Complexity and information technologies: an ethical inquiry into human autonomous action

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Entropy effect in quantum computing and information: an open-source environment simulation

The technologies are rapidly developing, but some of them present in the computers, as for instance their processing capacity, are reaching their physical limits. It is up to quantum computation offer solutions to these limitations and issues that may arise. In the field of information security, encryption is of paramount importance, being then the development of quantum methods instead of the classics, given the computational power offered by quantum computing. In the quantum world, the physical states are interrelated, thus occurring phenomenon called entanglement. This study presents both a theoretical essay on the merits of quantum mechanics, computing, information, cryptography and quantum entropy, and some simulations, implementing in C language the effects of entropy of entanglement of photons in a data transmission, using Von Neumann entropy and Tsallis entropy.

New readers, new reading skills and meaning: challenges for media and information literacy

Recognizing the importance of developing the information and media literacy in contemporary society, this article discusses the scenario of hybrid languages born on cyberspace, hypertext and the new types of readers who interact with information, now disseminated by digital media. As theoretical references authors such as Lucia Santaella, we develop arguments that present the headquarters of language and thought within a semiotic support. Matrices help to understand the phenomenon of hybrid language in hypertext. Therefore, we emphasize that the development of skills associated with the new reading environments propitiated by the virtual environment requires the understanding of language, which is one of the concepts used within the media and information literacy (MIL) proposal of Unesco, which combines the two concepts and skills of information and media literacy. It is hoped that this article motivate scholars and practitioners of education and information to take responsibility to educate for information environments that arise with new media and technologies, emphasizing the issue of reading and language.

Challenges of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) in Library and Information Science in the ICT Environment

The ICT revolution has permeated every profession and all areas of human endeavour. Professions such as law, medicine , engineering, and library and information science are adjusting to the ICT environment through re-tooling, retraining, and curriculum revision. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of ICT on the student industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) of library and information science students. It traces the historical development of the scheme, the ICT development trends in LIS, and the challenges this development brings to SIWES. Strategies to absorb this shock created by ICT are offered.

Neural basis of visual deficits recovery: visual residual functions and multisensory integration.

The ability of integrating into a unified percept sensory inputs deriving from different sensory modalities, but related to the same external event, is called multisensory integration and might represent an efficient mechanism of sensory compensation when a sensory modality is damaged by a cortical lesion. This hypothesis has been discussed in the present dissertation. Experiment 1 explored the role of superior colliculus (SC) in multisensory integration, testing patients with collicular lesions, patients with subcortical lesions not involving the SC and healthy control subjects in a multisensory task. The results revealed that patients with collicular lesions, paralleling the evidence of animal studies, demonstrated a loss of multisensory enhancement, in contrast with control subjects, providing the first lesional evidence in humans of the essential role of SC in mediating audio-visual integration. Experiment 2 investigated the role of cortex in mediating multisensory integrative effects, inducing virtual lesions by inhibitory theta-burst stimulation on temporo-parietal cortex, occipital cortex and posterior parietal cortex, demonstrating that only temporo-parietal cortex was causally involved in modulating the integration of audio-visual stimuli at the same spatial location. Given the involvement of the retino-colliculo-extrastriate pathway in mediating audio-visual integration, the functional sparing of this circuit in hemianopic patients is extremely relevant in the perspective of a multisensory-based approach to the recovery of unisensory defects. Experiment 3 demonstrated the spared functional activity of this circuit in a group of hemianopic patients, revealing the presence of implicit recognition of the fearful content of unseen visual stimuli (i.e. affective blindsight), an ability mediated by the retino-colliculo-extrastriate pathway and its connections with amygdala. Finally, Experiment 4 provided evidence that a systematic audio-visual stimulation is effective in inducing long-lasting clinical improvements in patients with visual field defect and revealed that the activity of the spared retino-colliculo-extrastriate pathway is responsible of the observed clinical amelioration, as suggested by the greater improvement observed in patients with cortical lesions limited to the occipital cortex, compared to patients with lesions extending to other cortical areas, found in tasks high demanding in terms of spatial orienting. Overall, the present results indicated that multisensory integration is mediated by the retino-colliculo-extrastriate pathway and that a systematic audio-visual stimulation, activating this spared neural circuit, is able to affect orientation towards the blind field in hemianopic patients and, therefore, might constitute an effective and innovative approach for the rehabilitation of unisensory visual impairments.

Essays on European economic and monetary integration

This thesis focuses on two aspects of European economic integration: exchange rate stabilization between non-euro Countries and the Euro Area, and real and nominal convergence of Central and Eastern European Countries. Each Chapter covers these aspects from both a theoretical and empirical perspective. Chapter 1 investigates whether the introduction of the euro was accompanied by a shift in the de facto exchange rate policy of European countries outside the euro area, using methods recently developed by the literature to detect "Fear of Floating" episodes. I find that European Inflation Targeters have tried to stabilize the euro exchange rate, after its introduction; fixed exchange rate arrangements, instead, apart from official policy changes, remained stable. Finally, the euro seems to have gained a relevant role as a reference currency even outside Europe. Chapter 2 proposes an approach to estimate Central Bank preferences starting from the Central Bank's optimization problem within a small open economy, using Sweden as a case study, to find whether stabilization of the exchange rate played a role in the Monetary Policy rule of the Riksbank. The results show that it did not influence interest rate setting; exchange rate stabilization probably occurred as a result of increased economic integration and business cycle convergence. Chapter 3 studies the interactions between wages in the public sector, the traded private sector and the closed sector in ten EU Transition Countries. The theoretical literature on wage spillovers suggests that the traded sector should be the leader in wage setting, with non-traded sectors wages adjusting. We show that large heterogeneity across countries is present, and sheltered and public sector wages are often leaders in wage determination. This result is relevant from a policy perspective since wage spillovers, leading to costs growing faster than productivity, may affect the international cost competitiveness of the traded sector.

"Making Sense of Figures": Statistics, Computing and Information Technologies in Agriculture and Biology in Britain, 1920s-1960s

Throughout the twentieth century statistical methods have increasingly become part of experimental research. In particular, statistics has made quantification processes meaningful in the soft sciences, which had traditionally relied on activities such as collecting and describing diversity rather than timing variation. The thesis explores this change in relation to agriculture and biology, focusing on analysis of variance and experimental design, the statistical methods developed by the mathematician and geneticist Ronald Aylmer Fisher during the 1920s. The role that Fisher’s methods acquired as tools of scientific research, side by side with the laboratory equipment and the field practices adopted by research workers, is here investigated bottom-up, beginning with the computing instruments and the information technologies that were the tools of the trade for statisticians. Four case studies show under several perspectives the interaction of statistics, computing and information technologies, giving on the one hand an overview of the main tools – mechanical calculators, statistical tables, punched and index cards, standardised forms, digital computers – adopted in the period, and on the other pointing out how these tools complemented each other and were instrumental for the development and dissemination of analysis of variance and experimental design. The period considered is the half-century from the early 1920s to the late 1960s, the institutions investigated are Rothamsted Experimental Station and the Galton Laboratory, and the statisticians examined are Ronald Fisher and Frank Yates.

Study of a wind-wave numerical model and its integration with ocean and oil-spill numerical models

The ability to represent the transport and fate of an oil slick at the sea surface is a formidable task. By using an accurate numerical representation of oil evolution and movement in seawater, the possibility to asses and reduce the oil-spill pollution risk can be greatly improved. The blowing of the wind on the sea surface generates ocean waves, which give rise to transport of pollutants by wave-induced velocities that are known as Stokes’ Drift velocities. The Stokes’ Drift transport associated to a random gravity wave field is a function of the wave Energy Spectra that statistically fully describe it and that can be provided by a wave numerical model. Therefore, in order to perform an accurate numerical simulation of the oil motion in seawater, a coupling of the oil-spill model with a wave forecasting model is needed. In this Thesis work, the coupling of the MEDSLIK-II oil-spill numerical model with the SWAN wind-wave numerical model has been performed and tested. In order to improve the knowledge of the wind-wave model and its numerical performances, a preliminary sensitivity study to different SWAN model configuration has been carried out. The SWAN model results have been compared with the ISPRA directional buoys located at Venezia, Ancona and Monopoli and the best model settings have been detected. Then, high resolution currents provided by a relocatable model (SURF) have been used to force both the wave and the oil-spill models and its coupling with the SWAN model has been tested. The trajectories of four drifters have been simulated by using JONSWAP parametric spectra or SWAN directional-frequency energy output spectra and results have been compared with the real paths traveled by the drifters.

Essays in Industrial Organization and Information Technology

Chapter 1 studies how consumers’ switching costs affect the pricing and profits of firms competing in two-sided markets such as Apple and Google in the smartphone market. When two-sided markets are dynamic – rather than merely static – I show that switching costs lower the first-period price if network externalities are strong, which is in contrast to what has been found in one-sided markets. By contrast, switching costs soften price competition in the initial period if network externalities are weak and consumers are more patient than the platforms. Moreover, an increase in switching costs on one side decreases the first-period price on the other side. Chapter 2 examines firms’ incentives to invest in local and flexible resources when demand is uncertain and correlated. I find that market power of the monopolist providing flexible resources distorts investment incentives, while competition mitigates them. The extent of improvement depends critically on demand correlation and the cost of capacity: under social optimum and monopoly, if the flexible resource is cheap, the relationship between investment and correlation is positive, and if it is costly, the relationship becomes negative; under duopoly, the relationship is positive. The analysis also sheds light on some policy discussions in markets such as cloud computing. Chapter 3 develops a theory of sequential investments in cybersecurity. The regulator can use safety standards and liability rules to increase security. I show that the joint use of an optimal standard and a full liability rule leads to underinvestment ex ante and overinvestment ex post. Instead, switching to a partial liability rule can correct the inefficiencies. This suggests that to improve security, the regulator should encourage not only firms, but also consumers to invest in security.

Membrane properties and synaptic integration of identified neuronal populations in the developing rodent neocortex

In my PhD work I concentrated on three elementary questions that are essential to understand the interactions between the different neuronal cell populations in the developing neocortex. The questions regarded the identity of Cajal-Retzius (CR) cells, the ubiquitous expression of glycine receptors in all major cell populations of the immature neocortex, and the role of taurine in the modulation of immature neocortical network activity.rnTo unravel whether CR cells of different ontogenetic origin have divergent functions I investigated the electrophysiological properties of YFP+ (derived from the septum and borders of the pallium) and YFP− CR cells (derived from other neocortical origins). This study demonstrated that the passive and active electrophysiological properties as well as features of GABAergic PSCs and glutamatergic currents are similar between both CR cell populations. These findings suggest that CR cells of different origins most probably support similar functions within the neuronal networks of the early postnatal cerebral cortex.rnTo elucidate whether glycine receptors are expressed in all major cell populations of the developing neocortex I analyzed the functional expression of glycine receptors on subplate (SP) cells. Activation of glycine receptors by glycine, -alanine and taurine elicited membrane responses that could be blocked by the selective glycinergic antagonist strychnine. Pharmacological experiments suggest that SP cells express functional heteromeric glycine receptors that do not contain 1 subunits. The activation of glycine receptors by glycine and taurine induced a membrane depolarization, which mediated excitatory effects. Considering the key role of SP cells in immature cortical networks and the development of thalamocortical connections, this glycinergic excitation may influence the properties of early cortical networks and the formation of cortical circuits.rnIn the third part of my project I demonstrated that tonic taurine application induced a massive increase in the frequency of PSCs. Based on their reversal potential and their pharmacological properties these taurine-induced PSCs are exclusively transmitted via GABAA receptors to the pyramidal neurons, while both GABAA and glycine receptors were implicated in the generation of the presynaptic activity. Accordingly, whole-cell and cell-attached recordings from genetically labeled interneurons revealed the expression of glycine and GABAA receptors, which mediated an excitatory action on these cells. These findings suggest that low taurine concentrations can tonically activate exclusively GABAergic networks. The activity level maintained by this GABAergic activity in the immature nervous system may contribute to network properties and can facilitate the activity dependent formation of adequate synaptic projections.rnIn summary, the results of my studies complemented the knowledge about neuronal interactions in the immature neocortex and improve our understanding of cellular processes that guide neuronal development and thus shape the brain.rn

Differences in access and patient outcomes across antiretroviral treatment clinics in the Free State province: a prospective cohort study

Objective. To assess differences in access to antiretroviral treatment (ART) and patient outcomes across public sector treatment facilities in the Free State province, South Africa. Design. Prospective cohort study with retrospective database linkage. We analysed data on patients enrolled in the treatment programme across 36 facilities between May 2004 and December 2007, and assessed percentage initiating ART and percentage dead at 1 year after enrolment. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate associations of facility-level and patient-level characteristics with both mortality and treatment status. Results. Of 44 866 patients enrolled, 15 219 initiated treatment within 1 year; 8 778 died within 1 year, 7 286 before accessing ART. Outcomes at 1 year varied greatly across facilities and more variability was explained by facility-level factors than by patient-level factors. The odds of starting treatment within 1 year improved over calendar time. Patients enrolled in facilities with treatment initiation available on site had higher odds of starting treatment and lower odds of death at 1 year compared with those enrolled in facilities that did not offer treatment initiation. Patients were less likely to start treatment if they were male, severely immunosuppressed (CD4 count ≤50 cells/μl), or underweight (<50 kg). Men were also more likely to die in the first year after enrolment. Conclusions. Although increasing numbers of patients started ART between 2004 and 2007, many patients died before accessing ART. Patient outcomes could be improved by decentralisation of treatment services, fast-tracking the most immunodeficient patients and improving access, especially for men.

Bringing results to fruition through publication: An analysis of a peer-reviewed, open access and context-focused journal's editorial practice

When it comes to helping to shape sustainable development, research is most useful when it bridges the science–implementation/management gap and when it brings development specialists and researchers into a dialogue (Hurni et al. 2004); can a peer-reviewed journal contribute to this aim? In the classical system for validation and dissemination of scientific knowledge, journals focus on knowledge exchange within the academic community and do not specifically address a ‘life-world audience’. Within a North-South context, another knowledge divide is added: the peer review process excludes a large proportion of scientists from the South from participating in the production of scientific knowledge (Karlsson et al. 2007). Mountain Research and Development (MRD) is a journal whose mission is based on an editorial strategy to build the bridge between research and development and ensure that authors from the global South have access to knowledge production, ultimately with a view to supporting sustainable development in mountains. In doing so, MRD faces a number of challenges that we would like to discuss with the td-net community, after having presented our experience and strategy as editors of this journal. MRD was launched in 1981 by mountain researchers who wanted mountains to be included in the 1992 Rio process. In the late 1990s, MRD realized that the journal needed to go beyond addressing only the scientific community. It therefore launched a new section addressing a broader audience in 2000, with the aim of disseminating insights into, and recommendations for, the implementation of sustainable development in mountains. In 2006, we conducted a survey among MRD’s authors, reviewers, and readers (Wymann et al. 2007): respondents confirmed that MRD had succeeded in bridging the gap between research and development. But we realized that MRD could become an even more efficient tool for sustainability if development knowledge were validated: in 2009, we began submitting ‘development’ papers (‘transformation knowledge’) to external peer review of a kind different from the scientific-only peer review (for ‘systems knowledge’). At the same time, the journal became open access in order to increase the permeability between science and society, and ensure greater access for readers and authors in the South. We are currently rethinking our review process for development papers, with a view to creating more space for communication between science and society, and enhancing the co-production of knowledge (Roux 2008). Hopefully, these efforts will also contribute to the urgent debate on the ‘publication culture’ needed in transdisciplinary research (Kueffer et al. 2007).

From the Vice President for Library and Information Technology: Spring 2012

Param Bedi discusses technology adoption by students and its impact on teaching and learning.

Overview of literature and information on "khat-related" mortality: a call for recognition of the issue and further research

During the past 20 years or so, more has become known about the properties of khat, its pharmacology, physiological and psychological effects on humans. However, at the same time its reputation of social and recreational use in traditional contexts has hindered the dissemination of knowledge about its detrimental effects in terms of mortality. This paper focuses on this particular deficit and adds to the knowledge-base by reviewing the scant literature that does exist on mortality associated with the trade and use of khat. We sought all peer-reviewed papers relating to deaths associated with khat. From an initial list of 111, we identified 15 items meeting our selection criteria. Examination of these revealed 61 further relevant items. These were supplemented with published reports, newspaper and other media reports. A conceptual framework was then developed for classifying mortality associated with each stage of the plant's journey from its cultivation, transportation, consumption, to its effects on the human body. The model is demonstrated with concrete examples drawn from the above sources. These highlight a number of issues for which more substantive statistical data are needed, including population-based studies of the physiological and psychological determinants of khat-related fatalities. Khat-consuming communities, and health professionals charged with their care should be more aware of the physiological and psychological effects of khat, together with the risks for morbidity and mortality associated with its use. There is also a need for information to be collected at international and national levels on other causes of death associated with khat cultivation, transportation, and trade. Both these dimensions need to be understood.