Reproduction

The Argument from Transfer

by Christian Munthe

Final version published in Bioethics 1996, 10 (1): 27-42.

Utilitarian arguments on bioethical issues regarding human reproduction typically start with the view that it is... more Utilitarian arguments on bioethical issues regarding human reproduction typically start with the view that it is wrong, other things being equal, not to procreate when this would have resulted in an additional being with a life worth living. The paper takes this view for granted and examines the common utilitarian claim that overpopulation and destitution in the world mean that, in practice, this obligation to procreate, other things being equal, often turns into a (categorical) obligation not to procreate. A version of this argument is defended - a version called the argument from transfer - according to which, rather than having additional children and care for them in order to make them happy, many people in the West ought to abstain from procreation and take care of destitute children already existing. The reasoning leading up to this conclusion raises some philosophical questions, seldom discussed in connection with bioethics, which indicate that the argument from transfer, although supporting the claim above, cannot neutralise the obligation to create more happy people as easily as assumed by utilitarians. It is argued that the argument from transfer may place many people facing the choice of procreation in a peculiar moral dilemma.

"Roguery and Reproduction in _The Winter's Tale_," _Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare and Embodiment: Gender, Sexuality, Race_, ed. Valerie Traub, Forthcoming 2013-14)

by Ari Friedlander

Brides n' bumps: A critical look at bridal pregnancy identities, maternity wedding dresses, and post-feminism

by Meredith Nash

Published in Feminist Media Studies

This paper accounts for the rise of a monolithic contemporary post-feminist pregnant bridal identity that is upheld... more This paper accounts for the rise of a monolithic contemporary post-feminist pregnant bridal identity that is upheld and sold as the “ultimate” pleasure of femininity in Australia, the US, and the UK. I shall critically analyse the enfranchisement of the contemporary pregnant bride as a “new” consumer identity using the purchase of a maternity wedding dress as a key example. I argue that as pregnancy is already an experience deeply embedded in the marketplace, with this comes the added pressure for pregnant women to use bridal maternity clothing to conform to normative feminine bodily ideals. This claim is supported by interviews with a sample of Australian pregnant brides as part of a longitudinal qualitative study of pregnancy and body image. I conclude that as much as the pregnant bride challenges convention, in many ways, paradigms of femininity, in this context, remain ultimately unchanged and unchallenged.

The changes they are a-timed: metabolism, endogenous clocks, and the timing of puberty

by Kristen Tolson

Childhood obesity has increased dramatically over the last several decades, particularly in industrialized countries,... more Childhood obesity has increased dramatically over the last several decades, particularly in industrialized countries, often accompanied by acceleration of pubertal progression and associated reproductive abnormalities (Biro et al., 2006; Rosenfield et al., 2009). The timing of pubertal initiation and progression in mammals is likely influenced by nutritional and metabolic state, leading to the hypothesis that deviations from normal metabolic rate, such as those seen in obesity, may contribute to observed alterations in the rate of pubertal progression. While several recent reviews have addressed the effects of metabolic disorders on reproductive function in general, this review will explore previous and current models of pubertal timing, outlining a potential role of endogenous timing mechanisms such as cellular circadian clocks in the initiation of puberty, and how these clocks might be altered by metabolic factors. Additionally, we will examine recently elucidated neuroendocrine regulators of pubertal progression such as kisspeptin, explore models detailing how the mammalian reproductive axis is silenced during the juvenile period and reactivated at appropriate developmental times, and emphasize how metabolic dysfunction such as childhood obesity may alter timing cues that advance or delay pubertal progression, resulting in diminished reproductive capacity.

VARIATION AMONG INDIVIDUALS IN CONE PRODUCTION IN PINUS PALUSTRIS (PINACEAE)

by Gordon Fox

American Journal of Botany 99: 1-6

• Premise of the study: Reproductive output varies considerably among individuals within plant populations, and this... more • Premise of the study: Reproductive output varies considerably among individuals within plant populations, and this is especially
so in cone production of conifers. While this variation can have substantial effects on populations, little is known about
its magnitude or causes.
• Methods: We studied variation in cone production for 2 years within a population of Pinus palustris Mill. (longleaf pine;
Pinaceae). Using hurdle models, we evaluated the importance of burn treatments, tree size (dbh), canopy status (open, dominant,
subordinate), and number of conspecifi c neighbors within 4 m (N 4 ).
• Key results: Cone production of individuals — even after accounting for other variables — was strongly correlated between
years. Trees in plots burned every 1, 2, or 5 years produced more cones than those burned every 7 years, or unburned. Larger
trees tend to produce more cones, but the large effects of the other factors studied caused substantial scatter in the dbh-cone
number relationship. Among trees in the open, dbh had little explanatory power. Subordinate trees with three neighbors produced
no cones.
• Conclusions: Tree size alone was a weak predictor of cone production. Interactions with neighbors play an important role in
generating reproductive heterogeneity, and must be accounted for when relating cone production to size. The strong betweenyear
correlation, together with the large variance in cone production among trees without neighbors, suggests that still more of
the variance may be explainable, but requires factors outside of our study.

Preliminary observations on the reproductive biology of six species of Sri Lankan sea snakes (Elapidae: Hydrophiinae)

by Kanishka Ukuwela

Life history traits of three Sri Lankan Scincidae with special reference to the oviposition seasonality of Lankascincus fallax

by Kanishka Ukuwela

Queensland's proposed surrogacy legislation: An opportunity for national reform

by Tammy Johnson

EARLY EVOLUTIONARY TRENDS IN AMMONOID EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT

by Christian Klug

    Kenneth De Baets,
    Christian Klug,
    Dieter Korn,
    Neil H. Landman

During the Devonian Nekton Revolution, ammonoids show a progressive coiling of their shell just like many other... more During the Devonian Nekton Revolution, ammonoids show a progressive coiling of their shell just like many other pelagic mollusk groups. These now extinct, externally shelled cephalopods derived from bactritoid cephalopods with a straight shell in the Early Devonian. During the Devonian, evolutionary trends toward tighter coiling and a size reduction occurred in ammonoid embryonic shells. In at least three lineages, descendants with a closed umbilicus evolved convergently from forms with an opening in the first whorl (umbilical window). Other lineages having representatives with open umbilici became extinct around important Devonian events whereas only those with more tightly coiled embryonic shells survived. This change was accompanied by an evolutionary trend in shape of the initial chamber, but no clear trend in its size. The fact that several ammonoid lineages independently reduced and closed the umbilical window more or less synchronously indicates that common driving factors were involved. A trend in size decrease of the embryos as well as the concurrent increase in adult size in some lineages likely reflects a fundamental change in reproductive strategies toward a higher fecundity early in the evolutionary history of ammonoids. This might have played an important role in their subsequent success as well as in their demise.

'Inside and outside, cavities and containers: the organs of generation in seventeenth-century English medicine' in P. Baker, C.J. van t Land-van Wesenbeeck and H. Nijdam (eds), MEDICINE AND SPACE: BODY, SURROUNDINGS AND BORDERS IN ANTIQUITY AND THE MIDDLE AGES

by Helen King

http://www.brill.nl/medicine-and-space
published 31 December 2011

This paper looks at the gendering of body space in English vernacular medicine of the 17th century. Focusing on Jane... more This paper looks at the gendering of body space in English vernacular medicine of the 17th century. Focusing on Jane Sharp's The Midwives Book (1671), I develop Elaine Hobby's analysis of Sharp's sources and discuss Sharp's division of body parts, looking at the terminology and imagery of the womb and the penis in both male and female writers of this period.

Telencephalic binding sites for oxytocin and social organization: A comparative study of eusocial naked mole‐rats and solitary cape mole‐rats

by Ravi Poorun

African mole-rats provide a unique taxonomic group for investigating the evolution and neurobiology of sociality. The... more African mole-rats provide a unique taxonomic group for investigating the evolution and neurobiology of sociality. The two species investigated here display extreme differences in social organization and reproductive strategy. Naked mole-rats (NMRs) live in colonies, dominated by a queen and her consorts; most members remain nonreproductive throughout life but cooperate in burrowing, foraging, and caring for pups, for which they are not biological parents (alloparenting). In contrast, Cape mole-rats (CMRs) are solitary and intolerant of conspecifics, except during fleeting seasonal copulation or minimal maternal behavior. Research on other mammals suggests that oxytocin receptors at various telencephalic sites regulate social recognition, monogamous pair bonding, and maternal/allomaternal behavior. Current paradigms in this field derive from monogamous and polygamous species of New World voles, which are evolutionarily remote from Old World mole-rats. The present findings indicate that NMRs exhibit a considerably greater level of oxytocin receptor (OTR) binding than CMRs in the: nucleus accumbens; indusium griseum; central, medial, and cortical amygdaloid nuclei; bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; and CA1 hippocampal subfield. In contrast, OTR binding in the piriform cortex is intense in CMRs but undetectable in NMRs. We speculate that the abundance of OTR binding and oxytocin-neurophysin-immunoreactive processes in the nucleus accumbens of NMRs reflects their sociality, alloparenting behavior, and potential for reproductive attachments. In contrast, the paucity of oxytocin and its receptors at this site in CMRs may reflect a paucity of prosocial behaviors. Whether similarities in OTR expression between eusocial mole-rats and monogamous voles are due to gene conservation or convergent evolution remains to be determined.

Surface Reproduction Of Elastomeric Materials

by Noor Hayaty Abu Kasim

Objective: To evaluate the effect of viscosity and type of grooves on surface detail reproduction of elastomeric... more Objective: To evaluate the effect of viscosity and type of grooves on surface detail reproduction of elastomeric impression materials. Methods: Express putty/light-, Impregum medium- and heavy/light-bodied and Aquasil medium- and putty/light-bodied elastomeric impression materials were chosen for this study. Five impressions were made using a cylindrical aluminum reference block with U- and V- shaped grooves and to produce 35 master dies. Each master die was immersed in distilled water at 370 C for 5 minutes prior to the impression making on moist surfaces. Surface topography of the dies and impressions were captured using Alicona Imaging System. The mean difference in depth between the master dies and its corresponding impressions were analysed using two-way ANOVA, p=.01. Results: The lowest mean difference in depth for U- and V-shaped grooves was obtained from the Express putty/light group. The highest mean difference in depth for U- and V-shaped grooves was obtained from Impregum medium, Aquasil medium, Impregum„· heavy/light and Impregum heavy/light groups respectively. Two-way ANOVA indicated that there was a significant difference in the effect of materials (p < .01) and grooves (p < .01). Conclusion: Express putty/light-bodied elastomeric material produced the best surface detail, and U-shaped groove showed better surface detail reproduction than V-shaped groove.

Using GIS Mapping of the Extent of Nearshore Rocky Reefs to Estimate the Abundance and Reproductive Output of Important Fishery Species

by Jeremy T. Claisse

Claisse, J. T., D. J. Pondella, II, J. P. Williams and J. Sadd. 2012. Using GIS Mapping of the Extent of Nearshore Rocky Reefs to Estimate the Abundance and Reproductive Output of Important Fishery Species. PLoS ONE 7(1):e30290.

Newsletter Nº 32, octubre de 2011 / ADOPCIONES, FAMILIAS, INFANCIAS / LA PRESERVACIÓN DE LA FERTILIDAD EN LA PACIENTE ONCOLÓGICA

by AFIN Barcelona

Dirección Newsletter: Esther Grau, Diana Marre y Beatriz San Román
Documentación: Anaïs Vidal
Formato y... more Dirección Newsletter: Esther Grau, Diana Marre y Beatriz San Román
Documentación: Anaïs Vidal
Formato y maquetación: Sofía Gaggiotti
Difusión: Maria Galizia
Contenidos: Elena Castillo
ISSN: 2013-2956

Hasta hace algunos años, la problemática del deseo reproductivo en pacientes diagnosticados de neoplasia era casi inexistente, dada la baja supervivencia al cáncer. Actualmente la realidad es muy distinta. Los tratamientos más avanzados han hecho posible una alta supervivencia al cáncer, aumentando así la población de personas adultas jóvenes que, una vez superada la enfermedad, desean ser madres o padres.

Conventional tagging and acoustic telemetry of a small surgeonfish, Zebrasoma flavescens, in a structurally complex coral reef environment

by Jeremy T. Claisse

Claisse, J.T., T.B. Clark, B.D. Schumacher, S.A. McTee, M.E. Bushnell, C.K. Callan, C.W.  Laidley and J.D. Parrish (2011) Conventional tagging and acoustic telemetry of a small surgeonfish, Zebrasoma flavescens, in a structurally complex coral reef environment. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 91:185-201

Lunar and seasonal patterns in fecundity of an indeterminate, multiple-spawning surgeonfish, the yellow tang Zebrasoma flavescens

by Jeremy T. Claisse

BUSHNELL, M. E., CLAISSE, J. T. and LAIDLEY, C. W. 2010. Lunar and seasonal patterns in fecundity of an indeterminate, multiple-spawning surgeonfish, the yellow tang Zebrasoma flavescens. Journal of Fish Biology, 76: 1343-1361

Reproductive selection and human evolution: An empirical analysis for Spain, 2010

by Diego Varela

Working paper.

In this paper I investigate whether there is an economic bias in the reproduction of humans in Spain using data from... more In this paper I investigate whether there is an economic bias in the reproduction of humans in Spain using data from the Encuesta de Presupuestos Familiares (Household Budget Survey) of 2010. The main result is that parents that are income earners tend to earn 16% more than other income earners of equal age and gender. Parents also have greater probability of being income earners than the rest of the population of equal age and gender. I argue that the contribution of such reproductive selection to economic development can be as high as half a percentage point per year.

Spawn and larval development of Pleuroploca aurantiaca (Lamarck, 1816)(Gastropoda: Fasciolariidae) from Northeast Brazil| Puesta y desarrollo larvario de …

by Carlos Meirelles

Nota sobre la reproducción del Urogallo (Tetrao urogallus) en la Cordillera Cantábrica y Pirineos en 1997

by César J. Pollo

Co-authored with Canut, J.; Del Campo, J.C.; García, D.; Martínez, R.; Menoni, E.; Novoa, C.; Palacios, B.; Palomero, G.; Rodríguez, M.A. y De la Cruz Cardiel, P.J.

Anuari Ornitològic de Catalunya, 1998: 315-320.

Nest of the dinosaur Protoceratops

by Tony Thulborn