الصفحة 2
الصفحة 2
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz : The Art of Controversies
All these perspectives (and more) are united in what this book identifies as his Art of Controversies, which might also be called an Art of Dialectical Cooperation. For it is based on the idea that knowledge production, acquisition, and evolution is not a one-man affair, but the result of the cooperation of many, coming from different perspectives; whence it follows that not only tolerance vis-à-vis the other, but also valuing the other’s contribution and integrating it – whether it stems from another age, continent, culture, discipline, religion, or individual – is indispensable. This dialectical Leibniz that emerges from the selected texts here translated, commented, and interpreted in the light of their context, isn’t for sure the familiar one. Yet, perhaps surprisingly.
Globalisation, Poverty and Conflict : A Critical 'Development' Reader
Is ‘development’ passé? Is it merely a by-product or a ‘trickle down’ effect of economic growth, spurred by globalisation? Will poverty simply diminish with increased global markets? This state-of-the-art critical ‘development’ reader deals with these and related questions. Globalisation, Poverty and Conflict examines the inter-relationships between globalisation, poverty and conflict. It complements current debates in the field of development studies and, in an era in which development fatigue seems to have become more profound than ever before, it brings the importance of development once again to the forefront. Achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 is a concrete target which many governments have agreed to work towards.Whether these goals can be realised is another issue. Nonetheless, the Millennium Development Goals have brought more focused attention to development in the past few years and renewed debate about the relationships between the process of globalisation and widespread poverty and the emergence of violent conflicts. The authors in this edited volume discuss these inter-related and highly controversial topical elements of development in a number of chapters organised around three sets of issues: (1) globalisation, inequality and poverty; (2) governance, civil society and poverty; and (3) resource degradation, institutions and conflict. The contributions represent current thinking on (and practice of) development policy, poverty reduction, the need for multi-level democratic institutions, and the containing and prevention of conflicts. The authors confront the predominant mainstream ideas on ‘development’ and propose alternatives.
Global Computing ; IST/FET International Workshop, GC 2004, Rovereto, Italy, March 9-12, 2004, Revised Selected Papers
This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-proceedings of the IST/FET International Workshop on Global Computing, GC 2004, held in Rovereto, Italy in March 2004. The 18 revised full papers presented were carefully selected during two rounds of reviewing and improvement from numerous submissions. Among the topics covered are programming environments, dynamic reconfiguration, resource guarantees, peer-to-peer networks, analysis of systems and resources, resource sharing, and security, as well as foundational calculi for mobility.
Gene Expression Programming : Mathematical Modeling by an Artificial Intelligence
This monograph provides all the implementation details of GEP so that anyone with elementary programming skills will be able to implement it themselves. The book also includes a self-contained introduction to this new exciting field of computational intelligence, including several new algorithms for decision tree induction, data mining, classifier systems, function finding, polynomial induction, times series prediction, evolution of linking functions, automatically defined functions, parameter optimization, logic synthesis, combinatorial optimization, and complete neural network induction. The book also discusses some important and controversial evolutionary topics that might be refreshing to both evolutionary computer scientists and biologists.
Forced migration and mental health : Rethinking the care of refugees and displaced persons
In the last half century, the steadily increasing incidence of armed conflict (both within and between nations) has created mounting numbers of asylum seekers, refugees, and displaced persons. The provision of appropriate mental health services for these individuals has become a major focus of concern, but considerable controversy remains as to what kind of care is necessary. The initial assumptions and models that informed the field have recently come under attack, and alternative approaches have arisen. Forced Migration and Mental Health: Rethinking the Care of Refugees and Displaced Persons provides an up-to-date view of the controversies and future directions for the mental health care of those displaced by war or other extreme conditions.
Food Biotechnology in Ethical Perspective
Agrifood biotechnology—the genetic transformation of plants and animals through recombinant means—has created controversy in the food system for more than twenty years. The new edition reflects lessons from the hotly contested debates over those issues in the intervening decade, and includes wholly new discussions on ethical issues associated with livestock cloning, the Precautionary Principle, and the transatlantic debate between United States and European perspectives on biotechnology.
Field and service robotics : Results of the 6th international conference
This book presents the results of the sixth edition of Field and Service Robotics, FSR07, held in Chamonix, France, on 9th - 12th July 2007. The conference provided a forum for researchers, professionals and robot manufacturers to exchange up-to-date technical knowledge and experience. This book offers a collection of a broad range of topics including: Underwater Robots and Systems, Autonomous Navigation for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, Climbing Robotics, Sensor Fusion.
Exploring the Secrets of the Aurora
This new edition of Exploring the Secrets of the Aurora is based on the author's own experiences as a scientist. It describes the history of progress made in auroral science and magnetospheric physics by providing examples of ideas, controversies, struggles, acceptance, and success.
Experimental Robotics : The 10th International Symposium on Experimental Robotics
The goal of ISER is to provide a forum for research in robotics that focuses on novelty of theoretical contributions validated by experimental results. The meetings are conceived to bring together, in a small group setting, researchers from around the world who are in the forefront of experimental robotics research.
European Robotics Symposium 2008
These monothematic proceedings represent a collection of papers presented at the 2nd European Robotics Symposium, held in Prague, March 26-27, 2008. The goal of the given selection of papers is to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent status in robotics research world-wide in the key areas of cognition, autonomy, adaptation and robustness in robotics.
Ethics in Agriculture : An African Perspective
The role of biotechnology in African agriculture has become a contentious issue. The ethical issues in agriculture in Africa do not focus only on biotechnology. The role of nutrition in the persistence of HIV/AIDS is highly debated and sometimes controversial. Land-related issues also generate heated debates in communities and amongst policy-makers. The single core that runs through all of these and many other related issues is, what are ethically acceptable solutions to these problems? This book attempts, in simple, unambiguous terms, to discuss the most important issues in African agriculture that have an ethical thread.
Estrogen Effects in Psychiatric Disorders
A number of studies, mostly focusing on estrogen replacement therapy in women, have reported beneficial actions of these hormones on various neurobiological and neuropathological parameters in health and disease. Recent research has focused on gender differences and there is increasing evidence that estrogens exert protective effects in schizophrenia. Hormonal fluctuations or lack of estrogen may increase the risk of depression among vulnerable women. Treatment of depression with estrogen may stabilize and restore disrupted homeostasis – as during post-partum, premenstrual, or perimenopausal conditions – and act as a psychomodulator to offset vulnerability to dysphoric mood when estrogen levels are significantly decreased, as in the case of postmenopausal women. Studies on the effect of estrogens on Alzheimer’s Disease are still rather controversial, they do, however, facilitate the hypothesis that estrogens may have a modifying effect on the onset and course of AD, at least in subgroups of patients.
Epiphyseal Growth Plate Fractures
This comprehensive reference work covers all aspects of growth plate fractures and their complications. Following general reviews of growth plate fractures, 21 chapters deal with each epiphyseal growth plate in the body. All of these chapters are constructed similarly for easy and quick retrieval of the required information. The main emphasis is on evaluation (diagnosis) and management (treatment). A separate section is devoted to premature partial physeal arrest, as this is by far the most common and feared complication of a growth plate fracture and its treatment is involved and controversial. The case studies included are often based on 20- to 30-year follow-ups, revealing cases that originally appeared to be quite satisfactory at the conclusion of growth but were found to have turned out quite poorly years later.
Einstein’s Struggles with Quantum Theory : A Reappraisal
This unique book presents a mathematical as well as a non-mathematical route through the theories, controversies, and investigations, making the discourse both readable and understandable to anyone interested in Einstein and quantum theory. The authors also examine recent developments in quantum theory and reveal the influence Einstein has had, and will continue to have, in this important field.
Efficiency, Justice and Care : Philosophical Reflections on Scarcity in Health Care
This book attempts to answer the question how health care can be incorporated into a comprehensive theory of justice, while realising an acceptable balance between efficiency, justice and care. Essentially, the central question addressed by this book is the following: how best to square the proverbial welfare circle.
Drug and Biological Development : From Molecule to Product and Beyond
Drug and Biological Development: From Molecule to Product and Beyond offers a complete discussion of product development in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries from discovery to product launch, continuing through life cycle management. The book is organized for optimal usefulness in the education and training of health care professionals. The text's narrative descriptions are enhanced by real-life examples, illustrations, controversies in industry, and references. Dr. Ronald Evens and his contributors are industry and research experts in a variety of disciplines.
Distributed Ledgers : Design and Regulation of Financial Infrastructure and Payment Systems
In this book, Robert Townsend steps back from the hype and controversy surrounding DLT (and the related, but not synonymous, innovations of blockchain and Bitcoin) to offer an economic analysis of what distributed ledgers can do and a blueprint for the optimal design and regulation of financial systems. He analyzes four crucial components of distributed ledgers—ledgers as accounts, e-messages and e-value transfers, cryptography, and contracts—assessing each in terms of both economics and computer science, and forges some middle ground. Relatedly, Townsend highlights hybrid systems in which some of these components allow useful innovation while legacy or alternative pieces deal with the problem of scale.
Difficult Decisions in Thoracic Surgery : An Evidence-Based Approach
Brief chapters are devoted to a specific question or decision in general thoracic surgery that is difficult or controversial. Although some of the content may be available in major thoracic texts, rarely are such questions posed specifically and analyzed according to the level of supporting evidence available. This book is unique in aiming to address the issues in the most clear and informed manner possible; the chapters contain both evidence-based recommendations and descriptions of surgeons’ personal practices based on their experience and the published literature. Chapters are organized around clearly identified recommendations. This provides uniformity to the presentations, making possible the identification of useful material at a glance. A general introduction describes evidence-based data and their use, decision analytic models, and how both physicians and patients make decisions currently. Over 50 different topics are then presented, including a review of available evidence and a general discussion of recommended practice.
Dictionary of Authentic American Proverbs
Dictionary of Authentic American Proverbs offers a comprehensive reference guide for distinctly American proverbs. Compiled by Wolfgang Mieder, a key figure in the field of proverb studies, this compendium features nearly 1,500 proverbs with American origins, spanning the 17th century to present day, including a scholarly introduction exploring the history of proverbs in America, the structure and variants of these proverbs, known authors and sources, and cultural values expressed in these proverbs.
Design and Spirituality : A Philosophy of Material Cultures
A wide range of topics are covered, including material culture and spiritual teachings; sustainability and the spiritual perspective; traditional and indigenous knowledge; technology and spirituality; notions of meaningful design; and how particular material things can have deeper, symbolic significance. There are also reflections on areas such as the language of design; busyness and its relationship to wisdom; design and social disparity; and traditional sacred practices. While not avoiding issues that are controversial, and sometimes hard-hitting, Design and Spirituality gets to the heart of the key issues affecting us today and presents them in a highly readable and accessible format.
