185,437 research outputs found
Variations on the Author
No full text“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Casanovas are liars : behavioral syndromes, sperm competition risk, and the evolution of deceptive male mating behavior in live-bearing fishes [version 2; referees: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]
No full textMale reproductive biology can by characterized through competition over mates as well as mate choice. Multiple mating and male mate choice copying, especially in internally fertilizing species, set the stage for increased sperm competition, i.e., sperm of two or more males can compete for fertilization of the female’s ova. In the internally fertilizing fish Poecilia mexicana, males respond to the presence of rivals with reduced expression of mating preferences (audience effect), thereby lowering the risk of by-standing rivals copying their mate choice. Also, males interact initially more with a non-preferred female when observed by a rival, which has been interpreted in previous studies as a strategy to mislead rivals, again reducing sperm competition risk (SCR). Nevertheless, species might differ consistently in their expression of aggressive and reproductive behaviors, possibly due to varying levels of SCR. In the current study, we present a unique data set comprising ten poeciliid species (in two cases including multiple populations) and ask whether species can be characterized through consistent differences in the expression of aggression, sexual activity and changes in mate choice under increased SCR. We found consistent species-specific differences in aggressive behavior, sexual activity as well as in the level of misleading behavior, while decreased preference expression under increased SCR was a general feature of all but one species examined. Furthermore, mean sexual activity correlated positively with the occurrence of potentially misleading behavior. An alternative explanation for audience effects would be that males attempt to avoid aggressive encounters, which would predict stronger audience effects in more aggressive species. We demonstrate a positive correlation between mean aggressiveness and sexual activity (suggesting a hormonal link as a mechanistic explanation), but did not detect a correlation between aggressiveness and audience effects. Suites of correlated behavioral tendencies are termed behavioral syndromes, and our present study provides correlational evidence for the evolutionary significance of SCR in shaping a behavioral syndrome at the species level across poeciliid taxa
Leyes de pureza ritual en judeoespañol: entre la normativa rabínica y las prácticas de las mujeres
No full textThe aim of this article is to examine some laws, customs and moral teachings related to ritual purity of Jewish women, based on the recopilation of texts from two halakhic works written in Judeo-Spanish by the Sephardic author Eli ͑éźer: Shem Tov Papo (Sarajevo, ? – Jerusalem, 1898), in particular, Séfer Damésec Eli ͑éźer: Yoré de ͑áh (Belgrade, 1865), and Sefer Damesek Eli ͑éźer: Yoré de ͑áh (Jerusalem, 1884). The halakhic texts commented in the article interpret the phenomenon of menstruation from a rabbinic point of view. At the same time the texts reveal some practices carried out by Sephardic women in the Ottoman Empire, in reference to the separation of men and women during the period of impurity, the counting of the seven clean days, corporal examination, and preparations for ritual immersion.Este artículo ofrece un estudio de algunas de las leyes, costumbres y consideraciones morales acerca de la pureza ritual de la mujer judía. Para ello, se recopilan textos tomados de las obras halájicas escritas en judeoespañol por el autor sefardí Eli ͑éźer Šem Tob Papo (Sarajevo, ? – Jerusalén, 1898), más en concreto, del Séfer Damésec Eli ͑éźer: Yoré de ͑á (Belgrado, 1865) y Séfer Damésec Eli ͑éźer: Yoré de ͑á (Jerusalén, 1884). Los textos normativos recogidos interpretan el fenómeno de la menstruación desde la perspectiva rabínica. Al mismo tiempo revelan algunas prácticas de las mujeres sefardíes del Imperio otomano, relacionadas con la separación entre hombre y mujer durante el periodo de impureza, la cuenta de siete días limpios, la inspección corporal, los preparativos para la inmersión y la purificación en el baño ritual
For mothers and sisters : care of the reproductive female body in the medico-ritual world of early and medieval Japan
No full textWhile married female members of the Japanese aristocracy followed the ideal of bearing children, female Buddhist novices and ordained women, often belonging to the aristocracy themselves, had to abstain from sexual activity and reproduction in accordance with the ordination rules. Infertility was considered with disdain by the first group, whereas not bearing children was the utmost expression of leading a virtuous life for the second group. However, both groups were concerned with keeping their physical bodies healthy: some to become mothers, the others to live as nuns or religious sisters. Focusing on the early medieval period, this paper examines various sources to illuminate the ways in which women were cared for and the kind of views and ideas that informed this care. Instead of looking at the ancient methods of treatment through a modern «scientific» lens and sorting them into «proto-scientific» and «superstitious» categories, medico-ritual and religious views on the female body are explored as facets of the worldview prevalent in the period under consideration. Special attention is paid to relevant chapters of the first medical work produced in Japan, the Ishinpō, compiled by a court physician, Tanba no Yasuyori, in the late 10th century CE. The investigation of other sources, such as Buddhist legends and doctrinal texts, suggests that women were recommended to seek to overcome their femaleness altogether by transforming their female bodies into male bodies in order to reach ultimate «healing» in terms of salvation. In lay circles, however, the Buddhist divinities and other powerful deities were worshipped to ensure this-worldly «healing» in terms of successful procreation and continuation of the family line
The Viral Author
No full textLa idea moderna de la "figura de autor" debe mucho, de manera irreversible, a los dos ensayos de Roland Barthes y Michel Foucault, "La muerte del autor" y "¿Qué es un autor?". Ellos proporcionan un marco útil para una investigación sobre la aparente ausencia del autor en el mundo del web, nos permite preguntarnos si la autoría es congruente con los nuevos medios de comunicación, y si algún modelo puede ser establecido por su presencia. Se argumenta que el autor es de hecho presente, pero con su presencia y modalidades de actividad desplazadas a la figura del usuario.The modern idea of the author-figure owes much, irreversibly, to the two essays of Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault, “The Death of the Author” and “What is an Author?”. They provide a useful framework for an investigation into the apparent absence of the author-figure in the online world, allow us to ask whether authorship is congruent with online media, and whether some model may be established for his presence. It is argued that the author is indeed present, but with his presence and modes of activities displaced, perhaps counter-intuitively, to the figure of the user
Planification de mouvements optimaux pour des systèmes anthropomorphes
No full textL'objet de cette thèse est le développement et l'étude d'algorithmes de planification de mouvements optimaux pour des systèmes anthropomorphes sous-actionnés et hautement dimensionnés, à l'instar des robots humanoïdes et des acteurs virtuels. Des méthodes de planification aléatoires et de commande optimale sont proposées et discutées. Une première contribution concerne l'utilisation d'une méthode efficace de recherche dans un graphe pour l'optimisation de trajectoires de marche planifiées pour un système modélisé par sa boîte englobante. La deuxième contribution concerne l'utilisation de méthodes de planification aléatoires sous contraintes afin de planifier de façon générique des mouvements corps-complet de marche et manipulation. Enfin nous développons une approche algorithmique qui combine des méthodes de planification aléatoires sous contrainte et de commande optimale; cette approche permet de générer des mouvements dynamiques, rapides, et sans collision, en présence d'obstacles dans l'environnement du système.This thesis deals with the development and study of algorithms for planning optimal motions for anthropomorphic systems, which are under-actuated and highly redundant systems, such as humanoid robots and digital actors. Randomized motion planners and optimal control methods are proposed and discussed. A first contribution concerns the use of an efficient graph search algorithm in order to optimize walk trajectories that were previously obtained for a bounding-box representation of the system using randomized motion planners. The second contribution develops the use of constrained randomized motion planners in order to plan in a generic way whole-body motions that involve both walking and manipulation. Finally we develop an algorithmic approach which combines constrained randomized motion planners and optimal control methods; this approach allows the generation of dynamic, fast and collision-free motions for anthropomorphic systems in the presence of obstacles
Author Under Sail The Imagination of Jack London, 1893-1902
No full textIn Author Under Sail, Jay Williams offers the first complete literary biography of Jack London as a professional writer engaged in the labor of writing. It examines the authorial imagination in London's work, the use of imagination in both his fiction and nonfiction, and the ways he defined imagination in the creative process in his business dealings with his publishers, editors, and agents. In this first volume of a two-volume biography, Williams traverses the years 1893 to 1902, from London's "Story of a Typhoon" to The People of the Abyss. The Jack London who emerges in the pages of Author Under Sail is a writer whose partnership with publishers, most notably his productive alliance with George Brett of Macmillan, was one of the most formative in American literary history. London pioneered many author models during the heyday of realism and naturalism, blurring the boundaries of these popular genres by focusing on absorption and theatricality and the representation of the seen and unseen. London created an impassioned, sincere, and extremely personal realism unlike that of other American writers of the time. Author Under Sail is a literary tour de force that reveals the full range of London as writer, creative citizen, and entrepreneur at the same time it sheds light on the maverick side of machine-age literature.Intro -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1. Spirit Truth -- 2. From Absorption to Theatricality and Back Again -- 3. "I Will Build a New Present" -- 4. Sons as Authors -- 5. Fathers as Publishers -- 6. The Daughter as Author -- 7. Lovers as Authors -- 8. At Sea with the Family -- 9. Yellow News, Yellow Stories -- 10. The Return Home -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index -- About Jay WilliamsIn Author Under Sail, Jay Williams offers the first complete literary biography of Jack London as a professional writer engaged in the labor of writing. It examines the authorial imagination in London's work, the use of imagination in both his fiction and nonfiction, and the ways he defined imagination in the creative process in his business dealings with his publishers, editors, and agents. In this first volume of a two-volume biography, Williams traverses the years 1893 to 1902, from London's "Story of a Typhoon" to The People of the Abyss. The Jack London who emerges in the pages of Author Under Sail is a writer whose partnership with publishers, most notably his productive alliance with George Brett of Macmillan, was one of the most formative in American literary history. London pioneered many author models during the heyday of realism and naturalism, blurring the boundaries of these popular genres by focusing on absorption and theatricality and the representation of the seen and unseen. London created an impassioned, sincere, and extremely personal realism unlike that of other American writers of the time. Author Under Sail is a literary tour de force that reveals the full range of London as writer, creative citizen, and entrepreneur at the same time it sheds light on the maverick side of machine-age literature.Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, YYYY. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries
Stochastic Mortality, Macroeconomic Risks, and Life Insurer Solvency
No full textMotivated by a recent demographic study establishing a link between macroeconomic fluctuations and the mortality index kt in the Lee-Carter model, we assess the impact of macroeconomic fluctuations on the solvency of a life insurance company. Liabilities in our stochastic simulation framework are driven by a GDP-linked variant of the Lee-Carter mortality model. Furthermore, interest rates and stock prices are allowed to react to changes in GDP, which itself is modeled as a stochastic process. Our results show that insolvency probabilities are significantly higher when the reaction of mortality rates to changes in GDP is incorporated.Life insurance, asset-liability management, stochastic mortality, Lee-Carter model, business cycle
Multi-Vendor Matrix Factorization with Differential Privacy
No full textRecommender systems usually base their predictions on user-item interaction, a technique known as collaborative filtering. Vendors that utilize collaborative filtering generally exclusively use their own user-item interactions, but the accuracy of the recommendations may improve if several vendors share their data. Since user-item interaction data is typically privacy sensitive, sharing this data poses a privacy challenge for the collaborating vendors. In this work, we study the use of matrix factorization with multiple vendors under a differential privacy guarantee. Since differential privacy incurs a trade-off between privacy and utility, one obstacle is that the utility loss of the privacy-preserving measure may be greater than the utility gain of collaboration. We show that the empirical evaluation of this property in existing work is questionable, and that these works do not solve the problem. We also demonstrate that in a common experiment setup, the upper bound on the utility gain that can be achieved by collaboration is limited, which places a hard limit on the acceptable utility loss due to privacy preservation. This limit is small enough that even the utility loss in the current state of the art in differentially private matrix factorization in general exceeds it. We conclude with a number of open challenges for future work.Computer Science | Cyber Securit
Long-term variability of Cygnus X-1. IX. A spectral-timing comparison of Cygnus X-1 and MAXI J1820+070 in the hard state
No full textWe dedicate this work to our co-author Katja Pottschmidt who passed away while it was under review. Katja began this series of papers on Cygnus X-1 and she contributed so much to our understanding of this fascinating source.Cygnus X-1 is a persistent, high-mass black hole X-ray binary (BHXRB) which in the hard state shows many similar properties to transient BHXRBs, along with intriguing differences, such as the lack of quasi-periodic oscillations. Here, we compare for the first time the detailed spectral-timing properties of Cyg X-1 with a transient BHXRB, MAXI J1820+070, combining data from XMM–Newton and NICER (Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer) with contemporaneous INTEGRAL (International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory) data to study the power spectra, rms spectra, and time lags over a broad 0.5–200 keV range. We select bright hard state MAXI J1820+070 data with similar power-spectral shapes to the Cyg X-1 data, to compare the source behaviours while accounting for the evolution of spectral-timing properties, notably the lags, through the hard state. Cyg X-1 shows no evidence for soft lags in the 1–10 Hz frequency range where they are clearly detected for MAXI J1820+070. Furthermore, the low-frequency hard lags and rms spectra evolve much more strongly during the hard state of Cyg X-1 than for MAXI J1820+070. We argue that these differences cannot be explained by the different black hole masses of these systems, but may be related to their different accretion rates and corresponding locations on the hardness–intensity diagram. We conjecture that there is a significant luminosity-dependence of coronal geometry in the hard state of BHXRBs, rather than an intrinsic difference between Cyg X-1 and transient BHXRBs. This possibility has also been suggested to explain a common time-lag feature that appears in the hard intermediate states of Cyg X-1 and transient BHXRBs.BDM acknowledges support via Ramón y Cajal Fellowship (RYC2018-025950-I), the Spanish MINECO grants PID2020-117252GB-I00, PID2022-136828NB-C44, and the AGAUR/Generalitat de Catalunya grant SGR-386/2021. EVL is supported by the Italian Research Center on High Performance Computing Big Data and Quantum Computing (ICSC), a project funded by European Union – NextGenerationEU – and National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) – Mission 4 Component 2 within the activities of Spoke 3 (Astrophysics and Cosmos Observations). KP was supported by NASA under award no. 80GSFC24M0006. For the purpose of open access, the authors have applied a Creative Commons Attribution license to the Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version
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