scholarly journals Molecular studies on two variant repeat types of the common cetacean DNA satellite of the sperm whale, and the relationship between Physeteridae (sperm whales) and Ziphiidae (beaked whales).

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joëlle De Weerdt ◽  
Eric Angel Ramos ◽  
Etienne Pouplard ◽  
Marc Kochzius ◽  
Phillip Clapham

AbstractDocumenting marine mammal strandings provides important information needed to understand the occurrence and distribution patterns of species. Here, we report on strandings of cetaceans on the Pacific (n = 11) and Caribbean (n = 2) coasts of Nicaragua, documented opportunistically from 2014 to 2021. Strandings included three species of baleen whale (blue whale Balaenoptera musculus, Bryde’s whale Balaenoptera edeni, humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae) and five species of toothed whale (dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima, Guiana dolphin Sotalia guianensis, pantropical spotted dolphin Stenella attenuata, spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris, Cuvier’s beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris). These are the first published accounts of blue whales, Bryde’s whales, dwarf sperm whales, and Cuvier’s beaked whales in Nicaraguan waters. Limited resources and the advanced decomposition of animals prevented necropsies in most cases, the identification of the causes of mortality in all cases, and the species identification of two dolphins. Information derived from these stranding events offers new insights into the occurrence of marine mammals on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Nicaragua and Central America.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis Park ◽  
Bastien Mennecart ◽  
Loïc Costeur ◽  
Camille Grohé ◽  
Natalie Cooper

Abstract Background Odontocetes (toothed whales) are the most species-rich marine mammal lineage. The catalyst for their evolutionary success is echolocation - a form of biological sonar that uses high-frequency sound, produced in the forehead and ultimately detected by the cochlea. The ubiquity of echolocation in odontocetes across a wide range of physical and acoustic environments suggests that convergent evolution of cochlear shape is likely to have occurred. To test this, we used SURFACE; a method that fits Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) models with stepwise AIC (Akaike Information Criterion) to identify convergent regimes on the odontocete phylogeny, and then tested whether convergence in these regimes was significantly greater than expected by chance. Results We identified three convergent regimes: (1) True’s (Mesoplodon mirus) and Cuvier’s (Ziphius cavirostris) beaked whales; (2) sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) and all other beaked whales sampled; and (3) pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (Kogia sima) sperm whales and Dall’s porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli). Interestingly the ‘river dolphins’, a group notorious for their convergent morphologies and riverine ecologies, do not have convergent cochlear shapes. The first two regimes were significantly convergent, with habitat type and dive type significantly correlated with membership of the sperm whale + beaked whale regime. Conclusions The extreme acoustic environment of the deep ocean likely constrains cochlear shape, causing the cochlear morphology of sperm and beaked whales to converge. This study adds support for cochlear morphology being used to predict the ecology of extinct cetaceans.


1995 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fujio Kasamatsu ◽  
Gerald G. Joyce

The current status of Antarctic Odontocetes – sperm whales Physeter catodon, killer whales Orcinus orca, long-finned pilot whales Globicephala melaena, hourglass dolphins Lagenorhynchus cruciger and poorly known species of beaked whales (family Ziphiidae)–were studied in Anatarctic waters using data gathered in sighting surveys conducted from 1976/77 to 1987/88. Temporal variation in density demonstrated the different migration patterns by species, especially between sperm whale and killer whale. Spatial distributions during mid-summer demonstrated different peaks of occurrence for each species by latitude that suggest possible segregation between the species. Killer whales occur mainly in the very southernmost areas, sperm whales in the southern half of the study area, beaked whales (mostly southern bottlenose whales Hyperoodon planifrons) ranged over a wide area, and long-finned pilot whales and hourglass dolphins were mainly in the northern regions of Antarctic waters. Several longitudinal peaks of occurrence and apparent distribution gaps were identified for sperm, beaked and killer whales. Abundance estimates for south of the Antarctic Convergence in January are based on line transect theory and were 28 100 animals (coefficient of variation CV 0.18) sperm whales, 599 300 (0.15) beaked whales (mostly southern bottlenose whales), 80 400 (0.15) killer whales, 200 000 (0.35) long-finned pilot whales, and 144 300 (0.17) hourglass dolphins. Based on this, biomass of these species were estimated as 0.77 (sperm whales), 2.70 (beaked whales), 0.32 (killer whales), 0.16 (long-finned pilot whales) and 0.01 (hourglass dolphins) million tonnes. Consumption of food (mostly squid) by the Odontocetes is estimated as 14.4 million tonnes with 67% of the total consumed by beaked whales. Indirect consumption of Antarctic krill through the predation of squid by beaked whales is estimated to be c. 24 million tonnes. This value is similar to the estimate of krill consumption by penguins in the Antarctic (33 million tonnes). Odontocetes, especially southern bottlenose whales, are suggested to have a much greater role in the Antarctic ecosystem than has previously been considered.


EMPIRISMA ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Limas Dodi

According to Abdulaziz Sachedina, the main argument of religious pluralism in the Qur’an based on the relationship between private belief (personal) and public projection of Islam in society. By regarding to private faith, the Qur’an being noninterventionist (for example, all forms of human authority should not be disturb the inner beliefs of individuals). While the public projection of faith, the Qur’an attitude based on the principle of coexistence. There is the willingness of the dominant race provide the freedom for people of other faiths with their own rules. Rules could shape how to run their affairs and to live side by side with the Muslims. Thus, based on the principle that the people of Indonesia are Muslim majority, it should be a mirror of a societie’s recognizion, respects and execution of religious pluralism. Abdul Aziz Sachedina called for Muslims to rediscover the moral concerns of public Islam in peace. The call for peace seemed to indicate that the existence of increasingly weakened in the religious sense of the Muslims and hence need to be reaffi rmed. Sachedina also like to emphasize that the position of peace in Islam is parallel with a variety of other doctrines, such as: prayer, fasting, pilgrimage and so on. Sachedina also tried to show the argument that the common view among religious groups is only one religion and traditions of other false and worthless. “Antipluralist” argument comes amid the reality of human religious differences. Keywords: Theology, Pluralism, Abdulaziz Sachedina


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (34) ◽  
pp. 6207-6221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Innocenzo Rainero ◽  
Alessandro Vacca ◽  
Flora Govone ◽  
Annalisa Gai ◽  
Lorenzo Pinessi ◽  
...  

Migraine is a common, chronic neurovascular disorder caused by a complex interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors. In the last two decades, molecular genetics of migraine have been intensively investigated. In a few cases, migraine is transmitted as a monogenic disorder, and the disease phenotype cosegregates with mutations in different genes like CACNA1A, ATP1A2, SCN1A, KCNK18, and NOTCH3. In the common forms of migraine, candidate genes as well as genome-wide association studies have shown that a large number of genetic variants may increase the risk of developing migraine. At present, few studies investigated the genotype-phenotype correlation in patients with migraine. The purpose of this review was to discuss recent studies investigating the relationship between different genetic variants and the clinical characteristics of migraine. Analysis of genotype-phenotype correlations in migraineurs is complicated by several confounding factors and, to date, only polymorphisms of the MTHFR gene have been shown to have an effect on migraine phenotype. Additional genomic studies and network analyses are needed to clarify the complex pathways underlying migraine and its clinical phenotypes.


Author(s):  
Justine Pila

This chapter considers the meaning of the terms that appropriately denote the subject matter protectable by registered trade mark and allied rights, including the common law action of passing off. Drawing on the earlier analyses of the objects protectable by patent and copyright, it defines the trade mark, designation of origin, and geographical indication in their current European and UK conception as hybrid inventions/works in the form of purpose-limited expressive objects. It also considers the relationship between the different requirements for trade mark and allied rights protection, and related principles of entitlement. In its conclusion, the legal understandings of trade mark and allied rights subject matter are presented as answers to the questions identified in Chapter 3 concerning the categories and essential properties of the subject matter in question, their method of individuation, and the relationship between and method of establishing their and their tokens’ existence.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-51
Author(s):  
Jeong-A Jo

This study aims to examine the common features and differences in how the Chinese-character classifier ‘ ben 本’ is used in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, and will explore the factors that have affected the categorization processes and patterns of the classifier ‘ ben 本.’ Consideration of the differences in the patterns of usage and categorization of the same Chinese classifier in different languages enables us to look into the perception of the world and the socio cultural differences inherent in each language, the differences in the perception of Chinese characters, and the relationship between classifiers.


Elenchos ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-194
Author(s):  
Angela Longo

AbstractThe following work features elements to ponder and an in-depth explanation taken on the Anca Vasiliu’s study about the possibilities and ways of thinking of God by a rational entity, such as the human being. This is an ever relevant topic that, however, takes place in relation to Platonic authors and texts, especially in Late Antiquity. The common thread is that the human being is a God’s creature who resembles him and who is image of. Nevertheless, this also applies within the Christian Trinity according to which, not without problems, the Son is the image of the Father. Lastly, also the relationship of the Spirit with the Father and the Son, always within the Trinity, can be considered as a relationship of similarity, but again not without critical issues between the similarity of attributes, on the one hand, and the identity of nature, on the other.


Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 199
Author(s):  
Maria Ledstam

This article engages with how religion and economy relate to each other in faith-based businesses. It also elaborates on a recurrent idea in theological literature that reflections on different visions of time can advance theological analyses of the relationship between Christianity and capitalism. More specifically, this article brings results from an ethnographic study of two faith-based businesses into conversation with the ethicist Luke Bretherton’s presentation of different understandings of the relationship between Christianity and capitalism. Using Theodore Schatzki’s theory of timespace, the article examines how time and space are constituted in two small faith-based businesses that are part of the two networks Business as Mission (evangelical) and Economy of Communion (catholic) and how the different timespaces affect the religious-economic configurations in the two cases and with what moral implications. The overall findings suggest that the timespace in the Catholic business was characterized by struggling caused by a tension between certain ideals on how religion and economy should relate to each other on the one hand and how the practice evolved on the other hand. Furthermore, the timespace in the evangelical business was characterized by confidence, caused by the business having a rather distinct and achievable goal when it came to how they wanted to be different and how religion should relate to economy. There are, however, nuances and important resemblances between the cases that cannot be explained by the businesses’ confessional and theological affiliations. Rather, there seems to be something about the phenomenon of tension-filled and confident faith-based businesses that causes a drive in the practices towards the common good. After mapping the results of the empirical study, I discuss some contributions that I argue this study brings to Bretherton’s presentation of the relationship between Christianity and capitalism.


Author(s):  
James Deery

AbstractFor some, the states and processes involved in the realisation of phenomenal consciousness are not confined to within the organismic boundaries of the experiencing subject. Instead, the sub-personal basis of perceptual experience can, and does, extend beyond the brain and body to implicate environmental elements through one’s interaction with the world. These claims are met by proponents of predictive processing, who propose that perception and imagination should be understood as a product of the same internal mechanisms. On this view, as visually imagining is not considered to be world-involving, it is assumed that world-involvement must not be essential for perception, and thus internalism about the sub-personal basis is true. However, the argument for internalism from the unity of perception and imagination relies for its strength on a questionable conception of the relationship between the two experiential states. I argue that proponents of the predictive approach are guilty of harbouring an implicit commitment to the common kind assumption which does not follow trivially from their framework. That is, the assumption that perception and imagination are of the same fundamental kind of mental event. I will argue that there are plausible alternative ways of conceiving of this relationship without drawing internalist metaphysical conclusions from their psychological theory. Thus, the internalist owes the debate clarification of this relationship and further argumentation to secure their position.


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