The reconfiguration of Natura and Ars in cartesian rhetoric and the epistemological reflections in the prize questions of the french academies

This article discusses the change in the relationship between natura and ars that occurred when Cartesian language theories penetrated conceptions of rhetoric in France during the 17th century. In part one, the article considers the reception of Descartes by the French universities and collèges in order to explore what I call the epistemic transfer between Aristotelianism and the new Cartesian philosophy. The focus then shifts to Bernard Lamy’s conception of rhetoric as presented in his principal work De l’art de parler (1675). Based upon the Cartesian theory of passions, Lamy’s book redefines rhetoric in a way that has been labelled in current research as a ‘grammar of affects’. The fundamentals of the ars rhetorica are thus substantially altered, however without eliminating the power of the rhetorical tradition. The third section turns to the prize contests of the French academies in the 18th century in order to show the extent to which the transformation of rhetorical theory affected the broader practice of eloquence. Moreover, the rhetorical prize contests demonstrate an explicit reflection on the diverging modes of knowledge production that are essential, on the one hand, to the exact sciences and, on the other, to the textual tradition. Particularly striking is the critique of scientific method that was developed by the defenders of rhetoric in the concours académique

Aptamer-based optical biosensors

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What affects the electoral success of female candidates? Analysis of Estonian parliamentary elections of 2015 and 2019

https://www.ester.ee/record=b5239745*es

Recovery of in-situ methanotrophic activity following acetylene inhibition

Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide (CO2). To understand CH4 cycling, quantitative information about microbial CH4 oxidation in soils is essential. Field methods such as the gas push-pull test (GPPT) to quantify CH4 oxidation are often used in combination with specific inhibitors, such as acetylene (C2H2). Acetylene irreversibly binds to the enzyme methane monooxygenase, but little is known about recovery of CH4 oxidation activity after C2H2 inhibition in situ, which is important when performing several experiments at the same location. To assess recovery of CH4 oxidation activity following C2H2 inhibition, we performed a series of GPPTs over 8 weeks at two different locations in the vadose zone above a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer in Studen, Switzerland. After 4 weeks a maximum recovery of 30% and 50% of the respective initial activity was reached, with a subsequent slight drop in activity at both locations. Likely, CH4 oxidation activity and CH4 concentrations were too low to allow for rapid recovery following C2H2 inhibition at the studied locations. Therefore, alternative competitive inhibitors have to be evaluated for application in conjunction with GPPTs, especially for sites with low activit

Recovery of in-situ methanotrophic activity following acetylene inhibition

Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide (CO2). To understand CH4 cycling, quantitative information about microbial CH4 oxidation in soils is essential. Field methods such as the gas push-pull test (GPPT) to quantify CH4 oxidation are often used in combination with specific inhibitors, such as acetylene (C2H2). Acetylene irreversibly binds to the enzyme methane monooxygenase, but little is known about recovery of CH4 oxidation activity after C2H2 inhibition in situ, which is important when performing several experiments at the same location. To assess recovery of CH4 oxidation activity following C2H2 inhibition, we performed a series of GPPTs over 8 weeks at two different locations in the vadose zone above a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer in Studen, Switzerland. After 4 weeks a maximum recovery of 30% and 50% of the respective initial activity was reached, with a subsequent slight drop in activity at both locations. Likely, CH4 oxidation activity and CH4 concentrations were too low to allow for rapid recovery following C2H2 inhibition at the studied locations. Therefore, alternative competitive inhibitors have to be evaluated for application in conjunction with GPPTs, especially for sites with low activit

Võim politoloogias: Skytte preemia laureaatide kõnede analüüs

Bakalaureusetöö eesmärgiks on võimu dimensioonidele omaste võimu esinemise tunnuste kaardistamine Skytte preemia laureaatide kõnedes. Skytte preemia pälvivad politoloogid oma silmapaistva panuse eest politoloogia arendamisse, mistõttu võimu kontseptsiooni analüüsimine nende kõnede põhjal pakub lisaks võimu enda uurimise suunal teadmise loomisele ka võimalust eristada, kas ja millised võimu elemendid on kajastatud ning olulised politoloogia auhinnatud arendajate seas. Eesmärgi täitmiseks teostati ajavahemikul 1995-2015 preemia võitnud politoloogide kõnede tekstidele sisuanalüüs ning tulemuste põhjal loodi teooriaga põhistades esilekerkivaimate koodide alusel kuus tunnust, mille kaudu oli kõnedes võimu käsitletud. Nendeks tunnusteks on pluralism kui isekorrastuv poliitika, mitteotsustusprotsess, kallutatuse mobiliseerimine (mobilization of bias), latentne konflikt, huvide loome (agenda-setting) ning sotsiaalsete normide, väärtuste ja uskumuste loome. Antud töös rakendatud analüüsi eelduseks pole konkreetsete ja üldistatavate tulemuste-sageduste esitamine – sellele seab piirid nii võimu dimensionaalne olemus, uurimismeetod kui ka analüüsi aluseks olevate kõnede sisu. Bakalaureusetöö eesmärgiks on teadmise suurendamine võimu käsitluse uurimise maastikul konkreetsete kõnede kontekstis, mis näitlikustab viisi, kuidas võimu politoloogias uurida, jättes järgmistele uurijatele võimaluse võimu uurimist teiste viiside, analüüsitavate materjalide või teooriate põhjal kujundada. Märksõnad: võim, politoloogia, Johan Skytte preemia, võimu dimensioonid, poliitilisus, politiseerimine, mittepoliitilisushttp://www.ester.ee/record=b4684029*es

Aptamer-modified nanomaterials: Principles and applications

Aptamers are promising alternative binders that can substitute antibodies in various applications. Due to the advantages of aptamers, namely their high affinity, specificity and stability, along with the benefits originating from the chemical synthesis of aptamers, they have attracted attention in various applications including their use on nanostructured material. This necessitates the immobilization of aptamers on a solid support. Since aptamer immobilization may interfere with its binding properties, the immobilization of aptamers has to be investigated and optimized. Within this review, we give general insights into the principles and factors controlling the binding affinity of immobilized aptamers. Specific features of aptamer immobilization on nanostructured surfaces and nanoparticles are highlighted and a brief overview of applications of aptamer-modified nanostructured materials is given

Digital Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification on a Commercial Membrane

In this work, we report digital loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) or reverse-transcription LAMP (RT-LAMP) on a commercial membrane, without the need for complex chip fabrication or use of specialized equipment. Due to the pore size distribution, the theoretical error for digital LAMP on these membranes was analyzed, using a combination of Random Distribution Model and Multi-volume Theory. A facile peel-off process was developed for effective droplets formation on the commercial track-etched polycarbonate (PCTE) membrane. Each pore functions as an individual nanoreactor for single DNA amplification. Absolute quantification of bacteria genomic DNA was realized with a dynamic range from 11 to 1.1 105 copies/µL. One-step digital RT-LAMP was also successfully performed on the membrane for the quantification of MS2 virus in wastewater. With the introduction of new probes, the positive pores can be easily distinguished from negative ones with 100 times difference in fluorescence intensities. Finally, the cost of a disposable membrane is less than $0.1/piece, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the most inexpensive way to perform digital LAMP. The membrane system offers opportunities for point-of-care users or common laboratories to perform digital quantification, single cell analysis, or other bioassays in an inexpensive, flexible and simplified way

Whole-cell detection of live lactobacillus acidophilus on aptamer-decorated porous silicon biosensors

This work describes the design of optical aptamer-based porous silicon (PSi) biosensors for the direct capture of Lactobacillus acidophilus. Aptamers are oligonucleotides (single-stranded DNA or RNA) that can bind their targets with high affinity and specificity, making them excellent recognition elements for biosensing applications. Herein, aptamer Hemag1P, which specifically targets the important probiotic L. acidophilus, was utilized for direct bacteria capture onto oxidized PSi Fabry-Perot thin films. Monitoring changes in the reflectivity spectrum (using reflective interferometric Fourier transform spectroscopy) allows for bacteria detection in a label-free, simple and rapid manner. The performance of the biosensor was optimized by tuning the PSi nanostructure, its optical properties, as well as the immobilization density of the aptamer. We demonstrate the high selectivity and specificity of this simple "direct-capture" biosensing scheme and show its ability to distinguish between live and dead bacteria. The resulting biosensor presents a robust and rapid method for the specific detection of live L. acidophilus at concentrations relevant for probiotic products and as low as 10(6) cells per mL. Rapid monitoring of probiotic bacteria is crucial for quality, purity and safety control as the use of probiotics in functional foods and pharmaceuticals is becoming increasingly popular.DFG/CHE 279/32-