A Mechanism for the Direct Perception of Change: The Example of Bacterial Chemotaxis

Perception ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
John B Pittenger ◽  
Cathy H Dent

The relationship between the behavior of single-celled organisms and cognition in higher animals is explored. Recent research and theory in bacterial chemotaxis are presented, together with a discussion of the implications of chemotaxis for perceptual theory. A number of parallels between chemotaxis and perception in higher organisms are drawn. It is suggested that Koshland's model of the chemical processes controlling chemotaxis is an example of a mechanism for direct perception of change and can help elucidate Runeson's work on ‘smart mechanisms’ of perception. It is argued, more generally, that the growing body of knowledge about the perceptual activities of lower organisms should be used to broaden the factual base on which theories of perception are constructed: eg explication of perceptual parallels between humans and lower organisms should help clarify the nature of these phenomena in humans and, perhaps, help in the development of theories of greater generality. Also, the debate between direct and indirect theories of perception may be advanced by analysis of the specific mechanisms used by lower organisms. Contrasts to mediated perception are pointed out and arguments for the relative simplicity and explanatory power of theories of direct perception are provided.

Author(s):  
Iride Azara ◽  
Nikolaos Pappas ◽  
Eleni Michopoulou

The examination of processes of value co-creation and co-destruction within events is now more pertinent than ever. Given the effects of constant sociocultural and environmental change and pandemic, and the huge challenges facing the sector, it is now more important than ever to understand what value is and how it can be created or destroyed. For instance, considering the engagement and involvement of audiences/ attendees it is important to explore the relationship between attendees’ motivations and frequency of attendance with their level of engagement. At the same time, there is a clear need of investigating additional factors that contribute to value co-creation in the context of events. Research should concentrate on understanding the different audiences, actors and stakeholders across different event contexts and settings within their respective value and distribution chains and within the wider event environment. The proliferation of events research is valuable therefore not just to expand this growing body of knowledge on a theoretical level; but events research has clear potential for use by event managers and producers in the events sector through the recovery process and beyond.


1969 ◽  
Vol 73 (703) ◽  
pp. 581-590
Author(s):  
K. R. Sealy

For many people Stansted represents the best example of the relationship between air transport and regional planning. The public inquiry at least showed up the fact that, although both are subjects with a growing body of knowledge, the interaction between the two is less well known. This is not to say that work of this kind is absent, e.g. the studies undertaken for the Port of New York Authority (PNYA) into the siting of a fourth major airport for that city, the symposia and studies of the Institut de Transport Aerien in Paris or the work of Stratford and others in this country, all pay attention to the relationship. The real crux of the matter is that both air transport and the development of our cities and regions are undergoing rapid change.


There is a growing body of evidence pointing towards rising levels of public dissatisfaction with the formal political process. Depoliticization refers to a more discrete range of contemporary strategies politicians employ that tend to remove or displace the potential for choice, collective agency, and deliberation. This book examines the relationship between these trends of dissatisfaction and displacement, as understood within the broader shift towards governance. It brings together a number of contributions from scholars who have a varied range of concerns but who nevertheless share a common interest in developing the concept of depoliticization through their engagement with a set of theoretical, conceptual, methodological, and empirical questions. The contributions in this volume explore these questions from a variety of different perspectives by using a number of different empirical examples and case studies from both within the nation state and from other regional, global, and multilevel arenas. In this context, this volume examines the limits and potential of depoliticization as a concept and its contribution to the larger and more established literatures on governance and anti-politics.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
pp. 1219-1236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ha Na Im ◽  
Chang Gyu Choi

This study proposes an alternative to the conventional entropy-based land use mix index, which is generally used to measure the diversity of land use. Pedestrian volume was selected as the dependent variable as it represents the vitality of districts, which many recent urban studies now consider important. The study investigates an entropy-based weighted land use mix index, which is weighted by different land use types. For the index, different areas are needed to generate a unit of pedestrian volume, whose measure is m2/person/day. The study demonstrates that this alternative is more effective than the existing conventionally used entropy-based land use mix index for explaining pedestrian volume. The research confirms that the conventionally used entropy-based land use mix index can have a positive or negative impact depending on the land use characteristics of the survey points because the conventionally used entropy-based land use mix index has a non-linear relationship with pedestrian volume. By analysing 9727 surveyed locations of pedestrian volume in Seoul, Korea, the study demonstrates that the weighted land use mix index, rather than the conventionally used entropy-based land use mix index, can improve the explanatory power of the estimation model for the relationship between pedestrian volume and built environments, showing consistent results throughout the empirical analysis. In future built-environment studies, the utility of the weighted land use mix index is expected to improve if studies include how to find the accurate weighting of the land use in estimating the pedestrian volume.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-65
Author(s):  
Mary Varghese ◽  
Kamila Ghazali

Abstract This article seeks to contribute to the existing body of knowledge about the relationship between political discourse and national identity. 1Malaysia, introduced in 2009 by Malaysia’s then newly appointed 6th Prime Minister Najib Razak, was greeted with expectation and concern by various segments of the Malaysian population. For some, it signalled a new inclusiveness that was to change the discourse on belonging. For others, it raised concerns about changes to the status quo of ethnic issues. Given the varying responses of society to the concept of 1Malaysia, an examination of different texts through the critical paradigm of CDA provide useful insights into how the public sphere has attempted to construct this notion. Therefore, this paper critically examines the Prime Minister’s early speeches as well as relevant chapters of the socioeconomic agenda, the 10th Malaysia Plan, to identify the referential and predicational strategies employed in characterising 1Malaysia. The findings suggest a notion of unity that appears to address varying issues.


1992 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 415-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia L. Miller ◽  
A. Gaye Cummins

Historically, theoretical and popular conceptions about power have not included or addressed women's experiences. This study adds to the growing body of knowledge about women by examining women's perceptions of and relationship to power. One hundred twenty-five women, ranging in age from 21 to 63, were asked to define and explore power through a variety of structured and open-ended questions. The results showed that women's definition of power differed significantly from their perception of society's definition of power, as well as from the way power has traditionally been conceptualized. More theoretical and empirical attention should be given to understanding the role of personal authority in both women's and men's experience of power.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Ferreira de Mello Silva ◽  
Eduardo Raupp de Vargas

Purpose This study aims to examine the extant literature to analyze the relationship between quality assurance (QA) and innovation in the higher education context. Design/methodology/approach This study selected 63 articles through a systematic literature review in Scopus and Web of Science databases and performed a descriptive and thematic synthesis-analysis on the sample. Findings The research identifies several perspectives discussed on QA systems covering experiences, criticisms and practice implications. The literature review shows there is no clear consensus on whether innovation in higher education institutions (HEIs) is fostered or hindered by QA processes. However, it seems that the likelihood of innovativeness and positive QA outcomes are directly linked to how these processes are managed in universities. Research limitations/implications This review highlights the university management concerns that emerge with QA issues as it is not yet clear to what extent innovation is actually promoted in scenarios where QA is applied. Hence, this literature review could be considered comprehensive but not exhaustive. Further studies are recommended to improve the understanding of how HEIs can both innovate and ensure quality at the same time. Originality/value The paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by advancing the opportunities and challenges that HEIs face due to QA system features.


2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia L. Russell ◽  
Kristi Brown

Context No empirical studies exist to direct nursing interventions for individuals during the long period of waiting for a transplant. Objective To measure the effect of information and support on hope and uncertainty for individuals awaiting cadaveric kidney transplantation. Design Randomized, controlled study. Setting A university-affiliated hospital in the Midwest from 1997 to 1999. Patients Fifty participants awaiting cadaveric kidney transplantation. Interventions The control group received no intervention phone calls or mailings, which was the current standard of care. The treatment group received phone calls and mailings once every month for 6 months. Main Outcome Measures Hope, measured by the Herth Hope Index, and uncertainty, measured by the Mishel's Uncertainty in Illness Scale for Adults, were evaluated at the beginning of the study and 6 months later. Results No statistically significant effect of the nursing intervention was found on hope and uncertainty in this sample (F = 0.5322, P = .81). Hope was found to be negatively related to uncertainty both before ( r = $0.53, P = .0001) and after ( r = $0.59, P = .0001) intervention. No significant change was found between hope before and after intervention, and uncertainty before and after intervention in the treatment group (F = 1.10, P = .40) or the control group. Conclusion The individuals indicated that definite needs were met by the information and support intervention even though the results did not statistically support the effect of the nursing intervention. Conclusions Several conclusions can be drawn from the findings of this study. First, even though the nursing intervention of providing information and support did not have a statistically significant effect on levels of hope and uncertainty in individuals awaiting kidney transplantation, anecdotal reports from the respondents indicated that the phone calls and mailed information were helpful and appreciated. Valuable information, potentially impacting the outcomes of kidney transplantation, was gathered by the researchers and shared with the transplant team. Secondly, levels of hope were relatively high, whereas levels of uncertainty were moderate in this sample of individuals waiting for cadaveric kidney transplantation. Furthermore, in this sample, the average time since diagnosis of ESRD was more than 4 years and the average waiting time was more than 1 year. There may have been a change over time from viewing the waiting experience as a negative experience to a positive opportunity. Thirdly, the finding of a negative relationship between hope and uncertainty provided support to the growing body of knowledge of this association. Finally, time on the waiting list, gender, and marital status were not associated with levels of hope or uncertainty. Generally, the findings of this study are consistent with existing literature and add to the growing body of knowledge related to the midrange theories of hope and uncertainty.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domenico Celenza ◽  
Fabrizio Rossi

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between corporate performance and Value Added Intellectual Coefficient (VAICTM) on the one hand, and the relationship between the variations in market value and the variations in VAIC on the other hand. Design/methodology/approach – Starting from the VAIC model, 23 Italian listed companies were examined with the aim of investigating the relationship between VAIC and the performance of the firms in the sample. The analysis was divided into two stages. In the first stage, eight models of linear regression were estimated to verify the presence of a positive and statistically significant relationship between M/BV and VAIC and between accounting performance indicators (ROE, ROI, ROS) and the VAIC. In the second stage, six other models were tested, considering as an independent variable the variations in VAIC and the variations in profitability indicators. Findings – The outcomes of the application stress the importance of VAIC in the explanation of the variations in MV and its role as “additional coefficient” in the analysis of equity performance. Originality/value – This methodology highlights some very interesting aspects. In particular, whereas the relationship between M/BV and VAIC and between profitability indicators (ROI, ROE, ROS) and VAIC is statistically insignificant, the subsequent analysis highlights the importance of VAIC as a variable capable of increasing the explanatory power of the regression in a cross-sectional perspective.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-39
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Gaweł

Although innovation and entrepreneurship have been subjects of researchers’ interests for years, nevertheless both the concepts and the relationships between them remain controversial. Since different indices are accepted for the measurement of these categories, the question is whether the relationship between them depends on the choice of measures. The aim of the paper is to indicate the innovation impact on the entrepreneurial process with regard to different measures of these concepts. The research was conducted with the use of regression analyses as a method and yearly data for Polish regions in the period 2003–2018. At the initial stage of the research as many measures of innovation and entrepreneurship as possible were introduced into the estimation of regression function parameters. Statistically insignificant variables were deleted at later stages of research. This research confirms that innovativeness and entrepreneurship are broad concepts and the relationship between them depends on the choice of measures. Saturation with enterprises and saturation with start-ups seem to be more sensitive to innovation than other measures of entrepreneurship. Innovation seen as input, measured by spending on research and development (R&D) has a bigger influence on entrepreneurship than the output innovation measured by revenues from innovative activities. Considering a relatively low level of explanatory power of innovations, it seems they are not the only factor influencing entrepreneurship.


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