O papel do mico-leão-dourado ( Leontopithecus rosalia) como dispersor de sementes na Reserva Biológica União foi avaliado pelo acompanhamento mensal de dois grupos de micos, de dezembro de 1998 a dezembro de 2000, num total de 871,9h de observações no campo. No período de estudo os micos se alimentaram dos frutos de 57 espécies de árvores de pelo menos 17 famílias, ingerindo sementes de 39 espécies,das quais 23 foram colocadas para germinar em laboratório e/ou no campo. Leontopithecus rosalia pode ser considerado como agente dispersor legítimo para as espécies estadas, porque as sementes de todas as espécies germinaram, mesmo que em baixas porcentagens, após a ingestão. Também foi avaliada a velocidade de germinação das sementes. Estes primatas não apresentam um efeito consistente na germinação final de sementes, pois beneficiam algumas espécies, enquanto prejudicam a porcentagem e/ou velocidade da germinação de outras. Para as espécies de frutos mais consumidas foram anotados o tamanho e formato das sementes engolidas, o número de árvores visitadas, além dos hábitats de ocorrência das árvores e dos locais onde as fezes foram depositadas. O tempo de retenção das sementes no trato digestório e a distância de dispersão foram medidos, bem como foram procuradas sementes predadas e digeridas nas fezes. O tempo médio de passagem para as sementes das espécies ingeridas foi de 1,1 + 0,3h e a distância média de dispersão de 107,8 + 70,6m, sendo que de modo geral as sementes dispersadas por mamíferos não são depositadas próximo às árvores parentais. O hábitat de deposição das fezes foi adequado para a germinação das sementes para 88,9% das espécies testadas, estando de acordo com o ambiente das árvores visitadas pelos micos-leões. O mico-leãodourado é um dos primatas mais ameaçados de extinção do mundo, e estudos sobre seu comportamento e ecologia irão contribuir para a preservação da espécie, de seu hábitat, e da Reserva Biológica União, uma das últimas áreas de Mata Atlântica de Baixada Costeira do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. / The role of the golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia) as a seed disperser was studied in União Biological Reserve. Two groups of golden lion tamarins were studied during 24 months from December 1988 to December 2000, on a total of 871.9h. During the study period the tamarins fed on fruits of 57 species of trees at least from 17 families. Seeds from 39 species were ingested, and of them, 23 were put to germinate in lab and/or in the field. Leontopithecus rosalia can be considered as a legitimate seed disperser for the tested species, because seeds of all species germinated after ingestion, even in low ercentages. It was still considered the seed germination velocity. These primates do not have a consistent effect on seed germination, since benefit the germination percentage and/or velocity of some species and decrease of others. It was noted the size and shape of swallowed seeds from most frequently eaten species, the total number of visited trees, the habitat where these trees occur and where the faeces were deposited. The retention time of the seeds in the gut and the dispersion distance was noted, and damage and digested seeds were searched in the faeces. The mean time of gut passage from seeds of ingested species was 1.1+0.3h and the mean distance of dispersion was 107.8 + 70.6m, and the seeds dispersed by mammals were not usually defecated near the parental trees. The habitats of faecal deposition and of visited trees were the same in 88.9% of tested species, being possibly appropriated for seed germination and establishment. The golden-liontamarin is one of the most threatened primates in the world, and studies on their behaviour and ecology will contribute to preserve the species the habitat, and the União Biological Reserve, one of the last areas of lowland Atlantic Forest of southeast Brazil.

O presente trabalho visa delimitar quais os fatores os fatores constitutivos da peça El burlador de Sevilla, tanto do ponto de vista histórico -- isto é, os fatores sociais, políticos e religiosos --, quanto do ponto de vista da estrutura literária -- relacionados à forma artística em que os primeiros ganham forma --, e o modo como esses fatores se relacionam na composição do mito que sustenta o enredo da obra. / The present work intents to delimitate what are the containing factors from the play El burldor de Sevilla, by the historic view -- social, politics and religious facts -- as well as the literary structure view -- related to the artistc form in which the previuous ones gain shape --, and the way those factors associate to each other compounding the plot sustaining myth.

Os animais frugívoros podem influenciar padrões de distribuição espacial de plantas jovens e adultas, mas parte do recrutamento de uma população vegetal é perdida pela predação de sementes, sendo esta a principal força ecológica e evolutiva que afeta as comunidades vegetais. A maioria das sementes dispersadas por primatas na floresta é morta por predadores de sementes ou movida por dispersores secundários, alterando a sombra de sementes original. Pouco se sabe sobre as interações complexas entre a dispersão e predação de sementes, visto que poucos trabalhos foram realizados sobre a relação entre a dispersão de sementes por frugívoros, e a distribuição das plântulas das espécies consumidas. Para que Planos de Conservação possam ser desenvolvidos, as relações entre a fauna de frugívoros e a vegetação, e a estrutura das Florestas Tropicais devem ser bem entendidas. Na Reserva Biológica União dois grupos de micos-leões-dourados foram acompanhados mensalmente durante três dias cada um, de abril de 2003 a março de 2004 do momento em que deixaram o local de dormida, até o fim de suas atividades no final do dia. Outros grupos foram acompanhados esporadicamente entre agosto de 2004 e janeiro de 2005. Todas as árvores visitadas foram marcadas e amostras dos frutos foram coletadas para identificação e experimentos de germinação. As sementes retiradas dos frutos foram colocadas para germinar em comparação com sementes provenientes das fezes dos micos, ou sementes cuspidas por estes. As sementes foram acompanhadas na mata, quanto à germinação, desaparecimento ou dispersão secundária, predação, mortalidade, sobrevivência e estabelecimento de plântulas. Além disso, foi feito o acompanhamento fenológico de 791 árvores de espécies consumidas pelos micos-leões, de julho de 2003 a junho de 2004. Durante o período de estudo os grupos se alimentaram de 88 espécies de frutos de pelo menos 18 famílias, engolindo as sementes de 43 espécies e cuspindo as sementes de 45 espécies. Cento e sete experimentos foram realizados com 1711 sementes de 38 espécies de frutos (28 espécies de sementes engolidas e dez espécies de sementes cuspidas). No período de estudo mais de 50% das sementes (> 3 mm) dos experimentos desapareceram e cerca de 15% morreram antes de germinar. Vinte e duas espécies tiveram sementes germinando na mata e desenvolveram plântulas, mas no final do estudo apenas 15 dessas espécies ainda apresentavam plântulas sobreviventes. Para melhor se estabelecer se os predadores ou dispersores secundários das sementes depositadas pelos micos-leões-dourados são vertebrados ou invertebrados foram montados experimentos com gaiolas de exclusão de sementes. Outros aspectos quantitativos e qualitativos da dispersão de sementes foram analisados, incluindo a caracterização das deposições, tempo de passagem das sementes pelo trato digestório dos micos, distância e habitat de dispersão e outros. O mico-leão-dourado (Leontopithecus rosalia) é uma espécie frugívora e endêmica da Mata Atlântica, e o presente estudo é o primeiro a acompanhar a sobrevivência e crescimento de plântulas provenientes das fezes desse primata, detalhando a sua importância como dispersor de sementes. Estudos sobre o destino das sementes defecadas são fundamentais para a conservação do mico-leão e do seu habitat, a Mata Atlântica de baixada costeira do estado do Rio de Janeiro, um dos ecossistemas mais ameaçados do planeta. / The frugivores may influence spatial patterns of adults and juvenile plants, and a great portion of the potential recruitment of plant populations is lost to seed predators. The majority of seeds dispersed by primates on forest is killed by seed predators or moved by secondary dispersers. Little is known about the complex interaction between seed dispersal and post-dispersal seed-predation, and few researches were done on the relation between seed dispersal by animals and seedling distribution of exploited plant species. The golden-lion-tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) is a frugivorous endemic species of Atlantic Forest. This research will be the first to consider the survivor and establishment of seedlings from golden-lion-tamarins feces, studying the importance of this primate as seed disperser, ensuring the preservation of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world. Two groups of golden lion tamarins were monthly studied in the União Biological Reserve three days each one, from April 2003 to March 2004 since left sleeping site until finished their activities at the end of the day. Other groups were sporadically monitored from August 2004 to January 2005. All visited trees were marked and samples of fruits were collected for identification and germination experiments. Seeds from fruits and from tamarin’s feces or spitted out were put to germinate. The seeds were studies to verify the germination, disappearance or secondary dispersion, predation, mortality and survival and establishment of the seedlings. Beside that, 791 trees from eaten species were studied from July 2003 to June 2004 to collect phenological data. During study period the groups ate 88 fruit species from at least 16 families, ingesting seeds of 43 species and spitting seeds from 45 species. A Hundred and seven experiments were conducted with 1711 seeds of 38 fruit species (28 species of ingested species and 10 species of spitted seeds). During study period more than 50% of seeds (> 3 mm) disappeared from experiments, and about 15% died before germinating. Twenty two species had seeds germinating on forest and until seedling stage, but at the end of the study only 15 of these species still had seedling surviving. To determine if the seed predators or secondary dispersers of seeds deposited by tamarins are vertebrate or invertebrate, experiments with seed exclosure cage were established. Others qualitatively and quantitatively aspects of seed dispersal were considered, including feces deposition, time of gut passage, distance and habitat of seed deposition and others. The golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) is a frugivore and endemic species of Atlantic Forest and this study is the first to attend the survival and establishment of seedlings from tamarins feces, and the tamarins importance as a seed disperser. Studies on seed fate are important to the conservation of golden lion tamarins and his habitat, the lowland Atlantic Forest of the state of Rio de Janeiro, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-03-28T10:25:10Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Paula Karine Rizzo.pdf: 5523578 bytes, checksum: c7e0e8cff8c15f1673581450c949dc67 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-28T10:25:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Paula Karine Rizzo.pdf: 5523578 bytes, checksum: c7e0e8cff8c15f1673581450c949dc67 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-13 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This research analyzes the historical processes that made possible the formation in the center of the city of São Paulo of a region of the low meretrício that would be known as “Boca do Lixo” from years 50, at which time the image of the city was exalted as the greater symbol of modernity and progress of the country. The apparent contradiction points to the existence of plots of society that were not part of the economic and social achievements of the glamorous golden years of São Paulo, which resorted to different means of survival, even though considered illicit. They are prostitutes and malandros of all kinds who have constituted a territory that concerns us not only about crime in the city but also with the very sociability and bohemian of an era / A presente pesquisa analisa os processos históricos que possibilitaram a formação no centro da cidade de São Paulo de uma região do baixo meretrício que ficaria conhecida como a Boca do Lixo a partir dos anos 50, momento em que a imagem da cidade era exaltada como o maior símbolo de modernidade e progresso do país. A aparente contradição aponta para a existência de parcelas da sociedade que não estavam inseridos nas conquistas econômicas e sociais dos glamourosos anos dourados paulistanos, os quais, recorreram a diferentes meios de sobrevivência, ainda que considerados ilícitos. São prostitutas e malandros de todas as espécies que constituíram um território que nos diz respeito não apenas à criminalidade na cidade, como também, sobre a própria sociabilidade e boemia de uma época

Esta tese trata de investigar as configurações das práticas equestres no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, no século XX. A proposição da pesquisa parte da noção de que as práticas tiveram um papel relevante para a história do Rio Grande do Sul, em particular nos campos da sociabilidade, lazer e preservação das culturas. No cenário sul-rio-grandense, a pesquisa dedica atenção ao desenvolvimento das carreiras de cancha reta, do turfe, do hipismo, do tiro de laço, do freio de ouro e da equoterapia. Tais práticas equestres foram conjecturadas por uma perspectiva socio-histórica, cuja análise foi guiada pela categoria ―configuração‖. Esta foi operacionalizada a partir da obra de Norbert Elias, conduzindo o estudo no sentido de compreender o processo de emergência, distinção e as relações de interdependência estabelecidas entre as práticas equestres no estado. A investigação assentou-se na análise de documentos escritos e impressos, os quais foram concebidos enquanto materiais e textos históricos, portadores de mensagens, sentidos e intuitos reservados à sua conjuntura. As fontes revelaram que o processo de desenvolvimento de configurações no cenário equestre sul-rio-grandense sublinhou uma reconstrução da variada e heterogênea rede de interdependências entre os domínios socializadores representados pelas corridas de cavalos, pelo hipismo, pela equoterapia e pelo tiro de laço. De igual forma, as transformações ocorridas no contexto destes domínios socializadores, ao longo do tempo, derivam das relações de interdependência entre os mesmos, nas esferas do trabalho, da cultura, do lazer, do esporte e da reabilitação. Por conseguinte, a noção de configuração entre práticas equestres pode auxiliar a compreender um campo mais amplo de interações e intercâmbios entre os esportes em geral enquanto domínios socializadores. / This thesis is to investigate the configurations of equestrian practices in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in the twentieth century. The proposition of the research builds on the notion that the practices had a significant role in the history of Rio Grande do Sul, in particular in the fields of sociability, leisure and preservation of cultures. In the scenario of Rio Grande do Sul, the research devoted attention to the development of straight line horse races, horse racing, equestrianism, shot of lasso with horse and equine-assisted therapy. Such equestrian practices were conjectured by a sociohistorical perspective, whose analysis was guided by the category "configuration". This was operationalized from Norbert Elias work, leading the study in order to understand the process of emergence, distinction and interdependence of relations between the equestrian sports practices in the state. The research was based on the analysis of written and printed documents, which are designed as historical materials and texts, carrying messages, meanings and intentions reserved to their conjuncture. The sources revealed that a configuration development process in Rio Grande do Sul‘s equestrian scene emphasized a reconstruction of the varied and heterogeneous network of independencies between socializing areas represented by the horse racing, equestrian sports, equine-assisted therapy and shot of lasso with horse. Similarly, the changes occurred in the context of these socializing areas, over time, derived from the interrelationship between them, in the spheres of work, culture, leisure, sport and rehabilitation. Therefore, the notion of a configuration between equestrian practices can help understanding a new broader field of interactions and exchanges between the sports in general as socializing areas.

Chan Oi Chi. / "May 2004." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 259-310) / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

Os animais frugívoros podem influenciar padrões de distribuição espacial de plantas jovens e adultas, mas parte do recrutamento de uma população vegetal é perdida pela predação de sementes, sendo esta a principal força ecológica e evolutiva que afeta as comunidades vegetais. A maioria das sementes dispersadas por primatas na floresta é morta por predadores de sementes ou movida por dispersores secundários, alterando a sombra de sementes original. Pouco se sabe sobre as interações complexas entre a dispersão e predação de sementes, visto que poucos trabalhos foram realizados sobre a relação entre a dispersão de sementes por frugívoros, e a distribuição das plântulas das espécies consumidas. Para que Planos de Conservação possam ser desenvolvidos, as relações entre a fauna de frugívoros e a vegetação, e a estrutura das Florestas Tropicais devem ser bem entendidas. Na Reserva Biológica União dois grupos de micos-leões-dourados foram acompanhados mensalmente durante três dias cada um, de abril de 2003 a março de 2004 do momento em que deixaram o local de dormida, até o fim de suas atividades no final do dia. Outros grupos foram acompanhados esporadicamente entre agosto de 2004 e janeiro de 2005. Todas as árvores visitadas foram marcadas e amostras dos frutos foram coletadas para identificação e experimentos de germinação. As sementes retiradas dos frutos foram colocadas para germinar em comparação com sementes provenientes das fezes dos micos, ou sementes cuspidas por estes. As sementes foram acompanhadas na mata, quanto à germinação, desaparecimento ou dispersão secundária, predação, mortalidade, sobrevivência e estabelecimento de plântulas. Além disso, foi feito o acompanhamento fenológico de 791 árvores de espécies consumidas pelos micos-leões, de julho de 2003 a junho de 2004. Durante o período de estudo os grupos se alimentaram de 88 espécies de frutos de pelo menos 18 famílias, engolindo as sementes de 43 espécies e cuspindo as sementes de 45 espécies. Cento e sete experimentos foram realizados com 1711 sementes de 38 espécies de frutos (28 espécies de sementes engolidas e dez espécies de sementes cuspidas). No período de estudo mais de 50% das sementes (> 3 mm) dos experimentos desapareceram e cerca de 15% morreram antes de germinar. Vinte e duas espécies tiveram sementes germinando na mata e desenvolveram plântulas, mas no final do estudo apenas 15 dessas espécies ainda apresentavam plântulas sobreviventes. Para melhor se estabelecer se os predadores ou dispersores secundários das sementes depositadas pelos micos-leões-dourados são vertebrados ou invertebrados foram montados experimentos com gaiolas de exclusão de sementes. Outros aspectos quantitativos e qualitativos da dispersão de sementes foram analisados, incluindo a caracterização das deposições, tempo de passagem das sementes pelo trato digestório dos micos, distância e habitat de dispersão e outros. O mico-leão-dourado (Leontopithecus rosalia) é uma espécie frugívora e endêmica da Mata Atlântica, e o presente estudo é o primeiro a acompanhar a sobrevivência e crescimento de plântulas provenientes das fezes desse primata, detalhando a sua importância como dispersor de sementes. Estudos sobre o destino das sementes defecadas são fundamentais para a conservação do mico-leão e do seu habitat, a Mata Atlântica de baixada costeira do estado do Rio de Janeiro, um dos ecossistemas mais ameaçados do planeta. / The frugivores may influence spatial patterns of adults and juvenile plants, and a great portion of the potential recruitment of plant populations is lost to seed predators. The majority of seeds dispersed by primates on forest is killed by seed predators or moved by secondary dispersers. Little is known about the complex interaction between seed dispersal and post-dispersal seed-predation, and few researches were done on the relation between seed dispersal by animals and seedling distribution of exploited plant species. The golden-lion-tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) is a frugivorous endemic species of Atlantic Forest. This research will be the first to consider the survivor and establishment of seedlings from golden-lion-tamarins feces, studying the importance of this primate as seed disperser, ensuring the preservation of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world. Two groups of golden lion tamarins were monthly studied in the União Biological Reserve three days each one, from April 2003 to March 2004 since left sleeping site until finished their activities at the end of the day. Other groups were sporadically monitored from August 2004 to January 2005. All visited trees were marked and samples of fruits were collected for identification and germination experiments. Seeds from fruits and from tamarin’s feces or spitted out were put to germinate. The seeds were studies to verify the germination, disappearance or secondary dispersion, predation, mortality and survival and establishment of the seedlings. Beside that, 791 trees from eaten species were studied from July 2003 to June 2004 to collect phenological data. During study period the groups ate 88 fruit species from at least 16 families, ingesting seeds of 43 species and spitting seeds from 45 species. A Hundred and seven experiments were conducted with 1711 seeds of 38 fruit species (28 species of ingested species and 10 species of spitted seeds). During study period more than 50% of seeds (> 3 mm) disappeared from experiments, and about 15% died before germinating. Twenty two species had seeds germinating on forest and until seedling stage, but at the end of the study only 15 of these species still had seedling surviving. To determine if the seed predators or secondary dispersers of seeds deposited by tamarins are vertebrate or invertebrate, experiments with seed exclosure cage were established. Others qualitatively and quantitatively aspects of seed dispersal were considered, including feces deposition, time of gut passage, distance and habitat of seed deposition and others. The golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) is a frugivore and endemic species of Atlantic Forest and this study is the first to attend the survival and establishment of seedlings from tamarins feces, and the tamarins importance as a seed disperser. Studies on seed fate are important to the conservation of golden lion tamarins and his habitat, the lowland Atlantic Forest of the state of Rio de Janeiro, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world.

The object of this thesis is the foundation of ethics. The question is whether there exists a universal core to ethics consisting of a fundamental ethical principle across cultures. This principle could for example be the so-called Golden Rule, which goes as follows: ‘You should do to others what you want them to do to you’. The Golden Rule is to be found in many of the world’s religions and is also reflected in secular society. The rule can for example be found in a political version in legal declarations e.g. the Humans Rights Declaration of 1948. There are philosophersand scientists who interpret the Golden Rule secularly. If one looks at the Golden Rule from a non-religious point of view, it can be understood for instance in the following ways: 1) As a rule which is followed to fulfil self-interest and 2) As a rule concerning role reversal. In this thesis we will go into detail on these two interpretations of the Golden Rule, because as we will see, they can be seen as two very different views of human nature. We will discuss which of the two interpretations of the Golden Rule is most adequate in connection with the description of human beings as moral agents having reason, motives, freedom and responsibility. Furthermore we will focus on the Golden Rule in a Nordic context, in this connection we will look at whether the Golden Rule corresponds to the four bioethical principles presented by the two American philosophers Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress. These principles are the principle of respect for autonomy, the principle of nonmaleficence, the principle of beneficence and the principle of justice. According to the Danish physician Henrik R. Wulff one cannot use Beauchamp and Childress’ bioethical principles as a tool for solving ethical problems in the North, because they do not correspond to the Golden Rule. Wulff argues that the Golden Rule is a moral ideal within the health services in the Nordic countries. The purpose of the thesis is, among others, to analyse and discuss whether the four bioethical principles are implicitly contained within the Golden Rule and whether Beauchamp and Childress’ method can be used to analyse bioethical problems in a Nordic context. Finally, we will set forth an ethical assessment of a treatment within biomedicine. As an example of the application of the four bioethical principles, we will look at whether human somatic gene therapy is an ethical acceptable treatment. Thus my thesis is that the Golden Rule can be viewed as a fundamental ethical principle across cultures and that Beauchamp and Childress’ four bioethical principles correspond to the Golden Rule. That is, I think there is a reason to maintain, that the bioethical principles can be of use for solving bioethical problems across cultures.

The need and challenge of sustaining industrial beings is a recent phenomenon. Hence the approaches in this regard are not yet profoundly defined to manage the protection and restoration of those beings. In this respect, this thesis searches for an integrated approach for sustaining industrial structures, sites, and landscapes which are typically significant for their heritage value in the urban context. To develop a thematically consolidated integrated framework, the study investigated &lsquo / conceptual&rsquo / , &lsquo / typological&rsquo / , &lsquo / analytical&rsquo / , and &lsquo / operational&rsquo / basis of the subject matter. This is maintained by scrutinizing the practicalities of the (western) countries that have already formulated advanced policies. The conceptual basis of the issue is revealed by examining the changing urban dynamics / the debate over &lsquo / continuity&rsquo / versus &lsquo / change&rsquo / main value typologies of the heritage resources and the process of obsolescence in the life-span of industrial beings. Taxonomy for the structures and spaces that constitute the object matter of the thesis formed the basis of an integral typology. This is supported by the specification of the characteristics of industrial beings and the opportunities they offer in the urban context. Correspondingly, strategic approaches and modes of intervention relevant for the different types of industrial beings are examined. The study exposed the analytical framework by assessing industrial beings according to diversity of functions, basic change of use, spatial scale of the projects, types of intervention and the design approaches. The scope of the issue in Turkey is revealed by identifying the present policy framework in accordance with the legislative and instrumental measures. This is complemented by an inventory for the significant industrial heritage sites. The findings demonstrated the particularity of the problematic in Turkey / the distinctive factors behind the emergence of obsolescence / the extremely divergent attitudes to and interests in obsolete industrial beings, as well as the complexity of the industrial sites. As a final task, the application(s) for the industrial sites along The Golden Horn were investigated. The Golden Horn case has also confirmed that such an integrated approach is required to protect and enhance industrial beings. In this manner the basic components of an integrated program considering the sites in the urban context and as problem areas of urban design are specified.

<p>The object of this thesis is the foundation of ethics. The question is whether there exists a universal core to ethics consisting of a fundamental ethical principle across cultures. This principle could for example be the so-called Golden Rule, which goes as follows: ‘You should do to others what you want them to do to you’. The Golden Rule is to be found in many of the world’s religions and is also reflected in secular society. The rule can for example be found in a political version in legal declarations e.g. the Humans Rights Declaration of 1948. There are philosophersand scientists who interpret the Golden Rule secularly. If one looks at the Golden Rule from a non-religious point of view, it can be understood for instance in the following ways: 1) As a rule which is followed to fulfil self-interest and 2) As a rule concerning role reversal. In this thesis we will go into detail on these two interpretations of the Golden Rule, because as we will see, they can be seen as two very different views of human nature. We will discuss which of the two interpretations of the Golden Rule is most adequate in connection with the description of human beings as moral agents having reason, motives, freedom and responsibility. Furthermore we will focus on the Golden Rule in a Nordic context, in this connection we will look at whether the Golden Rule corresponds to the four bioethical principles presented by the two American philosophers Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress. These principles are the principle of respect for autonomy, the principle of nonmaleficence, the principle of beneficence and the principle of justice. According to the Danish physician Henrik R. Wulff one cannot use Beauchamp and Childress’ bioethical principles as a tool for solving ethical problems in the North, because they do not correspond to the Golden Rule. Wulff argues that the Golden Rule is a moral ideal within the health services in the Nordic countries. The purpose of the thesis is, among others, to analyse and discuss whether the four bioethical principles are implicitly contained within the Golden Rule and whether Beauchamp and Childress’ method can be used to analyse bioethical problems in a Nordic context. Finally, we will set forth an ethical assessment of a treatment within biomedicine. As an example of the application of the four bioethical principles, we will look at whether human somatic gene therapy is an ethical acceptable treatment. Thus my thesis is that the Golden Rule can be viewed as a fundamental ethical principle across cultures and that Beauchamp and Childress’ four bioethical principles correspond to the Golden Rule. That is, I think there is a reason to maintain, that the bioethical principles can be of use for solving bioethical problems across cultures.</p>