Utility

Real-time surveillance systems, network and telecommunication systems, and other dynamic processes often generate tremendous (potentially infinite) volume of stream data. Effective analysis of such stream data poses great challenges to database and data mining researchers, due to its unique features, such as single-scan algorithm, multi-dimensional online analysis, fast response time, etc.

Much of the literature on polarization and selective exposure presumes that the internet exacerbates the fragmentation of the media and the citizenry. Yet, this ignores how the widespread use of social media changes news consumption. Social media provide readers a choice of stories from different sources that come recommended from politically heterogeneous individuals, in a context that emphasizes social value over partisan affiliation. Building on existing models of news selectivity to emphasize information utility, we hypothesize that social media’s distinctive feature, social endorsements, trigger several decision heuristics that suggest utility. In two experiments, we demonstrate that stronger social endorsements increase the probability that people select content, and that their presence reduces partisan selective exposure to levels indistinguishable from chance.

Limited empirical research exists on the explicit relevance of hedonic dimensions (aesthetics and playfulness) of humancomputer interaction design to usability. This research aims to determine the effects of color temperature on the perceptions of websites aesthetics, playfulness, and in turn usability. A Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis of data collected from 328 participants in a four-group between-subject research design involving the use of a mock hotel website offered support for all nine hypotheses proposed. ‘Cooler’ colors (e.g. blue) were found to favorably impact perceptions of classical aesthetics, which in turn influenced perceptions of efficiency positively, while also correlating with perceptions of expressive aesthetics. The latter, on the other hand, were affected favorably by warmer colors (e.g. red), and had a positive effect on perceptions of playfulness. In line with prior usability studies, positive relationships between efficiency and effectiveness respectiv...

Utility-based control (UBC) hasn't been widely adopted for commercial game AI. Some of the reasons for this are that UBC is perceived to be: (1) resource intensive, (2) difficult to design complex behaviours with, and (3) difficult to scale for use in complex environments. This paper investigates these perceptions to see if UBC is suitable for controlling the behaviour of non-player characters in commercial games. The investigation compares agents using a UBC system against two control systems that are more frequently used in commercial games: finite state machines (FSMs), considered a simple control system, and goal-oriented action planning (GOAP), considered a complex control system. We present a case study which suggests that: (1) UBC is more resource intensive than FSMs and less than GOAP; (2) it was reasonably simple to create complex behaviours with UBC; (3) UBC didn't scale as well as FSMs or GOAP for use in complex environments.

The average American is highly supportive of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology and has the opportunity to earn a high return of investment from a PV investment for their own home. Unfortunately, the average American does not have easy access to capital/financing to install a PV system able to meet their aggregate annual electric needs. One method to overcome this challenge is to allow 'plug-and-play solar', which is defined as a fully inclusive, commercial, off-the-shelf PV system (normally consisting of a PV module and microinverter), which a prosumer can install by plugging it into an electric outlet and avoiding the need for significant permitting, inspection and interconnection processes. Many advanced countries already allow plug-and-play solar, yet U.S. regulations have lagged behind. In order to assist the U.S. overcome regulatory obstructions to greater PV penetration, this article first reviews the relevant codes and standards from the National Electric Code, local jurisdictions and utilities for PV with a specific focus on plug-and-play solar. Next, commercially available microinverters and alternating current (AC) modules are reviewed for their technical and safety compliance to these standards and all were found to be compliant. The technical requirements are then compared to regulatory and utility requirements using case studies in Michigan, which were found to create arbitrary non-technically-valid barriers to grid entry. The analysis also exposed the redundancy of the utility accessed AC disconnect switch for residential and small commercial grid connected solar PV. It is clear that the AC disconnect switch is not necessary technically and thus imposing it is an economic barrier to grid entry for solar PV systems with UL (Underwriters Laboratories) certified microinverters. To reduce consumer and utility workload and the concomitant soft costs, this article provides a streamlined application with only technical requirements and free and open source software to ease utility implementation. Finally, the advantages of supporting plug-and-play solar PV with UL certified microinverters include greater PV system performance, faster uptake and higher PV penetration levels, improved prosumer economics, and more environmentally responsible electric generation.

This paper presents the different utilitarian approaches to ethics. It stresses the influence of utilitarianism in economics in general and in welfare economics in particular. The key idea of the paper to explain the evolution from classical utilitarianism to preferences utilitarianism and towards post-welfarist approaches is the following. Utility is defined normatively and positively. This generates some serious tensions. Utilitarianism needs to evolve to go beyond this ethical tension. Another idea defended in this paper is that the solutions developed by utilitarianism to solve the ethical issue eventually reinforces operational problems. This raises a legitimacy issue as whether the intervention of utilitarian economists in public decision are likely to be normatively transparent.

A new idea and approach are presented. The idea is to consider arrangements' infringements as a generalization of a breach of a term of contract. The approach is based on this idea and on the economic uncertainty principle. Problems, which can be solved, research fields, which can be augmented or created, and fields of applications in practical economy are reviewed. The role of information media is described.

The debate over various definitions of sustainability has for the most part been conducted within the framework of traditional welfare economics. Discussion has centered on technical issues imbedded within the functional forms of various optimization models, especially the coefficient of the elasticity of substitution and the social discount rate. Two more basic problems are: (1) intractable theoretical difficulties within welfare economics call into question the results of traditional models of sustainability regarding intergenerational welfare and (2) equating per capita consumption with welfare contradicts empirical evidence suggesting that the link between happiness and wealth/income is relatively weak. Alternative approaches to measuring well-being are being developed and these have great potential to move the sustainability debate forward. D

Political secularism takes many forms but a fundamental distinction is between radical and moderate kinds. The latter is a genuine secularism and not just a failure to take secularism to its logical conclusion. The failure to appreciate this obscures the secularism that exists in western Europe. Namely, an accommodation of organised religion which sees it as a potential public good or national resource (not just a private benefit), which the state can in some circumstances assist to realise—even through an ‘established’ church. I adumbrate five types of reasons the state might be interested in religion: truth, danger, utility, identity and respect. The challenge facing such secularism today is whether it can be pluralised or multiculturalised, in particular whether it can accommodate Muslims. A ground for optimism is the respect that some people, especially some Muslims, have for religions other than their own.

Emphasis on maintenance, repair, and operations inventory (or MRO inventory) can lead to improved inventory control, reduced operational costs, enhanced productivity, and increased cost accounting accuracy. To review the benefits of MRO inventory reduction, as well as highlight the management challenges associated with the process, a case study of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is presented. TVA is a not-for-profit electric power generation entity. TVA standardised inventory policies and procedures. Their comprehensive five-year plan included employee training, changes in organisational structure and strategy, reduced MRO inventories and the establishment of new growth drivers. Net inventory reductions of $47 million were realised. Suggestions for future MRO inventory reductions as well as replication of the management involvement and improvement process in other organisations are included.

For many decades, research in judgment and decision making has examined
behavioral violations of rational choice theory. In that framework, rationality
is expressed as a single correct decision shared by experimenters and subjects
that satisfies internal coherence within a set of preferences and beliefs.
Outside of psychology, social scientists are now debating the need to modify
rational choice theory with behavioral assumptions. Within psychology, researchers
are debating assumptions about errors for many different definitions
of rationality. Alternative frameworks are being proposed. These
frameworks view decisions as more reasonable and adaptive than previously
thought. For example, “rule following.” Rule following, which occurs when
a rule or norm is applied to a situation, often minimizes effort and provides
satisfying solutions that are “good enough,” though not necessarily the best.
When rules are ambiguous, people look for reasons to guide their decisions.
They may also let their emotions take charge. This chapter presents recent research
on judgment and decision making from traditional and alternative
frameworks.

The control and operation of electronic systems
relies and depends on the availability of  the  power supply.
Rechargeable batteries have been more pervasively used as
the energy storage and power source for various electrical and electronic systems and devices, such as communication
systems, electronic devices, renewable power systems, electric vehicles, etc. However, the rechargeable batteries are
subjected to the availability of the external power source when it is drained out. Because of the concern of battery life,
environmental pollution and a possible energy crisis, the
renewable solar energy has received an increasing attention
in recent years. A fuzzy logic control based grid tied
uninterruptible power supply integrating renewable solar
energy can be used for electrical and electronic systems to
produce power generation. This paper presents the design and implementation of fuzzy logic control based grid tied
uninterruptible power supply integrating the renewable  solar power energy system. The uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system is characterized by the rechargeable battery that is connected  with  the Photovoltaic Panel through the DC/DC converter,  the  utility AC through the AC/DC  converter  and the load is connected through the DC/AC converter. The whole operation is controlled by the fuzzy logic algorithm. A complete hardware prototype system model of the fuzzy logic control based  on the  grid tied uninterruptible power supply integrating with the  renewable solar energy is designed and implemented. The operation and effectiveness of the proposed system is  then  demonstrated by  the  actual and  real-time implementation of  the  fuzzy logic control grid tied operation 
uninterruptible power supply integrating renewable  solar
energy connected to the rechargeable battery bank and a PIC
microcontroller platform for fuzzy logic control and operation.

Digital technologies are being introduced in museums and other informal learning environments alongside more traditional interpretive and communication media. An increasing number of studies has proved the potential of digitally mediated cultural heritage experiences. However, there is still a lot of controversy as to the advantages and disadvantages of introducing the digital into museum settings, primarily related to the risks and investment in terms of time and human and financial resources required. This work introduces the MUSETECH model, a comprehensive framework for evaluating museum technology
before and after its introduction into a museum setting. One of the unique features of our framework is to consider the evaluation of digital technologies from three different perspectives: the cultural heritage professional, cultural heritage institution, and museum visitor. The framework benefited from an extensive review of the current state of the art and from inputs from cultural heritage professionals, designers, and engineers. MUSETECH can be used as a tool for reflection before,
during, and after introducing novel digital media resources. The model covers technologies as diverse as mobile museum guides, Augmented and Virtual Reality applications, hands-on museum interactives, edutainment applications, digitally mediated tangible and embodied experiences, or online approaches used for museum education and learning.

Web Service Computing is a recent evolution in Distributed Computing series and it is an emerging and fast growing paradigm in the present scenario. Web Service Computing is a diversified discipline suite that related to the technologies of Business Process Integration and Management, Grid / Utility / Cloud Computing paradigms, autonomic computing, as well as the business and scientific applications. It applies the theories of Science and Technology for bridging the gap between Business Services and IT Services. Service oriented computing addresses how to enable the technology to help people to perform business processes more efficiently and effectively, ultimately resulting in creating WIN-WIN strategy between the business organizations and end users. The greatest significance of the web services is their interoperability, which allows businesses to dynamically publish, discover, and aggregate a range of Web services through the Internet to more easily create innovative products, business processes and value chains both from organization and end user points of views. Due to these, this cross discipline attracts the variety of researchers from various disciplines to conduct the versatile research and experiments in this area.

In this work, the utility & functional characteristics of garment made from woven fabrics of bamboo/ polyester yarns have been studied in relation to pick density, weave and % of component fibers in the blends. The objective of utility & functional characteristics was to determine the influence of fabric factors such as Pick density ,weave and the constituent fibers characteristics on the fabric properties such as GSM , Tensile Strength, Tearing Strength, Abrasion Resistance & Pilling Propensity, The experimental results show that 2/30s bamboo in warp way of twill woven fabric exhibit Tensile Strength, Tearing Strength, Abrasion Resistance & Pilling Propensity when compared to other Samples.

Background: Mapping from health status measures onto generic preference-based measures is becoming a common solution when health state utility values are not directly available for economic evaluation. However the accuracy and reliability of the models employed is largely untested, and there is little evidence of their suitability in patient datasets. This paper examines whether mapping approaches are reliable and accurate in terms of their predictions for a large and varied UK patient dataset. Methods: SF-36 dimension scores are mapped onto the EQ-5D index using a number of different model specifications. The predicted EQ-5D scores for subsets of the sample are compared across inpatient and outpatient settings and medical conditions. This paper compares the results to those obtained from existing mapping functions. Results: The model including SF-36 dimensions, squared and interaction terms estimated using random effects GLS has the most accurate predictions of all models estimated here and existing mapping functions as indicated by MAE (0.127) and MSE (0.030). Mean absolute error in predictions by EQ-5D utility range increases with severity for our models (0.085 to 0.34) and for existing mapping functions (0.123 to 0.272). Conclusion: Our results suggest that models mapping the SF-36 onto the EQ-5D have similar predictions across inpatient and outpatient setting and medical conditions. However, the models overpredict for more severe EQ-5D states; this problem is also present in the existing mapping functions.

This paper analyzes secondary and primary source literature written about William Marshal - a comparatively famous 12th century knight - in order to determine what influences his reputation has had on authors, as well as what consequential perceptions there are of him due to that distortion.

Courts' verdicts issued by the judge ideally contain aspects of legal certainty, justice, and utility. It is not easy though to synergize the three aspects aforementioned. Between aspects of legal certainty and justice, in particular, there are always disagreements. The research results conclude that a judge does not have to stick on one principle whenever examining and deciding a case. In terms of obstacles, the judge is facing a deadlock whenever written stipulations cannot answer the problems arose. The emphasis on justice principle means that the judge should take into consideration the law, which exists in the society, including customs and unwritten laws. The judge in his argument and legal consideration must be able to accommodate any stipulations exist in the society, both customs and unwritten law. The emphasis on utility principle tends to direct to an economic nuance circumstance. It bases its thought on the idea that law is for human beings or public.

In recent years, the field of decision making has benefitted greatly from a renewed interest in how people face choices involving uncertain outcomes. Decision Making: Descriptive, Normative, and Prescriptive Interactions is a collection of outstanding articles that addresses the general topic of decision making from three different perspectives: (1) how people make decisions, (2) how "rational" people should make decisions, and (3) how less rational people, who aspire to rationality, might do better. The book brings together these different approaches to decision making, summarizes ongoing work in the field, and synthesizes research in the different areas.

As the use of qualitative inquiry increases within the field of social work, researchers must consider the issue of establishing rigor in qualitative research. This article presents research procedures used in a study of autoethnographies that were written regarding the experience of being Jewish. In this project, the researchers utilized reflexivity, audit trail, triangulation by observer, peer debriefing, member check and prolonged engagement in order to manage the threats to trustworthiness as discussed by Padgett (1998). Implications of the project suggest that research procedures utilized by qualitative researchers to establish rigor are an important way to increase our confidence that the voice of the participants is heard, therefore fitting the mission of the social work profession.

Purpose of life 1 THE PURPOSE OF LIFE Contents Rivalry Our nothingness Means and ends Purpose Fun and money Futility Superfluity Suffering Wisdom RIVALRY 1 Herd purpose Other people, who are not quite real to us, are the source of all our reality. I do my utmost to make my own life mean more than that of others, by trying to make it mean more to others. I am sure that their lives have worth only if they add to the worth of my own. And yet my own life has purpose only if it means something to them. So high and so low do I rank my own standing and that of my fellow beings.

Seringnya terjadi gangguan kubikel, utamanya akibat terjadi korona pada komponen kubikel tegangan menengah menyebabkan pasokan listrik kepada pelanggan terganggu. Penyebab terjadinya korona pada kubikel dipengaruhi oleh beberapa faktor dan memiliki dampak negatif terhadap lingkungan sekitar, serta peralatan listrik. Untuk mengurangi terjadinya hal tersebut, maka perlu dilakukan penerapan sempurna inspeksi dan corrective action terhadap hasil inspeksi yang ada. Sehingga, pasokan listrik dapat terus disalurkan secara terus-menerus dan berdampak terhadap kepuasan pelanggan akan pelayanan yang diberikan.

o the best of present knowledge, schizophrenia is a disorder with variable phenotypic expression and poorly understood, complex etiology, involving a major genetic contribution, as well as environmental factors interacting with the genetic susceptibility. Multiple genes and different combinations of their polymorphic variants provide the genetic background, with a proportion of the transmitted genotypes remaining clinically unexpressed. Schizophrenia occurs in diverse populations at comparable rates, 1 which is consistent with an ancient origin 271 S t a t e o f t h e a r t

PT. PERTAMINA (Persero) merupakan perusahaan BUMN penyedia energi yang memiliki peran vital bagi kelangsungan hidup negara, maka dari itu proses berlangsungnya perusahaan menjadi sangat penting untuk diperhatikan agar stabilitasnya terus terjaga. Laporan ini merupakan hasil penelitian penulis pada saat melakukan kerja praktik di PT. PERTAMINA (Persero) Refinery Unit VI Balongan, Indramayu. Dalam rangka menjaga kestabilan proses pada kilang minyak ini, perhatian kepada alat pengendali termasuk alat instrumennya menjadi penting agar kehandalan proses yang dilakukan pada kilang tetap terjaga. Dengan latar belakang tersebut, penulis melakukan penelitian tentang sistem kendali dan instrumentasi ketinggian air pada unit 56 Cooling Water. Pada laporan ini akan dibahas mengenai alat instrumen ketinggian air yang digunakan pada bak air menara pendingin unit 56. Selain itu, akan dibahas pula skema sistem instrumentasi dan sistem pengendalian ketinggian air yang digunakan pada unit tersebut. Terakhir, penulis melakukan analisis terhadap respon pengendali ketinggian air yang ternyata memiliki respon belum cukup baik karena muncul osilasi yang cukup besar.

Di tengah Pandemi Covid-19, yang berdampak besar terutama pada sektor ekonomi masyarakat Indonesia. Sebuah Kontroversi muncul yang menimbulkan pro-kontra banyak kalangan, yaitu pada hari Senin 5 Oktober 2020 Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat mengesahkan UU Omnibus Law. Omnibus law adalah bentuk UU yang mengatur berbagai subyek yang kompleks, lalu disatukan dalam sebuah wadah hukum (Muqsith, 2020). UU Omnibus Law ini sebenarnya sudah menjadi kontroversi saat masih berbentuk RUU di Tahun 2019, bersamaan dengan pengesahan UU KPK dan Penghapusan UU PKS. Salah satu UU yang ditolak banyak kalangan yaitu UU Cipta Kerja yang dinilai lebih menguntungkan banyak Investor. Setelah di revisi lagi, akhirnya telah disahkan UU Omnibus Law dengan naskah final sebanyak, namun apakah UU ini menciptakan kesejahteraan bagi banyak orang? Sebagaimana teori Utilitas Jeremy Bentham, atau hanya menguntungkan sebagian kelompok?

Planning and development is mutually supportive and is highly a complicated activity. Most of the urban issues lie with land related activities as land is a scarce and highly valuable commodity. Traditional methods of surveying and the land records cannot be successful tools for managing the urban scenario today. It is because the people and technology keep changing much faster and is ahead of time. What is needed in today's scenario is a tool which captures, stores, analyses and leads to a feasible solution. GIS is one such sophisticated tool to handle spatial information and sequentially analyze the physical environment with that of its attribute data such as Canopy, Land use Land cover, Environmental resources, water line, and sewer line etc and related to its topology. GIS is a useful and powerful analytical tool for urban planning and urban management. Rapid developments of today's IT sector namely Internet, Mobile Computing, WiFi WiMax, Internet Banking, Remote sensing, Virtual reality have changed our social life in various fields. This is reflected even in the field of urban planning. The main purpose of this paper is to venture out the possibilities of GIS application in urban planning with respect to urban safety. Also the concept of Semantics and Syntactic to analyze the city from the view point of urban safety is addressed. Apart from the conventional attributes of GIS like intensity of change, expansion of impermeable areas, Growth pattern, and the applications of GIS with reference to urban safety has to be studied for its potentials as this is the need of the hour. The challenge of managing cities with respect to its safety aspects is a mind blogging and a challenging task to the urban planners as they have to integrate urban planning with various technological advancements. Remote sensing and its tools if properly integrated with that of urban planning solutions will definitely lead to a safer city.

A partir de la noción de suceso, entendida como acción significativa que se separa de lo cotidiano, se busca estudiar el modo en que las actividades son estructuradas en el espacio desde la arquitectura, por fuera del enfoque funcionalista. La estructura de sucesos aparece como un modo de concebir y ordenar las actividades en el espacio desde diversos sentidos, expuestos por medio de cinco casas del siglo XX. Cada una de estas estructuras supone una postura diferente frente al habitar, tanto en términos arquitectónicos como filosóficos. Las primeras dos casas se presentan como polos de discusión paradigmáticos de la arquitectura moderna frente al problema de la función; las siguientes tres abren exploraciones en el modo de estructurar los sucesos por fuera de la búsqueda funcional óptima, en la segunda mitad del siglo XX.

Sistem elektrikal merupakan suatu rangkaian peralatan penyediaan daya listrik untuk memenuhi kebutuhan daya listrik tegangan rendah. Dalam rangkaian peralatan yang disediakan meliputi sarana penyesuaian tegangan listrik (trafo/ transformator), sarana penyaluran utama (Kabel feeder) dan panel hubung utama atau LVMDP (Low Voltage Main Distribution Panel) dan panel distribusi utama di tiap gedung (SDP / Sub Distribution Panel) dan terakhir panel-panel di tiap lantai (PP-LP untuk penerangan, Panel Stop Kontak, Panel Stop Kontak UPS, Panel UPS OK dan PVAC utuk power AC). Boomxxi.net Nonton Film Dua Garis Biru Subtitle Indonesia Download Film Dua Garis Biru Bluray Full Movie Sub Indo Sistem Elektrikal Rumah Sakit Sistem elektrikal pada Rumah Sakit mempunyai pedoman teknis tersendiri. Selain instalasinya, penempatan peralatan-peralatan listrik pun harus di tempat yang mudah dipelihara (maintenance), dioperasikan, diamati, tidak membahayakan, tidak menganggu, dan tidak merugikan lingkungan sekitar termasuk bagian bangunan dan instalasi lain. Adapun perancangan dan pelaksanaannya harus berdasarkan PUIL / SNI 04-0225 edisi terbaru dan peraturan yang berlaku. BOOMXXI.NET Ruang lingkup pekerjaan elektrikal dalam suatu kantor adalah menyangkut persediaan sarana distribusi listrik tegangan rendah dari panel utama tegangan rendah (LVMDP (Low Voltage Distribution Paanel) ke panel sub distribusi hingga peralatan atau accesories. Dalam gedung yang lebih besar lagi, ruang lingkup elektrikal dari suatu gedung juga menyangkut pengubahan tegangan menengah PLN (20ribu volt) menjadi tegangan rendah. Pada gedung ini tegangan listrik didistribusikan dari saluran tegangan menengah melalui trafo menjadi saluran tegangan rendah 3 fase R,S,T, dimana tegangan antar fase 380 volt, dan 220 pada jalur netral. • Sumber daya / tegangan • Distribusi daya • Panel

Francis Bacon and René Descartes have traditionally been presented as leaders of opposed philosophical currents. However, more and more studies show important continuities between their philosophies. This article explores one of them: their perspectives on medicine. The dominion over nature and the instinct for self-preservation are the central elements of the theoretical framework within which they inserted their assessment of medicine. Medicine is valued as the most outstanding discipline for its benefits for the care of the human being. Departing from this startpoint, one finds further coincidences about the status, practice, and reform of medicine.

Numa economia global é necessário uma ética global, universal. Como ligar a ética à economia num mundo interdependente? Que ética escolher de entre as várias teorias éticas? O utilitarismo e a maximização da utilidade promove a felicidade de todos ou promove o egocentrismo? Qual o papel das instituições internacionais na definição e no cumprimento dos deveres/direitos universais? São estas as questões que este documento de trabalho levanta e a que tenta dar resposta, dando alguns contributos para a definição de uma ética global baseada nos deveres, nas virtudes e nos afectos. Uma ética universal que concilie a parcialidade dos afectos com a imparcialidade dos deveres. Uma ética que concilie justiça com solidariedade. Uma ética em que os meios justifiquem os fins. ABSTRACT In a global economy, global, universal ethics are a necessity. How can ethics be connected to the economy in an interdependent world? From all the different theories on ethics, which one should we choose? Does utilitarianism and the maximisation of utility promote the happiness of all, or does it promote selfishness? What is the role of the international institutions in the definition and the respect of universal duties and rights? These are the questions that this working document raises and attempts to answer, putting forward some contributions to the definition of a global ethic based on duties, virtues and fraternity; a universal ethic which reconciles the partiality of feelings with the impartiality of duties; an ethic which reconciles justice with solidarity; an ethic in which the means justify the ends. 1 A reciprocidade tem na sua origem uma dívida diferida no tempo: ajudamos, hoje, porque ontem fomos ajudados. Alguém, nos tempos primordiais, iniciou o processo imitando o comportamento dos deuses. 2 Antígona,para obedecer aos deuses, desobedeceu ao rei, Creonte, e foi , por este castigada imerecidamente. Creonte sofreu as consequências de não ter respeitado o primado do poder religioso sobre o poder temporal. 3 Recentemente, António Damásio(2003) há-de redescobrir Espinosa e o papel do sentir e das emoções no pensamento racional. 4 J. fala no véu de ignorância que permite aos que escolhem os princípios éticos universais não saberem se são ou não beneficiados pelos princípios que escolheram.

The paper shows that the RG score, used by the Researchgate open scientific gateway, is seriously flawed. The hard-core center of the RG Score, besides interactions, is the journal impact factor system, used in the RG Score and the overall ranking of journal publications. Upon closer inspection, it is evident that RG impact factors are based on the geographically and culturally very biased Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge (WoK) database, but that the RG team even commits errors and omissions in feeding the original WoK impact factor data into the RG system.

Scopus, the fierce Thomson Reuters competitor, managed by Elsevier, offers a database, which is geographically much more diverse and already includes 18.854 journals, and only 30% of them are located in the United States of America. Scopus indeed is far better suited to serve as the basis of journal impact factor calculations than the Web of Knowledge data base, especially from the viewpoint of the rising scientific power of the BRIC countries, but also from the viewpoint of the growing knowledge power of other rapidly advancing developing countries, among them in the Muslim world.

Now what seems to happen is that while the RG impact factor data for most medical journals and science journals, checked by the present author, like the impact factor for the famous medical journals as the “The Lancet” (38.28) and “New England Journal of Medicine” seem to coincide with the current WoK figures, there are severe errors and omissions in other cases, even if we assume that the basis of the RG journal impact factor score is based on WoK. Since the present author happens to have written recently for the “rapid response” online section of the “British Medical Journal” (BMJ), I discovered by chance and with great dismay that the BMJ is listed none the less than 3 times with either different impact factors or ISSN numbers or both in the RG system.

The current RG impact factor system, as it is operated in the RG, also severely discriminates against the social sciences. This is my next and equally serious point of critique. Even the “American Political Science Review”, the journal of the most important political science association of the world, the American Political Science Association, published by Cambridge University Press, and according to the World catalogue of books (http://www.worldcat.org/advancedsearch) available at 1296 libraries around the world (print version alone), is not even awarded an impact factor in the RG system.

Scopus is much more realistic in assigning a weight of somewhere near 5 at maximum to the leading medical journals, while the weighting in WoK is simply an expression of the fact that science unjustly dominates over the social sciences in that index system. Nobody can reasonably state that a medical journal is 19 times more important than an economics journal, but Researchgate system does so!

Even the neoliberal giant Milton Friedman receives from the system an impact factor of 0.

We list the RG-scores and impact factors of the Nobel laureates in economics over the last years. All are handsomely surpassed according to these RG statistics by 5% or even 50% of Researchgate users, which is comfortable to 300.000 to 3.000.000 scientists.

We simply suggest to the Researchgate decision makers to dump in into the dustbin of scientific errors and useless concepts, for good and forever.

Background: The use of biomarkers in basic and clinical research as well as in clinical practice has become so common that their presence as primary endpoints in clinical trials is now accepted. A biomarker refers to a broad subcategory of medical signs. The aims of this article are to consider the of use biomarkers in Mild stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in research and clinical settings, in addition to defining their utility in clinical practice relating this with nutritional and lifestyle factors as possible treatment.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, PubMed, and AgeLine databases using different keywords.

Conclusions: A summary of the utility of biomarkers in AD and nutritional and lifestyle factors used as treatment in mild stages are described.

Art is useless, and always will be. The artist, however, chooses eagerly to wallow and slosh in the mud of the unknown. For Georges Bataille, uselessness is a virtue, one to embrace in order to reject the confines of structured, everyday existence, even if only temporarily in anticipation of returning from the abyss. In this essay, I will delineate Bataille's thought as it relates to intimacy, sacrifice, and art, accessed through the self-imposed choice of self-infliction. These concepts, when unified, may ultimately serve as a set of ethics for intimacy, artistic practice, and perhaps the act of living itself.