Aristotle on Geometrical Potentialities

This paper examines Aristotle's discussion of the priority of actuality to potentiality in geometry at Metaphysics Θ9, 1051a21–33. Many scholars have assumed what I call the "geometrical construction" interpretation, according to which his point here concerns the relation between an inquirer's thinking and a geometrical figure. In contrast, I defend what I call the "geometrical analysis" interpretation, according to which it concerns the asymmetrical relation between geometrical propositions in which one is proved by means of the other. His argument as so construed is ultimately based on the asymmetrical relation between the corresponding geometrical facts. Then I explore this ontological priority in geometry by drawing attention to a parallel passage, Posterior Analytics II.11, 94a24–35, where Aristotle explains the relation between the same geometrical propositions in connection to material causation

The Attunement Theory of the Soul in the Phaedo

At Phaedo 86b7–c2 Simmias puts forward the theory that the soul is the attunement of bodily elements. Many scholars have claimed that this theory originates in the Pythagoreans, especially Philolaus. The claim is largely based on their reading of the Phaedo, since we have scarce doxographical evidence. In this paper I show that the dialogue in question does not constitute any evidence for the Pythagorean origin of Simmias’ attunement theory, and that it rather represents the theory as stemming from a materialistic world view that had become widespread among people at that time. I also pursue the question how and why, then, the attunement theory was able to attract many people, by examining its relation to Socrates’ affinity argument

Antarctic micrometeorite collection at a bare ice region near Syowa Station by JARE-41 in 2000

We collected Antarctic Micrometeorites (AMMs) at a bare ice field near Syowa Station in the austral fall and spring seasons of 2000. The facility for the AMMs collection introduced by the 39th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-39) was improved to increase the filtering rate of the melt water. The filtering rate became 4-5 times quicker than the previous system, ∿1000 liter/hour, by the addition of a new water pump in parallel with the previous pump. About 50 tons of melt water were formed, of which about 40 tons were filtered using this new system, and 18 holes were made in the bare ice region in 23 days. We obtained particles in which abundant micrometeorites should be included

Search for Antarctic meteorites in the bare ice field around the Yamato Mountains by JARE-41

The wintering party (November 14,1999-March 28,2001) of the 41st Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-41) conducted a meteorite search in the bare ice field around the Yamato Mountains. The period of the travel was 89 days. Departure from Syowa Station was on October 27,2000,entrance into the bare ice field on November 17,2000,leaving the bare ice field on January 10,2001,and arrival at Syowa Station on January 23,2001. The 6 men party (field leader : Y. Shimoda, and sub-leader : N. Imae) of JARE-41 collected about 3500 meteorites. The total sample weight was about 196kg. The average meteorite weight was 55g. The most frequent weight was in the bin of 3.2-10g of the weight histogram. The heaviest meteorite collected on the present expedition was an iron meteorite of 50.5kg. This is also the heaviest meteorite among the Yamato bare ice region since the first expedition in 1969 (JARE-10). The iron meteorite was found on the northwest region of JARE IV Nunataks. Compared with other areas, relatively large meteorites were found here. The number of meteorites on the bare ice region around Minami-Yamato Nunataks, which is the most famous meteorite concentration area, was large but the weight of each meteorite was lighter compared with other areas. Sublimation rate, which must be one of the most important factors for the concentration of meteorites, was measured at the near YM175 (71°44.4′S, 35°54.7′E, 2138m) using two independent methods. Both the stake method and the empirical formula method gave nearly comparable values in average; 50-80 and 130.8mg cm^d^, respectively, which are larger than that at Mizuho Station. Sublimation using the stake method was measured at 8 points. Precise GPS measurements for 20 days at YM175 showed that the bare ice is moving 3cm to the west and 2cm upward. This suggests that the upward movement is nearly balanced with the sublimation of ice. However, in order to consider the annual balance, longer measurements are needed

Yamato nakhlites: Petrography and mineralogy

We carried out the petrographical and mineralogical study of new Yamato nakhlites, Yamato 000593 (Y000593), Y000749 and Y000802, with electron probe microanalyser and Fourier transform infrared microspectrometer. Euhedral pyroxenes (En_Fs_Wo_) are the predominant phase with a modal proportion of 75-80 vol% and occur as elongated grains (～1mm x 0.5mm) with thin Fe-rich rims. The chemical composition of the augite cores comprising most of the volume of these pyroxene crystals is homogeneous and nearly identical with those in other nakhlites. Fe-rich rims are present in contact with the mesostasis. Anhedral ferroan olivines (Fa_; 8-18 vol%, ～0.5 mm) and subhedral titanomagnetites (Ab_Or_). Minor phases in the mesostasis are pyrrhotite (Fe_S; smaller than 20μm), apatite (smaller than 20μm), titanomagnetite, Ca-poor pyroxene, fayalitic olivine (Fa_), tridymite and iddingsite. We distinguish these Yamato nakhlites from other nakhlites based on the chemical compositional ranges of the cores and rims of olivine and pyroxene phenocrysts. We suggest that the chemical variations of these minerals for the Yamato nakhlites are intermediate between those of NWA817 and others (Nakhla, Governador Valadares, and Lafayette). The study by Fourier transform infrared microspectrometer of altered phases both on rims and fractures in olivine phenocrysts and in mesostasis revealed the existence of OH-bearing minerals, which might be mixtures of montmorillonite (70%) and goethite (30%). The existence of bubbles in an OH-bearing phase in olivine grains in contact with the fusion crust suggests that the alteration occurred before atmospheric entry (i.e. Martian origin)

Retrospective clinical study on the notable efficacy and related factors of infliximab therapy in a rheumatoid arthritis management group in Japan: one-year clinical outcomes (RECONFIRM-2)

Biologics targeting TNF have brought about a paradigm shift in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and infliximab, anti-TNF-α chimeric monoclonal antibody, was marketed in 2003 in Japan. We previously reported on the RECONFIRM study, a retrospective clinical study on the efficacy of infliximab therapy in a RA management group in Japan, where we evaluated the clinical response after 22 weeks of the therapy in 258 patients. The study reported here was aimed at reconfirming the clinical efficacy of the infliximab therapy and demographic factors related to the efficacy over a 54-week study period in 410 RA patients in the same study group. Infliximab was infused according to the domestically approved method, and the clinical response was evaluated following 54 weeks of infliximab therapy using the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response criteria. Disease activity was assessed by DAS28-CRP (Disease Activity Score including a 28-joint count/C-reactive protein). Infliximab was discontinued in 24.4% of the 410 patients at 54 weeks and 9.3% and 8.1% discontinued the therapy due to adverse events and inefficiency, respectively. Average DAS28-CRP decreased from 5.5 at week 0 to 3.1 at week 54 after the therapy. Patients in remission and those showing low-, moderate-, and high-disease activity changed from 0.0, 1.0, 9.0 and 90.0%, respectively, at the start of the study to 27.6, 11.7, 34.4 and 26.3%, respectively, at week 54. Younger age, RF-negativity and low scores of DAS28-CRP showed significant correlations with remission at week 54. EULAR response criteria—good, moderate, and no response to infliximab—were 37.0, 41.7 and 21.2%, respectively. In conclusion, we reconfirmed the clinical efficacy of infliximab and demographic factors related to the efficacy over a 54-week study period in 410 Japanese patients with RA using DAS28-CRP and EULAR response criteria