552 research outputs found
What can polysemy tell us about theories of explanation?
Philosophical accounts of scientific explanation are broadly divided into ontic and epistemic views. This paper explores the idea that the lexical ambiguity of the verb to explain and its nominalisation supports an ontic conception of explanation. I analyse one argument which challenges this strategy by criticising the claim that explanatory talk is lexically ambiguous, 375â394, 2012). I propose that the linguistic mechanism of transfer of meaning, 109â132, 1995) provides a better account of the lexical alternations that figure in the systematic polysemy of explanatory talk, and evaluate the implications of this proposal for the debate between ontic and epistemic conceptions of scientific explanation
Genetic analysis of heptad-repeat regions in the G2 fusion subunit of the JunĂn arenavirus envelope glycoprotein
The G2 fusion subunit of the JunĂn virus envelope glycoprotein GP-C contains two hydrophobic heptad-repeat regions that are postulated to form a six-helix bundle structure required for the membrane fusion activity of Class I viral fusion proteins. We have investigated the role of these heptad-repeat regions and, specifically, the importance of the putative interhelical a and d position sidechains by using alanine-scanning mutagenesis. All the mutant glycoproteins were expressed and transported to the cell surface. Proteolytic maturation at the subtilisin kexin isozyme-1/site-1-protease (SKI-1/S1P) cleavage site was observed in all but two of the mutants. Among the adequately cleaved mutant glycoproteins, four positions in the N-terminal region (I333, L336, L347 and L350) and two positions in the C-terminal region (R392 and W395) were shown to be important determinants of cell-cell fusion. Taken together, our results indicate that α-helical coiled-coil structures are likely critical in promoting arenavirus membrane fusion. These findings support the inclusion of the arenavirus GP-C among the Class I viral fusion proteins and suggest pharmacologic and immunologic strategies for targeting arenavirus infection and hemorrhagic fever.Instituto de Biotecnologia y Biologia Molecula
Pentaquarks in the Jaffe-Wilczek approximation
The masses of , and pentaquarks are
evaluated in a framework of both the Effective Hamiltonian approach to QCD and
spinless Salpeter using the Jaffe--Wilczek diquark approximation and the string
interaction for the diquark--diquark--antiquark system. The pentaquark masses
are found to be in the region above 2 GeV. That indicates that the Goldstone
boson exchange effects may play an important role in the light pentaquarks. The
same calculations yield the mass of pentaquark 3250 MeV
and pentaquark 6509 MeV.Comment: 14 pages, 2 tables, LaTeX2e. References correcte
Baryon spectra with instanton induced forces
Except the vibrational excitations of and mesons, the main features
of spectra of mesons composed of quarks , , and can be quite well
described by a semirelativistic potential model including instanton induced
forces. The spectra of baryons composed of the same quarks is studied using the
same model. The results and the limitations of this approach are described.
Some possible improvements are suggested.Comment: 5 figure
Can minimalism about truth embrace polysemy?
Paul Horwich is aware of the fact that his theory as stated in his works is directly applicable only to a language in which a word, understood as a syntactic type, is connected with exactly one literal meaning. Yet he claims that the theory is expandable to include homonymy and indexicality and thus may be considered as applicable to natural language. My concern in this paper is with yet another kind of ambiguity - systematic polysemy - that assigns multiple meanings to one linguistic type. I want to combine the characteristics of systematic polysemy with the Kaplanian insight that meanings of expressions may be defined by semantic rules which assign content in context and to ask the question if minimalism about truth and meaning is compatible with such rule-based systematic polysemy. I will first explain why the expressions that exhibit rule-based systematic polysemy are difficult to combine with a truth theory that is based on a use theory of meaning before proceeding to argue that indexicals and proper names are such expressions
Genealogies of Slavery
This chapter addresses the concept of slavery, exploring its character and significance as a dark page in history, but also as a specifically criminological and zemiological problem, in the context of international law and human rights. By tracing the ambiguities of slavery in international law and international development, the harms associated with slavery are considered. Harms include both those statutorily proscribed, and those that are not, but that can still be regarded as socially destructive. Traditionally, antislavery has been considered within the parameters of abolition and criminalization. In this context recently, anti-trafficking has emerged as a key issue in contemporary anti-slavery work. While valuable, anti-trafficking is shown to have significant limitations. It advances criminalization and stigmatization of the most vulnerable and further perpetuates harm. At the same time, it identifies structural conditions like poverty, vulnerability, and âunfreedomâ of movement only to put them aside. Linked to exploitation, violence and zemia, the chapter brings to the fore some crucial questions concerning the prospects of systemic theory in the investigation of slavery, that highlight the root causes of slavery, primarily poverty and inequality. Therefore, the chapter counterposes an alternative approach in which the orienting target is not abolition of slavery but advancing structural changes against social harm
E-readers and the death of the book: or, new media and the myth of the disappearing medium
The recent emergence of e-readers and e-books has b
rought the death of the book to the centre of
current debates on new media. In this article, we a
nalyse alternative narratives that surround the
possibility of the disappearance of print books, do
minated by fetishism, fears about the end of
humanism, and ideas of techno-fundamentalist progre
ss. We argue that, in order to comprehend
such narratives, we need to inscribe them in the br
oader history of media. The emergence of new
media, in fact, has often been accompanied by narra
tives about the possible disappearance of
older media: the introduction of television, for in
stance, inspired claims about the forthcoming
death of film and radio. As a recurrent narrative s
haping the reception of media innovation, the
myth of the disappearing medium helps us to make se
nse of the transformations that media
change provokes in our everyday life
Accuracy of Auxiliary Field Approach for Baryons
We provide a check of the accuracy of the auxiliary field formalism used to
derive the Effective Hamiltonian for baryons in the Field Correlator Method. To
this end we compare the solutions for the Effective Hamiltonian with those
obtained from the solution of the Salpeter equation. Comparing these results
gives a first estimate of the systematic uncertainty due to the use of the
auxiliary field formalism for baryons.Comment: 6 pages, 2 tables; published versio
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