Finality revived: powers and intentionality

Proponents of physical intentionality argue that the classic hallmarks of intentionality highlighted by Brentano are also found in purely physical powers. Critics worry that this idea is metaphysically obscure at best, and at worst leads to panpsychism or animism. I examine the debate in detail, finding both confusion and illumination in the physical intentionalist thesis. Analysing a number of the canonical features of intentionality, I show that they all point to one overarching phenomenon of which both the mental and the physical are kinds, namely finality. This is the finality of ‘final causes’, the long-discarded idea of universal action for an end to which recent proponents of physical intentionality are in fact pointing whether or not they realise it. I explain finality in terms of the concept of specific indifference, arguing that in the case of the mental, specific indifference is realised by the process of abstraction, which has no correlate in the case of physical powers. This analysis, I conclude, reveals both the strength and weakness of rational creatures such as us, as well as demystifying (albeit only partly) the way in which powers work.

Bayesian analysis of uncertainty in the GlobCover 2009 land cover product at climate model grid scale

Land cover data derived from satellites are commonly used to prescribe inputs to models of the land surface. Since such data inevitably contains errors, quantifying how uncertainties in the data affect a model’s output is important. To do so, a spatial distribution of possible land cover values is required to propagate through the model’s simulation. However, at large scales, such as those required for climate models, such spatial modelling can be difficult. Also, computer models often require land cover proportions at sites larger than the original map scale as inputs, and it is the uncertainty in these proportions that this article discusses. This paper describes a Monte Carlo sampling scheme that generates realisations of land cover proportions from the posterior distribution as implied by a Bayesian analysis that combines spatial information in the land cover map and its associated confusion matrix. The technique is computationally simple and has been applied previously to the Land Cover Map 2000 for the region of England and Wales. This article demonstrates the ability of the technique to scale up to large (global) satellite derived land cover maps and reports its application to the GlobCover 2009 data product. The results show that, in general, the GlobCover data possesses only small biases, with the largest belonging to non–vegetated surfaces. In vegetated surfaces, the most prominent area of uncertainty is Southern Africa, which represents a complex heterogeneous landscape. It is also clear from this study that greater resources need to be devoted to the construction of comprehensive confusion matrices.

Closed-loop feedback computation model of dynamical reputation based on the local trust evaluation in business-to-consumer e-commerce

Trust and reputation are important factors that influence the success of both traditional transactions in physical social networks and modern e-commerce in virtual Internet environments. It is difficult to define the concept of trust and quantify it because trust has both subjective and objective characteristics at the same time. A well-reported issue with reputation management system in business-to-consumer (BtoC) e-commerce is the “all good reputation” problem. In order to deal with the confusion, a new computational model of reputation is proposed in this paper. The ratings of each customer are set as basic trust score events. In addition, the time series of massive ratings are aggregated to formulate the sellers’ local temporal trust scores by Beta distribution. A logical model of trust and reputation is established based on the analysis of the dynamical relationship between trust and reputation. As for single goods with repeat transactions, an iterative mathematical model of trust and reputation is established with a closed-loop feedback mechanism. Numerical experiments on repeated transactions recorded over a period of 24 months are performed. The experimental results show that the proposed method plays guiding roles for both theoretical research into trust and reputation and the practical design of reputation systems in BtoC e-commerce.

Cultural value of architecture in homes and neighbourhoods

This paper provides an account of the Cultural Value of Architecture in Homes and Neighbourhoods, (CVoA), a project developed with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The first stage of the project was a critical review of ‘grey literature’ since 2000, industry based research on the value of architecture subdivided into themes: overall value; health and wellbeing; neighbourhood cohesion and heritage and belonging. Findings from the review revealed a marked absence of evidence of the value of architecture and an over preoccupation with the final building, the product of an interdisciplinary team not just Architects, as well as a general confusion about what it is that Architects do. Further consultation has led to the development of a framework for defining and communicating the skillsets of Architects and for developing an evidence base for their value. Our target audience is non-Architects as we are concerned with making the profession more inclusive hence our desire to create simple definitions and terminology.

Bilateral anomaly in the style of Sciopemyia sordellii (Shannon & Del Ponte) (Diptera, Psychodidae)

This paper presents a male specimen of Sciopemyia sordellii with a rare bilateral anomaly, consisting in eight spines in a style and five in the other. This species has four spines in each style as its normal number. The specimen was captured using a CDC light trap, in a forested area in the State Park ""Floresta Estadual Edmundo Navarro de Andrade"", in May 2004, located in the city of Rio Claro, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Similar anomaly was once described but this is the first specimen found with a bilateral alteration. It may cause confusion in taxonomic identification and even lead to description of new species, increasing the number of synonymies.

Taxonomic Identity in Microbial Eukaryotes: A Practical Approach Using the Testate Amoeba Centropyxis to Resolve Conflicts Between Old and New Taxonomic Descriptions

The present work focuses on 12 taxa of the genus Centropyxis Stein, 1857 to explore the conflict between traditional and contemporary taxonomic practices. We examined the morphology, biometry, and ecology of 2,120 Centropyxis individuals collected from Tiete River, Sao Paulo, Brazil; with these new data we studied the consistency of previously described species, varieties, and forms. We encountered transitional forms of test morphology that undermine specific and varietal distinctions for three species and nine varieties. Biometrical analyses made comparing the organisms at the species level suggest a lack of separation between Centropyxis aculeata and Centropyxis discoides, and a possible distinction for Centropyxis ecornis based on spine characteristics. However, incongruence between recent and previous surveys makes taking any taxonomic-nomenclatural actions inadvisable, as they would only add to the confusion. We suggest an explicit and objective taxonomic practice in order to enhance our taxonomic and species concepts for microbial eukaryotes. This will allow more precise inferences of taxon identity for studies in other areas.

Praktiska effekter av begreppsförvirring för en databas konceptuella design : En fallstudie om databas- och begreppsmodellering

Company X develops a laboratory information system (LIS) called System Y. The informationsystem has a two-tier database architecture consisting of a production database and a historicaldatabase. A database constitutes the backbone of a IS, which makes the design of the databasevery important. A poorly designed database can cause major problems within an organization.The two databases in System Y are poorly modeled, particularly the historical database. Thecause of the poor modeling was unclear concepts. The unclear concepts have remained in thedatabase and in the company organization and caused a general confusion of concepts. The splitdatabase architecture itself has evolved into a bottleneck and is the cause of many problemsduring the development of System Y.Company X investigates the possibility of integrating the historical database with the productiondatabase. The goal of our thesis is to conduct a consequence analysis of such integration andwhat the effects would be on System Y, and to create a new design for the integrated database.We will also examine and describe the practical effects of confusion of concepts for a databaseconceptual design.To achieve the goal of the thesis, five different method steps have been performed: a preliminarystudy of the organization, a change analysis, a consequence analysis and an investigation of theconceptual design of the database. These method steps have helped identify changes necessaryfor the organization, a new design proposal for an integrated database, the impact of theproposed design and a number of effects of confusion for the database.

Le poète errant à Port-au-Prince : Une lecture de _Parias_ de Magloire Saint-Aude

Cet article offre une analyse de la figure du flâneur dans Parias: documentaire de l’écrivain haïtien Magloire-Saint-Aude (1912-1971). Étudiant la façon dont il se réapproprie de ce trope surréaliste dans un cadre port-au-princien, le but est de montrer que l’auteur essaie de repenser le sujet haïtien. L’article démontre que Magloire-Saint-Aude se sert d’un chronotope urbain double, d’abord les rues pauvres où les personnages déambulent sans but fixe et ensuite les salons bourgeois où naît le désir. Son flâneur haïtien subit un processus complexe de subjectivation qui s’articule dans la tension de ces deux chronotopes urbains. Même si le héros saint-audien essaye de se libérer par le biais de l’amour pour une Française il est à jamais attaché à l’espace exigu de Port-au-Prince. Cela vient rompre avec une tradition d’affirmation héroïque du sujet (masculin) haïtien. ”Exilé de l’intérieur,” Malgoire-Saint-Aude explore un sujet insaisissable qui garde ouverte sa part à l’altérité.

Attitudes Towards and Uses of the Japanese Adverbzenzen by Swedish Learners of Japanese

The word zenzen is an adverb that is used frequently in daily conversational Japanese. From the Meiji period (1868-1912) until the early Showa period (1924-1989) the word was used together with both affirmative and negative words to form expressions. In the early Showa period the grammatical rules in education changed so that the only acceptable use was together with a negative word. From the 1990’s onward, the use together with an affirmative word has made a comeback especially among younger Japanese people. However even though the usage together with an affirmative word has made a comeback and was considered normal once in history, in today’s society it is still considered as slang and thus not recommended usage in formal situations. Foreign language learners however, tend not to learn a language only by textbooks but also by imitating the language of native Japanese speakers and Japanese popular culture. This may lead to a confusion regarding what words are acceptable to use in conversations. Therefore in this study, an online survey that examines the usage and attitudes regarding the word zenzen aimed at Japanese language learners at Swedish universities was conducted. The results of the survey showed that although a majority of the learners showed a good understanding of the usage, more than half of the learners displayed a feeling of confusion regarding the usage of the word. The gender comparison regarding the usage showed no major differences. Having lived in Japan, having Japanese friends whom you speak Japanese with regularly and length of Japanese study was associated with an increased understanding of the usage. Regular consumption of Japanese popular culture, however, was not associated with an increased understanding of the usage. A literature analysis was also conducted to examine the attitudes regarding the usage of zenzen in a variety of books with topics including business language and books aimed at Japanese language teachers. The results showed that zenzen used together with a negative word was considered as the norm while zenzen used together with an affirmative word was not recommended to be used in formal situations. When recommending proper usage of the word zenzen together with an affirmative word to foreign learners of Japanese, hijou-ni and totemo was seen as better alternatives to zenzen in a formal situation.

Pro-premiär eller pro-president? : Om distinktionen mellan parlamentarism, presidentialism och semi-presidentialism

Propremiar or pro-president? On the distinction between parliamentarism, presitentialism and semi-presidentialism. From comparative research on the constitutional development in Central and Eastern Europe and also from the longstanding debate on whether parliamentarism or presidentialism best facilitates democracy, it is apparent that there has been and continues to be, a certain degree of confusion concerning the concepts of semi-presidentialism and presidentialism. Different scholars mean different things by the terms and therefore classify countries differently. In this article I argue that the conceptual dichotomy between pro-premiär (premier-presidentialism) and pro-president systems (presidentparliamentary systems) provide the best solution to several of the problems related to categorising constitutional types, most importantly perhaps to the presidential power dilemma. I, furthermore, employ these concepts on the post-communist constitutional systems and try to reveal patterns with regard to presidential power, geographical region and democratisation.

The diversity of diversity: further methodological considerations on the use of the concept in cultural economics

The implications of diversity still raise confusion in the cultural debate. We address them from both a formal and conceptual viewpoints, putting in check the validity of some arguments. We conclude that: measuring diversity demands key decisions and careful statistical procedures; ignorance on optimal diversity levels and on ways to generate them is widespread in the cultural field; there is no support for cultural diversity as something associated to fair economic and political systems; restriction to sheer economics requires the establishment of links between diversity and measurable properties – something rather incipient. Diversity, as a social choice, should be distinguished from it as an economic value.

Determinação da glico-hemoglobina : relação com a glicemia e aspectos analíticos

A glico-hemoglobina (HbA1c) é um parâmetro importante no controle glicêmico de pacientes diabéticos. Vários estudos clínicos mostraram claramente que a melhora no controle glicêmico está fortemente associada com a diminuição no desenvolvimento e/ou progressão das complicações microvasculares do diabetes. A medida exata e precisa da HbA1c é uma questão importante para os laboratórios clínicos. Vários fatores afetam os resultados e podem levar a resultados errôneos. Este trabalho analisou o efeito de fatores analíticos, estados patológicos e drogas nos resultados de HbA1c. Em um primeiro estudo, demonstramos que a fração lábil de HbA1c contribui significativamente para o resultado final. Quando está fração é separada inadequadamente, há a necessidade de um pré - tratamento na amostra, para evitarmos valores falsamente elevados. O armazenamento das amostras é um fator pré – analítico importante. Amostras mantidas sob refrigeração são estáveis por 10 dias e o armazenamento a longo prazo deve ser feito a – 80oC. No entanto, amostras congeladas a –20oC apresentam uma diminuição significativa nos valores de HbA1c, já nas primeiras 24h de armazenamento. Em um segundo estudo, relatamos que as hemoglobinas anômalas estão associadas com valores muito baixos de HbA1c. Adicionalmente, também demonstramos que a anemia é uma importante fonte de interferência negativa nos resultados. Sugerimos que, para a correta interpretação dos valores de HbA1c, o estado hematológico do paciente seja sempre considerado. Em um terceiro estudo, analisamos o uso crônico de aspirina, vitamina C e vitamina E nos níveis de HbA1c. Houve inexistência de efeito significativo nos resultados de HbA1c, medidos por 3 métodos rotineiramente utilizados pelos laboratórios clínicos, em indivíduos não - diabéticos. O clínico deve conhecer os fatores que afetam a determinação de HbA1c na população atendida e os resultados discordantes com a história clínica do paciente devem ser sempre investigado.

Responsabilidade social e dimensões sociais do marketing: o estudo de caso Furnas

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi averiguar partir da análise do modelo de performance social corporativa, tomando como base proposta de classificação dos conceitos que circunscrevem as "dimensões sociais do marketing", inseridos nos espaços estruturais do mapa de estruturaação das sociedades capitalistas no sistema mundial, se as práticas dessas ferramentas gerenciais por FURNAS Centrais Elétricas SA estão mais afinadas com preceitos regulatórios, ligados ao mercado, ou emancipatórios, ligados ao espírito público. Para tanto se realizou uma revisão da bibliografia referente ao assunto objetivando enquadrar as empresas na atual conjuntura sócio-econômica, aprofundar conhecimento concernente evolução do conceito de responsabilidade social corporativa, esclarecer emaranhado conceituai que envolve as ferramentas que compõem as "dimensões sociais do marketing" propor análise do uso de tais ferramentas sob enfoque da Teoria Crítica. Usou-se como método estudo de caso, os resultados foram obtidos a partir da análise livre do discurso de dirigentes, conseguidos por meio de entrevistas semi-estruturadas, dos documentos disponibilizados pela empresa. Os dados revelam que prática das ferramentas que compõem as "dimensões sociais do marketing" por FURNAS Centrais Elétricas SA estão mais voltadas para legitimação da empresa, que para obter vantagem competitiva, de onde se conclui que está mais relacionada ao espírito público, denotando, por conseguinte, práticas substantivas.

Uma avaliação do impacto do treinamento na produtividade do trabalho.

A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo verificar o impacto que o treinamento causa na produtividade do trabalho. O arcabouço teórico fundamentou-se em Formação Profissional, Educação, Qualificação, Treinamento e Produtividade. O processo metodológico empregado, baseado no estruturalismo, buscou identificar e descrever as relações subjacentes entre treinamento e produtividade nos seus elementos essenciais. O estudo é exploratório, descritivo e explicativo. A coleta de dados foi realizada através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas, utilizando o critério de saturação para definir o número de entrevistas. Foram entrevistados gestores e profissionais de três grandes empresas privadas do Rio de Janeiro, procurando-se identificar a relação entre a produtividade do trabalho e o treinamento gerencial. Para análise dos dados foi construída uma matriz contendo as respostas dos entrevistados, que subsidiou a interpretação das informações. Os resultados obtidos indicam que não é possível estabelecer uma correlação direta entre treinamento e produtividade do trabalho no universo pesquisado, já que: 1) o treinamento é realizado com base em considerações diversas da área de produtividade (atualização técnica, equiparação a concorrência, maximização do desempenho); 2) a produtividade do trabalho raramente é medida, muitas vezes não é sequer controlada; 3) existe uma confusão conceitual entre desempenho (esforço realizado) e produtividade (resultado alcançado).

A confusão no processo de escolha do consumidor

Dentro da literatura de Comportamento do Consumidor e Teoria da Decisão existe considerável corpo teórico que analisa sentimentos negativos e reações adversas no processo decisório de compras de produtos de alto e baixo envolvimento. Vários fenômenos são identificados como negativos no processo, principalmente a Confusão do Consumidor, que compreende três dimensões: i) muitas informações similares sobre produtos, ii) muitas informações sobre diferentes produtos e iii) informações falsas e ambíguas. Tal fenômeno, no entanto, parece ser moderado por um conjunto de variáveis, como o Envolvimento, a Experiência e a Restrição de Tempo (moderadoras da relação entre Confusão do Consumidor e Intenção de Compra). Este fato foi identificado através de entrevistas em profundidade. Os resultados das entrevistas permitiram identificar as variáveis moderadoras, assim como a existência do fenômeno e sua relação com a decisão final de compra. Na segunda fase da pesquisa, supõe-se que indivíduos com baixo Envolvimento e Restrição de Tempo possuam uma propensão maior à confusão. No Estudo 2 foram utilizados como moderadores o Envolvimento e a Restrição de Tempo, ambos manipulados por instrução, sendo as variáveis dependentes a Intenção de Compra e a Confusão do Consumidor. Os resultados do Estudo 2 permitiram inferir que existem diferenças significativas entre os grupos, quando analisada a variável Confusão do Consumidor, mas, em alguns grupos, a Intenção de Compra não era significativamente diferente. No Estudo 3 foram manipuladas a Experiência (forte e fraca) e a Confusão do Consumidor, sendo a variável dependente a Intenção de Compra. Os resultados do Estudo 3 também permitiram inferir que existem diferenças significativas entre os grupos na Intenção de compra, quando consideradas baixa ou alta confusão, assim como Experiência forte ou fraca. Na última fase da pesquisa foram destacadas as estratégias dos consumidores para lidar com o fenômeno Confusão do Consumidor. Tais estratégias, muitas vezes, são mediadoras de comportamentos posteriores, como a compra do produto. No Estudo 4 manipulou-se a Confusão do Consumidor em duas de suas dimensões. Foi possível destacar a preponderância da estratégia por busca de informações e postergação da decisão, quando o consumidor se depara com situações confusas.