Models, Conceptual and Predictive: A Response to Johnson’s Models-as-Fables

James Johnson argues that formal models are best conceived as fables which provide lessons about empirical phenomena and the “standard rationale” of testing model predictions fails. Without justifying the “standard rationale” as such, we argue that models produce scientific predictions. These predictions come at different levels or granularity of description and in different forms each bearing some degree of uncertainty, but still give conditions for the existence of political phenomena. Models and their predictions require projection onto the world, and that projection involves interpretation. Tests utilize inference to the best explanation, and it is the conceptual or theoretical aspect of models that make them explanatory. We discuss the extent to which our characterisation of models and their explanatory form versus that of Johnson constitutes a verbal or substantive dispute.

Measuring of Subjective and Objective Aesthetics in Planning and Urban Design

The article includes the concept of aesthetics through what has been dealt with in the literature by philosophers and researchers who have addressed this concept in an attempt to derive indicators of aesthetics. The article adopted a descriptive and analytical methodology by reviewing recent literature on the concept of aesthetics and its relation to urban planning and design issues. Many subjective and objective aesthetics indicators have been identified, some of which are classified under real aesthetics, and some under fake aesthetics. The indicators were applied to the Kufa Mosque complex and Sahla Mosque complex as a comparative case study. It was found that the indicators of real aesthetics have a higher weight in determining the final aesthetic judgment on the complex form versus the fake indicators, which in turn reinforced the weighting of the subjective aspect over the objective. This was consistent with the answer to the question directed to the sample about which complexes are more aesthetic. The answer was that the Kufa Mosque complex is most aesthetically. This was proven by the questions directed in the questionnaire, which outweighed the real aesthetic indicators for the Kufa Mosque complex. As for the results of analyzing the indicators of fake aesthetic were equal, as each complex achieved higher values in three indicators. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091743 Full Text: PDF

Ontological Transformations in Hindu Tantric Ritualisms of Kathmandu Valley

Rituals of incorporation (utarnu) of numinous ontologies in Himalayan Tantric ritualisms represent an interesting field for developing a reflection on different phenomenologies of the body. From the physical body of the tantrika (Tantric practitioner), the formal remains of an individual atman-Self, I investigate the experiences that make it a receptacle for a numinous Other. This article is an attempt to identify some distinctive Tantric features in a ritual practice of incorporation (chema puja) among the Newar communities of the Kathmandu Valley. Such incorporations are supported by an essential narrative link which describes the figure of Siva-Mahadeva as the transmitter of knowledge of tantra-mantra, generating a direct esoteric filiation with the ritual practitioner. Through these incorporation processes, the tantrika achieves a perpetual alternation of two morphologically stable manifestations where the two natures, human and divine, merge into a single form, versus a fragmentation where the two distinct natures remain visible under two Gestalts. By proposing a neurocognitive anthropological approach, I will address the notions of Self and Alien in Hindu Tantric rituals of incorporation, where tantrikas' physical bodies become the encounter spaces where the Self merges and dissolves into the 'numinous' Other, in a bistable mode. In this way, I will be able to reconstruct the neural foundations of these endogenous experiences, mainly localized in the left temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) of the human brain, representing the fundamental core basis of these ritual practices of visualization and merging with a deity in Newar Tantrism and shamanism.

One Danger and Eleven Types of Academic Disquiet Whilst Hunting for Cinematic Christ-figures

Christ-figures increasingly permeate the popular cinema, but hunting for them is not necessarily a benign or unproblematic activity. Following a selective review of the film and religion literature, and a preliminary scan of the popular cinema utilizing textually-based humanist film criticism as the guiding analytical lens, one danger and eleven types of academic disquiet were explicated herein. Namely: (1) When Factual Minimalism Equals Certainty: Holy Hope, (2) Misidentification: When Something Supposedly “Christian” Was Something Else, (3) When Nothing Equals Something: Creatio Ex Nihilo, (4) Spiritually Negating Christian Iconography: Form Versus Substance, (5) Some Problems with the Secular-is-Sacred Argument, (6) Film is Not a Substitute for Faith, Religion, or God, (7) Rewriting the Film: Aesthetic Violence?, (8) Tenuous Links, Strained Associations, and Uncertain Correspondences, (9) Rejecting Overt Religion for Covert Religion: Distorting Theology and Misdirecting Faith?, (10) From Symbolism Fatigue to Symbolism Cynicism, and (11) Pattern Appeasement: From Being Uncritical to Narrative Insights. It was concluded that being cognizant of the inherent dangers and sources of academic disquiet is a valuable means of expanding one’s visual and intellectual imagination, and also useful for the postmodern church. Further research into the subtextual sub-genre of the religion-and-film field was encouraged, warmly recommended, and is already long overdue.

Nanovaccine impact on dendritic cells: transcriptome analysis enables new insights into antigen and adjuvant effects

Aim: For vaccines the combination between an antigen and adjuvants are both crucially important to trigger an effective immune response in dendritic cells. Innovative adjuvants like resiquimod or muramyldipeptide have their target protein inside the cell. Materials & methods: Up/downregulation and proteome expression was investigated for the adjuvant combination resiquimod and muramyldipeptide in a soluble form versus encapsulated into a nanocarrier. Results: We found that 1225 genes were upregulated after nanocarrier treatment while 478 genes were downregulated. Most prominent were interferon-stimulated genes with more than 25-times higher expression after nanocarrier treatment, for example RSAD2 and ISG15, which were recently found to have antiviral or antitumor effects. Conclusion: Encapsulation gives a more effective upregulation of vaccine-related genes.

Üks laenuline perekonnanime tüüp: nimed lõpuga -mees

Kirjutises esitletakse Eesti perekonnanimede tüüpi, kus nime lõpuosiseks on -mees. Perekonnanimede panekul 1822–1835 on nimesid lõpuga -mees (-mes) pandud rohkem kui 140 mõisas. Paljud neist on hääbunud, samas on seda tüüpi perekonnanimesid pandud/võetud ka XX sajandil: 1921–1922 Petserimaal ja Narvatagusel ning 1935–1940 nimede eestistamisel. Kirjutises on ära toodud kõik 63 mees-lõpulist perekonnanime, mis esinesid rahvastikuregistris aastal 2017, nimekandjate hulk sel aastal, nimede päritolu ja tekkekoht, enamasti mõisa täpsusega. Nenditakse, et nimetüüp lõpuga -mees on laen saksa keelest (tõlgitud on saksa perekonnanimede formant -mann ’mees, inimene’), ehkki vastavaid eeskujuks olevaid liitsõnu esineb ka eesti keeles (näiteks aumees, jahimees, kälimees, maamees, põllumees, sannamees, talumees, nimepanemise ajal arvatavasti juba ka laenuline kaupmees). Saksa keelest on enamasti siiski laenatud nii perekonnanimede struktuuritüüp kui ka sageli nimeosade leksika (mugand, laen või otsetõlge eesti keelde). Vaid iga kümnenda nime puhul võiks väita, et aluseks on eestikeelne liitsõna. Huvitaval kombel järgib mees-lõpuline perekonnanimetüüp levikuala, mis on kindlaks tehtud paljude murdenähtuste puhul. Abstract. Marja Kallasmaa and Fred Puss: A borrowed name type: surnames ending with ‑mees ‘man’. In the Population Register in 2017, there were 63 surnames ending with -mees ‘man’. The article presents the etymology of all these names. The Estonian surname type ending -mees has mostly been borrowed from German surnames with the name formant -mann. Estonian peasants received their surnames in the 19th century (about 31,000 surnames in 1822–1835, of those around 100 ending with -mees). Among those, there were around 5,020 occasions of surnames (around 2,000 different names) ending with -man(n), mostly in North Estonia. In 1935–1940, the peak of the Estonianization of surnames took place and 22 names ending with -mees were added. 1. Most of surnames ending with -mees are translation loans as Jõemees (Bachmann), Majamees (Hausmann), Metsmees (Waldmann), Mäemees (Bergmann), Nõmmemees (Heidemann), etc. In one surname, a partial translation of the first part has been found: Piirimees (Altegrenzmann). 2. Surnames with adapted first part: Valdmees (Waldmann), Kunstimees (Kunstmann). 3. There are different first parts of surnames in the islands of Hiiumaa and Saaremaa: in Hiiumaa, the first parts are toponyms, in Saaremaa, mostly adjectives. 4. Some surnames present the dialectal form versus standard language form: Mõtsmees and Metsmees (dialectal mõts, standard mets ‘forest’), Tepomees and Teppomees (standard male name Tepo, in the coastal dialect Teppo, same in the old spelling), Sannamees (standard saunamees ‘smallholder’). The surname written in 1835 – Maelzemees – has given three different present-day spellings: Mäeltsemees, Mältsamees and Määltsemees. 5. German influence is both structural and lexical (translation, adaptation, word selection). 6. Only around one tenth of the names come from Estonian compound words.