Kant and Metaphysics

This study examines the content of press releases from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Science and Technology Centers (STCs) to determine how public information officers (PIOs) presented the outcomes of centers to journalists and the public. A total of 68 press releases were analyzed for type of news covered, visibility of centers and their funding agency, extent of inter-institutional cooperation in the issuance of releases, and players covered. Three-quarters of STC releases mentioned the center, but less than half mentioned the NSF STC program and one-quarter didn't mention the center name at all. PIOs covering the STCs mainly issued research-oriented press releases accredited to their own institution. There was a low level of inter-institutional cooperation, with 13% of press releases jointly issued. Compared to research results and institutional news, which together accounted for 82% of the news events, broader activities such as knowledge transfer, diversity enhancement, and education were much less visible.

<i>Husserl's Phenomenology and the Foundations of Natural Science</i>. Charles W. Harvey

The importance of the role of partnerships in research is evidenced by the federal government's, private sector's, and nonprofit organizations' continued interest in and approach to funding research through these vehicles. In education research involving interorganizational partnerships, partnerships are needed to create coordination and alignment across institutions of higher education as well as within K-12 systems. Successful partnership building requires significant resources in terms of human effort and dollars spent. It is therefore critical that partnerships evaluate themselves and their activities. This article provides a description of and reviews instruments that measure different aspects of partnerships and further suggests that instead of using any instrument in toto, that it be modified for evaluation of specific traits of a partnership and validated in the local context. The article further provides an illustrative example of educational evaluation from the National Science Foundation's Math and Science Partnership Program, which calls for interinstitutional partnerships among institutions of higher education, local education agencies, state education agencies, and other for-profit and nonprofit entities.

We study how the market for technology (facilitated by the establishment of patent exchanges in China) affects innovation specialization. We find that the market for technology induces (i) specialization between patent buyers and sellers, (ii) specialization between patent licensors and licensees, and (iii) specialization based on a firm’s research and development efficiency. All these three specialization patterns indicate that the market for technology promotes comparative advantage–based innovation specialization. Firms with a comparative advantage in creating innovation redirect their resources toward producing patents, whereas firms with a comparative advantage in commercializing innovation switch their effort toward launching new products. A firm also shrinks its scope of innovation and invents in technological fields with greater proximity. Financial friction hampers innovation specialization and relieving trading friction in the market for technology mitigates such negative consequences. This paper was accepted by Lin William Cong, finance. Funding: P. Han acknowledges financial support from the China’s Natural Science Foundation [Grant 72103003]. C. Liu acknowledges financial support from the China’s Natural Science Foundation [Grant 72202034]. X. Tian acknowledges financial support from the China’s Natural Science Foundation [Grant 72425002]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.03174 .

My thesis offers an original reading of Kant’s theory of cognition and the body’s role in it. In the Critique of Pure Reason and the Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science, Kant’s subject is shown to cognize, and be cognized, through embodied activity in the material world. I begin by demonstrating Kant’s rejection of all-mental accounts of cognition. Neglecting the body leads to the dissolution of subjects, objects, and any cognitive relation between them. I show that Kant provides an alternative account in terms of embodied activity, focusing on three cases. First, the unifying structures required for sense perception could not be applied without embodied activity. Second, empirical self-consciousness depends on embodied activity in relation to objects in space. Third, scientific knowledge is made possible only through bodily activity, which reveals the causal forces constituting matter. In all three cases, the body is shown to have an active role in determining experience. I then investigate the implications of my reading, providing a new interpretation of Kant’s transcendental idealism – the causally active body is a transcendental condition of experience. I show how this contrasts with not only traditional readings of Kantian cognition as conditioned entirely by the structures and activity of the mind, but also less traditional readings which ascribe a cognitive role to the body only by stripping away its material properties. Even many contemporary non-Kantian accounts distinguish between the mind which acts in cognition, and the body which only passively receives causal affects. Developed in tandem with a robust metaphysics of matter as endowed with causal activity, Kant’s account of the active body overcomes this mind-body distinction. Cognition is more thoroughly embodied than is commonly thought. I finish by sketching an approach to Kant’s account of life and freedom. I suggest that the transcendental status of the body in the theoretical realm paves the way towards a freely acting subject in the practical realm. Through casting the body as the actor in cognition, Kant provides the resources for a full characterization of the human subject.

Rethinking the Ph.D. dissertation in botany: Widening the circle.

Background The antithrombotic treatment is the main goal of management on atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the optimal thrombophylaxis still remains the problem in the “high-risk” population, such as the elderly, with renal/liver dysfunction, malignancy, stent implantation, etc. Objectives The present study aims to explore the optimal antithrombotic strategy in a “high-risk” population with multiple comorbidities. Methods The ChiOTEAF (Ethic approval number of Central Medical Ethic Committee of General PLA Hospital: S2014–065–01) is a prospectively, multi-center (44 research centers), real-world registry across China. The protocol was seen in BMJ Open (Guo Y, et al. 2018). A Cox proportional hazard model analysis was performed for the outcome of antithrombotic therapy among this high-risk population. Results 6148 patients with AF (mean age 74 years old, female 39.4%), were enrolled into ChiOTEAF study between Oct 2014 to Dec 2018. The use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs), warfarin, and antiplatelet were 1444 (23.5%), 1300 (21.1%), and 2521 (41.0%), respectively, in this high-risk AF population. During one-year follow-up, there were 186 (3.0%) all-cause death. In this AF cohort, the patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD)/liver disease were 878 (14.3%), with malignancy were 555 (9.0%), with prior thromboembolism (TE) were 1538 (25%), with prior haemorrhage were 348 (5.7%), and current anemia were 859 (14.0%), respectively. Stent implantation (coronary artery, aortic or peripheral artery) were 671 (10.9%). CHA2DS2-VASc and HAD-BLED scores (mean±standard deviation) were 3.8±1.7, and 2.0±1.1, respectively. Among the above “clinical dilemma”, the antiplatelet use was common in patients with CKD/Liver disease and stent implantation (43.5%, 56.9%, respectively, p&lt;0.05), the oral anticoagulants (OACs) combined with antiplatelet was most seen in patients with stent implantation (15.4%, p&lt;0.05), OACs alone were highest in patients with prior TE (38.1%, p&lt;0.05), while patients with malignancy and prior bleeding far less received any antithrombotic drugs (41.8%, 31.3%, respectively, p&lt;0.05) (Figure 1). However, after adjusting baseline characteristics, OACs reduced the risk for all-cause death (hazard ratio, HR, 95% confidential interval, CI) for the patients with CKD/liver disease (HR, 95% CI, 0.28, 0.11–0.69, p=0.006), and for patients with prior TE (HR, 95% CI, 0.43, 0.21–0.91, p=0.028), respectively. Conclusion Although suboptimal anticoagulants were common in the “high-risk” AF patients, OACs demonstrated the benefit for AF patients with CKD/liver disease, etc., while more evidences would be needed to optimise the antithrombotic strategy in different complex clinical settings. Acknowledgement/Funding The study was supported by Beijing Natural Science Foundation (Z1411ehz745.11462114050) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (H2501)

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Forsythia suspensa extract (FSE) on antioxidant capacity and meat quality in 85 to 110 kg finishing pigs [Founded by Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation (6202019) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (31772612)]. A total of 64 pigs [Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire), initial BW of 88.68 kg] were randomly allotted into two treatments with 8 replicate pens per treatment (4 pens were barrows, while 4 pens were sows), 4 pigs per pen. Two treatments were: corn-soybean meal basal diet with or without 100 mg/kg FSE. The trial last for 30 days and ended when the average BW of pigs reached to about 110 kg. One pig in each pen was selected for the collection of serum samples, and barrows in each group were selected to slaughter for sampling to measure the meat quality. Compared with CON, FSE treatment had increased (P &amp;lt; 0.05) glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase contents, as well as reduced (P &amp;lt; 0.05) lightness and n-6 / n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio in longissimus dorsi muscle of finishing pigs. Moreover, pigs fed FSE also had increased (P &amp;lt; 0.05) serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase contents, as well as decreased (P &amp;lt; 0.05) serum tumor nuclear factor-α contents compared with CON. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with FSE could improve meat quality probably via regulating the antioxidant capacity and fat metabolism in 85 to 110 kg finishing pigs.

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract Assessing Technological Literacy in the United States Abstract The challenges to developing tools and techniques for assessment of technological literacy are presented in a panel format, with each panelist above providing a 4 minute summary of his written contribution shown below, followed by an audience questions and discussion. Three distinct sections of this overview provide: a summary of a recently issued NAE report on assessing the technological literacy of K-12 students, K-12 teachers, and the general US population, a case study of assessment of a well established technological literacy course at Hope College, and summary of 12 technological literacy course formats, student learning styles, and assessment and evaluation tools, taken from a 2005 NSF-sponsored faculty workshop on teaching technological literacy. Taken collectively, these pieces identify the current situation for, and future challenges to, achievement of widespread assessment for technological literacy undergraduate instruction. I. Assessment of Technological Literacy: A National Academies Perspective. (Greg Pearson National Academy of Engineering) The idea that all Americans, and U.S. school children in particular, should know something about the nature, history, and role of technology1 is not new. Over the last several decades, curriculum developers, university scholars, engineering and scientific professional associations, museums, government agencies, foundations, industry groups, and others have invested considerable time and money in a range of efforts intended to encourage greater “technological literacy.” The majority of these initiatives have taken place within an educational system that for the most part does not recognize technology as an area of academic content in its own right. In the last five years, several separate but related initiatives have seemed to elevate the prospects that both the policy-making and education communities in the United States will begin to view the study of technology as an important issue. The National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, for example, funded the development of a set of content standards for the study of technology (ITEA, 2000). During this same period, one of the largest professional engineering societies in the world, IEEE, convened engineering and education school deans with the goal of beginning a dialogue between the two camps about technological literacy and its implications for how teachers are educated. In 2002, the National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council published Technically Speaking: Why All Americans Need to Know More About Technology,2 a report that argues for greater technological literacy for all citizens1. The report proposed a model of technological literacy that has three dimensions: knowledge, capability, and ways of thinking and acting. Unfortunately, as Technically Speaking points out, none of these efforts—past or present—has been informed in any meaningful way by knowledge of what Americans actually know about technology. Although the best guess of experts with an interest in the issue is that the level is lower than we would wish, the truth is that no one knows.

به‌منظور بررسی تأثیر کودهای آلی (اسید هیومیک و عصاره ورمی‌کمپوست) بر خصوصیات رشدی، مورفولوژیکی و فیتوشیمیایی مرزه خوزستانی (Satureja khuzistanica Jamzad.) آزمایشی در مزرعه تحقیقاتی شرکت دارویی خرمان در شهرستان خرم آباد در بهار 1392 به‌ صورت فاکتوریل در قالب بلوک‌های کامل تصادفی با سه تکرار انجام شد. تیمارهای مورد بررسی شامل سه غلظت 5، 10و 15 درصد عصاره ورمی‌کمپوست و مقادیر 5/1، 5/2 و 5/3 لیتر در هکتار اسید هیومیک بودند که به صورت محلول‌پاشی مورد استفاده قرار گرفتند. فاکتورهای مورد بررسی شامل، ارتفاع بوته، تاج بوته، طول و عرض برگ، عملکرد وزن خشک اندام هوایی، عملکرد وزن خشک برگ، بازده اسانس، عملکرد اسانس، محتوای فنل و فلاونوئید کل بودند. تیمارهای مختلف اسید هیومیک و عصاره ورمی‌کمپوست بر صفات مورفولوژیکی (ارتفاع بوته، تاج بوته، طول و عرض برگ) در طی چهار مرحله نمونه‌برداری قبل از گلدهی تأثیر معنی‌دار نداشتند. نتایج نشان داد که بیشترین مقدار وزن خشک اندام هوایی (460 گرم در متر‌مربع)، وزن خشک برگ (33/195 گرم در متر‌مربع) و عملکرد اسانس (38/6 گرم در متر‌مربع) در تیمار 5/3 لیتر در هکتار اسید هیومیک و غلظت 20 درصد عصاره ورمی‌کمپوست به‌دست آمد، که با تیمار شاهد اختلاف معنی‌داری را نشان داد. بیشترین درصد اسانس (43/3 درصد) در تیمار 5/1 لیتر در هکتار اسید هیومیک و غلظت 20 درصد عصاره ورمی‌کمپوست دیده شد. تیمار 5/2 لیتر در هکتار اسید هیومیک و غلظت 5 درصد عصاره ورمی‌کمپوست با (56/46 میکروگرم گالیک اسید در میلی‌گرم عصاره خشک) و تیمار 5/3 لیتر در هکتار اسید هیومیک و غلظت 5 درصد عصاره ورمی‌کمپوست با (13/749 میکروگرم روتین در میلی گرم عصاره خشک) به ترتیب بیشترین تأثیر را بر محتوای فنل و فلاونوئید داشتند. به نظر می‌رسد مصرف مقادیر مناسب از اسید ‌هیومیک و عصاره‌ ورمی‌کمپوست با افزایش مواد آلی خاک، از طریق بهبود فعالیت‌های میکروبی خاک و نیز فراهمی جذب بیشتر عناصر غذایی، سبب افزایش میزان فتوسنتز و ماده خشک گیاهی می‌گردد و در بین تیمار‌های بررسی شده، تیمار 5/3 لیتر در هکتار اسید هیومیک و غلظت 20 درصد عصاره ورمی‌کمپوست به عنوان یکی از بهترین تیمار شناخته شد.

The most common view of Kant’s Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science (MFNS)1 is that is represents an explicit effort by Kant to provide an a priori justification for the Newtonian world view. It is usually argued that Kant attempted to provide this justification by deducing the main tenets of Newtonian mechanics directly from his critical philosophy.

New center for IT research

Commonly Shared Foundation of Mathematics, Information Science, Natural Science, Social Science, and Theology

Objective: We explored the association between polymorphisms of Cry1, Cry2, and Tef genes and depression in Parkinson Disease (dPD) in Chinese population. Background Circadian rhythm disturbance has been implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD) and polymorphisms of circadian gene, Cry1, Cry2, and Tef, are associated with depression. Design/Methods: We performed a case-control study in 408 subjects with PD (including 140 patients who do not have depression [n-dPD], 148 patients with possible depression [p-dPD], and 120 patients with definite depression [d-dPD]), 105 subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 485 control subjects, The polymorphisms of Cry1 (rs2287161), Cry2 (rs10838524) and Tef (rs738499) were screened by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Results: The d-dPD, and p-dPD patients had a 1.7 times higher frequency carrying the C allele and CC genotype in Cry1 (rs2287161) (p≤0.01) and a 1.8 times higher frequency carrying the T allele and TT genotype in Tef (rs738499) (p Conclusions: Cry1 and Tef, but not Cry2, contributed to the risk of dPD. The results suggest that the polymorphisms of circadian genes may play a role in both MDD and dPD. Disclosure: Dr. Liu has received research support from The National Natural Science, Medical Science and Technology Foundation Project of Chinese Traditional Medicine and Key Project of Medical Science and Technology Development Foundation. Dr. Hua has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zhao has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chen has nothing to disclose. Dr. zhang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kuo has nothing to disclose.

What is the effect of defects in the manchette protein IQ motif-containing N (IQCN) on sperm flagellar assembly? Deficiency in IQCN causes sperm flagellar assembly defects and male infertility. The manchette is a transient structure that is involved in the shaping of the human spermatid nucleus and protein transport within flagella. Our group recently reported that the manchette protein IQCN is essential for fertilization. Variants in IQCN lead to total fertilization failure and defective acrosome structure phenotypes. However, the function of IQCN in sperm flagellar assembly is still unknown. Fifty men with infertility were recruited from a university-affiliated center from January 2014 to October 2022. Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood samples of all 50 individuals for whole-exome sequencing. The ultrastructure of the spermatozoa was assessed by transmission electron microscopy. Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) was used to test the parameters of curvilinear velocity (VCL), straight-line velocity (VSL), and average path velocity (VAP). An Iqcn knockout (Iqcn-/-) mouse model was generated by CRISPR-Cas9 technology to evaluate sperm motility and the ultrastructure of the flagellum. Hyperactivation and sperm fertilizing ability were assessed in a mouse model. Immunoprecipitation followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to detect IQCN-binding proteins. Immunofluorescence was used to validate the localization of IQCN-binding proteins. Biallelic variants in IQCN (c.3913A>T and c.3040A>G; c.2453_2454del) were identified in our cohort of infertile men. The sperm from the affected individuals showed an irregular '9 + 2' structure of the flagellum, which resulted in abnormal CASA parameters. Similar phenotypes were observed in Iqcn-/- male mice. VSL, VCL, and VAP in the sperm of Iqcn-/- male mice were significantly lower than those in Iqcn+/+ male mice. Partial peripheral doublet microtubules (DMTs) and outer dense fibers (ODFs) were absent, or a chaotic arrangement of DMTs was observed in the principal piece and end piece of the sperm flagellum. Hyperactivation and IVF ability were impaired in Iqcn-/- male mice. In addition, we investigated the causes of motility defects and identified IQCN-binding proteins including CDC42 and the intraflagellar transport protein families that regulate flagellar assembly during spermiogenesis. More cases are needed to demonstrate the relation between IQCN variants and phenotypes. Our findings expand the genetic and phenotypic spectrum of IQCN variants in causing male infertility, providing a genetic marker for sperm motility deficiency and male infertility. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81974230 and 82202053), the Changsha Municipal Natural Science Foundation (kq2202072), the Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation (2022JJ40658), and the Scientific Research Foundation of Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya (YNXM-202114 and YNXM-202201). No conflicts of interest were declared. N/A.