Doubting Legal Language: Interpretive Skepticism and Legal Practice

The present paper revisits and critically reconstructs one central tenet of interpretive legal skepticism, which I will label the \u201cequivocity thesis\u201d. According to this thesis, each statutory provision and judicial opinion can be constructed or interpreted in many ways, due to the plurality of the admissible hermeneutic techniques, methods, doctrines, and normative theories (\u201cplurality thesis\u201d) and their equal legal value (\u201cparity thesis\u201d): this leaves the interpreter with a discretional power to choose the legal solution he deems more correct (\u201cnormative unbindingness thesis\u201d). The main purpose of this essays consists in investigating the scope of these thesis and their philosophical and rhetoric/strategic relations with a more general semiotic skepticism, according to which the belief that communication requires both mutual understanding and sharing linguistic meanings is unjustified. More precisely, I\u2019ll first explore how interpretive legal skepticism can be grounded on Quine\u2019s and Davidson\u2019s indeterminist conclusions (\ua73) and on deconstructionism (\ua74), and then test the possibility of employing against interpretive legal skepticism a criticism of these conceptions, based on Wittgensteinian arguments and developable along various lines by \u201cpractice-based\u201d conceptions of meaning (\ua75)

Age-related differences in pointing accuracy in familiar and unfamiliar environments

This study aimed to investigate age-related differences in spatial mental representations of familiar and unfamiliar places. Nineteen young adults (aged 18\u201323) and 19 older adults (aged 60\u201374), all living in the same Italian town, completed a set of visuospatial measures and then pointed in the direction of familiar landmarks in their town and in the direction of landmarks in an unknown environment studied on a map. Results showed that older adults were less accurate in the visuospatial tasks and in pointing at landmarks in an unfamiliar environment, but performed as well as the young adults when pointing to familiar places. Pointing performance correlated with visuospatial tests accuracy in both familiar and unfamiliar environments, while only pointing in an unknown environment correlated with visuospatial working memory (VSWM). The spatial representation of well-known places seems to be well preserved in older adults (just as well as in young adults), while it declines for unfamiliar environments. Spatial abilities sustain the mental representations of both familiar and unfamiliar environments, while the support of VSWM resources is only needed for the latter

What Makes the Difference When Learning Spatial Information Using Language? The Contribution of Visuo-Spatial Individual Factors

Within the spatial cognition domain, increasing interest is being paid to identifying the factors able to support good-quality environment learning. The present study examined the role of several individual visuo-spatial factors in supporting representations derived from spatial language,using descriptions. A group of undergraduates performed visuo-spatial and verbal cognitive tasks and completed visuo-spatial questionnaires, then listened to descriptions of fictitious large-scale environments presented from survey (map-based) and route (person-based) views, and to non-spatial descriptions for control purposes. Their recall was assessed using a verification test and a graphical representation task. The results showed that: (i) verbal abilities support accuracy in recall tasks of spatial and non-spatial descriptions; (ii) visuo-spatial abilities, preferences (such as pleasure in exploring), and visuo-spatial strategies specifically support accuracy in recall tasks of spatial descriptions. The contribution of individual visuo-spatial factors varies, however, as a function of the type of description and the type of recall task: preference for the survey strategy seems more associated with performance in survey description recall and graphical representation. The results are discussed in the light of spatial learning models and in terms of their implications

Orientações para elaboração de planos de resíduos da construção civil em obras no município de Criciúma, SC

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso, apresentado para obtenção do grau de Bacharel, no Curso de Engenharia Ambiental da Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, UNESC.O ramo da construção civil tem grande importância na economia de um país. A região de Criciúma concentra grandes empresas deste setor, que atuam nos três estados do sul do Brasil. Neste ramo gera significativa quantidade de Resíduos da Construção Civil, e a disposição inadequada destes tem contribuído com impactos ambientais. Este trabalho tem por objetivo propor melhorias nas diretrizes do Plano de Gerenciamento de Resíduos de Construção e Demolição (PGRCD) de Criciúma. Foi realizado levantamento no período de junho de 2015 a abril de 2016 em setores da Prefeitura Municipal de Criciúma responsável pela análise, liberação e fiscalização de empreendimentos que necessitam de PGRCD (construção, reforma e demolição) com área acima de 150m². O estudo constituiu-se de análises dos planos a fim de averiguar as conformidades e não conformidades de acordo com as diretrizes e legislações vigentes; consultas aos órgãos competentes; aplicação de questionários junto a profissionais liberais e construtoras; e vistorias em obras considerando residência/comércio e edifício a fim de averiguar a gestão dos RCC. Identificou-se 329 processos de construção e reforma e 23 de demolição. A análise dos planos permitiu constatar que a maioria não atende na integridade as diretrizes, especificamente na estimativa do potencial de geração de resíduos e da existência de resíduos Classe D (perigosos). A maioria das construtoras não executa a gestão do PGRCD conforme aprovação do órgão competente, bem como treinamento de seus colaboradores em relação ao gerenciamento dos resíduos. Os resultados das consultas e questionários permitiram identificar carência de corpo técnico nos setores da prefeitura municipal para fiscalização da gestão dos RCC nas obras. Foram identificadas dificuldades dos profissionais liberais envolvidos na elaboração dos planos, das empresas na execução e implantação da gestão dos RCC, bem como dos funcionários do poder público na análise e liberação de planos. Com base nas informações obtidas foram propostas melhorias nas diretrizes existentes para elaboração do PGRCD, produzindo um Formulário Técnico e Manual explicativo, os quais poderão contribuir para a melhoria da gestão dos resíduos da construção civil no município de Criciúma

Trajectories across the healthy adult lifespan on sense of direction, spatial anxiety, and attitude in exploring places

Introduction: Self-evaluations about orientation and navigation in the environment contribute to individual differences in spatial cognition. Evidence suggests that they may change, even slightly, with the progression of adulthood. It is necessary to improve the framing of environment-related subjective self-evaluations in adulthood and aging by examining how they change and the factors related to them. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the developmental trajectories of sense of direction, spatial anxiety, and attitude in exploring place across the adult lifespan while also considering gender and education. Materials and methods: A sample of 1,946 participants (1,068 women), aged 18–87 years, completed the sense of direction and spatial representation, spatial anxiety, and attitude in exploring scales. Results: The regression models showed a linear increase in sense of direction with age, stable spatial anxiety until age 66 years when anxiety began increasing, and a stable attitude in exploring with a deflection by age 71 years. Gender played a role in all three types of self-evaluations, with men reporting higher ratings in sense of direction and attitude toward exploring (especially in older men), and lower levels of spatial anxiety than women did. Education also played a role, with higher education years associated with lower ratings in spatial anxiety and a higher sense of direction, nullifying gender differences in the latter. Discussion: These results offer, in the spatial cognition framework, a better understanding of how specific environment-related self-evaluations develop with age and related factors, such as education. This underscores the importance of enhancing them, particularly in women and older adults

Reabilitações Protéticas com Prótese Removível Implanto Suportada

O tratamento protético dos pacientes desdentados totais tem sido um desafio importante na Medicina Dentária. As próteses removíveis totais mandibulares e maxilares foram o padrão tradicional da reabilitação oral dos últimos anos, no entanto, a maioria dos pacientes apresentam problemas de adaptação devido à falta de retenção, estabilidade e desconforto. De forma a colmatar estes problemas, desenvolveram-se novas técnicas de reabilitação oral de forma fixa. Surgiram assim as próteses fixas sob implantes, caracterizadas por híbridas ou próteses removíveis implanto-suportadas caraterizadas por sobredentaduras. Nos últimos vinte anos, a reabilitação com sobredentaduras tem sido uma das mais utilizadas em casos de desdentados totais, pois a técnica cirúrgica é de simples execução e os resultados clínicos são satisfatórios. Este tipo de próteses também ajuda na prevenção de perda óssea, melhoram a estética, são mais confortáveis e mantém uma boa estabilidade proporcionando uma melhor função da mastigação quando comparada com próteses removíveis totais. O presente trabalho visa descrever quais as vantagens da reabilitação com sobredentadura em relação às reabilitações com prótese removível convencional

Spatial learning from maps and navigation: the role of age and visuo-spatial factors

The general aims of this dissertation project were to analyze mental spatial representations derived from common spatial learning inputs, such as a map and/or navigation, in relation to the role of age and of individual visuo-spatial factors. In particular, this dissertation project analyzed the features of mental spatial representations: i) after learning an environment from a map; recall was tested with map drawing, sketch map, and pointing tasks, in young, young-old and old-old participants (Study 1); ii) after direct navigation in an environment; recall was tested using route repetition, map drawing, and pointing tasks, in young and young-old participants (Study 2); iii) after learning from a map and a video; recall was tested using route repetition, sketch map drawing, and pointing tasks, in participants of all ages across the adult lifespan (Study 3); and also examined the contribution of visuo-spatial working memory and visuo-spatial (rotation and perspective-taking) abilities. In all three studies, participants took part in two sessions. In the first, they performed a visuo-spatial working memory task, a task measuring their rotation ability, and a perspective-taking task. In the second session, they learned an environment from a map and/or navigation, then completed a series of recall tasks. Concerning the role of age, the results of all three studies indicated that young people produce more efficient mental spatial representations than older people, and that the quality of these representations is also influenced by the type of learning input and by the type of task used to assess their recall. As for the role of individual visuo-spatial factors, the three studies highlighted their relevance in supporting mental spatial representations. Overall, the present dissertation project sheds light on people’s mental spatial representations and how they change with aging, confirming that spatial learning is a complex matter. External factors, such as the learning format used and the recall tasks administered, and internal factors such as age and individual visuo-spatial factors, combine together to influence mental spatial representation processes and how they change over time

ESTUDO DE ELEMENTOS DE SUSTENTAÇÃO DE MANGOTES DE OFFLOADING PRODUZIDOS COM MATERIAL COMPÓSITO DE FIBRA DE CARBONO

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Investigating the different domains of environmental knowledge acquired from virtual navigation and their relationship to cognitive factors and wayfinding inclinations

When learning an environment from virtual navigation people gain knowledge about landmarks, their locations, and the paths that connect them. The present study newly aimed to investigate all these domains of knowledge and how cognitive factors such as visuospatial abilities and wayfinding inclinations might support virtual passive navigation. A total of 270 participants (145 women) were tested online. They: (i) completed visuospatial tasks and answered questionnaires on their wayfinding inclinations; and (ii) learnt a virtual path. The environmental knowledge they gained was assessed on their free recall of landmarks, their egocentric and allocentric pointing accuracy (location knowledge), and their performance in route direction and landmark location tasks (path knowledge). Visuospatial abilities and wayfinding inclinations emerged as two separate factors, and environmental knowledge as a single factor. The SEM model showed that both visuospatial abilities and wayfinding inclinations support the environmental knowledge factor, with similar pattern of relationships in men and women. Overall, factors related to the individual are relevant to the environmental knowledge gained from an online virtual passive navigation

Differences in Encoding Strategy as a Potential Explanation for Age-Related Decline in Place Recognition Ability

The ability to recognise places is known to deteriorate with advancing age. In this study, we investigated the contribution of age-related changes in spatial encoding strategies to declining place recognition ability. We recorded eye movements while younger and older adults completed a place recognition task first described by Muffato et al. (2019). Participants first learned places, which were defined by an array of four objects, and then decided whether the next place they were shown was the same or different to the one they learned. Places could be shown from the same spatial perspective as during learning or from a shifted perspective (30° or 60°). Places that were different to those during learning were changed either by substituting an object in the place with a novel object or by swapping the locations of two objects. We replicated the findings of Muffato et al. (2019) showing that sensitivity to detect changes in a place declined with advancing age and declined when the spatial perspective was shifted. Additionally, older adults were particularly impaired on trials in which object locations were swapped; however, they were not differentially affected by perspective changes compared to younger adults. During place encoding, older adults produced more fixations and saccades, shorter fixation durations, and spent less time looking at objects compared to younger adults. Further, we present an analysis of gaze chaining, designed to capture spatio-temporal aspects of gaze behaviour. The chaining measure was a significant predictor of place recognition performance. We found significant differences between age groups on the chaining measure and argue that these differences in gaze behaviour are indicative of differences in encoding strategy between age groups. In summary, we report a direct replication of Muffato et al. (2019) and provide evidence for age-related differences in spatial encoding strategies, which are related to place recognition performance