Ihmistoiminnan ja ennallistamisen vaikutukset soiden selkärangatonlajistoon

Negative anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., drainage and urbanization) are causing biotic homogenization through the replacement of specialist species with generalists. The identification and conservation of biodiversity hotspots within degraded (e.g., highly urbanized) landscapes, and ecological restoration (i.e., positive anthropogenic disturbance) have the potential to be important tools to counteract these negative effects. Mires are suitable targets for the investigation of these homogenization-reducing activities since they host many mire specialist species of, e.g. invertebrates. The main aim of this PhD thesis was to investigate the effects of negative anthropogenic disturbances [urbanization (Chapter I) and drainage for forestry (Chapters II-IV)] on the invertebrate communities of boreal mires and how effective efforts are to reverse these negative effects through ecological restoration [i.e. positive anthropogenic disturbance (Chapters II-IV)]. In addition, the purpose was to determine which environmental variables are key in supporting mire specialist invertebrate species and communities. Therefore, this thesis started by reviewing current knowledge on the responses of mire invertebrate species and communities to anthropogenic disturbances. The effects of urbanization were studied on spiders and carabid beetles (Chapter I), while the effects of drainage for forestry and subsequent restoration were investigated on five solitary invertebrate groups (Chapter II) and social insects, i.e. ants (Chapter III). Finally, a powerful Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) design was used to reveal the effects of drainage and restoration on butterflies (Chapter IV). Generally, both high levels of urbanization (Chapter I) and mire drainage for forestry (Chapters II-IV) had negative effects on mire specialist species (lower abundances) and invertebrate communities (homogenized and very different in structure from pristine mire communities). However, these detrimental effects can be reduced or even reversed through appropriate urban mire conservation and ecological restoration. Local habitat conditions were shown to be particularly important for the survival of specialist invertebrate species in urban mires (Chapter I) and for the successful recovery of restored mire invertebrates (Chapters II-IV). Individual mire specialist species responded negatively to environmental variables associated with deteriorated (i.e. drained or highly urbanized) mire conditions [number of high (> 3m) trees for carabid beetles, crane flies, micromoths (Chapter II), ants (Chapter III) and butterflies (Chapter IV)] and positively to pristine mire-associated variables [Sphagnum cover for carabid beetles and spiders (Chapters I-II), crane flies (Chapter II) and suggestively for ants (Chapter III); larval food plant cover and number of lower (1.5 - 3m) trees for butterflies (Chapter IV)]. The more specialized the mire species were, the more negatively they were affected by deteriorated-mire-associated variables and the more positively they responded to pristine-mire-associated variables. I conclude that the restoration actions taken (removing tall trees but leaving smaller trees, and raising the water table level) are appropriate in creating suitable habitat conditions for mire invertebrates, as both individual specialist species and communities showed positive responses already 1-3 years since restoration (Chapters II-IV). Finally, the appropriate restoration actions in well-prioritized locations as well as urban mire conservation should reverse the trend of biotic homogenization.Biologinen homogenisaatio eli samankaltaistuminen aiheuttaa usein erikoistuneiden spesialistilajien korvautumisen yleislajeilla, generalisteilla. Homogenisaatio on seurausta haitallisesta ihmistoiminnasta, kuten elinympäristöjen kuivattamisesta tai urbanisoitumisesta. Monimuotoisimpien elinympäristöjen tunnistaminen, suojelu ja ennallistaminen ovat keinoja torjua näitä haitallisia muutoksia. Soiden erikoistunut selkärangatonlajisto tarjoaa mahdollisuuden tutkia kuinka lajiston yksipuolistumista voitaisiin vähentää. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää miten ympäristölle haitallinen ihmistoiminta kuten urbanisaatio (Artikkeli I) ja metsänojitus (Artikkelit II-IV) vaikuttavat boreaalisen vyöhykkeen soiden selkärangatonlajiston rakenteeseen ja kuinka havaittuja negatiivisia muutoksia lajistossa on onnistuttu torjumaan tai vähentämään aktiivisilla ennallistamistoimilla. Tutkimuksessa pyrittiin myös tunnistamaan, mitkä ympäristötekijät ovat soihin erikoistuneen lajiston kannalta keskeisimpiä ja miten suolajisto reagoi haitalliseen ihmistoimintaan. Kaupungistumisen vaikutuksia selkärangatonyhteisöihin tutkittiin hämähäkeillä ja maakiitäjäisillä (Artikkeli I). Metsänojituksen ja ennallistamisen vaikutuksia lajiyhteisöihin tutkittiin viidellä eri selkärangatonryhmällä (Artikkeli II) ja sosiaalisilla hyönteisillä (muurahaisilla) (Artikkeli III). Artikkelissa neljä metsänojituksen ja ennallistamisen vaikutuksia perhosten lajistorakenteeseen päästiin tutkimaan ennen ennallistamistoimia ja sen jälkeen. Sekä kaupungistuminen (Artikkeli I) että metsänojitus (Artikkelit II-IV) johtivat suoympäristöön erikoistuneiden selkärangattomien taantumiseen ja lajiston yksipuolistumiseen ja muuttumiseen hyvin erilaiseksi kuin luonnontilaisilla soilla. Näitä kielteisiä muutoksia on kuitenkin mahdollista lieventää tai jopa kokonaan välttää soiden suojelulla ja ennallistamisella. Paikalliselin ympäristön piirteillä on erittäin suuri merkitys erikoistuneen selkärangatonlajiston menestykseen sekä urbaaneilla alueilla olevilla soilla (Artikkeli I) että ojitetuilla ja ennallistetuilla soilla (Artikkelit II-IV). Suoympäristöön erikoistunut lajisto taantui ihmistoiminnan lisääntyessä soilla. Ympäristömuuttujista yli 3 metristen puiden runsastumisen havaittiin vähentävän maakiitäjäisten, vaaksiaisten, mikroperhosten, muurahaisten ja perhosten suolajistoa. Luonnontilaisilla soilla runsaana esiintyvän rahkasammalen (Sphagnum) peittävyys puolestaan korreloi positiivisesti suolajiston runsauden kanssa, etenkin maakiitäjäisillä ja hämähäkeillä (Artikkeli I), vaaksiaisilla (Artikkeli II) ja viitteellisesti myös muurahaisilla (Artikkeli III). Matala puusto (1,5-3 m) ja toukkien ravintokasvien peittävyys olivat soiden perhoslajistolle (Artikkeli IV) keskeisimmät ympäristömuuttujat. Mitä erikoistuneempi soiden selkärangatonlajisto oli, sitä enemmän se oli riippuvainen luonnontilaisten soiden rakennepiirteistä ja sitä herkemmin ne reagoivat haitalliseen ihmistoimintaan. Soiden ennallistamistoimet (korkeiden puiden poisto, pienten puiden jättäminen ja veden pinnan nosto) osoittautuivat toimiviksi keinoksi palauttaa ja ylläpitää soiden rakennepiirteitä ja luoda sopivaa elinympäristöä vaateliaille suolajeille. Jo 1-3 vuoden kuluttua ennallistamisesta oli alueen selkärangatonlajisto kehittynyt siten, että osa erikoistuneista ja vaateliaista suolajeista oli runsastunut ja lajistorakenne oli kehittymässä kohti luonnontilaisten soiden lajiston rakennetta. Soiden ennallistaminen osoittautui toimivaksi keinoksi hillitä selkärangatonlajiston homogenisaatiota. Ennallistamisen kohdentaminen arvokkaisiin suoluontokohteisiin on hyödyllistä, mutta hyviä tuloksia voi saada aikaan myös pienialaisilla soilla kaupungeissa

Vytauto Kavolio ciklinė postmodernizmo samprata

Straipsnyje aptariama Amerikos lietuvių sociologo Vytauto Kavolio postmodernizmo koncepcija. Jame gilinamasi į šios koncepcijos teorines ištakas, prielaidas ir vietą platesniuose debatuose dėl postmodernizmo. Atsižvelgiant į tai, kad postmodernizmo koncepciją lietuvių išeivių sociologas formuluoja savo modernizacijos teorijos kontekste, pirmosios ištakų ieškoma svarstant klausimą apie antrosios kilmę. Teigiama, jog modernizacijos teoriją, o kartu ir postmodernizmo koncepciją, mokslininkas plėtoja kritiškai reaguodamas į amerikiečių sociologo Alexo Inkeleso modernizacijos teoriją. Svarstant apie Kavolio vietą XX a. antrojoje pusėje Vakarų moksle vykusių diskusijų kontekste, įrodinėjama, kad originaliausias mokslininko indėlis – ciklinė postmodernizmo samprata. Straipsnyje taip pat aptariami Kavolio pateikti postmodernizmo vietos modernizacijos procese apibrėžimai

Vytautas Kavolis: liberalizmas ir metafizika

The article deals with the Lithuanian-American political scholar Vytautas Kavolis’s approach to the metaphysical foundations of liberalism. It is argued that the scholar’s position in regard to this question has changed as time passed. Until the 1970s, Kavolis defended the position that pure (philosophical) liberalism does not presuppose any a priori metaphysics. It doesn’t dictate to its partisans in a normative way what they have to think about God, to accept His existence or not, or how they ought to treat reality as a whole. According to Kavolis, pure liberalism is neutral with regard to God and reality as a whole. It is an empty form in the metaphysical sense. The right to fill up an empty form with a metaphysical content is delegated to an individual in pure liberalism. From the 1970s, Kavolis took a much more moderate position regarding the metaphysical foundations of liberalism. In his view, pure liberalism is founded on some metaphysical presuppositions – namely, the metaphysical conception of order. Inquiring Kavolis’ approach to the meta­physical foundations of liberalism, wide attention is paid to its context of origin as well.Straipsnyje nagrinėjamas Amerikos lietuvių visuomenės ir mokslo veikėjo Vytauto Kavolio požiūris į liberalizmo ir metafizikos, suprantamos kaip būties teorija, santykį. Įrodinėjama, kad bėgant laikui V. Kavolio požiūris šiuo klausimu keitėsi. Iki XX a. aštuntojo dešimtmečio lietuvių išeivių mąstytojas gina poziciją, kad grynasis liberalizmas nesuponuoja jokios išankstinės ir visiems jo sekėjams privalomos metafizikos. Jis nenurodo, nei ką galvoti apie Dievą (pripažinti jo egzistavimą ar ne), nei kaip traktuoti tikrovę kaip visumą. Dievo ir tikrovės kaip visumos atžvilgiu grynasis liberalizmas yra neutralus. Metafizine prasme jis yra „tuščia forma“. Kokio metafizinio turinio pripildyti „formą“, grynajame liberalizme teisė spręsti paliekama konkretiems individams. Nuo XX a. aštuntojo dešimtmečio V. Kavolio pozicija liberalizmo ir metafizikos santykių atžvilgiu sušvelnėja. Jis pripažįsta, kad vis dėlto ir grynasis liberalizmas remiasi tam tikromis metafizinėmis prielaidomis – būtent metafizine tvarkos samprata. Daug dėmesio straipsnyje taip pat skiriama pirminiam V. Kavolio požiūrio į liberalizmo ir metafizikos santykį susiformavimo kontekstui – pokario išeivijoje 1947–1957 m. vykusiam vadinamajam ginčui dėl liberalizmo

Alterations in The States and Contents of Consciousness: Empirical and Theoretical Aspects

The main purpose of the present doctoral thesis is to investigate subjective experiences and cognitive processes in four different types of altered states of consciousness: naturally occurring dreaming, cognitively induced hypnosis, pharmacologically induced sedation, and pathological psychosis. Both empirical and theoretical research is carried out, resulting in four empirical and four theoretical studies. The thesis begins with a review of the main concepts used in consciousness research, the most influential philosophical and neurobiological theories of subjective experience, the classification of altered states of consciousness, and the main empirical methods used to study consciousness alterations. Next, findings of the original studies are discussed, as follows. Phenomenal consciousness is found to be dissociable from responsiveness, as subjective experiences do occur in unresponsive states, including anaesthetic-induced sedation and natural sleep, as demonstrated by post-awakening subjective reports. Two new tools for the content analysis of subjective experiences and dreams are presented, focusing on the diversity, complexity and dynamics of phenomenal consciousness. In addition, a new experimental paradigm of serial awakenings from non-rapid eye movement sleep is introduced, which enables more rapid sampling of dream reports than has been available in previous studies. It is also suggested that lucid dreaming can be studied using transcranial brain stimulation techniques and systematic analysis of pre-lucid dreaming. For blind judges, dreams of psychotic patients appear to be indistinguishable from waking mentation reports collected from the same patients, which indicates a close resemblance of these states of mind. However, despite phenomenological similarities, dreaming should not be treated as a uniform research model of psychotic or intact consciousness. Contrary to this, there seems to be a multiplicity of routes of how different states of consciousness can be associated. For instance, seemingly identical time perception distortions in different alterations of consciousness may have diverse underlying causes for these distortions. It is also shown that altered states do not necessarily exhibit impaired cognitive processing compared to a baseline waking state of consciousness: a case study of time perception in a hypnotic virtuoso indicates a more consistent perceptual timing under hypnosis than in a waking state. The thesis ends with a brief discussion of the most promising new perspectives for the study of alterations of consciousness.Siirretty Doriast

Fashioning Appropriate Regulation of Opioids for Palliative Care

Palliative care specialists, who care for patients with serious, life-limiting illnesses such as cancer, are experts in evaluating and managing acute pain. Amid concerns of substance abuse and diversion in patients with cancer, including those near the end of life, regulations and training for providers should encourage the development and use of distinct assessment and management guidelines for palliative care situations

14 challenges for conducting social neuroscience and longitudinal EEG research with infants

The use of electroencephalography (EEG) to study infant brain development is a growing trend. In addition to classical longitudinal designs that study the development of the neural, cognitive and behavioural function, new areas of EEG application are emerging, such as novel social neuroscience paradigms using dual infant-adult EEG recordings. However, most of the experimental designs, analysis methods, as well as EEG hardware were originally developed for single-person adult research. When applied to the study of infant development, adult-based solutions often pose unique problems that may go unrecognised. Here, we identify 14 challenges that infant EEG researchers may encounter when designing new experiments, collecting data, and conducting data analysis. Challenges related to the experimental design are: (1) small sample size and data attrition, and (2) varying arousal in younger infants. Challenges related to data acquisition are: (3) determining the optimal location for reference and ground electrodes, (4) control of impedance when testing with the high-density sponge electrode nets, (5) poor fit of standard EEG caps to the varying infant head shapes, and (6) ensuring a high degree of temporal synchronisation between amplifiers and recording devices during dual-EEG acquisition. Challenges related to the analysis of longitudinal and social neuroscience datasets are: (7) developmental changes in head anatomy, (8) prevalence and diversity of infant myogenic artefacts, (9) a lack of stereotypical topography of eye movements needed for the ICA-based data cleaning, (10) and relatively high inter-individual variability of EEG responses in younger cohorts. Additional challenges for the analysis of dual EEG data are: (11) developmental shifts in canonical EEG rhythms and difficulties in differentiating true inter-personal synchrony from spurious synchrony due to (12) common intrinsic properties of the signal and (13) shared external perturbation. Finally, (14) there is a lack of test-retest reliability studies of infant EEG. We describe each of these challenges and suggest possible solutions. While we focus specifically on the social neuroscience and longitudinal research, many of the issues we raise are relevant for all fields of infant EEG research

NAUJAI ATRASTOS PARTIZANINIO KARO ERDVĖS

(about the thesis of Aistė Petrauskienė „Places of partisan war: Memorialisation and heritagisation in the Independent Lithuania“)Apie Aistės Petrauskienės disertaciją „Partizaninio karo vietos: įamžinimas ir įpaveldinimas nepriklausomoje Lietuvoje“ ir jos gynim

Kavoliška Vinco Kudirkos psichobiografija

The article deals with the biography of Vincas Kudirka, one of the leaders of Lithuanian National Revival in XIX century, written by Lithuanian-American scientist Vytautas Kavolis (1930–1996). It is stated that, instead of its overt focus on the person only, the biography, named Žmogaus genezė (The Origin of Man) (1963), actually deals with the whole social group, Lithuanian national movement, and its psychic life. It is argued that scrutinizing life-history of its leader Kavolis aims at disclosing the emotionality shared by the members of the movement. Therefore by its nature the biography is a work of social psychology. Such approach to Žmogaus genezė is based on two arguments. First, in his analysis Kavolis uses the psycho-historical method developed by American psychoanalyst Erik H. Erikson. The main presupposition of this method asserts that intellectual or political leader represents the collective psychic processes taking place in his followers. Second, attention should be paid to the fact that Vincas Kudirka is treated as a figure embodying collective psychic processes by Kavolis in his monographs Sąmoningumo trajektorijos (Trajectories of Consciousness) (1986) and Epochų signatūros (Signatures of Epochs) (1991), summarizing the scientist’s explorations in the field of Lithuanian studies.Straipsnyje nagrinėjama Amerikos lietuvių visuomenės ir mokslo veikėjo Vytauto Kavolio parašyta vieno iš XIX a. pab. – XX a. pr. lietuvių nacionalinio išsivadavimo lyderių Vinco Kudirkos biografija „Žmogaus genezė“. Teigiama, kad ši biografija priklauso socialinės psichologijos sričiai. Įrodinėjama, kad gilindamasis į Vinco Kudirkos gyvenimo istoriją Kavolis siekia atskleisti visam lietuvių nacionaliniam judėjimui būdingą kolektyvinį emocionalumą, kuris yra ne kas kita, kaip jo dalyviams bendros emocinės nuostatos, nukreiptos į jų išorinę aplinką sudarančius objektus. Toks požiūris grindžiamas dviem argumentais. Pirma, nagrinėdamas Kudirkos asmenybės formavimąsi Kavolis taiko amerikiečių psichoanalitiko Eriko H. Eriksono išplėtotą psichoistorinį metodą, kuris paremtas prielaida, jog intelektualinis ar politinis lyderis reprezentuoja savo pasekėjuose vykstančius kolektyvinius psichinius procesus. Antra, atkreipiamas dėmesys, jog Kudirka kaip kolektyvinio emocionalumo įkūnytojas pristatomas Kavolio lituanistinius tyrinėjimus apibendrinančiose monografijose „Sąmoningumo trajektorijos“ ir „Epochų signatūros“

Skaitytojo įveika Vytauto Kavolio tekstų analizėje

The article deals with self-evaluation of Lithuanian-American sociologist Vytautas Kavolis textual analysis. It is argued that the widely accepted subjectivistic interpretation of Kavolis’ research is not in line with the sociologist’s own position. First of all, Kavolis’ objectivistic intentions are clearly expressed in his ontology of text and of meaning. Text and its essential meanings are defined as self-contained entities. Their being does not depend on the perceiver. Additionally, it is argued that Kavolis’ objectivistic position is not contradicted by his methodological pluralism, nor by his preference for value-oriented logic of selecting problems of inquiry described by a German sociologist Max Weber. Kavolis’ relationship with hermeneutic method is discussed as well. It is stated that the sociologist does not apply this popular method in his analyses. He uses other approaches in analysing texts: Freudian, Existentialist, Structuralist, Post-Structuralist and Structural-Functional ones.Straipsnyje aptariamas Amerikos lietuvių sociologo Vytauto Kavolio požiūris į jo plačiai tai­kytos ir propaguotos tekstų analizės pobūdį. Įrodinėjama, kad plačiai priimta subjektyvistinė Kavolio tyrimų interpretacija neatitinka paties mokslininko pozicijos. Visai kitokias – objektyvistines – Kavolio nuostatas pirmiausia liudija jo plėtojama teksto ir prasmės ontologija. Pastarojoje tekstas ir jo branduolį sudarančios prasmės laikomos savaimine, nuo interpretatorių nepriklausoma tikrove. Taip pat straips­nyje teigiama, kad objektyvistinei Kavolio pozicijai tekstų analizės srityje neprieštarauja nei, kaip būtų galima manyti, mokslininko metodologinis pliuralizmas, nei pritarimas idėjai apie vertybinį tyrimo pro­blemų pasirinkimo sąlygotumą. Aptariamas ir Kavolio santykis su hermeneutiniu metodu. Tvirtinama, jog analizuodamas tekstus sociologas nesinaudoja šiuo populiariu metodu. Vietoj jo jis renkasi kitus: froidistinį, egzistencialistinį, struktūralistinį, poststruktūralistinį ir struktūrinį-funkcinį aiškinimo būdą

Civilizacijų analizė: Vytautas Kavolis ir Benjaminas Nelsonas

The article deals with famous Lithuanian sociologist Vytautas Kavolis (1930-1996) contribution to Civilization Analysis, one of the modern approaches to the civilizational sociology. Vytautas Kavolis understanding of civilization, its organization and dynamics, as well the methodology developed by him, is compared with that of Benjamin Nelson (1911-1977), a begetter of Civilization Analysis. As compared to B. Nelson, V. Kavolis proposes not a few innovations. The most original parts of V. Kavolis civilizational sociology are conception of civilization’s organization and that of civilizational dynamics. Developing them V. Kavolis employs formalistic approach broadly. His attention is concentrated on the patterns of structural relationships between meanings (formal designs), theory-practice articulation modes and their changes. The least differences between V. Kavolis and B. Nelson are observable in the sphere of methodology of research of civilizations.Straipsnyje aptariamas žymaus lietuvių sociologo Vytauto Kavolio (1930–1996) indėlis plėtojant civilizacijų analizę, vieną iš dabartinių civilizacijų sociologijos krypčių. Vytauto Kavolio požiūris į civilizaciją, jos organizaciją bei dinamiką ir civilizacijų tyrimų metodologiją lyginamas su civilizacijų analizės įkvėpėjo Benjamino Nelsono (1911–1977) tyrimais. Palyginti su B. Nelsonu, V Kavolis pasiūlo nemažai reikšmingų naujovių. Originaliausia V. Kavolio civilizacijų sociologijos dalis – civilizacijos organizacijos ir dinamikos samprata. Plėtodamas civilizacijos organizacijos ir dinamikos sampratą, V Kavolis plačiai taiko formalistinį požiūrį. Jo dėmesio centre – civilizaciją integruojantys principai: reikšmių struktūrinių ryšių modeliai (formaliosios konstrukcijos) ir teorijos-praktikos artikuliacijos būdai – bei jų kaitos procesai. Mažiausi skirtumai tarp V. Kavolio ir B. Nelsono aptinkami civilizacijų tyrimų metodologijos srityje