In recent decades, a novel theoretical account of folk psychology has emerged that challenges traditional assumptions: mental fictionalism. Rather than treating mental states as things in creatures’ minds that we are really tracking, mental fictionalists argue that folk psychology is best understood as a collective fiction that we partake in. On this account, it is this fiction rather than an ability to track mental states that enables us to predict/explain one another’s behavior, or to coordinate our affective states to grow (...) and maintain social relationships. I provide an overview of the evidence from comparative and developmental psychology that is inconsistent with mental fictionalism, arguing that both views considered here are unable to account for the mindreading abilities of non-linguistic primates and children. I then offer an ontogenetic challenge, arguing that mental fictionalism faces the difficult task of explaining how mindreading could emerge from what are thought to be more sophisticated cognitive mechanisms, such as those underlying participation in either pretense or collective narratives. I conclude by highlighting the specific body of evidence that a more robust version of mental fictionalism should account for, especially as it continues to be refined and emerges as a serious competitor amongst interpretations of folk psychology. (shrink)

How, if at all, should governments be involved in prescribing content moderation policies for extreme speech on social media platforms? There are a range of regulatory models that may be adopted, on a spectrum from laissez-faire self-regulation to punitive state control. We propose a normative taxonomy of such schemes, that is, a classification based on how the different regulatory models bear upon the normative legitimacy of state (in)action in this area. We defend a certain kind of hybrid regulatory model (i.e., (...) government working with platforms on regulatory policy), which is legislative, rather than informal or advisory, so as to ensure democratic input, transparency, accountability and redress (due process), but which imposes procedural requirements upon companies’ moderation policies and practices, rather than punitively prescribing moderation outcomes in specific cases. (shrink)

How are permutation arguments for the inscrutability of reference to be formulated in the context of a Davidsonian truth-theoretic semantics? Davidson takes these arguments to establish that there are no grounds for favouring a reference scheme that assigns London to “Londres”, rather than one that assigns Sydney to that name. We shall see, however, that it is far from clear whether permutation arguments work when set out in the context of the kind of truth-theoretic semantics which Davidson favours. The principle (...) required to make the argument work allows us to resurrect Foster problems against the Davidsonian position. The Foster problems and the permutation inscrutability problems stand or fall together: they are one puzzle, not two. (shrink)

Cognitive incompetence cannot adequately explain the special character of children's moral status. It is, in fact, because children lack preference structures that are sufficiently stable over time that they are not ’temporally extended agents’. They are best viewed as 'special agents’, and parents have the responsibility of fostering the development of temporally extended agency and other necessary related moral capacities. Parental authority should be exercised with the view to assisting children to acquire the capacities that facilitate their transition from 'special (...) agents’ to full and functioning members of the moral community. (shrink)

This article conducts a philosophical analysis of the legitimacy of political power in Tanzania using John Locke’s political theory as a framework. It evolved from researcher’s observation and empirical studies that concerned political legitimacy in Tanzania. The lack of philosophical approach opened away for philosophical investigations and the necessity of involving philosophical views like that of the John Locke, in addressing of the shaking political legitimacy in Tanzania. The factors such as; allegations of corruption, restricted freedom of expression and limited (...) access to justice, stimulated the author into philosophical inquiring, in accordance to John Locke’s political philosophy on the theory of legitimacy of political power. The Article examines how Locke’s principles of consent, protection of individual rights, and limited government apply within Tanzania’s socio-political context. The study highlights significant challenges to political legitimacy, including allegations of electoral manipulation, constraints on political freedoms, and governance issues such as corruption and lack of transparency. Recommendations are proposed to enhance democratic governance and accountability in Tanzania, emphasizing the critical need to strengthen electoral integrity, protect fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and assembly, and bolster institutional frameworks for transparency and judicial independence. By applying Locke’s principles, this analysis aims to contribute insights into the dynamics of political authority in Tanzania and suggest pathways for fostering a more inclusive, accountable, and legitimate governance framework aligned with the aspirations of its citizens. (shrink)

St. Anselm is a master of philosophical prose. His writings on God, truth, and free will are models of clarity born of unflagging concern for argumentative precision. He is especially adept at using analogies to cinch his readers' understanding of these recondite matters. Who could forget the light shed upon the concept of existence by the Painter Analogy in the Ontological Argument or how his River Analogy illumines the unification of the Holy Trinity? Such intellectual insights could only be gifts (...) of the Holy Ghost for the edification of Holy Mother Church. I shall discuss here the three splendid analogies that St. Anselm draws in De Concordia in order to reconcile grace and free will, fostering an understanding of co-operation according to which divine assistance must accentuate, rather than nullify, exercises of human freedom. Central to my discussion is The Father of Scholasticism's four-fold distinction between a power, its exercises, the effects of those exercises, and opportunities to bring about those effects. (shrink)

We have witnessed the athleticization of political discourse, whereby debate is treated like an athletic contest in which the aim is to vanquish one's opponents. When political discourse becomes a zero-sum game, it is characterized by suspicions, accusations, belief polarization, and ideological entrenchment. Unfortunately, athleticization is ailing the classroom as well, making it difficult for educators to prepare students to make valuable contributions to healthy civic discourse. Such preparation requires an educational environment that fosters the intellectual virtues that characterize an (...) examined life. This, in turn, requires an amicable and hospitable atmosphere in which a student enjoys the freedom to discover and articulate what she believes, how well her beliefs hang together, and what underlying assumptions or biases might be at work—without the fear that her self-disclosure will trigger immediate accusations and pigeonholing from fellow students. Educating for intellectual virtue is crucial for meeting these challenges and in this chapter we contribute to this strategy by offering some tools and guidance for promoting productive discussion of controversial issues. In the first two sections, we identify and explain two fallacious patterns of thought that often encumber discussion of controversial issues: assailment-by-entailment and the attitude-to-agent fallacy. In effect, these sections diagnose two diseases of discourse. We conclude each section with practical suggestions—in the form of thinking routines—for curing these ills. We will argue that part of the cure is to be found in the intellectual virtues. In particular, we will discuss how the virtues of intellectual charity, humility and carefulness can inoculate the mind against the fallacies we identify. (shrink)

Product-harm crisis is an important organizational management topic due to the potential detrimental business impact. Organizations are more vulnerable than ever to the possibility of product related incidents disrupting business at any point in the supply chain. To counteract this implicit threat to an organizations reputation and financial wellbeing, if properly deployed, continuity management fosters the ability to run in the face of a crisis event; whereby business continuity management induces the means for appropriate product-harm crisis responses. In this study, (...) the author synthesizes selected published research presenting product-harm crisis management considerations. Based on an assigned literature review; the author summarizes article content, compares and contrasts methods and extrapolates results and conclusions garnered from the selected scholarly research; then provides an actionable recommendation for enabling effective product-harm crisis management. (shrink)

St. Anselm is a master of philosophical prose. His writings on God, truth, and free will are models of clarity born of unflagging concern for argumentative precision. He is especially adept at using analogies to cinch his readers' understanding of these recondite matters. Who could forget the light shed upon the concept of existence by the Painter Analogy in the Ontological Argument or how his River Analogy illumines the unification of the Holy Trinity? Such intellectual insights could only be gifts (...) of the Holy Ghost for the edification of the Holy Mother Church. I shall discuss here the three splendid analogies that St. Anselm draws in De Concordia in order to reconcile grace and free will, fostering an understanding of cooperation according to which divine assistance must accentuate, rather than nullify, exercises of human freedom. Central to my discussion is The Father of Scholasticism's four-fold distinction between a power, its exercises, the effects of those exercises, and opportunities to bring about those effects. (shrink)

Purpose of the study: This study developed and validated Home-Based Learning Activities (H-BLA) for teaching Physics inspired by the identified Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs) by the Department of Education (DepEd). Acknowledging the significance of adaptive and suitable learning materials. Methodology: The researchers employed the descriptive-developmental method to create and assess the developed home-based learning activities. The Learning Resources Management and Development System (LRMDS) evaluation tool of the Department of Education (DepEd) for printed materials is used and experts agreed that (...) the developed H-BLA met the standards for printed learning materials. Main Findings: The expert validation revealed that the Home-Based Learning Activities (H-BLA) were highly acceptable in terms of content, format, accuracy, and up-to-datedness of information, with Factors 1, 2, and 4 receiving 'very satisfactory' ratings. However, the presentation and organization, corresponding to Factor 3, received only a 'satisfactory' rating, indicating room for improvement in the structure and flow of the materials. Novelty/Originality of this study: The study's novelty lies in developing validated Home-Based Learning Activities (H-BLA) for elementary Physics under the K-12 curriculum, utilizing accessible materials to foster independent learning. Grounded in Constructivist Theory, Dale's Cone of Experience, and Contextualized Teaching and Learning, it promotes experiential education. Expert validation and iterative improvement ensure quality, addressing gaps in remote and practical science education. (shrink)

The orbital debris problem presents an opportunity for inter-agency and international cooperation toward the mutually beneficial goals of debris prevention, mitigation, remediation, and improved space situational awareness (SSA). Achieving these goals requires sharing orbital debris and other SSA data. Toward this, I present an ontological architecture for the orbital debris and broader SSA domain, taking steps in the creation of an orbital debris ontology (ODO). The purpose of this ontological system is to (I) represent general orbital debris and SSA domain (...) knowledge, (II) structure, and standardize where needed, orbital data and terminology, and (III) foster semantic interoperability and data-sharing. In doing so I hope to (IV) contribute to solving the orbital debris problem, improving peaceful global SSA, and ensuring safe space travel for future generations. (shrink)

Space situational awareness (SSA) is vital for international safety and security, and for the future of space travel. The sharing of SSA data and information should improve the state of global SSA for planetary defense and spaceflight safety. I take steps toward a Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Ontology, and outline some central objectives, requirements and desiderata in the ontology development process for this domain. The purpose of this ontological system is to explore the potential for the ontology research topic to (...) (i) represent SSA general knowledge, data, and entities/objects, (ii) clearly express the meaning of SSA data, and (iii) foster SSA data-sharing. The overall goal and motivation is to (iv) improve our capacity for planetary defense, e.g., from near- or deep-space objects and phenomena, and (v) facilitate safer and peaceful space access, navigation and travel, by improving global SSA. This research is thereby intended only for peaceful space-domain applications and uses, with particular interests in orbital debris. There is little application of ontology to the space domain as compared with other disciplines and little if any ontological development of SSA and related domains. In this respect, this paper offers novel concepts. (shrink)

Conservation can occur anywhere regardless of scale, political jurisdiction, or landownership. We present a framework to help managers at protected areas practice conservation at the scale of relationships. We focus on relationships between stakeholders and protected areas and between managers and other stakeholders. We provide a synthesis of key natural resources literature and present a case example to support our premise and recommendations. The purpose is 4-fold: 1) discuss challenges and threats to conservation and protected areas; 2) outline a relationship-scale (...) approach to address conservation threats; 3) describe the tools and techniques that can be used to implement this approach; and 4) present a case example from rural Alaska, USA, to illustrate relationship-scale conservation. Our case example illustrates how aspects of this approach to conservation were applied to address a wildlife population decline. Tools needed to implement relationship-scale conservation include 1) collecting and documenting narratives of place; 2) measuring and monitoring trust and commitment; and 3) identifying and mitigating threats. We recommend that planners and managers, working with their research partners, redefine and refocus their goals and objectives to include these practices. Doing so will enable them to gain substantial applied knowledge about their stakeholders and foster and maintain place relationships as desired outcomes of conservation. The ultimate outcome is a better prognosis for long-term global survival of protected areas and biodiversity. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. (shrink)

Mulla Sadra, the 17th-century Persian philosopher and founder of Transcendent Theosophy, presents a transformative epistemological framework that redefines knowledge as an existential and intuitive act, rooted in the primacy of existence. His concept of presential knowledge, or ‘ilm huduri, posits that true cognition occurs through the direct unification of the knower’s being with the reality of the known, mediated by spiritual faculties such as the heart and the active intellect. This article offers a comprehensive comparative analysis of Sadra’s existential-intuitive epistemology (...) with Martin Heidegger’s existential awareness, centered on Dasein and lived experience, and Robert Audi’s theory of rational intuition, which emphasizes non-inferential apprehension of abstract truths. Drawing on primary sources, including Sadra’s Al-Hikmah al-Muta‘aliyah fi’l-Asfar al-‘Aqliyyah al-Arba‘ah, and interpretations from Islamic scholars like Allama Tabatabai, Morteza Motahhari, Ayatollah Javadi Amoli, and Mesbah Yazdi, alongside Western philosophical texts, the study explores convergences and divergences across Islamic mysticism, existential phenomenology, and analytic epistemology. Key questions include: How does Sadra’s epistemology redefine knowledge? How does it compare with Heidegger’s and Audi’s frameworks? What are its implications for contemporary philosophy? The analysis underscores Sadra’s unique contribution to global epistemology, offering a holistic model that transcends rationalist and empiricist paradigms, fostering a cross-cultural dialogue that enriches our understanding of human cognition. (shrink)

I defend Christopher Peacocke's and Robert Hopkins's experienced resemblance accounts of depiction against criticisms put forward by Gavin McIntosh in a recent article in this journal. I argue that, while there may be reasons for rejecting Peacocke's and Hopkins's accounts, McIntosh fails to provide any.

Sparrow argues that military robots capable of making their own decisions would be independent enough to allow us denial for their actions, yet too unlike us to be the targets of meaningful blame or praise—thereby fostering what Matthias has dubbed “the responsibility gap.” We agree with Sparrow that someone must be held responsible for all actions taken in a military conflict. That said, we think Sparrow overlooks the possibility of what we term “blank check” responsibility: A person of sufficiently high (...) standing could accept responsibility for the actions of autonomous robotic devices—even if that person could not be causally linked to those actions besides this prior agreement. The basic intuition behind our proposal is that humans can impute relations even when no other form of contact can be established. The missed alternative we want to highlight, then, would consist in an exchange: Social prestige in the occupation of a given office would come at the price of signing away part of one's freedoms to a contingent and unpredictable future guided by another agency. (shrink)

The Government System: The Foundation of Society’s Stability and Progress -/- Introduction -/- The government system is the most crucial social structure in any society, serving as the foundation for law, order, economic stability, and public welfare. A well-functioning government ensures that citizens live in a secure and prosperous environment, while a failing government leads to instability, poverty, and suffering. Throughout history, nations with strong governance have thrived, whereas those with weak or corrupt governments have struggled. This essay examines the (...) significance of government systems, emphasizing their role in law enforcement, economic development, security, public services, and crisis management, while also comparing examples of successful and failing governments worldwide. -/- The Role of government in Society -/- 1. Law and Order: Maintaining Stability and Justice -/- One of the primary responsibilities of the government is to establish and enforce laws that regulate behavior and maintain societal order. A strong legal system deters crime and ensures that justice prevails, fostering a safe and peaceful environment. -/- Example of Effective Governance: Singapore is widely regarded as one of the safest countries in the world due to its strict but fair legal system. The government enforces laws effectively, which has resulted in low crime rates and a high level of public trust in law enforcement. -/- Example of Weak Governance: In contrast, Somalia has struggled with lawlessness for decades. Due to a lack of central authority and widespread corruption, crime, terrorism, and piracy have flourished, making it one of the most dangerous places in the world. -/- 2. Economic Stability and Development -/- Governments play a crucial role in managing a nation’s economy through policies that regulate industries, control inflation, and promote sustainable growth. A well-managed economy leads to prosperity, while poor governance can result in economic collapse. -/- Example of Effective Governance: Switzerland has a highly stable economy, thanks to strong government policies, a well-regulated banking system, and a commitment to innovation. Its government ensures low unemployment, high wages, and economic resilience. -/- Example of Weak Governance: Venezuela, on the other hand, has faced economic disaster due to government mismanagement. Corrupt leadership, excessive reliance on oil revenues, and poor economic policies have led to hyperinflation, food shortages, and mass poverty. -/- 3. Protection and Security -/- A nation’s security depends on the strength of its government. Governments are responsible for maintaining military forces, police, and intelligence agencies to protect citizens from both internal and external threats. -/- Example of Effective Governance: Finland is one of the safest countries in the world due to its well-organized military and law enforcement agencies. The Finnish government prioritizes national security while upholding democratic values. -/- Example of Weak Governance: Afghanistan has faced decades of instability due to weak governance and persistent conflict. The government’s inability to maintain security has allowed terrorist groups to flourish, leading to widespread violence and displacement. -/- 4. Public Services and Infrastructure -/- Governments are responsible for providing essential services such as education, healthcare, transportation, and utilities. These services improve the quality of life and contribute to a nation’s overall development. -/- Example of Effective Governance: Norway is a global leader in social welfare, with high-quality healthcare and education systems. The government invests heavily in infrastructure, ensuring a high standard of living for its citizens. -/- Example of Weak Governance: Haiti, however, suffers from severe infrastructure deficiencies due to government corruption and neglect. The lack of investment in education, healthcare, and public utilities has led to extreme poverty and poor living conditions. -/- 5. Human Rights and Justice -/- A strong government upholds human rights, promotes equality, and ensures justice for all citizens. In democratic societies, governments protect freedom of speech, assembly, and expression, while authoritarian regimes often violate these principles. -/- Example of Effective Governance: Canada is known for its commitment to human rights and social justice. The Canadian government ensures equality through progressive policies, a fair judicial system, and protections for minorities. -/- Example of Weak Governance: North Korea, in contrast, is an authoritarian state where human rights abuses are widespread. Citizens have little personal freedom, and government control over their lives is absolute, leading to oppression and suffering. -/- 6. Political Stability and Leadership -/- Good leadership is essential for effective governance. Stable political systems enable national progress, while corruption and dictatorship often result in turmoil and suffering. -/- Example of Effective Governance: Germany, particularly under the leadership of Angela Merkel, has maintained political stability and economic strength. The German government’s transparency and efficiency have made it a model for democratic governance. -/- Example of Weak Governance: Zimbabwe, under Robert Mugabe’s rule, suffered from dictatorship, economic mismanagement, and political oppression. His government’s corruption led to hyperinflation and widespread poverty. -/- 7. Crisis Management and Public Welfare -/- Governments must be capable of handling national emergencies such as natural disasters, pandemics, and economic crises. A well-prepared government can save lives and maintain stability, while an ineffective government can worsen crises. -/- Example of Effective Governance: New Zealand’s government successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic through decisive action, clear communication, and strong public health policies, minimizing infections and deaths. -/- Example of Weak Governance: Brazil’s inconsistent response to COVID-19 led to high infection rates and public confusion. The government’s lack of coordination resulted in severe economic and health consequences. -/- Conclusion -/- The government system is the most important social structure in the world, as it directly influences law enforcement, economic prosperity, security, public services, and crisis management. Countries with strong governance, such as Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, Canada, and Germany, provide stability, safety, and development for their citizens. In contrast, nations with weak or corrupt governments, like Venezuela, Somalia, North Korea, and Zimbabwe, suffer from poverty, violence, and instability. A well-functioning government is essential for national success, and its leadership and policies determine whether a country thrives or fails. To ensure a prosperous future, societies must strive for transparent, efficient, and just governance that prioritizes the well-being of all citizens. -/- . (shrink)

Neil Levy’s book Bad Beliefs defends a prima facie attractive approach to social epistemic policy – namely, an environmental approach, which prioritises the curation of a truth-conducive information environment above the inculcation of individual criti cal thinking abilities and epistemic virtues. However, Levy’s defence of this approach is grounded in a surprising and provocative claim about the rationality of deference. His claim is that it’s rational for people to unquestioningly defer to putative authorities, because these authorities hold expert status. As (...) friends of the environmental approach, we try to show why it will be better for that approach to not be argumentatively grounded in this revisionist claim about when and why deference is rational. We identify both theoretical and practical problems that this claim gives rise to. (shrink)

-/- Title: Understanding the Trade War Through the Lens of Angelito Malicse’s Universal Formula -/- Author: Angelito Malicse Date: April 2025 -/- Abstract -/- This essay presents a systemic analysis of trade wars using Angelito Malicse’s universal formula, which consists of the Law of Karma (System Integrity), the Law of Balance in Nature, and the Law of Feedback (Interacting Conscious Minds). By examining historical and current global trade conflicts—especially the U.S.-China trade war—this paper demonstrates how trade wars violate these natural (...) laws, leading to economic dysfunction and global instability. Real-world examples are incorporated to support each principle, and a holistic, feasible solution is proposed based on these laws. -/- I. The Law of Karma: System Integrity and the Cause-Effect Chain -/- Malicse’s Law of Karma emphasizes that all systems must be free from defects to function properly. When systemic flaws are introduced—such as tariffs or protectionist policies—they disrupt the chain of cause and effect and generate harm across the system. -/- Real-World Example: U.S. Tariffs on Chinese Goods (2018–2020) In 2018, the United States imposed tariffs on more than $350 billion worth of Chinese goods, citing intellectual property theft and trade imbalances (Bown, 2021). In retaliation, China placed tariffs on over $100 billion of American exports, including agricultural products. U.S. farmers, particularly soybean producers, saw their exports to China plummet, resulting in $28 billion in government bailouts (USDA, 2020). This chain of consequences shows a flawed trade policy triggering a cascade of effects—economic stress, rising prices, and disrupted industries—mirroring the law of karma: defects in the system create systemic suffering. -/- II. The Law of Balance in Nature -/- This law affirms that all sustainable systems maintain equilibrium. Trade wars, by introducing inequality and dominance, disrupt the natural flow of interdependent trade relationships. -/- Real-World Example: Impact on Global Supply Chains During the trade war, multinational companies like Apple and General Motors were forced to reevaluate their global supply chains. Apple considered shifting production from China to India and Vietnam to avoid tariffs, which in turn disrupted local economies and labor systems that had been finely balanced over decades (Reuters, 2019). Similarly, General Motors experienced declining profits due to higher costs on imported parts, showing that the economic ecosystem had been destabilized. The imbalance not only hurt the U.S. and China but also affected global economies dependent on trade harmony. -/- Secondary Example: Trade War and Developing Countries The trade war also diverted supply chains to other developing countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Mexico. While this may seem beneficial, the sudden influx of demand overwhelmed local infrastructure and labor markets, leading to short-term inflation and labor exploitation—again demonstrating how artificial economic shocks disturb natural balance. -/- III. The Law of Feedback: Interacting Conscious Minds -/- Malicse’s third law focuses on the role of feedback between conscious agents—nations, corporations, and leaders. When feedback mechanisms break down, miscommunication escalates conflict rather than resolving it. -/- Real-World Example: Breakdown in U.S.-China Diplomatic Channels Despite multiple negotiation rounds between 2018 and 2020, including talks led by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, both sides failed to reach a stable long-term agreement. Each round of talks ended in mutual distrust and further tariffs. Instead of using feedback for cooperative adjustment, both sides used it to justify further retaliation, reinforcing animosity and misunderstanding (Friedberg, 2020). -/- Secondary Example: WTO Dispute Resolution System Undermined The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Appellate Body—a global feedback mechanism for settling trade disputes—was weakened during the trade war. The U.S. blocked appointments to the panel, rendering it non-functional. Without this neutral feedback mechanism, countries were left to resolve conflicts unilaterally, often through aggressive policy instead of peaceful negotiation. -/- IV. A Feasible Solution Based on the Universal Formula -/- To resolve and prevent future trade wars, a holistic and systemic approach is needed—one aligned with the universal laws of nature. -/- 1. Systemic Economic Reforms (Law of Karma) -/- Nations must ensure that trade systems are fair, transparent, and free from systemic defects such as corruption, unfair subsidies, and non-tariff barriers. This includes revamping domestic economic policies to avoid excessive reliance on protectionism. The creation of an international audit mechanism (potentially within the WTO or IMF) could help assess the integrity of national trade policies and encourage global system health. -/- 2. Sustainable Trade Practices (Law of Balance) -/- Trade agreements should include environmental sustainability, labor rights, and technological equity to maintain balance not only among economies but also between humanity and nature. For instance, “Green Trade Agreements” could reward countries for reducing carbon footprints in manufacturing while promoting fair access to resources and innovation. -/- 3. Global Educational and Diplomatic Feedback Systems (Law of Feedback) -/- The long-term solution lies in education. Nations should incorporate systems thinking and global ethics into leadership development, embedding Malicse’s formula into academic curricula. Diplomatically, global forums like the G20, UNCTAD, and a reformed WTO must be empowered to foster transparent feedback and cooperation rather than conflict. -/- Conclusion -/- Trade wars are not isolated events—they are systemic failures arising from violations of nature’s laws. Angelito Malicse’s universal formula offers a clear framework for understanding these failures and guiding their resolution. By recognizing that economic systems are interconnected, dynamic, and governed by natural balance and feedback, leaders can move away from conflict and toward cooperation. The path forward is not protectionism but universal understanding, grounded in nature, balance, and system integrity. -/- References -/- Bown, C. P. (2021). The US-China Trade War: Tariffs, Retaliation, and the Implications for Global Trade. Peterson Institute for International Economics. -/- Friedberg, A. L. (2020). Getting China Wrong. Polity Press. -/- International Monetary Fund (IMF). (2019). World Economic Outlook, October 2019: Global Manufacturing Downturn, Rising Trade Barriers. -/- Malicse, A. (2023). The Universal Formula to Solve the Problem of Free Will. [Unpublished manuscript]. -/- Reuters. (2019). Apple considers moving iPhone production out of China. -/- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). (2020). Trade Aid Package for Farmers: Market Facilitation Program. -/- . (shrink)

Diverse explanations or theories of consciousness are arrayed on a roughly physicalist-to-nonphysicalist landscape of essences and mechanisms. Categories: Materialism Theories (philosophical, neurobiological, electromagnetic field, computational and informational, homeostatic and affective, embodied and enactive, relational, representational, language, phylogenetic evolution); Non-Reductive Physicalism; Quantum Theories; Integrated Information Theory; Panpsychisms; Monisms; Dualisms; Idealisms; Anomalous and Altered States Theories; Challenge Theories. There are many subcategories, especially for Materialism Theories. Each explanation is self-described by its adherents, critique is minimal and only for clarification, and there is (...) no attempt to adjudicate among theories. The implications of consciousness explanations or theories are assessed with respect to four questions: meaning/purpose/value (if any); AI consciousness; virtual immortality; and survival beyond death. A Landscape of Consciousness, I suggest, offers perspective. (shrink)

Naive observers viewed a sequence of colored Mondrian patterns, simulated on a color monitor. Each pattern was presented twice in succession, first under one daylight illuminant with a correlated color temperature of either 16,000 or 4,000 K and then under the other, to test for color constancy. The observers compared the central square of the pattern across illuminants, either rating it for sameness of material appearance or sameness of hue and saturation or judging an objective property—that is, whether its change (...) of color originated from a change in material or only from a change in illumination. Average color constancy indices were high for material appearance ratings and binary judgments of origin and low for hue–saturation ratings. Individuals’ performance varied, but judgments of material and of hue and saturation remained demarcated. Observers seem able to separate phenomenal percepts from their ontological projections of mental appearance onto physical phenomena; thus, even when a chromatic change alters perceived hue and saturation, observers can reliably infer the cause, the constancy of the underlying surface spectral reflectance. (shrink)

Preliminary research on the Edition of One (EO1) project, "W(h)ither the Avant-garde?" Includes a report on the art-world ca.2006-2010.

In his article ‘Epistemic Injustice and Religion’, Ian James Kidd raises the possibility that some epistemic injustices might be deep. To spell out exactly what might be involved in deep epistemic injustices, especially those involving religious worldviews, an obvious place to look is Wittgenstein’s work on religion. Careful reflection on Wittgenstein’s remarks in the ‘Lectures on Religious Belief’ and his late work collected in On Certainty will have implications for how we are to understand the relationships between belief and evidence (...) and for the ways in which we might enrich our hermeneutical sensitivities, and so Wittgenstein’s remarks are helpful for understanding epistemic injustices more generally. This paper will focus on epistemic injustices involving Islamophobia since Islamophobia has, so far, been given little attention in the literature on epistemic injustice. (shrink)

OBJETIVO O estudante de Zootecnia e de Veterinária, quando se depara com a produção animal, um dos pilares importantes é a reprodução, uma vez que é a perpetuação da espécie, seja para gerar filhas de uma vaca campeã em produção leiteira e de um touro com rusticidade e com aptidão produtiva de corte, ou mesmo para reposição de um plantel, o mesmo deve estar consciente de que esse ramo é de extrema responsabilidade, já que estará intimamente lidando com a vida (...) e com um investimento que pode gerar lucros em demasia para a propriedade ou, se mal feito o manejo da reprodução, trazer sérios transtornos para a mesma. Nesse trabalho, o estudante revisará os sucessos da puberdade e estacionalidade reprodutiva relacionando-os com os processos endócrinos e os fatores que afetam sua manifestação como os nutricionais, para compreender a maneira ao qual podem ser manipuladas. • _____INTRODUÇÃO A puberdade marca o início da vida reprodutiva do animal, permitindo integrar o indivíduo ao seu ciclo produtivo. A estacionalidade é uma característica de adaptação que algumas espécies desenvolveram para fazer garantir a eficiência da reprodução e a sobrevivência dos filhotes. • _____PUBERDADE A puberdade é atingida quando o animal é capaz de produzir e liberar gametas viáveis e funcionais (férteis). Na fêmea esse fato ocorre na primeira ovulação, que geralmente coincide com a manifestação do comportamento do cio; e nos machos durante a primeira ejaculação com espermatozoides viáveis. Do ponto de vista da produção animal, puberdade prematura ou precoce, é importante para poder permitir a incorporação dos animais ao ciclo produtivo o mais rapidamente possível. No caso de touros holandeses, por exemplo, é desejável que produzam sêmen precocemente para incorporá-los a prova de progênie; nas fêmeas, entretanto, deve-se considerar que nem sempre é conveniente usar o primeiro ciclo ou cio para reprodução. É o caso das marrãs (porcas primíparas), onde é benéfico esperar até o segundo ou terceiro estro para aumentar o tamanho da ninhada. Também pode ser vantajoso esperar que o indivíduo alcance sua maturidade sexual, que ocorre quando a fêmea consegue se reproduzir sem sofrer efeitos adversos. A ovelha nascida na primavera, por exemplo, pode engravidar no outono seguinte e dar à luz no primeiro ano de vida, mas seu crescimento pode ser afetado; o mesmo ocorre com a novilha, em que o acasalamento precoce pode promover distorcia por falta de desenvolvimento pélvico. A puberdade é um processo gradual e está intimamente relacionada à taxa de crescimento e ao metabolismo energético. O recém-nascido usa energia para funções vitais, principalmente termorregulação; esse feito se deve ao fato de os jovens possuírem uma superfície corporal muito elevada em relação ao seu volume. Durante o desenvolvi-mento subsequente dos tecidos também há prioridade no uso de nutrientes, que inicialmente favorecem o desenvolvimento do tecido ósseo e muscular, e uma vez que estes atingem determinado tamanho de acordo com as condições genéticas do indivíduo, inicia-se o desenvolvimento do tecido adiposo, que é indicativa de um reservatório de energia. É importante ressaltar que existe uma interação entre a genética e o meio ambiente, de forma que o potencial genético só será expresso se o meio ambiente for favorável. Para que a ovulação ocorra, é necessário considerar o funcionamento do eixo hipotálamo-hipófise-gonodal. O aumento da frequência pulsátil do GnRH hipotalâmico e em consequência do LH hipofisário provoca a maturação do folículo em nível gonodal, o que aumenta a produção de estrógenos. O aumento dos estrogênios causa, por feedback positivo no hipotálamo, a liberação do pico pré-ovulatório de LH e, consequentemente, a ovulação. Na fase pré-púbere, a frequência dos pulsos de GnRH e LH é muito baixa e insuficiente para provocar a maturação folicular, pois o hipotálamo é inibido e, portanto, não ocorre ovulação. A geração pulsátil de GnRH no momento reprodutivo adequado para desencadear o início da puberdade depende de uma rede neural complexa que, além dos neurônios GnRH, inclui outros neurônios e células da glia; ele também integra vários sinais internos e externos para o corpo. A morfologia dos neurônios GnRH também é única, uma vez que seus dendritos também podem funcionar como axônios, dando-lhes uma função distinta. A geração de pulsos também indica a necessidade de sincronização entre subpopulações de neurônios GnRH, que, acima de tudo, parece ser extrínseca a esses neurônios e envolve múltiplos hormônios e neurotransmissores Se dois níveis de conexões aferentes são considerados, estima-se que cada neurônio de GnRH pode ser conectado a cerca de cinco milhões de outros neurônios; milhares de genes, então, podem estar envolvidos no processo da puberdade. A importância funcional e hierárquica de cada um desses genes no controle dos neurônios GnRH, juntamente com outros fatores neuronais e gliais, pode diferir entre as espécies. Existem, no entanto, componentes fundamentais que parecem ser comuns a todos os mamíferos e que se situam nos níveis hierárquicos mais elevados, ajudando a compreender a progressão do processo puberal. Assim, todas as espécies de mamíferos estudadas, por exemplo, têm aglomerados de neurônios kisspeptinérgicos (que secretam kisspeptina), envolvidos na regulação da secreção tônica e secreção cíclica de GnRH, que também se classifica como o elemento mais alto na hierarquia desse complexo neuronal após considerar os neurônios GnRH. Sabe-se que o eixo hipotálamo-hipofisário-gonodal está ativo desde as primeiras fases da vida do indivíduo, mesmo antes do nascimento em certas espécies. A secreção de GnRH, no entanto, é suprimida mais tarde no desenvolvimento e permanece dessa forma até o período pré-púbere, quando será reativada gradualmente. Por várias décadas, a supressão e reinicialização dos pulsos de GnRH foi atribuída a uma hipótese conhecida como teoria gonadostat que afirma que o centro tônico do hipotálamo é inibido devido à sua sensibilidade ao mecanismo de feedback negativo dos esteroides gonodais, é aumentado; portanto, o GnRH e a consequente secreção de gonadotrofinas (FSH e LH) são insuficientes para a ocorrência da maturação folicular e espermatogênese. Essa sensibilidade diminui progressivamente à medida que a puberdade se aproxima. Sabe-se agora que existem fatores não gonodais que agem em paralelo com os esteroides para mediar mudanças no feedback negativo que também são específicos da espécie. Na fêmea, o centro gerador de pulso cíclico também deve ser considerado, o qual é responsável por iniciar a primeira ovulação. O centro cíclico é composto por uma segunda subpopulação de neurônios GnRH que é reativada por meio de uma complexa interação entre vários sistemas neuronais inibitórios (que devem reduzir progressiva-mente sua influência) e outros sistemas excitatórios, que, por sua vez, operam por meio de diferentes neurotransmissores, como o ácido γ-amino-butírico (GABA) e seus receptores, glutamato, óxido nítrico e neuropeptídio Y (NPY). Esses fatores, juntamente com as alterações morfológicas observadas nos neurônios do GnRH à medida que a puberdade se aproxima, e com as interações e sinais aferentes das células gliais, levam a um padrão de progressão linear que culminará na reativação do centro cíclico. Esse processo era conhecido anteriormente como teoria da maturação central e faz parte das mudanças que configuram o processo para chegar à puberdade. A elevação nas concen-trações de estradiol subsequente à reativação gradual do centro gerador de pulso tônico GnRH provavelmente permitirá a maturação final do centro cíclico. A forma como cada organismo estabelece o momento certo para iniciar as mudanças que levam à puberdade é conhecido; a existência de algum mecanismo neurobiológico que constitui um relógio interno pode ser considerada. No entanto, esse mecanismo afetaria principalmente o desenvolvimento neuronal no nível central; também seria difícil compará-lo com a maneira pela qual fatores externos ao indivíduo afetam o início da puberdade. Nessa perspectiva, um sistema que permita receber informações completas sobre o crescimento e desenvolvimento do indivíduo poderia ser mais prático. Os mediadores desse sistema incluem o hormônio do crescimento, IGF-I, leptina e outros substratos metabólicos. A leptina em particular, que sinaliza as reservas de tecido adiposo, é um dos elementos mais importantes e, embora não determine quando começa a puberdade, se atua como fator permissivo para que o processo progrida, uma vez que excede um nível limite. A consideração do estágio de desenvolvimento do animal para o início da puberdade era anteriormente conhecida como o peso corporal crítico ou teoria do lipostato. É importante considerar que as três teorias mencionadas não são exclusivas. O mecanismo da puberdade nos machos é semelhante ao já descrito; entretanto, deve-se lembrar que no macho o centro cíclico não está ativo. À medida que a puberdade se aproxima, o crescimento testicular é desencadeado e, em ruminantes e suínos, o pênis que estava preso à mucosa prepucial é gradualmente liberado. • _____FATORES QUE INFLUENCIAM A PUBERDADE Os animais podem manifestar a puberdade de três formas diferentes. Pode ser tardia e o animal demorar para estar apto a reprodução; precoce e o animal entrar na vida reprodutiva antes do esperado ou pode ser normal e o animal estar com boa conformação e idade. Para tanto, alguns fatores podem interferir à manifestação da puberdade pelos animais como a genética, idade e peso, nutrição, fotoperíodo e o próprio manejo adotado. Genética O genótipo afeta a idade da puberdade, pois algumas raças são anteriores a outras. Nos bovinos, as raças europeias atingem a puberdade antes dos zebuínos, isto é, uma novilha ou novilho da raça holandesa atinge a puberdade primeiro que os animais da mesma idade e do mesmo peso da raça nelore, por exemplo. Da mesma forma, as porcas da raça chinesa Meishan atingem a puberdade por volta dos 115 dias de idade, metade da idade das raças brancas. As ovelhas de raças de corte, da mesma forma, são mais precoces que os produtores de lã. As raças pequenas, da mesma forma, são geralmente mais precoces, pelo menos em bovinos (jersey x guzerá) e em caninos. Os híbridos, por outro lado, apresentam puberdade mais precoce que os puros, devido ao efeito da heterose. Por este motivo, em certas espécies são utilizadas linhas híbridas. Idade e peso A tabela 1 mostra a idade média de início da puberdade em espécies domésticas. O peso vivo (PV) adulto é mais relevante para a idade na puberdade nos ruminantes, enquanto em suínos é menos decisivo. A tabela também apresenta a porcentagem de peso corporal necessária para a puberdade ocorrer de forma natural. Tabela 1: Idade e peso a puberdade das espécies domésticas Espécie Fêmea (meses) Macho (meses) PV adulto (%) Gado holandês 11 (8-15) 11 (7-18) 30-40 Gado brahman 19 17 45-60 Caprinos e ovinos 7 (4-14) 7 (6-9) 40-60 Suínos 6 (5-7) 7 (5-8) 75 Equinos 18 (12-19) 14 (10-24) - Caninos 12 (6-24) 9 (5-12) - Felinos 8 (4-12) 9 (8-10) - Fonte: VALENCIA, 2018. Nutrição Como a puberdade está relacionada à taxa de crescimento, os animais que recebem uma nutrição adequada e balanceada apresentarão puberdade em uma idade mais jovem, ou seja, mais precocemente; ao contrário, a puberdade será tardia nos animais que sofreram restrição alimentar, que estão desnutridos ou que tiveram seu crescimento afetado por doenças infecciosas ou parasitárias. A superalimentação também não é recomendada, pois pode alterar tanto os sinais que são recebidos pelo hipotálamo quanto sua resposta a eles. Logo, o manejo alimentar adotado deve estar de acordo com as normas estabeleci-das pelos especialistas na área, principalmente no tocante as exigências nutricionais que devem servir de regra na propriedade. Sendo assim, os animais entrarão em puberdade com as taxas de alta qualidade o que afetará positivamente na prole futura e dará retorno lucrativo ao proprietário. Época do ano (Fotoperíodo) Em fêmeas de espécies sazonais, como ovelhas e cabras, existem certos requisitos de fotoperíodo que devem ser atendidos para que a puberdade ocorra. Nessas espécies, um período de exposição a dias longos é necessário, seguido por outro de exposição a dias curtos. Na verdade, os cordeiros e cabritos nascidos fora da estação, mesmo que tenham atingido o peso necessário, terão que esperar até o outono seguinte (a estação reprodutiva) para atingir a puberdade. Os machos, por outro lado, não estão sujeitos a essas limitações nos requisitos fotoperiódicos para apresentar a puberdade. Em novilhas nascidas no outono, por outro lado, a puberdade ocorre antes de um ano de idade, no verão seguinte ou no início do outono, mais cedo do que nas nascidas na primavera, devido à exposição a longos dias durante os primeiros seis meses do ano após seu nascimento aceleram seu crescimento. Em gatos, o aumento do fotoperíodo também acelera o início da puberdade. Em ovelhas e novilhas, a primeira ovulação que ocorre ao entrar na puberdade é silenciosa; ou seja, não é acompanhada de sinais comportamentais de cio como a micção frequente, inchamento da vulva, uma montando a outra e deixando-se montar etc., pois para que esse comportamento se manifeste, o sistema nervoso necessita de uma pré-sensibilização com progesterona que não estará presente até o próximo ciclo, após o desenvolvimento do corpo lúteo vindo desta primeira ovulação. Sociossexual A interação de indivíduos da mesma espécie ou a presença ou ausência de sinais de bioestimulação, como feromônios, pode afetar o período de puberdade. A puberdade, por exemplo, é atrasada em porcas criadas individualmente em comparação com porcas criadas em grupo. Além disso, na porca, ovelha e cabra, a exposição ao macho estimula as fêmeas e a puberdade aparece mais precocemente. Manejo Certas práticas de manejo podem acelerar a puberdade, especialmente no período pré-púbere. Em porcas próximas à puberdade, por exemplo, o estresse causado por procedimentos, como o transporte de um local para outro ou a exposição ao macho, faz com que apareça o estro em torno de sete dias após a realização do manejo mencionado. • _____ESTACIONALIDADE REPRODUTIVA A estacionalidade ou sazonalidade reprodutiva é uma estratégia evolutiva que se desenvolveu em algumas espécies; tende a tornar a reprodução mais eficiente. Nos países de latitudes distantes do equador, o objetivo é que as crias nasçam na primavera, época do ano mais favorável, graças à abundância de alimentos e às amenas condições climáticas. No caso da ovelha, cuja gestação dura cinco meses, para que os partos ocorram na primavera, ela deve engravidar no outono (figura 1), quando os dias são curtos; enquanto a égua, tendo uma gestação de aproximadamente 11 meses, deve conceber na primavera, quando os dias são longos; assim, o parto ocorrerá na primavera do ano seguinte (figura 2). Figura 1: Esquema ilustrativo da estacionalidade reprodutiva na espécie ovina. Fonte: PIRES et al., 2011. Esta característica evolutiva desenvolvida pela seleção natural na maioria das espécies silvestres e ainda é conservado por algumas espécies domésticas, como ovelhas, cabras, cavalos e gatos. Em bovinos e suínos, ao contrário, a domesticação levou à perda quase total da estacionalidade reprodutiva. A estacionalidade reprodutiva é codificada nos genes; significa então que a seleção natural favoreceu a propagação de genes que permitiam acoplar a hora do nascimento com a melhor época do ano, por isso passou a ser considerada um método anticoncepcional natural. Figura 2: ciclo reprodutivo anual em espécies estacionais; onde são apresentados os períodos de gestação e a forma como se agrupam os nascimentos, independentemente da época reprodutiva da espécie, em vermelho as fêmeas estão apresentando estro ou cio. Fonte: VALENCIA, 2018. Fotoperíodo Para sincronizar o período fértil com a época mais favorável do ano, a maioria das espécies sazonais usa o fotoperíodo (quantidade de luz diária ao longo do ano). Este sinal ambiental é seguro, confiável e se repete a cada ano. Ovinos e caprinos se reproduzem na época do ano em que os dias são curtos e os equinos quando são longos. O grau de sazonalidade depende da origem da raça. As raças nativas de países localizados em latitudes elevadas (> 50°,ovelhas: soay, blackface, suffolk; cabras: saanen, alpino francês, toggenburg; equinos: puro-sangue, hanoveriano) terão uma estacionalidade mais acentuada do que as latitudes menores ou mediterrâneas (ovelhas: merino; cabras: murciana granadina; equinos: quarto de milha). Também existem raças de latitudes próximas ao Equador cuja estacionalidade é baixa ou nula (ovelhas: raças de pelo, crioulas; cabras: raças africanas e asiáticas) (tabela 2). Para a maioria das raças de ovinos e caprinos, a estação reprodutiva começa no final do verão e início do outono; caracteriza-se pela apresentação de ciclos estrais sucessivos, e termina no final do inverno, quando se inicia o anestro, que se caracteriza pela ausência de ovulação. Nos equinos, ocorre o contrário, uma vez que a estação reprodutiva ocorre na primavera e no verão. Tabela 2: Relação entre a origem da raça e o grau de estacionalidade ou sazonalidade Espécie Alta Média Baixa Ovinos Suffolk, raças britânicas de lã e corte Merino Pelibuey, crioulas Caprinos Saanen, alpino, toggenburg Murciana granadina Crioula Equinos Puro-sangue, hanoveriano, quarto de milha - Crioula, burros Fonte: VALENCIA, 2018. Mecanismo neuroendócrino da estacionalidade Durante o período de anestro, o fotoperíodo exerce efeito inibitório sobre o centro tônico do GnRH no hipotálamo, diminuindo a frequência de pulso. Consequentemente, a pulsatilidade do LH também diminui, que agora é incapaz de induzir a maturação folicular, o aumento dos estrogênios, o pico pré-ovulatório de LH e, portanto, a ovulação. Isso ocorre porque durante o anestro a sensibilidade do hipotálamo ao mecanismo de feedback negativo dos estrogênios e de outros fatores de origem não gonodal é aumentada. Ao aproximar-se da estação reprodutiva, a sensibilidade hipotalâmica diminui e o aumento da pulsatilidade do GnRH causa as mudanças que culminam na ovulação. Portanto, o mecanismo endócrino do anestro estacional é semelhante ao do anestro pré-púbere e de alguns outros tipos de anestro. A estacionalidade é um bom exemplo da interação entre o meio ambiente e o sistema neuroendócrino, pois o organismo é capaz de traduzir um sinal externo ambiental, como o fotoperíodo, em um sinal hormonal interno, que neste caso é a melatonina. A glândula pineal secreta melatonina durante as horas de escuridão. Os animais sazonais apresentam um ritmo reprodutivo endógeno, que é regulado por janelas de fotossensibilidade, determinadas por mudanças na duração do dia. O sinal luminoso é captado pela retina e conduzido, via nervo, pelo trato retino-hipotalâmico até o núcleo supraquiasmático, que funciona como o relógio biológico do corpo. Daí o sinal viaja para o núcleo para-ventricular, depois para o gânglio cervical e, finalmente, para a glândula pineal, que responde secretando melatonina (figura 3). Nas ovelhas, a estação reprodutiva começa quando a duração do dia diminui e, naturalmente, a noite aumenta; na égua, ocorre quando os dias se alongam. A primavera não é necessariamente a melhor época do ano em todas as regiões do globo. Nas latitudes tropicais, a primavera coincide com a seca e não com a abundância de forragem, aspecto a ser levado em consideração ao programar a reprodução. Outro ponto importante a considerar é que as raças europeias sazonais mantêm sua estacionalidade no Brasil. Figura 3: Mecanismo do fotoperíodo em ovinos e a melatonina. Fonte: HAFEZ, 2004. Estacionalidade no macho O macho é menos afetado que a fêmea pelas mudanças típicas de cada época do ano, já que sua função reprodutiva não é necessariamente interrompida durante o anestro ou repouso sexual, embora a produção de hormônios reprodutivos, tamanho e tônus testicular, a libido, as características qualitativas e quantitativas do ejaculado e a fertilidade do esperma podem ser diminuídas. O nível de afetação depende do grau de sazonalidade da raça e da latitude. Por fim, os efeitos do fotoperíodo devem ser separados dos nutricionais, que também variam com a época do ano. REFERÊNCIAS BIBLIOGRÁFICAS BEARDEN, Henry Joe et al. Reproducción animal aplicada. México: Manual Moderno, 1982. BROOKS, P. H.; COLE, D. J. A. The effect of the presence of a boar on the attainment of puberty in gilts. Reproduction, v. 23, n. 3, p. 435-440, 1970. CARDOSO, Daniel; DE PAULA NOGUEIRA, Guilherme. 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Effect of rams on the onset of breeding activity in Clun Forest ewe lambs. The Journal of Agricultural Science, v. 79, n. 2, p. 269-271, 1972. EBLING, F. J. P.; FOSTER, D. L. Photoperiod requirements for puberty differ from those for the onset of the adult breeding season in female sheep. Reproduction, v. 84, n. 1, p. 283-293, 1988. FIELDS, Michael J.; SAND, Robert S.; YELICH, Joel V. (Ed.). Factors affecting calf crop: Biotechnology of reproduction. CRC Press, 2001. HAFEZ, Elsayed Saad Eldin; HAFEZ, Bahaa. Reprodução animal. São Paulo: Manole, 2004. HUGHES, P. E.; PHILIP, G.; SISWADI, R. The effects of contact frequency and transport on the efficacy of the boar effect. Animal Reproduction Science, v. 46, n. 1-2, p. 159-165, 1997. KARSCH, FRED J. et al. Neuroendocrine basis of seasonal reproduction. In: Proceedings of the 1983 Laurentian Hormone Conference. Academic Press, 1984. p. 185-232. LINCOLN, G. A.; SHORT, R. V. Seasonal breeding: nature's contraceptive. 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Endocrinology, v. 118, n. 6, p. 2225-2234, 1986. PIRES, Bruno Carlos et al. Métodos para elevar o ritmo reprodutivo dos ovinos. PUBVET, Londrina, V. 5, N. 11, Ed. 158, Art. 1071, 2011. PLANT, Tony M.; ZELEZNIK, Anthony J. (Ed.). Knobil and Neill's physiology of reproduction. New York: Academic Press, 2014. RAMIREZ, Domingo V.; MCCANN, S. M. Comparison of the regulation of luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in immature and adult rats. Endocrinology, v. 72, n. 3, p. 452-464, 1963. ROSER, JANET F.; HUGHES, JOHN P. Seasonal effects on seminal quality, plasma hormone concentrations, and GnRH‐induced LH response in fertile and subfertile stallions. Journal of andrology, v. 13, n. 3, p. 214-223, 1992. SALOMONI, Eduardo et al. Idade e peso à puberdade em fêmeas de corte puras e cruzas em campo natural. Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira, v. 23, n. 10, p. 1171-1179, 1988. SMITH, Jeremy T.; CLARKE, Iain J. Seasonal breeding as a neuroendocrine model for puberty in sheep. Molecular and cellular endocrinology, v. 324, n. 1-2, p. 102-109, 2010. VALENCIA, J. Pubertad y estacionalidad reproductiva. In. PORTA, L. R.; MEDRANO, J. H. H. Fisiología reproductiva de los animales domésticos. Cidade do México: FMVZ-UNAM, 2018. WHITTEMORE, Colin et al. The science and practice of pig production. Blackwell Science Ltd, 1998. FIXAÇÃO DO ASSUNTO 1. Defina o que é puberdade e como ela manifesta-se no corpo. 2. Diferencie puberdade de maturidade sexual. 3. Quais são os fenômenos que devem ser observados em fêmeas que estão entrando na puberdade? 4. Qual o papel do GnRH e do IGF-I sobre a puberdade? 5. Um produtor possui duas ovelhas e um carneiro reprodutor, as ovelhas possuem idade e peso, mas não manifestaram seu primeiro cio, quais elementos que você recomenda ao produtor para induzir a ciclicidade dessas fêmeas? 6. De forma geral, quais os fatores que podem afetar a entrada na puberdade dos animais? 7. Defina estacionalidade reprodutiva. 8. O que é fotoperíodo e qual sua importância para a reprodução dos animais domésticos? 9. Defina as relações existentes entre a origem da raça e o grau de estacionalidade e como tais teorias se aplicam ao rebanho brasileiro. 10. Qual o papel da glândula pineal para a estacionalidade reprodutiva? 11. Por que os machos são menos afetados pela sazonalidade reprodutiva do que as fêmeas? 12. Sabendo-se sobre os termos de puberdade e estacionalidade e as características de ambos nas espécies domésticas, pede-se: um criador deseja obter 5 novas crias ovinas e 5 caprinas em seu plantel até o final do ano, para tanto ele ainda possui um ano e está na estação do verão, sabendo-se sobre a estacionalidade dessas espécies elabore um projeto reprodutivo de modo que essas 10 fêmeas possam gerar uma cria cada até a primavera. Dados: 10 fêmeas gerando 10 crias. 1 macho ovino e 1 caprino. Fêmeas com 1 ano de idade (2º cio) e peso corporal = 55% do peso adulto. Verão de 2020 para parir na primavera de 2020. (shrink)

I begin with a gap in the literature on conversational relevance, wherein utterances that shift probability distributions included in the common ground do not count as relevant if they do not rule out one or more answers to the question under discussion. In order to provide a satisfying account of probabilistic conversational relevance, I introduce a relevance measure, \(R(\cdot )\). I motivate six axioms for such a function, and show that they uniquely characterize the symmetrized Kullback–Leibler divergence. I then show (...) how we can incorporate this result into an expanded definition of conversational relevance. (shrink)

Present article is intended for philosophers and generally for all people interested in the foundations of nature and the universe. The author of this article stands on the positions of the philosophy of dialectical materialism. Within the framework of this philosophy and its worldview, NATURE is considered as material and dialectical in its basis. According to the author's own scientific research, the quantum of matter lies at the basis of our nature and the universe. This is the true material “first (...) brick” of our universe. How does this understanding of the foundations of nature and the universe relate to the modern view of nature, elementary particles from the side of the theory of modern physics (TMP), from the side of the modern physical party? This is the story in this article. (shrink)

Настоящая статья предназначена для философов и вообще для всех людей, интересующихся основами природы и мироздания. Автор настоящей статьи стоит на позициях философии диалектического материализма. В рамках этой философии и его мировоззрения ПРИРОДА рассматривается, как материальная и диалектичная в своей основе. Согласно собственным научным исследованиям автора настоящей статьи в основе нашей природы и мироздания лежит квант материи. Это истинный материальный «первокирпичик» нашего мироздания. Как это понимание основ природы и мироздания соотносится с современным взглядом на природу, на элементарные частицы со стороны теории (...) современной физики (ТСФ), со стороны современной физической партии? Об этом идёт повествование в настоящей статье. (shrink)

Eugenics aims at intergenerational human improvement through populational adjustments. From its origins in the last third of the nineteenth century, eugenics became a social movement with international reach during the first half of the twentieth century. Although the idea of eugenics often calls to mind Nazi Germany and its extensive practices of compulsory sterilization, euthanasia, and genocide during the short period between 1933 and 1945, eugenic practices and policies were widespread earlier in that century and continued beyond the fall of (...) the Nazis. The focus of this chapter is on providing a basic understanding of eugenics and of the ways in which eugenic thinking has been manifest in medicine, healthcare, and bioethics over this longer stretch of time, with special attention to the relationship between eugenics and disability. (shrink)

Chaos theory is an interdisciplinary area of scientific study and branch of mathematics focused on underlying patterns and deterministic laws of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions. While the rules describing chaotic dynamical systems are well-specified and simple, the behaviour of many such systems is remarkably complex and produces output that appears random and for which long-term prediction is limited. The book begins by laying out preliminary material needed to understand the literature on chaos, providing the background (...) that any reader would need to be able to navigate the literature. It goes on to discuss the history of the field, the different definitions of chaos, differences between classical and quantum chaos and the implications of chaos for modelling phenomena and forecasting system behaviour before rounding out with broader implications. (shrink)

Landscape Agency New York was founded by Gavin Keeney, c.1997, and encompassed a wide array of activities and effects – e.g., research, writing, design, consulting, and teaching. /S/OMA (Syntactical Operations Metaphorical Affects) was the mobile, and sometimes global design and teaching module within LANY, focusing primarily on entirely hypothetical and/or irreal projects, many becoming the foundation for lectures and courses delivered at institutions in the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe, from 2003 to 2007. Lastly, the LANY Archive-Grotto was established (...) following publication of On the Nature of Things: Contemporary American Landscape Architecture (Birkhauser, 2001), primarily as a means of escaping the then-formulaic production of texts common to Landscape Architecture and Architecture. (shrink)

Cappelen and Lepore's "Varieties of Quotation" builds on Davidson (1968, 1979) to give an account of mixed quotation. The result is a rich paper, which introduces interesting data and raises many thought-provoking questions. Given this, I can't possibly discuss the paper in its entirety. Instead, I intend simply to paraphrase their position, develop it a little, and then raise a few concerns.

A selection of documents, texts, and archival records, with links, summarizing a sustained critical engagement with the art world and academia, through essays, reviews, etc., and inclusive of garden design, architecture, film, photography, fashion, performance art, music, and opera … They begin in New York, New York, in the early 2000s, and then become embedded in various aspects of PhD studies concerning visual agency, postdoctoral research projects concerned with a study of intellectual property rights, and, then, a second PhD focused (...) on works-based agency …. (shrink)

Skeptical theism attempts to address the problem of evil by appealing to human cognitive limitations. The causal structure of the world is opaque to us. We cannot tell, and should not expect to be able to tell, if there is gratuitous evil, that is, evil which isn’t necessary for achieving some greater good or for precluding some greater evil. At first, it seems tempting to think that the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies might change this fact. Our cognitive (...) limitations may no longer be a fixed point in responding to the problem of evil. But I argue that this won’t ultimately matter. The workings of any AI capable of rendering the problem of evil tractable will likely be just as opaque to us as the causal structure of the world God created. Interestingly, then, both God and a sufficiently advanced AI are alien intelligences to us. This reveals what is truly difficult, and perhaps intractable, about the problem of evil. For the evils to be defeated, we would need a relational understanding of why God permitted them. Yet such an understanding of an inscrutable God seems forever beyond our, and even our post-human descendants, ken. (shrink)

Although the diversity of philosophy is increasing at the undergraduate level, there is still a significant gap between the percentage of underrepresented students that major in philosophy and the percentage that complete PhDs. With the support of a seed grant from the American Philosophical Association, we created four chapters of a mentoring program that provided underrepresented undergraduates with support for considering and applying to graduate school. After completing a year of the program, the majority of surveyed mentees reported that they (...) had an increased sense of belonging within philosophy, were more likely to take additional philosophy classes, were more likely to apply to graduate school in philosophy, and were more likely to pursue a career that has some connection to philosophy. In this paper, we consider not only the benefits of the program, but also provide a guide for those who are considering creating mentoring programs at their home institutions. (shrink)

In this note, we discuss the possibility of humansplaining, where humansplaining is, in analogy to mansplaining, a human's act of unnecessarily and unjustly explaining something to an AI agent who is an expert on that topic. We argue that, assuming a suitably developed AI which is capable of being explained to in the first place, humansplaining would be bad for similar reasons as mansplaining and that the risk one runs of engaging in it would vary depending on the explained topic (...) and in particular on whether the natures of the explainer, the explainee, or both allow them to have expertise in that area. (shrink)

A re-mapping of cultural production in light of the emergence of a form-of-life for works ….

Here I present an analysis of what it is for an x and a y to be the same F. Unlike the Fregean Analysis (FRE), according to which ‘x is the same F as y’ is equivalent to ‘x is an F, y is an F, and x = y’, the analysis presented and defended here allows that there are possible cases in which x and y are the same F1 but not the same F2 even though x is an (...) F2 and y is an F2. The analysis offered here, FRE+, retains the conditions that FRE deems are necessary for being the same F while adding a further condition to allow that the same F1 can be a different F2. Although FRE+ is compatible with there being such cases, FRE+ shares with FRE that the identity mentioned in the analysis is nothing other than absolute identity. Thus, FRE+ offers a way to allow that the same F1 can be a different F2 while avoiding conflict with the traditionally accepted logic of identity, and I argue without conflict with the Indiscernibility of Identicals in particular. (shrink)

This is where one will find a Martian giving a speech on education. The creature’s words are wholly based on those of the Portuguese philosopher Leonardo Coimbra (1883-1936), so we named the Martian after him. The idea of turning Leonardo Coimbra into a Martian comes from the critical remarks of Homem Cristo (1860-1943), who predicted that the language of the first would be found by humans once on Mars, as we find out in Leonardo Coimbra’s Obras Completas, vol. VIII (Lisboa: (...) Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda, 2014), pp. 200-1. Although it is the result of an inquiry into Leonardo Coimbra, this publication is pointedly a creative (or Creationist, in the philosophical sense) interpretation of the author’s approach to education. All the same, we have been faithful to Leonardo’s philosophy of education, so whoever pays attention to the Martian will be exposed to some aspects of the Leonardian ethos. (shrink)

An essay on non-discursive forms of knowledge that inhabit art photography. A version of this essay appeared in Gavin Keeney, "Else-where": Essays in Art, Architecture, and Cultural Production 2002-2011 (CSP, 2011), pp. 209-26.

A discussion of what operates from "within" formal agency as irreal surplus to artworks and how otherwise discursive systems become abstracted by the artwork. Text by Gavin Keeney. Images by Parsa Khalili.

Essay on the modern artistic ego as sponsored by the exhibition, "Gustav Courbet," February 27-May 18, 2008, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, USA. A version of this essay appeared in Gavin Keeney, "Else-where": Essays on Art, Architecture, and Cultural Production 2002-2011 (CSP, 2011), pp. 191-98.

Review of “The Mad Square: Modernity in German Art 1910-37”, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, November 25, 2011-March 4, 2012. A version of this essay appeared in the Appendices of Gavin Keeney, Not-I/Thou: The Other Subject of Art and Architecture (CSP, 2014), pp. 153-57.

Review of “Gaiety is the Most Outstanding Feature of the Soviet Union: New Art from Russia,” Saatchi Gallery, London, England, and “Calder After the War,” Pace Gallery, London, England, April 2013. A version of this essay appeared in the Appendices of Gavin Keeney, Not-I/Thou: The Other Subject of Art and Architecture (CSP, 2014), pp. 157-60.

According to metaphysical realists, conscious experiences are caused by a world of independently existing physical objects. This physical reality explains all of the facts about conscious experience and the potential for such experience. Pelczar’s (2022) phenomenalism is more austere: the world is nothing but experiences and potentials for experiences. Pelczar identifies physical entities with certain of these potentials; for example, a stone is identified with the potential for observers to have various cohering experiences as of a stone. In this paper, (...) I raise three objections to the phenomenalist’s account of physical reality. I also respond to certain objections that Pelczar raises against realism. (shrink)

Аннотация: Физика и философия теснейшим, органически неразрывным образом связаны друг с другом. Какова философия, каков цельный взгляд на природу, каково общее мировоззрение исследователя природы, физика, космолога, такова и физика, космология. Эта простая истина находит своё объяснение и пояснение в настоящей статье. Abstract: Physics and philosophy are closely, organically, inseparably connected with each other. Whatever the philosophy, whatever the holistic view of nature, whatever the general worldview of a researcher of nature, a physicist, a cosmologist, such is physics, cosmology. This simple (...) truth finds its explanation and clarification in this article. -/- . (shrink)

Brief essay on Giorgio Agamben's concept of "bare life" from Homo Sacer: Sovereign Power and Bare Life (1998), with reference to The Time that Remains: A Commentary on the Letter to the Romans (2005).

‘Painting’ names both a practice and its products. Both practice and product can, but need not, be art. When painting is art, in what does its artistic interest lie? This is the question an aesthetics of painting seeks to answer. While that answer might be sought in features found in other arts, here we investigate whether painting is of distinctive interest, containing phenomena of artistic value not to be found in most, or perhaps any, other art forms.

A non-dual ontology of Self shares the difficulty of any systematic order: it has presuppositions that it cannot represent within its system. For most theoretical concerns, this problem is trivial. For the non-dual philosophies of Śaṅkara and Nishitani, on the other hand, it points to a central aspect: their thinking rests on a radical turn of experience whose existential dimension cannot be represented in their propositions but can very well be expressed. Along the relationship between personality and impersonality, the contribution (...) will trace this expression and thus point to the fruitful superfluity of a non-dual philosophy that can be exhausted neither in theory nor in practice. (shrink)

A summary of issues related to symbolic capital, authorial presences, and intellectual property rights, and the necessity of finding a way out of 500-600 years of capitalist exploitation of the knowledge commons.