Some problems of infinite regress in social-choice models: a category theory solution

An analysis of the infinite regress that appears in the statement of Gauthier's bargaining approach to social choice. The author shows how category theory provides the tools for constructing the appropriate bargaining models by furnishing a setting for the concepts of continuity, limits, and fixed points.Game theory

Perceptions of executives from seven selected companies of the use of social media in marketing practices

The problem addressed in this study is that the recency of the social media phenomena created a research gap in terms of understanding how companies exploit various social media platforms for marketing purposes and measure the effectiveness of their social media marketing campaigns. Thus, there is a need for increased understanding of the effectiveness of social media marketing techniques. Social media marketing is defined as the blending of sociology and technology as a means to change marketing efforts from a monologue to a dialogue. The purpose of this study was to determine, based on research participants\u27 perceptions, the reasons that select organizations use social media marketing, the different social media marketing strategies that companies utilized, and the perceived effect of social media marketing on revenue generation. In particular, the research questions concerned whether social media marketing had its own specific social metrics, and the study investigated the evolution of social media marketing and the benefits that social media brings to traditional marketing approaches. The overall research design employed semi-structured, in-depth, individual interviews with seven executives in regard to their use of social media marketing and its role as part of an integrated marketing approach. Commonalities in the interview data were color coded and analyzed, and field notes, verbatim transcriptions, and member checks were used to triangulate the data. The results of the study generated three specific categories: engagement with customers, the essence of social media presence, and communication by choice. Knowledge in each of these categories provides companies with a deeper understanding of the social consumer and enhances the value of social media marketing in terms of competitiveness. Specifically, based on such knowledge, companies have a greater ability to target qualified leads as well as to improve the conversion rate of those leads. Finally, they have a means to determine how their social media marketing efforts contributed to the overall revenue generated

The role of public space in post-war reconstruction: the case of the redevelopment of Beirut city centre, Lebanon

This research emerges from the author's observations and from concerns shared by many local and international architects, urban designers and planners about policies and strategies adopted to reconstruct the city centre of Beirut following the Lebanese civil war (1975- 1990). Post -war reconstruction needs to be seen as a process that carefully restores and preserves the urban fabric as well as culture and heritage, and it should not be perceived as continuation of war by different means.A major postulate of this thesis is that post -war reconstruction is not just a physical phenomenon and needs to follow a holistic perspective that fulfils people's needs, perceptions and values. In other words, it is the unification of four attributes: the physical, socio- cultural, perceptual and functional attributes. Public space imbued with these attributes, in which they have interrelated relationships perceived through the transactional perspective to be a holistic phenomenon. Space can be used to guide the ongoing process of post -war reconstruction, as well as the natural evolution and transformation of the environment. The research assumes that shared identity, cultural continuity and collective memory can be achieved through the transaction of people in the space. To fulfil the thesis objectives, theories and principles on public space are reviewed and examined. A contextual review of the war and post -war period of the city centre of Beirut uncovers major concerns regarding its reconstruction policies and strategies.Public opinion and preferences are elicited using an open -ended questionnaire. Cognitive mapping is also used to examine the collective memory of people about the city centre and its spaces. A comparative spatial analysis is also employed to identify changes in accessibility and integration levels between the pre and post -war spaces.The consequence of the research outcome confirms that public space, through the transaction of people, provides the principles, qualities and meanings that respond to the authentic cultural forces and shared values of people, and the civic character of the city, which existed before the war and can still be seen shaping life today.The thesis, however, follows a logical progression of four interrelated parts. These are:PART ONE includes two chapters. Chapter One reviews a wide spectrum of literature on urban design principles. Chapter Two introduces attributes of public space.PART TWO comprises two chapters. Chapter Three focuses on reviewing the historical evolution of the old settlement of Beirut and its spaces, while Chapter Four outlines the implications caused by the civil war and its post -war reconstruction.PART THREE introduces the empirical work of the research in three chapters. Chapter Five reviews and analyses the questionnaire survey responses and results of 37 respondents. Chapter Six analyses the cognitive maps of the respondents using Lynch's five elements of The Image of the City. Chapter Seven presents the spatial analysis of the city centre of Beirut using space syntax (visibility graph analysis technique).PART FOUR is the concluding chapter. Chapter Eight examines the research findings and restates the thesis approach by proposing a framework for implementation and outlining its major characteristics

Matrix Metalloproteinases and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases in Inflammation and Fibrosis of Skeletal Muscles

In skeletal muscles, levels and activity of Matrix MetalloProteinases (MMPs) and Tissue Inhibitors of MetalloProteinases (TIMPs) have been involved in myoblast migration, fusion and various physiological and pathological remodeling situations including neuromuscular diseases. This has opened perspectives for the use of MMPs' overexpression to improve the efficiency of cell therapy in muscular dystrophies and resolve fibrosis. Alternatively, inhibition of individual MMPs in animal models of muscular dystrophies has provided evidence of beneficial, dual or adverse effects on muscle morphology or function. We review here the role played by MMPs/TIMPs in skeletal muscle inflammation and fibrosis, two major hurdles that limit the success of cell and gene therapy. We report and analyze the consequences of genetic or pharmacological modulation of MMP levels on the inflammation of skeletal muscles and their repair in light of experimental findings. We further discuss how the interplay between MMPs/TIMPs levels, cytokines/chemokines, growth factors and permanent low-grade inflammation favor cellular and molecular modifications resulting in fibrosis

Hamiltonian representation of isomonodromic deformations of twisted rational connections: The Painlev\'{e} 11 hierarchy

In this paper, we build the Hamiltonian system and the corresponding Lax pairs associated to a twisted connection in $\mathfrak{gl}_2(\mathbb{C})$ admitting an irregular and ramified pole at infinity of arbitrary degree, hence corresponding to the Painlev\'{e} $1$ hierarchy. We provide explicit formulas for these Lax pairs and Hamiltonians in terms of the irregular times and standard $2g$ Darboux coordinates associated to the twisted connection. Furthermore, we obtain a map that reduces the space of irregular times to only $g$ non-trivial isomonodromic deformations. In addition, we perform a symplectic change of Darboux coordinates to obtain a set of symmetric Darboux coordinates in which Hamiltonians and Lax pairs are polynomial. Finally, we apply our general theory to the first cases of the hierarchy: the Airy case $(g=0)$, the Painlev\'{e} $1$ case $(g=1)$ and the next two elements of the Painlev\'{e} $1$ hierarchy.Comment: 44 pages + appendices. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2212.0483

Isomonodromic and isospectral deformations of meromorphic connections: the sl2(C)\mathfrak{sl}_2(\mathbb{C}) case

We consider non-twisted meromorphic connections in $\mathfrak{sl}_2(\mathbb{C})$ and the associated symplectic Hamiltonian structure. In particular, we provide explicit expressions of the Lax pair in the geometric gauge supplementing previous results where explicit formulas have been obtained in the oper gauge. Expressing the geometric Lax matrices requires the introduction of specific Darboux coordinates for which we provide the explicit Hamiltonian evolutions. These expressions allow to build bridges between the isomonodromic deformations and the isospectral ones. More specifically, we propose an explicit change of Darboux coordinates to obtain isospectral coordinates for which Hamiltonians match the spectral invariants. This result solves the issue left opened in \cite{BertolaHarnadHurtubise2022} in the case of $\mathfrak{sl}_2(\mathbb{C})$.Comment: 40 pages + Appendice

COVID-19: WHAT ABOUT DENTISTS?

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been associated with person-to-person transmission. This includes droplets inhalation, exposure to saliva, and contact with the oral or nasal mucosa. The World Health Organization (WHO) made it public that the novel coronavirus initiated an international public health emergency. COVID-19 cases are rising up until this day, as of End-April 2021, around 141 million confirmed cases and 3 million deaths were reported worldwide. Due to the characteristics of dental clinics, dental health care personnel are at a higher risk of getting exposed to the COVID-19 infection. Thus, there is an urgent need to improve the current implemented recommendations and strategies in order to prevent transmission of the disease. Despite the huge efforts made by the countries affected in an attempt to restrain this pandemic, there is still a daily flare-up of cases. Dental health personnel will come across patients with COVID-19, and thus will have to abide by strict infection control measures to prevent its spread. The aim of this article is to introduce a brief overview about the basic knowledge of COVID-19, its routes of transmission, as well as its clinical symptoms. Based on relevant research and guidelines, this study also provides recommendations for patients screening, management protocols, infection control as well as recommendations for dental health care personnel in different affected areas

Hamiltonian representation of isomonodromic deformations of general rational connections on gl2(C)\mathfrak{gl}_2(\mathbb{C})

In this paper, we study and build the Hamiltonian system attached to any $\mathfrak{gl}_2(\mathbb{C})$ rational connection with arbitrary number of non-ramified poles of arbitrary degrees. In particular, we propose the Lax pairs expressed in terms of irregular times associated to the poles and a map reducing the space of irregular times to isomonodromic times. We apply the general theory to all cases where the associated spectral curve has genus 1 and recover the standard Painlev\'{e} equations. We finally make the connection with the topological recursion and the quantization of classical spectral curve from this perspective.Comment: 67 pages + appendice

Inquiry Based Teaching in Literature Classrooms

AbstractNowadays, education is no longer to provide information to students, but rather to prepare learners to become active 21st Century critical thinkers (UNESCO, 1998). The need to communicate is instinctive (Stegmaier, 2011) and from this instinctive need, language developed (Pinker, 1996). Language supports and enhances our thinking and understanding for it permeates the world in which we live. It also plays a vital role in the construction of meaning. Language empowers learners and provides them with an intellectual framework to support their conceptual development and critical thinking. To acquire language, learning through inquiry has emerged as a means that allows for smoother and more effective communication. Teaching language through inquiry is becoming more prevalent. More specifically, teaching English as a second language, language or literature, using inquiry based method facilitates the learners⿿ ability of acquiring the new language. To carry out this ongoing research, data have been collected from language and literature tests that learners sat for after having followed strategies that incorporate inquiry-based techniques. The tests have been designed by the teachers and were carried out during the scholastic year to assess the learners⿿ acquisition of material. The participants are the learners of Grades 10- levels 1 and 5 in the school where the researchers teach. The researchers hypothesized that the participants⿿ performances and their critical thinking skills will improve. The results proved the hypothesis. The researchers recommend that the method be incorporated in literature classrooms