This paper formulates and defends a version of moral vegetarianism. Since eating animals is not causally connected to their death, I begin with analyzing the moral status of consumer actions that do not, taken on their own, harm animals . I then formulate a version of moral vegetarianism. Three different opponents of moral vegetarianism are then distinguished and criticized. I then take up the argument according to which eating animals benefits them. I close with the question of the desirability of collective vegetarianism from the point of view of animals.
Betty Rojtman. 2004. “Le roman de l’auto-roman : à partir du 'Ravissement de Lol V. Stein' de Marguerite Duras.” In Autobiographie revisited, Theory und Praxis neuer autobiographischer Diskurse in der französischen, spanischen und lateinamerikanischen Literatur, edited by Alfonso de Toro and Claudia Gronemann, Pp. 49-61. Hildesheim, Zürich, New York: Georg Olms Verlag.
A possible mechanism for negative differential resistance is discussed. The level crossing is induced by the source-drain voltage applied across the bridge. The effect is most dramatic when the zero field levels that are resonant with the electrodes are almost degenerate. It is suggested that such degeneracies can arise often when the junctions on either side are weakly coupled by the bridge. Quantitative results for I-V curves are reported on the basis of high-level electronic structure computations for the junction-bridge-junction region and where the electric field is included in the Hamiltonian. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.
Haptides are 19-21mer cell-binding peptides equiv. to sequences on the C-termini of fibrinogen β chain (Cβ), γ chain (preCγ) and the extended αE chain of fibrinogen (CαE). In soln., Haptides accumulated in cells by non-saturable kinetics. This study describes Haptide interactions with liposomes and Haptide-mediated liposome uptake by cells. Haptides became incorporated into neg. charged liposomes, changing their zeta potential. At. force microscopy and particle sizing by light scattering showed that the liposomes dissolved Haptide nanoparticles and absorbed them from soln. Pre-mixing fluorescent rhodamine-contg. liposomes or "stealth" doxorubicin (DOX)-contg. liposomes (Doxil) with Cβ, preCγ or to a lesser degree CαE, significantly enhanced their uptake by fibroblasts and endothelial cells. Confocal microscopy showed Haptide-induced liposome uptake satd. above ∼40 μM Haptide. Cytotoxicity tests with lower concns. of Doxil liposomes indicated that premixing with ∼40 μM Cβ or preCγ increased their toxicity by one order of magnitude. It was evident that the liposomes complexed with an amphiphilic Haptide are transduced through cell membranes, probably by a non-receptor-mediated process. These results suggest that Cβ or pre-Cγ could be employed to augment the cellular uptake of drugs in liposomal formulations. [on SciFinder(R)]
A scanning electrochem. microscope (SECM) has been applied to the local deposition of Co microstructures on Au. The method employs a Co microelectrode to generate a potential-controlled flux of the resp. ions in an aq. soln. The microelectrode was positioned at a precisely defined distance above a gold surface using the steady-state current for oxygen redn. The optimum conditions for Co dissoln. and deposition were identified from voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Applying these conditions in the SECM configuration facilitated the successful deposition of Co structures. The dissoln. and uptake of Co on the Au surface was investigated using SECM double potential step chronoamperometry. [on SciFinder(R)]
Objectives: To determine the pre-malignant and malignant potential of endometrial polyps and to assess whether different clinical parameters are associated with malignancy in the polyps. Study design: Four hundred and thirty consecutive cases of hysteroscopic diagnosis of endometrial polyp were retrieved. The medical records, preoperative vaginal sonography results and histopathology findings were reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed. Results: Hysteroscopy truly identified endometrial polyps in 95.7% of the cases. In 11.4% cases, hyperplasia without atypia was found in the endometrial polyp. In 3.3 and 3.0% of women pre-malignant or malignant conditions were found in the polyp. Older age, menopause status and polyps larger than 1.5cm were associated with significant pre-malignant or malignant changes, although the positive predictive value for malignancy was low. All the malignant polyps were diagnosed only in postmenopausal women. The presence of postmenopausal or irregular v
Caenorhabditis elegans mtf-1 encodes matefin, which has a predicted SUN domain, a coiled-coil region, an anti-erbB-2 IgG domain, and two hydrophobic regions. We show that matefin is a nuclear membrane protein that colocalizes in vivo with Ce-lamin, the single nuclear lamin protein in C. elegans, and binds Ce-lamin in vitro but does not require Ce-lamin for its localization. Matefin is detected in all embryonic cells until midembryogenesis and thereafter only in germ-line cells. Embryonic matefin is maternally deposited, and matefin is the first nuclear membrane protein known to have germ line-restricted expression. Animals homozygous for an mtf-1 deletion allele show that matefin is essential for germ line maturation and survival. However, matefin is also required for embryogenesis because mtf-1 (RNAi) embryos die around the approximately 300-cell stage with defects in nuclear structure, DNA content, and chromatin morphology. Down-regulating matefin in mes-3 animals only slightly enhances embryonic lethality, and elimination of UNC-84, the only other SUN-domain gene in C. elegans, has no affect on mtf-1 (RNAi) animals. Thus, mtf-1 mediates a previously uncharacterized pathway(s) required for embryogenesis as well as germ line proliferation or survival.
The invention concerns a method for providing a lasting aroma-impact of packaged goods which is sustained even after multiple open and closing cycles, by attaching to the package a solid or semi-solid matrix having the aroma fraction dispersed, entrapped, encapsulated or embedded in the matrix. The matrix in accordance with the invention is adapted to controlled ,slow release of the aroma fraction, e.g. a coffee aroma fraction. [on SciFinder(R)]
The structural and energetic characteristics of the interaction between interfacially adsorbed (partially inserted) a-helical, amphipathic peptides and the lipid bilayer substrate are studied using a molecular level theory of lipid chain packing in membranes. The peptides are modeled as ``amphipathic cylinders'' characterized by a well-defined polar angle. Assuming two-dimensional nematic order of the adsorbed peptides, the membrane perturbation free energy is evaluated using a cell-like model; the peptide axes are parallel to the membrane plane. The elastic and interfacial contributions to the perturbation free energy of the ``peptide-dressed'' membrane are evaluated as a function of: the peptide penetration depth into the bilayer's hydrophobic core, the membrane thickness, the polar angle, and the lipid/peptide ratio. The structural properties calculated include the shape and extent of the distorted (stretched and bent) lipid chains surrounding the adsorbed peptide, and their orientational (C-H) bond order parameter profiles. The changes in bond order parameters attendant upon peptide adsorption are in good agreement with magnetic resonance measurements. Also consistent with experiment, our model predicts that peptide adsorption results in membrane thinning. Our calculations reveal pronounced, membrane-mediated, attractive interactions between the adsorbed peptides, suggesting a possible mechanism for lateral aggregation of membrane-bound peptides. As a special case of interest, we have also investigated completely hydrophobic peptides, for which we find a strong energetic preference for the transmembrane (inserted) orientation over the horizontal (adsorbed) orientation.
This paper describes a continuously variable and independently addressable channelized dispersion compensator. The optical system is a free-space grating-based system used in a four-pass configuration to ensure flat passbands. The variable dispersion is produced by an array of thermally adaptable curvature micromechanical mirrors. A per-channel variable dispersion greater than +/-400 ps/nm has been demonstrated, with 58 GHz +/-0.4 dB flat passband on 85 GHz spacing. The group delay ripple is less than 7 ps and the penalty with 40 Gb/s CSRZ is 0.7 dB.
We have studied the nano- and microparticles formed by complexation of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) and SDS. The complexation phenomenon was characterized by light scattering and ζ-potential measurements. The nature of the complexes was revealed by direct-imaging cryogenic temp. transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), showing nanometric details of the complexes formed around the point of neutralization. The images also reveal how those aggregates are solubilized by excess surfactant, first into faceted particles with threadlike micelles attached to their surfaces, prior to complete solubilization, then into lacelike aggregates, and finally into spheroidal micelles. The nanostructure of the complexes strongly suggests they are made of a hexagonal liq. cryst. phase. This was further supported by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). [on SciFinder(R)]
We achieved the soliton-based miniaturized integration of electro-optic devices in a photorefractive paraelectric bulk crystal, by driving self-trapping through an external bias field in a top-sided electrode geometry. The ensuing spatially resolved electric field manifests a localized voltage-dependent region in which a quasi-uniform field leads to screening-like self-trapped waves at considerably low voltages without sample miniaturization, along with their electro-optic beam manipulation. By replicating the electrode structure, our achievements constitute the basic building block that paves the way to digitally addressable volume photonic manipulator arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]Copyright of Applied Physics Letters is the property of American Institute of Physics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Cationic lipid-DNA complexes, often referred to as lipoplexes, are formed spontaneously in aqueous solutions upon mixing DNA and liposomes composed of cationic and nonionic lipids. Understanding the mechanisms underlying lipoplex formation, structure and phase behavior is crucial for their further development and design as non-viral transfection vectors in gene therapy. From a physical point of view, lipoplexes are ordered, self-assembled, composite aggregates. Their preferred spatial geometry and phase behavior are governed by a delicate coupling between the electrostatic interactions which drive lipoplex formation and the elastic properties of the constituent lipid layers, both depending on the molecular nature and composition of the lipid mixture. In this review we outline some recent efforts to model the microscopic structure, energetic and phase behavior of cationic lipid-DNA mixtures, focusing on the two principal aggregation geometries: the lamellar (L-alpha(C)), or ``sandwich'' complexes, and the hexagonal (H-II(C)), or ``honeycomb'' complexes. We relate the structural and thermodynamic properties of these two ``canonical'' lipoplex morphologies to their appearance in phase diagrams of DNA-lipid mixtures, emphasizing the crucial role fulfilled by the molecular packing characteristics of the cationic and neutral lipids, as reflected in the curvature elastic properties of the mixed lipid layer.
Intense rainstorms cause debris flows on escarpments in hyperarid environments. In contrast with more temperate environments, there have been no direct observations on rainfall intensities and durations required for initiating debris flows in hyperarid environments. Here, we report rainfall volume and intensities, acquired by gauge and radar measurements, for two successive storms along the hyperarid (\textless50 mm/yr) western escarpment of the Dead Sea basin. These rainfall data were analyzed in conjunction with detailed mapping of debris flows that occurred during these storms to determine values of rainfall intensity and duration required to generate debris flows on the Dead Sea western escarpment. The first of the two analyzed storms occurred on 2 November 1995. During this storm, two convective cells rained sequentially within a 5 It period at the lower reaches of the Nahal David and the Nahal 'Arugot that dissects the western escarpment of the Dead Sea, Israel. This storm triggered debris flows in 38 small (\textless3 km(2)) and high-gradient drainage basins along the escarpment. Total rainfall volume and spatial distribution were determined by 10 cumulative rain gauges that were also used to calibrate rainfall-intensity distributions from radar data. For this storm, region, and landscape, rainfall intensities exceeding 30 mm/h for a duration of I h were required to initiate debris flows. A second storm in the same area on 1718 October 1997 allowed the evaluation of the results determined from the 1995 storm. In this second, more regional storm, maximum rainfall intensities were 19-27 mm/h for a duration of 45 min. These values, lower than the 30 mm/h minimal threshold defined in the previous storm, are consistent with the occurrence of only three debris flows. The small number of debris flows resulted from the concentration of the highest intensities of rainfall on the desert plateau and not directly on top of the canyon walls. Most first- to third-order basins draining the Dead Sea escarpment contain evidence of zero to three late Holocene (\textless3000 yr) debris flows. From analysis of the two storms, we propose that most of these debris flows were triggered by storms similar to the 2 November 1995 event in which localized convective cells had rainfall intensities of \textgreater30 mm/h and durations of at least 1 h. The small number of debris flows that has occurred during the late Holocene indicates that such events are rare at the scale of individual drainage basins.
