L’Éthique non-géométrique de Spinoza

"Mémoire en recherche-création"L’Éthique de Spinoza, démontrée de manière géométrique (more geometrico demonstrata), pose le problème de l’introduction du lecteur non géomètre au contenu objectif de son savoir. Alors que sa philosophie est principalement exposée sous une forme mathématique, ce mémoire vise à étudier les éléments proprement non démonstratifs qui y résident et par-là de déterminer la dimension propédeutique de l’Éthique, c’est-à-dire sa capacité à faire entrer l’individu esclave des passions dans un devenir éthique. D’un point de vue méthodologique, et après avoir retracé les origines euclidiennes du spinozisme, nous défendrons l’idée que les scolies en faisant appels à un savoir d’ordre affectif remplissent une fonction pédagogique qui s’appuie principalement sur les vertus de l’imagination. C’est pourquoi nous soutiendrons ensuite que l’imagination est un genre de connaissance en lui- même positif. Il est capable de produire des affects joyeux à partir desquels Spinoza conçoit la possibilité d’accéder par l’intermédiaire des notions communes au second genre de connaissance et à une vie guidée par la raison. En ce sens, nous montrerons comment les règles qui régissent l’anthropologie spinozienne expliquent le problème épistémologique du passage entre ces différents genres. Enfin, nous verrons que c’est à travers un usage pragmatique du langage, c’est-à-dire d’un langage qui prend en compte, dans son expression, les multiples niveaux de compréhension de ses destinataires, que le philosophe fait de l’œuvre elle-même le lieu d’une rencontre passionnelle dont le propre est justement d’introduire le non philosophe aux vertus émancipatrices de la connaissance vraie.The Ethics by Spinoza, demonstrated in geometrical order (more geometrico demonstrata), faces the issue of introducing the non-geometrician reader to the objective content of its knowledge. Although his philosophy is in its majority exposed within a mathematical structure, this paper aims to study the intrinsically non demonstrative elements that reside therein and therefore determine the propaedeutics dimension of the Ethics, i.e. its capacity to bring an individual enslaved by passions into an ethical becoming. From a methodological point of view, and after exposing the euclidian origins of spinozism, we will defend the idea that scolies, resonating with an affective order of knowledge, fulfil a pedagogical function relying mostly on the virtues of imagination. Consequently, it will then be argued that imagination is a means of knowledge that is inherently positive. It is capable of producing joyful affects, an observation from which Spinoza conceived the possibility of accessing, through common notions, knowledge of the second kind and a life guided by reason. Thus we will show how the ruling principles of spinozistic anthropology explain the epistemological problem of the passage between these different kinds of knowledge. Finally, we shall see that it is through a pragmatic use of language - that is to say a language that encompasses in its expression the recipients’ multiple levels of comprehension - that the philosopher allows the Ethics to become a place of passionate confluence whose specificity is to introduce the non philosopher to the emancipating virtues of true knowledge

Release Storage and Disposal Program Product Sampling Support

This document includes recommended capabilities and/or services to support transport, analysis, and disposition of Immobilized High-Level and Low-Activity Waste samples as requested by the US DOE-Office of River Protection (DOE-ORP) as specified in the Privatization Contract between DOE-ORP and BNFL Inc. In addition, an approved implementation path forward is presented which includes use of existing Hanford Site services to provide the required support capabilities

Design requirements document for the interim store phase I solidified high-level waste function 4.2.4.1.2

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has embarked upon a course to acquire Hanford site.t,,nk waste tr:atment and immobilization services using privatized facilities. This plan contains a two-phased approach. Phase I is a ``proof-of-principle/commercial demonstration-scale`` effort and Phase II is a full-scale production effort. In accordance with the planned approach, interim storage and disposal of various products from privatized facilities are to be DOE furnished. The path forward adopted for Phase I solidified high-level waste (HLW) interim storage entails use of Vaut 2 and 3 in the Hanford Site Spent Nuclear Fuels Canister Storage Building (CSB), to be located in the Hanford Site 200 East Area. This design requirements document establishes the functions, with associated requirements, allocated to the Phase I solidified HLW interim storage system. These requirements will be used as the basis for conceptual design of the CSB and supporting systems. This document will also provide the basis for preparation of a performance specification for design and construction activities necessary to achieve the overall project mission

Improving protein secondary structure prediction using a simple k-mer model

Motivation: Some first order methods for protein sequence analysis inherently treat each position as independent. We develop a general framework for introducing longer range interactions. We then demonstrate the power of our approach by applying it to secondary structure prediction; under the independence assumption, sequences produced by existing methods can produce features that are not protein like, an extreme example being a helix of length 1. Our goal was to make the predictions from state of the art methods more realistic, without loss of performance by other measures

Statement of work for conceptual design of solidified high-level waste interim storage system project (phase I)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has embarked upon a course to acquire Hanford Site tank waste treatment and immobilization services using privatized facilities. This plan contains a two phased approach. Phase I is a ``proof-of-principle/commercial demonstration- scale`` effort and Phase II is a full-scale production effort. In accordance with the planned approach, interim storage (IS) and disposal of various products from privatized facilities are to be DOE furnished. The path forward adopted for Phase I solidification HLW IS entails use of Vaults 2 and 3 in the Spent Nuclear Fuel Canister Storage Building, to be located in the Hanford Site 200 East Area. This Statement of Work describes the work scope to be performed by the Architect-Engineer to prepare a conceptual design for the solidified HLW IS System

From sequences to cognitive structures : neurocomputational mechanisms

Ph. D. Thesis.Understanding how the brain forms representations of structured information distributed in time is a challenging neuroscientific endeavour, necessitating computationally and neurobiologically informed study. Human neuroimaging evidence demonstrates engagement of a fronto-temporal network, including ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC), during language comprehension. Corresponding regions are engaged when processing dependencies between word-like items in Artificial Grammar (AG) paradigms. However, the neurocomputations supporting dependency processing and sequential structure-building are poorly understood. This work aimed to clarify these processes in humans, integrating behavioural, electrophysiological and computational evidence. I devised a novel auditory AG task to assess simultaneous learning of dependencies between adjacent and non-adjacent items, incorporating learning aids including prosody, feedback, delineated sequence boundaries, staged pre-exposure, and variable intervening items. Behavioural data obtained in 50 healthy adults revealed strongly bimodal performance despite these cues. Notably, however, reaction times revealed sensitivity to the grammar even in low performers. Behavioural and intracranial electrode data was subsequently obtained in 12 neurosurgical patients performing this task. Despite chance behavioural performance, time- and time-frequency domain electrophysiological analysis revealed selective responsiveness to sequence grammaticality in regions including vlPFC. I developed a novel neurocomputational model (VS-BIND: “Vector-symbolic Sequencing of Binding INstantiating Dependencies”), triangulating evidence to clarify putative mechanisms in the fronto-temporal language network. I then undertook multivariate analyses on the AG task neural data, revealing responses compatible with the presence of ordinal codes in vlPFC, consistent with VS-BIND. I also developed a novel method of causal analysis on multivariate patterns, representational Granger causality, capable of detecting flow of distinct representations within the brain. This alluded to top-down transmission of syntactic predictions during the AG task, from vlPFC to auditory cortex, largely in the opposite direction to stimulus encodings, consistent with predictive coding accounts. It finally suggested roles for the temporoparietal junction and frontal operculum during grammaticality processing, congruent with prior literature. This work provides novel insights into the neurocomputational basis of cognitive structure-building, generating hypotheses for future study, and potentially contributing to AI and translational efforts.Wellcome Trust, European Research Counci

pi^0 pi^0 Scattering Amplitudes and Phase Shifts Obtained by the pi^- P Charge Exchange Process

The results of the analysis of the pi^0 pi^0 scattering amplitudes obtained with pi^- P charge exchange reaction, pi^- P --> pi^0 pi^0 n, data at 9 GeV/c are presented. The pi^0 pi^0 scattering amplitudes show clear f_0(1370) and f_2(1270) signals in the S and D waves, respectively. The pi^0 pi^0 scattering phase shifts have been obtained below Kbar K threshold and been analyzed by the Interfering Amplitude method with introduction of negative background phases. The results show a S wave resonance, sigma. Its Breit-Wigner parameters are in good agreement with those of our previous analysis on the pi^+ pi^- phase shift data.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Proceedings of the int. conf. Hadron'99 at Beijing, Aug. 1999. Presented for the collaboration of A.M.Ma, K.Takamatsu, M.Y.Ishida, S.Ishida, T.Ishida, T. Tsuru and H. Shimizu, and the E135 collaboration. For our activities on sigma, visit http://amaterasu.kek.jp/sigm

4.5 Meter high level waste canister study

The Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Storage and Disposal Project has established the Immobilized High-Level Waste (IBLW) Storage Sub-Project to provide the capability to store Phase I and II BLW products generated by private vendors. A design/construction project, Project W-464, was established under the Sub-Project to provide the Phase I capability. Project W-464 will retrofit the Hanford Site Canister Storage Building (CSB) to accommodate the Phase I I-ILW products. Project W-464 conceptual design is currently being performed to interim store 3.0 m-long BLW stainless steel canisters with a 0.61 in diameter, DOE is considering using a 4.5 in canister of the same diameter to reduce permanent disposal costs. This study was performed to assess the impact of replacing the 3.0 in canister with the 4.5 in canister. The summary cost and schedule impacts are described

NAFLD and liver transplantation: Current burden and expected challenges

Because of global epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes, the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing both in Europe and the United States, becoming one of the most frequent causes of chronic liver disease and predictably, one of the leading causes of liver transplantation both for end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. For most transplant teams around the world this will raise many challenges in terms of preand post-transplant management. Here we review the multifaceted impact of NAFLD on liver transplantation and will discuss: (1) NAFLD as a frequent cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis, end-stage chronic liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma; (2) prevalence of NAFLD as an indication for liver transplantation both in Europe and the United States; (3) the impact of NAFLD on the donor pool; (4) the access of NAFLD patients to liver transplantation and their management on the waiting list in regard to metabolic, renal and vascular comorbidities; (5) the prevalence and consequences of post-transplant metabolic syndrome, recurrent and de novo NAFLD; (6) the alternative management and therapeutic options to improve the long-term outcomes with particular emphasis on the correction and control of metabolic comorbidities