Semantics and symbol grounding in Turing machine processes

The aim of the paper is to present the underlying reason of the unsolved symbolgrounding problem. The Church-Turing Thesis states that a physical problem,for which there is an algorithm of solution, can be solved by a Turingmachine, but machine operations neglect the semantic relationship betweensymbols and their meaning. Symbols are objects that are manipulated on rulesbased on their shapes. The computations are independent of the context, mentalstates, emotions, or feelings. The symbol processing operations are interpretedby the machine in a way quite different from the cognitive processes.Cognitive activities of living organisms and computation differ from each other,because of the way they act in the real word. The result is the problem ofmutual understanding of symbol grounding.The aim of the paper is to present the underlying reason of the unsolved symbolgrounding problem. The Church-Turing Thesis states that a physical problem,for which there is an algorithm of solution, can be solved by a Turingmachine, but machine operations neglect the semantic relationship betweensymbols and their meaning. Symbols are objects that are manipulated on rulesbased on their shapes. The computations are independent of the context, mentalstates, emotions, or feelings. The symbol processing operations are interpretedby the machine in a way quite different from the cognitive processes.Cognitive activities of living organisms and computation differ from each other,because of the way they act in the real word. The result is the problem ofmutual understanding of symbol grounding

New technologies as prosthesis of cognitive system

The aim of the paper is to show the way in which human cognitive system uses external prostheses. Currently developed technologies provide human beings with tools that change their way of functioning in the environment, their understanding and the perspective from which they perceive the world. Modifying systems of thoughts, reasoning and modes of operation non­‑biological prostheses extend human cognitive system. A human being uses non­‑biological interfaces for processing information from the external world.The aim of the paper is to show the way in which human cognitive system uses external prostheses. Currently developed technologies provide human beings with tools that change their way of functioning in the environment, their understanding and the perspective from which they perceive the world. Modifying systems of thoughts, reasoning and modes of operation non­‑biological prostheses extend human cognitive system. A human being uses non­‑biological interfaces for processing information from the external world

Evolution of the concept of foreign capital in economic thought

Cel – W artykule skupiono się na wyodrębnieniu chronologicznym i syntetycznym oraz wskazaniu różnic w sferze interpretacji znaczenia kapitału międzynarodowego przez poszczególnych autorów na przestrzeni lat oraz eksploracji udziału bezpośrednich inwestycji zagranicznych w tworzeniu przewagi konkurencyjnej kraju goszczącego. Metodyka badania – Artykuł ma charakter teoretyczny. W niniejszej pracy zastosowano metody badawcze obejmujące analizę dorobku literatury przedmiotu w zakresie historii myśli ekonomicznej oraz mikro i makroekonomii, dotyczących roli kapitału zagranicznego i jej ewolucji na przestrzeni lat. W celu pogłębienia analizy dokonano przeglądu modeli teoretycznych w kontekście kapitału zagranicznego. Eksplorację uzupełniono o stan badań zawartych w przeglądzie literatury przedmiotu oraz specjalistycznych raportach. Klasyfikacja teorii polegała na wyodrębnieniu interpretacji kapitału zagranicznego według trzech kategorii: korzyści własnościowych, lokalizacyjnych oraz internacjonalizacji. Klasyfikacja podyktowana została tym, iż jedna z omawianych teorii wyróżniała się objętością oraz szczegółowością, co pozwalało na przyjęcie jej jako podstawę do dokonania analizy porównawczej. Wynik – Na przestrzeni lat i dynamicznych zmian w kierunku globalizacji oraz rosnącej współpracy między gospodarkami poszczególnych państw, rozpatrywanie zagadnienia wzrostu gospodarczego bez włączenia jego międzynarodowego kontekstu wydaje się być niemożliwe. W rozważaniach podjęto próbę ukazania wybranych teorii kapitału, u podłoża których znajduje się pojęcie bezpośrednich inwestycji zagranicznych. Działanie to umożliwiło wyodrębnienie kilku, które w sposób merytoryczny wyjaśniają omawiane zagadnienie, z wyszczególnieniem korzyści własnościowych, lokalizacyjnych i internacjonalizacji oraz pozwoliło na analizę wpływu BIZ na gospodarkę kraju goszczącego, z której wynika, iż oprócz pozycji stymulatora wzrostu gospodarczego, napływ kapitału międzynarodowego powoduje wyparcie przedsiębiorstw krajowych, co przyczynia się do braku akceptacji dla przenikania wzorców zachowań zagranicznych inwestorów. Oryginalność/wartość – W niniejszym artykule podjęto próbę chronologicznego oraz syntetycznego uporządkowania interpretacji pojęcia kapitału zagranicznego wraz z ukazaniem różnic w poszczególnych podejściach oraz analizy wpływu bezpośrednich inwestycji zagranicznych na gospodarkę kraju goszczącego.Goal – The article focuses on chronological and synthetic isolation and identification of differences made in the sphere of interpretation of the importance of international capital by individual authors over the years and exploration of the share of foreign direct investment in creating a competitive advantage of the host country. Research methodology – The article has theoretical character. In this work, research methods were used to analyze the achievements of the literature on the subject of the history of economic thought and micro and macroeconomics, regarding the role of foreign capital and its evolution over the years. In order to deepen the analysis, theoretical models in the context of foreign capital were reviewed. The exploration was supplemented with the state of research contained in the review of the literature on the subject and specialized reports. The classification of the theory consisted in isolating the interpretation of foreign capital according to three categories: ownership benefits, internationalization and location. The classification was dictated by the fact that one of the discussed theories was distinguished by vol and detail, which allowed it to be adopted as the basis for comparative analysis. Score – Over the years and dynamic changes towards globalization and growing cooperation between the economies of individual countries, it seems impossible to consider the iss. of economic growth without including its international context. In the considerations, an attempt was made to show selected theories of capital underlying the concept of foreign direct investment. This action allowed the identification of several, which substantively explain the iss. in question, detailing the benefits of ownership, internationalization, location and allowed for an analysis of the impact of FDI on the economy of the host country, which shows that in addition to the position of economic growth stimulator, the inflow of international capital causes the displacement of enterprises domestic, which contributes to the lack of acceptance for the penetration of behavioral patterns of foreign investors. Originality / value – This article attempts to chronologically and synthetically order the interpretation of the concept of foreign capital along with showing differences in individual approaches and analyzing the impact of foreign direct investment on the economy of the host country.Uniwersytet w BiałymstokuAliber R.Z., A theory of Direct Foreign Investment, [w:] The International Corporation, Cambridge 1970.Ambukita Kiekie E., Rola bezpośrednich inwestycji zagranicznych w rozwoju gospodarczym krajów Afryki Subsaharyjskiej, Wydawnictwo Wyższej Szkoły Bankowej w Poznaniu, Poznań 2015.Bailey N., Dictionarìum Britannicum, London 1730.Böhm-Bawerk E., Capital and interest. The controversy over the concept of capital, Libertarian press, Illinois 1959.Budnikowski A., Międzynarodowe stosunki gospodarcze, Polskie Wydawnictwa Ekonomiczne, Warszawa 2003.Cannan E., Early history of the term captal, „Quarterly Journal of Economics” 1921, vol. 35.Caves, R.E., International corporations: The industrial economics of foreign investment, „Economica. New Series” 1971, vol. 38, no. 149.Dictionnaire de LAcademie francaise, Paris 1694.Dunning J.H., International Production and the Multinational Enterprise, Allen & Unwin, London 1981.Feenstra R.C. , Taylor A.M., International Economics, Worth Publishers, New York 2008.Fisher I., Precedents for Defining Capital, „Quarterly Journal of Economics” 1908, vol. 18.Graham E., Foreign Direct Investment in the World Economy, „IMF Working Paper” 1995, no. 95/59.Hicks J.R., Perspektywy ekonomii – szkice z teorii pieniądza i teorii wzrostu, PWN, Warszawa 1988.Hymer S., The International Operation of National Firms: A Study of Direct Foreign Investment, Massachusetts Insitute of Technology, London 1976.Kalita W., Inwestycje zagraniczne a kapitał ludzki regionu, „Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Rzeszowskiego” 2018, nr 7.Klysik-Uryszek A., Bezpośrednie inwestycje zagraniczne jako forma internacjonalizacji przedsiębiorstwa w świetle teorii Johna H. Dunninga, „Acta Universitatis Lodziensis, Folia Oeconomica” 2007, nr 204.Knickerbocker F. T., Oligopolistic Reaction and Multinational Enterprise, MA: Harvard University Press, Cambridge 1973.Kowalski M., Teoretyczne przesłanki umiędzynarodawiania działalności przedsiębiorstwa, „Ruch prawniczy, ekonomiczny i socjologiczny” 2004, z. 1.Landreth D.C., Colander H., Historia myśli ekonomicznej, PWN, Warszawa 2005.Lieber F., Encyclopaedia Americana, Philadelphia 1830.Marchewka K., Główne nurty w teorii kapitału, „Ruch prawniczy, ekonomiczny i socjologiczny” 2000, z. 3.Michalet C.A., La séduction des nations ou comment attirer des investissement, „Economica” 1999, nr 31.OECD, Benchmark Definition of Foreign Direct Investment – Third Edition, OECD, Paryż 1996.Ozawa T., Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Development, „Transnational Corporations” 1992, nr 1.Pilarska C., Wałęga G., Skutki napływu bezpośrednich inwestycji zagranicznych do kraju goszczącego na przykładzie Polski, „Zeszyty Naukowe Polskiego Towarzystwa Ekonomicznego w Krakowie” 2007, nr 5.Porter M., The Competitive Advantage of Nations, „Harvard Business Review” 1990, no. 90211.Ricardo D., Zasady ekonomii politycznej i opodatkowania, PWN, Warszawa 1957.Smith A., Badania nad naturą i przyczynami bogactwa narodów, t. 1, PWN, Warszawa 2007.Rymarczyk J., Międzynarodowe Stosunki Gospodarcze, Polskie Wydawnictwo Ekonomiczne, Warszawa 2006.Salvatore D., International Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken 2011.Tomasin L. (red.), Vocabolario degli Accademici della Crusca, Franco Cesati Editore, Venezia 1612.Torrens R., An Essay on the External Corn Trade, Hatchard, London 1815.World Investment Report, UNCTAD 1999.http://archive.is/BTPll [dostęp: 15.08.2019].435

Odmienność zwierzęcej inteligencji

Recenzja książki: Frans de Waal, Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., New York, 2016, ss. 473; polskie wydanie: Bystre zwierzę: czy jesteśmy dość mądrzy, aby zrozumieć mądrość zwierząt?  tłum. Ł. Lamża, Copernicus Center Press, Kraków, 2016, ss. 438

Próby aplikacji paradygmatu ucieleśnionego umysłu w tworzeniu sztucznej inteligencji

Despite some significant achievements in the early stage of works on the development of artificial intelligence, scientists failed to program machines to imitate human thinking. The next generation of scientists included proposals of the embodied mind paradigm in their new research programme. The paradigm states that human intelligence is formed through a reciprocal interaction between the body and an environment. This work discusses the application of the main proposals of the new artificial intelligence that were applied in the process of constructing machines and modelling their behaviour. It presents important projects that met the philosophical criteria and that were aimed at embodying artificial intelligence.Despite some significant achievements in the early stage of works on the development of artificial intelligence, scientists failed to program machines to imitate human thinking. The next generation of scientists included proposals of the embodied mind paradigm in their new research programme. The paradigm states that human intelligence is formed through a reciprocal interaction between the body and an environment. This work discusses the application of the main proposals of the new artificial intelligence that were applied in the process of constructing machines and modelling their behaviour. It presents important projects that met the philosophical criteria and that were aimed at embodying artificial intelligence

Anthropometric and physiologic assessment in sleep apnoea patients regarding body fat distribution

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is characterised by repeated episodes of pauses in breathing during sleep due to obstruction of the upper airway that result in transient hypoxaemia, sleep fragmentation and long-term cardiovascular disease. The most common risk factors for OSA include: obesity, age over 50 and neck circumference of more than 41 cm for females and more than 43 cm in males. Sleep apnoea is more common in men than in women. The aim of the conducted research was to evaluate relations between the anthropometric features connected with adipose tissue distribution and the severity of OSA. Materials and methods: The study was carried out on 180 patients (144 males and 36 females) diagnosed with OSA syndrome. The standard sleep parameters obtained from night polysomnography as well as skin-fat fold thickness and neck circumference and waist-to-hip ratio were analysed. Statistical analysis was performed using STATISTICA 10. Results: It was stated that anthropometric parameters connected with the accu­mulation of adipose tissue in upper body were significantly related to severity of OSA in males (p ≤ 0.05). Body mass index (BMI) was significantly correlated with severity of OSA in females (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: In males, there is a connection between the severity of OSA, BMI and a higher accumulation of adipose tissue in upper part of the body measured by neck circumference and shoulder thickness of skin-fat folds, whereas in females only by BMI

An old problem with a new therapy: GI bleeding in VAD patients and deep bowel enteroscopy (Double balloon. Spiral enteroscopy).

An old problem with a new therapy: GI Bleeding in VAD patients and deep bowel enteroscopy (Spiral and Double Balloon Enteroscopy) Purpose: Evidence suggests that patients treated with non-pulsatile ventricular assist devices (VAD) are at an increased risk for gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) beyond what is expected from routine anticoagulation. Diagnostic and treatment algorithms are currently undefined. We reviewed our experience of GIB in VAD patients and propose a new algorithm utilizing deep bowel enteroscopy (DBE) aimed to speed diagnosis and limit transfusions. (471) Methods & Procedures From 2004 to 2011, we studied 62 patients who received a non-pulsatile VAD at our center for episodes of GIB. GIB was defined as heme-positive stool, hematemeisis, or drop in Hgb\u3e1gm. All patients were anticoagulated and no patient had any previous bleeding history. The diagnostic and treatment modalities utilized consisted of standard GIB tests but evolved into an algorithm based primarily on DBE. DBE consists of double-balloon and spiral enteroscopy that allow us to see and treat pathology in the small bowel upt o 400 cm beyond the Ligament of Treitz. (723) Results: There were 41 individual episodes of GIB in 14 patients. Separating the episodes into two groups based on days to diagnosis and days to treatment, we found that when the diagnosis was made and treated within 2 hospital days, patients received half (3.53 v. 7.33 with

Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolated from clinical specimens in northern of Jordan

BACKGROUND: Coagulase negative Staphylococci (CoNS) are one of the most common bacteria found on human skin and on mucous membranes as a component of normal flora. The presence of CoNS in clinical specimens is frequently associated with an infectious aetiology or contamination. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate CoNS species distribution and susceptibility patterns in specimens obtained from clinics and hospitals in the Northern area of Jordan. METHODS: Standard identification methods showed the presence of CoNS in 223 specimens at different local hospitals. Susceptibility testing was performed using 18 antibiotics in accordance with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendations. RESULTS: Staphylococcus epidermidis and S. haemolyticus were found to be the most common species isolated from all specimens representing 122 (54.7%) and 52 (23.4%) of all CoNS species, respectively. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of CoNS species revealed their sensitivity to vancomycin, linozolid, rifampin and nitrofurantin, while showing a highly resistant pattern to ampicillin, penicillin, ceftriaxone, cefazolin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and erythromycin. Some variation of the susceptibility pattern of CoNS species were identified in specimens isolated from the ICU and paediatric hospital wards as well as from clinical specimens of urine, blood and catheter tips. CONCLUSION: The most common CoNS isolates were found to be S. epidermidis and S. haemolyticus with variable percentages according to the specimen source. Moreover, a high susceptibility CoNS to vancomycin, rifampin, and linezolid showed resistance to amoxicillin and penicillin