GSTF Digital Library (GSTF-DL): Open Journal Systems (Global Science and Technology Forum)
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Chinese Philosophy of Technology - A Parallel Tradition?
No full textThis project investigates whether the Chinese philosophy of technology is a parallel tradition compared with the Western philosophy of technology. The Chinese philosophy of technology mainly stems from Dao and Marxist philosophy (especially the dialectics of nature), whereas the Western philosophy of technology primarily originates from Logos, the mechanical philosophy, and the philosophy of manufactures. In modern research traditions, there generally exists a practicing tradition in China, an analytical tradition in Anglo-America, and a phenomenological tradition in Europe. The discipline is delimited in similar but various ways. Important themes and topics are discussed with their similarities and differences. The Chinese model in Chinese or practicing tradition is practical and harmonious, being technological practice-oriented and social demand-based in a technological practice paradigm with a technocratic view. The Anglo-American model in Anglo-American or analytical tradition is pragmatic and constructive, applying technological criticism and philosophical analysis in a technological criticism paradigm with a humanistic reflection view. The European model in the continental or phenomenological tradition is pragmatic and reconstructive, employing technological explanation in a technological phenomenology paradigm with an engineering pragmatism view. All hold a technicism doctrine that promotes the sustainability of technological society in the natural homogeneous theory. This study originally argues on the natural homogeneity, performance heterogeneity, and contributions of the philosophy of technology in the Chinese, Anglo-American, and European models. With respect to traditional competition and transformational cooperation, this paper advocates a global agenda. These explorations contribute toward intercultural exchange and inclusive growth of Chinese and Western philosophies of technology
Moral Seeing and the Spectacles of Reason
No full textInitiating a differentiation between an expansive and a narrow conception of moral perception (MP), this paper shows interest in the questions whether (i) it is actually rational ethics’ blind spot that ultimately measures the potential of ethical immediacy, particularly with regard to MP, and (ii) a narrow notion of MP could be meaningfully separated from ethical immediacy in general. These questions are motivated by the notion of “heterochthonous perception†and generate from doubts whether MP could, as Wisnewski claims in a recent paper, be detached from personal interests, intrinsically prescriptive and, at the same time, divergent. I conclude that MP can neither be ontologically univocal, e.g. in the spirit of direct moral realism, nor is there “belief-free†moral immediacy. Finally, I posit that a narrow and stringent notion of MP has to build on the recognition and appraisal of physical symptoms in the expression of human activity
The Metaphysics of the Tragic Towards a Socio-Philosophical Analysis of Bonapartism
No full textThe author analyzes the concept of “the tragic†in socio-philosophical aspect. The tragic is conceived not only as a property of the individual, but also as a property of social consciousness. The methodology of study rests on the necessity of studying the problem at the level of society as a whole, at the level of an ordinary person and at the level of a leader. The state of society during conditions of system crisis is analyzed with the use of the concepts of the “personification of power,†and the “depersonalization of the common man.†In a “Bonaparte†situation, the leader personalizes public self-consciousness. The special attention is given thin distinctions of concepts personification and personalization. The author emphasizes the paradoxical salutary nature of the Bonaparte dictatorship for society against the background of the unsatisfactory performance of failed politicians
Effect of Visuo-Spatial Working Memory on Distance Estimation in Map Learning
Get PDFThis paper investigated the role of visuo-spatial working memory in distance estimation during map learning. Participants were asked to learn a map and perform a distance estimation task on the basis of the memorized map. The capacities of visual (i.e. visual cache) and spatial (i.e. inner scribe) components of visuo-spatial working memory were assessed for each participant and distance estimate errors were compared across high and low visuo-spatial capacity participants. The visual component predicted performance accuracy. In addition, low visual capacity participants provided longer distance estimates between two locations as a function of the number of intervening points between them. Although spatial component capacity also predicted estimated distances, it did not affect performance accuracy or estimated distance bias as a function of intervening points. It appears that distance is estimated on the basis of visual component capacity, and that low visual capacity individuals try to draw upon non-spatial information to support a limited visual capacity
Evaluation of cholesterol and vitamin E concentrations in adult alpacas and nursing crias
Get PDFThe objective of this study was to determine if serum cholesterol and vitamin E concentrations change with production and physiologic state in alpacas. Blood was collected from 3 groups of alpacas. An adult female group was sampled in the periparturient period and once monthly until their offspring were weaned. Crias born to the females were sampled after birth, then once monthly until weaning. A group consisting of males was sampled once monthly throughout the study period. Serum vitamin E and cholesterol concentrations were measured and vitamin E to cholesterol ratios was calculated. Vitamin E concentrations were similar throughout the different physiologic states. Cria vitamin E concentrations closely correlated to that of their dam. Significant cholesterol concentration fluctuations in crias occurred after 4 weeks of life possibly due to milk fat content. After weaning, the cholesterol concentrations became similar to the adult animals within study. Vitamin E concentrations varied with age in crias as they transitioned from a milk to forage based diet. Cholesterol fluctuated with altered physiologic and metabolic demands, most noticeable in the crias. Further studies are needed to determine if vitamin E to cholesterol ratios would be more appropriate to fully assess the vitamin E status in nursing crias
Heat Resistant Proteases Isolated from Medicinally Significant Spices: Partial Purification and Biochemical Characterization
No full textProteases or proteinases are essential constituents for all the existing live forms. They act as important industrial enzymes occupying about 60% of total enzyme market. In the present study proteases extracted from nine medicinally important spices; Carum copticum, Syzygium aromaticum, Cuminum cyminum, Nigella sativa, Cinnamomum verum, Foeniculum vulgare, Zingiber officinale, Cinnamomum tamala and Curcuma longa; used in our food and as household medicines on regular basis, have been investigated. Amongst these spices, the specific activity of the isolated protease enzyme was found to be significantly high in Nigella sativa (204 units/mg) and Curcuma longa (124 units/mg) and therefore, their extract was further partially purified and biochemically characterized. The crude extract of the two spices on being subjected to salt precipitation using (NH4)2SO4 as neutral salt, yielded three fractions at 0-30%, 30-60% and 60-90% saturation level. The specific activity of protease enzyme was found to be highest in 0-30% fraction, obtained from both the sources. The values of specific activity and purification-fold of enzyme from Nigella sativa and Curcuma longa were found to be 409 U/mg, 590 U/mg and 2.0-, 4.8-, respectively. The enzyme showed maximum activity at pH and temperature conditions of 5.0 and 40°C, respectively, at 20 min of incubation time, in both the cases. The pH stability values of protease from Nigella sativa ranged from 5.0 to 9.0 whereas in Curcuma longa values were from 4.0 to 8.0. The enzyme from Nigella sativa and Curcuma longa exhibited resistance against heat treatment upto 600C and 500C, respectively, increasing the industrial feasibility. The present work hereby, indicates that Nigella sativa and Curcuma longa may serve as good source of thermostable protease; an enzyme of great relevance in various chemical and bio-industries along with pharma sector
Delay Factors between Main Contractors and Nominated Subcontractors in High Rise Buildings in Thailand
No full textThis research is a study of factors affecting the delay of the construction period by working together during construction between main contractors and nominated sub-contractors in high rise building at Bangkok and vicinity. The focus of factors which cause delays to the structural works, architectural work, electrical - mechanical works and sanitation work in General Contract (Dominated –Sub-contract) and Nominated Sub-contract. This study used questionnaires and interviews as tool for collecting data. Data analysis methods to compare average frequency in order to know the factors that make each type of construction delays and statistical methods Independent-Sample t-test to find out the critical factors to the construction both of the contrast delay. The results showed that factors which cause delays affecting the construction period consisted of not working together as team-work, project management experience is not enough and be deficient in skill of communicate and coordinate. It also found that the delay factor of five critical factors that make construction in terms of structure, architecture, electrical-mechanical and sanitation was always delayed. Factors include delays resulting from not working together as team work, period of plan laid down, delayed delivery area, delays in approval and construction item and shortage of skilled labor, or labor shortages during the season so aware of critical factors that delay the construction above. And find ways to prevent construction delays caused by these factors
Numerical and Experimental Investigation of a Wind Catcher with Horizontally-arranged Heat Transfer Devices (HHTD)
No full textThis study investigates the ventilation and thermal performance of a wind catcher with horizontally-arrange heat transfer devices (HHTD) for passive cooling in hot climates using numerical and experimental methods. Rapid prototyping was used to create a detailed experimental scale model. Low-speed wind tunnel and flow visualiastion tests were conducted on the wind catcher model with HHTD. The wind tunnel test setup was recreated in the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. The comparison between the experimental data and simulation results demonstrated good agreement. The results showed that the wind catcher with HHTD was capable of reducing the indoor air temperature by up to 12 K. The technology presented here is subject to a patent application (1321709.6)
The Matters of the Continuity in Architecture
No full textThere exists a possibility of integrating an architectural space (building interior) and an urban open space (urban interior) as a single concept of interiority. Architecture is to connect the former with the latter. It can be understood as articulation formed by the rapports and the resonances between different and heterogeneous entities of spaces, and formed in the times from the past to the present to the future. It is a concrete revelation about the form of space as a physical connection which connects inside with outside, and about the shape of time as a nonphysical connection which connects our contemporary dwelling-world with the past and the future. Thus, architecture has a twofold form that contains the continuity of holding spatial and temporal aspects. This paper explores, through the review of selective literatures, the continuities of form between the spaces and between the times. The first site investigated is our perception and experience. Architecture can be understood in two features of: the continuity of the matter-forms perceived by the senses and the continuity of the spatial forms experienced by the sequential movements. The second site explored is the continuity of space that building rooms are connected to urban rooms. The third site dealt with is the continuity in the shape of time. Architecture implies the continued form imprinted by the course of history or its discontinuity. Theoretically discussing the matters of the continuity, the paper clarifies the continuity of form to be a significant design method in the field of architecture
Nonlinear Data Reconciliation and Gross Error Detection using Branch-and-Bound Technique
No full textSensor measurements in a process network inherently contain random and/or gross errors. Data are deemed unreliable for process optimization, monitoring, control, and safety. This paper describes a simultaneous data reconciliation (DR) and gross error detection (GED) strategy for adjusting sensor measurements to satisfy mass and energy balances. The problem is modeled as a mixed-integer nonlinearly constrained optimization problem, to be solved by a branch-and-bound technique. The concept of a search tree explains how the technique reduces the search space in optimization. The objective function in each node of the search tree is evaluated using a hybrid Nelder-Mead simplex and particle swarm optimization (NM-PSO) routine from Zahara and Kao (2009). The effectiveness of the method is tested for the highly nonlinear system from Pai and Fisher (1988). In varying number of iterations and number of particles in the NM-PSO routine, the sum-of-squares error (SSE) of the reconciled values from the exact measurements range from 10-6 to 10-1 and the overall power of the DR-GED strategy is a perfect 1.00