EKOFEMINIZAM I ETIKA

2020 ◽  
pp. 215-225
Author(s):  
Danica Miloševic
Keyword(s):  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Good Effect ◽  
Time Flow ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Human Reality ◽  
Equal Right ◽  
Patriarchal Power ◽  
Masculine Hegemony ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Unique Potential

Inclined towards consumerism, modern patriarchal society suffers from denaturalisation which reflects itself through the processes of natural oppression and animal exploitation. Logic of domination upon which patriarchy acts and by which it imposes a superior attitude over nature and nonhuman species, destroys internal values that animals and nature possess, which are not recognized at the capitalist stage where value is regarded through the prism of instrumentalism. This paper aims to disclose the opposite practice which employs the ethics of care and partnership with nature and its elements, through the postulates of ecofeminism oriented towards the life-affirming principle, not the destructive force that patriarchy is prone to. By analysing different ecofeminist approaches, this paper reveals the importance of nature and animals as a unique potential and subjectivity, with a right to freedom and existence. In view of maintaining biodiversity, the animal is redefined from the absent referent, that is, inferior and subdued phenomenon endangered by the masculine hegemony, into a siginificant constituent of human reality by introducing the language of empathy and moral responsibility with the capacity to build a close relationship with the environment from the angle of ecofeminism. It is important to develop ecological consciousness, and accept the time flow needed for renewal of nature, by understanding the importance of the natural surroundings in which man is only a small particle. In such a language, the culture of meat eating has an alternative in the form of vegeterianism, whereas animal and nature become part of moral community, so that hunting, and laboratory exploitation of animals, as well as the use of natural resources are reduced to necessity, not the indispensable. Meat consumption is an attack on animals and an act of support to consumer culture, whereas the refusal of meat is an act of defiance to patriarchal power in the contex of ethics towards nature and its living beings. A conclusion is reached through argumentation that ecofeminism sees the practice of animal killing as justified only in special/extreme cases, that is, in situations when it is necessary to save human lives, or when the terrain does not offer other options for human diet. On the other hand, the exclusion of animals from laboratory practices is considered desirable for two reasons: firstly, because animals can feel pain due to their neural structures in the brain, and secondly, because there is no guarantee that a good effect of research on animals will give good results in humans. Following Ynestra King who claims that there is no hierarchy in nature, and that man is not imposed as a superior being over other species by any laws of nature, a conclusion is reached that man has no right as a rational and conscious being with a highly de- veloped system of communication to use that position as an argument or an excuse for demonstrating his agression towards animals which have an equal right to live and be free. The system of nature is declared a sacred space in the value system of ecofeminism in which the life of each individual being is invaluable. Man as a spe- cies has the greatest impact on nature, environment and diversity and, at the same time, he is the only one who can assist nature in the act of renewal, by limiting his appetites so as to sustain the world of nature, including animals as valuable species in it. Protection of animals is; therefore, needed in all segments – they should not be regarded as guinea pigs, meat or trophies, but looked upon as specific beings with their needs and instincts.

Abstract 67: Vasopressin impairs Brain, Heart and Kidney Perfusion in Acute Heart Failure

Circulation ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 116 (suppl_16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stig Müller ◽  
Ole-Jakob How ◽  
Stig E Hermansen ◽  
Truls Myrmel
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Cardiac Output ◽  
Heart Function ◽  
Left Ventricular Pressure ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Arterial Blood Flow ◽  
Organ Blood Flow ◽  
Arterial Blood ◽  
Time Flow ◽  
The Brain

Arginin Vasopressin (AVP) is increasingly used to restore mean arterial pressure (MAP) in various circulatory shock states including cardiogenic shock. This is potentially deleterious since AVP is also known to reduce cardiac output by increasing vascular resistance. Aim: We hypothesized that restoring MAP by AVP improves vital organ blood flow in experimental acute cardiac failure. Methods: Cardiac output (CO) and arterial blood flow to the brain, heart, kidney and liver were measured in nine pigs by transit-time flow probes. Heart function and contractility were measured using left ventricular Pressure-Volume catheters. Catheters in central arteries and veins were used for pressure recordings and blood sampling. Left ventricular dysfunction was induced by intermittent coronary occlusions, inducing an 18 % reduction in cardiac output and a drop in MAP from 87 ± 3 to 67 ± 4 mmHg. Results: A low-dose therapeutic infusion of AVP (0.005 u/kg/min) restored MAP but further impaired systemic perfusion (CO and blood flow to the brain, heart and kidney reduced by 29, 18, 23 and 34 %, respectively). The reduced blood flow was due to a 2.0, 2.2, 1.9 and 2.1 fold increase in systemic, brain, heart and kidney specific vascular resistances, respectively. Contractility remained unaffected by AVP. The hypoperfusion induced by AVP was most likely responsible for observed elevated plasma lactate levels and an increased systemic oxygen extraction. Oxygen saturation in blood drawn from the great cardiac vein fell from 31 ± 1 to 22 ± 3 % dropping as low as 10 % in one pig. Finally, these effects were reversed forty minutes after weaning the pigs form the drug. Conclusion: The pronounced reduction in coronary blood flow point to a potentially deleterious effect in postoperative cardiac surgical patients and in patients with coronary heart disease. Also, this is the first study to report a reduced cerebral perfusion by AVP.

An Electronic Model of a Neural Correlate to Experience Obtained When the Stimulus Object is a Straight Line or a Circle

1967 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristian Holt-Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Stimulus Object ◽  
The Other ◽  
Neural Correlate ◽  
Close Analogy ◽  
Straight Line ◽  
Electronic Model ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
The Brain

An attempt was made to present an electronic model of the neural correlate to the experiences of straightness and circularity on the basis of experimental data. Two sets of experiments were described. In one Ss had numerous kinds of experience when the stimulus object was a straight line or a circle. These experiments demonstrated a close relationship between a straight line and a circle in experience. The other set of experiments consisted of adjusting the electric voltages fed into a cathode ray oscilloscope so that the displays on the screen corresponded closely to some of the experiences reported by subjects in the first set of experiments. A plausible working hypothesis was put forward on the basis that the electronic functions underlying the working of a cathode ray oscilloscope suggest a close analogy with the brain function underlying the experiences obtained when the stimulus object is a straight line or a circle.

scholarly journals Epigenetic Regulation of Gene Expression in Physiological and Pathological Brain Processes

2011 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 603-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Gräff ◽  
Dohoon Kim ◽  
Matthew M. Dobbin ◽  
Li-Huei Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Epigenetic Modifications ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Epigenetic Machinery ◽  
Complex Functions ◽  
Cell Type Specific ◽  
Neuronal Functions ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Unique Potential

Over the past decade, it has become increasingly obvious that epigenetic mechanisms are an integral part of a multitude of brain functions that range from the development of the nervous system over basic neuronal functions to higher order cognitive processes. At the same time, a substantial body of evidence has surfaced indicating that several neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric disorders are in part caused by aberrant epigenetic modifications. Because of their inherent plasticity, such pathological epigenetic modifications are readily amenable to pharmacological interventions and have thus raised justified hopes that the epigenetic machinery provides a powerful new platform for therapeutic approaches against these diseases. In this review, we give a detailed overview of the implication of epigenetic mechanisms in both physiological and pathological brain processes and summarize the state-of-the-art of “epigenetic medicine” where applicable. Despite, or because of, these new and exciting findings, it is becoming apparent that the epigenetic machinery in the brain is highly complex and intertwined, which underscores the need for more refined studies to disentangle brain-region and cell-type specific epigenetic codes in a given environmental condition. Clearly, the brain contains an epigenetic “hotspot” with a unique potential to not only better understand its most complex functions, but also to treat its most vicious diseases.

IGF-1 in the Brain as a Regulator of Reproductive Neuroendocrine Function

2005 ◽  
Vol 230 (5) ◽  
pp. 292-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shabrine S. Daftary ◽  
Andrea C. Gore
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Somatic Growth ◽  
Reproductive Function ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Pituitary Hormones ◽  
Somatotropic Axis ◽  
Gnrh Neurons ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Neuroendocrine Functions

Given the close relationship among neuroendocrine systems, it Is likely that there may be common signals that coordinate the acquisition of adult reproductive function with other homeo-static processes. In this review, we focus on central nervous system insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) as a signal controlling reproductive function, with possible links to somatic growth, particularly during puberty. In vertebrates, the appropriate neurosecretion of the decapeptide gonadotropin-releas-ing hormone (GnRH) plays a critical role in the progression of puberty. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone is released in pulses from neuroterminals in the median eminence (ME), and each GnRH pulse triggers the production of the gonadotropins, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). These pituitary hormones in turn stimulate the synthesis and release of sex steroids by the gonads. Any factor that affects GnRH or gonadotropin pulsatility is important for puberty and reproductive function and, among these factors, the neurotrophic factor IGF-1 is a strong candidate. Although IGF-1 is most commonly studied as the tertiary peripheral hormone in the somatotropic axis via its synthesis in the liver, IGF-1 Is also synthesIzed in the brain, within neurons and glia. In neuroendocrine brain regions, central IGF-1 plays roles in the regulation of neuroendocrine functions, including direct actions on GnRH neurons. Moreover, GnRH neurons themselves co-express IGF-1 and the IGF-1 receptor, and this expression is developmentally regulated. Here, we examine the role of IGF-1 acting in the hypothalamus as a critical link between reproductive and other neuroendocrine functions.

scholarly journals Entry of polyunsaturated fatty acids into the brain: evidence that high-density lipoprotein-induced methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine and phospholipase A2 are involved

1996 ◽  
Vol 316 (3) ◽  
pp. 805-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valérie MAGRET ◽  
Latifa ELKHALIL ◽  
Françoise NAZIH-SANDERSON ◽  
Françoise MARTIN ◽  
Jean-Marie BOURRE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Arachidonic Acid ◽  
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
High Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Phospholipase A2 ◽  
Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Bovine Brain ◽  
High Density ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
The Brain

The conversion of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) into phosphatidylcholine (PC) by a sequence of three transmethylation reactions is shown to be stimulated by the apolipoprotein E-free subclass of high-density lipoprotein (HDL3) in isolated bovine brain capillary (BBC) membranes. HDL3-induced stimulation of BBC membranes pulsed with [methyl-14C]methionine causes a transient increase in each methylated phospholipid, i.e. phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine (PMME), phosphatidyl-NN-dimethylethanolamine (PDME) and PC. PC substrate arising from the activation of PE N-methyltransferase (PEMT) is hydrolysed by a phospholipase A2 (PLA2), as demonstrated by the accumulation of lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PC). When PE containing [14C]arachidonic acid in the sn-2 position ([14C]PAPE) is incorporated into BBC membranes, HDL3 stimulation induces the formation of PMME, PDME, PC and lyso-PC and the release of [14C]arachidonic acid, which correlates with the previous production of lyso-PC, suggesting that HDL3 stimulates a PLA2 that can release polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Both PEMT and PLA2 activities depend on a HDL3 concentration in the range 0–50 μg/ml and are strictly dependent on HDL3 binding, because HDL3 modified by tetranitromethane is no longer able to bind to specific receptors and to trigger PEMT and PLA2 activation. Moreover, HDL3 prelabelled with [14C]PAPE can stimulate PDME and lyso-PC synthesis in BBC membranes in the presence of S-adenosylmethionine, suggesting that HDL3 can supply BBC membranes in polyunsaturated PE and can activate enzymes involved in PE N-methylation and PUFA release. The results support the hypothesis of a close relationship between HDL3 binding, PE methylation and PUFA release, and suggest that the PC pool arising from PE could be used as a pathway for the supply of PUFA to the brain.

scholarly journals Identification of Novel Roles of the Cytochrome P450 System in Early Embryogenesis: Effects on Vasculogenesis and Retinoic Acid Homeostasis

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (17) ◽  
pp. 6103-6116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana M. E. Otto ◽  
Colin J. Henderson ◽  
Dianne Carrie ◽  
Megan Davey ◽  
Thomas E. Gundersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cytochrome P450 ◽  
Retinoic Acid ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Monooxygenase System ◽  
Cytochrome P450 System ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Metabolism Of Xenobiotics ◽  
The Brain

ABSTRACT The cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase system catalyzes the metabolism of xenobiotics and endogenous compounds, including hormones and retinoic acid. In order to establish the role of these enzymes in embryogenesis, we have inactivated the system through the deletion of the gene for the electron donor to all microsomal P450 proteins, cytochrome P450 reductase (Cpr). Mouse embryos homozygous for this deletion died in early to middle gestation (∼9.5 days postcoitum [dpc]) and exhibited a number of novel phenotypes, including the severe inhibition of vasculogenesis and hematopoiesis. In addition, defects in the brain, limbs, and cell types where CPR was shown to be expressed were observed. Some of the observed abnormalities have been associated with perturbations in retinoic acid homeostasis in later embryogenesis. Consistent with this possibility, embryos at 9.5 dpc had significantly elevated levels of retinoic acid and reduced levels of retinol. Further, some of the observed phenotypes could be either reversed or exacerbated by decreasing or increasing maternal retinoic acid exposure, respectively. Detailed analysis demonstrated a close relationship between the observed phenotype and the expression of genes controlling vasculogenesis. These data demonstrate that the cytochrome P450 system plays a key role in early embryonic development; this process appears to be, at least in part, controlled by regional concentrations of retinoic acid and has profound effects on blood vessel formation.

scholarly journals Functional neuroanatomy of intuitive physical inference

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (34) ◽  
pp. E5072-E5081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Fischer ◽  
John G. Mikhael ◽  
Joshua B. Tenenbaum ◽  
Nancy Kanwisher
Keyword(s):  
Action Planning ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Physical Structure ◽  
Functional Neuroanatomy ◽  
Physical Content ◽  
Structure And Dynamics ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
Intuitive Grasp ◽  
The Brain

To engage with the world—to understand the scene in front of us, plan actions, and predict what will happen next—we must have an intuitive grasp of the world’s physical structure and dynamics. How do the objects in front of us rest on and support each other, how much force would be required to move them, and how will they behave when they fall, roll, or collide? Despite the centrality of physical inferences in daily life, little is known about the brain mechanisms recruited to interpret the physical structure of a scene and predict how physical events will unfold. Here, in a series of fMRI experiments, we identified a set of cortical regions that are selectively engaged when people watch and predict the unfolding of physical events—a “physics engine” in the brain. These brain regions are selective to physical inferences relative to nonphysical but otherwise highly similar scenes and tasks. However, these regions are not exclusively engaged in physical inferences per se or, indeed, even in scene understanding; they overlap with the domain-general “multiple demand” system, especially the parts of that system involved in action planning and tool use, pointing to a close relationship between the cognitive and neural mechanisms involved in parsing the physical content of a scene and preparing an appropriate action.

scholarly journals Det klingendes meningspotensial og dets slumrende klangbunn i lytteren: Utkast til en musikkinspirert livsanskuelse

2020 ◽  
pp. 301-311
Author(s):  
Peder Christian Kjerschow
Keyword(s):  
Brain Research ◽  
World View ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Reward System ◽  
Human Origin ◽  
The World ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Unique Potential ◽  
Thinking Consciousness

In this essay I am aiming to sketch a context of my view of music, taking the form of a musically-inspired Weltanschauung [world view]. Confronted with “great” music of all types, I experience the particular ability of music to bring consciousness into a state of listening, attentive “passivity”, without the need for an explanation of what it is about. Afterwards, the thinking consciousness may rise to active reflection on the unique potential of meaning in music – so unlike anything else – and on the equally enigmatic resonant disposition in me that responds to music as an essential meaningful appeal. Although music has all the characteristics of its human origin and historical context, it may be considered as a spring welling from the very source of the world: Its potential of meaning is rooted deeper than human culture. Thus, music offers a confrontation with objective reality, not with something “staged” by our consciousness or, not to mention, by our brain. This musical confrontation with reality has led to my questioning the subjectivism of Kant and especially Fichte, and to an interest in Schelling’s philosophy of nature as a convincing refutation of subjectivistic epistemology. In the name of reality, I touch on the problematic interpretations and conclusions of neuroscience and brain research concerning self-perception. This sort of “philosophy”, where the very self (i.e. the “I” or the subject) is identified with the object studied, i.e. the brain itself. This view may also imply a reductionistic understanding of the experience of meaningful music as “staged” by the reward system of the brain.

scholarly journals D. Chalmers’ argument from logical supervenience in explanation of the phenomenal consciousness

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Vladimir Binhi
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Phenomenal Consciousness ◽  
Fundamental Difference ◽  
Modal Term ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Transworld Identity

The subject of this research is D. Chalmers’ argument in explanation of the phenomenal consciousness –sentience or qualia – explanation on the basis of dualism of the low-level physical and high-level mental propertoes of the brain. The dualism of properties in the philosophy of consciousness means that consciousness is a high-level property, supervenient on the physical properties of the brain. Chalmers introduces the concept of logical supervenience and explains the phenomenal consciousness by the fact that psychical properties are supervenient on physical properties naturally, rather than logically. This comprises the essence of Chalmers' concept of naturalistic dualism. The article reviews the concept of supervenience in most commonly used form, and the definition of logical and natural supervenience. Supervenience becomes logical and/or natural due to the fact that its definition includes the modal term “possibility”, which concedes different interpretations: possibility by virtue of the laws of nature – nomic possibility, and logical possibility. The author demonstrates that the definition of logical supervenience, which leans on the concept of identity, makes sense only in the context of transtemporal, rather than transworld identity. Such circumstance substantially changes the meaning of the definition of logical supervenience. The novelty of this work consists in showing that unlike the logical and natural possibilities, logical and natural supervenience are different names for the same type of relationship. The conclusion is formulated that naturalistic dualism, which claims their fundamental difference, cannot explain the phenomenal consciousness using this distinction.

scholarly journals Dos mundos conectados: Cómo la exposición al estrés social nos hace más vulnerables al consumo de drogas

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Montagud-Romero ◽  
Marina D. Reguilón ◽  
Marta Rodriguez-Arias
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Powerful Effect ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain

Stress is one of the main risk factors that can induce humans to develop disorders such as depression, anxiety, or drug use. One of the main sources of stress is social interaction, which can lead to situations such as bullying at school or at work. In this article we will review the close relationship between exposure to stressful situations and increased cocaine or alcohol use. We will present the main results obtained with animal models, which allow us to study the brain mechanisms involved in the impact of stress on drug use. To conclude, we will detail the main mechanisms that explain the powerful effect of stress on drug use.

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