This thesis deals with mesoscopic models of cortex called neural fields. The neural field equations describe the activity of neuronal populations, with common anatomical / functional properties. They were introduced in the 1950s and are called the equations of Wilson and Cowan. Mathematically, they consist of integro-differential equations with delays, the delays modeling the signal propagation and the passage of signals across synapses and the dendritic tree. In the first part, we recall the biology necessary to understand this thesis and derive the main equations. Then, we study these equations with the theory of dynamical systems by characterizing their equilibrium points and dynamics in the second part. In the third part, we study these delayed equations in general by giving formulas for the bifurcation diagrams, by proving a center manifold theorem, and by calculating the principal normal forms. We apply these results to one-dimensional neural fields which allows a detailed study of the dynamics. Finally, in the last part, we study three models of visual cortex. The first two models are from the literature and describe respectively a hypercolumn, i.e. the basic element of the first visual area (V1) and a network of such hypercolumns. The latest model is a new model of V1 which generalizes the two previous models while allowing a detailed study of specific effects of delays

La presente tesis estudia la correlación negativa entre inflación y precios reales de las acciones. En primer lugar, muestro evidencia de que la inflación impone costos reales en la economía, en particular al disminuir los beneficios de las empresas, tal como sugiriera originalmente Miton Friedman. Segundo, sugiero que la inflación decrece los precios reales de las acciones dado que la probabilidad de sufrir estanflación en el futuro crece con la tasa de inflación (premio evento-extremo). Tercero, testeo si la evidencia macroeconómica respalda la relación positiva entre inflación e incertidumbre, y la relación entre inflación y el precio del riesgo (avesión relativa al riesgo). Cuarto, presento un estudio histórico, Alemania entre 1870 y 1935, para mostrar que es el premio por evento-extremo, y no illusion monetaria, lo que conlleva la correlación negativa entre inflación y precios reales de acciones. El último capítulo discute contagio en países emergentes.

Diss.--Faculteit der Letteren--Leiden--Rijksuniversiteit, 1989.

Th. doct.--Archéol. et histoire de l'art--Bruxelles--Université libre de Bruxelles, 1990. / Bibliogr. p. 373-389.

This dissertation explores the concept of reproduction as it relates to processes, images and materials in contemporary art. The concept embraces collaboration, embroidery, fragmentation, diffusion, multiplicity, inclusivity, decentralisation, copy, pastiche and appropriation. The convergence of these practices and ideas in contemporary theories and contemporary art, my own included, is explored. The concept ofreproduction intersects with traditional structures of knowledge and aesthetics, such as those of the Individual Artist, authenticity and the construct of Woman. In the process, these are questioned and inevitably redefined. A re-weaving of female identity, in particular, emerges. At the same time, the traditional notion of reproduction is itself unravelled in order to reveal the ambiguities and multi-layered meanings inherent in the concept. Reproductive or regenerative practices and ideas, as examined here, become an effective force for unfolding the complexities of a female-specific aesthetic and identity, previously reduced by traditional structures. / Fine Arts / M.A. (Fine Arts)

Submitted by Livia Mello (liviacmello@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-10-14T12:33:32Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseMTG.pdf: 1104947 bytes, checksum: 5553dfe80ed25e72e25d376bdbd405b3 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-11-08T18:46:18Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseMTG.pdf: 1104947 bytes, checksum: 5553dfe80ed25e72e25d376bdbd405b3 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-11-08T18:46:24Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseMTG.pdf: 1104947 bytes, checksum: 5553dfe80ed25e72e25d376bdbd405b3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-08T18:46:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseMTG.pdf: 1104947 bytes, checksum: 5553dfe80ed25e72e25d376bdbd405b3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-08-12 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Starting from Kant’s statement that there is an inherent transcendental illusion in the process of knowledge, we ask: how can an illusion have a positive role? It is possible to identify a paradox, that can be, considering Kant’s statement itself, overcome by a critique of reason and by a careful reading to the positive role of the transcendental idea to the empirical knowledge. By criticizing traditional metaphysics, in the same time that he shows how illusion can stop deceiving, even imperative, Kant guarantees a role to reason on knowledge sphere, engendering the way to nature’s unity desired by reason. Kant (KrV, B 673) states that focus imaginarius is an inseparable aspect of the transcendental idea and of its empirical knowledge regulator role. Considering the existence of a transcendental idea as a figurative unity projected as focus imaginarius, our goal is to show that the reason paradox can be overcome form focus imaginarius critical metaphor, as an entity of being, featured by Kant as an analogy to the transcendental idea, that takes part of knowledge game as reason’s deprecated unity, bringing forward the very reasons objects. As this investigations exemplary moment, is seen, through reason’s antinomies example, that reasons demands a systematic unity of all knowledge, by having the transcendental idea as this unity, featured from a projection: the focus imaginarius. / Partindo da afirmação kantiana de que há uma ilusão transcendental inerente ao processo de conhecimento, perguntamos: como uma ilusão pode possuir um papel positivo? Aqui há um paradoxo, que pode ser, no próprio argumento kantiano, superado por uma crítica da razão e por uma leitura atenta ao papel positivo da ideia transcendental no conhecimento empírico. Ao fazer a crítica à metafísica tradicional, ao mesmo tempo em que mostra como a ilusão pode deixar de enganar, ainda que indissipável, Kant garante um papel à razão no âmbito do conhecimento, engendrando o caminho para a unidade da natureza, almejada pela razão. Kant (KrV, B 673) afirma que o focus imaginarius é aspecto indissociável da ideia transcendental e de seu papel regulador do conhecimento empírico. Considerando que há uma ideia transcendental como unidade projetada figurativamente como focus imaginarius, nosso objetivo é mostrar que o paradoxo da razão pode ser superado a partir da metáfora crítica do focus imaginarius, como um ente de razão, caracterizado por Kant como uma analogia à ideia transcendental, que participa do jogo do conhecimento como a unidade pretendida pela razão, apresentando objetos da própria razão. Como momento exemplar desta investigação, vê-se, pelo exemplo das antinomias da razão, que a razão exige uma unidade sistemática de todo conhecimento, tendo a ideia transcendental como esta unidade, caracterizada a partir de uma projeção: o focus imaginarius.

Submitted by isabela.moljf@hotmail.com (isabela.moljf@hotmail.com) on 2017-05-29T13:31:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 talitasilvaschoder.pdf: 1471952 bytes, checksum: d7c21e47001f7ac6d9187e2067a6eabb (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-05-29T19:39:01Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 talitasilvaschoder.pdf: 1471952 bytes, checksum: d7c21e47001f7ac6d9187e2067a6eabb (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-05-29T19:39:19Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 talitasilvaschoder.pdf: 1471952 bytes, checksum: d7c21e47001f7ac6d9187e2067a6eabb (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-29T19:39:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 talitasilvaschoder.pdf: 1471952 bytes, checksum: d7c21e47001f7ac6d9187e2067a6eabb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-05-24 / A dissertação foi desenvolvida através da análise das tensões entre a ilusão e o real que estão presentes no livro Os dragões não conhecem o paraíso, de Caio Fernando Abreu. Fizemos um estudo de como a ideias de ilusão e, dentre elas, principalmente, a de amor e de paraíso, foram desenvolvidas ao longo dos contos. A dissertação tem como fundamentação teórica central o livro O real e o seu duplo – ensaio sobre a ilusão, de Clément Rosset, através do qual pudemos entender diversas questões cotidianas como sendo ilusões, ou duplos do real. Já em um segundo momento, observamos como tais ilusões aparecem na subjetividade contemporânea e como diversos textos de Caio Fernando Abreu vêm sofrendo modificações em sua interpretação, já que estão sendo segmentados e utilizados como verdadeiros oráculos, em sites e redes sociais. Além de Rosset, Baudelaire também contribuiu para o estudo desenvolvido no segundo capítulo, a partir das ideias dos paraísos artificiais. Adotamos como referencial histórico, principalmente Heloisa Buarque de Hollanda, para nos dar um suporte sobre o momento político em que o Brasil vivenciava nos anos em que caio Fernando Abreu atuou. Pierre Lévy, Katherine Hayles e Roger Chartier nos embasaram na análise da circulação dos textos em ambiente digital. Ainda, estudiosos como Michel Foucault, Freud, Antonio Candido e Roland Barthes fizeram parte de nosso referencial teórico, para dialogar com as reflexões desenvolvidas. / This dissertation was developed through the analysis of the tension between illusion and reality present in the book of short stories Os Dragões não Conhecem o Paraíso, by Caio Fernando Abreu. We studied how the ideas of illusion and, among them, mainly the ones of love and paradise, were approached during the execution of the stories in focus. Our theoretical foundation is the book The Real and its Double, by Clément Rosset, in which we could apprehend a range of daily issues as being illusions, or reality‘s doubles. In a second moment, we observed the way these illusions appear in the contemporary subjectivity, and how various texts by Caio Fernando Abreu are currently suffering modifications in their interpretation, being segmented and treated as actual oracles in many sites and socials networks. Apart from Russet, the French romantic poet Baudelaire also contributed to this second chapter with his concept of the artificial paradises. We also adopted as references of literary and cultural theory the following authors: Heloisa Buarque de Holanda, who gave support about the Brazilian political situation in the time Caio Fernando acted; Pierre Lévy, Katherine Hayles and Roger Chartier gave us the basis to analyze the circulation of texts in digital environments; also, Michel Foucault, Freud, Antonio Candido and Roland Barthes were part of our theoretical corpus, dialoguing with the reflections constructed.

Vad är val? Är de val vi har våra egna? Spelutvecklare idag kämpar med spelares fria vilja då detta kan orsaka problem. Till exempel när spelare gör val som spelutvecklare inte har räknat med, vilket som följd kan skapa frustration hos båda parter. Problemet med spelares oförutsägbarhet i sina val är något som spelutvecklare ständigt har försökt lösa. Idag finns det flera tekniker som syftar till att diskret manipulera möjligheten till val inom spel och samtidigt låta spelare vara ovetande om detta. I följande kandidatarbete eftersträvar vi att belysa dessa tekniker för kontroll och manipulation inom spel, samtidigt som vi utforskar nya alternativ för hur spelutvecklare kan manipulera spelare utan att deras känsla av frihet påverkas. ---- What is choice? Are our choices entirely our own? Game developers today struggle with the problem of players free will. For example, when players make choices that the game developer had not accounted for, which can cause great frustration from both parties. The problem with players unpredictability in their choices is something that game developers have continuously tried to solve. Today there are multiple techniques whose purpose is to manipulate the possibility of choice within games, while still keeping the players none the wiser. This thesis persues to shine a light upon these techniques for guidance and manipulation within games, while also exploring new options for how developers may controll players without having them lose their sense of freedom. / Detta är en reflektionsdel till en digital medieproduktion.

L'étude se propose de mettre en évidence les nombreuses corrélations existant entre l'espace urbain de la ville de los angeles et le travail d'écriture de wanda coleman, femme noire-américaine originaire du quartier des watts à la carrière littéraire conséquente. l'essentiel de la matière littéraire de coleman se focalise et trouve son point d'ancrage dans la ville en elle-même et pour elle-même. ainsi, en considérant la production poétique de l'auteur dans sa globalité, qu'il s'agisse de recueils, d'ouvrages photographiques ou de supports audio, il s'agira de voir en quoi l'œuvre de coleman ayant pour point de départ un los angeles des années 70 a su retracer, au sein de la matrice poétique qu'elle met en place, l'évolution d'une mégalopole hors normes. qu'en advient-il alors de la totalité de la création littéraire de coleman, et comment peut-elle être considérée ? en effet, ayant fait le choix de cibler sa poésie sur un espace commun en perpétuelle évolution, ne deviendrait-elle pas par conséquent un moyen jusque là peu envisagé de créer un archivage social, culturel et historique d'une ville dont les mutations et développements fascinent. c'est cette fonction d'œuvre-mémoire d'un lieu duquel elle s'inspire associée à un processus de création littéraire que la ville semble elle-même motiver qui sera également un point central de cette étude. quels desseins le projet poétique sert-il alors ? cette union implicite, sorte d'entente cordiale entre la ville et l'auteur qu'elle abrite/ qui l'abrite, manifeste une interdépendance entre deux entités tangibles dans un réel que le mot poétique semble vouloir tantôt dénoncer, tantôt réaffirmer. ce réel sectoriel et imparfait avec lequel coleman fait office de lien, d'interprétateur et juge entre l'espace et les hommes, entre l'espace et sa mémoire deviendrait-il ainsi un objet poétique de l'intangible se servant de lieux communs afin de dénoncer une déshumanisation de la ville, un hyperréalisme, un simulacre que s'évertuait déjà à démontrer jean baudrillard. effigie poétique imprégnée d'un los angeles qu'elle comprend au regard d'une vie passée dans ses dédales, coleman est-elle la figure mémorielle presque prophétique porteuse d'une parole rédemptrice d'une ville infernale. dénonçant ainsi les maux de la ville comme pour en aspirer le venin, coleman de par ses mots serait alors détentrice d'une alliance poétique consubstantielle, servant un projet allant bien au-delà de la simple écriture poétique, comme si l'acte poétique renouvelé dans son aspect le plus primaire permettait de projeter les mots sur les maux passés et présents d'un espace urbain parcellaire, de servir une mémoire essentielle à la survie du réel dans une cité chaotique se tenant au bord du gouffre. / This study aims at shedding some new light upon the many correlations existing between the Los Angeles cityspace and Wanda Coleman’s writings. As an African American woman born in Watts, Los Angeles in 1946, Coleman is the author of a significant literary oeuvre. Whether regarding the urban evolution and construction of the city, its ethnic composition, its socioeconomic conditions or its cultural development, the megalopolis can be read explicitly and implicitly throughout the author’s work, which started in 1979 and ended with the posthumous co-publication of The Love Project in 2014.Post World War II Los Angeles and the great mutations that the territory has been undergoing are, for Coleman, an unending source of material that are both motivating her writing and influencing her craft. The privileged witness of a city under the firm grasp of postmodern ideology of which Los Angeles seems to be the epicenter, Coleman’s work shows the ever-growing gap between an everyday life that is getting more and more brutal and an idealized imagery of the city that imposes itself as the American Way of Life par excellence. That unreachable goal for a disadvantaged and disenfranchised portion of society (about to become the majority of the Los Angeles population), is projected in a perpetual renewal of the American Dream, maintained within reaching distance, as an obscene strategy serving social appeasement. Wanda Coleman thus intends to unsettle an illusion that has been perpetrated and widely distributed through and by Hollywood whose influences, in a mass-media transmission era, cannot be under-estimated. Because she has been able to consider and apprehend the overall dehumanizing process for as long as she can remember, that Coleman is able to assess the import of her art and thus sets its objectives: to rehumanize the dehumanized.

Les magiciens trompent souvent l’esprit des spectateurs en manipulant certaines de leurs limites cognitives. Ainsi, la magie offre probablement un terrain original pour étudier certains processus cognitifs tels que la perception, l’attention, le raisonnement... Dans cette thèse, nous proposons plusieurs recherches qui tentent d’étudier scientifiquement les mécanismes psychologiques en jeu dans la prestidigitation. Dans une première partie, nous discutons de l’intérêt de cette « science de la magie » en passant en revue les principales recherches du siècle dernier à aujourd’hui, puis en discutant de plusieurs terrains d’investigations inexplorés et sans doute prometteurs. Dans une seconde partie, nous centrons nos recherches sur une illusion perceptive robuste dans laquelle les participants ont l’impression de « voir » une balle disparaître en l’air : la Vanishing Ball Illusion (VBI). Dans une première étude, nous explorons le rôle du regard du magicien dans la sensibilité à cette illusion. Dans une seconde étude, nous testons l’hypothèse selon laquelle la VBI serait basée sur un effet de Representational Momentum, ce dernier se référant à la tendance des observateurs à "se souvenir" du point d'arrêt d'une scène dynamique de façon décalée dans le sens du mouvement. Dans une troisième partie, nous explorons les mécanismes psychologiques en jeu dans un autre outil très utilisé par les magiciens et peu étudié par la psychologie à ce jour : l’utilisation d’une « fausse solution ». Pour terminer, nous discutons de l’ensemble des résultats et abordons différentes perspectives de recherches qui nous semblent prometteuses dans le domaine de la psychologie de la prestidigitation. / Magicians often trick spectators’ mind by manipulating some of their cognitive limitations. Thus, magic offers an original basis for studying cognitive processes, such as perception, attention, reasoning, etc. In this vein, the present thesis proposes some research that scientifically explores the psychological mechanisms at stake in magic tricks. In the first part of the manuscript, we discuss the interests of an “experimental science of magic” by reviewing the main research from the last century to the present and by presenting some yet unexplored promising areas. In the second part, we focus our research on a robust illusion in which participants ‘‘perceive’’ an imaginary ball disappearing into the air: the Vanishing Ball Illusion (VBI). In a first experimental study, we explore the role of the magician’s gaze in illusion sensitivity. In a second study, we test the hypothesis that VBI could be based on a Representational Momentum effect, the latter referring to the tendency of observers to perceive the stopping point of a moving scene as being located farther ahead in the direction of motion than it really is. In the third part of our manuscript, we explore the psychological mechanisms at stake in another tool often used by magicians and poorly known to psychologists: the use of a “false solution”. Finally, we discuss the overall results and we propose promising research perspectives in the “science of magic”.