100,500 research outputs found
Certain problems of social ontology
No full textVsebina magistrskega dela opisuje osnovne principe socialne ontologije po teoriji Johna Searla. Ta teorija izhaja iz naturalizma in pojasnjuje socialne bitnosti, kot posledico naravnih procesov, ki so biološko in fizikalno razložljivi. Osnovni paradoks socialne ontologije je hkratni pojav ontološke subjektivnosti in epistemološke objektivnosti. Searle pojasnjuje, da je tak pojav možen in ne predstavlja paradoksa. Socialna ontologija je po Searlu rezultat jezika oz. govornih dejanj. Z reprezentiranjem socialnih bitnosti kot stvarnih, jih delamo obstoječe. Za nastanek socialnih bitnosti je potrebno pripisovanje statusnih funkcij objektom, ki teh funkcij nimajo. Poleg tega je potrebna kolektivna intencionalnost, ki je temelj družbene stvarnosti. Kolektivne intencionalnosti ni možno pojasnjevati kot seštevek individualnih intencionalnosti, kot menijo metodološki individualisti. Pripisi statusnih funkcij, ki imajo obliko konstitutivnih pravil, so institucionalna dejstva. Statusna funkcija, ki je pripisana objektu, osebi ali dejstvu, temu pripisuje deontične moči. Deontične moči pri članih skupnosti povzročajo razloge za dejanja, ki so neodvisni od subjektivnih nagnenj članov. Na ta način so socialne bitnosti objektivne. V delu so podane tudi kritike in problemi teorije socialne ontologije Johna Searla. Opisanih je pet primerov kritik in problemov: problem \u27\u27Ad Hoc\u27\u27, problem \u27\u27prostostoječih Y terminov\u27\u27, problem institucionalnih dejstev, ki ne potrebujejo kolektivne prepoznave, kritika o drugih vrstah socialnih institucij in kritika o estetskih vplivih v socialni ontologiji. Vsaka predstavljena kritika vsebuje tudi Searlov zagovor. Poleg kritik sta predstavljeni še dve drugi teoriji socialne ontologije. To sta metodološki/ontološki individualizem in teorija skupne zavezanosti. Teorija skupne zavezanosti se v določenih segmentih s Searlom strinja, teorija metodološkega in ontološkega individualizma pa predstavlja nasprotno pozicijo.The content of this master\u27s thesis describes the basic principles of Social Ontology by John Searle’s theory. This theory originates from Naturalism and explains social entities as a consequence of natural processes that are biologically and physically explainable. The basic paradox of Social Ontology is a simultaneous occurrence of ontological subjectivity and epistemological objectivity. Searle explains that such occurrence is possible and does not represent a paradox. Social Ontology by Searle is a result of language or speech acts. With the representation of social entity as realistic, we are making social entity existing. For something to become social entity, the act of attribution of status functions to objects is necessary, since these objects do not have these functions by themselves, as well as collective intentionality. Collective intentionality is the foundation of social entities. It is not possible for collective intentionality to be explained as a sum of individual intentionalities, as are for example the opinions of methodological individualists. Annotations of status functions that take the form of constitutive rules are institutional facts. Status functions that are attributed to an object, person or fact have deontic power. Deontic powers, possessed by members of a community, cause reasons for acts that are independent of subjective inclination of its members. In this way the social entities are objective. In my work I have given critiques and provided problems of the Social Ontology Theory by John Searle. There are five examples of critiques and problems: the “Ad Hoc” problem, the problem of “freestanding Y terms”, the problem of institutional facts that does not require collective recognition, the critique of other types of social institutions and the critique of aesthetic influences in Social Ontology. Each presented critique includes Searle’s defence. Along with critiques, two other theories of Social Ontology are presented. These are Methodological/Ontological Individualism and The Theory of Joint Commitment. The Theory of Joint Commitment agrees with Searle in certain segments, while The Theory of Methodological and Ontological Individualism takes a contrary position
Changes in land use in pomurje statistical region between 2000 and 2017
No full textDelo obravnava spremembe rabe tal v pomurski statistični regiji v obdobju med letoma 2000 in 2017 in odvisnosti teh od izbranih naravnogeografskih in družbenogeografskih kazalcev. Spremembe rabe tal so vrednotene iz vidika izkoriščanja in ohranjanja kmetijskih potencialov regije, ki so med največjimi v Sloveniji. Obravnavane so razlike v splošnih spremembah rabe tal, v smereh sprememb, spremembe v odvisnosti od nadmorskih višin, funkcijskih naklonov, ekspozicij, pedoloških enot, talnega števila, strateško pomembnih območij za kmetijstvo in pridelavo ter v odvisnosti od mikroregij. Pri spremembah so posebej izpostavljene negativne smeri sprememb, ki kažejo izrazite procese ozelenjevanja, zaraščanja, ogozdovanja in pozidave obdelovalnih oblik rabe tal, med katere spadajo njive in vrtovi, vinogradi, sadovnjaki in ostali trajni nasadi. V splošnem se v regiji zmanjšuje število obdelovalnih površin, predvsem njiv z vrtovi in vinogradov, vse bolj pa se širijo neobdelovalne oblike rabe tal, predvsem zemljišča v zaraščanju, gozdovi ter pozidane in sorodne površine. Te spremembe niso v celoti odvisne od naravnogeografskih pogojev, temveč v veliki meri na te vplivajo tudi socio-ekonomski kazalci gibanje števila prebivalstva, povprečne starosti, indeksa staranja, gibanja števila kmetijskih gospodarstev in gibanje velikosti posestev na kmetijsko gospodarstvo. V splošnem tudi v analizi teh ugotavljamo negativne trende, ki jih lahko povezujemo z neugodnimi trendi v spreminjanju rabe tal.This work deals with the changes of land use in the Pomurje statistical region between the years 2000 and 2017, and with the dependency of chosen natural-geographical and socio-geographical indicators. The changes in land use are valued from the point of view of exploitation and conservation of agricultural potentials of the region, which are among the largest in Slovenia. This master’s thesis discusses the differences in general changes of land use, the directions of changes, changes of the dependency to altitude, functional inclination, exposition, pedological units, floor value, ground value, strategically important areas for agriculture and cultivation, with the dependence on micro-regions. Negative direction of changes are exposed, since they show striking processes of greening, overgrowth, afforestation and the sealing of processing forms of land use, which are fields and gardens, vineyards, orchards and other permanent plantations. In overall, there are signs of arable land reduction, especially fields with gardens and vineyards, and the spreading of non-arable land, especially land in overgrowth, forests and built-up and related land. These changes are not entirely dependent on natural-geographical conditions, but are largely influenced by socio-economic indicators. In this thesis I have analysed changes in population, average population age, aging index, the changes in numbers of agricultural holdings and the changes in the sizes of agricultural estates. While analysing the latter, we have found negative trends that can be connected to unfavourable trends in land use
Synergy between low dose metronomic chemotherapy and the pH-centered approach against cancer
No full textLow dose metronomic chemotherapy (MC) is becoming a mainstream treatment for cancer in veterinary medicine. Its mechanism of action is anti-angiogenesis by lowering vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and increasing trombospondin-1 (TSP1). It has also been adopted as a compassionate treatment in very advanced human cancer. However, one of the main limitations of this therapy is its short-term effectiveness: 6 to 12 months, after which resistance develops. pH-centered cancer treatment (pHT) has been proposed as a complementary therapy in cancer, but it has not been adopted or tested as a mainstream protocol, in spite of existing evidence of its advantages and benefits. Many of the factors directly or indirectly involved in MC and anti-angiogenic treatment resistance are appropriately antagonized by pHT. This led to the testing of an association between these two treatments. Preliminary evidence indicates that the association of MC and pHT has the ability to reduce anti-angiogenic treatment limitations and develop synergistic anti-cancer effects. This review will describe each of these treatments and will analyze the fundamentals of their synergy
Resistance to antiangiogenic treatments: A review
No full textAngiogenesis (blood vessel formation) is essential for tissue growth in both normal development and physiology and in some diseases such as inflammation and cancer. Angiogenesis is a hallmark of cancer, however, it took many years to establish its importance. Ever since Judah Folkman’s seminal publications in 1971, that clearly showed cancer angiogenesis-dependence, researchers have been investigating the mechanisms of angiogenesis and how to block them. This search blossomed with the finding of inhibitors targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathways. These new molecules and monoclonal antibodies showed therapeutic efficacy in both the laboratory and human clinical settings and hopes rose. Unfortunately, the benefits did not reach all the patients and they were short-lived: sooner or later tumors resumed their growth and proliferation and became refractory to further antiangiogenic treatments. Worse, antiangiogenic treatments seemed to increase metastatic risk. The development of treatment resistance is still one of the main causes of failure in cancer therapy. Antiangiogenic treatments are no exception and a deeper knowledge of the mechanisms of resistance is necessary if we intend to delay or eliminate them.Two different mechanisms have been identified: primary or evasive resistance and secondary or adaptive resistance.The existence of these two mechanisms led to the non-mainstream conclusion, now shared by many authors, that there are at least two different angiogenic pathways: one is the canonical VEGF- VEGF receptor (VEGFR) axis and others, which are independent of this axis and not fully known. Primary resistance works exclusively through these independent pathways, while secondary resistance, which initially is VEGF-VEGFR-dependent, switches to the other pathways becoming non-responsive to classical antiangiogenic treatments. For the time being, the clear identification of these other pathways belongs to the realm of hypothesis. However, there is enough experimental evidence supporting their existence. We will discuss this evidence as a central issue in antiangiogenic treatment resistance. Some non-conventional pharmacologic strategies against resistance will also be considered
Letter, [Author unclear] to Paulina T. Merritt
No full textHandwritten letter to Paulina Merritt from an unknown author, October 1, 1876.
Targeting the Stromal Pro-Tumoral Hyaluronan-CD44 Pathway in Pancreatic Cancer
No full textPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest malignancies. Present-day treatments have not shown real improvements in reducing the high mortality rate and the short survival of the disease. The average survival is less than 5% after 5 years. New innovative treatments are necessary to curtail the situation. The very dense pancreatic cancer stroma is a barrier that impedes the access of chemotherapeutic drugs and at the same time establishes a pro-proliferative symbiosis with the tumor, thus targeting the stroma has been suggested by many authors. No ideal drug or drug combination for this targeting has been found as yet. With this goal in mind, here we have explored a different complementary treatment based on abundant previous publications on repurposed drugs. The cell surface protein CD44 is the main receptor for hyaluronan binding. Many malignant tumors show over-expression/over-activity of both. This is particularly significant in pancreatic cancer. The independent inhibition of hyaluronan-producing cells, hyaluronan synthesis, and/or CD44 expression, has been found to decrease the tumor cell’s proliferation, motility, invasion, and metastatic abilities. Targeting the hyaluronan-CD44 pathway seems to have been bypassed by conventional mainstream oncological practice. There are existing drugs that decrease the activity/expression of hyaluronan and CD44: 4-methylumbelliferone and bromelain respectively. Some drugs inhibit hyaluronan-producing cells such as pirfenidone. The association of these three drugs has never been tested either in the laboratory or in the clinical setting. We present a hypothesis, sustained by hard experimental evidence, suggesting that the simultaneous use of these nontoxic drugs can achieve synergistic or added effects in reducing invasion and metastatic potential, in PDAC. A non-toxic, low-cost scheme for inhibiting this pathway may offer an additional weapon for treating pancreatic cancer
Handwritten biographical information on Paulina T. McClung Merritt
No full textA handwritten biography of Paulina T. McClung Merritt by an unknown author, 1892.
Heterogeneous and tissue-specific regulation of effector T cell responses by IFN-gamma during Plasmodium berghei ANKA infection.
No full textIFN-γ and T cells are both required for the development of experimental cerebral malaria during Plasmodium berghei ANKA infection. Surprisingly, however, the role of IFN-γ in shaping the effector CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell response during this infection has not been examined in detail. To address this, we have compared the effector T cell responses in wild-type and IFN-γ(-/-) mice during P. berghei ANKA infection. The expansion of splenic CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells during P. berghei ANKA infection was unaffected by the absence of IFN-γ, but the contraction phase of the T cell response was significantly attenuated. Splenic T cell activation and effector function were essentially normal in IFN-γ(-/-) mice; however, the migration to, and accumulation of, effector CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in the lung, liver, and brain was altered in IFN-γ(-/-) mice. Interestingly, activation and accumulation of T cells in various nonlymphoid organs was differently affected by lack of IFN-γ, suggesting that IFN-γ influences T cell effector function to varying levels in different anatomical locations. Importantly, control of splenic T cell numbers during P. berghei ANKA infection depended on active IFN-γ-dependent environmental signals--leading to T cell apoptosis--rather than upon intrinsic alterations in T cell programming. To our knowledge, this is the first study to fully investigate the role of IFN-γ in modulating T cell function during P. berghei ANKA infection and reveals that IFN-γ is required for efficient contraction of the pool of activated T cells
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
No full textWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
Pelevin’s Trinity in the novel “t”: author – protagonist – reader
No full textThe article attempts to interpret Pelevin's artistic strategy in the novel "T" by exploring its subject organization and addressing the key problems of the author, the protagonist, and the reader as they are seen by the researcher. The article analyzes the peculiarities of constructing the narrative reality in the novel "T", and goes on to discuss Pelevin's philosophic models of the development of the humankind, and the emergence of his new anthropology
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