Ontological deflationism: plural quantification, mereological collections, and quantifier variance

2011 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.One criticism by deflationists about ontology is that ontological debates about composite material objects are merely verbal. That is, there is only apparent disagreement between the debating ontologists. In responding to such a deflationist view, Theodore Sider (2009) has argued that there is genuine disagreement between two ontologists concerning the ontological status of tables. In doing so, Sider has written that, using plural quantification, a mereological nihilist can grant the proposition 'There exist simples arranged tablewise' while denying the proposition 'There exist collections of simples arranged tablewise'. In the first chapter, I argue that Sider's response to the deflationist is unsuccessful for two reasons. The first is that plural quantification is not ontologically innocent. A semantic interpretation of a logical formula involving plural quantification will reveal a problematic locution, namely, 'one of them' where `them' has a collection as its referent. The second concern with Sider's response is that the predicate 'arranged tablewise' is collective rather than distributive. A collection is needed to instantiate a collective predicate; thus, a commitment to simples arranged tablewise entails a commitment to a collection of simples arranged tablewise. In responding to the ontological deflationist, Sider discusses a debate between David Lewis and Peter van Inwagen about the existence of tables where a table is interpreted as a collection of simples arranged tablewise. As part of his discussion, Sider claims that Lewis and van Inwagen agree on what counts as a table. Sider allows that the deflationist may have three candidate interpretations for what counts as a 'table', but none will support the deflationist conclusion. In the second chapter, I address each candidate interpretation: (1) using Composition as Identity - a table is simples arranged tablewise, (2) a table is a set-theoretic collection of simples arranged tablewise, and (3) using Unrestricted Composition - a table is a mereological collection of simples arranged tablewise. I argue against Lewis's argument for Composition as Identity and defend an argument by Sider in support of Unrestricted Composition. Thus, I argue that composition is unrestricted and not ontologically innocent. In doing so, I show that van Inwagen cannot grant 'There exist simples arranged tablewise' and deny the existence of tables. Thus, I show that, independent of plural quantification concerns, Sider is not successful in refuting the deflationist conclusion that the ontologists are equivocating on the word 'table'. Finally, in the third chapter, I address Sider's response to the deflationist claims that the ontologists are equivocating on the quantifier 'there exists'. I look at Sider's presentation of the argument and his response which centers on an appeal to naturalness. Relying on Eli Hirsch's defense of quantifier variance, I show that the deflationist position can be maintained if Sider's appeal to naturalness is rejected. Additionally, I argue that Sider's constructed ideal language, Ontologese, does not allow Sider to avoid the deflationist criticisms. I also address the question of whether or not the deflationist program applies not only to ontological debates, but also to meta-ontological debates. To that end, I evaluate Gerald Marsh's (2010) meta-meta-ontological discussion in which he defends a dilemma for the Hirsch-Sider debate. I argue that Marsh's defense of the dilemma is problematic, and highlight a wider concern I have about meta-meta-ontological debates. I suggest that there is a frame of reference problem and end with the skeptical conclusion that answers at the meta-meta-ontological level are dependent on the language used to frame the debate

Understanding and Accepting Self : A Measure of Self Image Growth

The purpose of this research was to develop and test a technique which emphasized planned self-image learning experiences for children in a Head Start program. The goal of the program was to allow four- and five-year-old’s the opportunity to explore and begin to discover and know themselves. The series of four experiences used in this study was developed by the author to appeal to young children, be within their range of physical and mental capabilities, and have a positive effect on self-concept of body image. The hypothesis thus reads: When children are given opportunity to explore their individuality at an early age, significant steps can be taken toward understanding and accepting of self as related to body image growth when measured by the children\u27s response to a draw-a-man test. which has been formulated in terms of body image. Body image is a term which refers to the body is a psychological experience and focuses on the individual\u27s feelings and attitudes toward his own body. Very little has been done in the way of developing meaningful behavioral objectives in the area of self-image growth in children. Kapfer and Ovard state: These less tangible goals are an important part of the educational picture but do not appear in curricular planning because of the difficulty in evaluating progress of students.in A study to determine the relationship of self-concept and school achievement by Purkey points out data do not provide clear-cut evidence concerning which comes first--a positive self-concept or scholastic success, a negative self-concept or scholastic failure. However, the literature does stress a strong reciprocal relationship and gives us reason to assume that enhancing the self-concept is a vital influence in improving academic performance

OIT Financial and Policy Training

My capstone project at Boise State University aimed to address and rectify the pervasive challenges of staff not adhering to financial policies regarding purchasing cards, travel expenses, and engagements with independent contractors. Through the creation and implementation of an online, interactive training, it provided hands-on guidance and real-world scenarios to ensure a comprehensive understanding and application of policies. This initiative had stakeholder collaboration, involving feedback and contributions from employees, my supervisor, and managers to ensure the training’s relevance and accessibility. The project significantly contributed to financial policy compliance, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing non-compliance risks across the university

Across Bacterial Phyla, Distantly-Related Genomes with Similar Genomic GC Content Have Similar Patterns of Amino Acid Usage

The GC content of bacterial genomes ranges from 16% to 75% and wide ranges of genomic GC content are observed within many bacterial phyla, including both Gram negative and Gram positive phyla. Thus, divergent genomic GC content has evolved repeatedly in widely separated bacterial taxa. Since genomic GC content influences codon usage, we examined codon usage patterns and predicted protein amino acid content as a function of genomic GC content within eight different phyla or classes of bacteria. We found that similar patterns of codon usage and protein amino acid content have evolved independently in all eight groups of bacteria. For example, in each group, use of amino acids encoded by GC-rich codons increased by approximately 1% for each 10% increase in genomic GC content, while the use of amino acids encoded by AT-rich codons decreased by a similar amount. This consistency within every phylum and class studied led us to conclude that GC content appears to be the primary determinant of the codon and amino acid usage patterns observed in bacterial genomes. These results also indicate that selection for translational efficiency of highly expressed genes is constrained by the genomic parameters associated with the GC content of the host genome

Assessment of Test Portion Sizes after Sample Comminution with Liquid Nitrogen in an Improved High-Throughput Method for Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables

In this study, sample processing of bulk commodities using an efficient one-step comminution procedure with liquid nitrogen (LN2) was devised and assessed in the analysis of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables. LN2 was added to the fresh samples from a tank by opening a valve, and the standard food chopper was kept in a laboratory hood to reduce safety risks. Test portions of four replicates each of 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, and 15 g were taken from eight fruits and vegetables (tomato, squash, broccoli, apple, grape, peach, green bean, and cucumber) individually comminuted with LN2. For comparison without comminution, similar test portions of a reconstituted freeze-dried certified reference material of pesticides in cucumber were also analyzed by the same method. More than 100 pesticides were monitored by both ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) and instrument top sample preparation (ITSP) + fast low-pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LPGC-MS/MS). A new version of QuEChERS-based sample preparation was followed, in which 5 mL of 4:1 (v/v) acetonitrile/water per gram of sample is used for extraction and 200 μL of initial extract is quickly evaporated, reconstituted in water, and ultracentrifuged for UHPLC-MS/MS analysis. For ITSP+LPGC-MS/MS, another portion of the initial extract undergoes salt-out partitioning with 4:1 (w/w) anhydrous MgSO4/NaCl and the upper layer extract is transferred to an autosampler vial for automated cleanup and analysis in parallel. Quality control spikes were made during the comminution, extraction, cleanup, and analysis steps to isolate and estimate the individual and overall measurement uncertainties of the approach. The recommended test portion size is 2 g for routine monitoring by this approach, but results demonstrated that subsamples as low as 0.5 g typically gave overall biases and relative standard deviations of <10% for nearly all pesticides, commodities, and methods, which is 3-5% lower than previously evaluated sample processing and analytical methods. This approach can be used to improve data quality, laboratory efficiency, and sample throughput in routine monitoring programs for regulatory, risk assessment, and other purposes.Fil: Lehotay, Steven J.. United States Department of Agriculture; Estados UnidosFil: Michlig, Nicolás. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería Química. Programa de Investigación y Análisis de Residuos y Contaminantes Químicos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; ArgentinaFil: Lightfield, Alan R.. United States Department of Agriculture; Estados Unido

Asc Modulates the Function of NLRC4 in Response to Infection of Macrophages by Legionella pneumophila

Nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat containing proteins (NLRs) activate caspase-1 in response to a variety of bacterium-derived signals in macrophages. NLR-mediated activation of caspase-1 by Legionella pneumophila occurs through both an NLRC4/NAIP5-dependent pathway and a pathway requiring the adapter protein Asc. Both pathways are needed for maximal activation of caspase-1 and for the release of the cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18. Asc is not required for caspase-1-dependent pore formation and cell death induced upon infection of macrophages by L. pneumophila. Here, temporal and spatial localization of caspase-1-dependent processes was examined to better define the roles of Asc and NLRC4 during infection. Imaging studies revealed that caspase-1 localized to a single punctate structure in infected cells containing Asc but not in cells lacking this adapter. Both endogenous Asc and ectopically produced NLRC4 tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) were found to localize to caspase-1 puncta following L. pneumophila infection, suggesting that NLRC4 and Asc coordinate signaling through this complex during caspase-1 activation. Formation of caspase-1-containing puncta correlated with caspase-1 processing, suggesting a role for the Asc/NLRC4/caspase-1 complex in caspase-1 cleavage. In cells deficient for Asc, NLRC4 did not assemble into discrete puncta, and pyroptosis occurred at an accelerated rate. These data indicate that Asc mediates integration of NLR components into caspase-1 processing platforms and that recruitment of NLR components into an Asc complex can dampen pyroptotic responses. Thus, a negative feedback role of complexes containing Asc may be important for regulating caspase-1-mediated responses during microbial infection

Pseudomonas aeruginosa pilin activates the inflammasome

IL-1 beta is produced from inactive pro-IL-1 beta by activation of caspase-1 brought about by a multi-subunit protein platform called the inflammasome. Many bacteria can trigger inflammasome activity through flagellin activation of the host protein NLRC4. However, strains of the common human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa lacking flagellin can still activate the inflammasome. We set out to identify what non-flagellin components could produce this activation. Using mass spectroscopy, we identified an inflammasome-activating factor from P. aeruginosa as pilin, the major component of the type IV bacterial pilus. Purified pilin introduced into mouse macrophages by liposomal delivery activated caspase-1 and led to secretion of mature IL-1 beta, as did recombinant pilin purified from Escherichia coli. This was dependent on caspase-1 but not on the host inflammasome proteins NLRC4, NLRP3 or ASC. Mutants of P. aeruginosa strain PA103 lacking pilin did not activate the inflammasome following infection of macrophages with live bacteria. Type III secretion remained intact in the absence of pili, showing this was not due to a lack of effector delivery. Our observations show pilin is a novel activator of the inflammasome in addition to flagellin and the recently described PrgJ protein family, the basal body rod component of the type III apparatu

The stoichiometric interaction of the Hsp90-Sgt1-Rar1 complex by CD and SRCD spectroscopy

While the molecular details by which Hsp90 interacts with Sgt1 and Rar1 were previously described the exact stoichiometric complex that is formed remains elusive. Several possibilities remain that include two asymmetric complexes, Sgt12-Hsp902-Rar12 (two molecules of Sgt1 and Rar1 and one Hsp90 dimer) or Sgt12-Hsp902-Rar11 (with a single Rar1 molecule) and an asymmetric complex (Sgt11-Hsp902-Rar11). The Hsp90-mediated activation of NLR receptors (Nucleotide-binding domain and Leucine-rich Repeat) in the innate immunity of both plants and animals is dependent on the co-chaperone Sgt1 and in plants on Rar1, a cysteine- and histidine-rich domain (CHORD)-containing protein. The exact stoichiometry of such a complex may have a direct impact on NLR protein oligomerization and thus ultimately on the mechanism by which NLRs are activated. CD spectroscopy was successfully used to determine the stoichiometry of a ternary protein complex among Hsp90, Sgt1, and Rar1 in the presence of excess ADP. The results indicated that a symmetric Sgt12-Hsp902-Rar11 complex was formed that could allow two NLR molecules to simultaneously bind. The stoichiometry of this complex has implications on, and might promote, the dimerization of NLR proteins following their activation

Emerging concepts about NAIP/NLIRC4 inflammasomes

Neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein (NAIP)/NOD-like receptor (NLR) containing a caspase activating and recruitment domain (CARD) 4 (NLRC4) inflammasome complexes are activated in response to proteins from virulent bacteria that reach the cell cytosol. Specific NAIP proteins bind to the agonists and then physically associate with NLRC4 to form an inflammasome complex able to recruit and activate pro-caspase-1. NAIP5 and NAIP6 sense flagellin, component of flagella from motile bacteria, whereas NAIP1 and NAIP2 detect needle and rod components from bacterial type III secretion systems, respectively. Active caspase-1 mediates the maturation and secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, 11,113 and 11,18, and is responsible for the induction of pyroptosis, a pro-inflammatory form of cell death. in addition to these well-known effector mechanisms, novel roles have been described for NAIP/NLRC4 inflammasomes, such as phagosomal maturation, activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase, regulation of autophagy, secretion of inflammatory mediators, antibody production, activation of T cells, among others. These effector mechanisms mediated by NAIP/NLRC4 inflammasomes have been extensively studied in the context of resistance of infections and the potential of their agonists has been exploited in therapeutic strategies to non-infectious pathologies, such as tumor protection. Thus, this review will discuss current knowledge about the activation of NAIP/NLRC4 inflammasomes and their effector mechanisms.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)INCTVUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Ctr Terapia Celulare & Mol CTC Mol, BR-04044010 São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, BR-04044010 São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Ctr Terapia Celulare & Mol CTC Mol, BR-04044010 São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, BR-04044010 São Paulo, SP, BrazilFAPESP: 2013/16010-5Web of Scienc