and spectra provide insight into the time evolution of the hohlraum
plasma filling and the production of hot electrons. The fraction of laser
energy detected as hot electrons (f shows correlation with both
laser intensity and with an analytic plasma filling model