A biosemiotic conversation

In this dialogue, we discuss the contrast between inexorable physical laws and the semiotic freedom of life. We agree that material and symbolic structures require complementary descriptions, as do the many hierarchical levels of their organizations. We try to clarify our concepts of laws, constraints, rules, symbols, memory, interpreters, and semiotic control. We briefly describe our different personal backgrounds that led us to a biosemiotic approach, and we speculate on the future directions of biosemiotics

"Governing Europe: The Status and Networking Strategies of Finnish, Estonian and German Regions in Brussels"

[From the introduction]. The paper is structured in three parts. Part I is meant to shortly synthesize how integration theory deals with sub-national actors. In part II we will discuss history and institutionalisation of regional and local level representations in Brussels and reflect on such issues as relations to national level actors, core functions, resources and staffs and their career paths. In part III, we will highlight qualitative differences in strategic foci and networking strategies of regional and local EU offices by discussing such issues as cooperation and lobbying in EU institutions, differences between big and small/old and new member states, networking with other offices, current topics and most pressing problems. The research data stems from 12 structured interviews3, with the topics sent in forehand to the interviewees. All four German interviews were conducted by telephone and took between 45 and 60 minutes each. The Finnish interviews consist of four telephone interviews; each interview took about 40 minutes and one personal interview. The Estonian data stems from one personal interview and one telephone interview, both lasting 45-60 minutes. Instead of conducting a comparative analysis we are interested in the status of different actors and their strategies to position their ideas in the policy-making and law-making procedures by focussing on positions of the actors that are involved in those processes every day

Inertial reference unit

The inertial reference unit is a high performance gyro attitude reference system for use on the OAO spacecraft. The IRU is a three axis system, which provides both rate and attitude information for spacecraft control. The purpose of the IRU is to reduce the dependency on gimballed startrackers and, in turn, simplify the OAO ground operations by eliminating the need for the continual programming of gimballed startracker assignments in accordance with computed occultation schedules. During normal operations, it is used to control the pitch and yaw axes during experiment occultations and during spacecraft reorientations. The roll axis is continuously under control of the IRU except during brief periods for attitude update. To provide for these capabilities the IRU must be able to perform two basic functions. One is to maintain an inertially fixed reference for spacecraft control and the second is to accurately reorient the reference upon command

From Statehouse to Schoolhouse: Anti-Bullying Policy Efforts in U.S. States and School Districts

In 2011, 29.5 percent of U.S. public school districts didn't have anti-bullying policies, including many districts in states that require them, according to a report published by GLSEN. In states with such mandates, 26.3 percent of districts didn't have local policies. The report shows the gap that can emerge between the intentions of a law and the effectiveness of its implementation via policy and regulations

The Biosemiotic Approach in Biology : Theoretical Bases and Applied Models

Biosemiotics is a growing fi eld that investigates semiotic processes in the living realm in an attempt to combine the fi ndings of the biological sciences and semiotics. Semiotic processes are more or less what biologists have typically referred to as “ signals, ” “ codes, ”and “ information processing ”in biosystems, but these processes are here understood under the more general notion of semiosis, that is, the production, action, and interpretation of signs. Thus, biosemiotics can be seen as biology interpreted as a study of living sign systems — which also means that semiosis or sign process can be seen as the very nature of life itself. In other words, biosemiotics is a field of research investigating semiotic processes (meaning, signification, communication, and habit formation in living systems) and the physicochemical preconditions for sign action and interpretation. (...

Personaaltreeneri tegevusvaldkonnad ning tema teadmised, oskused ja isikuomadused USA näitel

http://www.ester.ee/record=b505050