99 research outputs found
The resolution of the antinomy of the teleological judgment: Can we assert that the intelligent world-cause has an intuitive understanding?
No full textIn §§62-82 of Kant's Critique of the Power of Judgment we find several references to the supersensible in the context of the solution of the antinomy of the power of teleological judgment. It is not, however, plainly clear how these references relate to each other or how they contribute to the proposed solution. Specially puzzling is the way in which the idea of an intelligent author of the world is related to the idea of an intuitive understanding. Some interpreters have considered that the intelligent author of the world should possess an understanding capable of intuition. Kant, however, never expressly establishes this relationship. In this paper I intend to show that the idea of an intelligent author of the world cannot be enlarged with the idea of an intuitive understanding. Both of the references to the supersensible perform different functions.Fil: Jauregui, Claudia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Filosofía "Dr. Alejandro Korn"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin
Reciprocal Action and Necessary Unity. On the Interpretation of E. Watkins regarding Kant`s Causal Model
No full textEn este artículo, realizo una breve presentación de la interpretación de E. Watkins del modelo causal kantiano, y analizo algunos argumentos que el autor propone contra la posibilidad de entender la tercera analogía de la experiencia a partir del modelo causal “evento-evento”. Partiendo de una lectura alternativa de los textos kantianos, trato de demostrar, contra la opinión de Watkins, que la tercera analogía de la experiencia podría resultar inteligible a partir del modelo causal “evento-evento”, y que el modelo propuesto por Watkins podría volver ininteligible, o al menos oscurecer, el significado de la segunda analogía de la experienciaIn this paper, I make a brief presentation of E. Watkins’ interpretation of the Kantian causal model, and analyze some arguments that the author proposes against the possibility of understanding the third analogy of experience from the “event-event” model of causality. From an alternative reading of the Kantian texts, I try to demonstrate, against Watkins’ view, that the third analogy of experience could be intelligible from the “event-event” model of causality, and that Watkins’ model might render it unintelligible, or at least obscure, the meaning of the second analogy of experience.Fil: Jauregui, Claudia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Filosofía "Dr. Alejandro Korn"; Argentin
Does strict employment protection discourage job creation? Evidence from Croatia
No full textEmployment protection legislation in Croatia is among the most strict in Europe. Firing is difficult and costly, and flexible forms of employment are limited. Is this apparent rigidity reflected-as one would expect based on standard economic theory-in low labor market dynamics? Is job creation low and hiring limited? Is the job security of insiders achieved at the cost of outsiders not being able to enter thelabor market? The author attempts to answer these questions by examining job flows. If the employment protection legislation is binding, then job and worker turnover should be low. He shows that this is indeed the case. Hiring is limited and the average job tenure is very long in Croatia. Job destruction is low, however job creation is still lower. The result is accumulation of unemployment, in large part due to new labor market entrants not being able to find a job. The high degree of job protection also seems to strengthen the bargaining position of insiders and results in relatively high wages. So, wages in Croatia are higher than among its competitors, even after adjusting for productivity. These high labor costs are likely to contribute to limited job creation in existing firms, but also are likely to discourage the entry of-and thus job creation in-new firms. The author presents evidence that firm growth has been indeed limited in Croatia, contributing to the low employment level. The author examines other potential causes of high unemployment in Croatia (the unemployment benefit system, labor taxation, the wage structure, and skill and spatial mismatches). He argues that they do not play a substantial part in accounting for poor labor market outcomes in Croatia. The author concludes that the stringent employment protection legislation is the key labor market institution behind low job creation and high unemployment. Based on this he recommends specific measures aimed at liberalizing the labor market to foster job creation and employment.Labor Management and Relations,Labor Policies,Labor Markets,Environmental Economics&Policies,Trade Finance and Investment,Labor Markets,Labor Management and Relations,Labor Standards,Banks&Banking Reform,Environmental Economics&Policies
Techno-economic evaluation of energy markets for demand response and congestion management in future decentralized energy systems
No full textIn the context of the energy transition, the energy sector is experiencing a paradigm shift towards electrification in a decentralized model, where renewable energy sources are becoming the protagonists. However, such shift comes with several challenges. In particular for this thesis, the intermittency of renewable energy sources coupled with increased load demand and generation from small scale prosumers is expected to increase grid congestion at a distribution level.The main purpose of this thesis is to investigate and evaluate the techno-economic feasibility of novel market mechanisms that incentivize demand response from prosumers for congestion management. The focus of this work is on market-based mechanisms that use economic signals to stir prosumers' demand response. The mechanisms investigated are: 1) hard constraint that physically limits prosumers, 2) capacity subscription, 3) peak tariff, and 4) dynamic tariff; these are capacity mechanisms that limit the peak drawing and feeding power from prosumers. Moreover, the day ahead, intraday and frequency containment reserve (FCR) markets are incorporated to the capacity mechanisms to evaluate their compatibility in the context of the Dutch power markets.The advent of smart energy systems enables prosumers to become active participants in the market and aid in the grid's management. Thus, the approach of this thesis is to simulate prosumers' response to economic signals and evaluate the effects in a low voltage test feeder. To achieve this, the work develops on an existing smart charging algorithm that optimizes the components of the smart energy system. The system is composed of a multi port converter that incorporates a PV maximum power point tracking device (MPPT), a bidirectional EV charger, and a bidirectional battery energy storage (BES) charger; additionally, the grid is connected to a heat pump and load from appliances, which are non-flexible. The distribution network is IEEE's European low voltage test feeder, which is comprised of 55 households.The techno-economic feasibility evaluation is done by benchamarking the capacity mechanisms against an energy tariff in two scenarios: winter, and summer. The benchmark results indicate that aligning prosumers with only an energy tariff leads to congestion in the feeder. In response, all capacity mechanisms evaluated were effective at managing congestion if properly designed, although, some restrict prosumers more than others. The hard constraint made prosumers lose the most load, and the total cost incurred by the prosumers in the feeder was greatest with the capacity subscription. The peak tariff had the lowest cost of lost load, and the least overall costs, consequently, the peak tariff was chosen to incorporate the day ahead, intraday and FCR markets to it. The incorporation of day ahead and intraday markets decreased the exposure to imbalance costs under the assumption that new forecasts with better accuracy were available one time step (15 min) before delivery. The incorporation of FCR increased the exposure to imbalance costs due to deviations from the day ahead schedule. Furthermore, FCR with the peak tariff showed conflicting incentives, i.e., the peak tariff reduces the amount of reserved power for balancing regulation, else if full available power is reserved congestion increases. The results of this thesis point towards the potential that prosumers' demand response will have in shaping future decentralized energy systems, however, the market mechanisms in place need to be properly designed to ensure economic feasibility and resolve conflicting incentives between markets such as balancing and local congestion management.Electrical Engineering | Sustainable Energy Technolog
Nitrogen fertilization form and energetic status as target points conditioning rice responsiveness to elevated [CO2]
No full textThe nitrogen (N) fertilization form and plant energy status are known to significantly influence plant responses to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. However, a close examination of the interplay between N sources under contrasting light intensity has been notably absent in the literature. In this study, we conducted a factorial experiment with rice plants involving two different light intensities (150 and 300 µmol m-2 s-1), inorganic N sources [nitrate (N-NO3) or ammonium nitrate (N-NH4NO3)] at varying CO2 levels (410 and 700 parts per million, ppm). The aim was to examine the individual and combined effects of these factors on the allocation of biomass in whole plants, as well as on leaf-level photosynthetic characteristics, chloroplast morphology and development, ATP content, ionomics, metabolomics, and hormone profiles. Our research hypothesis posits that mixed nutrition enhances plant responsiveness to elevated CO2 (eCO2) at both light levels compared to sole N-NO3 nutrition, due to its diminished energy demands for plant assimilation. Our findings indicate that N-NO3 nutrition does not promote the growth of rice, its photosynthetic capacity, or N content when exposed to ambient CO2 (aCO2), and is significantly reduced in low light (LL) conditions. Rice plants with N-NH4NO3 exhibited a higher carboxylation capacity, which resulted in larger biomass (total C, tiller number, and lower root-shoot ratio) supported by higher Calvin-cycle-related sugars. The lower leaf N content and overall amino acid levels at eCO2, particularly pronounced in N-NO3, combined with the lower ATP content (lowest at LL and N-NO3), may reflect the higher energy costs of N assimilation at eCO2. We also observed significant plasticity patterns in leaves under eCO2. Our findings highlight the importance of a thorough physiological understanding to inform innovative management practices aimed at mitigating the negative effects of climate change on plant N use efficiency.The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The current study was carried out in the context of the CropYQualT-CEC funded by the Marie Curie RISE program (European Commission).Peer reviewe
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An examination of school siting policies in the Clark County School District
No full textThe process of school siting has significant implications for student health, particularly for additionally vulnerable low-income and minority populations. There is no national standard for siting decisions, although various individuals and organizations have conducted research on the varying siting practices across the 50 states as well as impacts of siting decisions on children’s health. In order to gain an understanding of the school siting practices in the Clark County School District in southern Nevada, the author conducted a review of the Nevada Revised Statutes, the municipal codes of Clark County, and the Cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson for school siting related language. The author then interviewed employees of the Clark County School District in an attempt to further knowledge on the particular school siting policies in place. A group of 25 schools was selected for evaluation based on available environmental factors including air quality data, spatial relationship to industrial zones, and proximity of 500 feet to freeways with an eye toward potential environmental justice implications for the respective student populations. Findings were analyzed and compared to those policies in place in California, and the author’s recommendations for policy and practice changes at the state and local levels were made to better ensure children’s health as related to school siting.Community and Regional Plannin
Using the RE-AIM framework to evaluate physical activity public health programs in México
No full textabstract: Background
Physical activity (PA) public health programming has been widely used in Mexico; however, few studies have documented individual and organizational factors that might be used to evaluate their public health impact. The RE-AIM framework is an evaluation tool that examines individual and organizational factors of public health programs. The purpose of this study was to use the RE-AIM framework to determine the degree to which PA programs in Mexico reported individual and organizational factors and to investigate whether reporting differed by the program’s funding source.
Methods
Public health programs promoting PA were systematically identified during 2008–2013 and had to have an active program website. Initial searches produced 23 possible programs with 12 meeting inclusion criteria. A coding sheet was developed to capture behavioral, outcome and RE-AIM indicators from program websites.
Results
In addition to targeting PA, five (42%) programs also targeted dietary habits and the most commonly reported outcome was change in body composition (58%). Programs reported an average of 11.1 (±3.9) RE-AIM indicator items (out of 27 total). On average, 45% reported reach indicators, 34% reported efficacy/effectiveness indicators, 60% reported adoption indicators, 40% reported implementation indicators, and 35% reported maintenance indicators. The proportion of RE-AIM indicators reported did not differ significantly for programs that were government supported (M = 10, SD = 3.1) and programs that were partially or wholly privately or corporately supported (M = 12.0, SD = 4.4).
Conclusion
While reach and adoption of these programs were most commonly reported, there is a need for stronger evaluation of behavioral and health outcomes before the public health impact of these programs can be established.The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-015-1474-
Navegación e historia de la ciencia: Escorbuto
No full textThe history of scurvy might be summarized in terms of mystery, death, tenacity and finally success. In this history three very important people deserve special mention, two of them were doctors, the other one was a famous navigator: Lind, Blane and Cook. The first one had the glory of having been the author of the first clinical trial, as we understand it nowadays, with all the criticisms that could be done at present. However, the joint effort of these three men led to the solution of something, which seemed to be an irresolvable mystery. La historia del escorbuto se puede resumir en términos de misterio, muerte, tenacidad y éxito final. En dicha historia merecen especial mención tres personajes, dos de ellos médicos, el otro un afamado navegante: Lind, Blane y Cook. Al primero puede corresponderle la gloria de haber sido el autor de un primer ensayo clínico en la forma que hoy lo entendemos y con todas las críticas que actualmente cabría hacer. No obstante, el esfuerzo conjunto de los tres llevó a la solución de lo que parecía algo misterioso y sin solución.
Influence of parental perception of school safety and gender on children’s physical activity in Mexico: A cross sectional study
No full textabstract: Objective. This cross sectional study aims to determine the effects of gender and parental perception of safety at school on children’s physical activity (PA) levels. Materials and methods. Parents of school aged Mexican children residing in Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Puerto Vallarta, completed surveys about their children’s PA measures. The physical activity indicators were evaluated using linear and logistical regression models. Results. Analysis did not indicate that gender moderated the relationship between parental perception of safety and PA measures, but significant gender issues exist with girls participating less than boys in the three measures of PA in this study (p<0.001). Conclusion. Results suggest the need for additional interventions promoting physical activity in girls in Mexico.The final version of this article, as published in Salud Pública de México, can be viewed online at: http://saludpublica.mx/index.php/spm/article/view/766
Lean Design
No full textLean design is a term increasingly being used by both academics and practitioners to refer to lean 9 principles applied in the context of design. However, as this context is not uniform, the meaning of 10 lean design is not either. Lean design can be used as a synonym of lean development (which refers to 11 leaning the processes required to be undertaken for translating a market need into a manufacturable 12 device, as it is used in Ward and Sobek (2014), Ōno (1988), and Bauch (2004)), as a verb (referring to 13 having the process of designing being performed in a lean fashion, as it is used by Baines et al. (2006)), 14 and as a noun (referring to an object that fulfills a set of desired functions by being lean, as it is used in 15 Johansson and Sundin (2014), Dombrowski et al. (2014), and Gautam and Singh (2008)). All three 16 definitions are intrinsically founded upon the principles of the lean philosophy: eliminating non-value- 17 adding activities (for a process) or sub-functions (i.e., subpart or components for a product) relatively to 18 the needs of the end customer. From the perspective of the consumer of the product or service, the value 19 refers to the expected functionalities of the product or process, according to the amount the customer is 20 willing to pay for. Lean approach preserves value with less work or resources involvement.Cette Encyclopédie est développée dans le cadre de l'Académie CIRP
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