BackgroundResearch misconduct is a global concern in biomedical science. There are no comprehensive data regarding the perception and situation of scientific misconduct among the Iranian medical faculty members. We conducted a nationwide survey to assess the research misconduct among the medical faculty members in Iran.MethodsWe used the Persian version of the research misconduct questionnaire (PRMQ) on the Google Forms platform. We sent the survey link to a systematic random sample of medical faculty members in Iran (N = 4986). Descriptive analyses (...) were performed on the individual items of the PRMQ, with frequencies and percentages for categorical and Likert-type response items, and means and standard deviation (S.D.) for continuous variables. Chi-square analysis was conducted to test hypotheses examining differences in the frequency of responses related to factors influencing misconduct. We also defined four tenure categories (TC) based on the working years of the participants as tenured faculty members. All the analyses were performed using R 3.6.0.ResultsThe response rate was 13.8% (692 responses). Nearly 70% of the respondents agreed that their publication output would be of higher quality if there were no publication pressure. Approximately three-quarters (N =499, 72.1%) of the respondents had been aware of some instances of research misconduct during the previous year according to their understanding of misconduct. Among the participants, 18.5% perceived the effectiveness of their associated organisation’s rules for reducing research misconduct to be high or very high. Pressure for tenure was identified as the item most frequently perceived with a strong behavioural influence on engaging in research misconduct (80.2%).ConclusionsThis study confirms that research misconduct needs to be actively addressed among the medical faculty members. Making policies with a focus on boosting awareness regarding the occasions of scientific misconduct and its management seems to be indispensable in the future in Iran. (shrink)

This article explores Leila Ahmed’s A Border Passage, and Nawal El Saadawi’s Memoirs from the Women’s Prison, A Daughter of Isis, and Walking Through Fire. It contrasts their works and argues that location and genderawareness play an important role in the writing of autobiographies. The focus is on showing how El Saadawi’s positioning as a feminist activist in Egypt and Ahmed’s location in the USA determine the texts’ themes and shape the construction of the autobiographical “I.”.

As artificial intelligence technologies become increasingly prominent in our daily lives, media coverage of the ethical considerations of these technologies has followed suit. Since previous research has shown that media coverage can drive public discourse about novel technologies, studying how the ethical issues of AI are portrayed in the media may lead to greater insight into the potential ramifications of this public discourse, particularly with regard to development and regulation of AI. This paper expands upon previous research by systematically analyzing (...) and categorizing the media portrayal of the ethical issues of AI to better understand how media coverage of these issues may shape public debate about AI. Our results suggest that the media has a fairly realistic and practical focus in its coverage of the ethics of AI, but that the coverage is still shallow. A multifaceted approach to handling the social, ethical and policy issues of AI technology is needed, including increasing the accessibility of correct information to the public in the form of fact sheets and ethical value statements on trusted webpages, collaboration and inclusion of ethics and AI experts in both research and public debate, and consistent government policies or regulatory frameworks for AI technology. (shrink)

Background: Compassionate care is an international priority of healthcare professionals. There is little understanding about how workplace issues impact provision of compassionate care in nursing practice. Therefore, it is important to address the workplace issues and organizational factors which may hinder compassionate care delivery within nursing practice. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore workplace and organizational barriers to compassionate care from the nurses’ perspective. Research design: The study used a qualitative exploratory design, and data were analyzed by (...) conventional content analysis. Participants and research context: A total of 15 nurses working in different fields of nursing were recruited from four hospitals at northwest of Iran. Participants were selected by purposive sampling. Semistructured interviews were conducted for data collection. Ethical consideration: Ethical approval of this study was gained from the Ethical Review Board of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Findings: The main theme which emerged from data analysis was “unsupportive organizational culture.” This theme had two main categories including “excessive workload alongside inadequate staffing” and “the lack of value on compassionate care.” Discussion: Organizational barriers to development of compassionate in clinical practice were identified in this study. A closer examination of these barriers is required to move compassionate practice from an individual responsibility to a collective responsibility that is owned and shared by organizations. Conclusion: For compassionate care to flourish, policy makers, managers, and healthcare providers must foster an organizational atmosphere conducive to compassionate care. (shrink)

In this paper I challenge two widespread convictions about unification in physics: unification is an aim of physics and unification is driven by metaphysical or metatheoretical presuppositions. I call these external explanations of why there is unification in physics. Against this, I claim that unification is a by-product of physical research and unification is driven by basic methodological strategies of physics alone. I call this an internal explanation of why there is unification in physics. To support my claims, I will (...) investigate the actual practice undertaken in physics in paradigmatic examples of unification. (shrink)

... which is merely intensional frosting on a more important extensional L. Haaparanta and J. Hintikka (eds.), Frege Synthesized, 3—8. O 1986 byD. ...

This edited volume presents a comprehensive history of modern logic from the Middle Ages through the end of the twentieth century.

It is standardly believed that the generally time-reversal symmetric fundamental laws of physics themselves cannot explain the apparent asymmetry of time. In particular, it is believed that CP violation is of no help. In this paper, I want to push back against a quick dismissal of CP violation as a potential source for the arrow of time and argue that it should be taken more seriously for conceptualising time in physics. I first recall that CP violation is a key feature (...) of our best physical theory which also has large-scale explanatory import regarding the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe. I then investigate how CP violation may help to explain the directionality of time. I argue that accounts à la Maudlin that posit an intrinsic fundamental direction of time are not convincing and instead propose to utilise recent results from work on the dynamical approach to relativity theory. (shrink)

Trataremos aquí sobre la relación entre Spinoza y Butler en lo que respecta a la constitución afectiva de todo cuerpo. Veremos cómo para Butler vida del individuo se presenta en condiciones de precariedad y vulnerabilidad y, para Spinoza, en un estado constante de fluctuación anímica en el que las causas externas nos afectan de una manera que muchas veces pueden implicar nuestra propia descomposición. Veremos cómo ambas filosofías convergen en este punto. Asimismo, atenderemos a la interpretación butleriana del concepto de (...) conatus y “deseo” spinoziano entendido como la naturaleza propia de todo individuo humano. (shrink)

Sterilisation is the most desired method of contraception worldwide. In 1996, the Brazilian Congress approved a family planning law that legitimised female and male sterilisation, but forbade sterilisation during childbirth. As a result of this law, procedures currently occur in a clandestine nature upon payment. Despite the law, sterilisations continue to be performed during caesarean sections. The permanence of the method is an important consideration; therefore, information about other methods must be made available. Tubal sterilisation must not be the only (...) choice. We argue that review of this restriction will not contribute to the increase in caesarean sections but will allow for greater sterilisation choice for men and women. (shrink)

Choices rarely deal with certainties; and, where assertoric logic and modal logic are insufficient, those seeking to be reasonable turn to one or more things called “probability.” These things typically have a shared mathematical form, which is an arithmetic construct. The construct is often felt to be unsatisfactory for various reasons. A more general construct is that of a preordering, which may even be incomplete, allowing for cases in which there is no known probability relation between two propositions or between (...) two events. Previous discussion of incomplete preorderings has been as if incidental, with researchers focusing upon preorderings for which quantifications are possible. This article presents formal axioms for the more general case. Challenges peculiar to some specific interpretations of the nature of probability are brought to light in the context of these propositions. A qualitative interpretation is offered for probability differences that are often taken to be quantified. A generalization of Bayesian updating is defended without dependence upon coherence. Qualitative hypothesis testing is offered as a possible alternative in cases for which quantitative hypothesis testing is shown to be unsuitable. (shrink)

BPA Production and Associated Health Risks Bisphenol A is a chemical agent found in many everyday products, including canned goods and plastic food containers. BPA exposure is linked to a variety of adverse health effects, such as obesity and diabetes. To protect the public's health — especially the health of vulnerable fetuses, infants, children, and pregnant women — BPA regulations should encompass products intended specifically for these populations. Even with tremendous public outcry against the use of BPA, current federal restrictions (...) do not reach far enough. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently banned the use of BPA in children's sippy cups and baby bottles, but failed to address its inclusion in canned infant formula or plastic tableware.BPA production began in the 1950s to make epoxy resins and was later employed to create polycarbonate plastic products. (shrink)

Finland is internationally known as one of the leading centers of twentieth century analytic philosophy. This volume offers for the first time an overall survey of the Finnish analytic school. The rise of this trend is illustrated by original articles of Edward Westermarck, Eino Kaila, Georg Henrik von Wright, and Jaakko Hintikka. Contributions of Finnish philosophers are then systematically discussed in the fields of logic, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, history of philosophy, ethics and social philosophy. Metaphilosophical reflections on (...) the nature of philosophy are highlighted by the Finnish dialogue between analytic philosophy, phenomenology, pragmatism, and critical theory. (shrink)

ABSTRACT With the controversial ethical issues on the creation of human embryos through cloning for therapeutic research, which holds more promise for medical breakthroughs that the world could ever imagine and the acknowledgement by many scientists that this biotechnology may not lead in the near future to therapies; this country report discusses the approach Singapore takes on human stem cell research, interjected with the authors’ own arguments and suggestions especially on research compensation injuries, an often neglected important issue. International comparative (...) viewpoints taken by the major countries in the world are also included in the appendix. (shrink)

The process of agricultural unification will dominate the German scene for the next few years. At this stage, however, analysis and forecasts are hampered by the considerable problem concerning the viability of East German agriculture in a market economy and by the absence of reliable data in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). This can only be understood in terms of the agricultural situation in the GDR before unification, which is discussed in the first section. The political and economic incentives for (...) German unification are described in the next section of this paper, focusing especially on the integration of the GDR into CAP. The third section considers some critical structural, legal, social, and economic constraints in the process of integrating the two agricultural systems. Finally, the implications for German agriculture as well as the challenges for the CAP will be addressed. Data were collected from interviews with key agricultural policy makers, farm organizations, commodity groups, consumer groups, and agricultural experts, as well as interviewing East German farmers. Additional data were compiled from government statistics, EC publications, and press reports. The conclusions reached in this research show the urgent need for the German government to reconsider the objectives and rationale for structural policies in agriculture, and point out that the new Germany, itself full of paradoxes and uncertainty, stands at the center of European agricultural disorder. (shrink)

(2013). The making of the economy: a phenomenology of economic science. Journal of Economic Methodology: Vol. 20, Methodology, Systemic Risk, and the Economics Profession, pp. 86-91. doi: 10.1080/1350178X.2013.774855.

Este artigo insere-se numa reflexão teórico-epistémica e metodológica sobre as formas biográficas no âmbito de um projeto de investigação centrado na experiência de mulheres que vivem com cancro da mama. Em termos metodológicos, recuperamos o valor heurístico da narrativa e da técnica da entrevista como um dos recursos de investigação mais férteis para o estudo da experiência. Por sua vez, recorremos às narrativas, produto do processo de interlocução com 25 mulheres que têm ou tiveram cancro da mama, para analisar determinados (...) processos que participam nas instâncias narrativas, bem como para enfatizar o carácter social na produção da subjetividade. O artigo contribui para considerar as formas biográficas e o seu particular contributo para os estudos da socioantropologia da saúde, a centralidade da narrativa na sua capacidade configurativo-temporal e o lugar que a experiência da doença pode assumir como rutura biográfica no quadro de uma globalidade biográfica, face a contextos e cenários socioculturais. Estes aspectos actuam e orientam os posicionamentos subjectivos nos modos de narrar-se para dar conta de si, como uma narração incompleta, imersa em descontinuidades e opacidades no processo de configuração biográfica. (shrink)

O processo de conversão ao Cristianismo, em sua versão ortodoxa, dos povos bárbaros assentados em território do Antigo Império Romano, durante os séculos V e VIl, evidencia o empenho das autoridades religiosas capazes de forjar variadas estratégias na busca do seu intento. Nesse sentido, destaca-se a atuação de Martinho de Braga pelo seu sistemático trabalho de evangelização, do que fez parte a redação de variadas obras. Entre estas desejamos sublinhar De Formula Vitae Honestae, obra de caráter político e moral dirigida (...) aos príncipes do referido reino, reproduzida inúmeras vezes na Idade Média a partir do século XII e inserida no conjunto de escritos conhecidos como espelho dos príncipes. (shrink)

It is difficult to understand the meaning of ‘dignity’ in human rights, bioethics and nursing literature because the word is used so vaguely. Unless dignity’s meaning is spelt out it can disappear beneath more tangible priorities. In this article we define dignity and show how this can help health workers to maintain the dignity of people in their care.

The quest for a theory of quantum gravity is usually understood to be driven by philosophical assumptions external to physics proper. It is suspected that specifically approaches in the context of particle physics are rather based on metaphysical premises than experimental data or physical arguments. I disagree. In this paper, I argue that the quest for a theory of quantum gravity sets an important example of physics’ internal unificatory practice. It is exactly Weinberg’s and others’ particle physics stance that reveals (...) the issue of quantum gravity as a genuine physical problem arising within the framework of quantum field theory. (shrink)

Dung’s (1995) argumentation framework takes as input two abstract entities: a set of arguments and a binary relation encoding attacks between these arguments. It returns acceptable sets of arguments, called extensions, w.r.t. a given semantics. While the abstract nature of this setting is seen as a great advantage, it induces a big gap with the application that it is used to. This raises some questions about the compatibility of the setting with a logical formalism (i.e., whether it is possible to (...) instantiate it properly from a logical knowledge base), and about the significance of the various semantics in the application context. In this paper we tackle the above questions. We first propose to fill in the previous gap by extending Dung’s (1995) framework. The idea is to consider all the ingredients involved in an argumentation process. We start with the notion of an abstract monotonic logic which consists of a language (defining the formulas) and a consequence operator. We show how to build, in a systematic way, arguments from a knowledge base formalised in such a logic. We then recall some basic postulates that any instantiation should satisfy. We study how to choose an attack relation so that the instantiation satisfies the postulates. We show that symmetric attack relations are generally not suitable. However, we identify at least one ‘appropriate’ attack relation. Next, we investigate under stable, semi-stable, preferred, grounded and ideal semantics the outputs of logic-based instantiations that satisfy the postulates. For each semantics, we delimit the number of extensions an argumentation system may have, characterise the extensions in terms of subsets of the knowledge base, and finally characterise the set of conclusions that are drawn from the knowledge base. The study reveals that stable, semi-stable and preferred semantics either lead to counter-intuitive results or provide no added value w.r.t. naive semantics. Besides, naive semantics either leads to arbitrary results or generalises the coherence-based approach initially developed by Rescher and Manor (1970). Ideal and grounded semantics either coincide and generalise the free consequence relation developed by Benferhat, Dubois, and Prade (1997), or return arbitrary results. Consequently, Dung’s (1995) framework seems problematic when applied over deductive logical formalisms. (shrink)

Background: It is essential to pay attention to and respect the dignity of nurses to maintain them in their profession while they deliver skilled nursing care. Little is known, however, about how a sense of dignity influences the practitioner. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to describe nurses’ experiences of threats to their dignity occurring within clinical settings, which generates an intention to leave clinical practice. Research design and method: The study was performed using qualitative content analysis. The participants (...) were 21 clinical nurses with work experience who were employed across a range of clinical posts. Data obtained from the semi-structured interviews were analyzed and interpreted using a content analysis approach. Ethical considerations: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and was guided by the ethical principles of voluntary enrolment, anonymity, privacy, and confidentiality. Findings: Within data analysis, three main themes and nine categories were extracted as follows: (1) lack of professional pride (physician’s dominance, intangible nature of nursing, and negative attitude toward clinical nurses); (2) oppressive work environment (high workload, disrespect, discrimination, and lack of support); and (3) suppression of progressivism (lack of appreciation and attention to meritocracy). Discussion: Almost all of the participants have experienced some degree of disrespect and violation of dignity. In general, attempts made by the participants to show their objection to the threats and to support and protect their dignity have not been effective and in fact made them more inclined to leave the clinical work. Conclusion: According to the views of nurses themselves, identification of the factors threatening nurses’ dignity can be one of the appropriate solutions for the broader and deeper investigation of this phenomenon and can help promote and support nurses’ dignity and their retention within the profession. (shrink)

En el presente artículo abordamos la relación filosófica entre Spinoza y Leibniz, y planteamos la hipótesis de que Leibniz tuvo un período amistoso con éste, en el que llegó a sostener ideas spinozistas. En particular, analizamos la concepción monista de la substancia que creemos puede encontrarse en algunos de los escritos metafísicos del período 1675-1676, hoy conocidos como De summa rerum. Planteamos que la relación entre lo uno y lo múltiple, uno de los problemas con mayor pregnancia en el sistema (...) leibniziano, encontrará en la filosofía de Spinoza una formulación de gran atractivo para el joven filósofo. Asimismo, atenderemos a algunas de las diferentes lecturas que pueden encontrarse sobre la influencia spinoziana en Leibniz. (shrink)

Since Xi Jinping has taken office in 2012, China’s political repression has only but intensified so that the regime is definitively turning away from the 1990s legal reforms and the many expectations that followed in terms of rule of law and other rights fostering. In replacing these recent developments in a larger perspective including that of a “socialist harmonious society”, which had already shaded a particular light on Chinese reforms, this article proposes to envisage contemporary Chinese legal culture in an (...) evolutionary and theoretical framework. In doing so, it stresses the tensions between a language of rights now fully integrated by the Chinese citizens and the politics of law used, in a last legal ditch struggle, by the Chinese Communist Party as a tool for social stability in disciplining the people by all means including by the threat of its very legal creations. It then concludes in reflecting upon the legal culture emerging out of this great divide between the people and the State. (shrink)

It is a commonly held view that Frege's doctrine of senses and references is not compatible with the idea that there are de re beliefs. The present paper is meant to challenge that view. Moreover, it seeks to show that, instead of forcing Frege's semantic framework to answer questions raised by twentieth-century philosophy of language, we could try to find other questions to which it might be an answer. It is argued that the proper treatment of Frege's views requires the (...) acknowledgement of the central role of individualistic epistemology in his thought. Once this is recognized, Frege's doctrine of senses and references can be considered a theory, or at least a sketch of a theory, of cognition, which has interesting connections with Kant's and Husserl's views. (shrink)

Dans le cadre des algorithmes numériques introduits et élaborés par les mathématiciens arabes, à partir du ixe siècle, figure l'algorithme de l'extraction de la racine carrée d'un entier naturel. Cet algorithme a été étudié chez plusieurs d'entre eux et surtout bien expliqué par alBaġdādī dans le chapitre « Comment extraire la racine des nombres entiers » de son livre « La complétion du calcul », Al-takmila fī al-ḥisāb 1. Dans ce chapitre, al-Baġdādī expose son travail pédagogiquement en six sections traitant (...) de plusieurs manières différentes le problème de l'extraction de la racine carrée d'un entier 2. À la même époque, dans un texte isolé intitulé « Sur la cause de la racine, de son doublement et de son déplacement 3 », Ibn al-Hayṯam donne une justification géométrique de l'algorithme en se basant sur des notions algébriques précises. (shrink)

El presente artículo se ocupa de algunos elementos comunes que consideramos pueden encontrarse entre Spinoza y Lacan. Sin que ello implique soslayar las diferencias, nos referimos a algunos conceptos e inquietudes compartidas como son la revalorización de los afectos y pulsiones, la centralidad de los conceptos de cuerpo y deseo, la importancia de las huellas o vestigium en la constitución de los sujetos o ‘modos’, así como la concepción de una curación o liberación por medio de la potencia del saber. (...) Nuestra labor consiste en tomar ciertas referencias o sentencias lacanianas que remiten directa o indirectamente a Spinoza y contraponer cómo Spinoza mismo las entiende en el marco de su sistema filosófico. Al mismo tiempo, a través de estas instancias buscaremos aportar elementos sobre la manera en que Lacan logra vincular la filosofía de Spinoza a su propio desarrollo teórico. (shrink)

In this article I will argue that futile medical and nursing care is not only inefficacious but that it may be harmful to the patient and also to health professionals, who may be diminished both as clinicians and as persons if they are not able to give appropriate care to dying patients and their families. I discuss futile care in intensive care units because the opportunities and the temptation to provide futile care in these settings is higher than, for instance, (...) in internal medicine and nursing home care. I argue, following two nurse ethicists, Carol Taylor and Colleen Scanlon, that, even if nurses are not the initiators of futile care, they play an important role in its prevention because of their clinical expertise. They can do this by convening ‘patient care conferences’ when they recognize the need to bring together the various parties that have conflicting expectations. These conferences would then result in appropriate palliative care. The nurses providing this care would demonstrate their understanding of the process whereby living becomes the process of dying. (shrink)