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Rawls’ two principles of justice: their adoption by rational self-interested individuals. In A Theory of Justice.
No full textThe present paper aims in a first stage, to exploit succinctly the cardinal argument – the contract argument - acquainted in “A Theory of Justice”, which provides incentives for the two principles’ general adoption. In a second stage, a discussion appraising the feasibility of these two principles and their subsequent empirical adoption will be dealt with. This contributes to the provision of counter-arguments and the highlighting of weaknesses
Grounding of Meaning in Sensori-Motor Process
No full textThere is an increasing agreement in the cognitive sciences community that our sensations are closely related to our actions. Our actions impact our sensations from the environment and the knowledge we have of it. Cognition is grounded in sensori-motor coordination. \ud
In the perspective of implementing such a performance in artificial systems, there is a need for a model of sensori-motor coordination.\ud
We propose here such a model as based on the generation of meaningful information by a system submitted to a constraint [1]. Systems and agents have constraints to satisfy which are related to their nature (stay alive for an organism, avoid obstacle for a robot, …). We propose here to use an existing meaning generation process where a system submitted to a constraint generates a meaningful information (a meaning) when it receives an information that has a connection with the constraint [2]. The generated meaning is precisely the connection existing between the received information and the constraint of the system. The generated meaning is used to trigger an action that will satisfy the constraint. The generated meaning links the system to its environment. A Meaning Generator System (MGS) has been introduced as a building block for higher level systems (agents). The MGS allows to link sensation and action through the satisfaction of the constraint of the system/agent. We use the MGS in a model which is based on constraint satisfaction for sensori-motor coordination in agents, be they organic or artificial. The meaning is generated by and for the agent that hosts the MGS. Such approach makes possible an addressing of the concept of autonomy through the intrinsic or artificial nature of the constraint to be satisfied (organisms with intrinsic constraints/autonomy, artificial systems with artificial constraints/autonomy). The systemic nature of the MGS also allows to position the groundings of the generated meaning as being in or out of the MGS, and correspondingly identify the constructivist and objectivist components of the generated meaning. \ud
The approach presented here makes available a sensori-motor coordination by meaning generation through constraint satisfaction with groundings of the generated meaning.\u
Nested ontology and causal options: A paradigm for consciousness
No full textA brain charged with guiding its body through a complex and lively world from a position of solitary confinement inside its opaque skull faces a set of functional problems whose solution may account for the existence and nature of consciousness. An analysis of the more general and basic of these problems, sensory as well as motor, suggests the utility of implementing a high-level mutual interface between sensory target selection, motor action selection, and motivational ranking of needs at a late stage in the run-up to the brain’s decision about the very next action to take. The three selection processes are subject to a number of mutual dependencies such that a regimen of constraint satisfaction among them would yield gains in behavioral efficiency. The logistics of implementing such a regimen can be simplified by casting the interface in a particular nested, analog format. It would host a running synthetic summary of the rest of the brain’s interpretive labors, reflecting best estimates of the veridical current state of world, body, and needs for purposes of real-time decision making. Detailed scrutiny of the design requirements for such a mechanism discloses that it would be functionally partitioned in a way that defines a conscious mode of operation. Moreover, the design of the mechanism mandates a specific departure from veridicality at a point that makes its functional format match the assumptions of naive realism. Consciousness itself thus introduces a significant, though not insuperable, psychological obstacle to the development of a veridical account of its nature
Opening the black box: How staff training and development may affect the innovation of enterprises
No full textWe describe a research on the interplay that appears to exist in companies between Human Resource Management and innovation. This complex, multicomponent, non-linear and dynamic interplay is often viewed as a "black box". To help open the black box, we outline both a theoretical framework and preliminary empirical data. We view innovation as an organization-level property, favored by the organization's self-perception as a knowledge engine. Therefore, we devised a protocol to study the companies' strategies for training and development and their innovation profile. The protocol consisted in a questionnaire with 100 closed questions, suitable for companies which rely mostly on an inner training and development service. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of Italian firms from the Food & beverages and Fashion markets. The results show that certain facets of training and development are indeed correlated to innovation. Finally, we discuss the results
Uner Tan Syndrome: History, Clinical Evaluations, Genetics, and the\ud Dynamics of Human Quadrupedalism
No full textAbstract: This review includes for the first time a dynamical systems analysis of human quadrupedalism in Uner Tan syndrome, which is characterized by habitual quadrupedalism, impaired intelligence, and rudimentary speech. The first family was discovered in a small village near Iskenderun, and families were later found in Adana and two other small villages near Gaziantep and Canakkale. In all the affected individuals dynamic balance was impaired during upright walking,and they habitually preferred walking on all four extremities. MRI scans showed inferior cerebellovermian hypoplasia with slightly simplified cerebral gyri in three of the families, but appeared normal in the fourth. PET scans showed a decreased glucose metabolic activity in the cerebellum, vermis and, to a lesser extent the cerebral cortex, except for one patient,\ud
whose MRI scan also appeared to be normal. All four families had consanguineous marriages in their pedigrees,\ud
suggesting autosomal recessive transmission. The syndrome was genetically heterogeneous. Since the initial discoveries\ud
more cases have been found, and these exhibit facultative quadrupedal locomotion, and in one case, late childhood onset. It has been suggested that the human quadrupedalism may, at least, be a phenotypic example of reverse evolution. From the viewpoint of dynamic systems theory, it was concluded there may not be a single factor that predetermines human quadrupedalism in Uner Tan syndrome, but that it may involve self-organization, brain plasticity, and rewiring, from the many decentralized and local interactions among neuronal, genetic, and environmental subsystems
How to Strengthen and Reform Indian Medical Education System: Is Nationalization the Only Answer?
No full textAs India marches towards an exciting new future of growth and progress, medical education will play pivotal role in crafting a sustained development agenda. Efforts have to be undertaken to create a medical educational system that nourishes innovation, entrepreneurship and addresses the skill requirement of the growing economy. Last decade has been witness to phenomenal growth in numbers of the medical colleges, nursing colleges and other similar training institutions. This unregulated rapid growth in number of medical colleges has adversely impacted quality of training in India’s medical institutions. The policy of privatization of medical care has seriously undermined health services and further limited the access of the underprivileged. Therefore the only solution is centralization or nationalization or globalization of the entire medical education and health sectors or to join hands with world health organization, So that a uniform health cares facility can be given to each and every human being
Application of Qualitative Methods in Health Research: An Overview
No full textQualitative research is type of formative research that includes specialized techniques for obtaining in-depth responses about what people think and how they feel. It is seen as the research that seeks answer to the questions in the real world. Qualitative researchers gather what they see, hear, read from people and places, from events and activities, with the purpose to learn about the community and to generate new understanding that can be used by the social world. Qualitative research have often been conducted to answer the question “why” rather than “what”. A purpose of qualitative research is the construction of new understanding. Here, we present an overview of application of qualitative methods in health research. We have discussed here the different types of qualitative methods and how we and others have used them in different settings/scenarios; sample size and sampling techniques; analysis of qualitative data; validity in qualitative research; and ethical issues
An interesting case of suicidal poisoning
No full textAconite is one of the most poisonous known herbs. It has been known to be used as a homicidal poison from long time in history. However this is rarely known to be used as suicidal poison. Poisoning with aconite is usually fatal and death commonly occurs due to arrhythmias and cardiotoxicity. We report a case of attempted suicidal poisoning by aconite where patient survived in spite of documented cardiotoxic effects of the poison
An unusual foreign body of esophagus
No full textWe report a rare case of an unusually long foreign body (Datun) impacted in the esophagus of a 56 year-old gentleman. He was literate, without any psychiatric illness and had been using “Neem” (Azadirachta indica) stick for cleaning his teeth for the past twenty years. Neem sticks are used for brushing teeth, perhaps one of the earliest and very effective dental care. On closer questioning he revealed his habit of passing the Neem stick into his throat with the aim of cleaning it too while cleaning his teeth. He presented to our emergency early in the morning with this strange long foreign body impacted in his esophagus which was removed successfully using a Jackson’s adult rigid oesophagoscope. We believe this to be the first case of such an unusually long foreign body to be reported in the literature
Der Aufbau sozialer Beziehungen mit einem Roboter. Eine Beobachtungsstudie im Feld
No full textRoboter nehmen in letzter Zeit vermehrt Einzug in verschiedene Lebensbereiche. Es werden nicht nur Haushaltsroboter, die staubsaugen, oder Roboter, die vorrangig Entertainment-Zwecken dienen, angeboten, sondern in einigen Altenheimen werden Roboter bereits eingesetzt, um Senioren Gesellschaft zu leisten. Vor diesem Hintergrund untersucht die Studie als Teil des EU Forschungsprojektes SERA (Social Engagement with Robots and Agents), ob und inwiefern soziale Beziehungen zu Robotern aufgebaut werden. In einer Beobachtungsstudie und einem anschließenden qualitativen Interview wurden drei weibliche Teilnehmer (zwischen 50 und 65 Jahren) über eine Woche in der Interaktion mit einem Nabaztag beobachtet. Dieser Roboter in Hasenform wurde für die Studie so programmiert, dass er mit den Untersuchungsteilnehmerinnen Dialoge rund um das Thema Gesundheit und Fitness führen konnte. Der Roboter nutzte Sprachoutput, der Input von Seiten der Teilnehmerinnen wurde über Ja/Nein Knöpfe vorgenommen. Mit einer Webcam wurden 66 Interaktionen aufgezeichnet. Die kategorienbasierte Auswertung der Transkripte zeigte z.B., dass der Nabaztag häufig natürlich-sprachlich adressiert wurde und ihm beispielsweise alltägliches Verhalten erklärt wurde, obwohl die Probandinnen wussten, dass der Roboter sie nicht verstehen kann, da eine Interaktion nur über die Knöpfe möglich war. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass durchaus Beziehungen aufgebaut werden und lassen Schlüsse über die soziale Natur des Menschen zu