scholarly journals Who are We, and Who (or What) Do We Want to Become? An Evolutionary Perspective on Biotransformative Technologies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Lyons-Weiler
Keyword(s):  
Human Evolution ◽  
Adaptive Landscape ◽  
Endogenous Factors ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Organic Evolution ◽  
Adaptive Landscapes ◽  
Augmented Cognition ◽  
Language Writing ◽  
Cognitive Plasticity ◽  
The Impact

AbstractHuman evolution sits at several important thresholds. In organic evolution, interplay between exogenous environmental and genetic factors rendered new phenotypes at rates limited by genetic variation. The interplay took place on adaptive fitness landscapes determined by correspondence of genetic and environmental relationships. Human evolution involved important emergences that altered the adaptive landscape: language, writing, organized societies, science, and the internet. These endogenous factors ushered in transformative periods leading to more rapidly evolving emergences. I explore the impact of development of emerging biotransformative technologies capable of being applied to effect self-genetic modification and artificial intelligence-augmented cognition on the evolutionary landscape of phenotypes important to cognitive plasticity. Interaction effects will yield unanticipated emergences resulting in hyperrealm adaptive landscapes with more rapid evolutionary processes that feed back upon more fundamental levels while vastly outpacing organic evolution. Emerging technologies exist that are likely to impact the evolution of cognitive plasticity in humans in ways and at rates that will lead to societal upheaval. I show that the theoretical contribution of organic evolution in future human evolution is expected to become comparatively insignificant relative to that made by endogenous environmental factors such as external cognition aids and manipulation of the human genome. The results support the conclusion of a strong recommendation of a moratorium on the adoption of any technology capable of completely altering the course of human evolution.

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Through Microfinance - A Case of Rural Bangladesh

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Saida Parvin
Keyword(s):  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Case Study Method ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Donor Agencies ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact

Women’s empowerment has been at the centre of research focus for many decades. Extant literature examined the process, outcome and various challenges. Some claimed substantial success, while others contradicted with evidence of failure. But the success remains a matter of debate due to lack of empirical evidence of actual empowerment of women around the world. The current study aimed to address this gap by taking a case study method. The study critically evaluates 20 cases carefully sampled to include representatives from the entire country of Bangladesh. The study demonstrates popular beliefs about microfinance often misguide even the borrowers and they start living in a fabricated feeling of empowerment, facing real challenges to achieve true empowerment in their lives. The impact of this finding is twofold; firstly there is a theoretical contribution, where the definition of women’s empowerment is proposed to be revisited considering findings from these cases. And lastly, the policy makers at governmental and non-governmental organisations, and multinational donor agencies need to revise their assessment tools for funding.

scholarly journals Green Work-Life Balance and Greenwashing the Construct of Work-Life Balance: Myth and Reality

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4556
Author(s):  
Anuradha Iddagoda ◽  
Eglantina Hysa ◽  
Helena Bulińska-Stangrecka ◽  
Otilia Manta
Keyword(s):  
Job Performance ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Green Human Resource Management ◽  
The Impact

Some of the frequently used buzz words in the corporate sector include green leadership, green human resource management, green employee engagement and green work-life balance. The intention of this article is to identify and examine the logical reasons that govern “green work-life balance” or, in simple terms, “greenwashing” work-life balance. The paper also aims at providing a comprehensive conceptualization of work-life balance, while thoroughly examining the components of measuring the construct. Based on a cross-sectional study in the banking industry with a sample of 170 managerial employees, this study analyzes the impact of work-life balance on employee job performance mediated by employee engagement. Results support the assumed relationship between work-life balance and employee job performance embedded in employee engagement. The theoretical contribution of this study concerns the application of role behavior theory to describe the mechanisms shaping the relationship between work-life balance and job performance through employee engagement. The practical implications of the paper include recommendations for improving job performance by enhancing the work-life balance and strengthening employee engagement.

scholarly journals Rhythmic Features of Movement Synchrony for Bonding Individuals in Dyadic Interaction

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Fujiwara ◽  
Masanori Kimura ◽  
Ikuo Daibo
Keyword(s):  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Dyadic Interaction ◽  
Wavelet Coherence ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Bonding Effect ◽  
Slow Tempo ◽  
Movement Synchrony ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This study examined ways in which rhythmic features of movement contribute to bonding between individuals. Though previous studies have described synchrony as a form of social glue, this research extends those findings to consider the impact of fast versus slow tempo on movement synchrony. This two-part experiment examined dyadic interactions as they occurred between same-sex strangers (Study 1) and friends (Study 2). Participants were video-recorded as they engaged in 5- or 6-min chats, and synchrony was evaluated using wavelet transform via calculations of cross-wavelet coherence. Study 1 employed regression commonality analysis and hierarchical linear modeling and found that among various frequency bands, rapport between individuals was positively associated with synchrony under 0.025 Hz (i.e., slower than once every 40 s) and 0.5–1.5 Hz (i.e., once every 0.67–2 s). On the contrary, Study 2 determined that synchrony of 0.5–1.5 Hz was not impactful among friend dyads and only predictive of the motivation to cultivate a friendly relationship during interactions with strangers. These results indicate the existence of a distinctive rhythm for bonding individuals, and the role of pre-existing friendship as a moderator of the bonding effect of synchrony. However, the role of relative phase (i.e., timing of movement; same versus opposite timing) remains unclear, as the ratio of in- and anti-phase patterning had no significant influence on perceived rapport and motivation to develop relationships. On the basis of the research results, a theoretical contribution is proposed to the study of interpersonal coordination.

scholarly journals Firm’s strategic choices and network knowledge dynamics: how do they affect innovation?

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Antonio Belso-Martinez ◽  
Isabel Diez-Vial
Keyword(s):  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Knowledge Networks ◽  
Knowledge Network ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Network Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Endogenous Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Innovative Capacity ◽  
Over Time

Purpose This paper aims to explain how the evolution of knowledge networks and firms’ strategic choices affect innovation. Endogenous factors associated with a path-dependent evolution of the knowledge network are jointly considered with a firm’s development of international relationships and increasing internal absorptive capacity over time. Design/methodology/approach In a biotech cluster, the authors gathered data on the firms’ characteristics and network relationships by asking about the technological knowledge they received in the cluster in 2007 and 2012 – “roster-recall” method. Estimation results were obtained using moderated regression analysis. Findings Firms that increase their involvement in knowledge networks over time also tend to increase their innovative capacity. However, efforts devoted to building international links or absorptive capacity negatively moderate the impact of network growth on innovation. Practical implications Practitioners have two alternative ways of increasing innovation inside knowledge networks: they can increase their centrality by developing their knowledge network interactions or invest in developing their internal absorptive capacity and new international sources of knowledge. Investing in both of these simultaneously does not seem to improve a firm’s innovative capacity. Originality/value Coupling firms’ strategic options with knowledge network dynamics provide a more complete way of explaining how firms can improve their innovative capacity.

scholarly journals The Impact of 'Anthropotechnology' on Human Evolution

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Blad ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Biological Evolution ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Evolutionary Path ◽  
Peter Sloterdijk ◽  
The Impact

From the time that they diverged from their common ancestor, chimpanzees and humans have had a very different evolutionary path. It seems obvious that the appearance of culture and technology has increasingly alienated humans from the path of natural selection that has informed chimpanzee evolution. According to philosopher Peter Sloterdijk any type of technology is bound to have genetic effects. But to what extent do genomic comparisons provide evidence for such an impact of ‘anthropotechnology’ on our biological evolution?

scholarly journals Peak shifts and extinction under sex-specific selection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen P. De Lisle
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Peak Shift ◽  
Adaptive Landscape ◽  
Population Estimates ◽  
Sexual Antagonism ◽  
Adaptive Landscapes ◽  
Quantitative Genetic ◽  
Complex Adaptive ◽  
The Face

AbstractA well-known property of sexual selection combined with a cross sex genetic correlation (rmf), is that it can facilitate a peak shift on the adaptive landscape. How do these diversifying effects of sexual selection +rmf balance with the constraints imposed by such sexual antagonism, to affect macroevolution of sexual dimorphism? Here, I extend existing quantitative genetic models of evolution on complex adaptive landscapes. Beyond recovering classical predictions for the conditions promoting a peak shift, I show that when rmf is moderate to strong, relatively weak sexual selection is required to induce a peak shift in males only. Increasing the strength of sexual leads to a sexually-concordant peak shift, suggesting that macroevolutionary rates of sexual dimorphism may be largely decoupled from the strength of within-population sexual selection. Accounting explicitly for demography further reveals that sex-specific peak shifts may be more likely to be successful than concordant shifts in the face of extinction, especially when natural selection is strong. An overarching conclusion is that macroevolutionary patterns of sexual dimorphism are unlikely to be readily explained by within-population estimates of selection or constraint alone.

Resources of IlmulAmraz during early Abbasid caliph (7th-9th C.E) up to the work of Al-Razi

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 228-233
Author(s):  
Khan Nazia Zubair ◽  
Shaikh Saleem Ahmad ◽  
Wasim Ahmad ◽  
Mohd Zulkifle ◽  
Shahnawaz
Keyword(s):  
Medical Science ◽  
Unani Medicine ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Greco Roman ◽  
Literary Research ◽  
Input Processing ◽  
Original Works ◽  
Disease Concepts ◽  
Practical Experiences ◽  
The Impact

Aim and Objective:The literature of Ilmul Amraz occupies a pedestal position in Unani medicine.The literature, however, is scattered among many manuscripts and requires being collected and compiled for better understanding and comprehension of disease concepts of Unani medicine. The material has been collected from the original resourcesof early Abbasid caliph (from7th-9thC.E) till the period of Al-Razi and briefly introduced in this article. Material and Methodology: The proposed literary research is conducted through ‘input-processing-output’ approach. The literature has been collected from different classical texts, reference books and various digitalized mode. Conclusion: The present review article underlines the contributions of Arab physicians, their original works, innovations, and practical experiences. The impact of theoretical contribution of Al Razi manifests in ancient Greco-Roman theory of diseases. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.20(2) 2021 p.228-233

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