Phenomenal Conservatism, Reflection and Self-Defeat

Huemer defends phenomenal conservatism (PC) and also the further claim that belief in any rival theory is self-defeating (SD). Here I construct a dilemma for his position: either PC and SD are incompatible, or belief in PC is itself self-defeating. I take these considerations to suggest a better self-defeat argument for (belief in) PC and a strong form of internalism

The United States Congress and Venezuela\u27s Hugo Chávez

The Soviet Union\u27s dissolution in December 1991 marks the end of the Cold War and the elimination of the United States\u27 main rival for global political-economic leadership. For decades U.S. foreign policymakers had formulated policies aimed at containing the spread of Soviet communism and Moscow\u27s interventionist policies in the Americas. They now assumed that Latin American leftist revolutionary upheavals could also be committed to history. This study explores how Congress takes an active role in U.S. foreign policymaking when dealing with revolutionary changes in Latin America. This study finds that despite Chavez\u27s vitriolic statements and U.S. economic vulnerability due to its dependence on foreign oil sources, Congress today sees Chavez as a nuisance and not a threat to U.S. vital interests. Devoid of an extra-hemispheric, anti-American patron intent on challenging the United States for regional leadership, Chavez is seen by Congress largely as a threat to the stability of Venezuela\u27s institutions and political-economic stability. Today both the U.S. executive and the legislative branches largely see Bolivarianism a distraction and not an existential threat. The research is based on an examination of Bolivarian Venezuela compared to revolutionary upheaval and governance in Nicaragua over the course of the twentieth century. This project is largely descriptive, qualitative in approach, but quantitative data are used when appropriate. To analyze both the U.S. executive and legislative branches\u27 reaction to revolutionary change, Cole Blasier\u27s theoretical propositions as developed in the Hovering Giant: U.S. Responses to Revolutionary Change in Latin America 1910- 1985 are utilized. The present study highlights the fact that Blasier\u27s propositions remain a relevant means for analyzing U.S. foreign policymaking

Transitional areas between public and private space

This study analyzes transitional areas between public and private space in order to develop a design that might improve social interaction in the city. Architectural elements in specific pedestrian friendly spaces within the Miami area were identified and analyzed as social spaces in terms developed by Ali Mandanipour. Proximity, visual permeability, intersection, layering, and monumentality are design strategies used in many projects to enhance individual encounters. These strategies typically apply to transitional areas and serve as the direct physical links perceived by individuals moving between public and private areas. This project explores the different approaches to transitional areas in the design of an art gallery and surrounding artists\u27 studios on Lincoln Road

Menem\u27s Argentina : economic reform and democracy in the late twentieth century

A study of the possible correlation between drastic neo-liberal economic reform and the undermining of democratic mechanisms in late twentieth century Argentina. The adoption of free market mechanisms, within the Modern Political Economy theoretical perspective, may tend to erode the workings of western style democracy leading to a situation of increased domestic sociopolitical and economic tensions in Argentina. The foregoing is especially applicable as the continues to endeavors to maintain its neo-liberal economic reform program on track

A more sustainable and efficient access to IMes·HCl and IPr·HCl by ball-milling

International audienc

Cu(0), O2 and mechanical forces: a saving combination for efficient production of Cu-NHC complexes

International audienc

What is the Profitability of a Photovoltaic Installation in France for an Individual?

The energy transition will require the use of renewable energy resources that will allow us to reach our decarbonization objectives. In addition to states and institutions, individuals have an important role to play in this transition, particularly with the installation of photovoltaic panels. But for individuals to use this source of energy, they must be guaranteed a financial return that encourages them to take the plunge. Several companies, in a commercial approach, guarantee returns on investment after 2–3 years for any installation. But is the financial profitability always guaranteed? In France, several types of photovoltaic installations are possible, total resale and self-consumption. For each one, the profitability will vary and depends on many parameters such as the initial and daily investment, the irradiation, the electricity buy-back price, and the consumption. This paper explains the calculation methodology for both typologies and shows that currently, in most cases, a self-consumption installation is more profitable than a full resale installation but is far from obtaining the returns on investment predicted by the commercials. If self-consumption is more profitable today, this is due to the fact that the investment (initial or annual) is less important, and that the price of electricity becomes more and more expensive while at the same time the price of resale decreases from year to year

Omics profiling identifies the regulatory functions of the MAPK/ERK pathway in nephron progenitor metabolism

Publisher Copyright: © 2022. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.Nephron endowment is defined by fetal kidney growth and crucially dictates renal health in adults. Defects in the molecular regulation of nephron progenitors contribute to only a fraction of reduced nephron mass cases, suggesting alternative causative mechanisms. The importance of MAPK/ERK activation in nephron progenitor maintenance has been previously demonstrated, and here, we characterized the metabolic consequences of MAPK/ERK deficiency. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry-based metabolomics profiling identified 42 reduced metabolites, of which 26 were supported by in vivo transcriptional changes in MAPK/ERK-deficient nephron progenitors. Among these, mitochondria, ribosome and amino acid metabolism, together with diminished pyruvate and proline metabolism, were the most affected pathways. In vitro cultures of mouse kidneys demonstrated a dosage-specific function for pyruvate in controlling the shape of the ureteric bud tip, a regulatory niche for nephron progenitors. In vivo disruption of proline metabolism caused premature nephron progenitor exhaustion through their accelerated differentiation in pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductases 1 (Pycr1) and 2 (Pycr2) double-knockout kidneys. Pycr1/Pycr2-deficient progenitors showed normal cell survival, indicating no changes in cellular stress. Our results suggest that MAPK/ERK-dependent metabolism functionally participates in nephron progenitor maintenance by monitoring pyruvate and proline biogenesis in developing kidneys.Peer reviewe

Si interstitial contribution of F+ implants in crystalline Si

The F effect in crystalline Si is quantified by monitoring defects and B diffusion in samples implanted with 25 keV F+ and/or 40 keV Si+. We estimate that about +0.4 Si interstitials are generated per implanted F+ ion, in agreement with the value resulting from the net separation of Frenkel pairs. For short annealings, B diffusion is lower when F+ is coimplanted with Si+ than when only Si+ is implanted, while for longer annealings, B diffusion is higher. This is consistent with a lower but longer-lasting Si interstitial supersaturation set by the additional defects generated by the F+ implant