Appearance of Subjectivity

The authors attempt to outline an ontological perspective different from the mainstream materialistic ontology. Some aspects of this perspective can be found in the works of eminent philosophers of the past, such as Husserl or Hegel. The authors, however, point out a systematic methodological mistake earlier thinkers made concerning the notion of the Other. The Other is the key factor in the development of consciousness and subjectivity, and this paper seeks to show how the Other moulds and creates subjectivity out of a biological man. Human identity arises in two steps: ontological identity is  created first, from which empirical identity grows, culminating in consciousness and personality. It was logical for philosophical consciousness to contemplate subjectivity which is not yet formed. Tabula rasa is a  biological man, but that structure will not become a human subjectivity if it  does not dwell with other subjectivities. The Other is not simply another Self. There is no elementary sensation to inform a biological organism of the state in which it finds itself; it is a kind of a physical unity for the emerging  consciousness, but in itself it is not yet ready to perceive and act according to it at this stage. Without the influence of the Other, a human organism will never become Self. This unifying perception of the Other depicts an original encounter where there is also fascination. But fascination turns into  frustration when the Other disappears or exits the focused perceptual field. This process of perceptual addition and dissolution is repeated, creating a change in what can be called the game of presence and absence. With the departure of the Other, the cause of the focus goes away, but what remains  is its trace — the attention that is now left to wonder. Attention left without  its source is only to itself and is directed to itself because this is the only direction that remains. Subjectivity, once symbolised by a circle, finally takes the form of a torus in whose interior hole resides the trace of the Other. With  the entry of multiple Others into the relationship, primarily through speech, meanings acquire solid aspects introducing the law of symbolic order. This stabilisation of meanings frees uninitiated subjectivity, by which  one truly enters the field of freedom opening that of ethics. The authors’ point is that accounting for the notion of external world, one should consider the Other first, and only after that simple otherness

ZnSe/GaAs(001) heterostructures with defected interfaces: structural, thermodynamic and electronic properties

We have performed accurate \emph{ab--initio} pseudopotential calculations for the structural and electronic properties of ZnSe/GaAs(001) heterostructures with interface configurations accounting for charge neutrality prescriptions. Beside the simplest configurations with atomic interdiffusion we consider also some configurations characterized by As depletion and cation vacancies, motivated by the recent successfull growth of ZnSe/GaAs pseudomorphic structures with minimum stacking fault density characterized by the presence of a defected (Zn,Ga)Se alloy in the interface region. We find that--under particular thermodynamic conditions--some defected configurations are favoured with respect to undefected ones with simple anion or cation mixing, and that the calculated band offsets for some defected structures are compatible with those measured. Although it is not possible to extract indications about the precise interface composition and vacancy concentration, our results support the experimental indication of (Zn,Ga)Se defected compounds in high-quality ZnSe/GaAs(001) heterojunctions with low native stacking fault density. The range of measured band offset suggests that different atoms at interfaces rearrange, with possible presence of vacancies, in such a way that not only local charges but also ionic dipoles are vanishing.Comment: 26 pages. 5 figures, revised version, in press (Physical Review B

Chronic alcohol ingestion exacerbates skeletal muscle myopathy in HIV-1 transgenic rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Separately, chronic alcohol ingestion and HIV-1 infection are associated with severe skeletal muscle derangements, including atrophy and wasting, weakness, and fatigue. One prospective cohort study reported that 41% of HIV-infected patients met the criteria for alcoholism, however; few reports exist on the co-morbid effects of these two disease processes on skeletal muscle homeostasis. Thus, we analyzed the atrophic effects of chronic alcohol ingestion in HIV-1 transgenic rats and identified alterations to several catabolic and anabolic factors.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Relative plantaris mass, total protein content, and fiber cross-sectional area were reduced in each experimental group compared to healthy, control-fed rats. Alcohol abuse further reduced plantaris fiber area in HIV-1 transgenic rats. Consistent with previous reports, gene levels of myostatin and its receptor activin IIB were not increased in HIV-1 transgenic rat muscle. However, myostatin and activin IIB were induced in healthy and HIV-1 transgenic rats fed alcohol for 12 weeks. Catabolic signaling factors such as TGFβ₁, TNFα, and phospho-p38/total-p38 were increased in all groups compared to controls. There was no effect on IL-6, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1), or ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) in control-fed, transgenic rats. However, the co-morbidity of chronic alcohol abuse and HIV-1-related protein expression decreased expression of the two anabolic factors, CT-1 and CNTF.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Consistent with previous reports, alcohol abuse accentuated skeletal muscle atrophy in an animal model of HIV/AIDS. While some catabolic pathways known to drive alcoholic or HIV-1-associated myopathies were also elevated in this co-morbid model (e.g., TGFβ₁), consistent expression patterns were not apparent. Thus, specific alterations to signaling mechanisms such as the induction of the myostatin/activin IIB system or reductions in growth factor signaling via CT-1- and CNTF-dependent mechanisms may play larger roles in the regulation of muscle mass in alcoholic, HIV-1 models.</p

Resonant spin-dependent electron coupling in a III-V/II-VI heterovalent double quantum well

We report on design, fabrication, and magnetooptical studies of a III-V/II-VI hybrid structure containing a GaAs/AlGaAs/ZnSe/ZnCdMnSe double quantum well (QW). The structure design allows one to tune the QW levels into the resonance, thus facilitating penetration of the electron wave function from the diluted magnetic semiconductor ZnCdMnSe QW into the nonmagnetic GaAs QW and vice versa. Magneto-photoluminescence studies demonstrate level anticrossing and strong intermixing resulting in a drastic renormalization of the electron effective g factor, in perfect agreement with the energy level calculations.Comment: 4 pages, 5 Postscript figures, uses revtex

Fire analysis of steel frames with the use of artificial neural networks

The paper presents an alternative approach to the modelling of the mechanical behaviour of steel frame material when exposed to the high temperatures expected in fires. Based on a series of stress-strain curves obtained experimentally for various temperature levels, an artificial neural network (ANN) is employed in the material modelling of steel. Geometrically and materially, a non-linear analysis of plane frame structures subjected to fire is performed by FEM. The numerical results of a simply supported beam are compared with our measurements, and show a good agreement, although the temperature-displacement curves exhibit rather irregular shapes. It can be concluded that ANN is an efficient tool for modelling the material properties of steel frames in fire engineering design studies. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Effects of a cooling vest with sham condition on walking capacity in heat-sensitive people with Multiple Sclerosis

Purpose: Heat sensitivity is a common contraindication in people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS), and physical fatigue is one of the most frequently reported symptoms that can affect quality of life. Increases in body temperature may exacerbate fatigue and heat-related symptoms. Decreasing body temperature via cooling devices may mitigate disease symptoms and improve physical abilities and quality of life. This study evaluates the effects of a cooling vest with sham condition on walking capacity using a commercially-available cooling vest specifically designed for pwMS. Methods: A counter-balanced, cross-over design was used to assess the effects of a cooling vest (CryoVest Comfort, CryoInnov, France) (COLD) from a menthol-induced sham condition (CON) on ground walking time to exhaustion (Tex, s) and distance at exhaustion (Dex, m) in ambulatory pwMS. Secondary outcomes were heart rate (HR, bpm), thermal sensation (Tsens), skin chest (Tchest) and back (Tback) temperature. Results: Ten females with Multiple Sclerosis (59 \ub1 9\ua0years, EDSS 3.0\u20135.5) participated to the study. During COLD, pwMS walked significantly longer (1896 \ub1 602 vs. 1399 \ub1 404\ua0s, p < 0.001) and farther (1879 \ub1 539 vs. 1302 \ub1 318\ua0m, p < 0.001) than CON. Importantly, Tsens and HR at exhaustion were not significantly different between conditions, although Tchest ( 12\ua02.7 \ub1 1.8\ua0\ub0C, p < 0.01) and Tback ( 12\ua03.9 \ub1 1.8\ua0\ub0C, p < 0.001) were lower at volitional fatigue during COLD. Conclusion: The lightweight cooling vest improved total walking time and distance in heat-sensitive pwMS. These physiological improvements were likely due to feeling perceptually cooler in the COLD trial, compared to the corresponding point of fatigue in the CON condition

Pediatric diabetes training for healthcare professionals in Europe: Time for change.

BACKGROUND: Training for healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Europe who care for children and young people (CYP) with type 1 diabetes and their families is variable depending on the country. Building on the work of SWEET (Better control in Pediatric and Adolescent diabeteS: Working to crEate CEnTers of Reference) and using the German Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs) curriculum, a European collaboration of pediatric diabetes experts aimed to (1) establish current core elements that should be included in a pediatric diabetes education training course and (2) create a template for a European CDE's training curriculum. METHODS: A qualitative methodology incorporating a survey questionnaire, focus group discussions, individual semi-structured interviews and workshops was employed to explore participants' experiences and opinions. HCPs-pediatric consultants, diabetes nurses, dietitians and psychologists, national and local diabetes leads, academic and education leads and children, and young people with diabetes and families took part in the study. The total number of participants equaled 186. RESULTS: A template for a European Certified Diabetes Educator Curriculum (EU-CDEC) was developed based on the themes that emerged from the participants' expertise and experiences. This provides a model for HCPs' pediatric diabetes training provision. CONCLUSIONS: There is a severe shortage of high quality, standardized training for HCPs across the majority of European countries. Lack of trained HCPs for CYP with diabetes will result in the delivery of suboptimal care and impact on health, wellbeing and clinical and psychological outcomes. The EU-CDEC template can be used to increase access to high quality training provision for all HCPs across Europe and worldwide

The influence of LiF layer abd ZnO nanoparticels addings on the performances of flexible photovoltaic cells based on polymer blends

International audienceFlexible organic solar cells were successfully prepared using spin-coating technique on PET substrates covered with a thick layer of ITO. The goal of this study is to identify the effects of the LiF layer and ZnO nanoparticles mixing in PEDOT:PSS solution and to compare the photovoltaic properties of these „customized” cells PET/ITO/PEDOT:PSS + ZnO nanoparticles/P3HT:PCBM(1:1)/Al, PET/ITO/PEDOT:PSS + ZnO nanoparticles/P3HT:PCBM(1:1)/LiF/Al, with ones of the “conventional” structures, PET/ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM(1:1)/Al. The thickness of the LiF layer, deposited by thermal vacuum evaporation, was two nanometers. Composite samples were prepared by adding ZnO nanoparticles into PEDOT:PSS solution, followed by ultrasonication. I-V characteristics were measured in dark and under A.M.1.5 conditions for all samples immediately and after one month from the preparation date. The action spectra measurements revealed that the structures which have a nanometric LiF layer are more stable than those without. Photoelectrical measurements indicate that the ZnO nanoparticles have a positive influence on the conversion efficiency and also to reduce the serial resistance of the structure

A Description of Clinician Reported Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes and Other Non-Type 1 Diabetes Included in a Large International Multicentered Pediatric Diabetes Registry (SWEET)

Although type 1 diabetes (T1D) remains the most frequent form of diabetes in individuals aged less than 20 years at onset, other forms of diabetes are being increasingly recognized.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio