scholarly journals Artificial life and ‘nature’s purposes’: The question of behavioral autonomy

Human Affairs ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-596
Author(s):  
Elena Popa
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Life ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Behavioral Traits ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Autonomous Behavior ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Behavioral Autonomy ◽  
Synthetic Life ◽  
Biological Organisms

AbstractThis paper investigates the concept of behavioral autonomy in Artificial Life by drawing a parallel to the use of teleological notions in the study of biological life. Contrary to one of the leading assumptions in Artificial Life research, I argue that there is a significant difference in how autonomous behavior is understood in artificial and biological life forms: the former is underlain by human goals in a way that the latter is not. While behavioral traits can be explained in relation to evolutionary history in biological organisms, in synthetic life forms behavior depends on a design driven by a research agenda, further shaped by broader human goals. This point will be illustrated with a case study on a synthetic life form. Consequently, the putative epistemic benefit of reaching a better understanding of behavioral autonomy in biological organisms by synthesizing artificial life forms is subject to doubt: the autonomy observed in such artificial organisms may be a mere projection of human agency. Further questions arise in relation to the need to spell out the relevant human aims when addressing potential social or ethical implications of synthesizing artificial life forms.

scholarly journals Changes of Walking Activity During the First Cycle Phases of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Seoul, Korea

2021 ◽  
pp. 193758672110265
Author(s):  
Youngjun Park ◽  
Haekwon Chung ◽  
Sohyun Park
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Voluntary Participation ◽  
Walking Activity ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Acceleration And Deceleration ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
The Government

Aim: This study explores the changes in regular walking activities during the phases of the pandemic. Background: With the spread of COVID-19 transmission, people are refraining from going out, reducing their physical activity. In South Korea, COVID-19 broke out in the 4th week of 2020 and experienced the first cycle phases of the pandemic, such as outbreak, widespread, and decline. In response to the pandemic, the government encouraged voluntary participation in social distancing campaigns, and people reduced their outside activities. Methods: This article examines the decrease and increase of the Prevalence of Regular Walking (≥30 min of moderate walking a day, on ≥5 days a week) by the COVID-19 phases. This study is based on weekly walking data for 15 weeks in 2020, via the smartphone healthcare app, which is managed by 25 public health offices of the Seoul government. Results: According to the findings, the level of prevalence of regular walking (PRW) has a significant difference before and after the outbreak, and every interval of the four-stage COVID-19 phases, that is, pre-pandemic, initiation, acceleration, and deceleration. The level of PRW sharply decreased during initiation and acceleration intervals. In the deceleration interval of COVID-19, the PRW kept increasing, but it has not yet reached the same level as the previous year when the COVID-19 did not exist. Conclusions: As a preliminary study, this study explains empirically how COVID-19 changed PRW in Seoul. It would be helpful to enhance our understanding of the changes in physical inactivity in the pandemic period.

Where is semiotic-cultural constructivism in psychology heading? Contemporary reflections on the trajectory of an approach to cultural psychology

2021 ◽  
pp. 1354067X2110173
Author(s):  
Danilo Silva Guimarães
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Construction ◽  
Cultural Psychology ◽  
Scientific Progress ◽  
Human Action ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Cultural Experience ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Psychological Knowledge ◽  
The Relationship

This article aims to discuss the relationship between personal cultural experience and knowledge construction in psychology, from the perspective of the Semiotic-Cultural Constructivism. The thoughts here presented are, at the same time, from within psychology and about psychology. The researcher is culturally situated and science is a field of production of cultural works that aims to create perspectives of knowledge about the world. Researchers can and must create some detachment from their field of study to be able to understand the course of their own knowledge constructions. This detachment is achieved through a historical–philosophical view on the theoretical–methodological propositions of their field of research. As a case study, we selected for analysis the field’s pioneer productions, from the years 1982 to 2004. The material showed that the rationality that characterizes scientific research is directed, in this field, to creating semiotic resources for further developing reflexivity in psychology, as a recursive and open-ended process. The theoretical–methodological work of the researcher concerns its own personal cultural experience and the tradition of the already constructed knowledge, selected to a dialogue about the ethical implications of human action. Therefore, advances in psychological knowledge construction cannot be addressed from an external, allegedly neutral point of view, focused on the efficacy of the instruments resulting from the said “scientific progress.”

Host and backpacker perceptions of environmental impacts of backpacker tourism: A case study of the Yasawa Islands, Fiji

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Supattra Sroypetch ◽  
Neil Carr ◽  
Tara Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Less Developed Countries ◽  
Significant Difference

This paper examines host and backpacker perceptions of the environmental impacts of backpacker tourism on local communities in less-developed countries. The discussion is based on data collected in 2011 via surveys and interviews with host and backpacker populations in the Yasawa Islands of Fiji. The results suggest that there is a significant difference between the perceptions of hosts and their guests towards the environmental impacts of backpacker tourism. Backpackers believe that they generate a higher extent of negative environmental impacts on the destination than those perceived by their hosts. This study broadens the understanding of the impacts of backpacker tourism from dual perspectives – both the hosts and guests.

Mestizo Robotics

Leonardo ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-137
Author(s):  
Gustavo Crembil ◽  
Paula Gaetano Adi
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Life ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Peruvian Amazon ◽  
Hybrid Nature ◽  
Alternative Approach

With a cultural and material “cannibalistic” approach, the authors aim to revise certain technological discourses by introducing TZ’IJK, a “mestizo” robotic artwork developed in the Peruvian Amazon. Far from the utopian visions of Hollywood sci-fi movies populated by highly intelligent, anthropomorphic and responsive machines, TZ’IJK employs a combination of high and low technologies that embody Latin America’s anthropophagic, postcolonial and hybrid nature. Mestizo Robotics proposes an alternative approach to the development of embodied artificial life forms, from both theoretical and technological viewpoints.

Perbandingan harga saham, volume transaksi dan return saham sebelum dan sesudah terjadi pandemi covid-19 pada PT Agung Podomoro Land, Tbk

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 720
Author(s):  
Anggun Putri Romadhina ◽  
Eka Kusuma Dewi
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Stock Prices ◽  
Stock Price ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Paired Sample ◽  
First Case ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Stock Transaction

The first Covid-19 case in Indonesia was announced on March 2, 2020. This study aims to determine whether there is a significant difference in stock prices, stock transaction volume and stock returns due to the COVID-19 pandemic (case study at PT. Agung Podomoro Land, Tbk). This research data was taken 90 days before and 90 days after the announcement of the first case of COVID-19 in Indonesia. The data was processed by paired sample t-test, using SPSS version 20. From the results of data processing, it was shown that there was a significant difference in stock prices before and after the announcement of the first case of covid-19 in Indonesia. This is indicated by a significance value of 0.000 < 0.05 where the stock price has decreased compared to before the Covid-19 case. Meanwhile, the volume of stock transactions also showed a significant difference with a significance value of 0.007 <0.05, where the volume of stock transactions after the announcement showed a decrease. Likewise, stock returns show a significant difference with a significance value of 0.025 < 0.05 where stock returns have decreased after the announcement of the first case of covid-10 in Indonesia.  

scholarly journals SOIL SEED BANK IN SEASONAL SEMIDECIDUOUS FOREST AND ABANDONED PASTURE

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 991-1001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sustanis Horn Kunz ◽  
Sebastião Venâncio Martins
Keyword(s):  
Seed Bank ◽  
Soil Seed Bank ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Successional Stage ◽  
Semideciduous Forest ◽  
Regeneration Stage ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Successional Stages ◽  
Pasture Area ◽  
Seasonal Semideciduous Forest

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to characterize the seed bank in the soil of different successional stages of Seasonal Semideciduous Forest and abandoned pasture in order to understand the natural regeneration potential of these areas. At each successional stage, 30 samples of soil were collected in the rainy and dry seasons to evaluate the qualitative heterogeneity of the forest, at the regeneration stage (FEA) forest, intermediate regeneration stage forest (ISF) and pasture (PAS). The species were classified according to the life form, successional group and dispersion syndrome. The number of individuals germinated was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the ISF and in the rainy season (15,949 individuals). Richness was higher in the pasture area (79 species), with a significant difference only between the environments. Most species are herbaceous (49.5%), pioneers (76.5%) and zoocory was the main dispersion syndrome (49% of species). The results show that seed bank in the fragment of the regeneration advanced stage forest presents the highest resilience potential, since it is formed by different life forms and, mainly, by early and late secondary species.

scholarly journals Study of Second and Fourth Digit Lengths and Their Ratios With Physical Attributes in Nepali Population

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-81
Author(s):  
Biswas Satyal ◽  
Abhishek Satyal
Keyword(s):  
Ring Finger ◽  
The Body ◽  
Behavioral Traits ◽  
Digit Ratios ◽  
Hand Deformities ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Physical Attributes ◽  
Physical Traits ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
Males And Females

Introduction: The ratio of the lengths of the index and the ring finger (2D:4D ratio) is generally different between men and women. A number of studies have shown a correlation between the 2D:4D digit ratio and various physical and behavioral traits. The aim of the present study is to investigate the association of the index (2nd) and ring (4th) digit ratios with some physical traits in Nepal population. Material & Method: 200 students (100 males and 100 females) between ages of 18 years and above were randomly selected with exclusion of those with hand deformities. The digit lengths were measured from the basal crease to the tips usingvernier calipers. The 2D:4D ratios were determined for each subject while height and weight were used to calculate the body mass index and data analyzed. The study was conducted between January 2018 to November 2018. Result: The result of the anthropometric study of the differences in index (2D) and ring (4D) and their ratios shows that there was a significant difference between the length of index finger (2D), ring finger (4D) and the ratios of right hand's 2D:4D in both males and females. There was appositive correlation between the second digit length and Height and weight in males and females both on right and left sides. The 2D:4D ratio for both left and right hand did not show any positive correlation with height, weight or BMI of an individual.

Causal ascription of rework in building and civil engineering projects

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Palaneeswaran Ekambaram ◽  
Peter E.D. Love ◽  
Mohan M. Kumaraswamy ◽  
Thomas S.T. Ng
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Civil Engineering ◽  
Small Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Quantitative Impact ◽  
Engineering Projects

Purpose – Rework is an endemic problem in construction projects and has been identified as being a significant factor contributing cost and schedule overruns. Causal ascription is necessary to obtain knowledge about the underlying nature of rework so that appropriate prevention mechanisms can be put in place. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Using a supervised questionnaire survey and case-study interviews, data from 112 building and engineering projects about the sources and causes of rework in projects were obtained. A multivariate exploration was conducted to examine the underlying relationships between rework variables. Findings – The analysis revealed that there was a significant difference between rework causes for building and civil engineering projects. The set of associations explored in the analyses will be useful to develop a generic causal model to examine the quantitative impact of rework on project performance so that appropriate prevention strategies can be identified and developed. Research limitations/implications – The limitations include: small data set (112 projects), which include 75 from building and 37 from civil engineering projects. Practical implications – Meaningful insights into the rework occurrences in construction projects will pave pathways for rational mitigation and effective management measures. Originality/value – To date there has been limited empirical research that has sought to determine the causal ascription of rework, particularly in Hong Kong.

Soil respiration and N2O emission in croplands under different ploughing practices: a case study in south-east China

Soil Research ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shutao Chen ◽  
Yao Huang
Keyword(s):  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
N2o Emission ◽  
Cropping Season ◽  
Significant Difference

Studies on the CO2 and N2O emission patterns of agricultural soils under different ploughing practices may provide an insight into the potential and magnitude of CO2 and N2O mitigation in highly managed farmland soils. In this study, field measurements of soil respiration and N2O flux with different ploughing depths were performed in the 2003–04 wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), 2004 maize (Zea mays L.), and 2004–05 wheat seasons. Soil temperature and moisture were simultaneously measured. Results showed that, in each cropping season, the seasonal variation in soil respiration developed with a similar pattern for different treatments, which was primarily regulated by soil temperature. This work demonstrates that ploughing depth can influence long-term loss of carbon from soil, but this was contingent on preceding cropping types. Given the same preceding cropping practice, no significant difference in N2O emission was found among different ploughing depths in each cropping season.

scholarly journals Environmental Education as a Tool for Sustainable Development: Case study of Lekki-Lagos

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-22
Author(s):  
M. N. Chukwu ◽  
S. J. Kadafur
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Traffic Jam ◽  
Qualitative Survey ◽  
Private Organizations ◽  
Pedestrian Bridges ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
The Government

The study examines the strength of environmental education in Lekki-Lagos and its impact on community and grass-root development by considering a targeted sample population comprising some respondents that are living or working in Lekki community in Lagos. A qualitative survey was conducted using participatory observation, interviews, and a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was validated through peer review and pilot testing. Data collected were summarized and computed using descriptive statistics while a paired t-test and Turkey’s HSD test were used for further analysis. Results showed that 92% of the respondents affirmed that environmental education impacted positively on the community attracting the government, non-governmental and private organizations to help in developing the area through construction of roads, pedestrian bridges, drainages and sea embankments thus reducing flooding, man hour loss due to traffic jam and rate of pollution. There was also a decrease in loss of lives and properties. Investors were attracted to Lekki, reducing poverty and social imbalance thus increasing community development. There is a significant difference between the state of Lekki now and before the intervention of public-private practice in developing the area (P< 0.05). It is recommended that the government and other stakeholders should collaborate on a higher scale to enhance developing the unreached communities.

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