Unself-conscious control: broadening the notion of control through experiences of flow and wu-wei

This paper both clarifies and broadens the notion of control and its relation to the self. By discussing instances of skilful absorption from different cultural backgrounds I argue that the notion of control is not as closely related to self-consciousness as is often suggested. Experiences of flow and wu-wei exemplify a non self-conscious though personal type of control. The intercultural occurrence of this type of behavioural control demonstrates its robustness, and questions two long-held intuitions about the relation between self-consciousness and the experience of control. The first intuition holds that the conscious self initiates and controls actions, thoughts and feelings. The second is the view that losing this self-conscious type of control is a negative and upsetting experience. By focusing on “the paradox of control” in these experiences of skilful absorption, I argue that a feeling of control can occur without a self that narratively claims control. Furthermore, this type of control can be a very positive and pleasurable experience. Therefore, the common views of the notion of control are in need of broader conceptualisation and further refinement

Uniformly balanced words with linear complexity and prescribed letter frequencies

We consider the following problem. Let us fix a finite alphabet A; for any given d-uple of letter frequencies, how to construct an infinite word u over the alphabet A satisfying the following conditions: u has linear complexity function, u is uniformly balanced, the letter frequencies in u are given by the given d-uple. This paper investigates a construction method for such words based on the use of mixed multidimensional continued fraction algorithms.Comment: In Proceedings WORDS 2011, arXiv:1108.341

Optimization of pressurized liquid extraction using a multivariate chemometric approach and comparison of solid phase extraction cleanup steps for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mosses

A factorial design was used to optimize the extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from mosses, plants used as biomonitors of air pollution. The analytical procedure consists of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) followed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) cleanup, in association with analysis by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). For method development, homogeneous samples were prepared with large quantities of the mosses Isothecium myosuroides Brid. and Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw., collected from a Spanish Nature Reserve. A factorial design was used to identify the optimal PLE operational conditions: 2 static cycles of 5 min at 80°C. The analytical procedure performed with PLE showed similar recoveries (∼70%) and total PAH concentrations (∼200 ng g-1) as found using Soxtec extraction, with the advantage of reducing solvent consumption by 3 (30 mL against 100 mL per sample), and taking a fifth of the time (24 samples extracted automatically in 8 h against 2 samples in 3.5 h). The performance of SPE normal phases (NH2, Florisil®, silica and activated aluminium) generally used for organic matrix cleanup was also compared. Florisil® appeared to be the most selective phase and ensured the highest PAH recoveries. The optimal analytical procedure was validated with a reference material and applied to moss samples from a remote Spanish site in order to determine spatial and inter-species variability

Factor Complexity of S-adic sequences generated by the Arnoux-Rauzy-Poincar\'e Algorithm

The Arnoux-Rauzy-Poincar\'e multidimensional continued fraction algorithm is obtained by combining the Arnoux-Rauzy and Poincar\'e algorithms. It is a generalized Euclidean algorithm. Its three-dimensional linear version consists in subtracting the sum of the two smallest entries to the largest if possible (Arnoux-Rauzy step), and otherwise, in subtracting the smallest entry to the median and the median to the largest (the Poincar\'e step), and by performing when possible Arnoux-Rauzy steps in priority. After renormalization it provides a piecewise fractional map of the standard $2$-simplex. We study here the factor complexity of its associated symbolic dynamical system, defined as an $S$-adic system. It is made of infinite words generated by the composition of sequences of finitely many substitutions, together with some restrictions concerning the allowed sequences of substitutions expressed in terms of a regular language. Here, the substitutions are provided by the matrices of the linear version of the algorithm. We give an upper bound for the linear growth of the factor complexity. We then deduce the convergence of the associated algorithm by unique ergodicity.Comment: 36 pages, 16 figure

Born to be Wild: Using Communities of Practice as a Tool for Knowledge Management

This paper looks at what happens when Communities of Practice are used as a tool for Knowledge Management. The original concept of a Community of Practice appears to have very little in common with the knowledge sharing communities found in Knowledge Management, which are based on a revised view of 'cultivated' communities. We examine the risks and benefits of cultivating Communities of Practice rather than leaving them 'in the wild'. The paper presents the findings from two years of research in a small microelectronics firm to provide some insights into the wild vs domesticated dichotomy and discusses the implications of attempting to tame Communities of Practice in this way.Comment: Paper presented at the Ethicomp 2010: The 'Backwards, Forwards and Sideways' changes of ICT, Tarragona, Spain, April, 2010, pp. 71 - 80