Jérôme Ravat | : Cet article vise à souligner la place centrale qu’occupe l’analogie au sein de l’éthique animale, à la fois d’un point de vue descriptif, explicatif et normatif. Nous montrons que l’analogie joue un rôle décisif dans la compréhension du statut moral de l’animal, puisqu’elle permet d’éclairer ce qui est moins connu à partir de ce qui est plus connu. Nous soulignerons le fait que l’analogie revêt deux fonctions significatives : une fonction critique et une fonction intégratrice. Nous (...) montrons également que l’analogie, en vertu de sa dimension interprétative, suscite également de nombreux désaccords, et produit des représentations morales divergentes de l’animal. | : This paper aims at emphasizing the key role played by analogy in animal ethics, from a descriptive, explicative, and normative point of view. I show that analogy is decisive for the understanding of animals’ moral status, since it can shed light on the unknown thanks to what is known. I will emphasize that analogy has two significant functions: a critical function and an integrative function. Furthermore, I demonstrate that analogy, because of its interpretative dimension, begets many disagreements and produces divergent moral conceptions of animals. (shrink)

The article presents proofs of the context freeness of a family of typelogical grammars, namely all grammars that are based on a uni- ormultimodal logic of pure residuation, possibly enriched with thestructural rules of Permutation and Expansion for binary modes.

The ’new familists’ argue that sociological evidence on the relation between traditional two‐parent nuclear family and positive outcomes for their children justifies public‐policy measures aimed at promoting this type of family. But the success of such families is due to the fact that many other institutional arrangements advantage this type of family. Such a family typically involves a sexist division of domestic labour. A ’critical theory of family structure’ identifies the developmental needs of children and examines the ways in (...) which various family structures can function to meet these needs. (shrink)

ObjectiveThe level of health literacy is one of the important factors affecting health outcomes. Family is an important place to shape personality traits, and people with different personalities will adopt different lifestyles, which will lead to variations in health outcomes. Therefore, this article aims to explore the relationship between health literacy and personality and its influencing factors in different family structures.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study with 1,406 individuals. A questionnaire was utilized to measure health literacy, personality and demographic variables, including (...) family structure. Canonical correlation analysis and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used to examine the relation between health literacy and personality traits between two types of family structure.ResultsCCA showed that the canonical correlation coefficients were 0.309 and 0.347, in two-parent family and single-parent family, respectively. The openness of personality traits exhibited the highest correlation with health literacy. Compared with the remaining personality traits, openness yielded the strongest effect in two types of family structure, respectively. Education and monthly income were significantly associated with health literacy.ConclusionOur results support the relation between health literacy and personality traits in two types of family structure. (shrink)

The model of the successful manager was based on the 1950's family. Thus career demands assumed the presence of a spouse at home to handle family responsibilities. This study seeks to determine whether women and men in alternate family structures will be able to succeed in managerial careers. Data were analyzed from two MBA alumni cohorts: one older cohort with three waves of data collected over a thirteen-year period and a second younger cohort with data collected in the most recent (...) wave. A typology of family structure was utilized to categorize the managers into one of twelve family structures based on marital status, parental status, and spousal employment status. The post-traditional family where both parents are employed was found to be most prevalent for both men and women. A small percent of the MBAs were in the traditional family where the father is employed and the mother is not employed. Family structure in early career appears to be stable over the thirteen-year study period. Analyses reveal that for men, those in traditional families are most rewarded in their careers in terms of income and salary progression. Women had no family structure that achieved career success comparable to traditional family men. Despite increased acknowledgement of the varied family structures of managers and the adoption of family friendly policies by companies, rewards are not distributed equally. This has implications for managers, organizations, and society. (shrink)

Somerville, Margaret Over the millennia of human history, the idea that children - at least those born into a marriage - had rights with respect to their biological parents was taken for granted and reflected in law and public policy. But with same-sex marriage, which gives same-sex spouses the right to found a family, that is no longer the case. Likewise, children's rights with respect to their biological origins were not an issue when there was no technoscience that could be (...) used to manipulate or change those origins: a baby could only be conceived in vivo through sexual reproduction. But with assisted human reproductive technologies and genetic technologies, that, too, is no longer the case. So, in light of these new realities, what are our obligations, as societies, to children with respect to their biological origins and biological families? What protections do children need and deserve? I propose that the most fundamental human right of all is a child's right to be born from natural human biological origins and that children also have human rights with respect to knowing who their biological parents and families are, and that these rights must be recognized. Children also have a right to be reared within their biological families and to have a mother and a father, unless an exception can be justified as being in the 'best interests' of a particular child. The connection among adoption, the use of new reproductive technologies, and same-sex marriage is that they all unlink child-parent biological bonds. Each context raises one or more of three important issues: children's right to know the identities of their biological parents; children's right to both a mother and a father, preferably their own biological parents; and children's right to come into being with genetic origins that have not been tampered with; that is, 'designing' our children should be prohibited. Such 'designing' would result in losses with implications far beyond those persons directly affected and far beyond the present time. It would undermine the rights to equality and freedom of future generations. Because the liberty and equality of all citizens is at the heart of democratic societal institutions and of the values that democratic societies promote, to create people who are neither free nor equal undermines those institutions and values. In short, not to prohibit 'designer children' would undermine the very foundations of our Western democratic societies. (shrink)

Family income is associated with gray matter morphometry in children, but little is known about the relationship between family income and white matter structure. In this paper, using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS), a whole brain, voxel-wise approach, we examined the relationship between family income (assessed by income-to-needs ratio) and white matter organization in middle childhood (N = 27, M = 8.66 years). Results from a nonparametric, voxel-wise, multiple regression (threshold-free cluster enhancement, p < 0.05, FWE corrected) indicated that lower (...) family income was associated with lower white matter organization (assessed by fractional anisotropy) for several clusters in white matter tracts involved in cognitive and emotional functions including fronto-limbic circuitry (uncinate fasciculus and cingulum bundle), association fibers (inferior longitudinal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus), and corticospinal tracts. Further, we examined the possibility that cumulative risk exposure might function as one of the potential pathways by which family income influences neural outcomes. Using multiple regressions, we found lower fractional anisotropy in portions of these tracts, including those found in the left cingulum bundle and left superior longitudinal fasciculus, was significantly related to greater exposure to cumulative risk (β = -0.47, p < 0.05 and β = -0.45, p < 0.05). (shrink)

The Y‐box proteins are the most evolutionarily conserved nucleic acid binding proteins yet defined in bacteria, plants and animals. The central nucleic acid binding domain of the vertebrate proteins is 43% identical to a 70‐amino‐acid‐long protein (CS7.4) from E. coli. The structure of this domain consists of an antiparallel fivestranded β‐barrel that recognizes both DNA and RNA. The diverse biological roles of these Y‐box proteins range from the control of the E. coli cold‐shock stress response to the translational masking (...) of messenger RNA in vertebrate gametes. This review discusses the organization of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic Y‐box proteins, how they interact with nucleic acids, and their biological roles, both proven and potential. (shrink)

This article studies the underinvestigated but fascinating issue of the sociological determinants of accounting misbehavior while focusing on an allegedly illicit accounting practice (i.e., restatement) in family- vs. nonfamily-controlled corporations. Under the framework of institutional anomie theory, we examined whether sociological structures (i.e., legal forces and cultural values) influence accounting errors inducing restatements. By applying a multivariate regression analysis to a sample of restating firms listed in 23 countries during the 2006 to 2014 period, we found that legal forces and (...) cultural values significantly moderate the severity of accounting errors. The results of this study suggest that investors, managers, and policymakers should more fully consider the sociological structures of societies when debating the feasibility of corporate misbehaviors, as combining firm-level and country-level analyses could help to predict a firm’s accounting misbehaviors, such as more severe accounting errors. (shrink)

There is increasing evidence to suggest that cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases of the Src family have a pivotal role in the regulation of a number of cellular processes. Members of this family have been implicated in cellular responses to a variety of extracellular signals, such as those arising from growth factors and cell‐cell interactions, as well as in differentiative and developmental processes in both vertebrates and invertebrates. A better understanding of the regulation and of the structure‐function relationships of these enzymes (...) might aid in the development of specific ways to interfere with their action, as well as serving as a paradigm for regulation of other protein tyrosine kinases that have SH2 and SH3 domains. In this review we will first discuss the regulation of Src family protein tyrosine kinases, with particular emphasis on their SH2 and SH3 domains. We will then briefly review other non‐receptor protein tyrosine kinases that have SH2 and SH3 domains. (shrink)

This paper examines caregiving for sick older family members in the context of socio‐economic transformations in rural China, combining empirical investigation with normative inquiry. The empirical part of this paper is based on a case study, taken from fieldwork in a rural Chinese hospital, of a son who took care of his hospitalized mother. This empirical study highlighted family members’ weiqu (sense of unfairness)—a mental status from experiencing mistreatment and oppression in family care, yet with constrained power to explicitly protest (...) or make care‐related choices. Underpinning people’s weiqu and constrained choice, as informed by the conception of structural injustice, is the impact of unjust social structures, organized by unfavourable norms, discriminatory social policies and institutions targeting rural populations. By restraining individual choices and capacities in supporting health care for aging populations, these unjust structures create additional difficulties for and discriminations against rural families and their older members. Some policy recommendations are proposed to mitigate structural injustice so as to empower families and promote care for older people in rural settings. (shrink)

This paper examines the success of corporate communication in voluntary sustainability reporting. Existing studies have focused on the perspective of the communicators but lack an understanding of the perspective of information recipients to clearly evaluate this interactive communication process. This paper looks at the issue of a credibility gap perceived by external stakeholders when they doubt the authenticity of communicated information due to the reporting company’s governance structure. The paper uses family businesses to exemplify the emergence of such a (...) gap when outsiders become concerned about the potential agency problem of the integrated ownership and management controlled by a few members of the same family. Following source credibility theory, these concerns raise a credibility gap associated with a family firm’s trustworthiness and goodwill, even if the family has the expertise to carry out sustainability reporting. The findings of two experimental studies indicate that family businesses suffer a greater credibility gap than non-family businesses. An external and independent assurance service can mitigate such gaps, especially when the service is comprehensive and targets family businesses. The paper provides a complete view evaluating corporate communication by looking at the interaction between the communicating company and the information recipients. (shrink)

We combine computable structure theory and algorithmic learning theory to study learning of families of algebraic structures. Our main result is a model-theoretic characterization of the learning type InfEx_\iso, consisting of the structures whose isomorphism types can be learned in the limit. We show that a family of structures is InfEx_\iso-learnable if and only if the structures can be distinguished in terms of their \Sigma^2_inf-theories. We apply this characterization to familiar cases and we show the following: there is an (...) infinite learnable family of distributive lattices; no pair of Boolean algebras is learnable; no infinite family of linear orders is learnable. (shrink)

DNA glycosylases remove aberrant DNA nucleobases as the first enzymatic step of the base excision repair (BER) pathway. The alkyl‐DNA glycosylases AlkC and AlkD adopt a unique structure based on α‐helical HEAT repeats. Both enzymes identify and excise their substrates without a base‐flipping mechanism used by other glycosylases and nucleic acid processing proteins to access nucleobases that are otherwise stacked inside the double‐helix. Consequently, these glycosylases act on a variety of cationic nucleobase modifications, including bulky adducts, not previously associated (...) with BER. The related non‐enzymatic HEAT‐like repeat (HLR) proteins, AlkD2, and AlkF, have unique nucleic acid binding properties that expand the functions of this relatively new protein superfamily beyond DNA repair. Here, we review the phylogeny, biochemistry, and structures of the HLR proteins, which have helped broaden our understanding of the mechanisms by which DNA glycosylases locate and excise chemically modified DNA nucleobases. (shrink)

The research presented in this paper was motivated by our aim to study a problem due to J. Bourgain [3]. The problem in question concerns the uniform boundedness of the classical separation rank of the elements of a separable compact set of the first Baire class. In the sequel we shall refer to these sets (separable or non-separable) as Rosenthal compacta and we shall denote by ∝(f) the separation rank of a real-valued functionfinB1(X), withXa Polish space. Notice that in [3], (...) Bourgain has provided a positive answer to this problem in the case ofKsatisfyingwithXa compact metric space. The key ingredient in Bourgain's approach is that whenever a sequence of continuous functions pointwise converges to a functionf, then the possible discontinuities of the limit function reflect a local ℓ1-structure to the sequence (fn)n. More precisely the complexity of this ℓ1-structure increases as the complexity of the discontinuities offdoes. This fruitful idea was extensively studied by several authors (c.f. [5], [7], [8]) and for an exposition of the related results we refer to [1]. It is worth mentioning that A.S. Kechris and A. Louveau have invented the rank rND(f) which permits the link between thec0-structure of a sequence (fn)nof uniformly bounded continuous functions and the discontinuities of its pointwise limit. Rosenthal'sc0-theorem [11] and thec0-index theorem [2] are consequences of this interaction.Passing to the case where either (fn)nare not continuous orXis a non-compact Polish space, this nice interaction is completely lost. (shrink)

The members of the Six gene family were identified as homologues of Drosophila sine oculis which is essential for compound-eye formation. The Six proteins are characterized by the Six domain and the Six-type homeodomain, both of which are essential for specific DNA binding and for cooperative interactions with Eya proteins. Mammals possess six Six genes which can be subdivided into three subclasses, and mutations of Six genes have been identified in human genetic disorders. Characterization of Six genes from various animal (...) phyla revealed the antiquity of this gene family and roles of its members in several different developmental contexts. Some members retain conserved roles as components of the Pax-Six-Eya-Dach regulatory network, which may have been established in the common ancestor of all bilaterians as a toolbox controlling cell proliferation and cell movement during embryogenesis. Gene duplications and cis-regulatory changes may have provided a basis for diverse functions of Six genes in different animal lineages. (shrink)

In this article I revise and defend a core feature of political liberalism, namely, the idea that principles of political justice should be limited in their scope of application to what John Rawls calls the ‘basic structure of society.’ I refer to this feature as the ‘basic structure restriction’ of political liberalism. According to my account of the basic structure restriction, the basic structure includes all and only those institutions that have a profound effect on the (...) lives of all citizens, and thus those institutions that citizens would want to organize as parts of a fair system of social cooperation. Moreover, maintaining the basic structure as a fair system of social cooperation vis-à-vis all citizens requires the exercise of coercive political power. This account of the basic structure, which I call the ‘legitimacy of coercion account,’ shows that limiting the basic structure to those institutions that are maintained by legally coercive means is not arbitrary, contrary to the claims of critics like G. A. Cohen. Furthermore, by recognizing explicitly that there exist certain institutions – and, in particular, the family – that ought to be regulated partially by coercively maintained principles, my formulation of the basic structure provides a more satisfactory account of the way in which principles of justice should apply to the family than does Rawls’s most considered account. Finally, I explain how my account of the basic structure can incorporate many of S. M. Okin’s proposed policies for promoting gender equality in society. (shrink)

A method for constructing Boolean-valued models of some fragments of arithmetic was developed in Krajíček (Forcing with Random Variables and Proof Complexity, London Mathematical Society Lecture Notes Series, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2011), with the intended applications in bounded arithmetic and proof complexity. Such a model is formed by a family of random variables defined on a pseudo-finite sample space. We show that under a fairly natural condition on the family [called compactness in Krajíček (Forcing with Random Variables and Proof (...) Complexity, London Mathematical Society Lecture Notes Series, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2011)] the resulting structure has a property that is naturally interpreted as saturation for existential types. We also give an example showing that this cannot be extended to universal types. (shrink)

Rigorous attention has been paid to moral distress among healthcare professionals, largely in high-income settings. More obscure is the presence and impact of moral distress in contexts of chronic poverty and structural violence. Intercultural ethics research and dialogue can help reveal how the long-term presence of morally distressing conditions might influence the moral experience and agency of healthcare providers. This article discusses mixed-methods research at one nongovernmental social support agency and clinic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Chronic levels of moral (...) distress and perceptions of moral harm among clinicians in this setting were both violent, following Nancy Scheper-Hughes’ use of that term, and a source of exceptional and innovative care. Rather than glossing over the moral variables of work in such desperate extremes, ethnography in these settings reveals novel skills and strategies for managing moral distress. (shrink)

Unlike the most well‐characterized prokaryotic polymerase, E. Coli DNA pol I, none of the eukaryotic polymerases have their own 5′ to 3′ exonuclease domain for nick translation and Okazaki fragment processing. In eukaryotes, FEN‐1 is an endo‐and exonuclease that carries out this function independently of the polymerase molecules. Only seven nucleases have been cloned from multicellular eukaryotic cells. Among these, FEN‐1 is intriguing because it has complex structural preferences; specifically, it cleaves at branched DNA structures. The cloning of FEN‐1 permitted (...) establishment of the first eukaryotic nuclease family, predicting that S. cerevisiae RAD2 (S. pombe Rad13) and its mammalian homolog, XPG, would have similar structural specficity. The FEN‐1 nuclease family includes several similar enzymes encoded by bacteriophages. The crystal structures of two enzymes in the FEN‐1 nuclease family have been solved and they provide a structural basis for the interesting steric requirements of FEN‐1 substrates. Because of their unique structural specificities, FEN‐1 and its family members have important roles in DNA replication, repair and, potentially, recombination. Recently, FEN‐1 was found to specifically associate with PCNA, explaining some aspects of FEN‐1 function during DNA replication and potentially in DNA repair. (shrink)

Interpretations of family carer empowerment in much nursing research, and in home‐care practice and policy, rarely attend explicitly to families’ choice or control about the nature, extent or length of their involvement, or control over the impact on their own health. In this article, structural empowerment is used as an analytic lens to examine home‐care nurses’ interactions with families in one Western Canadian region. Data were collected from 75 hrs of fieldwork in 59 interactions (18 nurses visiting 16 families) and (...) interviews with 12 nurses and 11 family carers. Generally, nurses prioritized client empowerment, and their practice with families appeared oriented to supporting their role and needs as carers (i.e. rather than as unique individuals beyond the caring role), and reinforcing the caring role through validation and recognition. Although families generally expressed appreciation for these interactions, a structural empowerment lens illustrates how the broad context of home care shapes the interpretation and practice of empowerment in ways that can, paradoxically, be disempowering for families. Opportunities to effectively support family choice and control when a client is being cared for at home are discussed. (shrink)

Unlike traditional Western philosophy, which places no special emphasis on the importance of family structure, traditional Chinese philosophy represented by Confucianism is a set of theories that give family a primary position. With family as the foundation, a complete framework of “human body → two genders → family and clan” is formed. Therefore, family in Chinese philosophy is existent, gender-interactive and diachronic. It should also be noted that family also plays a fundamental role in Chinese theories on cosmology, religion, (...) and many other subjects. In other words, Chinese culture as a whole is imprinted with reflections on family. Nowadays, as the value of family becomes less prominent, re-examining ancient Chinese philosophy will undoubtedly bear theoretical significance. Meanwhile, traditional Chinese philosophy can also offer an ideological framework for the re-construction of family values in the contemporary world. (shrink)

This book examines, through a multi-disciplinary lens, the possibilities offered by relationships and family forms that challenge the nuclear family ideal, and some of the arguments that recommend or disqualify these as legitimate units in our societies. That children should be conceived naturally, born to and raised by their two young, heterosexual, married to each other, genetic parents; that this relationship between parents is also the ideal relationship between romantic or sexual partners; and that romance and sexual intimacy ought to (...) be at the core of our closest personal relationships - all these elements converge towards the ideal of the nuclear family. The authors consider a range of relationship and family structures that depart from this ideal: polyamory and polygamy, single and polyparenting, parenting by gay and lesbian couples, as well as families created through current and prospective modes of assisted human reproduction such as surrogate motherhood, donor insemination, and reproductive cloning. (shrink)

Transgender individuals and families throw existing taxonomic classification systems of identity into perplexing disarray, illuminating sociolegal dilemmas long overdue for critical sociological inquiry. Using interview data collected from 50 cisgender women from across the United States and Canada, who detail 61 unique partnerships with transgender and transsexual men, this work considers the pragmatic choices and choice-making capacities of this social group as embedded within social systems, structures, and institutions. Proposing the analytic constructs of “normative resistance” and “inventive pragmatism” to situate (...) the interactional processes between agency and structure in the everyday lives of this understudied group of cisgender women, this work theorizes the liminal sociolegal status of an understudied family form. In so doing, it exposes the increasingly paradoxical consolidation and destabilization of sociolegal notions of identity, marriage, normativity, and parenthood—challenging, contributing to, and extending current theoretical and empirical understandings of agency and structure in twenty-first-century families. (shrink)

Protein‐carbohydrate interactions have been found to be important in many steps in lymphocyte recirculation and inflammatory responses. A family of carbohydrate‐binding proteins or lectins, termed selectins, has been discovered and shown to be involved directly in these processes. The three known selectins, termed L‐, E‐ and P‐selectins, have domains homologous to other Ca2+‐dependent (C‐type) lectins. L‐selectin is expressed constitutively on lymphocytes, E‐selectin is expressed by activated endothelial cells, and P‐selectin is expressed by activated platelets and endothelial cells. Here, we review (...) the nature of the carbohydrate determinants in tissues recognized by these selectins. The expression of specific sialylated, fucosylated and sulfated carbohydrates in activated endothelium and high endothelial venules promotes interactions with L‐selectin on leukocyte surfaces. In contrast, E‐ and P‐selectins recognize specific carbohydrate determinants related to sialyl Lex antigen on neutrophil and monocyte surfaces. The discovery of the selectins has generated excitemient among glycoconjugate researchers that other carbohydrate‐binding proteins and their cognate ligands will be found to function in regulating many types of cellular interactions. (shrink)

The One-Child Policy dramatically changed the Chinese family structure, and the literature indicates that only children may have an advantage in terms of family resource dilution. Moreover, as Chinese families traditionally prioritize investing in sons, only daughters are found to have been empowered by the policy because they did not need to compete with their brothers for parental investment. However, the literature is limited to only teenage children when they were still living in their parents' homes. It is unclear (...) whether—when the generation of only children grew up and married—their family structure differed from that of children with siblings and whether married only daughters retained more family resources from their parents. Based on the data analysis of a 2016 survey, “Study of Youths in 12 Cities of Mainland China,” including a sample of 1,007 fathers and 2,168 mothers born between 1975 and 1985, this study explores the empowerment of married only daughters, employing the theory of family resource dilution in expanded Chinese families. Using educational investment in children as an example, and with random intercept models, this study presents empirical evidence that the dilution of family resources in Chinese expanded families still benefits males and patrilineal practices. Thus, this study demonstrates that Chinese families still tend to sacrifice the interests of married daughters to ensure support for their adult sons. However, it also illustrates that married only daughters could still connect to their parents' resources, giving them a relatively dominant position for decision-making regarding the family's educational expenditure on her own children. Thus, this study extends our understanding of the family resource dilution theory to Chinese expanded families, underscoring the need for further research on Chinese only children after they marry and form families of their own. (shrink)