Analogia e omologia: la questione della filogenesi delle emozioni

Aim of this paper is to outline a new evolutionary interpretation of aesthetic emotions, in the light of the most recent developments in Evolutionary Biology, in particular the so-called “Extended Synthesis of Evolution” (Pigliucci-Müller 2010). Focussing on the biological concept of homology, the Author argues that, in order to effectively understand role and evolutionary value of aesthetic emotions, it should be asked not “what aesthetic emotions are for?”, rather “what kind of constraints and homologies influence the specific “shape” of human aesthetic emotions?”. In a few words, we should move from a functionalist approach to human aesthetic emotions towards a morphological one

Ritmo della forma e patosofia: l’espressione del vivente nella tradizione morfologica fra Rothacker e Weizsäcker

In the tradition of twentieth-century morphological thinking, the concept of form constitutes the profound unity from which it is possible to articulate the relationship between subject and object and the expressive qualities of experience and reality. Erich Rothacker in his last book, pub- lished posthumously in 1966 and titled Zur Genealogie des menschlichen Bewusstseins, outlines a genesis of human consciousness in which the rela- tionship with reality is structured expressively starting from sensory-motor images up to the conscience of the world (Weltbewusstsein) on the basis of a criterion of organic-expressive significance, while, even more markedly, Viktor von Weizsäcker concludes his theory of Gestaltkreis reformulating the “circularity of form” as a “circularity of life” (Lebenskreis), to be grasped on the basis of pathic-expressive categories that belong to the experience of form

Fra Terrence Deacon e la biologia teoretica: l'origine della facoltà estetica e la questione del gioco

Based on a comparison between the contemporary evolutionary perspective supported, among others, by Terrence Deacon, and the biotheoretical thinking of early twentieth-century Germany, this paper purports to contribute to the debate on the origin of the aesthetic faculty, enhancing the role of morphology and the question of play, meant as an exemplary manifestation of the interaction between individuals and environments

Critica del riduzionismo e pensiero morfologico. La «Neuronale Ästhetik» di Olaf Breidbach

The proposal of a neuronal aesthetics developed by Olaf Breidbach looks like one of the most advanced points in contemporary morphological thinking and as an extremely challenging effort to redefine the conceptual system of aesthetics; at the same time it is, unfortunately prematurely, the theoretical testament of its author

Spectral and time-frequency domains features for quantitative lower-limb rehabilitation monitoring via wearable inertial sensors

Inertial data represent a rich source of clinically relevant information which can provide details on motor assessment in subjects involved in a rehabilitation process. Thus, a number of metrics in the spectral and time-frequency domain has been considered to be reliable for measuring and quantifying patient progress and has been applied on the 3D accelerometer and angular rate signals collected on one impaired subject with knee injury through a wearable wireless inertial sensing system developed at the Tyndall National Institute. The subject has performed different activities evaluated across several sessions over time. Data show that most of the studied features can provide a quantitative analysis of the improvement of the subject along rehabilitation, and differentiate between impaired and unimpaired limb motor performance. The work proves that the studied features can be taken into account by clinicians and sport scientists to study the overall patients' condition and provide accurate clinical feedback as to their rehabilitative progress. The work is ongoing and additional clinical trials are currently being planned with an enhanced number of injured subjects to provide a more robust statistical analysis of the data in the study

A review of activity trackers for senior citizens: research perspectives, commercial landscape and the role of the insurance industry

The objective assessment of physical activity levels through wearable inertial-based motion detectors for the automatic, continuous and long-term monitoring of people in free-living environments is a well-known research area in the literature. However, their application to older adults can present particular constraints. This paper reviews the adoption of wearable devices in senior citizens by describing various researches for monitoring physical activity indicators, such as energy expenditure, posture transitions, activity classification, fall detection and prediction, gait and balance analysis, also by adopting consumer-grade fitness trackers with the associated limitations regarding acceptability. This review also describes and compares existing commercial products encompassing activity trackers tailored for older adults, thus providing a comprehensive outlook of the status of commercially available motion tracking systems. Finally, the impact of wearable devices on life and health insurance companies, with a description of the potential benefits for the industry and the wearables market, was analyzed as an example of the potential emerging market drivers for such technology in the future

A review of physical activity monitoring and activity trackers for older adults

The objective assessment of physical activity levels through wearable inertial-based motion detectors for an automatic, continuous and long-term monitoring of people in free-living environments is a well-known research area in literature. However, their application to older adults can present particular constraints. This paper reviews the methods of measuring physical activity, adoption of wearable devices in older adults, describes and compares existing commercial products encompassing activity trackers tailored for older participants

Economia del desiderio: piacere e conoscenza nella prima estetica di Herder

Published by Herder in 1781, the short study "Liebe und Selbstheit" represents one of the most significant moments of the reception of the works of Hemsterhuis in Germany, and is, at the same time, one of the most advanced points of arrival of the aesthetic and physiological thought of its author