Reasoning about Unreliable Actions

We analyse the philosopher Davidson's semantics of actions, using a strongly typed logic with contexts given by sets of partial equations between the outcomes of actions. This provides a perspicuous and elegant treatment of reasoning about action, analogous to Reiter's work on artificial intelligence. We define a sequent calculus for this logic, prove cut elimination, and give a semantics based on fibrations over partial cartesian categories: we give a structure theory for such fibrations. The existence of lax comma objects is necessary for the proof of cut elimination, and we give conditions on the domain fibration of a partial cartesian category for such comma objects to exist

A dual process account of creative thinking

This article explicates the potential role played by type 1 thinking (automatic, fast) and type 2 thinking (effortful, logical) in creative thinking. The relevance of Evans's (2007) models of conflict of dual processes in thinking is discussed with regards to creative thinking. The role played by type 1 thinking and type 2 thinking during the different stages of creativity (problem finding and conceptualization, incubation, illumination, verification and dissemination) is discussed. It is proposed that although both types of thinking are active in creativity, the extent to which they are active and the nature of their contribution to creativity will vary between stages of the creative process. Directions for future research to test this proposal are outlined; differing methodologies and the investigation of different stages of creative thinking are discussed. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Assessment of Seismic Risk in Istanbul

The 1999 earthquakes occurred in Turkey caused destructions in every field and level in nation wide with the high number of deaths and injuries, the remarkable rates of collapsed and heavily damaged buildings and the interruption of business activities in long-term. In the last 5 year-period, various scientific researches focusing on seismic issues have investigated the relationships among seismicity, site conditions and vulnerability. Moreover, with the co-operations of central and local governments, universities and international agencies, many comprehensive projects have been carried out, such as “A Disaster Prevention/Mitigation Basic Plan for Istanbul” by Istanbul Greater Municipality - Japan International Cooperation Agency. Despite 1999 earthquakes had slight effects on Istanbul, the probability of a great earthquake (estimated to occur up to 30 years), has accelerated the attempts on risk evaluation, development of mitigation strategies, readjustment of disaster management system and so on. The primary studies on this field are focused on understanding seismicity and site conditions at large scale so that the earthquake maps produced show risky zones related to geological indicators. Aftermath of many great disasters, it has been observed that land-use decisions, demographic and economic pattern are the key components which increase or decrease the vulnerability level of settlements. In this context, the aim of this paper is to evaluate vulnerability components affecting risk levels and to explore risky zones of Istanbul. In this paper, urban and seismic indicators (i.e. site conditions, demography, land use, economy) have been aggregated and factor analysis has been used in order to reveal principal components of earthquake risk in Istanbul. According to these main factors, using cluster analysis, the critical zones of Istanbul have been indicated on urban pattern.

Insistence among family and friends in Quiteño Spanish: from connectedness to empowerment?

Drawing on sociopragmatics and some ethnographic work in communication studies, in this paper I examine the occurrence of insistence in interactions among family and friends in middle-class Quiteño society (Ecuador) in relation to suggestions, offers and invitations. I interpret insistence in these contexts as a marker of affiliation through which an interpersonal ideology of connectedness (cf. Fitch, 1998) is recreated. However, I find that there is some generational variation in the use of this practice. I suggest that this may be an indication of a possible shift in interpersonal ideology –from connectedness towards empowerment– gradually taking place in middle-class Quiteño society

Melatonin and pathological cell interactions: mitochondrial glucose processing in cancer cells

Melatonin is synthesized in the pineal gland at night. Since melatonin is produced in the mitochondria of all other cells in a non-circadian manner, the amount synthesized by the pineal gland is less than 5% of the total. Melatonin produced in mitochondria influences glucose metabolism in all cells. Many pathological cells adopt aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect) in which pyruvate is excluded from the mitochondria and remains in the cytosol where it is metabolized to lactate. The entrance of pyruvate into the mitochondria of healthy cells allows it to be irreversibly decarboxylated by pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) to acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA). The exclusion of pyruvate from the mitochondria in pathological cells prevents the generation of acetyl-CoA from pyruvate. This is relevant to mitochondrial melatonin production, as acetyl-CoA is a required co-substrate/co-factor for melatonin synthesis. When PDH is inhibited during aerobic glycolysis or during intracellular hypoxia, the deficiency of acetyl-CoA likely prevents mitochondrial melatonin synthesis. When cells experiencing aerobic glycolysis or hypoxia with a diminished level of acetyl-CoA are supplemented with melatonin or receive it from another endogenous source (pineal-derived), pathological cells convert to a more normal phenotype and support the transport of pyruvate into the mitochondria, thereby re-establishing a healthier mitochondrial metabolic physiology.Fil: Reiter, Russel. University Of Texas At San Antonio. University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio (ut Health San Antonio); Estados UnidosFil: Sharma, Ramaswamy. University Of Texas At San Antonio. University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio (ut Health San Antonio); Estados UnidosFil: Rosales Corral, Sergio. Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social; MéxicoFil: Manucha, Walter Ariel Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Almeida Chuffa, Luiz Gustavo de. Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu; BrasilFil: Pires de Campos Zuccari, Debora Aparecida. Faculdade de Medicina de Sao Jose Do Rio Preto; Brasi

Melatonin receptor expression in the zebra finch brain and peripheral tissues

The circadian endocrine hormone melatonin plays a significant role in many physiological processes such as modulating sleep/wake cycle and oxidative stress. Melatonin is synthesised and secreted during the night by the pineal gland and released into the circulatory system. It binds to numerous membrane, cytosolic and nuclear receptors in the brain and peripheral organs. Three G-protein linked membrane receptors (Mel-1A, Mel-1B and Mel-1C) have been identified in numerous species. Considering the importance of this hormone and its receptors, this study looks at the location and rhythmicity of three avian melatonin receptors Mel-1A, Mel-1B and Mel-1C using reserve transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) mRNA analysis techniques. This study shows successful partial cloning of the three receptors and gene expression analysis revealed significant rhythms of the Mel-1A receptor in the cerebellum, diencephalon, tectum opticum, telencephalon, and retina. Significant rhythms where found in the diencephalon, pineal gland, retina, tectum opticum and cerebellum of the Mel-1B receptor whereas Mel-1C appeared not to be rhythmically expressed in brain tissues studied. Mel-1A, Mel-1B and Mel-1C receptor mRNA where also present in peripheral tissues showing tissue-specific expression patterns