Lattice Structure of Some Closed Classes for Three-Valued Logic and Its Applications

This paper provides a brief overview of modern applications of nonbinary logic models, where the design of heterogeneous computing systems with small computing units based on three-valued logic produces a mathematically better and more effective solution compared to binary models. For application, it is necessary to implement circuits composed of chipsets, the operation of which is based on three-valued logic. To be able to implement such schemes, a fundamentally important theoretical problem must be solved: the problem of completeness of classes of functions of three-valued logic. From a practical point of view, the completeness of the class of such functions ensures that circuits with the desired operations can be produced from an arbitrary (finite) set of chipsets. In this paper, the closure operator on the set of functions of three-valued logic that strengthens the usual substitution operator is considered. It is shown that it is possible to recover the sublattice of closed classes in the general case of closure of functions with respect to the classical superposition operator. The problem of the lattice of closed classes for the class of functions T2 preserving two is considered. The closure operators R1 for the functions that differ only by dummy variables are considered equivalent. This operator is withiin the scope of interest of this paper. A lattice is constructed for closed subclasses in T2={f|f(2,…,2)=2}, a class of functions preserving two.

The Dream of a Republic

Cicero is one of the most influential political philosophers in history. This chapter illustrates how little scholars have explored Cicero’s role in shaping intellectual developments after the Renaissance. It argues that the height of Cicero’s posthumous influence may be the early modern period, in which liberalism first emerges as a coherent doctrine. It sets up the central theoretical problem: how can one reconcile a commitment to universal moral laws with the belief that the people are the ultimate authority in their political community, and what is the place of liberty in a society grounded in those two commitments? It suggests that Cicero’s ideas played a central role in shaping the development of a tradition focused on these questions. Finally, this chapter outlines the rest of the book.

How Pigou Solved a Fundamental Theoretical Problem

In this paper, the author critically analysed a unique passage of Pigou's 1933 “The Theory of Unemployment”. Here he is faced with a fundamental theoretical problem in the definition of the national dividend or national income, which has far-reaching consequences on the comprehension of the circulation of money. Pigou is one of the few economists who have noticed this problem and discussed it in the history of economics. The problem can be stated as follows: the part of the value of output that makes up for depreciation; is or is not up for division? Does or does not it become income (that is, wages and profits) in the aggregate? The passage analysed in this paper is exceptional in the history of economics. It is so, first, because it faces the problem. Secondly, but no less important, because Pigou, despite his hesitations, holds the nowadays minoritarian position that the value of the part of the output that makes up for depreciation does not become income for any economic factor. This view implies that this part of the output is not up for division and, therefore, is not a part of aggregate income.

Architecture's Tightrope - Investigating an Alternative Trajectory for Critical Architecture: Critical Spatial Practices and a Polycontextual Engagement with an Urban Thick Edge Condition

<p>This thesis investigation engages two contemporary interrelated problems – one theoretical and one practical – both of which are interrogated, interwoven and tested through a critical lens. The theoretical context framing the design-research reconsiders the vitality of ‘critical architecture’ in relation to contemporary discourse, in particular, the so-called ‘crisis of criticality’ and the implications of this ideological landscape within the built environment. Foregrounding a position to test this theoretical framing, the practical context of the design-research is distinctly urban – engaging one of the contemporary negative outcomes of rapid urbanisation. The practical problem investigates the ‘thick edges’ (places of singular and/or impermeable identities) that manifest around and below new urban motorway infrastructural developments, a condition that creates barriers to cultural, social and spatial flows between communities in urban settings. This thesis argues that by engaging with the complex and multiple cultural conditions of urban sites, the rigidity and singular nature of these impermeable thick edge spaces can be opened to diverse flows relating to multiple contexts. Through processes of design intervention, the thesis proposes a ‘polycontextual’ approach to introduce flows of wider contextual dimensions within an urban site – promoting architectural solutions that blur, fray and punctuate thick edges by developing them as threshold conditions between adjacencies. The theoretical problem analyses the limitations of both the autonomous and post-critical positions; this thesis argues that an alternative trajectory for a contemporary critical architecture has emerged, one that may be used as a theoretical framework for resolving urban thick edge conditions. Jane Rendell, Kim Dovey and Murray Fraser reveal a trajectory to shift architectural practices towards positive and flexible modes of production whilst simultaneously opposing the insufficient positions of the post-critical. They posit that architecture remains an inherently cultural proposition – created through constructive ‘relays’ that can mediate between theory and design – elucidating strategies of resistance through an engagement with practices that are both critical and spatial. Jane Rendell further argues that strategies for such ‘critical spatial practices’ can be elucidated through an examination of processes that are: site-specific, socio-spatial, and temporal. Adopting these three categories as the theoretical framework of this thesis focuses the design-research, implicating critical spatial practices as a contemporary and alternative position for critical architectural production - providing a framework for positive and critical positions in current discourse. In response to this two-fold investigation, the thesis tests a synthesis of critical spatial practices and a polycontextual approach through strategic designresearch propositions. Architecture’s Tightrope proposes a multifunctional events facility that permanently supports the New Zealand International Arts Festival, and the structuration of a dynamic, relational and non-deterministic public space. The primary aims of this thesis are: to test a contemporary critically engendered framework for architectural design-research that is both culturally and formally negotiated; and to investigate the potential for this framework to invert the negative conditions of urban thick edges through an engagement with multiple contexts.</p>

Architecture's Tightrope - Investigating an Alternative Trajectory for Critical Architecture: Critical Spatial Practices and a Polycontextual Engagement with an Urban Thick Edge Condition

<p>This thesis investigation engages two contemporary interrelated problems – one theoretical and one practical – both of which are interrogated, interwoven and tested through a critical lens. The theoretical context framing the design-research reconsiders the vitality of ‘critical architecture’ in relation to contemporary discourse, in particular, the so-called ‘crisis of criticality’ and the implications of this ideological landscape within the built environment. Foregrounding a position to test this theoretical framing, the practical context of the design-research is distinctly urban – engaging one of the contemporary negative outcomes of rapid urbanisation. The practical problem investigates the ‘thick edges’ (places of singular and/or impermeable identities) that manifest around and below new urban motorway infrastructural developments, a condition that creates barriers to cultural, social and spatial flows between communities in urban settings. This thesis argues that by engaging with the complex and multiple cultural conditions of urban sites, the rigidity and singular nature of these impermeable thick edge spaces can be opened to diverse flows relating to multiple contexts. Through processes of design intervention, the thesis proposes a ‘polycontextual’ approach to introduce flows of wider contextual dimensions within an urban site – promoting architectural solutions that blur, fray and punctuate thick edges by developing them as threshold conditions between adjacencies. The theoretical problem analyses the limitations of both the autonomous and post-critical positions; this thesis argues that an alternative trajectory for a contemporary critical architecture has emerged, one that may be used as a theoretical framework for resolving urban thick edge conditions. Jane Rendell, Kim Dovey and Murray Fraser reveal a trajectory to shift architectural practices towards positive and flexible modes of production whilst simultaneously opposing the insufficient positions of the post-critical. They posit that architecture remains an inherently cultural proposition – created through constructive ‘relays’ that can mediate between theory and design – elucidating strategies of resistance through an engagement with practices that are both critical and spatial. Jane Rendell further argues that strategies for such ‘critical spatial practices’ can be elucidated through an examination of processes that are: site-specific, socio-spatial, and temporal. Adopting these three categories as the theoretical framework of this thesis focuses the design-research, implicating critical spatial practices as a contemporary and alternative position for critical architectural production - providing a framework for positive and critical positions in current discourse. In response to this two-fold investigation, the thesis tests a synthesis of critical spatial practices and a polycontextual approach through strategic designresearch propositions. Architecture’s Tightrope proposes a multifunctional events facility that permanently supports the New Zealand International Arts Festival, and the structuration of a dynamic, relational and non-deterministic public space. The primary aims of this thesis are: to test a contemporary critically engendered framework for architectural design-research that is both culturally and formally negotiated; and to investigate the potential for this framework to invert the negative conditions of urban thick edges through an engagement with multiple contexts.</p>

NIETZSCHE’S SELF-IMAGE-FORMING AND ITS REPRESENTATION IN THE POSTMILLENNIAL MEDIA

Рассматривается теоретическая проблема человеческого образа и механизмов его формирования, которая является чрезвычайно актуальной для современной визуальной семиотики из-за глобальных процессов визуализации, вызванных повышением влияния СМИ и сопутствующих интернет-технологий. Визуальные аспекты функционирования пищи как культурного феномена в современной коммуникативной среде анализируются в междисциплинарной перспективе философии и культурных исследований. Авторы рассматривают работу Фридриха Ницше «Ecce Homo» в качестве одного из важнейших источников для понимания процессов само-образования человека в философских и культурных исследованиях, показывая, что этот текст, который объясняет культурную и антропологическую практику формирования человеческого образа, может быть очень актуальным для визуальной антропологии в XXI веке. В Ecce Homo немецкий мыслитель продолжает и развивает традиции античной «заботы о себе» (epimeleia), подчеркивая необходимость в ответственном, сознательном и индивидуальном отношении человека к формированию своего образа в повседневной жизни. Ницше демонстрирует ключевую важность само-образования, особенно с медицинской или даже физиологической точки зрения, подробно останавливаясь на самоформировании посредством сознательного отношения к еде, среде обитания, выбору для себя оптимального климата и способов отдыха. Все эти компоненты, особенно еда, являются центральными механизмами для формирования визуального образа человека в современных СМИ, которые фокусируют внимание не на критической самооценке, а на агрессивно утверждаемом определенном образе. В статье утверждается, что подход Ницше находится в рамках повседневной практики образа жизни, и именно еда, место обитания, климат и режимы отдыха доминируют для само-образования человека XXI века, формируя установки современного постмиллинеального (postmillennial) индивида в его стремлении к почти неограниченному потреблению. Авторы также обсуждают роль и значение визуальных образов продуктов питания в презентации человеческой идентичности и репрезентации культурных реалий постмиллениальной эпохи в функционировании современных СМИ. The paper is devoted to the consideration of the theoretical problem of the human image and the mechanisms of its formation, a topic which is of considerable relevance in present-day visual semiotics due to the totalizing visualization processes brought about through the increasing power of media and internet technologies. The visual aspects of the functioning of food as a cultural element in the postmillennial communicative environment are analyzed through the interdisciplinary perspective of philosophy and cultural studies. The authors identify Friedrich Nietzsche’s work Ecce Homo as one of the most important sources for understanding the processes of self-image-forming in philosophical and cultural studies, and they show that it is a text which explains cultural and anthropological practices that can be applied in 21st century visual anthropology. In Ecce Homo, the German thinker reintroduces the continuation and development of the traditions of ancient “self-care” (epimeleia), emphasizing the need for the responsible, conscious and individual relationship of a human being to his or her integral image as it emerges in everyday life. Nietzsche demonstrates the key importance of self-image-forming from a primarily medical or even physiological point of view, focusing in detail on the formation of the self through the conscious and authentic use of food practices, living environment, climate, and modes of relaxation. All of these components, especially that of food, are central mechanisms in the formation of the visual image of individuals in contemporary media, focusing not on a critical self-evaluation but instead on an aggressively approved image. The paper argues that it is within Friedrich Nietzsche’s everyday practices of lifestyle that we can identify how food, living environment, climate, and modes of relaxation dominate the 21st century self-image-forming of hypermodern postmillennial individuals in their quest for almost unlimited consumption and hypermediation. The authors also discuss the roles of visual food practices in the presentation of human identity and the representation of cultural realities of the postmillennial era in the functioning of hypermodern media.

Hypothesis on the pathophysiology of syringomyelia based on analysis of phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging of Chiari-I malformation patients

Background: Despite a number of hypotheses, our understanding of the pathophysiology of syringomyelia is still limited. The current prevailing hypothesis assumes that the piston-like movement of the cerebellar tonsils drives the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into the syrinx through the spinal perivascular space. However, it still needs to be verified by further experimental data. A major unexplained problem is how CSF enters and remains in the syrinx that has a higher pressure than the subarachnoid space. Methods: I analyzed phase-contrast MRI scans of 18 patients with Chiari-I malformation with syringomyelia undergoing foramen magnum decompression and 21 healthy volunteers. I analyzed the velocity waveforms of the CSF and the brain in various locations. The obtained velocity waveforms were post-processed using a technique called synchronization in situ. I compared between the preoperative data and the control data (case-control study), as well as between the preoperative and postoperative data (cohort study). Results: The syrinx shrank in 17 (94%) patients with good clinical improvement. In Chiari-I patients, the velocity of the tonsil was significantly larger than controls, but was significantly smaller than that of the CSF in the subarachnoid space, suggesting passive rather than active movement. The abnormal tonsillar movement disappeared after surgery, but the velocity waveform of the spinal subarachnoid CSF did not change. These results, contradicting the above mentioned hypothesis, required an alternative explanation. I thus hypothesized that there is a CSF channel between the fourth ventricle and the syrinx. This channel assumes one-way valve function when mildly compressed by the cyclical movement of the cerebellar tonsil. The decompression of the tonsils switches off the one-way valve, collapsing the syrinx. Conclusions: My hypothesis reasonably explained my data that clearly contradicted the existing hypothesis, and successfully addressed the above-mentioned theoretical problem. It will serve as a working hypothesis for further study of syringomyelia pathophysiology.

The right to self-government: an international fixation of the definition

The article summarizes and analyzes the basic standards of local self-government, reflected in international normative legal acts, including those developed within the framework of the CIS, which are framework in relation to Russian national standards. The theoretical problem of the definition of «the right to local self-government» is updated, the structure and features of related rights are analyzed. The main sources were international documents of the United Nations Organization, Union of independent states, as well as reports and strategic declarations of international public associations that carry out consultative and analytical work with local self-government systems around the world. The authors classify international sources of law that set the standards for local self-government, dividing them into three groups. It is concluded that, in general, when the aforementioned standards are reflected in the national normative material, they are most fully contained in the international framework normative acts of the Union of independent states. The authors note, along with the role of the UN Advisory Committee on Local Self-Government Issues, the special importance of international non-governmental associations in the formation of standards of local self-government (United Cities and Local Governments, UCLG). The sum of international standards in the area under consideration consists in declarative acts of strategic development of the local self-government system.

The Phenomenon of Anti-Café or New Places for Leisure Time Activities of Young People in the Context of Virtualization of the Urban Space (The Case Study of Rubikovʼs Cube Smart Place in the City of Saransk)

Introduction. New places for leisure time activities in the format of anti-café, created by initiative townsmen, have been gaining popularity in the urban space over the past ten years, which has made the study of this topic relevant. The article studies the leisure time activities of young people, identifies the features of the structure, content, and functions in the conditions of an anti-café, and conceptualizes the causes and potential of the phenomenon of anti-café in the urban space. Materials and Methods. Data from unstructured interviews with visitors and the management, as well as participant observation of Rubikov’s Cube Smart Place in the city of Saransk were used as the empirical basis for this study. Using analytical methods and research techniques (analysis, generalization, induction, deduction, as well as the systemic approach) made it possible to substantiate the authors’ point of view on the causes, functions and potential of new places for leisure time activities of young people in the urban space. Results. The authors have raised the theoretical problem of the emergence of new places for leisure time activities of young people in the context of hypermodernity and the development of media technologies in urban spaces. Based on the data from a case-study of the anti-café, popular leisure time activities have been identified, as well as structure, content, and functions of the anti-café, and motivations for visiting such places and socio-demographic characteristics of the main anti-café customers. The authors have also identified the contradictions in the reasons for the popularity of anti-cafés in the context of hypermodernity, emphasizing that anti-cafés create new forms of loneliness and the need for the “third place”, multi-layered, hybrid spaces (where public turns into private, private into public, and online and offline communications intersect) in collective practices, which the city satisfies. Discussion and Conclusion. Based on the conducted research, the authors have drawn a conclusion about the role of anti-cafés (time clubs, coworking spaces) in the formation of the future creative class, without which an effective economy is impossible. The difficulties in studying this topic were due to the lack of statistical data on the problem. The materials of this article will be useful for public authorities, entrepreneurs, specialists engaged in creating places for leisure time activities in the urban space, as well as when elaborating such training courses as “Sociology of the City” and “Sociology of Culture”.

THE SOME THEORITICAL-LEGAL ISSUES OF THE INTERPRETATION OF LEGAL NORMS BY THE CONSTITUIONAL COURT

For the purpose of uniform application of normative acts by citizens, officials, state bodies, it becomes necessary to interpret them. The activity to establish the exact content of a legal act for its practical implementation has received a name in the legal literature –interpretation. Thus, the article analyzes the legal position of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the understanding of modern realities, the essence of adopted normative-legal acts, law enforcement practice, and the role and significance of constitutional appeals. Also author shows the theoretical problem of the concept and content of constitutional and legal interpretation. The signs and features of this type of interpretation are revealed, itsuniversal nature is emphasized, the problems of interrelation with related categories are touched upon, and its definition is given.Key words: constitutional judiciary, the competence of Constitutional court, constitutional application, law enforcement, official interpretation