2,126 research outputs found
Clarifying the concept of disease: how science determines the biologically normal from the abnormal
No full textThis is an investigation of the modern concept of disease and an explication of the concept consistent with scientific and medical usage. The core notion involved in the modern concept of disease (taken broadly as pathology) is biological abnormality in form or function, for a circumscribed biological system, contrasted against a theoretical sense of normal form or function. Chapter 2 presents an overview of science, its products and how these are produced. This sketch is limited and intended only to clarify my own view of science in as far as this is important for the main thesis. Chapter 3 discusses the concepts of normality and abnormality, particularly as it is used in biomedical science. I argue that science offers a theoretical sense of abnormality importantly different from statistical or conventional senses of abnormality. Chapter 4 begins with an examination of the normativist /naturalist debate on the concept of disease. I then offer my explication of disease and the criteria necessary for a disease claim to be legitimate. Chapter 4 closes with an extended discussion of interesting and controversial examples of disease claims aimed at clarifying and challenging my own position.Item withdrawn by Mark Zulauf ([email protected]) on 2011-11-22T18:59:34Z
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University of Illinois Theses & Dissertations (ID: 1)
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Zech PhD thesis 11-20-11 V2-1.docx: 366365 bytes, checksum: 6f3ad492ed2602ee3f42f74311d1a60d (MD5)Item marked as restricted to the 'Administrator' Group (id=1) by William Ingram ([email protected]) on 2012-02-01T00:57:06Z
Item is restricted until 2014-02-01T00:56:58ZItem reinstated by Sarah Shreeves ([email protected]) on 2014-02-01T11:00:22Z
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Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois (ID: 204)
Dissertations and Theses - Philosophy (ID: 789)
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Zech_Loren.pdf: 1175882 bytes, checksum: e511d9efaae97d7bdca79bee09205b34 (MD5)
license.txt: 4057 bytes, checksum: 70605398d279e5bcb10bba4dba90b736 (MD5)
Zech PhD thesis 11-20-11 V2-1.docx: 366365 bytes, checksum: 6f3ad492ed2602ee3f42f74311d1a60d (MD5)Item released from any restrictions by Sarah Shreeves ([email protected]) on 2014-02-01T11:00:23
Do n-alkane biomarkers in soils/sediments reflect the δ 2-H isotopic composition of precipitation? A case study from Mt. Kilimanjaro and implications for paleoaltimetry and paleoclimate research
No full textDuring the last decade compound-specific deuterium (2H) analysis of plant leaf wax-derived n-alkanes has become a promising and popular tool in paleoclimate research. This is based on the widely accepted assumption that n-alkanes in soils and sediments generally reflect δ2H of precipitation (δ2Hprec). Recently, several authors suggested that δ2H of n-alkanes (δ2Hn-alkanes) can also be used as a proxy in paleoaltimetry studies. Here, we present results from a δ2H transect study (∼1500 to 4000 m above sea level [a.s.l.]) carried out on precipitation and soil samples taken from the humid southern slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Contrary to earlier suggestions, a distinct altitude effect in δ2Hprec is present above ∼2000 m a.s.l., that is, δ2Hprec values become more negative with increasing altitude. The compound-specific δ2H values of nC27 and nC29 do not confirm this altitudinal trend, but rather become more positive both in the O-layers (organic layers) and the Ah-horizons (mineral topsoils). Although our δ2Hn-alkane results are in agreement with previously published results from the southern slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro [Peterse F, van der Meer M, Schouten S, Jia G, Ossebaar J, Blokker J, Sinninghe Damsté J. Assessment of soil n-alkane δD and branched tetraether membrane lipid distributions as tools for paleoelevation reconstruction. Biogeosciences. 2009;6:2799–2807], a re-interpretation is required given that the δ2Hn-alkane results do not reflect the δ2Hprec results. The theoretical framework for this re-interpretation is based on the evaporative isotopic enrichment of leaf water associated with the transpiration process. Modelling results show that relative humidity, decreasing considerably along the southern slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro (from 78 % in ∼2000 m a.s.l. to 51 % in 4000 m a.s.l.), strongly controls δ2Hleaf water. The modelled 2H leaf water enrichment along the altitudinal transect matches well the measured 2H leaf water enrichment as assessed by using the δ2Hprec and δ2Hn-alkane results and biosynthetic fractionation during n-alkane biosynthesis in leaves. Given that our results clearly demonstrate that n-alkanes in soils do not simply reflect δ2Hprec but rather δ2Hleaf water, we conclude that care has to be taken not to over-interpret δ2Hn-alkane records from soils and sediments when reconstructing δ2H of paleoprecipitation. Both in paleoaltimetry and in paleoclimate studies changes in relative humidity and consequently in δ2Hn-alkane values can completely mask altitudinally or climatically controlled changes in δ2Hprec
Correction: A case of novel DYT6 dystonia variant with serious complications after deep brain stimulation therapy: a case report
No full textFollowing publication of the original article [1], the authors reported an error in author group. Author M. Zech should be affiliated to affiliations 6 and 7. The original article [1] has been updated
An exile in Buenos Aires: The stroll in the Argentinean works of Paul Zech (1933-1946)
No full textEn 1933 el escritor alemán Paul Zech debe huir de Alemania y refugiarse en Buenos Aires, donde vivirá hasta su muerte en 1946. Allí tendrá una intensa actividad literaria, llevada adelante en difíciles condiciones de vida, tanto en cuanto a su condición misma de exiliado, como por sus cambiantes y conflictivos vínculos al interior de la colectividad alemana. En esta obra, una inclinación a la caminata por la ciudad nos muestra una imagen de la Argentina de la década de 1930 desde el novedoso punto de vista de un autor exiliado en estas tierras.En este trabajo nos preguntamos cómo se constituye en la obra argentina de Zech el paseo en el exilio (si acaso es posible el paseo en el exilio) y cómo se recorta, por sus particularidades, de los otros registros urbanos escritos «a pie» en su misma época (Benjamin, Kracauer).In 1933 the German writer Paul Zech had to flee from Germany and go into exile in Buenos Aires, where he would live until his death in 1946. There, he would have an intense literary activity, carried out under difficult living conditions, both because of his condition as an exile and because of his changing and con-flictive links within the German community. Within Zech’s works during these years, an inclination to walk around the city shows us an image of Argentina in the 1930s from the novel point of view of an author exiled in these lands.In this work we inquire how the strollin exile (whether it is possible to stroll in exile) is constituted in Zech’s Argentinean work and how it is cut out, due to its particularities, from the other urban records written «by foot» in his same period (Benjamin, Kracauer).Fil: Sufotinsky Reynoso, Eric Tomás. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Humanidades y Artes. Instituto de Estudios Críticos en Humanidades. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Estudios Críticos en Humanidades; Argentin
Astronomy and astrophysics abstracts: author and subject indexes to volumes 1-10, literature 1969-1973
No full textAstronomy and Astrophysics Abstracts, which has appeared in semi-annual volumes since 1969, is devoted to the recording, summarizing and indexing of astronomical publications through out the world. It is prepared under the auspices of the Interna tional Astronomical Union (according to a resolution adopted at the 14th General Assembly in 1970). Astronomy and Astrophysics Abstracts aims to present a com prehensive documentation of literature in all fields of astronomy and astrophysics. Volume 15/16 contains author and subject indexes of volumes 1 - 10, covering the literature from 1969 to 1973. It is a pleasure to express our warmest thanks to Miss Helga Ballmann, Mrs. Monika Betz, Dr. Siegfried B6hme, Mrs. Karola Gud6, Miss Lore Kiefert, and Mrs. Ingrid Wolf for their kind support in the preparation of the indexes. Heidelberg, June 1976 Ute Esser Inge Heinrich Frieda Henn Dietlinde Krahn Hans Scholl Gert Zech v Introduction The Author Index contains 110 180 references to publications initial letter following the first names. of 28654 different authors. The Subject Index contains 38145 An effort has been made to cite Russian names according to references to 7170 different key words. the following transliteration: The main characteristics of the concept of Astronomy and r Astrophysics Abstracts, Author and Subject Indexes may be A a P p a summarized briefly
Extracellular ATP protects against sepsis through macrophage P2X7 purinergic receptors by enhancing intracellular bacterial killing
No full textExtracellular ATP binds to and signals through P2X7 receptors (P2X7Rs) to modulate immune function in both inflammasome-dependent and -independent manners. In this study, P2X7-/- mice, the pharmacological agonists ATP-magnesium salt (Mg-ATP; 100 mg/kg, EC50 ≈ 1.32 mM) and benzoylbenzoyl-ATP (Bz-ATP; 10 mg/kg, EC50 ≈ 285 μM), and antagonist oxidized ATP (oxi-ATP; 40 mg/kg, IC50 ≈ 100 μM) were used to show that P2X7R activation is crucial for the control of mortality, bacterial dissemination, and inflammation in cecal ligation and puncture-induced polymicrobial sepsis in mice. Our results with P2X7-/- bone marrow chimeric mice, adoptive transfer of peritoneal macrophages, and myeloid-specific P2X7-/- mice indicate that P2X7R signaling on macrophages is essential for the protective effect of P2X7Rs. P2X7R signaling protects through enhancing bacterial killing by macrophages, which is independent of the inflammasome. By using the connexin (Cx) channel inhibitor Gap27 (0.1 mg/kg, IC50 ≈ 0.25 μM) and pannexin channel inhibitor probenecid (10 mg/kg, IC50 ≈ 11.7 μM), we showed that ATP release through Cx is important for inhibiting inflammation and bacterial burden. In summary, targeting P2X7Rs provides a new opportunity for harnessing an endogenous protective immune mechanism in the treatment of sepsis.-Csóka, B., Németh, Z. H., Töro, G., Idzko, M., Zech, A., Koscsó, B., Spolarics, Z., Antonioli, L., Cseri, K., Erdélyi, K., Pacher, P., Haskó, G. Extracellular ATP protects against sepsis through macrophage P2X7 purinergic receptors by enhancing intracellular bacterial killing
Comparison of two-dimensional binned data distributions using the energy test
No full textFor the purposes of monitoring HEP experiments, comparison is often made between regularly acquired histograms of data and reference histograms which represent the ideal state of the equipment. With the larger experiments now starting up, there is a need for automation of this task since the volume of comparisons would overwhelm human operators. However, the two-dimensional histogram comparison tools currently available in ROOT have noticeable shortcomings. We present a new comparison test for 2D histograms, based on the Energy Test of Aslan and Zech, which provides more decisive discrimination between histograms of data coming from different distributions
Factors controlling humification and mineralization of soil organic matter in the tropics
No full textA Critical Analysis of Transverse Dispersivity Field Data
No full textTransverse dispersion, or tracer spreading orthogonal to the mean flow direction, which is relevant e.g, for quantifying bio-degradation of contaminant plumes or mixing of reactive solutes, has been studied in the literature less than the longitudinal one. Inferring transverse dispersion coefficients from field experiments is a difficult and error-prone task, requiring a spatial resolution of solute plumes which is not easily achievable in applications. In absence of field data, it is a questionable common practice to set transverse dispersivities as a fraction of the longitudinal one, with the ratio 1/10 being the most prevalent. We collected estimates of field-scale transverse dispersivities from existing publications and explored possible scale relationships as guidance criteria for applications. Our investigation showed that a large number of estimates available in the literature are of low reliability and should be discarded from further analysis. The remaining reliable estimates are formation-specific, span three orders of magnitude and do not show any clear scale-dependence on the plume traveled distance. The ratios with the longitudinal dispersivity are also site specific and vary widely. The reliability of transverse dispersivities depends significantly on the type of field experiment and method of data analysis. In applications where transverse dispersion plays a significant role, inference of transverse dispersivities should be part of site characterization with the transverse dispersivity estimated as an independent parameter rather than related heuristically to longitudinal dispersivity
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