The Sketch. : A journal of art and actuality.

Some numbers have special supplements.

O que há de metafísica na mecânica do século XVIII?

Ao contrário do período precedente de criação da chamada ciência moderna, o século XVIII parece não desempenhar um papel fundamental no desenvolvimento da física. Na visão de muitos autores, o século das luzes é considerado como uma fase de organização da mecânica que teve seu coroamento com as obras de Lagrange, imediatamente precedidas por Euler e dAlembert. Muitos autores afirmam que na formulação da mecânica racional houve uma eliminação gradual da metafísica e também da teologia e que o surgimento da física moderna veio acompanhado por uma rejeição da metafísica aristotélica da substância e qualidade, forma e matéria, potência e ato. O ponto central da tese é mostrar que, no século XVIII, houve uma preocupação e um grande esforço de alguns filósofos naturais que participaram da formação da mecânica, em determinar como seria possível descrever fenômenos através da matemática. De uma forma geral, a filosofia mecanicista exigia que as mudanças observadas no mundo natural fossem explicadas apenas em termos de movimento e de rearranjos das partículas da matéria, uma vez que os predecessores dos filósofos iluministas conseguiram, em parte, eliminar da filosofia natural o conceito de causas finais e a maior parte dos conceitos aristotélicos de forma e substância, por exemplo. Porém, os filósofos mecanicistas divergiam sobre as causas do movimento. O que faria um corpo se mover? Uma força externa? Uma força interna? Força nenhuma? Todas essas posições tinham seus adeptos e todas sugeriam reflexões filosóficas que ultrapassavam os limites das ciências da natureza. Mais ainda: conceitos como espaço, tempo, força, massa e inércia, por exemplo, são conceitos imprescindíveis da mecânica que representam uma realidade. Mas como a manifestação dessa realidade se torna possível? Como foram definidos esses conceitos? Embora não percebamos explicitamente uma discussão filosófica em muitos livros que versam sobre a mecânica, atitudes implícitas dessa natureza são evidentes no tratamento das questões tais como a ambição à universalidade e a aplicação da matemática. Galileu teve suas motivações e suas razões para afirmar que o livro da natureza está escrito em liguagem matemática. No entanto, embora a matemática tenha se tornado a linguagem da física, mostramos com esta tese que a segunda não se reduz à primeira. Podemos, à luz desta pesquisa, falarmos de uma mecânica racional no sentido de ser ela proposta pela razão para organizar e melhor estruturar dados observáveis obtidos através da experimentação. Porém, mostramos que essa ciência não foi, como os filósofos naturais pretendiam que assim fosse, obtidas sem hipóteses e convenções subjetivas. Por detrás de uma representação explicativa e descritiva dos fenômenos da natureza e de uma consistência interna de seus próprios conteúdos confirmados através da matemática, verificamos a presença da metafísica.

Le problème du mal dans la Summa de bono de Philippe le Chancelier

Ce mémoire entend mettre en lumière la solution au problème du mal développée par Philippe le Chancelier dans la Summa de bono (1225-1228). À cet effet, notre analyse se polarise sur la notion du mal qui occupe à la fois le système des transcendantaux et la division du bien créé découlant du principe du souverain bien. La somme est bâtie d’après la primauté de la notion du bien transcendantal, et fut rédigée par opposition avec la doctrine manichéenne des Cathares, en vogue au XIIIe siècle, qui s’appuyait sur la prééminence de deux principes métaphysiques causant le bien et le mal, d’où devaient procéder toutes les choses de la Création. Ceci explique que nous ayons privilégié de seulement examiner les notions du bien et du mal en un sens général, car c’est au stade universel de l’ontologie du bien que l’auteur défait la possibilité du mal de nature, en amont des ramifications du bien créé, déployées, à l’envi, dans les questions de la somme où les réponses sont assignées à des problèmes spécifiques. Nous offrons ici, pour la première fois, une traduction en français d’une série de questions ayant permis de mener à bien ce projet.

But what makes it doctoral? Taking on the traditionalists : interdisciplinary, practice-led doctoral research in the creative industries - a case study in academic politics, research, rigour and relevance

This paper examines a Doctoral journey of interdisciplinary exploration, explication, examination...and exasperation. In choosing to pursue a practice-led doctorate I had determined from the outset that ‘writing 100,000 words that only two people ever read’, was not something which interested me. Hence, the oft-asked question of ‘what kind of doctorate’ I was engaged in, consistently elicited the response, “a useful one”. In order to satisfy my own imperatives of authenticity and usefulness, my doctoral research had to clearly demonstrate relevance to; productively inform; engage with; and add value to: wider professional field(s) of practice; students in the university courses I teach; and the broader community - not just the academic community. Consequently, over the course of my research, the question, ‘But what makes it Doctoral?’ consistently resounded and resonated. Answering that question, to satisfy not only the traditionalists asking it but, perhaps surprisingly, some academic innovators - and more particularly, myself as researcher - revealed academic/political inconsistencies and issues which challenged both the fundamental assumptions and actuality of practice-led research. This paper examines some of those inconsistencies, issues and challenges and provides at least one possible answer to the question: ‘But what makes it Doctoral?’

The limit to wheat water-use efficiency in eastern Australia. I. Gradients in the radiation environment and atmospheric demand

In the wheatbelt of eastern Australia, rainfall shifts from winter dominated in the south (South Australia, Victoria) to summer dominated in the north (northern New South Wales, southern Queensland). The seasonality of rainfall, together with frost risk, drives the choice of cultivar and sowing date, resulting in a flowering time between October in the south and August in the north. In eastern Australia, crops are therefore exposed to contrasting climatic conditions during the critical period around flowering, which may affect yield potential, and the efficiency in the use of water (WUE) and radiation (RUE). In this work we analysed empirical and simulated data, to identify key climatic drivers of potential water- and radiation-use efficiency, derive a simple climatic index of environmental potentiality, and provide an example of how a simple climatic index could be used to quantify the spatial and temporal variability in resource-use efficiency and potential yield in eastern Australia. Around anthesis, from Horsham to Emerald, median vapour pressure deficit (VPD) increased from 0.92 to 1.28 kPa, average temperature increased from 12.9 to 15.2°C, and the fraction of diffuse radiation (FDR) decreased from 0.61 to 0.41. These spatial gradients in climatic drivers accounted for significant gradients in modelled efficiencies: median transpiration WUE (WUEB/T) increased southwards at a rate of 2.6% per degree latitude and median RUE increased southwards at a rate of 1.1% per degree latitude. Modelled and empirical data confirmed previously established relationships between WUEB/T and VPD, and between RUE and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and FDR. Our analysis also revealed a non-causal inverse relationship between VPD and radiation-use efficiency, and a previously unnoticed causal positive relationship between FDR and water-use efficiency. Grain yield (range 1-7 t/ha) measured in field experiments across South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland (n = 55) was unrelated to the photothermal quotient (Pq = PAR/T) around anthesis, but was significantly associated (r2 = 0.41, P < 0.0001) with newly developed climatic index: a normalised photothermal quotient (NPq = Pq . FDR/VPD). This highlights the importance of diffuse radiation and vapour pressure deficit as sources of variation in yield in eastern Australia. Specific experiments designed to uncouple VPD and FDR and more mechanistic crop models might be required to further disentangle the relationships between efficiencies and climate drivers.

Silicide formation and the interaction of metals with polycrystalline Si

The main factors affecting solid-phase Si-metal interactions are reported in this work. The influence of the orientation of the Si substrates and the presence of impurities in metal films and at the Si-metal interface on the formation of nickel and chromium silicides have been demonstrated. We have observed that the formation and kinetic rate of growth of nickel silicides is strongly dependent on the orientation and crystallinity of the Si substrates; a fact which, up to date, has never been seriously investigated in silicide formation. Impurity contaminations in the Cr film and at the Si-Cr interface are the most dominant influencing factors in the formation and kinetic rate of growth of CrSi₂. The potentiality and use of silicides as a diffusion barrier in metallization on silicon devices were also investigated.

Two phases, Ni₂Si and NiSi, form simultaneously in two distinct sublayers in the reaction of Ni with amorphous Si, while only the former phase was observed on other substrates. On (111) oriented Si substrates the growth rate is about 2 to 3 times less than that on <100> or polycrystalline Si. Transmission electron micrographs establish-·that silicide layers grown on different substrates have different microcrystalline structures. The concept of grain-boundary diffusion is speculated to be an important factor in silicide formation.

The composition and kinetic rate of CrSi₂ formation are not influenced by the underlying Si substrate. While the orientation of the Si substrate does not affect the formation of CrSi₂ , the purity of the Cr film and the state of Si-Cr interface become the predominant factors in the reaction process. With an interposed layer of Pd₂Si between the Cr film and the Si substrate, CrSi₂ starts to form at a much lower temperature (400°C) relative to the Si-Cr system. However, the growth rate of CrSi₂ is observed to be independent of the thickness of the Pd2Si layer. For both Si-Cr and Si-Pd₂Si-Cr samples, the growth rate is linear with time with an activation energy of 1.7 ± 0.1 ev.

A tracer technique using radioactive ³¹Si (T_1/2 = 2.26 h) was used to study the formation of CrSi₂ on Pd₂Si. It is established from this experiment that the growth of CrSi₂ takes place partly by transport of Si directly from the Si substrate and partly by breaking Pd₂Si bonds, making free Si atoms available for the growth process.

The role of CrSi₂ in Pd-Al metallization on Si was studied. It is established that a thin CrSi₂ layer can be used as a diffusion barrier to prevent Al from interacting with Pd₂Si in the Pd-Al metallization on Si.

As a generalization of what has been observed for polycrystalline-Si-Al interaction, the reactions between polycrystalline Si (poly Si) and other metals were studied. The metals investigated include Ni, Cr, Pd, Ag and Au. For Ni, Cr and Pd, annealing results in silicide formation, at temperatures similar to those observed on single crystal Si substrates. For Al, Ag and Au, which form simple eutectics with Si annealing results in erosion of the poly Si layer and growth of Si crystallites in the metal films.

Backscattering spectrometry with 2.0 and 2.3 MeV ⁴He ions was the main analytical tool used in all our investigations. Other experimental techniques include the Read camera glancing angle x-ray diffraction, scanning electron, optical and transmission electron microscopy. Details of these analytical techniques are given in Chapter II.

Le statut ontologique de la dunamis chez Aristote

Ce mémoire a pour tâche de déterminer le statut ontologique de la puissance chez Aristote. Pour ce faire, il est d’abord question, dans le premier chapitre, de bien définir les deux sens de la puissance, soit la puissance motrice et l’état potentiel. Nous expliquons aussi alors les multiples sens de la puissance motrice et les multiples types de la puissance que sont la nature, l’âme et l’art. Ensuite, le second chapitre étudie les liens entre l’état potentiel et la matière, d’une part, et les liens entre le non-être, la puissance et la possibilité, d’autre part. Enfin, le troisième chapitre explicite la hiérarchie ontologique aristotélicienne pour en dégager le statut ontologique de la puissance par rapport à l’acte. Cela est fait de trois manières : selon l’antériorité de l’acte sur la puissance au sein d’une substance unique ; selon l’antériorité des êtres éternels, notamment celle du premier moteur, sur les êtres générables et corruptibles ; l’antériorité du bien en acte sur le bien puissance.

Toward cell therapy using placenta-derived cells: disease mechanisms, cell biology, preclinical studies, and regulatory aspects at the round table

Among the many cell types that may prove useful to regenerative medicine, mounting evidence suggests that human term placenta-derived cells will join the list of significant contributors. In making new cell therapy-based strategies a clinical reality, it is fundamental that no a priori claims are made regarding which cell source is preferable for a particular therapeutic application. Rather, ongoing comparisons of the potentiality and characteristics of cells from different sources should be made to promote constant improvement in cell therapies, and such comparisons will likely show that individually tailored cells can address disease-specific clinical needs. The principle underlying such an approach is resistance to the notion that comprehensive characterization of any cell type has been achieved, neither in terms of phenotype nor risks-to-benefits ratio. Tailoring cell therapy approaches to specific conditions also requires an understanding of basic disease mechanisms and close collaboration between translational researchers and clinicians, to identify current needs and shortcomings in existing treatments. To this end, the international workshop entitled "Placenta-derived stem cells for treatment of inflammatory diseases: moving toward clinical application" was held in Brescia, Italy, in March 2009, and aimed to harness an understanding of basic inflammatory mechanisms inherent in human diseases with updated findings regarding biological and therapeutic properties of human placenta-derived cells, with particular emphasis on their potential for treating inflammatory diseases. Finally, steps required to allow their future clinical application according to regulatory aspects including good manufacturing practice (GMP) were also considered. In September 2009, the International Placenta Stem Cell Society (IPLASS) was founded to help strengthen the research network in this field.

Study of interaction between Si(O,C) nanowires and the biological system

Nanomedicine is a new branch of medicine, based on the potentiality and intrinsic properties of nanomaterials. Indeed, the nanomaterials ( i.e. the materials with nano and under micron size) can be suitable to different applications in biomedicine. The nanostructures can be used by taking advantage of their properties (for example superparamagnetic nanoparticles) or functionalized to deliver the drug in a specific target, thanks the ability to cross biological barriers. The size and the shape of 1D-nanostructures (nanotubes and nanowires) have an important role on the cell fate: their morphology plays a key role on the interaction between nanostructure and the biological system. For this reason the 1D nanostructure are interesting for their ability to mime the biological system. An implantable material or device must therefore integrate with the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM), a complex network of proteins with structural and signaling properties. Innovative techniques allow the generation of complex surface patterns that can resemble the structure of the ECM, such as 1D nanostructures. NWs based on cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC), either bare (3C-SiC NWs) or surrounded by an amorphous shell (3C-SiC/SiO2 core/shell NWs), and silicon oxycarbide nanowires (SiOxCy NWs) can meet the chemical, mechanical and electrical requirements for tissue engineering and have a strong potential to pave the way for the development of a novel generation of implantable nano-devices. Silicon oxycarbide shows promising physical and chemical properties as elastic modulus, bending strength and hardness, chemical durability superior to conventional silicate glasses in aggressive environments and high temperature stability up to 1300 °C. Moreover, it can easily be engineered through functionalization and decoration with macro-molecules and nanoparticles. Silicon carbide has been extensively studied for applications in harsh conditions, as chemical environment, high electric field and high and low temperature, owing to its high hardness, high thermal conductivity, chemical inertness and high electron mobility. Also, its cubic polytype (3C) is highly biocompatible and hemocompatible, and some prototypes of biomedical applications and biomedical devices have been already realized starting from 3C-SiC thin films. Cubic SiC-based NWs can be used as a biomimetic biomaterial, providing a robust and novel biocompatible biological interface . We cultured in vitro A549 human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cells and L929 murine fibroblast cells over core/shell SiC/SiO2, SiOxCy and bare 3C-SiC nanowire platforms, and analysed the cytotoxicity, by indirect and direct contact tests, the cell adhesion, and the cell proliferation. These studies showed that all the nanowires are biocompatible according to ISO 10993 standards. We evaluated the blood compatibility through the interaction of the nanowires with platelet rich plasma. The adhesion and activation of platelets on the nanowire bundles, assessed via SEM imaging and soluble P-selectin quantification, indicated that a higher platelet activation is induced by the core/shell structures compared to the bare ones. Further, platelet activation is higher with 3C-SiC/SiO2 NWs and SiOxCyNWs, which therefore appear suitable in view of possible tissue regeneration. On the contrary, bare 3C-SiC NWs show a lower platelet activation and are therefore promising in view of implantable bioelectronics devices, as cardiovascular implantable devices. The NWs properties are suitable to allow the design of a novel subretinal Micro Device (MD). This devices is based on Si NWs and PEDOT:PSS, though the well know principle of the hybrid ordered bulk heterojunction (OBHJ). The aim is to develop a device based on a well-established photovoltaic technology and to adapt this know-how to the prosthetic field. The hybrid OBHJ allows to form a radial p–n junction on a nanowire/organic structure. In addition, the nanowires increase the light absorption by means of light scattering effects: a nanowires based p-n junction increases the light absorption up to the 80%, as previously demonstrated, overcoming the Shockley-Queisser limit of 30 % of a bulk p-n junction. Another interesting employment of these NWs is to design of a SiC based epicardial-interacting patch based on teflon that include SiC nanowires. . Such contact patch can bridge the electric conduction across the cardiac infarct as nanowires can ‘sense’ the direction of the wavefront propagation on the survival cardiac tissue and transmit it to the downstream surivived regions without discontinuity. The SiC NWs are tested in terms of toxicology, biocompatibility and conductance among cardiomyocytes and myofibroblasts.

Santa Gertrudis Magna : una mística teóloga

Resumen: Santa Gertrudis se ubica en el punto de inflexión en que la unidad tradicional entre teología y vida espiritual comienza a debilitarse. Contemporánea al desarrollo de la escolástica, pertenece sin embargo al mundo monástico, donde la integración entre la vida y la teología, se cultiva y se defiende. Su vida se nos presenta como la de aquélla en quien se cumple la finalidad teológica que subyace a toda vida cristiana: la comprensión vital del misterio por la experiencia de íntima comunión con lo divino. Su doctrina ilumina el núcleo de la fe a partir de las fuentes de la liturgia, la revelación y la tradición patrística, asimiladas a través de su experiencia espiritual. Esta se expresa en la originalidad y precisión teológica de sus visiones y oraciones, vertidas en un lenguaje afectivo y simbólico, en el equilibrio de su doctrina espiritual y en su hondo sentido de Iglesia. Su experiencia constituye una mística dogmática, eclesial y esponsal, cuya universalidad y actualidad la hacen apta y atractiva al público creyente y no creyente de hoy

Percepção sobre a disciplina Prática Contábil no curso de graduação em Ciências Contábeis: um estudo de caso com discentes de uma IFES

O objetivo desta pesquisa exploratória é analisar, sob a ótica da pedagogia experiencial, a disciplina Prática Contábil, inserida na matriz curricular dos cursos de graduação em Ciências Contábeis. Utilizando o método do estudo de caso, são destacados e, ou criticados aspectos pertinentes à educação contábil. Ressalta-se, na abordagem experiencial, a potencialidade motivacional e a capacidade de estimular o senso crítico. Destacam-se, ainda, consequências para a profissionalização. Através da aplicação ao caso selecionado, investiga-se a percepção sobre o laboratório de contabilidade no curso de graduação em Ciências Contábeis, oferecido por uma IFES brasileira. Focalizam-se, finalmente, o papel dos docentes da Instituição Federal de Ensino Superior (IFES), os principais agentes de mudança para a melhoria do processo ensino-aprendizagem da Contabilidade. A partir da revisão bibliográfica foi elaborado um roteiro semiestruturado abordando diversas questões sobre o tema, depois utilizado para a coleta de dados nas entrevistas. As respostas e reações ao roteiro foram utilizadas para relatar e analisar os resultados da entrevistas. São propostas quatro hipóteses para pesquisa futura, justificadas pela evidência coletada através do caso.

Projeto de emancipação do Alcântara e política integracionista de São Gonçalo: conflitos discursivos, razões do fracasso e atualidade da questão

O processo de tentativa de emancipação do Alcântara, transcorrido em finais de 1995 sem que o município fosse criado, é um dos casos de fracasso em pleno período denominado Febre Emancipatória, em que diversos municípios foram criados. Para compreender o insucesso deste caso analisaremos, por meio da Geopolítica Crítica e da análise dos discursos, os diferentes grupos representados, bem como sua argumentação para a divisão ou a manutenção do território. A identificação dos grupos representados, bem como dos argumentos mobilizados por estes grupos, nos permitiram inferir, em comparação com aqueles que tiveram êxito na emancipação, as razões do exemplo em estudo não ser exitoso. Adicionalmente foram discutidas a regulamentação da escala local no Brasil, bem como a dinâmica social recente do município de São Gonçalo, para apontar as possibilidades de um novo movimento em prol da emancipação, apontando-se a potencialidade de um novo movimento emancipatório, seja pela construção de um aparato jurídico que regulamente a restrição imposta a criação de novos municípios, seja pelas disparidades entre as áreas que foram alvo deste movimento.

Partidos políticos e a luta pela saúde no município do Rio de Janeiro: uma análise da saúde como elemento tático-estratégico de transformação

Essa dissertação tem como objeto o estudo da atuação dos Partidos Políticos, que compõem o Fórum de Saúde do Rio de Janeiro - quais sejam: Partido Comunista Brasileiro (PCB), Partido Socialista dos Trabalhadores Unificado (PSTU) e Partido Socialismo e Liberdade (PSOL) - na luta pela saúde, compreendendo essa última como um elemento táticoestratégico para a transformação social. A análise situa-se no município do Rio de Janeiro e compreende o período dado entre os anos de 2009 a 2013. A pesquisa tem como objetivo avaliar a saúde como um elemento tático-estratégico na busca pela emancipação humana, analisando os limites e as possibilidades da ação dos Partidos Políticos na área. Sua referência teórico-metodológica é o método histórico-dialético e o principal procedimento metodológico foi o levantamento bibliográfico de fontes primárias e secundárias. Além do levantamento bibliográfico, a observação participante também foi um instrumento utilizado no acompanhamento das reuniões realizadas pelo Fórum de Saúde do Rio de Janeiro. A dissertação está dividida em dois momentos: o primeiro consiste em um debate sobre concepção de saúde e atualidade do Projeto de Reforma Sanitária, no cenário brasileiro, bem como a análise sobre noção de Partido Revolucionário e discussão tático-estratégica e programática da esquerda brasileira. A segunda parte compreende o debate sobre Partidos Políticos e a saúde no município do Rio de Janeiro, na qual se encontram os resultados da pesquisa realizada.

黄土高原地区水土保持科学研究的重点领域

针对黄土高原地区生态建设的需求与水土保持科学研究现状,分析了黄土高原水土保持科学研究的成就与发展趋势,提出该区未来需加强土壤侵蚀过程、机制及侵蚀模型、植被恢复的潜力及调控、大尺度土壤侵蚀及水土保持的格局与规律、水土流失及治理的环境效应评价理论与模型、水土流失治理的生态服务功能评价和不同尺度水土保持与生态建设模式研究等重点研究领域。

陕北黄土高原农牧交错带土地生产潜力及人口承载力

根据陕北黄土高原农牧交错带生态环境特点以及作物生长发育过程对光、热、水、土资源的要求和利用效率,运用逐步订正法对该地区的土地生产潜力进行了定量估算,并对其土地的人口承载力进行了计算与分析,指出了提高该地区土地生产潜力及人口承载力的途径。结果表明,该地区光温生产潜力为光合生产潜力的65.21%,气候生产潜力为光温生产潜力的37.91%,土壤生产潜力为气候生产潜力的32.19%,现实生产能力仅为土壤生产潜力的42.47%;在现实生产能力水平下,人民生活仅能维持我国低消费水平,如果要实现世界中等消费水平,必须使土地的现实生产能力达到土壤生产潜力的89.40%,气候生产潜力的27.00%。提高该地区土地生产潜力及人口承载力的途径包括提高植被覆盖度,控制土地荒漠化;发展设施农业和灌溉农业,提高作物产量;改进施肥方法,培肥地力;因地制宜,开发滩区等。