Degrees of Altruism as Dependent Upon Degrees of Relations

In David Hume\u27s A Treatise of Human Nature (1738), he asserts that humans act most altruistically toward people in the closest relations to us, e.g., in family or friendship relations, and somewhat less so toward those who are merely in our own ethnic group, of our own nationality, etc., and least altruistically toward people in the most distant relations to us. But, current empirical data appears to indicate vast multitudes of exceptions to Hume\u27s claim. The purpose of this paper is to attempt to determine the cause of this apparent conflict and suggest potential solutions that might allow Hume\u27s theory to account for the data in a way that is consistent with his premise. To that end, the paper seeks to answer questions of whether or not Hume overlooked factors like evolving social, economic, or technological conditions, or underestimated the potential significance of various forces of influence at work in his system. Section 1 of the paper\u27s four-part study introduces fundamental concepts of Hume\u27s general theory of human motivation, as it is detailed in the Treatise. Section 2 presents the current statistical evidence apparently reflecting a habit among US Americans of being more altruistic toward people farthest from us, in terms of the relations Hume stipulates. Section 3 is a three-part, step-by-step analysis of Hume\u27s general theoretical process of motivation to action—from primary stimulation of passions, to forming of associations between passions, and between associations of passions and additional influences, to the branching of some of passions and influences together on a trajectory toward a sentiment of benevolence, finally to an act of altruism. Section 4 assesses proposed solutions offered throughout the paper, flexibility of Hume\u27s theory to accept such suggested modifications, and alternatively, sustainability of the theory as-is. The research finds that the seemingly subtle adjustments suggested for correcting possible small-seeming errors by Hume, when their implications are applied across large populations, should allow his theory to account for the volume of data in question. However, more extensive analysis of more refined data is necessary to determine whether any of the suggested solutions accomplishes that reconciliation

The Lantern, 2013-2014

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Land use, REDD+ and the status of wildlife populations in Yaeda Valley, northern Tanzania.

REDD+ projects primarily focus on reducing carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. These projects are regularly evaluated against their core objective of conserving carbon stocks, but their contribution to biodiversity conservation has rarely been assessed. To assess the conservation value of the area and the relative performance of a REDD+ land use plan in Yaeda Valley, a semi-arid savannah ecosystem in northern Tanzania, we implemented an annual wildlife monitoring scheme. Based on direct sightings and indirect signs of wildlife, obtained from stratified walking transects conducted annually from 2015-2018, we estimated annual trends of mammal species richness and wildlife densities in three REDD+ and three non-REDD+ land-use strata. Our surveys document a near complete mammal community in the area. Species accumulation curves, and subsequent statistical comparisons, indicated highest mammal species richness in the woodland habitats (both REDD+ and non REDD+ strata) as compared to more human and livestock impacted areas, and suggested constant species richness from 2015-2018. To estimate stratum- and year-specific livestock and wildlife densities (cattle, donkey, goat and sheep combined, Thomson's gazelle, Kirk's dik-dik) and wildlife sign densities (aardvark, bushbuck, bushpig, Kirk's dik dik, eland, elephant, Maasai giraffe, greater kudu, hyena, impala, lesser kudu, warthog, wildebeest, Plains zebra), we fitted species-specific detection functions in a distance sampling framework. Species-specific densities varied between 2015 and 2018 and showed substantial increases and occasional declines in other species-stratum combinations. However, population growth rates were not systematically associated with specific land-use strata. Although our results do not explicitly provide evidence that REDD+ land-use plans directly co-benefit wildlife conservation, they show that REDD+ areas have the potential to maintain intact wildlife assemblages. To ensure effective long-term conservation outcomes, we advocate for a more formal integration of wildlife conservation goals in the REDD+ scheme

A Guide to Utilization of the Microbiology Laboratory for Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases: 2013 Recommendations by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM)a

The critical role of the microbiology laboratory in infectious disease diagnosis calls for a close, positive working relationship between the physician and the microbiologists who provide enormous value to the health care team. This document, developed by both laboratory and clinical experts, provides information on which tests are valuable and in which contexts, and on tests that add little or no value for diagnostic decisions. Sections are divided into anatomic systems, including Bloodstream Infections and Infections of the Cardiovascular System, Central Nervous System Infections, Ocular Infections, Soft Tissue Infections of the Head and Neck, Upper Respiratory Infections, Lower Respiratory Tract infections, Infections of the Gastrointestinal Tract, Intraabdominal Infections, Bone and Joint Infections, Urinary Tract Infections, Genital Infections, and Skin and Soft Tissue Infections; or into etiologic agent groups, including Tickborne Infections, Viral Syndromes, and Blood and Tissue Parasite Infections. Each section contains introductory concepts, a summary of key points, and detailed tables that list suspected agents; the most reliable tests to order; the samples (and volumes) to collect in order of preference; specimen transport devices, procedures, times, and temperatures; and detailed notes on specific issues regarding the test methods, such as when tests are likely to require a specialized laboratory or have prolonged turnaround times. There is redundancy among the tables and sections, as many agents and assay choices overlap. The document is intended to serve as a reference to guide physicians in choosing tests that will aid them to diagnose infectious diseases in their patients