A framework of values: reasons for conserving biodiversity and natural environments

The idea that «natural» environments should be protected is a relatively recent one. This new attitude is reflected in the activities of preservation and restoration of natural environments, ecosystems, flora and wildlife that, when scientifically based, can be defined as conservation. In this paper, we would like to examine the framework of values behind these activities. More specifically, we would like to show that there is no single specific reason that can justify conservation in each of its manifestations It is therefore necessary to adopt a complex framework of values, which must be composed carefully, since many of the canonical arguments used to justify conservation provide, when combined together, an incoherent or, at least, incomplete set of reasons. One way to avoid these inconsistencies or incompleteness is, in our view, to adopt, in conjunction with the classic economic and ecological arguments for conservation, a set of arguments appealing to the importance of nature for human flourishing

Rights, Duties, and Moral Conflicts

In this paper I would like to make a contribution to the debate on rights-talk and duties-talk relationship and priority by addressing the problem from a peculiar angle: that of moral conflicts and dilemma. My working hypothesis is that it should be possible to identify some basic and relevant normative features of rights-talk and duties-talk by observing how they modify the description of moral conflicts. I will try to show that both rights and duties posses original and irreducible normative features, and that these latter can be employed in a general assessment of their pro and con. I will first show the conceptual relationship between rights and duties, analyzing in the process a deflationary argument for rights. Second, I will define the general features of moral conflict and dilemma. I will then analyze the different readings that can be given, taking rights or duties as standpoints, of two kinds of moral conflicts: «asymmetric» and «symmetric» conflicts

Apprezzare l’ambiente naturale come ‘altro da sé’ . La bellezza e l’esistenzialità come alternative alla rabbia e all’invidia nei confronti dell’animalità

Animals and, more generally, the natural environment, may be seen as something radically different from our existence as subjects. According to some views, this radical alterity between human beings as linguistic creatures and the natural environment can result only in a negative relation in which the animal dimension is anhilated. In this paper we try to show that the radical autonomy of the natural dimension from the linguistic subjects can result in positive forms of relationship. Natural objects, including animals, can be appreciated for their separateness from the human world as objects of beauty and reverence

intracorporeal heat Distribution from Fully implantable energy sources for Mechanical circulatory support: a computational Proof-of-concept study

Mechanical circulatory support devices, such as total artificial hearts and left ventricular assist devices, rely on external energy sources for their continuous operation. Clinically approved power supplies rely on percutaneous cables connecting an external energy source to the implanted device with the associated risk of infections. One alternative, investigated in the 70s and 80s, employs a fully implanted nuclear power source. The heat generated by the nuclear decay can be converted into electricity to power circulatory support devices. Due to the low conversion efficiencies, substantial levels of waste heat are generated and must be dissipated to avoid tissue damage, heat stroke, and death. The present work computationally evaluates the ability of the blood flow in the descending aorta to remove the locally generated waste heat for subsequent full-body distribution and dissipation, with the specific aim of investigating methods for containment of local peak temperatures within physiologically acceptable limits. To this aim, coupled fluid-solid heat transfer computational models of the blood flow in the human aorta and different heat exchanger architectures are developed. Particle tracking is used to evaluate temperature histories of cells passing through the heat exchanger region. The use of the blood flow in the descending aorta as a heat sink proves to be a viable approach for the removal of waste heat loads. With the basic heat exchanger design, blood thermal boundary layer temperatures exceed 50°C, possibly damaging blood cells and proteins. Improved designs of the heat exchanger, with the addition of fins and heat guides, allow for drastically lower blood temperatures, possibly leading to a more biocompatible implant. The ability to maintain blood temperatures at biologically compatible levels will ultimately allow for the body-wise distribution, and subsequent dissipation, of heat loads with minimum effects on the human physiology

La filosofia morale di John Leslie Mackie

Questo lavoro esplora la riflessione morale di John Leslie Mackie procedendo lungo due indirizzi complementari. Da una parte fornendo una ricostruzione e un'esposizione della speculazione etica del filosofo australiano in ognuna delle sue principali articolazioni: dalla metaetica scettica della teoria dell'errore, all'indagine esplicativa sulla morale basata su una ripresa di tematiche convenzionalistiche, fino alla proposta normativa basata sui diritti. Dall'altra evidenziando tutte quelle parti del suo lavoro che possono contribuire a un riflessione sull'etica di più ampio respiro, inserita nell'odierno confronto tra il naturalismo darwiniano e la filosofia morale. This work explores John Leslie Mackie's moral thinking following two complementary courses. On one side it provides a reconstruction and an exposition of Mackie's moral speculation in each of its main articulations: from the skeptical metaethics of the error theory and the following explicative research based on a reprise of conventionalist thesys, to the normative proposal of a right-based theory. On the other side, it highlights all of the parts of his work which can contribute to a wider reflection on ethics, placed inside the contemporary debate over darwinist perspectives and moral philosophy

Characterising the effects of genetic risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease on synaptic transmission: a functional and structural analysis

Pathological changes in neural network activity play a key role in Alzheimer’s Disease but the underlying processes remain unclear. Key genetic risk factors are correlated with the abnormal increase in production of the A1-42 peptide and the expression of the E4 isoform of the Apolipoprotein E. We began by characterizing how elevated levels of A1- 42 affect pre-synaptic activity. Employing a functional approach coupled with a strong EM-based ultrastructure readout in CA3-CA1 hippocampal synapses derived from the AD transgenic mouse model APPSwe/Ind, we show an enhancement in the recycling fraction when compared to WT terminals. Spatial analysis of the retrieved vesicles revealed a preferential localization of the functional pool in APPSwe/Ind synapses around the peri-active zone (AZ) area, suggesting an organizational correlate of functional retrieval deficits. Complementary experiments monitoring glutamate activity using the genetically encoded reporter iGluSnFr showed that A1-42 treatment over the course of 24h was sufficient to bring about a deficit in neurotransmitter release and clearance; the reported impairments were exacerbated after long-term (96h-120h) incubation. By using pharmacological interventions aimed at dampening synaptic over- activity (Levetiracetam) and improving vesicle turn-over (Roscovitine) we were able to partially rescue the reported deficits in neurotransmitter activity. Using the sypHy reporter, 24h incubation with addition of oligomeric A1-42 revealed deficits in vesicle turn-over in ApoE-transgenic mice-derived ApoE3 cultures, while ApoE4 neurons displayed no effect, while ApoE-transgenic mice reported a propensity of ApoE4 animals to maintain an elevated level of functional vesicles at a later age (8 months). Our findings suggest that synapses show hyperactive function in activity-evoked vesicle recruitment with A1-42 treatment but that retrieval pathways become overwhelmed, significantly limiting ongoing signaling. Further investigation on the A1-42 dependent spatial and functional deficits are of vital importance to further elucidate the role of A1-42 in AD and intervene with therapeutic approaches

Mujeres al rescate de figuras femeninas mitificadas: Claire, Catalina de los Ríos y Lisperguer y Malinalli

“Mujeres al rescate de figuras femeninas mitificadas: Malinalli, Claire y Catalina de los Ríos y Lisperguer,” focuses on three novels that emphasize the act of rewriting the past by means of techniques such as the use of polyphony, the focus on intrahistory, and the act of narrating from the margins of society. In these novels Maldita yo entre las mujeres (1991), by Mercedes Valdivieso; Malinche (2005), by Laura Esquivel; and Duerme (1994), by Carmen Boullosa--, the marginal voice is created through the point of contact between history and fiction. The texts present a reading of history based on the conflicts of today, subvert the canon, and narrate the past from the perspective of the Other. They also exploit traditional views of content and form in order to deconstruct binary oppositions such as: Center/Periphery, History/Intrahistory, Reality/Fiction, Man/Woman, Self/Other. Each novel in this study presents a new reading of the colonial era and focuses on rescuing female characters such as Malinalli, Claire and Catalina de los Ríos y Lisperguer by subverting the negative image that has been portrayed about them throughout history

Ethical Analysis of the Application of Assisted Reproduction Technologies in Biodiversity Conservation and the Case of White Rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum ) Ovum Pick-Up Procedures

Originally applied on domestic and lab animals, assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) have also found application in conservation breeding programs, where they can make the genetic management of populations more efficient, and increase the number of individuals per generation. However, their application in wildlife conservation opens up new ethical scenarios that have not yet been fully explored. This study presents a frame for the ethical analysis of the application of ART procedures in conservation based on the Ethical Matrix (EM), and discusses a specific case study—ovum pick-up (OPU) procedures performed in the current conservation efforts for the northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni)—providing a template for the assessment of ART procedures in projects involving other endangered species