1,222 research outputs found
Special Relativity, Coexistence and Temporal Parts: A Reply to Gilmore
Get PDFIn two earlier works (Balashov, 2000a and 2000b), I have argued that considerations based on special relativity and the notion of coexistence favor the perdurance view of persistence over its endurance rival. Cody Gilmore (2002) has subjected my argument to an insightful three-fold critique. In the first part of this paper I respond briefly to Gilmore's first two objections. I then grant his observation that anyone who can resist the first objection is liable to succumb to the third one. This, however, opens a way to other closely related relativistic arguments against endurantism that are immune to all three objections and, in addition, throw new light on a number of important issues in the ontology of persistence. I develop two such novel arguments in the second half of the paper
Balashov on Special Relativity, Coexistence, and Temporal Parts
Get PDFYuri Balashov has argued that endurantism (the view that material objects persist by being wholly present at each moment of their careers) is untenable in the context of Minkowski spacetime. Balashov’s argument runs through two main theses concerning the relation of coexistence, or temporal co-location. (1) Coexistence must turn out to be an absolute or objective matter; and in Minkowski spacetime coexistence must be grounded in the relation of spacelike separation. (2) If endurantism is true, then (1) leads to absurd conclusions; but if perdurantism is true, then (1) is harmless. I object to both theses. Against (1), I argue that coexistence is better construed as being relative to a hyperplane of simultaneity. Against (2), I argue that the consequences of (1) given endurantism are no worse than the consequences of (1) given perdurantism
Boucardicus monchenkoi Balashov & Griffiths, 2015, sp. nov.
No full textBoucardicus monchenkoi sp. nov. Fig. 1 a. Type locality. Coastal grassland near Hotel Dauphin (Avenue Gallien), Tôlanaro city (formerly Fort Dauphin), southeastern Madagascar. Material. Holotype (IZAN GT 4629) and 10 paratypes (7 in IZAN, GT 4630, 3 in AMS, C. 483540) are directly from the type locality (collected by O. Griffiths in March 2001), 1 more paratype (IZAN GT 4563) was collected "on the sandy hills with succulents 100-120 m from the ocean near Fort Dauphin" by V. I. Monchenko in February of 1991 together with some shells of the larger land snails. Etymology. The specific name, monchenkoi, honors collector of the first known specimen—Prof. Vladislav I. Monchenko, Academician of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, founder of the Department of Invertebrate Fauna and Systematics of I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology. Diagnosis. Shell is pupilloid-like, clearly ribbed, aperture is ovate-triangular with single well developed columellar lamella that goes from beginning of body-whorl till edge of the aperture and clearly visible in aperture. Peristome is complete, not reflected. Dimensions. Height of shell 2.6–2.9 mm, diameter 1.3–1.5 mB. Holotype 2.7 x 1.5 mB. Aperture height 0.7–0.9 mm, aperture width 0.7–0.8 mB. Height of body whorl— 1.1–1.2 mB. Diameter of embryonic whorls (~ 1.5) 0.4 mB. Diameter of 3 rd whorl— 1 mm. Shell is pupilloid-like, ovate-pointed, moderately thick-walled, not translucent, of 5–5.5 strongly convexed whorls. Suture is deep. Body-whorl periphery round. Coloration is brown (types are mainly lost their pigmentation). Embryonic whorls (~ 1.5) are smooth. Pre-constriction sculpture is regularly radially ribbed, on the 3 rd whorl there are around 30 ribs in 1 mm (distance between ribs about 0.04 mm), on the 4 th whorl—around 22 ribs in 1 mm (placed less regularly). First post-constriction ribs are same to 4 th whorl, but placed more distantly. On the last 0.25 whorl before the peristome the ribs are much stronger. Body-whorl constriction occurs about 0.6 whorls before the peristome. The post-constriction swelling is moderate, about 0.3 mm width, placed left to columellar peristome. Aperture is ovate-triangular, with a single clear columellar lamella (peg) near edge of aperture in the middle of columellar peristome. Lamella is placed strictly perpendicularly to the columellar peristome, goes deeply in the aperture. Peristome is complete, not reflected, only slightly near umbilicus. Lip moderate. Umbilicus drop-shaped. Variability. All 12 type specimens are very similar in size, shape, sculpture, swelling and aperture. An older specimen from the other locality is almost identical to the holotype. Therefore known variability of the shell is low in this species. Identification. From the all other pupilloid-like species of the genus it differs by its complete aperture, from mostalso by its clearly ribbed shell. From B. menoi —by much more developed columellar lamella visible in aperture, presence of post-constriction swelling and larger shell. From B. delicatus and B. minutus —by much larger shell and much more developed columellar lamella. Distribution and habitats. It is only known from coastal grasslands near Tôlanaro city (south-eastern Madagascar). This area was once covered in primary forest growing on coastal dunes and has now mostly been cleared.Published as part of Balashov, Igor & Griffiths, Owen, 2015, Two new species of minute land snails from Madagascar: Boucardicus monchenkoi sp. nov. and B. ambindaensis sp. nov. (Caenogastropoda: Cyclophoridae), pp. 237-240 in Zootaxa 4052 (2) on pages 237-238, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4052.2.9, http://zenodo.org/record/23419
Invasive Land Snail Oxychilus Translucidus (Stylommatophora, Zonitidae) In The Catacombs Of Odesa (Ukraine)
No full textKovtun, O. A., Vargovitsh, R. S., Son, M. O., Balashov, I. A. (2017): Invasive Land Snail Oxychilus Translucidus (Stylommatophora, Zonitidae) In The Catacombs Of Odesa (Ukraine). Vestnik Zoologii 51 (4): 353-354, DOI: 10.1515/vzoo-2017-0041, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/vzoo-2017-004
Fig. 1 in Invasive Land Snail Oxychilus Translucidus (Stylommatophora, Zonitidae) In The Catacombs Of Odesa (Ukraine)
No full textFig. 1. Oxychilus translucidus in Odesa Catacombs (photo by O. Kovtun).Published as part of Kovtun, O. A., Vargovitsh, R. S., Son, M. O. & Balashov, I. A., 2017, Invasive Land Snail Oxychilus Translucidus (Stylommatophora, Zonitidae) In The Catacombs Of Odesa (Ukraine), pp. 353-354 in Vestnik Zoologii 51 (4) on page 354, DOI: 10.1515/vzoo-2017-0041, http://zenodo.org/record/645435
Metaphysics of science between metaphysics and science
Get PDFThe paper argues that metaphysics depends upon science when it comes to claims about the constitution of the real world. That thesis is illustrated by considering the examples of global supervenience, the tenseless vs. the tensed theory of time and existence, events vs. substances, and relations vs. intrinsic properties. An argument is sketched out for a metaphysics of a four-dimensional block universe whose content are events and their sequences, events consisting in physical properties instantiated at space-time points, these properties being relations rather than intrinsic properties
Rapid single-flux quantum control of the energy potential in a double SQUID qubit circuit
No full textAn optimal tunable Josephson element for quantum computing
No full textWe introduce a three-junction superconducting quantum interference device SQUID that can be used as an optimal tunable element in Josephson quantum computing applications. This device can replace the simple dc SQUID generally used as a tunable element in this kind of applications, with a series of advantages concerning the coherence time and the tolerance to small errors. We study the device both theoretically and experimentally at 4.2 K, obtaining a good agreement between the results.
Coronavirus as a Catalyst for Digitalisation and Public-Private Partnership in Medicine
No full textThe article focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on digitalization and public-private partnerships (PPPs) in medicine. The epidemic of this disease has intensively affected Russia, and the viral economic crisis has highlighted the need for structural reforms in many sectors of the economy, including medicine. The Russian Federation’s budget regularly lacks funds to solve much pressing health care and science problems. In this regard, PPP is of particular interest, promoting better management and higher medical services quality. Therefore, the purpose of the work is to consider the forms of interaction of advanced medical institutions with entrepreneurship, scientific organizations, regional administrations, civil society and the possibility of increasing the potential of such cooperation. A methodological basis of our research was a synergistic approach to scientific knowledge, institutional, cluster, general scientific analysis of sources, which made it possible to establish key aspects of the interaction of agents, and the SWOT analysis method made it possible to show, with some examples, the impact of PPP not only on the development of medical institutions but also on efficiency activities of the company
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