Het web-model

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-432
Author(s):  
Annelli Janssen

Abstract The web-model: A new model of explanation for neuroimaging studiesWhat can neuroimaging tell us about the relation between our brain and our mind? A lot, or so I argue. But neuroscientists should update their model of explanation. Currently, many explanations are (implicitly) based on what I call the ‘mapping model’: a model of explanation which centers on mapping relations between cognition and the brain. I argue that these mappings give us very little information, and that instead, we should focus on finding causal relations. If we take a difference-making approach to causation, we can find manipulation patterns between neural and cognitive phenomena and start constructing satisfying explanations in neuroimaging studies: explanations based on what I call the web-model of explanation. This model of explanation not only contrasts with the mapping model, but is also different from Craver’s constitutive mechanistic model of explanation (2007), which takes the constitutive relation to be the main explanatory relation. Taking the difference-making idea of the importance of manipulation and control seriously, means that sometimes, causal relations are preferred over constitutive relations. If we follow the web-model of explanation, we can do justice to the central role that causation should play in neuroscientific explanations.

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-288
Author(s):  
Christopher Johnson, edited by Judith Still

This article looks at André Leroi-Gourhan's work on prehistory in the two volumes of Le Geste et la parole (1964), considering it as a continuation of his wider project of a comparative technology. The first volume concentrates on the interaction between body and brain in human evolution. In contrast to interpretations of evolution that focus on the development of the brain as a primary factor, Leroi-Gourhan insists that its evolution is entirely dependent on the adaptive possibilities of body structure. Although cybernetics is never explicitly referenced in this work, its influence on his conceptualization of the evolution and history of technology is clear. For example, he draws on a cybernetically-inflected vocabulary of command and control to describe the coupling of nervous system and body in vertebrae evolution. In the second volume of Le Geste, the conceptual input of cybernetics becomes still more apparent as the focus of analysis is on the question of memory and technics. Leroi-Gourhan argues that the evolution of technology imitates the evolution of living systems, and that the historical development of human society is like the growth of an organism. The influence of cybernetics is evident in the fact that the difference between animal forms is conceived in terms of relative degrees of ‘programming’. Leroi-Gourhan proposes in this way a modelling of biological systems which is typical of cybernetics, drawing attention to the functional similarities between animal and mechanical systems. While not teleological, Leroi-Gourhan's history of technology is deterministic to the extent that the sequence of externalizations is not an arbitrary development but the necessary product of the intersection of the human organism and the material world.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2992
Author(s):  
Ludmila Rudi ◽  
Inga Zinicovscaia ◽  
Liliana Cepoi ◽  
Tatiana Chiriac ◽  
Alexandra Peshkova ◽  
...  

The effect of unmodified and functionalized Spirulina platensis biomass silver nanoparticles on rats during prolonged oral administration was assessed. Silver nanoparticles were characterized by using transmission electron microscopy, while their uptake by the biomass was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive analysis. The content of silver in the different organs of rats after a period of administration (28 days) or after an additional clearance period (28 days) was ascertained by using neutron activation analysis. In animals administrated with the unmodified nanoparticles, the highest content of silver was determined in the brain and kidneys, while in animals administrated with AgNP-Spirulina, silver was mainly accumulated in the brain and testicles. After the clearance period, silver was excreted rapidly from the spleen and kidneys; however, the excretion from the brain was very low, regardless of the type of nanoparticles. Hematological and biochemical tests were performed in order to reveal the effect of nanoparticles on rats. The difference in the content of eosinophils in the experimental and control groups was statistically significant. The hematological indices of the rats did not change significantly under the action of the silver nanoparticles except for the content of reticulocytes and eosinophils, which increased significantly. Changes in the biochemical parameters did not exceed the limits of normal values. Silver nanoparticles with the sizes of 8–20 nm can penetrate the blood–brain barrier, and their persistence after a period of clearance indicated the irreversibility of this process.


Sensi Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-246
Author(s):  
Ilamsyah Ilamsyah ◽  
Yulianto Yulianto ◽  
Tri Vita Febriani

The right and appropriate system of receiving and transferring goods is needed by the company. In the process of receiving and transferring goods from the central warehouse to the branch warehouse at PDAM Tirta Kerta Raharja, Tangerang Regency, which is currently done manually is still ineffective and inaccurate because the Head of Subdivision uses receipt documents, namely PPBP and mutation of goods, namely MPPW in the form of paper as a submission media. The Head of Subdivision enters the data of receipt and mutation of goods manually and requires a relatively long time because at the time of demand for the transfer of goods the Head of Subdivision must check the inventory of goods in the central warehouse first. Therefore, it is necessary to hold a design of information systems for the receipt and transfer of goods from the central warehouse to a web-based branch warehouse that is already database so that it is more effective, efficient and accurate. With the web-based system of receiving and transferring goods that are already datatabed, it can facilitate the Head of Subdivision in inputing data on the receipt and transfer of goods and control of stock inventory so that the Sub Head of Subdivision can do it periodically to make it more effective, efficient and accurate. The method of data collection is done by observing, interviewing and studying literature from various previous studies, while the system analysis method uses the Waterfall method which aims to solve a problem and uses design methods with visual modeling that is object oriented with UML while programming using PHP and MySQL as a database.


1989 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantine Tsikos ◽  
Tom Chmielewski ◽  
Brian Frederick

2013 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Mrówczyńska

Abstract The paper attempts to determine an optimum structure of a directional measurement and control network intended for investigating horizontal displacements. For this purpose it uses the notion of entropy as a logarithmical measure of probability of the state of a particular observation system. An optimum number of observations results from the difference of the entropy of the vector of parameters ΔHX̂ (x)corresponding to one extra observation. An increment of entropy interpreted as an increment of the amount of information about the state of the system determines the adoption or rejection of another extra observation to be carried out.


Author(s):  
Burbaeva G.Sh. ◽  
Androsova L.V. ◽  
Vorobyeva E.A. ◽  
Savushkina O.K.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the rate of polymerization of tubulin into microtubules and determine the level of colchicine binding (colchicine-binding activity of tubulin) in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia, vascular dementia (VD) and control. Colchicine-binding activity of tubulin was determined by Sherlinе in tubulin-enriched extracts of proteins from the samples. Measurement of light scattering during the polymerization of the tubulin was carried out using the nephelometric method at a wavelength of 450-550 nm. There was a significant decrease in colchicine-binding activity and the rate of tubulin polymerization in the prefrontal cortex in both diseases, and in VD to a greater extent than in schizophrenia. The obtained results suggest that not only in Alzheimer's disease, but also in other mental diseases such as schizophrenia and VD, there is a decrease in the level of tubulin in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, although to a lesser extent than in Alzheimer's disease, and consequently the amount of microtubules.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanti Jumaisyaroh Siregar

The purposes of this research were to know: the difference of improvement in self-regulated learning of students that given problem-based learning with students that given  direct learning. The type of this research is a quasi-experimental research by taking samples from the existing population. The variable of this research consist of independent variable that is problem based learning model while the dependent variable isself regulated learning of student.The population of this research is all students of SMP Swasta Ar-rahman Percut and the sample of this research is grade eight with taken sample two classes (experiment and control)  with total 60 students. The instrument of this research were: scale of self-regulated learning. Data that have been collected then analyzed and performed hypothesis testing by using T-test. Based of the results analysis, it showed that: improvment  of the students’ self-regulated learning that given problem-based learning was higher than the students’ ability that given direct learning His then, suggested that problem-based learning be used as an alternative for mathematic teacher to improved students’ ability in mathematical critical thinking and self-regulated learning.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-141
Author(s):  
Petya Yordanova – Dinova

This paper explores the comparative analysis of the financial controlling, who is a result from the common controlling concept and the financial management. In the specialized literature, financial controlling is seen as an innovative approach to financial management. It is often presented as the most promising instrument of financial diagnostics. Generally speaking, financial controlling is seen as a process of managing the company`s assets which are valued in monetary measures. The difference between the financial management and the financial controlling is that the second covers all functions of management, analysis and control of finances, aiming at maximizing their effective use and increasing the value of the enterprise. Financial controlling is often seen as a function of the common practice of financial management. Its objective is to preserve the financial stability and financial sustainability of enterprises operating in a highly aggressive business environment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1184
Author(s):  
Nomfusi Ntsobi ◽  
Morris Fanadzo ◽  
Marilize Le Roes-Hill ◽  
Felix Nchu

Globally, fungal inocula are being explored as agents for the optimization of composting processes. This research primarily evaluates the effects of inoculating organic vegetable heaps with the entomopathogenic fungus Clonostachys rosea f. catenula (Hypocreales) on the biophysicochemical properties of the end-product of composting. Six heaps of fresh cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) waste were inoculated with C. rosea f. catenula conidia and another six were not exposed to the fungus. The composted materials from the fungus- and control-treated heaps were subsequently used as a medium to cultivate tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). The biophysicochemical characteristics of the composted materials were also assessed after composting. In addition, the protective effect of the fungal inoculum against red spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) infestations in the tomatoes was evaluated through the determination of conidial colonization of the plant tissue and the number of plants infested by the insect. Furthermore, phytotoxicity tests were carried out post experiment. There were few significant variations (p < 0.05) in heap temperature or moisture level between treatments based on the weekly data. We found no significant differences in the levels of compost macronutrient and micronutrient constituents. Remarkably, the composted materials, when incorporated into a growth medium from fungus-treated heaps, induced a 100% endophytic tissue colonization in cultivated tomato plants. While fewer red spider mite infestations were observed in tomato plants grown in composted materials from fungus-treated heaps, the difference was not significant (χ2 = 0.96 and p = 0.32). The fungal treatment yielded composted materials that significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced tomato seed germination, and based on the phytotoxicity test, the composted samples from the heaps exposed to the C. rosea f. catenula inoculum were not toxic to tomato seeds and seedlings. In conclusion, this study showed that C. rosea f. catenula improved the quality of composted materials in terms of fungal endophytism and seed germination.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 804
Author(s):  
Jean Dubé ◽  
Maha AbdelHalim ◽  
Nicolas Devaux

Many applications have relied on the hedonic pricing model (HPM) to measure the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for urban externalities and natural disasters. The classic HPM regresses housing price on a complete list of attributes/characteristics that include spatial or environmental amenities (or disamenities), such as floods, to retrieve the gradients of the market (marginal) WTP for such externalities. The aim of this paper is to propose an innovative methodological framework that extends the causal relations based on a spatial matching difference-in-differences (SM-DID) estimator, and which attempts to calculate the difference between sale price for similar goods within “treated” and “control” groups. To demonstrate the potential of the proposed spatial matching method, the researchers present an empirical investigation based on the case of a flood event recorded in the city of Laval (Québec, Canada) in 1998, using information on transactions occurring between 1995 and 2001. The research results show that the impact of flooding brings a negative premium on the housing price of about 20,000$ Canadian (CAN).


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