The problem of variation

2021 ◽  
pp. 111-134
Author(s):  
Arlin Stoltzfus
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Genetics ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Substantive Theory ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Multivariate Generalization ◽  
Theory Of Variation ◽  
Broad Framework ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Evo Devo

Chapter 7 maps out a broad framework for considering the problem of variation in evolution. Under the neo-Darwinian view that variation merely plays the role of supplying random infinitesimal raw materials, with no dispositional influence on the course of evolution, a substantive theory of form and its variation is not required to specify a complete theory of evolution. This view has been breaking down from the moment it was proposed, and is now seriously challenged by results from evo-devo, comparative genomics, molecular evolution, and quantitative genetics. For instance, the multivariate generalization of quantitative genetics indicates that selection cannot possibly act as an independent governing force. Replacing a theory of variation as fuel with a theory of variation as a dispositional factor will require, at minimum, an understanding of tendencies of variation (source laws), and an understanding of how those tendencies affect evolution (consequence laws).

scholarly journals Dynamic structures in evo-devo: From morphogenetic fields to evolving organisms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Jaeger
Keyword(s):  
Active Role ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Evolutionary Change ◽  
Phenotypic Change ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Dynamic Structures ◽  
Evo Devo ◽  
Morphogenetic Fields

Evolution does not act on particular stages in the life of an organism. Instead, it alters developmental processes and life cycles in response to environmental conditions to bring about phenotypic change. The structure of these processes determines evolvability, the capacity of organisms to adapt. These structures are intrinsically dynamic. The organisational principles underlying organisms and the morphogenetic fields that constitute their ontogeny actively remodel themselves over time. How this occurs, and how it influences the rate and direction of evolutionary change, are central questions for biology. They lead us to fundamentally reconsider the active role of organisms in evolutionary change, which raises the possibility of a new agent-based theory of evolution in which organisms and their perceived environments co-construct each other in a radically innovative dialectic dynamic.

Mutation, Randomness, and Evolution

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arlin Stoltzfus
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Molecular Genetic ◽  
Microbial Evolution ◽  
Important Work ◽  
Internal Factors ◽  
Evolutionary Consequences ◽  
Evo Devo ◽  
Empirical Foundation ◽  
Systematic Knowledge

Mutation, Randomness, and Evolution presents a new understanding of how the course of evolution may reflect biases in variation and unites key concerns of molecular and microbial evolution, evo-devo, evolvability, and self-organization by placing these concerns on a solid theoretical and empirical foundation. It situates them within a broader movement away from externalism and towards a focus on the internal details of living systems, including their evolutionary causes and their predictable evolutionary consequences. In the neo-Darwinian theory, by contrast, selection is the potter and variation is the clay: external selection does the important work of evolution, and gets all the credit, while variation merely supplies an abundance of random raw materials. Indeed, one of the meanings of the randomness doctrine is that any peculiarities or tendencies of mutation are ultimately irrelevant. The theory that the course of evolution is determined externally, without any dispositional role for internal factors, was particularly attractive before the molecular revolution, when biologists had little systematic knowledge of internal factors. Today, scientists are deeply immersed in the molecular, genetic, and developmental details of life. The potential for a new understanding of the role of these internal factors rests on the recognition that the introduction process is a distinctive kind of cause, not the same thing (conceptually, historically, or theoretically) as the classical “force” of mutation, but with different implications, including the ability to impose biases on adaptive evolution. This predicted influence is verified by recent evidence from episodes of adaptation traced to the molecular level.

PINGVINAS IR PROTĖJAS. Įsivaizdavimas kaip kitybė manyje

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 21-37
Author(s):  
Kristupas Sabolius
Keyword(s):  
Fight Club ◽  
The World ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Hollywood Movie

Kitybės klausimas dažniausiai kyla iš ego santykio su kitais arba su pasauliu. Šiame straipsnyje daroma prielaida, kad įsivaizdavimo funkcija ištirpdo subjektą ir jame pačiame atveria intersubjektyvią perspektyvą. Šiuo tikslu sugretinami Sartre’o, Husserlio bei Merleau-Ponty įsivaizdavimo funkcijos tyrimai, kuriuose išryškėja vaizdo kaip iš ego centro išslystančios ribos statusas, ir Holivudo filmo „Kovos klubas“ siužetas. Viename iš šios juostos epizodų pasirodantis pingvinas žymi egologinės schizmos akimirką ir tampa fantazijos apsireiškimu ir įsikūnijimu.Išgryninus žaidybinį, savarankišką ir multiformišką charakterį, galime konstantuoti, kad įsivaizdavimas, jei kalbėtume Kanto terminais, yra ne papildanti tarpinė funkcija, bet transcendentalinio subjekto genezėje atlieka paradoksalų „svetimos vidujybės“ arba „vidinės svetimybės“ vaidmenį. Vaizduotė yra katalizatoriaus, kuris, likdamas šalia, įgalina transcendentalinių formų išsikristalizavimą.Pagrindiniai žodžiai: vaizduotė, įsivaizdavimas, fantazija, ego, kitybė, sąmonė.PENGUIN AND PROTEUSImagination as Otherness in meKristupas Sabolius SummaryThe question of Otherness is usually taken into account while discussing the Ego’s relation with Others as well as with the World. This article is based on the premises that the function of phantasy melts the subjectivity, revealing the perspective of intersubjectivity within it. On this purpose Sartre’s, Husserl’s and Merleau-Ponty’s researches on the function of imagination, which elucidate the image as the boundary slipping from the centre of Ego, are compared to the story of Hollywood’ movie „Fight Club“. The penguin, which appears in one of the episodes, registers the moment of egological schism, thus becoming the revelation and incarnation of phantasy. While the playful, autonomous and multiform character of imaginary is cleared out, we can ascertain, speaking in Kantian terms, that it has not a complementary or intermediary function, but, in the genesis of transcendental subject, plays the paradoxical role of „allien innerness“ or „inner alienity“. Thought remaining always beside, imagination is a catalyzer which enables crystallization of transcendental forms.Keywords: imagination, imaginary, phantasy, ego, otherness, consciousness.

OBOLESCENCE AND THE DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS

2020 ◽  
pp. 113-130
Author(s):  
A.V. GOLUBEV ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Diffusion Of Innovations ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Innovation Development ◽  
Scientific Hypothesis ◽  
Scientific Papers ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Sociological Studies

The diffusion of innovations is described as a process in a number of scientific papers. At the same time, the causes of this process have not been sufficiently studied. The author’s goal is to consider the main regularities, under which the life cycle of innovations begins, and propose measures to enhance diffusion in modern conditions. As a scientific hypothesis, the author accepts the postulate about the primary role of the obolescence of attracted innovations in this process. The analysis revealed not only the economic proportions that initiate the start of innovation promotion, but also the influence on the diffusion rate of the obsolescence degree of innovations and the market share occupied by the new product. Methodological approaches have been developed to determine economic efficiency depending on the moment of technological change-over, as well as to determine the absolute and relative speed of innovation diffusion. Sociological studies were conducted to determine the state of innovation development and the time lag between obtaining information about an innovation and its practical implementation. The author presents his “Agroopyt” information system developed to disseminate knowledge in the agricultural sphere and ensure technology transfer in agriculture. Digital methods provide for significant accelerateion of the diffusion of innovations and expand its scope.

GREEN BONDS AS A NEW FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. 98-102
Author(s):  
M. V. DUBROVA ◽  
◽  
N. N. ZHILINA ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
The Public ◽  
Economic Problems ◽  
Green Finance ◽  
Non Profit Organizations

The relevance of the article is determined by the fact that in Russia there is no effective mechanism of state support for the activities of non-profit organizations in the field of “green Finance”. The role of non-profit organizations is leveled, which can become a serious help in solving economic problems, in particular, the problems of recycling and processing of secondary raw materials, the placement of industrial waste and household garbage, and landscaping of large megacities. The main financial burden in the field of “green economy” falls on States and large enterprises. Meanwhile, we cannot ignore the important role of non-profit organizations that can not only draw attention to environmental problems to the public, but also offer their own measures to solve environmental problems. In this regard, it becomes relevant to consider the participation of non-profit organizations in the implementation of environmental projects by attracting “green Finance”.

POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF «GREEN BONDS» IN THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (8) ◽  
pp. 119-123
Author(s):  
M. V. DUBROVA ◽  
◽  
N. N. ZHILINA ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Russian Economy ◽  
Green Finance ◽  
Potential Development ◽  
Non Profit Organizations

he relevance of the article is determined by the fact that in Russia there is no effective mechanism of state support for the activities of non-profit organizations in the field of «green Finance». The role of non-profit organizations is leveled, which can become a serious help in solving economic problems, in particular, the problems of recycling and processing of secondary raw materials, the placement of industrial waste and household garbage, and landscaping of large megacities. The main financial burden in the field of «green economy» falls on States and large enterprises. Meanwhile, we cannot ignore the important role of non-profit organizations that can not only draw attention to environmental problems to the public, but also offer their own measures to solve environmental problems. In this regard, it becomes relevant to consider the participation of non-profit organizations in the implementation of environmental projects by attracting «green Finance».

Challenging the Modern Synthesis

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Modern Synthesis ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Original Essays ◽  
New Biology ◽  
Conceptual Foundations ◽  
Orthodox View

Since its origin in the early 20th century, the modern synthesis theory of evolution has grown to represent the orthodox view on the process of organic evolution. It is a powerful and successful theory. Its defining features include the prominence it accords to genes in the explanation of development and inheritance, and the role of natural selection as the cause of adaptation. Since the advent of the 21st century, however, the modern synthesis has been subject to repeated and sustained challenges. In the last two decades, evolutionary biology has witnessed unprecedented growth in the understanding of those processes that underwrite the development of organisms and the inheritance of characters. The empirical advances usher in challenges to the conceptual foundations of evolutionary theory. Many current commentators charge that the new biology of the 21st century calls for a revision, extension, or wholesale rejection of the modern synthesis theory of evolution. Defenders of the modern synthesis maintain that the theory can accommodate the exciting new advances in biology, without forfeiting its central precepts. The original essays collected in this volume—by evolutionary biologists, philosophers of science, and historians of biology—survey and assess the various challenges to the modern synthesis arising from the new biology of the 21st century. Taken together, the essays cover a spectrum of views, from those that contend that the modern synthesis can rise to the challenges of the new biology, with little or no revision required, to those that call for the abandonment of the modern synthesis.

scholarly journals Recent Advances in Fabrication of Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane-Based Composite Materials

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3497
Author(s):  
Piotr Stachak ◽  
Izabela Łukaszewska ◽  
Edyta Hebda ◽  
Krzysztof Pielichowski
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Synthesis Method ◽  
Polymeric Materials ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Oh Groups ◽  
New Class ◽  
Hazardous Chemical ◽  
Wide Range

Polyurethanes (PUs) are a significant group of polymeric materials that, due to their outstanding mechanical, chemical, and physical properties, are used in a wide range of applications. Conventionally, PUs are obtained in polyaddition reactions between diisocyanates and polyols. Due to the toxicity of isocyanate raw materials and their synthesis method utilizing phosgene, new cleaner synthetic routes for polyurethanes without using isocyanates have attracted increasing attention in recent years. Among different attempts to replace the conventional process, polyaddition of cyclic carbonates (CCs) and polyfunctional amines seems to be the most promising way to obtain non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs) or, more precisely, polyhydroxyurethanes (PHUs), while primary and secondary –OH groups are being formed alongside urethane linkages. Such an approach eliminates hazardous chemical compounds from the synthesis and leads to the fabrication of polymeric materials with unique and tunable properties. The main advantages include better chemical, mechanical, and thermal resistance, and the process itself is invulnerable to moisture, which is an essential technological feature. NIPUs can be modified via copolymerization or used as matrices to fabricate polymer composites with different additives, similar to their conventional counterparts. Hence, non-isocyanate polyurethanes are a new class of environmentally friendly polymeric materials. Many papers on the matter above have been published, including both original research and extensive reviews. However, they do not provide collected information on NIPU composites fabrication and processing. Hence, this review describes the latest progress in non-isocyanate polyurethane synthesis, modification, and finally processing. While focusing primarily on the carbonate/amine route, methods of obtaining NIPU are described, and their properties are presented. Ways of incorporating various compounds into NIPU matrices are characterized by the role of PHU materials in copolymeric materials or as an additive. Finally, diverse processing methods of non-isocyanate polyurethanes are presented, including electrospinning or 3D printing.

A true gift of mother earth: the use and significance of obsidian at Çatalhöyük

2011 ◽  
Vol 61 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tristan Carter
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Social Identities ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Central Anatolia ◽  
Social Significance ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Raw Material Variability ◽  
Mother Earth

AbstractThis paper reviews 50 years of obsidian studies at Neolithic Çatalhöyük in the Konya plain, central Anatolia. A number of key issues are addressed: (1) the source of the site's raw materials, the means and forms by which the obsidian was introduced to the site and the role of Çatalhöyük in the supra-regional dissemination of these raw materials; (2) the alleged gender associations of certain obsidian goods in the burial record and beyond; (3) a more general consideration of the social significance of the circulation and consumption of obsidian at the site, including the phenomena of hoarding and gifting, plus the important role of projectiles in the creation of social identities and various forms of ritual behaviour, not least the termination of the life of a building/individual; (4) the technotypological and raw material variability through time; (5) the use of obsidian in daily practice and craft-working.

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