Computer Science and Metaphysics: A Cross-Fertilization

Computational philosophy is the use of mechanized computational techniques to unearth philosophical insights that are either difficult or impossible to find using traditional philosophical methods. Computational metaphysics is computational philosophy with a focus on metaphysics. In this paper, we (a) develop results in modal metaphysics whose discovery was computer assisted, and (b) conclude that these results work not only to the obvious benefit of philosophy but also, less obviously, to the benefit of computer science, since the new computational techniques that led to these results may be more broadly applicable within computer science. The paper includes a description of our background methodology and how it evolved, and a discussion of our new results.Comment: 39 pages, 3 figure

Mechanizing Principia Logico-Metaphysica in Functional Type Theory

Principia Logico-Metaphysica contains a foundational logical theory for metaphysics, mathematics, and the sciences. It includes a canonical development of Abstract Object Theory [AOT], a metaphysical theory (inspired by ideas of Ernst Mally, formalized by Zalta) that distinguishes between ordinary and abstract objects. This article reports on recent work in which AOT has been successfully represented and partly automated in the proof assistant system Isabelle/HOL. Initial experiments within this framework reveal a crucial but overlooked fact: a deeply-rooted and known paradox is reintroduced in AOT when the logic of complex terms is simply adjoined to AOT's specially-formulated comprehension principle for relations. This result constitutes a new and important paradox, given how much expressive and analytic power is contributed by having the two kinds of complex terms in the system. Its discovery is the highlight of our joint project and provides strong evidence for a new kind of scientific practice in philosophy, namely, computational metaphysics. Our results were made technically possible by a suitable adaptation of Benzm\"uller's metalogical approach to universal reasoning by semantically embedding theories in classical higher-order logic. This approach enables one to reuse state-of-the-art higher-order proof assistants, such as Isabelle/HOL, for mechanizing and experimentally exploring challenging logics and theories such as AOT. Our results also provide a fresh perspective on the question of whether relational type theory or functional type theory better serves as a foundation for logic and metaphysics.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures; preprint of article with same title to appear in The Review of Symbolic Logi

Use of Artificial Intelligence on the Control of Vector-Borne Diseases

Artificial intelligence has many fields of application with an increasing computational processing power, and the algorithms are reaching human performance on complex tasks. Entomological characterization of insects represents an essential activity to drive actions to control the vector-borne diseases. Identification of the species and sex of insects is essential to map and organize the control measurements by the public health system in most areas where transmission is actively occurring. In many places in the world, the methodology done for identification of the mosquitos is by visual examination from human trained researchers or technicians. This activity is time-consuming and requires several years of experience to have skills to do the job. This chapter addresses the application of artificial intelligence for identification of mosquitos associated with vector-borne diseases. Benefits, limitations, and challenges of the use of artificial intelligence on the control of vector-borne diseases are discussed in this review

The Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products Is Highly Expressed in the Skin and Upregulated by Advanced Glycation End Products and Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) form non-enzymatically from reactions of proteins with reducing sugars. In the skin, AGEs were reported to accumulate in dermal elastin and collagens and to interact nonspecifically with the cell membrane of dermal fibroblasts. Therefore, AGEs may influence the process of skin aging. We investigated the presence of the AGE receptor RAGE in skin and the influence of AGEs on receptor expression and the formation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Sections of sun-protected and sun-exposed skin were analyzed with monoclonal antibodies against (RAGE), heat-shock protein 47, factor XIIIa, CD31, and CD45. RAGE was mainly expressed in fibroblasts, dendrocytes, and keratinocytes and to a minor extent in endothelial and mononuclear cells. Human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs) highly expressed RAGE on the protein and mRNA level when analyzed by quantitative Western blotting and real-time PCR. Incubation of HFFs with the specific RAGE ligand Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine-modified BSA (CML-BSA) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha resulted in significant upregulation of RAGE expression. CML-BSA induced a mildly profibrogenic pattern, increasing connective tissue growth factor, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)1, and procollagen-α1(I) mRNA, whereas expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, −2, −3, and −12 was unaffected. We conclude that in HFFs, AGE–RAGE interactions may influence the process of skin aging through mild stimulation of ECM gene expression

Scaffolding High-Impact Practices for Asian Studies and the Environment

Support from the Henry Luce Foundation allowed a team of Centre College faculty to develop multiple integrated programs connecting the study of Asia to the environment: the Centre Summer Language Institute (CSLI), the Asia & the Environment Lab (A&E Lab), January term courses abroad, student summer research and internships abroad, and student dissemination of research. Each of these high-impact practices (HIPs) alone has been empirically demonstrated to enrich student experiences, but when linked in succession through a scaffolded framework, student learning was synergistically magnified. The personal growth, academic interests, and career trajectory of students who completed all stages of the scaffolded program were profoundly transformed. These experiences took place over a nearly 2-year period, culminating in the dissemination of student experiences to a national academic audience. We describe the guiding principles, programmatic structure, local and international partnerships, and challenges and successes of implementing our program of scaffolded HIPs. Throughout, we also share key feedback of those students who completed most or all of the full suite of scaffolded experiences

Design and development of the re-entry sensor system for the CubeSat mission SOURCE

With the number of man-made objects being launched into orbit steadily increasing, space debris is one of the big challenges for future space flight. In order to better assess the danger to humans on Earth’s surface, re-entry should be researched in more detail. SOURCE serves as a 3U+ satellite platform designed and developed by the small satellite student society (KSat e.V.) and the Institute of Space Systems (IRS) at the University of Stuttgart. It was selected by ESA in 2020 to be part of the ‘Fly your Satellite’ program, has successfully completed the CDR and is currently preparing for the MRR. SOURCE’s objectives are education, verification of several cost-saving, not yet space-proven technologies for orbital use, capturing images of meteoroids entering Earth's atmosphere and documenting its own demise during re-entry by analysing atomic oxygen, heat flux- and pressure data. In order to receive data for as long as possible during re-entry, the satellite switches from S-band to Iridium (inter-satellite link) communication at an altitude below 200 km. For the in-situ measurement during the re-entry, SOURCE is equipped with two Flux-Phi-Probe (FIPEX) sensors for the measurement of atomic oxygen and five additional sensor arrays. Each array contains one pressure sensor and two heat flux sensors, one commercial and one developed by the IRS. The arrays are placed at five positions in-line across the satellite to reduce effects of tumbling during the re-entry and to allow for the measurement of gradients. For a first estimation of the expected value ranges, simulations were performed with the software PICLas, developed by the IRS and the Institute of Aero-and Gas Dynamics (IAG) at the University of Stuttgart. In an iterative process, the collected data will be used to further improve this simulation software after the re-entry of the SOURCE satellite. The aim of this paper is to describe the design philosophy and development process of the sensor readout electronics. The tests carried out are presented and the first results are presented

Role of Elastic Projectile-Electron Scattering in Double Ionization of Helium by Fast Proton Impact

We present a systematic study of atomic four-body fragmentation dynamics. To this end we have measured a variety of multiple differential double ionization cross sections for 6 MeV p+He collisions. The data are compared to a first-order calculation with correlated electrons and to a simulation representing a second-order process, with some experimental results seemingly in favor of the first, others in agreement with the second approach. This apparent conflict can be resolved by accounting for elastic scattering between the projectile and one electron already promoted to the continuum through electron-electron correlation in the first-order process