What does interdisciplinarity look like in practice: Mapping interdisciplinarity and its limits in the environmental sciences

In this paper we take a close look at current interdisciplinary modeling practices in the environmental sciences, and suggest that closer attention needs to be paid to the nature of scientific practices when investigating and planning interdisciplinarity. While interdisciplinarity is often portrayed as a medium of novel and transformative methodological work, current modeling strategies in the environmental sciences are conservative, avoiding methodological conflict, while confining interdisciplinary interactions to a relatively small set of pre-existing modeling frameworks and strategies (a process we call crystallization). We argue that such practices can be rationalized as responses in part to cognitive constraints which restrict interdisciplinary work. We identify four salient integrative modeling strategies in environmental sciences, and argue that this crystallization, while contradicting somewhat the novel goals many have for interdisciplinarity, makes sense when considered in the light of common disciplinary practices and cognitive constraints. These results provide cause to rethink in more concrete methodological terms what interdisciplinarity amounts to, and what kinds of interdisciplinarity are obtainable in the environmental sciences and elsewhere.     

Correlation between serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase and tyrosine hydroxylase activities in central and peripheral adrenergic neurons and adrenal glands.

Serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity in spontaneously hypertensive rats and Wistar-Kyoto rats had a positive correlation with dopamine-beta-hydroxylase and tyrosine hydroxylase activities in mesenteric vessels, vas deferens, and adrenal glands at 14-16 weeks of age, a negative correlation with dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity in locus coeruleus at 3 weeks and 14-16 weeks of age, and a positive correlation with tyrosine hydroxylase activity only at 3 weeks of age, but not at 14-16 weeks of age.     

Quantitative immunofluorescence of tyrosine hydroxylase in the adrenal medulla of spontaneously hypertensive rats

The amount of tyrosine hydroxylase protein in the adrenal medulla, which was estimated by a quantitative immunofluorescence method, was higher in spontaneously hypertensive rats than in normotensive control Wistar-Kyoto rats at 4 and 16 weeks of age before and after the development of hypertension.     

Purification and properties of an amine oxidase in bovine dental pulp

Zusammenfassung In der löslichen Fraktion der Rinderzahnpulpa wurde die Aminoxydase gereinigt und die Enzymaktivität durch Isoniazid, Cuprizon,p-Chloromercuribenzoat,-Aminoproprionitril und Lysin-Vasopressin gehemmt. Die Aminoxydase hat wahrscheinlich Kupfer und Pyridoxalphosphat als prosthetische Gruppen.     

Collagenase-like peptidase activity in serum from patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Summary The activities of collagenase-like peptidase, estimated by using (succinyl-Gly-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro)-4-methyl-coumaryl-7-amide as substrate, and of dipeptidyl-aminopeptidase IV were decreased in the sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Both enzymes bring about the degradation of peptides derived from collagen. A significant positive correlation was observed between the activities of the two serum peptidases.     

Carnosine-like immunoreactivity in the primary olfactory neuron of the rat

Using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase immunohistochemical technique, carnosine-like immunoreactivity was demonstrated to localize specifically within the primary olfactory neuron.     

Quantitative immunofluorescence of tyrosine hydroxylase in the adrenal medulla of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Summary The amount of tyrosine hydroxylase protein in the adrenal medulla, which was estimated by a quantitative immunofluorescence method, was higher in spontaneously hypertensive rats than in normotensive control Wistar-Kyoto rats at 4 and 16 weeks of age before and after the development of hypertension.This study was supported by grants from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Japan (No. 59570018). Reprint requests to I.N., Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Fujita-Gakuen Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-11 (Japan).     

Comparison of X-prolyl dipeptidyl-aminopeptidase activity in human cerebrospinal fluid with that in serum.

X-Prolyl dipeptidyl-aminopeptidase activities in cerebrospinal fluid and serum from the same patients without neurological diseases, undergoing surgery under lumbar anesthesia, were assayed fluorometrically with a newly synthesized fluorogenic substrate, 7-glycylproline-4-methylcoumarinamide; the values were 129.1 +/- 19.5 nmoles/min/l and 54.17 +/- 3.11 mumoles/min/l (mean +/- SEM, n = 23), respectively, and there was no correlation between both activities (r = 0.0894).     

Monoaminergic neurons in the brain of goldfish as observed by immunohistochemical techniques

With an immunofluorescent technique, catecholaminergic neurons were identified for the first time in the dorsal and medial thalamus and in the ventralis telencephali (the rostro-medial part of the lobus olfactorius) of the goldfish brain. Serotonin-containing neurons were found in the pretectal area.