Re-grounding the Cogito: Descartes and the Problem of the Baroque

The dissertation offers a historically-based critique of the foundations of modernity in view of the truth claims it struggled to articulate and which continue to dominate the West.At the very core of this problem are the natural sciences, and it is from them that the dominant definition of truth in modernity emanates. Since the entrenchment of the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century, this definition has extended into an entire "worldview" occasioning and determining the modern mode of existence. I argue that to understand the modern foundation of science and truth (and by extension, medicine and all theoretically grounded bodies of knowledge), it is necessary to turn once again to Descartes' seminal role in the histories of philosophy and science. Recognizing Descartes' philosophy as a conceptual point of departure, I give a critical re-reading of his formulation of the Ego cogito-ego sum not only within the internal history of metaphysics (of which science is a part), but as a cultural-historical phenomenon. I further argue that the turn to the Cogito, from which the broader notion of subjectivity derives, can be understood only via the cultural horizon of the Baroque within which the Cogito's criterion for meaning, significance and truth found the conditions of possibility for full expression, which moreover, established the foundation for the natural sciences. By raising the problem of subjectivity (via the Cogito), along with its specific criterion for truth, I am raising the related problem of self-conception. The Baroque is a fascinatingly rich and creative cultural epoch, and reveals a number of possibilities for self-conception, as one may find, for example, in the sonnets of Shakespeare, the essays of Montaigne, and the respective "autobiographies" of Loyola and Cardano. These examples attest to the confusion and richness of such terms as: "subiectum", "self", "anima", "spiritus", "consciousness", "persona", etc., which exist not only during the Baroque epoch, but endure into all subsequent historical periods, including our own. The powerful move facilitated by the Cogito formulation, namely the laying out of a foundation of mathematical order from which a universal science may be derived, had far-ranging and deeply penetrating implications for the modern conception of self. On the one hand, the Cogito formulation effectively stabilized the variously and inwardly directed, but as yet, not strictly subjectivist conceptions of self in the early modern period, while on the other hand, it reduced selfhood to a mere abstraction. The attempt to define a self on the basis of strict theoretical terms brings forth a number of problems, not least of all the false division between subject and object (on which the sciences operate) and a perpetuation of the confusion of the terms self and subject, self and consciousness, etc. Yet, even more problematically, the Cogito's legitimating criterion for truth creates in its train an inauthentic orientation of self to world as well as poses serious challenges to the possibility of being fully human in the modern world

Effects of Single Mutations on the Stability of Horseradish Peroxidase to Hydrogen Peroxide.

Horseradish Peroxidase (HRP) is a commonly used enzyme in many biotechnological fields. Improvement of HRP stability would further increase its potential application range. In the present study, thirteen single- and three double- mutants of solvent exposed, proximal lysine and glutamic acid residues were analysed for enhanced H2O2 stability. Additionally, five single- and one pentuple-consensus mutants were investigated. Most mutants displayed little or no alteration in H2O2 stability; however, three (K232N, K241F and T110V) exhibit significantly increased H2O2 tolerances of 25- (T110V), 18- (K232N), and 12- fold (K241F). This improved stability may be due to an altered enzyme-H2O2 catalysis pathway or to removal of potentially oxidisable residues

Horseradish and Soybean Peroxidases: Comparable Tools for Alternative Niches?

Horseradish and soybean peroxidases (HRP and SBP, respectively) are useful biotechnological tools. HRP is often termed the classical plant heme peroxidase, and although it has been studied for decades our understanding has deepened since its cloning and subsequent expression, which has enabled numerous mutational and protein engineering studies. SBP, however, has been neglected until recently; despite offering a real alternative to HRP that actually outperforms it in terms of stability. SBP is now used in numerous biotechnological applications, including biosensors. Review of both is timely. This article summarises and discusses the main insights into the structure and mechanism of HRP, with special emphasis on HRP mutagenesis, and outlines its use in a variety of applications. It also reviews current knowledge and applications to date of SBP, particularly biosensors. The final paragraphs speculate on the future of plant heme-based peroxidases, with probable trends outlined and explored

Comparison of rapid laboratory tests for failure of passive transfer in the bovine

peer-reviewedBackground Failure of passive transfer of maternal immunity via colostrum can occur in the bovine, and a number of blood tests have been developed to test calves for this failure. It is not clear which test is most suitable for this purpose. The objective was to examine the most commonly used tests for failure of passive transfer and to decide which is most suitable for routine laboratory use. 126 serum samples were taken from calves of dairy cows after birth but prior to colostrum feeding, and at 48 h of age. Five different tests were compared against radial immunodiffusion which is considered the appropriate reference method. These tests were serum gamma-glutamyltransferase levels, serum protein levels, serum globulin levels, an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and the zinc sulphate turbidity test. Results The tests examined displayed high sensitivity but widely varying specificity. Examination of the use of different cut-off points allowed some improvement in specificity at the expense of sensitivity, but the tests which had performed best at the original cut-off points still displayed the best performance. Gamma-glutamyltransferase levels as a measure of colostrum absorption returned, in this study, the best balance between sensitivity and specificity. The ELISA used in this study and serum globulin levels displayed performance similar to the gamma-glutamyltransferase levels. Serum total protein was less successful than others examined at providing both sensitivity and specificity but may, when performed via refractometer, be useful for on-farm testing. As currently performed the poor sensitivity for which the zinc sulphate turbidity test is most often criticized is evident. Modification of the cut-off point to increase specificity is less successful at balancing these parameters than the ELISA, gamma-glutamyltransferase levels, and globulin levels. Conclusions Gamma-glutamyltransferase levels, ELISA testing and circulating globulin levels performed best in detecting failure of passive transfer in serum samples, although all three had some practical considerations

Pilot Investigation into the Use of an Anthropomorphic Breast Sonography Phantom as a Training and Assessment Tool

A device for the training and quantitative assessment of the competency of trainee radiologists in the technically challenging area of breast sonography was developed and evaluated. Currently, suitable commercially available devices are lacking, and there is a growing realization that the reliance on direct exposure to patients for learning may not represent best practice from either the trainees\u27 or patients\u27 perspective. Three devices (PI, PII and PIII) were designed to produce very realistic sonographic images of breast morphology with a range of embedded pathologies. The pilot evaluation used a case study research design to evaluate the role of the anthropomorphic breast sonography training device in training and assessment in a clinical environment. Through the case study, it was possible to evaluate the process and relationships when using this type of training intervention for a small group of radiology resident trainees. The investigation involved a baseline assessment of trainees\u27 (n = 4) ability to detect and characterize all lesions in PI, followed by a 4-wk training period on PII and a post-training assessment using PIII. The evaluation revealed an improvement of 30% ± 8% in the trainee\u27s performance from pre- to post-training. It was expected that the performance of the trainees would improve as the training phantom described in this study aligns with the learning theory of constructivism and fits the ideal specifications of a medical training device in terms of its realism and facilitation of self-directed learning and deliberate practice of the trainees. The device provides a useful platform upon which training and assessment can be facilitated

Changes in the volatile profile of skim milk powder prepared under different processing conditions and the impact on the volatile flavor profile of model white chocolate

The objective of this work is to determine the extent to which changes in the skim milk powder (SMP) manufacturing process alter the volatile profile of SMP, and whether these changes are carried through to a final product when the SMP is used as an ingredient and subjected to further processing. The manufacture of SMP is a multistage process involving a preliminary concentration step, heat treatment and a drying stage. However, the methods and conditions used by the industry are not standardized, and the inherent variability in the production of SMP has consequences for the end-users, such as the confectionery industry, where the SMP is used as an ingredient during the production of milk chocolate, white chocolate and caramel. This study investigates the impact of each stage of the manufacturing process on the concentration of reducing sugars and available amino groups (as precursors of the Maillard reaction) as well as on the volatile products of the Maillard reaction and lipid degradation. Eight types of SMP were produced using combinations of different processing conditions: concentration (by evaporation or reverse osmosis), heat treatment (low heat or high heat) and drying (spray-drying or freeze-drying). Maillard precursors were quantified after each processing stage and volatile compounds were extracted using solid-phase microextraction, and analyzed by GC-MS. The resulting SMPs were incorporated into a model white chocolate system, produced under varying conching conditions. We demonstrate not only that changes in the SMP manufacturing conditions affect the volatile profile of SMP, but also that these differences can be carried through to a final product when the SMP is used to prepare a model white chocolate. Understanding these differences is important to the industry for controlling the flavor of the end product

Household Effects of School Closure during Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, Pennsylvania, USA

To determine the effects of school closure, we surveyed 214 households after a 1-week elementary school closure because of pandemic (H1N1) 2009. Students spent 77% of the closure days at home, 69% of students visited at least 1 other location, and 79% of households reported that adults missed no days of work to watch children

Phoenix: A CubeSat Mission to Study the Impact of Urban Heat Islands Within the U.S.

Phoenix is a student-led CubeSat mission, developed at Arizona State University (ASU), to study the effects of Urban Heat Islands in several U.S. cities through infrared remote sensing and educate students on space mission design. The spacecraft is designed using commercial off-the-shelf components (COTS) and several custom support boards developed by the student team. As such, the student team was responsible for the design, test, and validation of the spacecraft to demonstrate the capability of using COTS hardware to conduct high-fidelity science. This paper details the mission’s concept of operations, as well as the spacecraft and ground system design that was developed to complete the mission objective. In addition, it details the mission’s current status now that Phoenix has entered the operations phase, along with resources which have proved beneficial to the team while working with the spacecraft in orbit