The coupling of taxonomy and function in microbiomes.S. Andrew Inkpen,Gavin M. Douglas,T. D. P. Brunet,Karl Leuschen,W. Ford Doolittle &Morgan G. I. Langille -2017 -Biology and Philosophy 32 (6):1225-1243.detailsMicrobiologists are transitioning from the study and characterization of individual strains or species to the profiling of whole microbiomes and microbial ecology. Equipped with high-throughput methods for studying the taxonomic and functional characteristics of diverse samples, they are just beginning to encounter the conceptual, theoretical, and experimental problems of comparing taxonomy to function, and extracting useful measures from such comparisons. Although still unresolved, these problems are well studied in macro-ecology and are reiterated here as an historical precautionary for microbial ecologists. (...) Beyond expected and unresolved terminological vagueness, we argue that assessments and comparisons of taxonomic and functional profiles in micro-ecology suffer from theoretically unresolvable arbitrariness and ambiguities. We divide these into problems of scale, individuation, and commensurability. We argue that there is no technically/theoretically “correct” scale, individuation, or comparison of taxonomy and function, but there are nonetheless better and worse methodologies for profiling. (shrink)
Solutions of the Time-Dependent Schrödinger Equation for a Two-State System.J. F. Ralph,T. D. Clark,H. Prance,R. J. Prance,A. Widom &Y. N. Srivastava -1998 -Foundations of Physics 28 (8):1271-1282.detailsThe statistical properties of a single quantum object and an ensemble of independent such objects are considered in detail for two-level systems. Computer simulations of dynamic zero-point quantum fluctuations for a single quantum object are reported and compared with analytic solutions for the ensemble case.
Early-emerging cognitive vulnerability to depression and the serotonin transporter promoter region polymorphism.E. P. Hayden,L. R. Dougherty,B. Maloney,T. M. Olino,H. Sheikh,C. E. Durbin,J. I. Nurnberger Jr,D. K. Lahiri &D. N. Klein -2008 -J Affect Disord 107:227-30.detailsBACKGROUND: Serotonin transporter promoter genotype appears to increase risk for depression in the context of stressful life events. However, the effects of this genotype on measures of stress sensitivity are poorly understood. Therefore, this study examined whether 5-HTTLPR genotype was associated with negative information processing biases in early childhood. METHOD: Thirty-nine unselected seven-year-old children completed a negative mood induction procedure and a Self-Referent Encoding Task designed to measure positive and negative schematic processing. Children were also genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR gene. (...) RESULTS: Children who were homozygous for the short allele of the 5-HTTLPR gene showed greater negative schematic processing following a negative mood prime than those with other genotypes. 5-HTTLPR genotype was not significantly associated with positive schematic processing. LIMITATIONS: The sample size for this study was small. We did not analyze more recently reported variants of the 5-HTTLPR long alleles. CONCLUSIONS: 5-HTTLPR genotype is associated with negative information processing styles following a negative mood prime in a non-clinical sample of young children. Such cognitive styles are thought to be activated in response to stressful life events, leading to depressive symptoms; thus, cognitive styles may index the "stress-sensitivity" conferred by this genotype. (shrink)
A Critical Study of Logical Paradoxes. [REVIEW]G. N. T. -1971 -Review of Metaphysics 25 (2):354-355.detailsThis work is, in large part, a series of refutations; it is also the author's Ph.D. thesis. First to be refuted is Russell's vicious circle principle as a general remedy for the solution of the paradoxes. The author rejects the classification of paradoxes into syntactic and semantic, since in his view there are no purely syntactic paradoxes. The distinction in logic between the uninterpreted syntactical aspect of a system and the system when given a determinate interpretation is held to be (...) untenable. Tarski's distinction between object-language and meta-language and his concept of semantically closed language are considered irrelevant for the solution of the Liar paradox. The author claims that the usual versions of the Liar paradox have the same structure as the Barber paradox, viz., [S ↔ ~S]. The author solves the Liar paradox by pointing out that it does not have a proper reference. Cantor's diagonal argument for the indenumerability [[sic]] of the real numbers is labeled as unsatisfactory. Since the diagonal number is dependent upon the real numbers in the constructed list, the author claims that this makes the diagonal number to be of a different nature and status than the real numbers in the list; thus we have what the author calls the dependence fallacy. The author also refuses to accept Cantor's nested interval proof of the indenumerability [[sic]] of the real numbers. Within the proof, two infinite sequences are constructed, each of which converges to a limit. Because the proof does not give a "definite rule of convergence," the author is not satisfied that the infinite sequences converge. Also rejected is Cantor's theorem. Other paradoxes analyzed are the Berry, Richard, heterological, "Richardian", Russell, Cantor, and Burali-Forti paradoxes.--T. G. N. (shrink)
Temperamental fearfulness in childhood and the serotonin transporter promoter region polymorphism: a multimethod association study.E. P. Hayden,L. R. Dougherty,B. Maloney,C. Emily Durbin,T. M. Olino,J. I. Nurnberger Jr,D. K. Lahiri &D. N. Klein -2007 -Psychiatr Genet 17:135-42.detailsOBJECTIVES: Early-emerging, temperamental differences in fear-related traits may be a heritable vulnerability factor for anxiety disorders. Previous research indicates that the serotonin transporter promoter region polymorphism is a candidate gene for such traits. METHODS: Associations between 5-HTTLPR genotype and indices of fearful child temperament, derived from maternal report and standardized laboratory observations, were examined in a community sample of 95 preschool-aged children. RESULTS: Children with one or more long alleles of the 5-HTTLPR gene were rated as significantly more nervous during (...) standardized laboratory tasks than children who were homozygous for the short alleles. Children homozygous for the short alleles were also rated as significantly shyer, by maternal report, than those with at least one copy of the long allele of the 5-HTTLPR gene. CONCLUSIONS: This study extends the literature linking the short alleles of the serotonin transporter promoter region polymorphism to fear and anxiety-related traits in early childhood and adulthood, and is one of very few studies to examine the molecular genetics of preschoolers' temperament using multiple measures of traits in a normative sample. (shrink)
Understanding the Role of Law in Reducing Firearm Injury through Clinical Interventions.Blake N. Shultz,Carolyn T. Lye,Gail D'Onofrio,Abbe R. Gluck,Jonathan Miller,Katherine L. Kraschel &Megan L. Ranney -2020 -Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics 48 (S4):146-154.detailsFirearm injury in the United States is a public health crisis in which physicians are uniquely situated to intervene. However, their ability to mitigate harm is limited by a complex array of laws and regulations that shape their role in firearm injury prevention. This piece uses four clinical scenarios to illustrate how these laws and regulations impact physician practice, including patient counseling, injury reporting, and the use of court orders and involuntary holds. Unintended consequences on clinical practice of laws intended (...) to reduce firearm injury are also discussed. Lessons drawn from these cases suggest that physicians require more nuanced education on this topic, and that policymakers should consult front-line healthcare providers when designing firearm policies. (shrink)
Ethical issues in genomic research: Proposing guiding principles co-produced with stakeholders.D. Carrieri,L. Jackson,C. Bewshea,B. Prainsack,J. Mansfield,T. Ahmad,N. Hawkins &S. Kelly -2018 -Clinical Ethics 13 (4):194-198.detailsEthical guidance for genomic research is increasingly sought and perceived to be necessary. Although there are pressing ethical issues in genomic research – concerning for example the recruitment of patients/participants; the process of taking consent; data sharing; and returning results to patients/participants – there is still limited useful guidance available for researchers/clinicians or for the research ethics committees who review such projects. This report outlines the ethical principles and guidance for genomic research co-produced with stakeholders during two workshops which took (...) place in the UK between November 2016 and May 2017. The stakeholders involved in these workshops included: healthcare professionals, genomic research teams, academics, patients, biobank managers, and representatives from the Health Research Authority, NHS Research Ethics Committees, patient support groups, pharmaceutical industry, and health policy think tanks. The co-produced principles and guidance are specifical... (shrink)
Kreatologii︠a︡: metodologicheskie osnovanii︠a︡ i modeli, Bogopoznanie i nauchnoe znanie.D. N. Savchenko -2010 - Moskva: Ret︠s︡ikling.detailsT. 1. Metodologicheskie osnovanii︠a︡ i modeli, Bogopoznanie i nauchnoe znanie -- t. 2. Chislo. Garmonii︠a︡. Metafizika Sveta -- t. 3. Svet bogoslovskie osnovanii︠a︡ kreatologi.
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Buddhist approach to global education in ethics.Nhật Từ &Đức Thiện (eds.) -2019 - Hanoi: Hong Duc Publishing House.detailsEDITORS’ INTRODUCTION This volume is a collection of papers presented at the international workshop on “Buddhist Approach to Global Education in Ethics” which is being held on May 13, 2019, at International Conference Center Tam Chuc, Ha Nam, Vietnam on the occasion of the 16th United Nations Day of Vesak Celebrations 2019. The aim is to throw new light on the values of the global ethical system with a focus on the Buddhist approach in deepening our understanding of how Buddhist (...) ethics can deliver a social change in the globalized world. REVIEW OF CONTENTS Prof. P. D. Premasiri in his paper titled “Universally valid ethical norms of Buddhism applicable to global education in ethics” deals with hindrance in determining the basis for global education in ethics and providing undeniable facts about the diversity involved in ethical norms, principles and attitudes of various global communities. The author also discusses the characteristics of Buddhist teaching on a humanistic approach to the moral life with perceptions of enlightened humans, i.e. ‘Knowledgeable Persons’ (vi¤¤å purisà). The paper places further emphasis on the necessity to draw the attention of educators to train the minds of humans on ethical choices in accordance with such decisions. The paper entitled “Teaching Buddhist Ethics through the Life of the Buddha and Jesus” by Abraham Velez De Cea has proposed a new approach to the Buddhist ethical way of teaching and its application through interpretations of the Buddha’s life from the perspective of virtue ethics and meditation. The purpose is to heighten the Buddhist contribution being made to global education in ethical issues. The paper is divided into two parts, Buddhist ethics as a form of virtue ethics and secondly, interpretation of the Buddha’s teachings from the perspective of virtue ethics and meditation. (shrink)
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Majmūʻah-ʼi rashīdīyah: shāmil-i kitābʹhā-yi Tawz̤īḥāt-i Rashīdī, Miftāḥ al-tafāsīr, Sulṭānīyah, Laṭāyif al-Ḥaqāyiq = Majmūʻah-yi Rashīdīyah: including Tawz̤īḥāt-i Rashīdī, Miftāḥ al-tafāsīr, Sulṭānīyah, Laṭāʼif al-Ḥaqāʼiq.Rashīd al-Dīn Ṭabīb -2013 - Tihrān: Bā hamkārī-i Sāzmān-i Mīrās̲-i Farhangī, Ṣanāyiʻ-i Dastī va Gardishgarī. Edited by Hāshim Rajabʹzādah & Muḥammad Bāhir.detailsIslam - Early works to 20th century ; Islamic ethics - Early works to 20th century.
Facing the Ethical Challenges: Consumer Involvement in COVID-19 Pandemic Research.N. Straiton,A. McKenzie,J. Bowden,A. Nichol,R. Murphy,T. Snelling,J. Zalcberg,J. Clements,J. Stubbs,A. Economides,D. Kent,J. Ansell &T. Symons -2020 -Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 17 (4):743-748.detailsConsumer involvement in clinical research is an essential component of a comprehensive response during emergent health challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the moderation of research policies and regulation to facilitate research may raise ethical issues. Meaningful, diverse consumer involvement can help to identify practical approaches to prioritize, design, and conduct rapidly developed clinical research amid current events. Consumer involvement might also elucidate the acceptability of flexible ethics review approaches that aim to protect participants whilst being sensitive to the challenging context (...) in which research is taking place. This article describes the main ethical challenges arising from pandemic research and how involving consumers and the community could enable resolution of such issues. (shrink)
Performing digital aesthetics: the framework for a theory of the formation of interactive narratives.N. C. M. Brown,T. S. Barker &D. Del Favero -2011 -Leonardo: Art Science and Technology 44 (3):212-219.detailsInteractive narratives are inextricable from the way that we understand our encounters with digital technology. This is based upon the way that these encounters are processually formed into a narrative of episodic events, arranged and re-arranged by various levels of agency. After describing past research conducted at the iCinema Research Centre at the University of New South Wales, this paper sets out a framework within which to build a relational theory of interactive narrative formation, outlining future research in the area.
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A Multicenter Weighted Lottery to Equitably Allocate Scarce COVID-19 Therapeutics.D. B. White,E. K. McCreary,C. H. Chang,M. Schmidhofer,J. R. Bariola,N. N. Jonassaint,Parag A. Pathak,G. Persad,R. D. Truog,T. Sonmez &M. Utku Unver -2022 -American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 206 (4):503–506.detailsShortages of new therapeutics to treat coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have forced clinicians, public health officials, and health systems to grapple with difficult questions about how to fairly allocate potentially life-saving treatments when there are not enough for all patients in need (1). Shortages have occurred with remdesivir, tocilizumab, monoclonal antibodies, and the oral antiviral Paxlovid (2) -/- Ensuring equitable allocation is especially important in light of the disproportionate burden experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic by disadvantaged groups, including Black, Hispanic/Latino and (...) Indigenous communities, individuals with certain disabilities, and low-income persons. However, many health systems have resorted to first-come, first-served approaches to allocation, which tend to disadvantage individuals with barriers in access to care (3). There is mounting evidence of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in access to medications for COVID-19 (4, 5). -/- One potential method to promote equitable allocation is to use a weighted lottery, which is an allocation strategy that gives all eligible patients a chance to receive the scarce treatment while also allowing the assignment of higher or lower chances according to other ethical considerations (6). We sought to assess the feasibility of implementing a weighted lottery to allocate scarce COVID-19 medications in a large U.S. health system and to determine whether the weighted lottery promotes equitable allocation. (shrink)
Apology of Socratic Studies.N. D. Smith &T. C. Brickhouse -2003 -Polis 20 (1-2):108-127.detailsIn this paper, we defend Socratic studies as a research programme against several recent attacks, including at least one recently published in Polis. Critics have argued that the study of Socrates, based upon evidence mostly or entirely derived from some set of Plato’s dialogues, is sfounded upon faulty and indefensible historical or hermeneutical technique. We begin by identifying what we believe are the foundational principles of Socratic studies, as the field has been pursued in recent years, and we then show (...) how the research programme that derives from accepting these principles is not defeated by any of the most common recent criticisms of it. Specifically, we argue that challenges to sorting Plato’s dialogues by date, more general challenges to historicist interpretations of Plato’s dialogues, as well as recent literary criticisms of Socratic studies all fail to undermine the research programme. We conclude with some thoughts about how and why Socratic studies has proved itself a valuable and fruitful research programme. (shrink)
Prāmāṇyavādakhaṇḍanam: Gadādharabhaṭṭācāryaviracitaprāmāṇyavādagranthasya vimarśatmako'yaṃ granthaḥ.Tirumala Bukkapaṭṭaṇamu "Kirīṭi" Vēṅkaṭācāryulu -2000 - Tirupatiḥ: Rāṣṭriyasaṃskr̥tavidyāpīṭham. Edited by K. E. Devanathan.detailsStudy of Dīdhitiprakāśikā of Gadhādharabhaṭṭācārya, 17th/18th cent., commentary on Pramāṇyavāda, portion of Tattvacintāmaṇi of Gaṅgeśa, dealing with the concept of authenticity of proofs).
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