The Concept of Mind and its Relationship with the Body and Consciousness: a Perspective from Severino's Indication

Science conceives the mind as any object of reality to be studied and characterized and hence the ageold problem of the relationship with the body: the bodymind problem. According to a Severinian philosophical perspective, the mind is instead a meaning that appears and not only appears but constitutes itself the dimension in which things appear. Thepaper aims to clarify the bodymnd relationship in the light of Severino’s indication

PENGARUH KEPEMIMPINAN DAN DISIPLIN KERJA TERHADAP KINERJA KARYAWAN DIVISI OPERASIONAL PT BINA FAJAR ESTETIKA (TUNEECA)

ABSTRAKSI Penelitian ini berjudul Pengaruh Kepemimpinan dan Disiplin Kerja terhadap Kinerja Karyawan Divisi Operasional PT. Bina Fajar Estetika (Tuneeca), Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis pengaruh kepemimpinan dan disiplin kerja terhadap kinerja karyawan baik secara simultan maupun parsial di Divisi Operasional PT. Bina Fajar Estetika (Tuneeca). Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah penelitian lapangan (field research) dan penelitian kepustakaan (library research). Dalam menentukan sampelnya peneliti menggunakan teknik sampel jenuh ini karena semua anggota populasi digunakan sebagai sampel, sampel dalam penelitian ini sebanyak 52 responden. Skala yang digunakan adalah likert. Hasil penelitian pengaruh kepemimpinan dan disiplin kerja terhadap karyawan di divisi operasional PT. Bina Fajar Estetika (Tuneeca) adalah 51,60%, sisanya dipengaruhi oleh variable lain. Kata kunci: Kepemimpinan, Disiplin Kerja, dan Kinerja Karyawan

Characterization of Genes Required for Preimplantation Embryo Development

Preimplantation embryo development in the mouse is a time of rapid cellular morphological and molecular changes leading to embryo implantation for the generation of offspring. The Mager lab studies these events occuring between fertilization and implantation in order to better understand the initial events which set the stage for all future aspects of development. The result of this research impacts many scientific disciplines including in-vitro based means of embryo culture, establishment of epigenetic marks, differentiation and cellular reprogramming and can be used in translational research for the improvement of in-vitro culture techniques and develop novel therapies such as cell replacement in the case of macular degeneration (Bin, L., 2009). Through the use of in-vitro embryo culture, RNA interference (RNAi) approaches and daily observations, gene function required in preimplantation embryo development can be determined. In the initial published body of work evaluating gene knockdown using our RNAi approach (Maserati M 2011), WDR74 was characterized in preimplantation embryo development. We now understand that WDR74 is implicated in RNA production and/or stability as gene knockdown at the 1 cell stage significantly depletes mRNA within the embryo by the morula stage. Furthermore, double knockdown of Trp53 and Wdr74 results in a partial rescue of blastocyst formation suggesting p53 mediated apoptosis in the failure to make a blastocyst phenotype. The initial characterization of 4 RNA processing genes (SF3b14, SF3b1/SAP155, Rpl7l1 and Rrp7a) required for blastocyst formation was later evaluated. The results of this work has been submitted for publication and will be published soon in the journal Zygote. SF3b14 and SF3b1, identified as being part of the splicesome complex, disproportionally contributes to gene transcription of those genes containing more than 1 exon verifying a role in RNA splicing. Rpl7l1, identified by GO terms as a possible ribosomal gene, was found to be present in the cytoplasm and, surprisingly, in the nucleus. It is surmised this gene influences polymerase 2 activity as Rpl7l1 gene knockdown embryos demonstrate reduced active polymerase 2 activity at the morula stage. Rrp7a was identified as being critical in blastocyst formation and is present in the cytoplasm while excluded from the nucleus. Based on location and GO terms, this suggests a role in translation. Taken together, these 4 genes act in 3 different ways impacting RNA production, splicing or translation promoting blastocyst formation in the mouse. The final gene evaluated in this work was Bcl-6 corepressor (Bcor). As opposed to our previous work with RNA processing factors, this gene knockdown does not result in a failure to make a blastocyst. Bcor knockdown increases the rate of physiologically normal blastocysts in both murine and bovine models. Although further characterization must be done, temporary Bcor gene knockdown might be a useful improvement of in-vitro embryo culture systems including murine, bovine, equine and possibly even human. This manuscript is divided into 4 chapters, the first of which is a review of preimplantation embryo development. This covers selected and relevant events between fertilization and just before implantation of the embryo into the uterus. I mainly focus on events after fertilization and the necessary changes required for zygotic genome transcription and lineage specification. The second chapter characterizes WDR74, a gene we identified as critical in the formation of a blastocyst in a reverse genetic screen. As state before, we assess WDR74 function with the developing embryo and conclude the protein plays a role in RNA production and/or stability of RNA transcripts. We also test to rescue blastocyst formation in WDR74 knockdown embryos in an attempt to further evaluate WDR74 function. We continue the characterization of genes whose temporary reduction causes the failure of blastocyst formation in the third chapter. Here we report on four additional RNA processing genes in a body of work which has been published in the journal Zygote. Since these genes contained similar GO terms, we assumed they may all function in a similar way so they were assayed together as a group. As function of these genes were unknown, we determined protein localization within the cell, function in RNA splicing, alternative splicing and to determine if the failure to make a blastocyst is due to lineage specification. In the final chapter, BCOR gene expression is characterized in preimplantation embryo development as in the former 2 chapters. However, the result of this gene knockdown does not lead to the failure to make a blastocyst, rather this improves the number of blastocysts formed during the correct physiological time; the same time that blastocysts form invivo. Undoubtedly, this could lead to possible commercial applications which are reviewed along with the preliminary data we have been able to collect thus far. Specifically, the continuation of the BCOR gene knockdown research in preimplantation embryo development is pitched in the form of academic and international business collaboration with InvitroBrasil for the production of cloned bovine, equine and ICSI in equine

Exciton self-trapping causes picoseconds recombination in metal-organic chalcogenides hybrid quantum wells

Metal-organic species can be designed to self-assemble in large-scale, atomically defined, supramolecular architectures. Hybrid quantum wells, where inorganic two-dimensional (2D) planes are separated by organic ligands, are a particular example. The ligands effectively provide an intralayer confinement for charge carriers resulting in a 2D electronic structure, even in multilayered assemblies. Air-stable metal organic chalcogenides hybrid quantum wells have recently been found to host tightly bound 2D excitons with strong optical anisotropy in a bulk matrix. Here, we investigate the excited carrier dynamics in the prototypical metal organic chalcogenide [AgSePh], disentangling three excitonic resonances by low temperature transient absorption spectroscopy. Our analysis suggests a complex relaxation cascade comprising ultrafast screening and renormalization, inter-exciton relaxation, and self-trapping of excitons within few picoseconds. The ps-decay provided by the self-trapping mechanism may be leveraged to unlock the material's potential for ultrafast optoelectronic applications

Salmonella’s Desiccation Survival and Thermal Tolerance: Genetic, Physiological, and Metabolic Factors

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. July 2017. Major: Food Science. Advisors: Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, Ryan Fink. 1 computer file (PDF); xi, 265 pages.Salmonella can survive for long periods under extreme desiccation and low water activity conditions (aw < 0.6) while becoming tolerant to heat. This stress tolerance poses a risk for food safety, but relatively little is known about the molecular and cellular processes involved in this adaptation mechanism and its potential for cross-protection. This dissertation consists of three distinct studies focused on elucidating this mechanism. The objective of the first study was to identify the genes involved in Salmonella’s resistance to desiccation. A global transcriptomic analysis comparing S. enterica serovar Typhimurium cells equilibrated to low aw (aw 0.11) and cells equilibrated to high aw (aw 1.0) determined that 719 genes (16% of the total number of genes in the genome) were differentially expressed between the two conditions. The genes that were up-regulated at aw 0.11 (290) were mostly involved in metabolic pathways, DNA replication/repair, regulation of transcription and translation, and virulence. Based on the transcriptomic analysis, we created deletion mutants for two virulence genes, sseD and sopD, and tested their ability to survive desiccation and low aw on glass beads. The two mutants exhibited significant cell viability reductions after desiccation compared to the wild-type and additional decrease after exposure to aw 0.11 for 7 days. Under scanning electron microscopy, the mutants displayed a different cell morphology and extracellular matrix production when compared to the wild-type under the same conditions. The findings of this study suggested that sopD and sseD are required for Salmonella’s survival during desiccation. The objective of the second study was to determine the effect of food and inert matrices, nutrient availability, and growth conditions on desiccation survival and thermal tolerance of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium. Salmonella was grown in LBglc and M9 media, in the presence or absence of EDTA and dipyridyl. Cultures were inoculated on toasted oat cereal (TOC) or glass beads, dried, and equilibrated for a week at aw 0.11 and 1.0, before being thermally treated at 75, 85, 90, and 95oC. For all growth conditions and temperatures tested, cells exposed to aw 0.11 had inactivation rates (δ-values) at least 10-fold longer than cells equilibrated at aw 1.0. Our results showed that growth in the presence of EDTA or Dipyridyl did not have any effect on Salmonella’s thermal tolerance at either aw on TOC. In control conditions, recovery after drying and thermal tolerance was higher on TOC than on glass beads, suggesting that the food matrix was protective for desiccation and thermal treatment. Growth in M9 resulted in lower survival to drying and exposure to low aw on glass beads, compared to LBglc. On the contrary, thermal tolerance increased in cells grown in M9 compared to LBglc at both aw. Cells grown in LBglc and M9 displayed differences in the production of extracellular matrix, in particular during equilibration to aw 0.11 and after thermal treatment at both aw. Additionally, when Salmonella was grown on glass beads in LBglc as biofilm, the thermal tolerance was greater than free cells dried on beads. Our observations suggest that the presence of nutrients during growth and before exposure to desiccation and thermal treatment influenced Salmonella’s ability to survive desiccation and develop thermal tolerance. The objective of the third study was to identify proteins involved in Salmonella’s resistance to desiccation and thermal treatment using iTRAQ. Proteins were extracted from S. enterica servorar Typhimurium cells dried, equilibrated at high aw (1.0) and low aw (0.11), and thermally treated at 75°C. Our analysis determined that 734 proteins were differentially expressed among samples, and of these 175 proteins were the most significant in determining differences in the proteomic profiles among treatments. Based on their proteomic expression profiles, the samples were clustered in two main groups by PCA analysis, “dry” samples and “wet” samples, while we did not observe significant differences between the thermally treated samples and the non-heated samples, at both aw. Protein profiles indicated shifts in cell metabolism in both samples, as well as a strict regulation of DNA repair, replication, transcription, and translation. “Dry” samples had higher levels of 50S and 30S ribosomal proteins, indicating that ribosomal proteins might be important for extra-ribosomal regulation of cellular response even when the synthesis of proteins is slowed down. Stress response proteins were more frequently present in “wet” samples compared to “dry” samples, including SspA, GorA, and Dps, suggesting that “wet” cells were activating stress systems in response to rehydration. In conclusion, our study indicated that pre-adaptation to dry conditions was linked to increased thermal tolerance, while reversion from a dry state into a wet state implied a significant change in protein expression that is linked with reduced thermal tolerance

Dal 1937 al 2016: il cambiamento della figura della Principessa Disney, da Biancaneve a Vaiana

La tradizione vuole che le protagoniste dei cartoni animati Disney più amati dalle bambine di tutto il mondo siano le principesse. Si parla di figure femminili che lasciano trasparire stereotipi comuni. Cresciamo con un’idea di amore perfetto che dipende sempre dalla figura del principe azzurro che deve salvarci. Si pensi ai primi cartoni Disney di Biancaneve e i sette nani, Cenerentola o della Bella addormentata nel bosco, rispettivamente degli anni 1937, 1950 e 1959, dove le tre principesse si innamorano a prima vista di un principe perfetto e irraggiungibile che deve salvarle. Con il passare dei decenni, fino ad arrivare ai giorni nostri però, vediamo un cambiamento notevole in questa figura. Già dalla Sirenetta del 1989 e da La bella e la bestia del 1991 vediamo che i ruoli cominciano a ribaltarsi: in questi due casi infatti, sono le figure femminili ad agire per raggiungere o salvare il principe. Nonostante Ariel e Belle agiscano sempre e comunque in funzione della figura maschile, è già un passo verso il cambiamento più radicale che vediamo nei cartoni prodotti dal 2000 in poi. Si analizzino per esempio le figure di Tiana in La principessa e il ranocchio del 2009, di Rapunzel in Rapunzel del 2011, di Merida in Ribelle-The Brave del 2012, di Elsa e Anna in Frozen-il Regno di Ghiaccio del 2013 e quella di Vaiana in Oceania del 2016. In questi cinque cartoni, le sei protagoniste agiranno e combatteranno per raggiungere i loro scopi e salvare le loro terre senza però pensare a quell’amore ideale per un principe, che giustamente non scompare, ma passa in secondo piano

PROMOVIMENTO DELLA PICCOLA INDUSTRIA E ISTRUZIONE PROFESSIONALE IN ISTRIA TRA FINE \u27800 E PRIMO \u27900

Negli anni tra fine \u27800 e inizio \u27900 l\u27attivazione nelle province dell\u27Austria di istituti per il promovimento delle piccole industrie e di cattedre ambulanti per l\u27aggiornamento professionale di capi d\u27 arte e lavoranti allineava questo specifico settore dell\u27ordinamento austriaco a quello più avanzato della Germania, peraltro tradizionale modello per i governanti di Vienna. L\u27 Istria si avvantaggiò tardivamente delle possibilità offerte dalle nuove disposizioni e nell\u27attuarle ebbe come punto di riferimento Trieste, a cui si unì per costituire nel 1904 un comune istituto per il promovimento delle piccole industrie e organizzare corsi d\u27istruzione professionale.U sklopu toliko neprezaljene i mitizirane efikasnosti administracije i funkcionalnosti javnih ustanova Habsbur~ke Monarhije, isticu se neke poznate licnosti industrijskog uredenja, te onog ~kolskog, Ciji je utjecaj na pokrajinoskoj razini malo proucavan, pogotovo u lstri, iako nije manjkala bogata i detaljna arhivska dokumentacija. To se posebno odnosi na institute za promidzbu malih industrija, te na pomicne katedre obrazovanja za profesionalno usavr~avanje, stvorena u raznim pokrajinama Monarhije veé u zadnjim godinama 19. st., nastojanjima Ministarstva trgovine (kompetentnog za to podrucje, dok i sto nije potpalo pod nadzor novonastalog Ministarstva za javne radove 1908. god.). Istarski Sabor u Porecu i Trgovacka Komora za Istru u Rovinju zajednicki su donijeli odluku s istoimenim institucijama iz Trsta o stvaranju jednog zajednickog instituta, u cilju promicanja malih industrija, koji je slijedeée godine organizirao pokretne tecaje profesionalnog usavr~avanja za strucne kadrove i radnike u istarskim gradiéima, kao i u glavnom gradu regije. Druge funkcije kojima je bio zaduzen ovaj institut sastojale su se od dodjele kredita i strojeva poduzeéima, te konsorcijima poduzeéa; od pomoéi prilikom osnivanja takvih poduzeéa i udruzenja; od pokretanja ureda besplatnog tehnickog savjetovanja i pokretne biblioteke, kao potpore samim profesionalnim tecajevima; od postavljanja izlozba radova ucenika u privredi i strojeva korisnih lokalnoj produkciji. Ali posebno se zeljelo svratiti paznju na ~ iroku zastupljenost pokretnih tecajeva usavr~avanja koji u Istri organizirani pocev~i od 1909. god. u uskoj vezi s Drzavnom obrtnickom ~kolom iz Trsta, odakle je morao biti i najveéi broj nastavnika. Kako bi ponudili prikaz ustrojstva industrijskog obrazovanja morali smo krenuti sa 80-tim godinama pro~log stoljeéa s namjerom da odredimo moguéi pravac prema kojem éemo usmjeriti odredenija i daljnja istrazivanja

Implementasi Bas Relief Menggunakan gradien citra dan alpha blending untuk pengenalan obyek

Bas Relief adalah gambar timbul atau relief yang memiliki ketinggian lebih rendah dibandingkan relief jenis lainnya. Bas relief mempunyai banyak kegunaan salah satunya dapat dijadikan alat pengenalan objek. Namun, belum banyak aplikasi pemodelan bas relief yang ada dan mudah digunakan. Selain itu kebanyakan generator bas relief menggunakan input dari model tiga dimensi. Tugas akhir ini mengimplementasikan pemodelan bas relief menggunakan Intuitive style yang memungkinkan pengguna mengatur ketinggian dan banyak detail dari model tiga dimensi bas relief yang dibuat. Input pada program ini merupakan gambar 2 dimensi berekstensi png. Pada gambar dua dimensi dilakukan perhitungan gradien dan overlayering menggunakan algoritma alpha blending. Hasil gradien digunakan untuk menurunkan ketinggian dari background sedangkan hasil overlayering digunakan untuk memperkirakan ketinggian dan detail dari objek dalam gambar. Kemudian model bas relief dibentuk menggunakan triangle mesh dan disimpan ke dalam sebuah file berekstensi obj. Uji coba dilakukan menggunakan 3 citra input yang dibentuk menjadi 20 model tiga dimensi bas relief. Kemudian dilakukan survey kepada 87 responden. Survey dilakukan untuk menentukan background (sejajar dengan foreground atau lebih rendah), tepian (landai atau curam), nilai skala (5, 20, 30, 40, 50) dan nilai sigma(1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Hasil survey menunjukkan bahwa bas relief yang memiliki background lebih rendah dari foreground lebih banyak dipilih oleh responden dengan persentase 81,99% ,sedangkan tepi objek yang landai lebih banyak dipilih dari tepi curam dengan persentase 59,77%, nilai skala 30 paling banyak dipilih dengan persentase 35,63% dan nilai sigma 1 paling banyak dipilih dengan persentase 54,02%. ======================================================================================================= Bas Relief is an embossed image or relief that has the lower altitude between other type of relief. Bas relief has many uses, one of its uses is as an object introduction tool. However, there are not many bas relief modeling applications exist and are easy to use. In addition, most of bas relief generators use three dimention model input for creating bas relief. This final project proposes a bas relief modeling using Intuitive style that allow us to adjust the height and detail of three dimentional bas relief model which created in this program. The input in this program is a 2 dimensional image with png extension. Gradient calculation and overlaying using alpha blending algorithm was done in the two-dimensional image. The gradient results is used to lower the height of the background while the overlaying result is used to estimate height and detail of objects in the image. The bas relief model then formed using triangle mesh and stored into a file with obj extention type. The experiment conducted using 3 input images formed into 20 three dimentional models of bas relief. Then we conducted a survey to 87 respondents. show that optimum bas reliefs have lower backgrounds than the foreground, sloping edges of objects, 30 for scale values to adjust the altitude and 1 for sigma values to adjust details The survey was conducted to determine the background (parallel to the foreground or lower), edge (ramps or steep), scale (5, 20, 30, 40, 50) and sigma value (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Survey results show that bas reliefs which has lower backgrounds than foreground are preferred by respondents with 81,99% percentage, whereas the sloping object edges are preferred from steep edges with 59,77% percentage, 30 is the most selected value of scale by 35,63% percentage and sigma value 1 is most preferred with 54,02% percentage