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The life sciences have evoked long-standing philosophical debates on a system view of life versus a reductionist view that reduces the complexity of life-forms to parts-based entities that can be described purely mechanistically. This paper examines how current scientific advances in the life sciences can contribute to an anti-reductionist concept of life. It does so by looking at synthetic biology, a discipline within the life sciences that has an ambiguous relationship to this debate. While the field's engineering approach to life could be considered a manifestation of a reductionist view of life, it also builds on a more holistic, systems view of life. This paper analyses recent scientific practices taking place within synthetic biology that seem to challenge the reductionist view of life. After analyzing the main anti-reductionist philosophical accounts of life, I ask how synthetic biology practices can support these accounts of life by considering living systems as processual, collaborative, and cognitive, and life versus nonlife on a more gradual scale. This empirically informed paper contributes to the literature by drawing observations about the concept of life by connecting the following: the reductionist view in the life sciences, the different anti-reductionist metaphysical stances in the philosophy of biology, and the emerging practices in synthetic biology. The paper concludes that synthetic biology can support anti-reductionist views of life in the philosophy of biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As we reach the end of 2024, we celebrate an amazing year of science for PLOS Biology and the life sciences more broadly, and thank everyone who continues to support the journal. As we reach the end of 2024, our Editorial celebrates an amazing year of science for PLOS Biology and the life sciences more broadly, and thanks everyone who supports the journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students possess many misconceptions about the nature of science and science practices that hinder robust understanding of science content, diminish interest in science learning, make science appear as an uninteresting career option, and exacerbate distrust of science. With National Science Foundation funding, freely and easily accessible historically accurate short stories have been created that bring science and scientists to life; accurately illustrating the work of scientists and how scientific knowledge is developed and becomes well established. This article presents the project's biology stories, and focuses on the classroom implementation of one story to illustrate mediation strategies that draw students' attention to targeted nature of science and science practices. Research supporting the efficacy of this approach is summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students possess many misconceptions about the nature of science and science practices that hinder robust understanding of science content, diminish interest in science learning, make science appear as an uninteresting career option, and exacerbate distrust of science. With National Science Foundation funding, freely and easily accessible historically accurate short stories have been created that bring science and scientists to life; accurately illustrating the work of scientists and how scientific knowledge is developed and becomes well established. This article presents the project's biology stories, and focuses on the classroom implementation of one story to illustrate mediation strategies that draw students' attention to targeted nature of science and science practices. Research supporting the efficacy of this approach is summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Al-Andalus journal for Humanities & Social Sciences is the property of Alandalus University for Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Community assembly is influenced by disturbance intensity, sequential colonization (arrival order) of species, and interactions between species arriving early and species arriving later. We documented both intra- and interspecific patterns of colonization following hydrological disturbance using a 20-year time series of marsh-fish density at 21 study sites located in the Everglades, Florida, USA, as a case study of sequential colonization. The critical swimming speed (UCRIT) of 20 juveniles and 20 adults for six species was estimated using UCRIT tests to evaluate if UCRIT predicted timing of re-colonization. We observed a consistent pattern of species colonization over 500 disturbance events. On average, juveniles of early arriving species were collected prior to adults, while adults consistently appeared prior to juveniles for late-arriving species. Density at first collection was inversely correlated with arrival order; early arriving species tended to have higher density when first collected following marsh re-flooding than later arriving ones. Females consistently arrived before males for all species where sex could be identified. Neither absolute nor size-adjusted UCRIT was correlated with arrival order. Although interspecific colonization was highly repeatable, intraspecific differences among demographic groups were species-specific and possibly tied to reproductive biology and juvenile life history. Juvenile early arrival may indicate rapid colonization of pregnant females (Poeciliidae), diapausing eggs laid before marsh drying, or early development of robust swimming capacity (Cyprinodontidae and Fundulidae); in the Everglades, water currents are absent or too weak to support larval drift as an important mechanism. Stage- and sex-specific UCRIT and reproductive traits such as embryo diapause in oviparous species need more attention to understand successional dynamics following disturbance in aquatic communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The path from life's origin to the emergence of the eukaryotic cell was long and complex, and as such it is rarely treated in one publication. Here, we offer a sketch of this path, recognizing that there are points of disagreement and that many transitions are still shrouded in mystery. We assume life developed within microchambers of an alkaline hydrothermal vent system. Initial simple reactions were built into more sophisticated reflexively autocatalytic food-generated networks (RAFs), laying the foundation for life's anastomosing metabolism, and eventually for the origin of RNA, which functioned as a genetic repository and as a catalyst (ribozymes). Eventually, protein synthesis developed, leading to life's biology becoming dominated by enzymes and not ribozymes. Subsequent enzymatic innovation included ATP synthase, which generates ATP, fueled by the proton gradient between the alkaline vent flux and the acidic sea. This gradient was later internalized via the evolution of the electron transport chain, a preadaptation for the subsequent emergence of the vent creatures from their microchamber cradles. Differences between bacteria and archaea suggests cellularization evolved at least twice. Later, the bacterial development of oxidative phosphorylation and the archaeal development of proteins to stabilize its DNA laid the foundation for the merger that led to the formation of eukaryotic cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproduction and early life history are central to understanding the biology and ecology of organisms, however such information is limited for solitary corals. Here, we compared the reproductive traits of the solitary coral Heliofungia actiniformis from different latitudinal locations (Singapore, 1°N and the Philippines, 16°N) and examined their early life development, settlement competency, and juvenile growth and survival. A total of 32 corals from Pulau Hantu reefs in Singapore and 102 corals from Bolinao and Anda reefs in the Philippines were studied between 2019 and 2022. Heliofungia actiniformis broadcasts spawned gametes during several nights, generally between 22:00 and 01:00, before and after full moon, from February to May in Singapore and from March to June in the Philippines. Spawning within a month occurred for up to 16 nights in Singapore and 10 nights in the Philippines. Sex change in two individuals between years was observed in the Philippines. The average egg size was smaller in Singapore than that in the Philippines. We determined that eggs were fertilized within 2 h after sperm addition, and developed into swimming larvae within 64 h, which began to settle after 24 h. Larval survival after three mo of culture was 1.72 ± 1.0% and juvenile diameter ranged from 0.33 to 1.30 mm. Asexual buds were first observed in 15 mo old juveniles that were at least 8 mm in diameter. 24 mo old juveniles were observed to detach from their stalk and the empty stalk regenerated polyps. Our results highlight the latitudinal variability in the reproductive traits of solitary corals, serve as a baseline for their early life history, and advance our understanding of their population dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the origin of life investigates the transition from abiotic chemistry to the emergence of biology, with the 'RNA world hypothesis' as the leading theory. RNA's dual role in storage and catalysis suggests its importance in this narrative. The discovery of natural ribozymes emphasizes RNA's catalytic capabilities in prebiotic environments, supporting the plausibility of an RNA world and prompting exploration of precellular evolution. Collective autocatalytic sets (CASs) mark a crucial milestone in this transition, fostering complexity through autocatalysis. While modern biology emphasizes sequence-specific polymerases, remnants of CASs persist in primary metabolism highlighting their significance. Autocatalysis, driven by CASs, promotes complexity through mutually interdependent catalytic sets. Yet, the transition from ribonucleotides to complex RNA oligomers remains puzzling. Questions persist about the genesis of the first self-replicating RNA molecule, RNA's stability in prebiotic conditions, and the shift to complex molecular reproduction. This review delves into diverse facets of the RNA world's emergence, addressing critical bottlenecks and scientific advances. Integrating insights from simulation and in vitro evolution research, we illuminate the multistep biogenesis of catalytic RNA from the abiotic world. Through this exploration, we aim to elucidate the journey from the primordial soup to the dawn of life, emphasizing the interplay between chemistry and biology in understanding life's origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the biology and life history of Calomela intemerata Lea (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), to determine its potential as a biocontrol agent of Acacia auriculiformis A.Cunn. ex Benth. (Fabaceae), an environmental weed in Florida, USA. We analysed data from field surveys in northern Australia and determined life‐history parameters and larval feeding under controlled laboratory conditions. In the field, both larvae and adults of C. intemerata fed throughout the year on young shoots of A. auriculiformis. Two geographically isolated populations of C. intemerata were collected from Northern Territory and north Queensland, Australia. We examined developmental time, survival, and size of immature stages in the laboratory at 25 °C. Following development through four instars, larvae move to the soil for pupation. Egg‐to‐adult development was approximately 23 days. Adults were long‐lived – several individuals survived >8 months. Females began ovipositing about 8 days after emergence and laid on average >1000 eggs each. On the invasive Florida A. auriculiformis, larvae of the Northern Territory population performed better than the north Queensland population regarding leaf consumption and developmental rate. The biological attributes of C. intemerata such as short generation time, high fecundity, and a long adult life, combined with the extensive damage larvae and adults inflict to young vegetative growth when feeding, make it a promising candidate biocontrol agent for management of A. auriculiformis in Florida. Formal host specificity testing is currently underway in Florida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of DoisPontos is the property of Universidade Federal do Parana, Departamento de Filosofia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This essay presents various reflections on living systems, what they are and how they evolve, prompted by editing Teleonomy in Living Systems (a special issue of the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society). Conclusions include the suggestion that the linked notions of teleonomy and agency represent fundamental properties of matter that become apparent only when organized in the way that we consider to be that of a living system. As such, they are factors that form part of the intrinsic 'a priori' of living systems, as they evolve in form through space and time. Biology, the science of life and living systems, needs to be 'biological' if it is to be anything at all. Understanding the role of teleonomy (internal, inherent goal-seeking) will always play a necessary part in this endeavour: teleonomy represents one of the fundamental properties of living systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tecné, Episteme y Didaxis is the property of Universidad Pedaggica Nacional and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses the misuse of the terms "Darwinian" and "Darwinism" in public discourse, particularly in relation to the concept of "Social Darwinism." The author argues that this limited understanding of evolution fails to acknowledge the role of symbiosis, cooperation, altruism, and empathy in the process. The article also highlights the importance of chance and luck in evolution, emphasizing that these factors are often overlooked in favor of selection. The author suggests that a correct understanding of nature could help combat societal issues such as racism and sexism, and criticizes the belief that wealth and success are inherently deserved. [Extracted from the article]

Diaeretiellarapae (McIntosh) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is one of the most promising, effective and a common endoparasitoid of different aphid species including cabbage aphid, Brevicorynebrassicae L. (Hemiptera: Aphididae). The present investigation was undertaken to study the influence of different cauliflower cultivars (Early London, PSBK-1, PSBK-25, Pusa Himjyoti and Snowball Super) on the cabbage aphid and biological growth parameters of its parasitoid, D.rapae. Parasitoid took maximum time to complete its life cycle from egg to adult emergence on cv. PSBK-25 and minimum on cv. Snowball Super. The adult female and male longevity were maximum on cv. PSBK -1 i.e., 7.8 days and 6.7 days, respectively. The fecundity of the parasitoid was similar for both PSBK-1 and PSBK-25. Gross reproductive rate (GRR) of the parasitoid was maximum on PSBK-1 and minimum on Snowball Super. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) of the parasitoid was maximum on Snowball Super and minimum on PSBK-25 while doubling time was higher on PSBK-25 and lower on Snowball Super. Hence, cauliflower cv. PSBK-1 can be exploited for mass production of D.rapae in pest management programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review examines the potential of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) to enhance students' life skills in the field of biology, and analyzes the challenges that may hinder its implementation. Using a Systematic Literature Network Analysis (SLNA), which combines Bibliometrics Analysis (BA) and Systematic Literature Review (SLR), this study analyzed articles from SCOPUS that met specific criteria. The findings reveal that PjBL is associated with e-learning and blended learning, and that the majority of articles on PjBL were published in 2020, particularly in the Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education. Additionally, this SLNA highlights the contributions of these articles to the developing of various life skills in biology learning. By identifying key trends and insights from existing literature, this study sheds light on the potential of PjBL to enhance students' biology education and their ability to apply it in their daily lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetranychus neocaledonicus colonizes both cultivated and spontaneous plants. Species such as Phaseolus lunatus, Vigna unguiculata, Abelmoschus esculentus, and Glycine max are listed as hosts to T. neocaledonicus. However, very little is known about the bioecological aspects of this host-T. neocaledonicus interaction. The present study aims to determine the biological aspects (development and survival of immature individuals, reproduction, and fertility life table parameters) of T. neocaledonicus in P. lunatus, V. unguiculata, A. esculentus, and G. max. Individuals of T. neocaledonicus multiplied in laboratory were used on plants of P. lunatus to establish the experiments. To evaluate biological and reproductive parameters, three daily assessments were performed during the immature stages and one assessment during the adult stage. The mean developmental time from egg to adult was recorded. The highest mean was observed in V. unguiculata (13.57 days). Tetranychus neocaledonicus showed the highest fecundity in V. unguiculata, G. max and P. lunatus: 93.75, 93.38, and 79.10 eggs/female and longevity of 43.78, 33.42, and 47.26 days, respectively. Survival rate was above 50% until the 50th day in P. lunatus, 65th day in G. max and V. unguiculata, and 40th day in A. esculentus. The hosts G. max and V. unguiculata provided the highest net reproduction rates (R0) for T. neocaledonicus. The intrinsic rate of increase rm was lower when mites parasitized V. unguiculata and A. esculentus. This also happened for the finite rate of increase (λ). Host plants affect the performance and the biological, population, and reproductive parameters of T. neocaledonicus. Glycine max is the most favorable host for the development and reproduction of T. neocaledonicus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Psicoterapia e Scienze Umane is the property of FrancoAngeli srl and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

One of life's most striking characteristics is its mental dimension, one whose very existence within a material system has long been a deep scientific mystery. Given the current scientific view that life emerged from non-life, how was it possible for 'dead' matter to have taken on mental capabilities? In this Perspective we describe the existence of a recently discovered non-equilibrium state of matter, an energized dynamic kinetic state, and demonstrate how particular chemical systems once activated into that kinetic state could manifest rudimentary cognitive behavior. Thus, contrary to a common view that biology is not reducible to physics and chemistry, recent findings in both chemistry and biology suggest that life's mental state is an outcome of its physical state, and therefore may be explicable in physical/chemical terms. Such understanding offers added insight into the physico-chemical process by which life was able to emerge from non-life and the perennial 'what is life?' question. Most remarkably, it appears that Darwin, through his deep understanding of the evolutionary process, already sensed the existence of a connection between life's physical and mental states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central question in this paper is whether anthropogenic mass extinction is ethically problematic above and beyond the sum of extinctions involved. The point of asking this question is not to determine the ethical status of anthropogenic massive extinction, which is clearly ethical horrendous. It is to see if - as is the case with interrogating the wrongness and badness of extinction - answering it illuminates something about the value of what is being lost and sharpens the considerations that substantiate the view; and, if so, whether that might be useful in the context of evaluating mooted approaches to mitigating or adapting to it. The view defended is that massive extinction driven by undermining the conditions that make life forms possible for diverse and higher taxonomic groups constitutes a planetary shift, a phase change, different in kind from merely accelerated anthropogenic change. Justified partiality to the current assemblages of species and biomes is grounded in human relationships, dependencies, histories, and connections with this particular planetary state. This partiality warrants recognizing the loss of this state of the planet - these biospheric conditions, species assemblages, and biomes - as bad, above and beyond the individual harms and species losses involved. This account explains and substantiates why a mass extinction is worse than an equal number of extinctions spread over multiple systems or planets, all other things being equal. This account also provides reason not to embrace the anthropocene or embark on a synthetic age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modernfish represent over 400 million years of evolutionary processes that, in many cases, resulted in selection for phenotypes with particular performance advantages. While this certainly occurred without a trajectory for optimization, it cannot be denied that some morphologies allow organisms to be more effective than others at tasks like evading predation, securing food, and ultimately passing on their genes. In this way, evolution generates a series of iterative prototypes with varying but measurable success in accomplishing objectives. Therefore, careful analysis of fundamental properties underlying biological phenomena allows us to fast-track the development of bioinspired technologies aiming to accomplish similar objectives. At the same time, bioinspired designs can be a way to explore evolutionary processes, by better understanding the performance space within which a given morphology operates. Through strong interdisciplinary collaborations, we can develop novel bioinspired technologies that not only excel as robotic devices but also teach us something about biology and the rules of life in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]