The paper starts from a Searlean dilemma - we are bound to view consciousness as ultimately explicable by scientific means, yet science appears to give us no means for explaining the specificity of consciousness - and presents what I see as a plausible though speculative story for avoiding the brunt of the dilemma. The basic idea is (a) that consciousness, or anticipations of it, should be seen as pervasive throughout the biosphere; (b) that the biosphere, following Gerald Edelman, can be seen as the sphere of meta-systems irreducible to purely physical particles and forces; and (c) that it is plausible to view ''full waking consciousness'' as occurring at a very high level of meta-systematicity; with the conclusion (d) that full waking consciousness is both an expectable outcome of the biogenic forces and, in virtue of how it combines them, a very singular case., Příspěvek vychází ze Searleanovy dilema - jsme povinni vnímat vědomí jako nakonec vysvětlitelné vědeckými prostředky, ale zdá se, že věda nám neposkytuje žádné prostředky pro vysvětlení specifičnosti vědomí - a prezentuje to, co vidím jako věrohodný, i když spekulativní příběh, aby se vyhnul nápor dilematu. Základní myšlenkou je (a) že vědomí či očekávání by mělo být vnímáno jako všudypřítomné v celé biosféře; (b) že biosféra, následovaná Geraldem Edelmanem, může být považována za sféru meta-systémů ireducibilních na čistě fyzikální částice a síly; a (c) že je věrohodné vnímat ,,plné vědomí'', jak se vyskytuje na velmi vysoké úrovni meta-systematiky; se závěrem (d), že plné bdělé vědomí je očekávaným výsledkem biogenních sil a v důsledku toho, jak je kombinuje, velmi zvláštní případ., and Pokorný, Martin
Je rozdiel v sérovej hladine retinol-binding proteinu 4 (RBP4) medzi obéznymi s inzulínovou rezistenciou (IR) bez diabetu voči obéznym s diabetom 2. typu (DM2T) liečených metformínom a neobéznymi zdravými? Metodika: 28 obéznym s inzulínovou rezistenciou, 11 diabetikom 2. typu liečených metformínom a 17 kontrolám sa metódou RIA vyšetrila sérová hladina retinol-binding proteinu 4. Výsledky sa porovnali v rámci skupín a RBP4 sa v skupine s IR a v kontrolnej skupine koreloval s inzulínom. Výsledky: Najvyššiu hladinu RBP4 (561,6 ? 209 ng/ml) mali obézni s IR (IR HOMA 3,9) a najnižšiu obézni diabetici typu 2 liečení metformínom (391,1 ? 133,5 ng/ml; p < 0,01). Kontrolná skupina mala signifikantne nižšiu hladinu RBP4 voči obéznym s IR (452,8 ? 104,6 ng/ml; p < 0,05), ale nesignifikantne vyššiu voči obéznym jedincom s DM2T liečených metformínom (391,1 ? 133,5 ng/ml). RBP4 v sledovanej skupine koreloval s inzulínom r = 0,46 (p < 0,03). Záver: Zvýšenie RBP4 u obéznych cestou spätnej regulácie GLUT4 v adipocytoch prispieva k rozvoju a k zhoršeniu systémovej IR metformín vplyvom na expresiu RBP4 v adipocytoch môže u obéznych aj s MS zlepšovať celkovú inzulínovú senzitivitu a spomaliť nástup manifestného DM. RBP4 by mohol slúžiť aj ako marker zhoršujúcej sa tolerancie glukózy u obéznych., Mária Tajtáková, Z. Semanová, G. Ivančová, and Lit. 26
In this study, the simulation results of four vertical flow wetland systems using the HYDRUS Wetland Module are presented. The four wetland systems comprise three single-stage pilot scale systems and one full-scale two-stage system. The main difference between these systems is the filter media used, referred to as fine media, i.e., sand with a grain size distribution 0.063–4 mm, or coarse media, i.e., sand with grain size distributions between 1–4 mm, respectively. The water-flow simulation of each system is carried out using the single porosity van Genuchten-Mualem model. A good match between measured and simulated volumetric effluent flow rates could be achieved for all wetland systems. For reactive transport simulations, the CW2D biokinetic model was applied. First, simulations were run using the standard CW2D parameter set. For some systems, adjustments of the parameter set were needed in order to avoid unlimited bacteria growth. To better fit measured COD, NH4-N, and NO3-N effluent concentrations, adjustments of few parameters of the standard parameter set were required. The results show that for the VF wetlands with fine sand, no adjustments of the CW2D standard parameter set were needed, while for systems with coarser filter media as the main layer, the standard parameter set had to be adjusted to match simulated and measured effluent concentrations.
This study focuses on the quantification of non-isothermal soil moisture transport and evaporation fluxes in vegetated area. A one-dimensional numerical model is developed by integrating a multi-phase flow model with a twolayer energy-balance model. The non-isothermal multi-phase flow model solves four governing equations for coupled air, vapour, moisture, and heat transport in soil porous medium. The two-layer energy balance model estimates evaporation fluxes from transpiration, interception, and soil surface. The model was implemented to an oak forest area in Missouri, USA. For model calibration and validation, measurements of energy fluxes, soil moisture, and soil temperature were used. The proposed model is compared with a simple model that couples the Penman-Monteith equation with the Richards’ equation. The results indicate that the simple model underestimate the total evaporation rate. On the contrary, the proposed model includes a more detailed description of energy transfer, which could improve the accuracy in estimating evaporation rates. The proposed model could be a promising tool to quantify the energy and moisture fluxes in a soil-vegetation-atmosphere continuum in vegetated area.
The paper presents an evaluation of the combined use of the HYDRUS and SWI2 packages for MODFLOW as a potential tool for modeling recharge in coastal aquifers subject to saltwater intrusion. The HYDRUS package for MODFLOW solves numerically the one-dimensional form of the Richards equation describing water flow in variablysaturated media. The code computes groundwater recharge to or capillary rise from the groundwater table while considering weather, vegetation, and soil hydraulic property data. The SWI2 package represents in a simplified way variable-density flow associated with saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers. Combining these two packages within the MODFLOW framework provides a more accurate description of vadose zone processes in subsurface systems with shallow aquifers, which strongly depend upon infiltration. The two packages were applied to a two-dimensional problem of recharge of a freshwater lens in a sandy peninsula, which is a typical geomorphologic form along the Baltic and the North Sea coasts, among other places. Results highlighted the sensitivity of calculated recharge rates to the temporal resolution of weather data. Using daily values of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration produced average recharge rates more than 20% larger than those obtained with weekly or monthly averaged weather data, leading to different trends in the evolution of freshwater-saltwater interfaces. Root water uptake significantly influenced both the recharge rate and the position of the freshwater-saltwater interface. The results were less sensitive to changes in soil hydraulic parameters, which in our study were found to affect average yearly recharge rates by up to 13%.
In agricultural land use, organic residues such as compost, digestate, and sewage sludge are discussed as costeffective soil conditioner that may improve the water holding capacity and crop available soil moisture. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of application of digestates with different compositions in maize, sugar beet and winter wheat, compost of shrub debris and sewage sludge on shrinkage behaviour and contact angle of till-derived loamy topsoil of a Haplic Luvisol under agricultural use. Novelty is the simultaneous determination of contact angle and shrinkage of soils amended with digestates composed of different composition in maize, sugar beet and winter wheat, compost of shrub debris and sewage sludge. The results suggest that the application of organic residues impacts the air capacity, while the contact angles remained in the subcritical range between > 0° and < 90°. The relationship between CA values and moisture ratios, ϑ, during proportional shrinkage was positive and linear (r2 of 0.98) and negative during residual- and zero-shrinkage (r2 of 0.93).
The main purpose of this essay is critical. I focus on Robin Jeshion’s (2002; 2004; 2010) theory of singular thought, and I offer three objections to her Significance Condition for the creation of mental files. First of all, this condition makes incorrect predictions concerning singular thoughts about insignificant objects. Second, it conflicts with a theoretical aim mental file theories usually have, that of accounting for our ability to track discourse referents. And third, it appeals to a vague notion where a clear-cut notion is needed. In the final section, I suggest that there are more plausible alternatives to the Significance Condition that the mental file theorist could appeal to, and which do not face the problems mentioned., Hlavní cíl této eseje je kritický. Zaměřuji se na teorii singulární myšlenky Robina Jeshiona (2002; 2004; 2010) a nabízím tři námitky proti její podmínce významnosti pro tvorbu mentálních souborů. Především tato podmínka činí nesprávné předpovědi týkající se jednotlivých myšlenek o nevýznamných objektech. Za druhé, to je v rozporu s teoretickým cílem mentální souborové teorie obvykle mají, že účetnictví pro naši schopnost sledovat diskurz referents. A za třetí, apeluje na vágní představu, kde je zapotřebí jasného názoru. V závěrečné části navrhuji, aby existovaly více přijatelných alternativ k podmínce významnosti, na které by se mohl obrátit teoretik mentálních souborů a které by se těmto problémům nezabývaly., and Andrei Moldovan