In Breakable Glasses: Toward a Naturalist Orientational Cosmology

The author develops the formula, "that process that gives rise to all that exists," as a specification of the cosmos within which human life may find meaningful, ethical orientation. Her position intends to be consonant with the natural sciences and conversant with traditional orientational cosmologies of the world religions. After analyzing each of the key terms in this central formula, she provisionally proposes three ethical stances (humility, responsibility, and celebration) that might follow from orientation to the cosmos seen as "that process that gives rise to all that exists.

Psychoanalysis and God: A Comparative Analysis of Jacques Lacan and John of the Cross

The author makes the case that Lacan and John of the Cross, taken together, reveal the full spectrum of the human journey toward God. Lacan s psychoanalytic theory is a valuable resource for understanding the earlier stages of the comprehensive spiritual development of the human person. By contrasting Lacan s thought with the spiritual theology of John of the Cross, the author finds that both of them coordinate their understanding of human psychology in terms of the tripartite division of the imaginary, the symbolic, and the real

Can OSCE Cope with the Caucasus?

Lepagnot-Leca Françoise, Mignaval Pierre, Causse Jean-Pierre. N° 16 — CAUSSE Jean-Pierre. In: Témoins et acteurs des politiques de l'éducation depuis la Libération. Tome 4 - Inventaire de soixante-quatre entretiens. Paris : Institut national de recherche pédagogique, 2005. pp. 57-59. (Témoins et acteurs des politiques de l'éducation, 1

POST-INFARCT FIBROSIS OF THE MYOCARDIUM: MECHANISMS AND PREDICTORS

Universitatea de Stat de Medicină şi Farmacie „Nicolae Testemiţanu”, Chişinău, Republica MoldovaIntroducere. IMA este o cauză notabilă a insuficienței cardiace, care se impune prin dezvoltarea fibrozei post-infarct a miocardului, iar efectorii celulari și căile moleculare implicate sunt predictori și ținte terapeutice importante. Scopul. Evaluarea mediatorilor din interfața patogenetică a mecanismelor de declanșare și progresare a fibrozei cardiace post-infarct. Metode și materiale. S-au analizat articole științifice care abordează aranjamentele fiziopatologice ale fibrozei post-infarct, predictorii iminenți, metodele de diagnostic (biomarkeri, EcoCG, RMN), precum și scheme de tratament patogenetic. Rezultate. Fibroza post-infarct, ca un pattern de remodelare a matricei extracelulare, este declanșată de fenomenul de necroză a miocardului și evenimentele asociate. Citokine și chemokine inflamatorii, speciile reactive de oxigen, proteazele derivate din mastocite, endotelina-1, sistemul renină-angiotensină-aldosteron, proteinele matricei extracelulare și factorii de creștere (exemplu TGF-β și PDGF) sunt unii dintre cei mai bine studiați mediatori ai fibrozei miocardului. Arsenalul de metode de diagnostic include: markerii serici ai turnover-ului colagenului, galectina-3, examenul EcoCG inclusiv cu manevra Speckle Tracking, RMN. Concluzii. Fibroza post-infarct a miocardului are la bază sinteza de către fibroblaste și miofibroblaste a colagenului fibrilar de tip I și III, care se impune detrimental asupra funcției lusitrope a cordului, iar evidențierea algoritmului de markeri specifici are conotații de predicție și justificare a țintelor terapeutice.Background. AMI is a notable cause of heart failure, which is associated by the development of post-infarction myocardial fibrosis, and the cellular effectors and molecular pathways involved are important predictors and therapeutic targets. Objective of the study. To evaluate the mediators of the pathogenic interface including the mechanisms of post-infarct cardiac fibrosis triggering and progression. Methods and materials: Scientific articles regarding the pathophysiological arrangements of myocardial post-infarct fibrosis and inherent predictors, as well as the diagnostic methods (biomarkers, EchoCG, MRI) and potential pathogenic treatment schemes have been analyzed. Results. Post-infarction fibrosis, as a pattern of remodeling of the extracellular matrix, is triggered by the phenomenon of myocardial necrosis and associated events. Inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, reactive oxygen species, mast cell-derived proteases, endothelin-1, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, extracellular matrix proteins, and growth factors (e.g., TGF-β and PDGF) are some of the best studied mediators involved in cardiac fibrosis. The arsenal of diagnostic methods includes: serum markers of collagen turnover, galectin-3, EcoCG exam inclusive with Speckle Tracking maneuver, MRI. Conclusion. Post-infarction myocardial fibrosis is based on the synthesis of fibrillar collagen type I and III by fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, which is detrimental for the lusitropic function of the heart, and the highlighting of algorithm of specific markers has connotations of prediction and justification of the therapeutic targets

The Digital, The Local and The Mundane: Three Areas of Potential Change for Research on Asia

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a game-changer for academic research because it has affected all of its aspects, starting from the “where,” which influences the “what” and the “how.” Given these changes, I would like to suggest a few possibilities for updating the “where,” the “what,” and the “how” of research on the Asia Pacific region. I will illustrate these possibilities with some of my own strategies developed or reinforced during the pandemic, as a historian of the art and culture of early modern Japan. Three dimensions of the changes guide my suggestions: the digital, the local and the mundane

Fibroza substitutivă (post-infarct) a miocardului: mecanisme și predictorii

Background. AMI is a notable cause of heart failure, which is associated by the development of post-infarction myocardial fibrosis, and the cellular effectors and molecular pathways involved are important predictors and therapeutic targets. Objective of the study. To evaluate the mediators of the pathogenic interface including the mechanisms of post-infarct cardiac fibrosis triggering and progression. Methods and materials: Scientific articles regarding the pathophysiological arrangements of myocardial post-infarct fibrosis and inherent predictors, as well as the diagnostic methods (biomarkers, EchoCG, MRI) and potential pathogenic treatment schemes have been analyzed. Results. Post-infarction fibrosis, as a pattern of remodeling of the extracellular matrix, is triggered by the phenomenon of myocardial necrosis and associated events. Inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, reactive oxygen species, mast cell-derived proteases, endothelin-1, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, extracellular matrix proteins, and growth factors (e.g., TGF-β and PDGF) are some of the best studied mediators involved in cardiac fibrosis. The arsenal of diagnostic methods includes: serum markers of collagen turnover, galectin-3, EcoCG exam inclusive with Speckle Tracking maneuver, MRI. Conclusion. Post-infarction myocardial fibrosis is based on the synthesis of fibrillar collagen type I and III by fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, which is detrimental for the lusitropic function of the heart, and the highlighting of algorithm of specific markers has connotations of prediction and justification of the therapeutic targets.Introducere. IMA este o cauză notabilă a insuficienței cardiace, care se impune prin dezvoltarea fibrozei post-infarct a miocardului, iar efectorii celulari și căile moleculare implicate sunt predictori și ținte terapeutice importante. Scopul. Evaluarea mediatorilor din interfața patogenetică a mecanismelor de declanșare și progresare a fibrozei cardiace post-infarct. Metode și materiale. S-au analizat articole științifice care abordează aranjamentele fiziopatologice ale fibrozei post-infarct, predictorii iminenți, metodele de diagnostic (biomarkeri, EcoCG, RMN), precum și scheme de tratament patogenetic. Rezultate. Fibroza post-infarct, ca un pattern de remodelare a matricei extracelulare, este declanșată de fenomenul de necroză a miocardului și evenimentele asociate. Citokine și chemokine inflamatorii, speciile reactive de oxigen, proteazele derivate din mastocite, endotelina-1, sistemul renină-angiotensină-aldosteron, proteinele matricei extracelulare și factorii de creștere (exemplu TGF-β și PDGF) sunt unii dintre cei mai bine studiați mediatori ai fibrozei miocardului. Arsenalul de metode de diagnostic include: markerii serici ai turnover-ului colagenului, galectina-3, examenul EcoCG inclusiv cu manevra Speckle Tracking, RMN. Concluzii. Fibroza post-infarct a miocardului are la bază sinteza de către fibroblaste și miofibroblaste a colagenului fibrilar de tip I și III, care se impune detrimental asupra funcției lusitrope a cordului, iar evidențierea algoritmului de markeri specifici are conotații de predicție și justificare a țintelor terapeutice

STRATEGY MANAGEMENT IN A MULTI-AGENT SYSTEM USING NEURAL NETWORKS FOR INDUCTIVE AND EXPERIENCE-BASED LEARNING

Intelligent agents and multi-agent systems prove to be a promising paradigm for solving problems in a distributed, cooperative way. Neural networks are a classical solution for ensuring the learning ability of agents. In this paper, we analyse a multi-agent system where agents use different training algorithms and different topologies for their neural networks, which they use to solve classification and regression problems provided by a user. Out of the three training algorithms under investigation, Backpropagation, Quickprop and Rprop, the first demonstrates inferior performance to the other two when considered in isolation. However, by optimizing the strategy of accepting or rejecting tasks, Backpropagation agents succeed in outperforming the other types of agents in terms of the total utility gained. This strategy is learned also with a neural network, by processing the results of past experiences. Therefore, we show a way in which agents can use neural network models for both external purposes and internal ones.agents, learning, neural networks, strategy management multi-agent system.

« L’Empire contre-attaque » : une autre vision de l’Union Européenne

Jan Zielonka1 n’est pas loin de penser que le contradicteur de Victor Hugo n’avait pas tort sicelui-ci voyait "les Etats-Unis d’Europe" sur le modèle de ceux d’Amérique, cet Etat-Nation,pleinement souverain à l'extérieur dès 1812 par décision de la Cour suprême présidée par le fameuxJuge Jackson dans un litige entre la Pennsylvanie et l'Etat fédéral (affaire du Schooner Exchange),construit sur la base du contrat social lockien par une politique d’ingénierie sociale consciemmentpoursuivie dès avant l'adoption en 1868 du XIVème amendement établissant la primauté de lacitoyenneté des Etats-Unis sur celle des Etats-membres2. Penser l’Union Européenne comme unePuissance étatique souveraine, qu’elle soit une Confédération d’Etats ("l’intergouvernementalisme")ou un Etat fédéral ("le communautarisme") est pure illusion dont on ferait bien de se débarrasser vite,et avec elle des idées de "Constitution", de frontières fixes, de budget fédéral important, de politiquesétrangère, de défense, voire économique, s’appliquant uniformément à tous ses membres. Bref, il fautrenoncer à penser l’Europe sur le modèle de l’Etat "westphalien", politiquement et économiquementintégré, culturellement et légalement unifié à l’intérieur de frontières précises le séparant de sonenvironnement externe car, mesurée à l'aune de ce modèle, l'Europe n'est qu'un "géant économiqueet un nain politique", comme on le disait naguère de l'Allemagne.power analysis