Therianthropy : "animal studies" and (un)becoming a human

The subject of the paper is animal studies: a new field of research that is rapidly growing in popularity within the humanities. The author attempts to identify the fundamental assumptions that tacitly dominate the field. One such premise discussed in the article is the thesis that Judeo-Christian tradition underlies the oppressive model of human-animal relations. To support her arguments, the author provides an analysis of animal topics and ideas of animal nature held by humans that are found in ancient literature, first of all in the Bible and the works of St. Thomas Aquinas. Further in the paper, these readings are confronted with a different neo-Spinosian paradigm of thinking about the human-animal relation that emerged in the second half of the 20th century. The leading motif of the analysis is the literary and philosophical concept of therianthropy (metamorphosis of a human into an animal), which is common to all the narrations discussed. The author highlights the continuity of the tradition of the monistic and pantheistic ways of thinking about nature. She interprets the highly syncretic paradigm of animal studies, which is now dominant, as a new form of such thinking. The article is also an attempt to formulate a different rationale for the studies that is founded on the delimiting theoretical proposition of Michael Lundblad and the critical revision of post-Deleuzian rhetoric

Detecting Worker Attention Lapses in Human-Robot Interaction: An Eye Tracking and Multimodal Sensing Study

The advent of industrial robotics and autonomous systems endow human-robot collaboration in a massive scale. However, current industrial robots are restrained in co-working with human in close proximity due to inability of interpreting human agents' attention. Human attention study is non-trivial since it involves multiple aspects of the mind: perception, memory, problem solving, and consciousness. Human attention lapses are particularly problematic and potentially catastrophic in industrial workplace, from assembling electronics to operating machines. Attention is indeed complex and cannot be easily measured with single-modality sensors. Eye state, head pose, posture, and manifold environment stimulus could all play a part in attention lapses. To this end, we propose a pipeline to annotate multimodal dataset of human attention tracking, including eye tracking, fixation detection, third-person surveillance camera, and sound. We produce a pilot dataset containing two fully annotated phone assembly sequences in a realistic manufacturing environment. We evaluate existing fatigue and drowsiness prediction methods for attention lapse detection. Experimental results show that human attention lapses in production scenarios are more subtle and imperceptible than well-studied fatigue and drowsiness.Comment: 6 page

Institutional and regulatory changes in the financial markets after the crisis emergence (2007-09)

In this paper we analyze the most likely and the most desirable developments in financial markets and in a broader sense, the most desirable regulation of the financial sector. The purpose of the essay is in fact to analyze the most important issues of financial regulation and to highlight that finding the most desirable solutions are particularly difficult. These difficulties come from purely technical reasons, the multi-dimensionality of the analyzed problems, but also some aspects of the methodology and philosophy under the current methodological approach for financial regulationEn este trabajo se analiza las novedades más probables y más deseables en los mercados financieros y en un sentido más amplio, la regulación más deseable del sector financiero. El objetivo del ensayo es de hecho la señalización de los temas más importantes de la regulación financiera y poner de relieve que la búsqueda de las soluciones más deseables es particularmente difícil. Estas dificultades provienen de razones puramente técnicas, la multidimensionalidad de los problemas analizados, pero también algunos aspectos de la metodología y la filosofía bajo el enfoque metodológico actual de la regulación financier

Ponowoczesna koncepcja szczęścia

In antiquity, luck has played a major role – was the goal of human action and in a way the fulfillment of worldly aspirations. Eudaimonia was the state of the sense of perfection of their lives. For Aristotle eudaimonia it was associated with a steady satisfaction of spiritual and phy­sical needs. In turn, the Stoics eudaimonia meant a blissful state of inner peace, not giving up passions.Today, in the post­‑modern world, happiness is still important for human beings. However, the methods have changed his achievements or rather the systematic achievement. In contrast to the philosophy of earlier thinkers, postmodernism claims to relentless pursuit of happiness. The problem is that used give only temporary satisfaction, and unit still unsatisfied, he feels the need to pursue further eudajmonii. Zygmunt Bauman in the Art of life, drew attention to the fact that postmodernism and ever­‑evolving consumer society forbid lasting happiness. In a world in which no longer counts the same goal, and the only aspiration for it. More important is race than achievement of the defined objectives. Race did not need the spirit of perseverance, exercise of virtues, but only purchase a particular product, or to go to a place that was supposed to be a guarantee of happiness. The question of happiness are questionable and becomes problematic for humans.Dziś, w świecie ponowoczesnym, szczęście wciąż jest ważne dla człowieka. Przemianie uległy jednak metody jego osiągnięcia albo raczej systematycznego osiągania. Problem w tym, że używane środki dają tylko chwilową satysfakcję i jednostka wciąż niezaspokojona, odczuwa dalszą potrzebę dążenia do eudajmonii. W Sztuce życia Zygmunt Bauman zwrócił uwagę, iż ponowoczesność i wciąż rozwijające się społeczeństwo konsumpcyjne zabraniają trwałego poczucia szczęścia. W świecie, w którym nie liczy się już sam cel, a jedynie dążenie do niego, po dobrnięciu do mety jednostka nie otrzymuje tego, co dawał jej sam wyścig. Nie wymagał on wytrwałości ducha, ćwiczenia cnót, a jedynie zakupienia konkretnego towaru czy też udania się w miejsce, które miało być gwarantem szczęścia. Tak przedstawiona kwestia szczęścia rodzi wiele wątpliwości i staje się dla człowieka problematyczna

Umiar w społeczeństwie konsumpcyjnym

In the structure of consumer society there is lack of space for moderation and the Golden mean. It is galloping consumption that drives society and the economy. Rapid technological development, globalization and GDP growth give rise to joy. However, in such sketched mechanisms, another problem is emerging – excess, excess. Consumers must continue to participate in the race, as they will not be subordinated to dominant trends, will push them to the margins of society.The aim of the paper is to try to outline the problems associated with the desire for moderation in consumer society. On the example of Zygmunt Bauman, Alan Aldridge, Tomasz Szlendak, the sufferings of a consumer trying to live in society, but at the same time secretly striving for moderation, will be presented. Adel Cortina’s theory of imperatives is also presented in the speech as a possible recipe for excessive consumption and the associated environmental degradation.W strukturach społeczeństwa konsumpcyjnego brak miejsca na umiar i złoty środek. To właśnie galopująca konsumpcja napędza społeczeństwo i gospodarkę. Szybki rozwój technologiczny, globalizacja i wzrost PKB dają powody do radości. Jednak w tak zarysowanych mechanizmach zaczyna pojawiać się innym problem – przesytu, nadmiaru, naddostatku. Konsumenci muszą cały czas uczestniczyć w nieustannym wyścigu, gdyż niepodporządkowanie się dominującym trendom zepchnie ich na margines społeczeństwa (staną się nieprzydatni).Celem referatu jest próba zarysowania problemów wiążących się z dążeniem do umiaru w społeczeństwie konsumpcyjnym. Na przykładzie prac Zygmunta Baumana, Alana Aldridge’a, Tomasza Szlendaka przedstawione zostaną bolączki konsumenta próbującego żyć w społeczeństwie, ale jednocześnie skrycie dążącego do umiaru. W wystąpieniu przedstawiona zostanie również teoria imperatywów Adeli Cortiny jako możliwa recepta na nadmierną konsumpcję i związaną z nią degradację środowiska

Institutional and regulatory changes in the financial markets after the crisis emergence (2007-09)

In this paper we analyze the most likely and the most desirable developments in financial markets and in a broader sense, the most desirable regulation of the financial sector. The purpose of the essay is in fact to analyze the most important issues of financial regulation and to highlight that finding the most desirable solutions are particularly difficult. These difficulties come from purely technical reasons, the multi-dimensionality of the analyzed problems, but also some aspects of the methodology and philosophy under the current methodological approach for financial regulationEn este trabajo se analiza las novedades más probables y más deseables en los mercados financieros y en un sentido más amplio, la regulación más deseable del sector financiero. El objetivo del ensayo es de hecho la señalización de los temas más importantes de la regulación financiera y poner de relieve que la búsqueda de las soluciones más deseables es particularmente difícil. Estas dificultades provienen de razones puramente técnicas, la multidimensionalidad de los problemas analizados, pero también algunos aspectos de la metodología y la filosofía bajo el enfoque metodológico actual de la regulación financier

To freeze or not to freeze? Epidemic prevention and control in the DSGE model with agent-based epidemic component

The ongoing epidemic of COVID-19 raises numerous questions concerning the shape and range of state interventions, that are aimed at reduction of the number of infections and deaths. The lockdowns, which became the most popular response worldwide, are assessed as being an outdated and economically inefficient way to fight the disease. However, in the absence of efficient cures and vaccines they lack viable alternatives. In this paper we assess the economic consequences of epidemic prevention and control schemes that were introduced in order to respond to the COVID-19 outburst. The analyses report the results of epidemic simulations obtained with the agent-based modeling methods under different response schemes and use them in order to provide conditional forecasts of standard economic variables. The forecasts are obtained from the DSGE model with labour market component

Structural diversity among Edwarsiellaceae core oligosaccharides.

The Edwardsiella genus presents five different pathogenic species: Edwardsiella tarda, E. anguillarum, E. piscicida, E. hoshinae and E. ictaluri. These species cause infections mainly in fish, but they can also infect reptiles, birds or humans. Lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of these bacteria. For the first time, the chemical structure and genomics of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core oligosaccharides of E. piscicida, E. anguillarum, E. hoshinae and E. ictaluri were studied. The complete gene assignments for all core biosynthesis gene functions were acquired. The structure of core oligosaccharides was investigated by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The structures of E. piscicida and E. anguillarum core oligosaccharides show the presence of !3,4)-L-glycero- -D-manno-Hepp, two terminal -D-Glcp, !2,3,7)-L-glycero- -Dmanno- Hepp,!7)-L-glycero- -D-manno-Hepp, terminal -D-GlcpN, two!4)- -D-GalpA,! 3)- -DGlcpNAc, terminal -D-Galp and !5-substituted Kdo. E. hoshinare core oligosaccharide shows only one terminal -D-Glcp, and instead of terminal -D-Galp a terminal -D-GlcpNAc. E. ictaluri core oligosaccharide shows only one terminal -D-Glcp, one !4)- -D-GalpA and do not have terminal -D-GlcpN (see complementary figure)

The Complete Structure of the Core Oligosaccharide from Edwardsiella tarda EIB 202 Lipopolysaccharide

The chemical structure and genomics of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core oligosaccharide of pathogenic Edwardsiella tarda strain EIB 202 were studied for the first time. The complete gene assignment for all LPS core biosynthesis gene functions was acquired. The complete structure of core oligosaccharide was investigated by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry MSn, and matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The following structure of the undecasaccharide was established: The heterogeneous appearance of the core oligosaccharide structure was due to the partial lack of β-d-Galp and the replacement of α-d-GlcpNAcGly by α-d-GlcpNGly. The glycine location was identified by mass spectrometry