scholarly journals The problem of the concept of the living machine according to Samuel Alexander’s emergentism

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Daniel Paksi
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Problem ◽  
Simple Machines ◽  
Mechanical Quality ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Living Being

The concept of a living being as a kind of living machine is widespread and well-known. If it is only a metaphor, it does not mean much; however, if other- wise, there is a severe conceptual problem since the living part of the concept always indicates the notorious notion of vitalism. The question is how can living machines be really different from lifeless machines without the concept of vitalism? According to Samuel Alexander, the problem arises from the traditional usage of the concept of mechanical which is confused both with the concept of something is determinated and with the concept of material; furthermore, the latter concept is defined against the Cartesian concept of mind and not on its own. Alexander’s point is that the difference between lifeless machines and living beings lies not in a vital substance or a non-mechanical principle but in an emergent mechanical quality called life which simple machines lack.

FIGURATIVE FEATURES OF THE TRANSFORMATION CONCEPT IN THE UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE

2021 ◽  
pp. 66-77
Author(s):  
H. O. Zvonko
Keyword(s):  
Native Speaker ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Peripheral Zone ◽  
Field Structure ◽  
Main Mechanism ◽  
Human Consciousness ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Specific Content ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Living Being

The article reveals the features of the figurative component as an active resource of linguistic objectification of the TRANSFORMATION concept. It was found that conceptual metaphor is the main mechanism of conceptualization of the idea of transformation. Metaphorical models are universal, but their specific content reflects the difference between real and mythological, possible or imaginary transformation. The study of the TRANSFORMATION concept through the prism of a metaphorical environment is due to the fact that it is abstract. The source for the formation of metaphors is the knowledge about animate and inanimate nature. Describing the phenomena of transformation, the native speaker of the Ukrainian language correlates them with what he already knows, and the characteristic on which the similarity is based, indicates the existence of a certain parallelism between the known and the unknown. These are the general grounds for revealing the figurative features of the TRANSFORMATION concept. The description of the main models of realization of figurative resources of the TRANSFORMATION concept in the Ukrainian language allowed to find that figurative means of the studied concept which make peripheral zone of its field structure, in the Ukrainian language are realized by means of the following eight models: vital-mortal, anthropomorphic, artefactual-attributive, zoomorphic, vegetative, colorative, spatial-temporal and model, the object or subject of which is the first elements of existence. The vital-mortal model is formed by vital and mortal features, which reveal the representations of the TRANSFORMATION concept in the human consciousness in the form or image of a living being. The anthropomorphic model is formed by social, emotional and mental features that characterize the phenomenon of transformation.

scholarly journals Infrared Thermography Applied to Tree Health Assessment: A Review

Agriculture ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele Vidal ◽  
Rui Pitarma
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Thermography ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Structure Stability ◽  
Urban Greening ◽  
Tree Health ◽  
Health Inspection ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Inspection Techniques ◽  
Non Destructive ◽  
Living Being

The tree is a fundamental living being. It contributes to nature and climate behaviour, as well to urban greening. It is also a source of wealth and employment. Most tree health inspection techniques are invasive or even destructive. Infrared thermography (IRT) is not invasive, and it has shown advantages when applied for inspection to trees and wood to detect deterioration or voids that could compromise its structure, stability, and durability. This study reviews the literature about IRT applied to a tree health inspection. It is framed in the context of the importance of trees for the balance of ecosystems, and the different techniques to detect tree deterioration. It highlights the difference when applied to wood or trees and the main factors that have been proven to cause disturbances in the thermal pattern of trees. The IRT, as other non-destructive methods, does not distinguish what type of damage it is, nor its causative agent. However, it enables identifying healthy and deteriorated tissues. The technology is very promising since it reveals that is efficient, fast, economical, and sustainable.

Electromechanical Displacement of Soft/Hard PZT Bi-Layer Composite Actuator

2015 ◽  
Vol 659 ◽  
pp. 96-101
Author(s):  
Piyalak Ngernchuklin ◽  
Arjin Boonruang ◽  
Chalearmchai Jeerapan ◽  
Pracha Laoauyporn ◽  
Sittichai Kanchanasutha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Strain ◽  
Ferroelectric Properties ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Mechanical Quality Factor ◽  
Electromechanical Properties ◽  
Layer Composite ◽  
Mechanical Quality ◽  
Piezoelectric Strain ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Thermal Expansion Coefficient Mismatch

PZTs can be classified into two types, i.e., soft and hard PZTs, which are categorized by the piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties such as coercive field, piezoelectric strain, mechanical quality factor etc. It is known that the combination effect of the soft/hard PZT composites can generate large strain/actuation compared to monolithic PZT ceramics. In this study, soft and hard PZT powders were co-pressed into bi-layer disks with various ratios between soft and hard PZT powders, ranging from 0:100~100:0 vol. % (with 10 % increments) and then they were co-sintered. Due to the difference in the planar shrinkage of the two layers and thermal expansion coefficient mismatch, dome-shaped bi-layer composites with various dome heights were obtained. It was shown that the constrained layer either soft PZT or hard PZT affected various properties including the dome geometry, the strain-E-field response, and the displacement hysteresis loop. The electromechanical properties and actuation performance of such bi-layer composite actuators have been investigated and compared to the soft and hard PZT single layer counterparts.

scholarly journals What Is Life? Are Viruses Living Entities?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Gomez-Marquez
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Community ◽  
Evolutionary System ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Living Things ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Living Being

What is life, what is the difference between something that is alive and something that is not, are viruses living beings, or what would life be like elsewhere in the universe, are questions that still do not have clear-cut answers fully accepted by the scientific community. Based on the fundamental attributes of all living things, I define life as a process that takes place in very ordered organic structures and is characterized by being automatic, interactive and evolutionary. I also define a living being as an organic, highly ordered, automatic, interacting and evolutionary system, and a robot as an ordered automatic and interacting system. Based on this definition and what we know about the biology of viruses, I maintain that they should be considered as living entities. Finally, I explain why if there were life elsewhere in the universe, it would be very similar to what we know on our planet.

The Origin of the Moon

1962 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 149-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. L. Ruskol
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Solar System ◽  
The Moon ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Origin Of The Moon

The difference between average densities of the Moon and Earth was interpreted in the preceding report by Professor H. Urey as indicating a difference in their chemical composition. Therefore, Urey assumes the Moon's formation to have taken place far away from the Earth, under conditions differing substantially from the conditions of Earth's formation. In such a case, the Earth should have captured the Moon. As is admitted by Professor Urey himself, such a capture is a very improbable event. In addition, an assumption that the “lunar” dimensions were representative of protoplanetary bodies in the entire solar system encounters great difficulties.

Influence of Cell Wall Composition on the Fossilisation of Bacteria and the Implications for the Search for Early Life Forms

1997 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 491-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances Westall
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Cation Binding ◽  
Positive Bacterium ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Gram Positive Bacteria ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Hydrothermal Sediments ◽  
Identification Of Bacteria ◽  
The Difference

AbstractThe oldest cell-like structures on Earth are preserved in silicified lagoonal, shallow sea or hydrothermal sediments, such as some Archean formations in Western Australia and South Africa. Previous studies concentrated on the search for organic fossils in Archean rocks. Observations of silicified bacteria (as silica minerals) are scarce for both the Precambrian and the Phanerozoic, but reports of mineral bacteria finds, in general, are increasing. The problems associated with the identification of authentic fossil bacteria and, if possible, closer identification of bacteria type can, in part, be overcome by experimental fossilisation studies. These have shown that not all bacteria fossilise in the same way and, indeed, some seem to be very resistent to fossilisation. This paper deals with a transmission electron microscope investigation of the silicification of four species of bacteria commonly found in the environment. The Gram positiveBacillus laterosporusand its spore produced a robust, durable crust upon silicification, whereas the Gram negativePseudomonas fluorescens, Ps. vesicularis, andPs. acidovoranspresented delicately preserved walls. The greater amount of peptidoglycan, containing abundant metal cation binding sites, in the cell wall of the Gram positive bacterium, probably accounts for the difference in the mode of fossilisation. The Gram positive bacteria are, therefore, probably most likely to be preserved in the terrestrial and extraterrestrial rock record.

Structuring, Motions and Shapes of Corona Emission Line Profiles

1994 ◽  
Vol 144 ◽  
pp. 421-426
Author(s):  
N. F. Tyagun
Keyword(s):  
Emission Line ◽  
Filling Factor ◽  
Direct Relationship ◽  
Coronal Plasma ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
Line Profiles ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Yellow Line ◽  
Red Line

AbstractThe interrelationship of half-widths and intensities for the red, green and yellow lines is considered. This is a direct relationship for the green and yellow line and an inverse one for the red line. The difference in the relationships of half-widths and intensities for different lines appears to be due to substantially dissimilar structuring and to a set of line-of-sight motions in ”hot“ and ”cold“ corona regions.When diagnosing the coronal plasma, one cannot neglect the filling factor - each line has such a factor of its own.

Difference Fourier Analysis of Glucose Embedded and Frozen Hydrated Purple Membrane

1982 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 74-75
Author(s):  
Jules S. Jaffe ◽  
Robert M. Glaeser
Keyword(s):  
Purple Membrane ◽  
Data Set ◽  
High Resolution Data ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Fourier Techniques ◽  
Versus Protein ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Difference Fourier ◽  
Ideal Method

Although difference Fourier techniques are standard in X-ray crystallography it has only been very recently that electron crystallographers have been able to take advantage of this method. We have combined a high resolution data set for frozen glucose embedded Purple Membrane (PM) with a data set collected from PM prepared in the frozen hydrated state in order to visualize any differences in structure due to the different methods of preparation. The increased contrast between protein-ice versus protein-glucose may prove to be an advantage of the frozen hydrated technique for visualizing those parts of bacteriorhodopsin that are embedded in glucose. In addition, surface groups of the protein may be disordered in glucose and ordered in the frozen state. The sensitivity of the difference Fourier technique to small changes in structure provides an ideal method for testing this hypothesis.

Destruction of Actin Filaments by Osmium Tetroxide

1977 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 466-467
Author(s):  
P. Maupin-Szamier ◽  
T. D. Pollard
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Osmium Tetroxide ◽  
Rabbit Muscle ◽  
Muscle Actin ◽  
Sodium Phosphate Buffer ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Rates Of Decay ◽  
Short Time

We have studied the destruction of rabbit muscle actin filaments by osmium tetroxide (OSO4) to develop methods which will preserve the structure of actin filaments during preparation for transmission electron microscopy.Negatively stained F-actin, which appears as smooth, gently curved filaments in control samples (Fig. 1a), acquire an angular, distorted profile and break into progressively shorter pieces after exposure to OSO4 (Fig. 1b,c). We followed the time course of the reaction with viscometry since it is a simple, quantitative method to assess filament integrity. The difference in rates of decay in viscosity of polymerized actin solutions after the addition of four concentrations of OSO4 is illustrated in Fig. 2. Viscometry indicated that the rate of actin filament destruction is also dependent upon temperature, buffer type, buffer concentration, and pH, and requires the continued presence of OSO4. The conditions most favorable to filament preservation are fixation in a low concentration of OSO4 for a short time at 0°C in 100mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 6.0.

Antiphase Boundaries in Ordered Ni3FE Crystals

1969 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 62-63
Author(s):  
Y. H. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Domain Size ◽  
Antiphase Domain ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Hardening Mechanism ◽  
Superlattice Structure ◽  
Disordered Phase ◽  
Domain Boundaries ◽  
Atomic Scattering ◽  
The Difference

Ordered Ni3Fe crystals possess a LI2 type superlattice similar to the Cu3Au structure. The difference in slip behavior of the superlattice as compared with that of a disordered phase has been well established. Cottrell first postulated that the increase in resistance for slip in the superlattice structure is attributed to the presence of antiphase domain boundaries. Following Cottrell's domain hardening mechanism, numerous workers have proposed other refined models also involving the presence of domain boundaries. Using the anomalous X-ray diffraction technique, Davies and Stoloff have shown that the hardness of the Ni3Fe superlattice varies with the domain size. So far, no direct observation of antiphase domain boundaries in Ni3Fe has been reported. Because the atomic scattering factors of the elements in NijFe are so close, the superlattice reflections are not easily detected. Furthermore, the domain configurations in NioFe are thought to be independent of the crystallographic orientations.

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