A questão do livre-arbítrio em John R. Searle: uma contraposição do naturalismo biológico ao fisicalismo e ao funcionalismo

This paper compares the theses of physicalism and functionalism – particularly the computacionalist line – with the biological naturalism of John Searle regarding the possibility of free will. In such contrast, each line is decomposed into its statements so that they can be reviewed. It is argued that the searlean biological naturalism can explain more than the other two philosophies on how free action can have the source of its motivation in what is external to the mental state that makes it beperformed. Finally, even if the issue of free will still is open, I shall argue that free will does not find any room in the scenario that the lines of physicalism and functionalism present

The use of funnel plots with regression as a tool to visually compare HIV treatment outcomes between centres adjusting for patient characteristics and size: a UK Collaborative HIV Cohort study

OBJECTIVES: A measure used for assessing the effectiveness of HIV care and comparing clinical centres is the proportion of people starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) with viral suppression (VS) after 1 year. We propose a method that adjusts for patients' demographic characteristics, and visually compares this measure between different sites accounting for centre size. METHODS: We analysed viral load measurements for UK Collaborative HIV Cohort (UK CHIC) patients starting ART between 2006 and 2013. We used logistic regression to estimate the proportion with VS after 1 year of ART adjusted for patient mix (in terms of age and a combined gender/ethnicity/acquisition mode variable) and calendar year. We compared outcomes between centres using funnel plots which account for centre size. RESULTS: The overall proportion of the cohort with VS 1 year after starting ART was 90% and increased from 83% to 93% between 2006 and 2013. VS was lower in younger individuals. White men who have sex with men (MSM) had the highest (94%), and black African (81%) and white (82%) heterosexual women the lowest proportions achieving VS. Comparing the unadjusted funnel plot with the adjusted, there were movements of some centres from outside to inside the 95% contour limits, which was largely explained by the patient mix of these centres. CONCLUSIONS: VS 1 year after ART start was associated with demographic characteristics and centre size; therefore, to compare the performances of centres, adjustment for these factors is required. Adjusted funnel plot is an effective tool which accounts for both the demographic characteristics and the centre size. Social factors, rather than treatment decisions within the control of the centres, may drive differences in outcomes

To methylate or not to methylate? Study of Mercury Speciation along\ud the Venetian Littoral System (Q-ALiVe project)

The biogeochemical cycle of mercury (Hg) is affected not only by the physical, chemical and hydrological characteristics of the environment, but also by changes in productivity and biodiversity. In waters the complexes of Hg are related to the salinity and to the load of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the dissolved and in the particulate phases. Surface and bottom seawater were sampled along the Venetian coast at ten sites with different characteristics. Samples were analyzed employing hyphenated techniques and LOD (limit of detection) and LOQ (limit of quantification) were quantified. Although for some samples both the species were under the LOQ, the presence of methyl mercury (CH3Hg+) and ionic mercury (Hg2+) at the same time in surface and in bottom waters were observed. Variability in CH3Hg+ concentrations may be due to changes in the phytoplankton communities, which in turn may be affected by nutrient loads from the catchment area and port mouths of the Venice Lagoon. Thus, monitoring these nutrient loads may be essential for the health of the Venetian littoral system, since they may affect blooms, methylation and hyper-bioaccumulation along the trophic web, with effects on the environment and on human health

Modeling and Prediction in Diabetes Physiology

Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by the inability of the organism to autonomously regulate the blood glucose levels. It requires continuing medical care to prevent acute complications and to reduce the risk of long-term complications. Inadequate glucose control is associated with damage, dysfunction and failure of various organs. The management of the disease is non trivial and demanding. With today’s standards of current diabetes care, good glucose regulation needs constant attention and decision-making by the individuals with diabetes. Empowering the patients with a decision support system would, therefore, improve their quality of life without additional burdens nor replacing human expertise. This thesis investigates the use of data-driven techniques to the purpose of glucose metabolism modeling and short-term blood-glucose predictions in Type I Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). The goal was to use models and predictors in an advisory tool able to produce personalized short-term blood glucose predictions and on-the-spot decision making concerning the most adequate choice of insulin delivery, meal intake and exercise, to help diabetic subjects maintaining glycemia as close to normal as possible. The approaches taken to describe the glucose metabolism were discrete-time and continuous-time models on input-output form and statespace form, while the blood glucose short-term predictors, i.e., up to 120 minutes ahead, used ARX-, ARMAX- and subspace-based prediction

From 100 days in search of the Ramones to bury the hatchet

Drawing ideas from film and music has been the basis of my art practice over the last 9 years. The nature of this work examined through installation describes an intense subjectivity inherent within seemingly banal relationships. Bringing together elements of everyday life through experienced and observed events and mixing it up with a fan-like zest for storytelling