Social media, which is commonly used by the youth, is seen as both a socialization tool and an area also causes them to became lonely, depending on the way that they are used. Being hand in hand continuosly through networks is accepted as socialization on the one hand, but not being actually physically together and also the superficiality of the communication is understanded as isolation. Accordingly, the research was carried out in order to both see and show the socializing and (...) isolating effects of social media on the youth together and to find out possible unnoticed facts. The study that conducted in Karadeniz Technical University, 8 female and 6 male student were conducted with semi-structured interview forms through face-to-face interviews. The gathered data were collected under the generated codes and analyzed by descriptive analysis method. Interviews and study results shows that the youth use social media for information, communication and entertainment purposes. Their usage duration of social media can vary from 1 to 12 hours a day. This socialization form affects the youth’s daily lives; hindering from doing their chores, from time to time causes them te feel unhappy and lonely. In the research applicants frequently experienced both loneliness and socialization at the same time. It has been observed that the use of social media is a tool that isolates the youth while socializing. (shrink)

Observable consequences of the hypothesis that the observed universe is a numerical simulation performed on a cubic space-time lattice or grid are explored. The simulation scenario is first motivated by extrapolating current trends in computational resource requirements for lattice QCD into the future. Using the historical development of lattice gauge theory technology as a guide, we assume that our universe is an early numerical simulation with unimproved Wilson fermion discretization and investigate potentially-observable consequences. Among the observables that are considered are (...) the muon g-2 and the current differences between determinations of alpha, but the most stringent bound on the inverse lattice spacing of the universe, b−1 > ~ 10^11 GeV, is derived from the high-energy cut off of the cosmic ray spectrum. The numerical simulation scenario could reveal itself in the distributions of the highest energy cosmic rays exhibiting a degree of rotational symmetry breaking that reflects the structure of the underlying lattice. (shrink)

Despite concerted efforts to nurture SMMEs through a number of methods, including LED initiatives, a high failure rate persists in South Africa. As the quest for a sustainable solution continues, this paper investigates the challenges that SMMEs face in the context of the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality (BLM). The quantitative approach was adopted for data collection. Through the use of a survey questionnaire, data were collected from a sample of fifty owners/managers who were reached through the stratified sampling technique. The study (...) singled out lack of financial assistance, managerial skills, inaccessible global markets as the most dominant challenges to the development of SMMEs apart from the high crime rate and the fear of xenophobia. Lack of technology and insufficient government support received far lesser approval from participants as these were perceived to have less impact on SMMEs growth. This paper draws attention to the ineffectiveness of LED programmes at the grassroots level with specific reference to rural municipalities. (shrink)

Amaç: Kanserle yaşayan bireylerin (KYB) bakımında, resmiyette görünür olmayan ve çoğunlukla herhangi bir profesyonel donanıma sahip olmayan, ama sürecin başından sonuna, hasta bireye eşlik eden bakım verenler kritik öneme sahiptir. Baş etmesi zor bir hastalık olan kanserle mücadele eden bireylerin bakımında, bakım verenler fiziksel, zihinsel ve sosyal birtakım zorluklarla karşılaşmaktadır. Bu araştırma, KYB’lere bakım veren, yakınlarının karşılaştıkları zorlukları gündeme getirmeyi ve ihtimam etiği perspektifinden, bakım verenlerin bakımına yönelik öneriler sunmayı amaçlamaktadır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu araştırma tanımlayıcı ve kesitsel olup araştırmanın (...) evreni Marmara Üniversitesi Pendik Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi (MÜPEAH) Onkoloji kliniğinde takip edilen, 15 Mart-5 Nisan tarihleri arasında kemoterapi ünitesine ve servis hizmetlerine başvuran KYB’lerin bakım veren yakınlarıdır. KYB’lere bakım verenlerin umutsuzluk derecelerini tespit etmek ve bunu etkileyen faktörleri ölçmek için, veri toplama aracı olarak; sosyodemografik sorular, bakım alan bireyin hastalık derecesine yönelik sorular ve Beck Umutsuzluk Ölçeği sorularından oluşan bir anket elden dağıtılmıştır. Anket bakım verene yönelik sosyodemografik sorular 8, KYB’nin hastalığının durumu ile ilgili sorular 7, Beck Umutsuzluk Ölçeği 20 olmak üzere 35 sorudan oluşmaktadır ve yaklaşık 10 dakikada tamamlanmaktadır. Elde edilen veriler önce Microsoft Excel aracılığıyla dijitalleştirilmiş, ardından IBM SPSS 27.0.1 sürümüyle analiz edilmiştir. Verilerin analizinde Ki-kare, Fisher’s Exact testi ve Pearson Korelasyon analizi kullanılmış, istatistiksel anlamlılık değeri için p<0.05 kabul edilmiştir. Bulgular: Ankete katılan 151 bakım verenin 83’ü (%55,3) kadın, 67’si (%44,7) erkektir. Katılımcıların yaş ortalaması 40,09’dur. Bakım verenlerin %41,1’i umutsuzluk düzeyi ölçeğinde “minimal ya da yok”, %39,7'si "hafif düzeyde", %13.2'si orta düzeyde ve %6’sı “aşırı düzeyde” skorunu almıştır. KYB’lere bakım verenlerin demografik özellikleri ile umutsuzluk düzeyi arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmamıştır. Bakım verenlerin yaşı, cinsiyeti, medeni durumu, gelir durumu ve bakım verme süresi ile umutsuzluk skorları arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmazken, eğitim seviyesi ile umutsuzluk skorları arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmuştur. (p=0,019). Sonuç: Bakım verenlerin, umutsuzluk düzeyleri göz önüne alındığında, önemli psikolojik yükler taşıdığına ve bu yükün, özellikle bakım verenin eğitim seviyesi ile hastanın sağlık durumu arasında belirgin ilişkiler gösterdiğine ulaşılmıştır. Bu bilgiler ışığında, sosyodemografik özelliklerin bakım verenleri önemli ölçüde etkilediği görülmüştür. Bakım verenlerin duygusal yükleri, bakım alıcılarla olan ilişkileri ve bu sürecin hem bireysel hem toplumsal düzeyde getirdiği zorluklar ve sorumluluklar, ihtimam etiği kapsamında ele alınmıştır. Araştırma neticesinde bakım verenlerin karşılaştığı zorluklar ve ihtiyaçlarının daha geniş bir toplumsal ve etik perspektiften ele alınmasının gerekliliği ortaya konmuştur. Bakım verenlerin bakımına yönelik öneriler, duygusal destek; teorik eğitim ve bilgilendirme desteği; pratik ve uygulamalı destek; kaynak erişimi ve tahsisi; tanıma ve doğrulama başlıkları altında sunulmuştur. (shrink)

The setting of evidential standards is a core practice of scientific assessment for policy. Persuaded by considerations of inductive risk, philosophers generally agree that the justification of evidential standards must appeal to non-epistemic values but debate whether the balance of non-epistemic reasons favours varying evidential standards versus maintaining fixed high evidential standards in assessment, as both sets of standards promote different and important political virtues of advisory institutions. In this paper, I adjudicate the evidential standards debate by developing a novel (...) argument from justice, drawing on the IPCC’s assessment of climate impacts as a case study. I argue that in assessments marked by background evidential inequality, maintaining fixed high evidential standards results in an unequal distribution of ‘epistemic power’ among stakeholders, producing a ‘powerful assessment’ for the data-rich (a high rate of findings) and a ‘weak assessment’ for the data-poor (a low rate of findings). Where such inequalities of epistemic power disadvantage those in data-poor regions with respect to fundamental interests, such as basic human rights, we have decisive reasons of justice to vary evidential standards. (shrink)

This article aims to develop a new account of scientific explanation for computer simulations. To this end, two questions are answered: what is the explanatory relation for computer simulations? And what kind of epistemic gain should be expected? For several reasons tailored to the benefits and needs of computer simulations, these questions are better answered within the unificationist model of scientific explanation. Unlike previous efforts in the literature, I submit that the explanatory relation is between the simulation model and the (...) results of the simulation. I also argue that our epistemic gain goes beyond the unificationist account, encompassing a practical dimension as well. (shrink)

Some propositions are more epistemically important than others. Further, how important a proposition is is often a contingent matter—some propositions count more in some worlds than in others. Epistemic Utility Theory cannot accommodate this fact, at least not in any standard way. For EUT to be successful, legitimate measures of epistemic utility must be proper, i.e., every probability function must assign itself maximum expected utility. Once we vary the importance of propositions across worlds, however, normal measures of epistemic utility become (...) improper. I argue there isn’t any good way out for EUT. (shrink)

In previous work, we studied four well known systems of qualitative probabilistic inference, and presented data from computer simulations in an attempt to illustrate the performance of the systems. These simulations evaluated the four systems in terms of their tendency to license inference to accurate and informative conclusions, given incomplete information about a randomly selected probability distribution. In our earlier work, the procedure used in generating the unknown probability distribution (representing the true stochastic state of the world) tended to yield (...) probability distributions with moderately high entropy levels. In the present article, we present data charting the performance of the four systems when reasoning in environments of various entropy levels. The results illustrate variations in the performance of the respective reasoning systems that derive from the entropy of the environment, and allow for a more inclusive assessment of the reliability and robustness of the four systems. (shrink)

“By natural order, birthing needs good timing and at a moderate pace. […] Looking for food in the fields and gardens farther from home is important. Also, try eating different kinds of nuts and worms. Mastering all of this would guarantee a prosperous life.” -/- —In “Food”; The Kingfisher Story Collection.

Recent research has begun to investigate sensory processing in relation to nonclinical variation in traits associated with the autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We propose that existing accounts of autistic perception can be augmented by considering a role for individual differences in top-down expectations for the precision of sensory input, related to the processing of state-dependent levels of uncertainty. We therefore examined ASD-like traits in relation to the rubber-hand illusion: an experimental paradigm that typically elicits crossmodal integration of visual, tactile, and (...) proprioceptive information in an unusual illusory context. Individuals with higher ASD-like traits showed reduced effects of the rubber-hand illusion on perceived arm position and reach-to-grasp movements, compared to individuals with lower ASD-like traits. These differences occurred despite both groups reporting the typical subjective experience of the illusion concerning visuotactile integration and ownership for the rubber hand. Together these results suggest that the integration of proprioceptive information with cues for arm position derived from the illusory context differs between individuals partly in relation to traits associated with ASD. We suggest that the observed differences in sensory integration can be best explained in terms of differing expectations regarding the precision of sensory estimates in contexts that suggest uncertainty. (shrink)

Discussion of new axioms for set theory has often focused on conceptions of maximality, and how these might relate to the iterative conception of set. This paper provides critical appraisal of how certain maximality axioms behave on different conceptions of ontology concerning the iterative conception. In particular, we argue that forms of multiversism (the view that any universe of a certain kind can be extended) and actualism (the view that there are universes that cannot be extended in particular ways) face (...) complementary problems. The latter view is unable to use maximality axioms that make use of extensions, where the former has to contend with the existence of extensions violating maximality axioms. An analysis of two kinds of multiversism, a Zermelian form and Skolemite form, leads to the conclusion that the kind of maximality captured by an axiom differs substantially according to background ontology. (shrink)

This chapter explores a philosophical hypothesis about the nature of (some) probabilities encountered in social sciences. It should be of interest to those with philosophical concerns about the foundations of probability, and to social scientists and philosophers of science who are somewhat puzzled by the nature of probability in social domains. As will become clear below, the chapter is not intended as a contribution to an empirical methodology such as a particular way of applying statistics.

Special relativity has changed the fundamental view on space and time since Einstein introduced it in 1905. It substitutes four dimensional spacetime for the absolute space and time of Newtonian mechanics. It is believed that the validities of Lorentz invariants are fully confirmed empirically for the last one hundred years and therefore its status are canonical underlying all physical principles. However, spacetime metric is a geometric approach on nature when we interpret the natural phenomenon. A geometric flaw on this will (...) be exhibited and the alternative is suggested. The reasonable geometric model of space and time is a three dimensional space which is translating along the time direction. This model legitimately represents the true characteristic of nature. (shrink)

Definitions vary according to context of use and target audience. They must be made relevant for each context to fulfill their cognitive and linguistic goals. This involves adapting their logical structure, type of content, and form to each context of use. We examine from these perspectives the case of definitions in ontologies.

Nang masakop ng Estados Unidos ang Pilipinas, dumating sa bansa ang isa pang uri ng Kristiyanismo na iba sa bitbit ng mga Espanyol-ang Protestantismo (na nagsimulang isilang noong ika-16 na dantaon sa Europa sa pamumuno nina Luther, Calvin, at Zwingli). Salaysay ni T. Valentino Sitoy (1989, iii, 7-11), 1899 unang dumating ang mga misyonerong Protestante sa Pilipinas, na kinabibilangan ng mga Presbyterian, Baptist, at Methodist. Kalaunan ay sinundan ito ng pagdating ng mga Episcopalian, Seventh-Day Adventist, United Brethren, Disciples, Christian and (...) Missionary Alliance, at iba pa. Ilan sa mga ito ay nagsama-sama upang mabuo ang Evangelical Union. Hinati nila ang Pilipinas sa iba't ibang probinsya ng mission fields (tulad ng ginawa dati ng mga Heswita, Rekoletos, Augustino, Pransiskano, at Dominikano), upang hindi sila magkaagawan sa populasyon na babahaginan ng ebanghelyo. (shrink)

The article discusses the varying conceptions of the faculty of ‘the understanding’ in 18th-century British philosophy and logic. Topics include the distinction between the understanding and the will, the traditional division of three acts of understanding and its critics, the naturalizing of human understanding, conceiving of the limits of human understanding, British innatism and the critique of empiricist conceptions of the understanding, and reconceiving the understanding and the elimination of scepticism. Authors discussed include Richard Price, James Harris, Zachary Mayne, Edward (...) Bentham, Isaac Watts, Dugald Stewart, John Norris—as well as Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Reid. (shrink)

Matagal nang dinalumat ang konsepto ng Inang Bayan bilang kabuuang tunguhin ng kilusang panghimagsikan ng Kataastaasan, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan (KKK) ng mga Anak ng Bayan. Lehitimong gawain ito dahil bukod sa kontekstong nakaugat ang bayan sa ina/mater vis-à-vis patria, mahihinuha ring malaki ang pagkilala ng Supremong si Andres Bonifacio sa kadakilaan ng kababaihan sa panahon ng himagsikan. Sa kabila nito, masasabing may suliranin sa historiograpiyang Pilipino dahil isinasantabi ng ilang positibista at sexistang manunulat ang kolektibong gunita sa kababaihan bilang kasama ng (...) bayan. Kung kaya’t patuloy itong iwinawasto sa pagdaan ng panahon. Masusumpungan ito kung gagawing halimbawa ang kababaihan sa rebolusyong Pilipino. Naisasantabi sila bilang mga paksa ng pag-aaral o kung minsan, itinuturing na palamuti lamang na kailangang idugtong sa pangalan ng kalalakihan. Kaugnay ng suliraning ito kung kaya’t itinatampok sa pag-aaral na ito ang muling pagsipat sa apat na mahahalagang bagay: (1) kasaysayan ng kababaihang Pilipina noong dantaon 19; (2) pakikisangkot ng kababaihan sa Katipunan at himagsikan; (3) pagtingin ng Katipunan sa kababaihan; at (4) impluwensya ng Katipunan sa pagkilos ng kababaihan sa pagpasok ng dantaon 20. Mangyari pa, titingnan din ang muling pakikilahok ng kababaihan sa mga digmaang bayan sa panahon ng post-Katipunan. Hindi ito bagong pag-aaral kundi isang paglalagom sa mga naunang pag-aaral. Kakikitaan ang papel na ito ng mas matinding hamon at pagpursigi sa pagsusulat ng mga paksa na may kinalaman sa Araling Pangkababaihan at Araling Pangkasarian. Tunguhin ng papel ang holistikong kasaysayan ng kababaihan sa pakikisangkot nila sa Katipunan bilang mga kasama ng bayan. (shrink)

The research method of Buddhist ethics is contemporary ethical theory, which focuses on precepts (Sila) and disciplines (Vinaya) in experience, rather than transcendental moral ideals (Nirvana or wisdom). Precepts are seen as external norms, while disciplines are internal norms. The former belongs to rule ethics and the latter belongs to virtue ethics. Although the exposition of duty and responsibility can be discovered in Buddhist ethics, there is no sufficient reason to interpret Buddhist ethics as deontology. Views on the consequences of (...) actions can also be found in Buddhist classics, but it is hard to say that Buddhist ethics is the theory of consequences or utilitarianism. The method of rule ethics in the discussion of Buddhist ethics has failed, and Buddhist virtue ethics is a feasible alternative. However, previous research on Buddhist virtue ethics was not perfect, and the teleology of Aristotelian was reasonably criticized. Influenced by caring ethics, emotionalism virtue ethics is a more suitable way to understand Buddhist ethics. The moral reason for Buddhism is a whole argumentation system, including moral rules and moral virtues. (shrink)

Varying degrees of symmetry can exist in a social network's connections. Some early online social networks (OSNs) were predicated on symmetrical connections, such as Facebook 'friendships' where both actors in a 'friendship' have an equal and reciprocal connection. Newer platforms -- Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook's 'Pages' inclusive -- are counterexamples of this, where 'following' another actor (friend, celebrity, business) does not guarantee a reciprocal exchange from the other. -/- This paper argues that the basic asymmetric connections in an OSN leads (...) to emergent asymmetrical behaviour in the OSN's overall influence and connectivity, amongst others. This paper will then draw on empirical examples from popular sites (and prior network research) to illustrate how asymmetric connections can render individuals 'voiceless'. -/- The crux of this paper is an argument from the existentialist viewpoint on how the above asymmetric network properties lead to Sartrean bad faith (Sartre, 1943). Instead of genuine interpersonal connection, one finds varying degrees of pressure to assume the Sartrean 'in-itself' (the en soi) mode-of-being, irregardless of the magnitude of 'followers' one has. -/- Finally, this paper poses an open question: what other philosophical issues does this inherent asymmetry in modern social networking give rise to? (shrink)

The topical theme of this paper explores the ethical principles of Mahayana Buddhism, based on Bodhicaryavatara(BC) of Santideva(7thcentury A.D.). According to him, only generation of enlightened mind (bodhicitta-intellect) and virtuous actions are not sufficient to attain the main objective i.e. Buddha-hood, the state of perfect enlightenment. But, for the fulfillment of this goal one must have to gain perfection to engage in the performance of six actions, termed as –Sadparmitas. It is necessary to stop present and future sufferings, and to (...) bring eternal pleasure, for all sentient beings. For this self-attitude and behavior in everyday affairs towards other beings is necessary. Thus, the ethics in Buddhism is directly associated with theory of Karman (action). Here, ethics means not only pure observance of virtuous actions but also good performance of one’s own duty and good actions in all affairs. It means while we work and act must be abstain from negative thinking doing harm for other beings. Therefore, Santideva emphasizes on applied form of teachings of the ethical theory. According to him, who has proper vision and understanding can act, of the work of compassionate, beyond the ethical code of conduct prescribed by the scriptures as warranted by circumstances and conditions for the sake of others. Thus, the ethical theory is based on good or bad intention of mind of an individual. This is so as what is virtuous and non-virtuous actions are not so easy to understand because it depends on purity of mind. In fact, nothing is good and nothing is bad, circumstances and intentions make it so. (shrink)

Sila elección está causada por factores ajenos a la voluntad del agente, la libertad y la responsabilidad moral parecen perder su base. Pero si la elección carece de causas, se convierte en un acto irracional y, con ello, irresponsable. La salida de este dilema consiste en advertir la importancia de las razones morales en la deliberación práctica. De acuerdo con la tesis central del presente trabajo, la sensibilidad hacia las razones morales es una condición necesaria de la libertad y la (...) responsabilidad moral. La inconmensurabilidad de tales razones con las razones no morales concede a la elección el lugar central que demanda la responsabilidad moral, pero, al mismo tiempo, la mantiene vinculada a la racionalidad, evitando su conversión en un acto irresponsable. Si esto es así, la disminución (o pérdida) de la sensibilidad de un agente hacia las razones morales significa también la disminución (o pérdida) de su libertad y responsabilidad moral. (shrink)

To varying degrees, many of us think we are “self-made.” Some explicitly state—while others imply—that our accomplishments resulted (almost) entirely from our intelligence, ingenuity, and hard work There is qualified truth in this supposition, even although it is commonly overstated. Others think they are pawns in the chess game of life. However, although some have less control than those more privileged, few are devoid of control. This tandem of judgments is akin to our propensity to make asymmetrical judgments about our (...) actions (and those we like) relative to judgments of those we dislike. We often blame our failures on something other than our ill-advised choices, limited abilities, or lack of persistence. If we receive a poor grade, do not land a desired job or coveted promotion, or are spurned by a potential lover, we often blame another, bad luck, or unfortunate circumstances. We scrounge for ways to excuse or mitigate our responsibility when things turn out badly, while taking credit when actions turn out well. We do not do same for negative traits or actions of those we dislike. The phenomenon I discuss in this paper, however, is more pervasive than blame-deflection or inappropriate pride. Even some who think the notion of the “self-made person” borders on a straw person, also think that we have considerable direct control of our lives. We do not. Although we are not leaves tossed by winds of circumstance, we are shaped by complex causal chains largely beyond our control. After seeing this broadly and in detail, we understand the limits on control and why it is not direct By understanding that and how we are shaped by cultures, governments, businesses, and others, we can isolate levers that help us maximize control we do have. (shrink)

Ang pag-aaral na ito ay naglalayong alamin ang kapaligirang pampagkatuto, klimang pangklasrum at performans sa Filipino ng mga mag-aaral sa grado labing-isa (11) ng Mataas na Paaralang Nasyonal ng Ajuy. Ito rin ay naglayong matukoy kung mayroong makabuluhang pagkakaiba sa kapaligirang pampagkatuto at klimang pangklasrum at kung mayroon bang makabuluhang kaugnayan sa performans sa Filipino. Ang mga kinakailangang datos ay tinipon sa pamamagitan ng pagbigay ng talatanungan sa kapaligirang pampagkatuto, klimang pangklasrum at pagsusulit sa performans sa Filipino. Isandaan na nagmula (...) sa Mataas na Paaralang Nasyonal ng Ajuy ang naging kalahok sa pagaaral na ito. Sila ay pinili gamit ang stratified quota random sampling. Ang mga datos ay sinuri sa larangan ng computerprocessed statistics, percentage mean, frequency count, standard deviation, One Way ANOVA (Analysis of Variance), t-test at Pearson’ r. Ang alpha level ay nakaset sa .05 sa lahat ng inferensyal na pagsusulit. Ang mga natuklasan ay nagpakita na may “kaaya-aya” na antas ang kapaligirang pampagkatuto at may “kaaya-aya” na antas ang klimang pangklasrum. Napag-alaman din na mayroon silang “katamtamang” performans sa Filipino. Nakita rin sa pananaliksik na ito na “walang makabuluhang kaugnayan” ang performans sa Filipino sa antas ng kapaligirang pampagkatuto at antas ng klimang pangklasrum. Napag-alaman din na “walang makabuluhang pagkakaiba” ang kapaligirang pampagkatuto sa performans sa Filipino. “Wala ring makabuluhang pagkakaiba” ang klimang pangklasrum ng mga mag-aaral sa Filipino sa performans sa Filipino. Napag-alaman din na “walang makabuluhang kaugnayan” ang kapaligirang pampagkatuto sa klimang pangklasrum maging ang kapaligirang ampagkatuto sa performans sa Filipino gayundin ang klimang pangklasrum at performans sa Filipino. (shrink)

Bago matapos ang dantaon 19, umusbong ang mga kilusang mapagpalaya kontra kolonisador sa iba’t ibang kapuluan ng Pilipinas at Indonesia (mga bansang kabilang/kaugnay ng Dunia Melayu). Isa sa mga iginigiit na dahilan ng bawat bayan (negara ng Indonesia) ay ang malawakang reporma hinggil sa relihiyon/paniniwala – pagpapanatili, pagbabago, o di kaya’y pakikisangkot. Sapul pa noong panahong dati, patuloy nang pinahahalagahan ng bawat katutubong Malayo/Austronesyano ang kanilang paniniwala na malalim ang pagkaka-ugat sa kapangyarihan at impluwensiya ng kanilang kapaligiran at sabihin pa’y (...) pinamumunuan ito ng mga lider (i.e. babaylan para sa mga sinaunang Pilipino at pawang/dukun sa mga katutubong Indones). Sa pagpasok ng kolonisasyon ng sa mundo ng mga Melayu, nagkaroon ng malawakang pagkitil sa lipunan at mga katutubong paniniwala/tradisyon. Kung niyakap man nila ang ipinakilalang relihiyon ng mga dayuhan, nawalan naman sila ng pakikisangkot kung kaya’t nagbunsod ito sa pagbubuo ng mga kalat-kalat na kilusan. Sa kabila ng malalim na koneksyon ng mga katutubo sa kanilang lumang paniniwala, hindi nakapagtataka kung bakit katuwang nila ang kabuuang salik nito sa pagbubuo at adhikain ng mga kilusan. Ito ang direktang dahilan kung bakit sila binansagan ng mga Kanluranin bilang mga mesyaniko, kilyastiko, at panatiko. Itinatampok sa pag-aaral na ito ang komparatibong pag-aaral sa mga kilusang mapagpalaya na naka-ugat sa relihiyon noong kalagitnaan ng dantaon 19. Muling tatalakayin ang pagbubuo ng Cofradia de San Jose (1832) ni Hermano Puli ng Tayabas, Pilipinas laban sa mga prayleng Kastila. Pagkatapos nito’y ihahalintulad naman ang huli sa mga kilusang panrelihyon na nabuo sa ibayong dagat katulad ng Digmaang Minangkabau (1803-1837) ni Tuanku Imam Bonjol ng Kanlurang Sumatra, Indonesia laban sa mga kasangkot at sulsol na Holandes sa pagwasak ng katutubong paniniwala at panloob na relasyon. (shrink)

Mula pa lamang sa pagkabata ng babae’t lalaki, naitakda na ng lipunan ang kanilang mga gampanin, ang mga dapat nilang gawin, at ang mga dapat nilang iwasan. Kadalasang binibigyan ang mga batang lalaki ng bola, bisikleta, laruang sasakyan, baril-barilan, taotauhang sundalo, at iba pang mga bagay na humuhulma sa kanila upang maging maliksi at aktibo. Samantala, ang pangkaraniwan namang binibili para sa mga batang babae ay mga manyika, doll house, at mga laruang pangbahay-bahayan tulad ng laruang crib, washing machine, duyan, (...) luto-lutuan, at iba pa. Nakatutulong naman ang mga ito upang maging pasibo ang mga batang babae, at para na rin maihanda sila sa mga gawaing-bahay sa hinaharap bilang ina. (shrink)

Larawan ng isang lipunan ang pagkakaroon ng mga museo bilang lagakan o repositoryo hindi lamang ng mga kulturang materyal ngunit maging ng mga salaysaying-bayang nakakabit sa pambansang kasaysayan at pambansang kamalayan ng mga mamamayan nito. Gayumpaman, bukod sa naghahatid ito ng iba’t ibang anyo ng kaalaman, kung minsan ay nagiging aparato rin ng mga propagandang maaaring mag-angat o magsantabi sa isang partikular na pangkat. Dahil karamihan sa mga museo ay binuo sa panahong post-kolonyal, maaaring pagnilayan ang namamayaning naratibo, representasyon, at (...) pag-alala sa mga ito. Sa bawat museo, naitatanghal ba ang mga katutubo, kolonyal, o postkolonyal na kaisipan at pagpapakahulugan? Patas ba ang pakikisangkot ng bayan bilang nilalaman at bida ng mga museo, o tagatangkilik o tagamasid lamang sila sapagkat dinodomina na rin ito ng mga naghahari at makapangyarihang naratibo? Aambagan ng sanaysay na ito ang napapanahon at makabagong pagtingin sa museolohiyang kakawala sa naghaharing pananaw at pamantayan ng Kanluran—na kadalasa’y nagtanghal, walang humpay na nagbigay ng pagpapakahulugan, sa Silangan nitong mga nagdaang panahon. Bagaman hinugot at isinentro ito mula sa mga personal na paglalakbay, pagsusuruy-suroy, at obserbasyon ng may-akda sa mga museo nang siya’y maglakbay sa iba’t ibang bansa sa Asya-Pasipiko at Europa sa pagitan ng taong 2014 at huling bahagi ng 2019, naglatag naman ito ng ilang kritikal na pagsusuri at pagtingin tungkol sa (1) pagkakahati at nilalaman ng mga museong kanyang narating; (2) kalagayan ng mga artifact (sampu ng mga posibleng isyu rito); at (3) representasyon at layuning “isabansa” ang mga museo, na siyang maaaring ilapat din sa lipunang Pilipino. Liban pa rito, nilayon din ng sanaysay na ambagan ang umuusbong na Araling Kabanwahan—ang pag-aaral tungkol sa ugnayan/pag-uugnay-ugnay ng Pilipinas at ng mga ibang bayan sa labas nito na umaayon sa diwa, talastasan, at tunguhin ng pagka-Pilipino. (shrink)

Na długo przed rewolucją francuską oraz jej pierworodną Deklaracją Praw Człowieka i Obywatela w europejskiej myśli politycznej członek państwa przedzierzgnięty został z poddanego w obywatela. Ta fundamentalna zmiana w definiowaniu stanowiska jednostki w państwie korespondowała z humanistycznym postrzeganiem rozumu ludzkiego nie tylko jako instrumentu poznawania świata, ale też narzędzia głębokiej refleksji i krytycznej oceny mechanizmów światem rządzących. Siła rozumu kojarzona była przez oświeceniowych filozofów z porządkiem naturalnym, który jawił się przeciwwagą dla społecznych i politycznych realiów absolutnego władztwa monarszego. W XVIII (...) w. we francuskiej i niemieckiej filozofii państwa nastąpił istotny postęp w zakresie kształtowania się idei obywatela pojmowanego w sensie zbliżonym do Arystotelesowskiej istoty państwowej (politikon zoon). Stało się tak jednak w dużej mierze dzięki XVII-wiecznym angielskim reformom wolnościowym. Racjonalistyczne i materialistyczne podwaliny oświeceniowego światopoglądu konstytuowała też, powstała na bazie krytyki pism Thomasa Hobbesa, myśl Johna Locke’a, stymulująca do urządzania życia społecznego zgodnie z zaleceniami umysłu i potrzeb ludzkich, a wbrew bezwzględnym prawom samowładztwa, w tym jego monopolu na rację, który dusił inicjatywę jednostki. (shrink)

O systemach czasowych, w tym również języka niemieckiego, napisano już wiele publikacji językoznawczych. Najlepszym przykładem niech będzie chociażby jakiekolwiek wydawnictwo gramatyczne, gdzie bez trudu można znaleźć wyczerpującą charakterystykę danego systemu czasowego. Pomimo jednak licznych starań językoznawców podejmujących się tego tematu, nie wydaje się, aby osiągnęli oni porozumienie, co do struktury systemu czasowego w języku niemieckim, funkcji poszczególnych form i wreszcie terminologii. Jeśli chodzi o tę ostatnią, należałoby podkreślić, iż w językoznawstwie niemieckim zasadniczą rolę odgrywa nazewnictwo łacińskie, w wyniku czego próby (...) wprowadzenia określeń niemieckich kończyły się często niepowodzeniem. Nie może tu być jednak pominięty fakt, iż terminologia łacińska stosowana w odniesieniu do systemu czasowego w języku niemieckim może prowadzić do wielu nieporozumień, gdyż stosunki czasowe języka niemieckiego różnią się dalece od tych charakterystycznych dla języka łacińskiego, a jedynie poprzez tempus - pojmowany tam jako morfem gramatyczny - niemożliwe jest w niektórych przypadkach jednoznaczne wyrażenie treści. Od kiedy więc zaakceptowany został wśród językoznawców niemieckich fakt, iż opierający się na tradycji łacińskiej system czasów niemieckich nie ma bezpośredniego pokrycia z niemiecką rzeczywistością temporalną, rozpoczęto poszukiwania lepszego, bardziej wiarygodnego systemu czasowego. Uzasadnione wydaje się istnienie obok siebie różnyan interpretacji poszczególnych form czasowych i całego systemu, do którego przynależą. Przy czym warto zwrócić uwagę na •całą gamę odniesień i aspektów, które stają się punktem wyjścia do takiej, a nie innej interpretacji. I tak można znależć próbę przyporządkowania form czasownikowyh dwóm grupom, aczkolwiek nie przez pryzmat płaszczyzn czasowych, lecz w odniesieniu do typowych sytuacji dialogowych czy też gatunków literackich. Zwykle mówi się tu o "świecie omówionym i opowiedzianym", przez co zrywa się całkowicie z tradycyjnym rozumieniem form czasowych. W związku z tym pada pytanie, czy nie należałoby doszukiwać się w poszczególnych formach czasowych próby wyrażania jak najbardziej subiektywnego stosunku do wydarzeń. Ponadto nie wszyscy językoznawcy skłaniają się ku temu, by w ogóle umieszczać formy czasowe w jakimkolwiek systemie. Mimo to należy jednak podkreślić, iż siła tradycji w dalszym ciągu ma ogromny wpływ na obraz czasów języka niemieckiego. Nie chodzi tu jednak o tradycyjne przyporządkowanie form czasowych do poszczególnych płaszczyzn czasowych, o czym powinno się pamiętać zarówno ze względów czysto praktycznych (dydaktycznych), jak i teoretycznych. (shrink)

The concept of substance varies with various philosophers, depending on the school of thought to which they belong. While the materialists would develop a materialistic concept of substance, the idealist would definitely develop a spiritual or idealistic concept of substance. For the thorough going empiricist, since substance is not something that can be seen or touched, one would expect that he would deny the existence of such a thing. The researcher in this piece studies the concept of substance in the (...) different epochs in the history of philosophy: the ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary times, this is not without defining the concept of substance. Very significant in this study is the African concept of substance. Issues in metaphysics have often been treated as Western issues; the researcher however investigates the African concepts of substance to point out the contribution of Africa to the development of metaphysics and philosophy as a whole. -/- . (shrink)

Hospital acquired infections (HAIs), especially ventilator associated respiratory infection (VARI) cause significant morbidity and mortality, and disproportionally so in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Vietnam, where infection control in hospitals is often neglected. The management of HAIs in these settings is challenging because of the high proportions of antimicrobial drug resistance and limitations of laboratory diagnostics, financial and human resources in terms of knowledge and skills for antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control.

Ang Diyos ay hindi naglalaro ng dado", inulit ni Einstein mula sa taas ng kanyang determinismo, ngunit sa katunayan ang kosmos ay naghahagis ng mga buto nito nang sadyang mapagpasya: ang mga dado nito ay laruin. Hindi sa pag-iisip na tayo ay lumikha ng mga mundo. Sa pamamagitan ng pag-unawa sa mundo natututo tayong mag-isip. Ang Cosmovision ay isang termino na dapat ay nangangahulugang isang hanay ng mga pundasyon kung saan lumalabas ang isang sistematikong pag-unawa sa Uniberso, ang mga bahagi (...) nito bilang buhay, ang mundong ating ginagalawan, kalikasan, mga phenomena ng tao, at ang kanilang mga relasyon. Ito ay, samakatuwid, isang larangan ng analytical na pilosopiya na pinapakain ng mga agham, na ang layunin ay ang pinagsama-samang at epistemologically sustainable na kaalaman tungkol sa lahat ng kung ano tayo at nilalaman, na nakapaligid sa atin, at nauugnay sa atin sa anumang paraan. Ito ay isang bagay na kasingtanda ng pag-iisip ng tao, at, bilang karagdagan sa paggamit ng mga elemento ng siyentipikong kosmolohiya, sinasaklaw nito ang lahat ng bagay sa pilosopiya at agham na tumutukoy sa uniberso at buhay. Ang cosmovision ay hindi isang set ng mga ideya, hypotheses, at assumptions kundi isang sistemang batay sa obserbasyon, pagsusuri, ebidensya, at pagpapakita. Walang cosmovision na naglalayong tukuyin, itatag, o imungkahi ngunit para lamang maunawaan, suriin, at bigyang-kahulugan. Bawat isa sa atin ay nagtatayo at naghahatid ng kanyang kosmobisyon sa buong buhay, nang hindi nagtatatag ng mga anyo, bilang isang background para sa ating pag-iisip at pag-uugali. Sa lingguwistika, ang terminong "cosmovision" ay magmumula sa Aleman, katumbas ng konsepto ng "Weltanschauung," na ginamit ng ilang mga pilosopo. Gayunpaman, ang relasyong pangwika na ito ay hindi naaangkop dahil sumasalungat ito sa aming iminumungkahi bilang isang cosmovision. Ang salitang Aleman na ito ay tumutukoy sa isang pre-logical o proto- experimental na pananaw ng realidad, na may intuitive na konteksto at malayo sa kritikal na kaalaman na wala pa rin sa oras ng pagbabalangkas nito. Walang alinlangan, ang mga cosmovision, sa diwa kung saan natin nauunawaan ang mga ito, ay nagtataglay at gumagamit ng mga proto-experimental o pre-logical na elementong ito na kinabibilangan ng kasaysayan, ang sama-samang walang malay, at lahat ng mga archetype na dala natin. Gayunpaman, sa konseptong inilalapat natin dito, ang cosmovision ay higit na lumalampas sa nilalamang ito, una sa pamamagitan ng patuloy na pagsusumite nito upang ipakita ang kritikal na pag-iisip, at sa wakas sa pamamagitan ng paggawa ng analitikong karanasan (at hindi ang kaisipan mismo o intuwisyon) ang aktwal nitong uniberso. Inilantad ni António Lopes ang lawak ng nilalamang ito: "Ang mga cosmovision ay hindi produkto ng pag-iisip. Hindi sila nagmumula sa simpleng pagnanais na malaman. Ang pagkaunawa sa katotohanan ay isang mahalagang sandali sa pagsasaayos nito, ngunit, gayunpaman, ito ay isa lamang. Ito ay nagmumula sa mahahalagang pag-uugali, mula sa karanasan ng pagsusuri sa buhay, at mula sa istruktura ng ating saykiko na kabuuan Ang pagtaas ng buhay sa kamalayan sa kaalaman sa realidad, sa pagpapahalaga, at sa kusang katotohanan ay ang mabagal at mahirap na gawain. na ginawa ng sangkatauhan sa pagbuo ng mga konsepto ng buhay (W. Dilthey, 1992 [1911]: 120). Sa gawaing ito, hinahangad nating balangkasin ang isang kosmobisyon batay sa mga realidad na inaalok natin ngayon hindi nagmumungkahi, sa anumang oras, na gumawa ng agham; o magteorya ng pilosopiya, ngunit lagi nating hahanapin na suportahan sila o, hindi bababa sa, protektahan nila mula sa mga pang-unawang distorsyon na karaniwan nating dala. (shrink)

Buddhism is a unique religious system that is not only considered as a religion to follow but also is a way of attaining enlightenment in life. Buddha shows people a path following which they can reach the ultimate goal that is liberation afterlife. Buddha’s whole approach is going through an ethical system that enriches the human mind with love and wisdom as well as prepares the human body to attain liberation. Buddhism is mainly based on the Buddha’s four noble truths (...) and noble eight-fold path which are the foundations of Buddhist ethics. This thesis concerns Buddhist ethics and its impacts on modern time. It emphasizes the fact that Buddhist ethics and morality can be the aid of all inhuman activities of the modern world. Buddhist ethical teachings are the pole star, not only for the monks-nuns or lay people rather for all human beings. In the introductory chapter, the history and background of Buddhism with the significance of Buddhist ethics in modern life have been demonstrated shortly. The next two chapters go through the introduction of Buddhism and Buddhist ethics. Buddhist values and attitudes along with the three puñña: dāna, śīla and bhāvnā have been discussed thoroughly in the fourth and fifth chapter respectively. It is impressive that whenever one will explain Buddhism, there must be magnified the Buddhist ethical views. Moreover, this thesis is all about Buddhist ethics and its relevance in human life; so, the sixth chapter is regarding the Buddhist perspective of the natural world and human life. Those perspectives of Buddha influence modern human life and its crisis. The seventh chapter has dominated Buddhist ethics as virtue ethics lighting upon contemporary perspectives. Finally, the study concludes that Buddhism and Buddhist ethics is no way can be antiquated. Buddha’s sweeping thoughts regarding life and the world has a timeless existence. If Buddhist ethical directions can be maintained in modern time by everyone then, in near future the world will be more sustainable for all sentient beings. And Buddha’s five precepts are a complete guideline to lead a moral life that will consummately take a true follower to his or her actual destiny of liberation through right mindfulness. (shrink)

Parental involvement is one of the primary factors that affect children’s development and individuality. However, its effect on the academic motivation and self-concept of college students is not well understood, especially in the Philippines. The present study used the Ecological systems theory by Bronfenbrenner to investigate the effect of varying parental involvement on the academic motivation and self-concept of college students at Dr. Carlos S. Lanting College. Purposive sampling was used among 198 college students from Dr. Carlos S. Lanting College (...) who were identified using a purposive sampling technique. Statistical instruments including descriptive, correlation, and regression analysis were used to examine the data collected and investigate the link between the variables. Based on the regression analysis, it was found that parental involvement only has a significant relationship with academic motivation and not with self-concept. In conclusion, college students have a sense of independence and their self-concept is not affected by parental involvement; nonetheless, parents providing essential support influence their academic motivation. -/- . (shrink)

Abstract: malaria is one of the most frequent hemoparasitic infections in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Malaria in Sudan is the major public health problem. This study was aimed to investigate the association of intraleukocytic pigment with malaria infection (severity, diagnosis and prognosis), and to investigate the correlation of parasite density levels with Malaria Severity. A total of 176 participants was drawn from the population of sudanese patient above 5 years, who attended or were admitted to the Bashayer Hospital, with diagnosis (...) suggestive of malaria, they were selected for inclusion in the study. Blood films were examined first for malaria parasites diagnosis ,this was followed by detection of malaria pigment in both negative and positive films.Then Immunochromatography test was done, Subsequently haemoglobin concentration was determined. This study was approves that malaria pigment in peripheral blood leukocytes is evident for malaria disease , and makes the method of pigment determination appropriate and useful in malaria diagnosis, especially in patients with an illness consistent clinically with malaria but with negative blood smear due to haemolytic anaemia .A total of 176, 73 male and 103 female aged from 7 years to 69 years , drawn to Bashayer hospital with symptoms of malaria showed ICT positive result .Blood films were positive in 98(55.7%) and negative in 78 (44.3%) of patients . Malaria pigment was observed with the mean (22.07). There was an association between ICT and malaria pigment (P-value = 0.000).There was no association between BF and malaria pigment ( P-value = 0.40).This study also approved that malaria pigment can be used in prognosis, were thirty five patient showed complications(19.9%) and 141 showed no complication(80.1%) ,there was association between complications and malaria pigment ( P-value = 0.004) .This study also validates the presence of malaria pigment in leukocyte as a marker for disease severity, there was association between severity and malaria pigment (P-value = 0.02). While there is no association between density and severity (P-value = 0.980). So we conclued, intraleukocytic malaria pigment produced by parasites during intra erythrocytic development is associated with severe disease, mortality and it is a useful diagnostic indicator in anaemic patients with negative blood smears. The varied complexities of the current diagnostic methods make the method of pigment determination appropriate and useful. Secondly, malaria pigment is significantly associated with severe malaria. Thirdly, parasitaemia levels are neither associated nor correlated with malaria severity and therefore parasitaemia alone is not a reliable measure of malaria severity. We recommend the use of malaria pigment as marker for malaria disease severity. We recommend that parasitaemia should not be used alone as an indicator of malaria severity. We further recommend that, the presence of pigment in leukocytes to be adopted for diagnosis of malaria especially in cases of negative blood films, and recommend using malaria pigment as indicator for malaria prognosis. (shrink)

Abstract— Waste Polyvinyl chloride-bitumen composites were prepared in the molten state by addition waste PVC pipes to commercial bitumen in different concentrations. The original material of the pure bitumen and bitumen composites are rheologically characterized. The viscoelastic properties such as shear compliance, torque and viscosity were measured and compared. These properties were studied using an ARES- Rheometer (Rheometric Scientific, Co.) equipment. The measurements were performed in the dynamic mode, plate-plate geometry of 25 mm diameter over the temperature range from –10 (...) to 60°C and angular frequency, varied from 102 to10-1 radian/s. The results are compared at reference temperatures10 and 60°C over a wide range of . The results evidence that the incorporation of the waste PVC into bitumen enhances the dynamic mechanical moduli and the viscosity. The moduli were found to rise with increasing the waste PVC content. The stability of the bitumen blends is more noticeable at 60°C as confirmed by the results. (shrink)

Abstract— Waste Polyvinyl chloride-bitumen composites were prepared in the molten state by addition waste PVC pipes to commercial bitumen in different concentrations. The original material of the pure bitumen and bitumen composites are rheologically characterized. The viscoelastic properties such as shear compliance, torque and viscosity were measured and compared. These properties were studied using an ARES- Rheometer (Rheometric Scientific, Co.) equipment. The measurements were performed in the dynamic mode, plate-plate geometry of 25 mm diameter over the temperature range from –10 (...) to 60°C and angular frequency, varied from 102 to10-1 radian/s. The results are compared at reference temperatures10 and 60°C over a wide range of . The results evidence that the incorporation of the waste PVC into bitumen enhances the dynamic viscosity. The results evidence that the incorporation of the waste PVC into bitumen enhances the torque and the viscosity. So, the stability of the bitumen composites is more noticeable at 60°C. (shrink)

Abstract: In a former paper [21], an exact image compression based on bit-planes blocking was proposed. The proposed algorithm uses two bit codes for block representation. The outcome of the encoding process is two streams: Main Bit Stream, MBS and Residual Bit Stream, RBS. The algorithm core is searching for the greatest block of Unicode to encode in main stream and if not found until size of two by two then it will be kept as is in residual stream. In (...) this paper, a lossy version of that algorithm is presented. The change in the base algorithm is in the definition of the unary-code-block is eased to be above certain percent. The percent is varied from plane to another as their contribution to image power varies. The testing of the proposed algorithm shows comparable results. Image degradations seems restorable even for high compression ratios. (shrink)

American Sign Language, or ASL as its acronym is commonly known, is a fascinating language, and many people outside of the Deaf community have begun to recognize its value and purpose. It is a visual language consisting of coordinated hand gestures, body movements, and facial expressions. Sign language is not a universal language; it varies by country and is heavily influenced by the native language and culture. The American Sign Language alphabet and the British Sign Language alphabet are completely contrary. (...) Fingerspelling is one-handed in ASL and two-handed in BSL, with the exception of the letter C. AI technologies, particularly deep learning, can play an important role in breaking down communication barriers between deaf or hearing-impaired people and other communities, significantly contributing to their social inclusion. Recent advances in sensing technologies and AI algorithms have paved the way for the development of a wide range of applications aimed at meeting the needs of the deaf and hearing-impaired communities. To that end, the purpose of this paper is By attempting to translate sign language using artificial intelligence algorithms, we focused in this paper on a transfer learning technique based on deep learning using a ResNet algorithm and compared it to previous papers in which we used VGG19[1]and mobileNet [2], where we get in the ResNet algorithm on the degree of Accuracy 93,48% e number of images (43500 in the dataset in size 64*64 pixel ) and the data split training data into training dataset (70%) and validation dataset(15%) and testing dataset(15%) and 20 epoch. (shrink)

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology 12.3 (2005) 257-259 [Access article in PDF] Atrocity, Banality, Self-Deception Adam Morton Keywords evil, self-deception, banality, atrocity, motivation When talking about evil we must make a fundamental choice about how we are to use the term. We may use it as half of the contrast "good versus evil," in which case it covers everything that is not good. That includes moral incompetence, lack of imagination, (...) willingness to follow orders, overreactions, and a host of other reasons why people who do not have personalities that we would call evil do things that are wrong, often very wrong. Call this the weak reading of evil: evil as wrongdoing. Or we may use it with the meaning suggested by "evil person," "really evil act," "the evil lurking in all of us," and other such idioms. If we do this, we focus on a particular class of actions, and the motives and people that produce them, that arouse a particular moral revulsion in us. Call this the strong reading of evil: evil as atrocity (for more on this contrast see Morton [2004] and Card [2002]).Kubarych, following Peck, thinks of evil in the strong way. Most of the time at any rate: Some of the philosophers, such as Kant, that he draws on are thinking of evil in the weak way, and some of his quotations are from the German, where good/bad/evil distinctions are not drawn in the same way as in English. He explores a general explanation of evil that seems to be targeted at the psychology of extremely abhorrent actions. But, I argue, his account is in danger of collapse in either of two directions. Depending on how we interpret Kubarych's account, it could turn out that it describes all wrongdoing as evil, or, making some different choices, it could turn out that there are no really evil people.The strong reading of evil is definitely the most interesting and potentially fruitful. After all, we have no shortage of satisfying explanations of why people lie to get out of unwelcome appointments, steal to support their children or their drug habits, or defraud investors to become rich. But we do feel deeply puzzled by those who commit torture, serial murder, or genocide. We ask of these people not so much "Why did he do it?" as "How could he do it?" We feel the need of a philosophical or psychological theory that can give us even a slight handle of these people and their deeds. There are two risks associated with the project of explaining atrocity, though. The first is the risk of accepting unsatisfactory accounts, just because they purport to explain what we desperately want to understand. The second is the risk of supposing that there is a single explanation when the causes of the phenomenon are in fact too varied. On other topics these two risks have often combined to make people believe what seem to us now to be evident falsehoods. Humans have often for example wanted to know the causes of disease, and as a result have accepted blanket explanations, in terms of [End Page 257] evil spirits or lack of faith, that seem ludicrous to us now that we have a better grasp of the variety of factors that can cause our bodies to misfunction. So before asking naively "Why and how can people do these awful things?" we should ask "Is there a deeper causal unity here, beyond the fact that we react to these acts with horror?"My suspicion is that there is not much unity, that it is asking too much to want a common profile to the psychology of serial killers, or of proponents of genocide, let alone a profile that applies across these and other categories. What we can do, I believe, is describe our concept of evil in such a way that we can leave some parameters to be filled in by a large variety of objective psychological factors. Even this runs the risk that the really relevant factors cannot be forced into the role that the philosophical account requires. In... (shrink)

Some philosophical theories of the nature of color aim to respect a "common sense" conception of color: aligning with the common sense conception is supposed to speak in favor of a theory and conflicting with it is supposed to speak against a theory. In this paper, we argue that the idea of a "common sense" conception of color that philosophers of color have relied upon is overly simplistic. By drawing on experimental and historical evidence, we show how conceptions of color (...) vary along several dimensions and how even supposedly "core" components of the contemporary "common sense" conception of color are less stable than they have been thought to be. (shrink)

The COVID-19 crisis has forced a difficult trade-off between limiting the health impacts of the virus and maintaining economic activity. Welfare economics offers tools to conceptualize this trade-off so that policy-makers and the public can see clearly what is at stake. We review four such tools: the Value of Statistical Life (VSL); the Value of Statistical Life Years (VSLYs); Quality-Adjusted Life-Years (QALYs); and social welfare analysis, and argue that the latter are superior. We also discuss how to choose policies that (...) differentially affect people’s wellbeing. We argue in favor of evaluating policies using a Social Welfare Function (SWF), which evaluates the possible distributions of wellbeing across individuals that may result from a policy. Such a function, we argue, should regard increases in the wellbeing of the less well-off as especially valuable. We then use a model to illustrate how such a framework can help evaluate two broad policy types in response to the pandemic: eradication of the virus, and more lenient control of the spread. Our model reveals how such evaluations depend on many empirical facts but also on key value judgments about the relative importance of health and on the extent of special concern for the worse off. The purpose of this brief is not to make precise recommendations, as conditions vary widely across countries and over time, but to provide a methodology. (shrink)

Control measures, such as “lockdowns”, have been widely used to suppress the COVID-19 pandemic. Under some conditions, they prevent illness and save lives. But they also exact an economic toll. How should we balance the impact of such policies on individual lives and livelihoods (and other dimensions of concern) to determine which is best? A widely used method of policy evaluation, benefit–cost analysis (BCA), answers these questions by converting all the effects of a policy into monetary equivalents and then summing (...) them up. A different method, social welfare analysis, proceeds by determining the effects of a policy on individual wellbeing and then applying an aggregation formula to them to evaluate the overall effects of a policy. In this chapter, we survey these methods and argue that social welfare analysis has important advantages. One crucial advantage is that it enables ethical considerations relating to the impact of policies on individual wellbeing and its distribution to be incorporated into policy assessments in a transparent way. We illustrate this with a simple numerical model for evaluating pandemic policies that vary in terms of the stringency of the controls that they impose on individual behaviour, showing how the evaluation depends on the ethical significance accorded to their impact on the wellbeing of different age and income groups. (shrink)

Using a qualitative method of research, the study investigated the increasing use of traditional medicine in Ghana, focusing on Afigya Kwabre South District. Traditional medicine has gone through various stages since time immemorial, especially with regard to how its patronage has evolved over time. The period ranges from the pre-colonial era, when it was the only source of remedy for the entire continent of Africa including Ghana, to the colonial period which marked another phase when European influence diverted the attention (...) of Africans from the use of traditional medicine to orthodox. This suggests that traditional medicine is unorthodox (not normal) medicine, and thus the post-colonial era has witnessed emphases on medical pluralisation (concurrent use of traditional medicine and orthodox medicine). In the 21st century, traditional medicine practices have undergone several changes. The use of traditional medicine seems to be gaining traction in health care delivery in Ghana. This article addresses varied reasons that have accentuated these changes over time. Salient factors include demographics, economic status, patient-doctor interaction and other relevant causes. (shrink)

The precarious rights of senior citizens, especially those who are highly educated and who are expected to counsel and guide the younger generations, has stimulated the creation internationally of advocacy associations and opinion leader groups. The strength of these groups, however, varies from country to country. In some countries, they are supported and are the focus of intense interest; in others, they are practically ignored. For this is reason we believe that the creation of a network of all these associations (...) is essential. The proposed network would act as a support for the already-existing policies of the United Nations’ High Commission for Human Rights, of independent experts, and of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People. All three have long ago recommended the creation of a recognized instrument for uniting presently scattered efforts. The proposed network, therefore, will seek to promote the international exchange of relevant expertise, and it will reinforce the commitments and actions that single countries are currently taking to meet these objectives. For example, informative public events can be organised to promote particular support initiatives and to provide an opportunity for new members of the network to be presented. The network will promote health for senior citizens, disease prevention, senior mobility, safe free time for seniors, alimentary education, protection against new risks and dangers, as well as equity in the services necessary for seniors to adopt new information and communication technologies. In the case of retired academic members, the network will promote equality with respect to continuing use of digital technologies (particularly email), continuing access to research libraries, and the guaranteed ability for seniors to fund their own research programs and to deliver free seminars. (shrink)

Background: In the first few months of 2020, information and news reports about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were rapidly published and shared on social media and social networking sites. While the field of infodemiology has studied information patterns on the Web and in social media for at least 18 years, the COVID-19 pandemic has been referred to as the first social media infodemic. However, there is limited evidence about whether and how the social media infodemic has spread panic and affected (...) the mental health of social media users. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine how social media affects self-reported mental health and the spread of panic about COVID-19 in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Methods: To carry out this study, an online questionnaire was prepared and conducted in Iraqi Kurdistan, and a total of 516 social media users were sampled. This study deployed a content analysis method for data analysis. Correspondingly, data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: Participants reported that social media has a significant impact on spreading fear and panic related to the COVID-19 outbreak in Iraqi Kurdistan, with a potential negative influence on people’s mental health and psychological well-being. Facebook was the most used social media network for spreading panic about the COVID-19 outbreak in Iraq. We found a significant positive statistical correlation between self-reported social media use and the spread of panic related to COVID-19 (R=.8701). Our results showed that the majority of youths aged 18-35 years are facing psychological anxiety. Conclusions: During lockdown, people are using social media platforms to gain information about COVID-19. The nature of the impact of social media panic among people varies depending on an individual's gender, age, and level of education. Social media has played a key role in spreading anxiety about the COVID-19 outbreak in Iraqi Kurdistan. (shrink)

Ludwig Wittgenstein has often been called a quietist. His work has inspired a rich and varied array of theories in moral philosophy. Some prominent meta-ethicists have also been called quietists, or ‘relaxed’ as opposed to ‘robust’ realists, sometimes with explicit reference to Wittgenstein in attempts to clarify their views. In this chapter, I compare and contrast these groups of theories and draw out their importance for contemporary meta-ethical debate. They represent countercultures to contemporary meta-ethics. That is, they reject in different (...) ways one or more of the common assumptions that, whilst not universally shared, shape how to understand and engage in contemporary meta-ethical debate. Despite striking similarities, I argue that the ‘quietist’ label has obscured the views it is used to describe, the crucial differences between them, and the challenge that they offer to the predominant culture of meta-ethical enquiry. That challenge is this: there are plausible different ways of understanding and doing meta-ethics to those of the meta-ethical orthodoxy. We ignore such heterodoxy at our own peril. (shrink)

Metformin is considered the first-line treatment as a monotherapy for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Emerging evidence suggests that metformin may have a renoprotective role; therefore, understanding the impact of metformin dose and therapy duration on renal function may significantly improve renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes patients. This study aims to investigate the renoprotective effects of metformin by analyzing its dose-dependent impacts on the estimated glomerular filtration rate in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A retrospective cross-sectional study (...) design was used from September 2022 to October 2023. Data from 302 type 2 diabetes patients were collected from patient files at the Benghazi Diabetic Center and the Aljabal Al-Alkdar Diabetic Center, including all with type 2 diabetes mellitus patients on varying doses of metformin. The collected data included age, gender, metformin dose, duration of metformin therapy, urea, and creatinine. Exclusion criteria included patients with significant comorbidities such as chronic kidney disease (other than diabetic nephropathy), liver disease, heart failure, or malignancy; those taking nephrotoxic medications; individuals with recent acute illnesses or surgical procedures; pregnant or lactating women; participants with inadequate medical records; and patients who were non-adherent to metformin therapy. Survival analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of different metformin doses on the estimated glomerular filtration rate. The study analyzed 302 diabetic patients, of whom 46.0% were male and 54.0% were female. The age was 58.3±11.9 years. The HbA1c was 7.7%±1.3%. The duration of diabetes was 11.4±8.1 years. The creatinine was 1.0±0.9 mg/dL, and the urea was 36.7±23.8 mg/dL. Data analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in survival distribution across the dose groups. Different metformin doses significantly impact the estimated glomerular filtration rate, suggesting that dosage plays a crucial role in maintaining renal function. (shrink)

Are the real numbers rich enough to measure intelligence? We generalize a result of Alexander and Hutter about the so-called Legg-Hutter intelligence measures of reinforcement learning agents. Using the generalized result, we exhibit a paradox: in one particular version of the Legg-Hutter intelligence measure, certain agents all have intelligence 0, even though in a certain sense some of them outperform others. We show that this paradox disappears if we vary the Legg-Hutter intelligence measure to be hyperreal-valued rather than real-valued.