_The first book length-work on Afa Ajura and translation of his complete poems_ This is the first English translation of and commentary on the collected poems of Alhaj Yūsuf Ṣāliḥ Ajura (1910–2004), a northern Ghanaian orthodox Islamic scholar, poet, and polemicist known as Afa Ajura, or “scholar from Ejura.” The poems, all handwritten in Arabic script, mainly in the Ghanaian language of Dagbani and also Arabic, explore the author’s socio‑religious beliefs. In the accompanying introduction, the translator examines the diverse themes (...) of the poems and how they challenge Tijāniyyah Sufi clerics and traditional practices such as idol worship. (shrink)

_The first book length-work on Afa Ajura and translation of his complete poems_ This is the first English translation of and commentary on the collected poems of Alhaj Yūsuf Ṣāliḥ Ajura (1910–2004), a northern Ghanaian orthodox Islamic scholar, poet, and polemicist known as Afa Ajura, or “scholar from Ejura.” The poems, all handwritten in Arabic script, mainly in the Ghanaian language of Dagbani and also Arabic, explore the author’s socio‑religious beliefs. In the accompanying introduction, the translator examines the diverse themes (...) of the poems and how they challenge Tijāniyyah Sufi clerics and traditional practices such as idol worship. (shrink)

O artigo explora as fontes históricas da lenda O riso de Demócrito e o pranto de Heráclito, com destaque para a antiguidade greco-romana e para a modernidade renascentista. É realizado um estudo genealógico da referida lenda, seguido da análise de três obras: as Cartas do Pseudo-Hipócrates (c. século I d.C.) e os discursos oratórios de Antônio Vieira (Le lacrime d'Eraclito) e de Girolamo Cattaneo (Il riso di Democrito) (1674). Diante da tirania da felicidade que se impõe nas sociedades contemporâneas, o (...) resgate desse construto cultural milenar serve como locus de reflexão sobre prudencialidade ética e condição humana. (shrink)

In this paper an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model, for predicting the category of a tumor was developed and tested. Taking patients’ tests, a number of information gained that influence the classification of the tumor. Such information as age, sex, histologic-type, degree-of-diffe, status of bone, bone-marrow, lung, pleura, peritoneum, liver, brain, skin, neck, supraclavicular, axillar, mediastinum, and abdominal. They were used as input variables for the ANN model. A model based on the Multilayer Perceptron Topology was established and trained using (...) data set which its title is “primary tumor” and was obtained from the University Medical Centre, Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia Test data evaluation shows that the ANN model is able to correctly predict the tumor category with 76.67 % accuracy. (shrink)

Governance of biomedical research in the United States has been characterized by ethical individualism, a mode of reasoning that treats the individual person as the center of moral concern and analysis. However, genomics research raises ethics issues that uniquely affect certain genetically related communities as collectives, not merely as aggregates of individuals. This is especially true of identifiable populations—including Indigenous Peoples—that are often minoritized, socially marginalized, or geographically isolated. We propose an alternative, complementary framework based on the United Nations Declaration (...) on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) (2007), which explicitly recognizes both individual and collective rights. We use the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance as a case study to show how this UNDRIP‐based framework can complement the individual‐focused national standard for research oversight represented by the Belmont principles, thereby better protecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights and interests in genomic data. (shrink)

One of William Lane Craig's key arguments for the finitude of the past is the Successive Addition Argument (SAA). Malpass (2021) has recently developed a novel challenge to the SAA, utilising a thought experiment from the work of Fred Dretske, which is meant to show that it is possible to count to infinity, to argue that there is a counterexample to the SAA's second premise. In this paper, I contend that the Malpass‐Dretske counterexample should not worry advocates of the SAA. (...) First, I argue that one objection Malpass considers—the Potential Infinite Objection—reveals an interesting fact: the SAA's second premise is unnecessarily strong and can be weakened whilst still yielding the same conclusion. Second, I show how another one of the objections considered by Malpass—the Accumulation Objection—is successful, provided some clarification to the SAA's premises. The upshot of both analyses is that we generate two ‘new’ Successive Addition arguments that not only move the dialectic forward, but shed light on deeper assumptions and motivating intuitions concerning the Kalām. (shrink)

How do the flexibilized scenes of cruel optimism crystallize and resonate with the situational displays of crises as a governmental oversight? Centering around this question, the paper aims to offer a critical fulcrum for problematic attachments toward future-mediated fantasies in the aftermath of the Kahramanmaras earthquakes. It starts with evaluating how the pastoral mode was applied as a cruel diagram of positivity by the Turkish government through the omnipresent prowess of the media, which presents an ‘ordinaryizing’ affect in regularizing the (...) fatalistic discourses and relief efforts. It then continues to analyze the retributive discourses by the politicians and officials that triggered the oscillatory porosity among varied (de)subjectivities, toggling between sovereign misrecognitions and exclusions, as well as spiritually vivifying the optimistic barriers of cruelty. Lastly, it discusses in what ways the hopeful projections reconciled with the preemption by the dominant scientific narratives paradoxically prolong the preexistence of uncertainty and trust. (shrink)

Maqasid al-Shariah based Islamic bioethics is an Islamic bioethics concept which uses the objectives of the Shariah as its approach in analysing and assessing bioethical issues. Analysis based on maqasid al-Shariah based Islamic bioethics will examine any bioethical issues from three main aspects namely intention, method, and output or final goal of the studied issues. Then, the evaluation will be analysed from human interest hierarchy, inclusivity, and degree of certainty. The Islamic bioethics concept is a manifestation of dynamic Islamic jurisprudence (...) which can overcome new complex and complicated bioethical issues such as tri-parent baby technology issues. Therefore, this article will introduce and explain the concept of maqasid al-Shariah based Islamic bioethics and outline a general guidance of maqasid al-Shariah based Islamic bioethics to determine a maqṣad based on standards of human good or well-being and harm. (shrink)

Şâfiî müctehidlerin muteber şahsiyetlerinden biri olan Râfiî el-Kazvînî, ilk olarak babası Muhammed b. Abdilkerîm el-Kazvînî (ö. 580/1184) ve annesinin dayısı Ebü’l-Hayr Ahmed et-Tâlkânî’nin (ö. 589/1193) rahle-i tedrisinde bulunduktan sonra alanında uzman birçok kişiden tefsir, hadis ve fıkıh sahasına ilişkin seviyeli bir eğitim almıştır. Yaşadığı asrın ileri gelen ulemasından İslâmî ilimleri okuyarak fıkıh ilminde ihtisas sahibi olan Râfiî, Kazvîn’de ders halkaları oluşturarak tedris faaliyetinde bulunmuş; dönemin halifeleri tarafından Şam ve Mısır baş kadılık görevine atanan Ahmed b. Halîl el-Mühellebî (ö. 638/1240), Zekiyyüddin (...) el-Münzirî (656/1258) ve İbn Sükkerî (ö.713/1313) gibi önemli simalar yetiştirmiştir. Zekâsı, aklı ve özellikle haiz olduğu fıkhî meseleleri ayırt etme yetisiyle Râfiî, doktrin içerisinde yer alan dağınık görüşleri toplayarak ilgili görüşlerden hangisinin daha kuvvetli olabileceğine dair tespitlerde bulunup mezhebi tahrîr/tenkîh etmiş, bir bakıma mezhebin görüşlerini ilmî elekten geçirip ayıklamıştır. Mezhep içerisindeki görüşleri inceleyerek farklı tarikleri birleştirme ve dağınık bilgileri ayıklayıp mezhep birikimini veciz ifadelerle yansıtma faaliyetinden dolayı ulemanın dikkatini üzerine çeken Râfiî, mezhepte iki otoriteden biri anlamına gelen Şeyhân’dan biri olma -diğeri ise Nevevî (ö. 676/1277)- unvanına layık görülmüştür. Bu yüzden onun hayatına ve ilmî kişiliğine Şâfiî terâcim eserlerinde oldukça yer verilmiştir. Bu çalışmada, sonraki dönemlerde mezhep görüşünü temsilde belirleyici olan Râfiî’nin ilmî kişiliği yanında mezhebi tahrîr/tenkîh etmesindeki rolüne yer verilecektir. (shrink)

This book is the culmination of over twenty years of work toward a pedagogical theory that promotes experiential learning of model-laden theory and inquiry in science.

Bu çalışmada, İslâm hukukunun ibadetler bölümü içerisinde konu edinen, fukaha tarafından yer yer müstakil başlık altında incelenen istihâre namazına ilişkin ileri sürülen bazı hükümler nitel araştırma ve istidlâl yöntemleri kullanılarak ele alınmıştır. İstihâre namazı hakkında varit olan birtakım rivâyetlerde Hz. Peygamber’in –kendisi kılmamasına rağmen- sahâbîlere söz konusu namazı tavsiye ettiği görülmüştür. Binaenaleyh istihâre namazının meşruiyeti, şer‘î deliller içerisinde sünnete dayanmaktadır. Meşrûiyeti hususunda herhangi bir hilaf söz konusu olmamasına rağmen istihâre namazına dair rivâyet edilen birtakım nasların senedinin tenkite tabi tutulduğu, ilgili (...) naslarda yer alan bazı kavramların da te’vile açık olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bu ve benzeri hususlar, istihâre namazının hükmü yanında istihâre namazının rekât sayısı, istihâre duasının nerede okunacağı, hangi işler hakkında uygulanabilir olduğu, namaz kılınması mekruh sayılan vakitlerde kılınıp kılınamayacağı gibi bazı fıkhî meselelerin ortaya çıkmasına yol açmıştır. Bu durum ise, doktrin içerisinde kayda değer muhtelif görüş ve fikirlerin tezahür etmesine sebebiyet vermiştir. Dolayısıyla ele alınan bu çalışmada müctehidlerin istihâre namazı ve buna taalluk eden bazı fıkhî meselelere dair ileri sürdükleri görüşler, olabildiğince delilleriyle birlikte sunulmuş; meselelere ilişkin serdedilen rivâyetler cerh ve ta‘dîl açısından tahlil edilerek mezkûr konular bir bütünlük içerisinde incelenmeye çalışılmıştır. (shrink)

The semiotic model that disregards the normative context represented by the protagonist examines how we can distinguish the three conceptions of heroism, namely hero, semi-hero, and anti-hero. What are the methodological criteria whereby we can follow the protagonist in the text from beginning to end? To answer them, this article tries to present a model made up of five stages/criteria which constitute a semiotic model by means of which the connection to heroism can be determined. These are: (1) motivation, (2) (...) will, (3) ability, (4) execution, and (5) outcome. These stages can be logically classified into three categories: 1) Pre-action (the first three stages), 2) Action (the fourth stage), 3) Post-action (the fifth stage). The model proposed here suits all types of narrative and drama and all performance and film production arts. (shrink)

Bu çalışmada Herakleitos’un DK1 numaralı fragmanı ve filozofun felsefesinin temel kavramı olan logos terimi üzerinde inceleme yapılmıştır. Çalışmada ayrıca Herakleitos’un fragmanda kul-landığı sözcükler, kurduğu cümleler ve kullandığı üsluptan hareketle filozof olmasının yanı sıra aynı zamanda bir kâhin ya da peygamber olarak da nitelendirilebileceği iddia edilmiştir. Buna göre bu çalışma şu hususların ele alınmasından oluşmaktadır: DK1 numaralı fragmanın üç başlık altında incelenmesi suretiyle Herakleitos düşüncesinin merkezini oluşturan logos terimini anla-mak amaçlanmıştır. Logos terimini anlama noktasında sözcüğün sözlükteki anlamları üzerinde durularak ilgili fragmanda (...) sözcüğe yüklenen anlamlar tespit edilmiştir. Böylelikle Dk1 numaralı fragmanda Herakleitos’un logos sözcüğüne yüklediği temel anlamların, akıl, söz, rasyonel pren-sip, yönetici ilke türünden anlamlar olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Çalışmada ayrıca filozofun frag-manda kullandığı üslubun filozof olmasının yanı sıra kâhinlere veya peygamberlere özgü olduğu iddiasında bulunulmuştur. Bu iddia ise fragmanı oluşturan cümlelerin ve sözcüklerin dile getiri-lişindeki üslup ve jargondan hareketle ve rütbeli Herakleitos yorumcularının ifadeleri ile gerek-çelendirilmeye çalışılmıştır. (shrink)

Name der Zeitschrift: Semiotica Jahrgang: 2017 Heft: 215 Seiten: 305-324.

This study investigates the performance of 21 monolingual and 56 bilingual children aged 5;6-9;0 on German-LITMUS-sentence-repetition (SRT; Hamann et al., 2013) and nonword-repetition-tasks (NWRT; Grimm et al., 2014), which were constructed according to the LITMUS-principles (Language Impairment Testing in Multilingual Settings; Armon-Lotem et al., 2015). Both tasks incorporate complex structures shown to be cross-linguistically challenging for children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and aim at minimizing bias against bilingual children while still being indicative of the presence of language impairment across (...) language combinations. Given the great variability in bilingual language exposure and the potential effect of language experience on language performance in bilingual children, we examined whether background variables related to bilingualism, particularly, the degree language dominance as measured by relative amount of use and exposure, could compromise the diagnostic accuracy of the German-LITMUS-SRT and NWRT. We further investigated whether a combination of the two tasks provides better diagnostic accurracy. To address this, we used an unsupervised machine learning algorithm, the Partitioning-Around-Medoids (PAM), for deriving a clinical category for the children as ±language-impaired based on performance scores on SRT and/or NWRT while withholding information about their clinical status based on standardized assessment in L1/L2. Subsequently, we calculated diagnostic accuracy and investigated which background variables (age of onset, length of exposure, degree of language-dominance, socio-economic-status, and risk factors for SLI) best explained clinical-group-membership yielded from the PAM-analysis based on NWRT and/or SRT scores. Results show that although language-dominance influences the performance of bilingual typically-developing children, especially in the SRT, the diagnostic accuracy of the tools is not compromised by language dominance: while risk factors for SLI were significant predictors for clinical group membership in all models, language dominance did not contribute at all to explaining clinical cluster membership as typically-developing or SLI based on any of the combinations of the SRT and NWRT variables. Additionally, results confirm that a combination of SRT scored by correct target structure and the structurally more complex language-dependent part of the NWRT yields better diagnostic accuracy than single measures and is only sensitive for risk factors for SLI and not to dominance levels or SES. (shrink)

In the study of _Lawāmiʿ al-Naẓar_, Ibrahim Safri presents a history of rational sciences in the Maghribī tradition in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. He also presents a critical edition of the work, which can be considered as an introduction to post-Avicennian studies in North Africa.

A leading scholar of humanitarian intervention, Brown (2002) refers to British internal politics to satisfy the influential church and other non-conformist libertarian community leaders, and above all ?undermining Britain's competitors, such as Spain and Portugal, who were still reliant on slave labour to power their economies, as the principal motivation for calls to end the slave trade than any genuine humanitarian concerns of racial equality or global justice?. Drawing on an empirical exploration, this article seeks to draw a parallel between (...) this politics of humanitarian intervention which characterised the abolition movement, albeit rarely recognised in the academic literature, and the British intervention to end the almost 11 year civil war in Sierra Leone. The article concludes with a discussion on the implications of this politics of humanitarian intervention in the reconstruction of post-conflict Sierra Leone. (shrink)

ABSTRACT An ethical analysis of Jordan's Clinical Research Law, which became effective in 2001, was performed. Accordingly, this paper discusses the major components, key strengths and weaknesses of this law. As an initial effort, the Law addresses important aspects of research ethics and, hence, should serve as an example for other Arab Countries in the Middle East. Unique aspects of the Law include the requirement that those conducting any study have insurance that can compensate for research injuries and a system (...) of fines and punishments for noncompliance with the Law. There are, however, some key items missing in the Jordanian Law. For example, the Law does not mention the requirement of a favourable assessment of risks and benefits, the fair selection of subjects, or articles regarding the protection of the rights and welfare of children and other vulnerable subjects participating in research. The paper concludes with the suggestion that new amendments should be considered for future revisions of the Clinical Research Law in Jordan. (shrink)

Ancient Arabic literature dealt with linguistic sciences such as sarf, nahiw, belagha and Islamic sciences such as fıqh, hadith and tafsîr. This is known to the elite and the common people. But what is hidden and forgotten is that Arabic literature also includes the foundations and rules of modern sciences such as sociology and economics. Among the ancient Arabic literature is the writing of Maqamat, which holds an important position among the masterpieces of Arabic literature. For this reason, it is (...) important to study the writing of Maqamat from the perspective of the various disciplines of Islamic sciences and modern sciences. This study deals with fıqh and economic issues within the framework of Al-Hariri’s famous book, Maqamat. The aim of the study is to reveal the fıqh and economic aspects of Makamat writing through Hariri's Makamat as an exemplary study. The approach followed by the study is to select three maqama from Al-Hariri’s book, which contained fifty complete maqama, and to search for what is in them of fıqh and economics. Accordingly, the study includes three main headings, and in these three headings, fıqh, farâid (inheritance law) and economic issues are discussed, respectively. Although the science of farâid (inheritance law) is a branch of fıqh, it is singled out for mention independently because it has its own rulings. The study examined the jurisprudential aspect of the Maqamat in the thirty-second maqama called “the Tayyibi Maqamat,” the aspect related to the science of farâid in the fifteenth maqama called “the Faradiya Maqamat,” and the economic aspect in the forty-ninth maqama called “the Sassanid Maqamat.” The method followed by Hariri in her book is to present the issues in the form of stories through two fictional characters, Haris bin Hammam and Abu Zayd, whom she chose as mirrors reflecting the two opposing identities of the society. Abu Zaid appears in different forms and in various clothes. He sometimes appears as a beggar who deceives and a thief who betrays, and at other times as a preacher who advises and a scholar who guides. Rather, he is an imaginary character that Hariri put in place. Wherever he went, he met Al-Harith bin Hammam and the strange and adventurous incident begins, or he appears as a person from whom Al-Harith narrated the incident and the story. Harith is the person who always warns his against bad things, orders his to do good, and sometimes condemns his if he does evil. The results obtained in the study are, first of all, the determination that the Makâmât writing deals with the subjects of the science of fiqh as in the thirty-second makama and the subjects of the science of farâid (inheritance law) as in the fifteenth makama and the subjects of economics as in the forty-ninth makama. It is seen that some of the principles put forward by Adam Smith years later were also present in the Maqamat literature centuries ago. The fact that fiqh views are according to the Shafi'i sect shows that the Shafi'i sect was widespread in the region at that time. Additionally, as can be understood from the forty-ninth makama, there is also a profession of begging in the society where Hariri lives. The study also reveals the society's interest in, submission to, and acceptance of moral principles at that time, and shows that the Arabic language reached its peak during this period. (shrink)

Tri-parent baby technology is an assisted reproductive treatment which aims to minimize or eliminate maternal inheritance of mutated mitochondrial DNA. The technology became popular following the move by the United Kingdom in granting license to a group of researchers from the Newcastle Fertility Centre, Newcastle University to conduct research on the symptoms of defective mtDNA. This technology differs from other assisted reproductive technology because it involves the use of gamete components retrieved from three different individuals. Indirectly, it affects the preservation (...) of lineage which is important from an Islamic point of view. This paper aims to analyze and discuss the implications of the tri-parent technology on preservation of lineage from the perspective of Maqasid al-Shari’ah based the Islamic bioethics. The analysis shows that there are a few violations of the preservation of lineage, hence the tri-parent baby technology should not be permitted. (shrink)

Research Ethics, Volume 18, Issue 4, Page 265-280, October 2022. Concerns around comprehension and recall of consent information by research participants have typically been associated with low health and research literacy levels. In genomics research, this concern is heightened as the scientific and ethical complexities of genetics research, such as biobanking, genetic susceptibility, data sharing, and incidental findings may be more difficult for potential research participants to understand. However, challenges to research participants’ comprehension of consent information may be compounded by (...) factors beyond health and research literacy levels. To identify factors that may impact research participants’ understanding and recall of consent information, we designed a qualitative study to explore whether participants enrolled in a tuberculosis genetics study in Cameroon understood the objectives of the study, the risks and benefits and certain key aspects of the study such as biobanking and data sharing. The results showed that research participants had limited understanding and/or recall of the TBGEN-Africa study goals and methods. Some participants were of the opinion that TBGEN-Africa was not a genetics study because tuberculosis is not an inheritable condition. Factors that may have hindered understanding and/or recall of study information are diagnostic misconception, and information overload and situational vulnerability. There is a need for improved practices to support research participants’ understanding of consent information in genetics studies including designing the consent process in ways that minimize psychological distress and diagnostic/therapeutic misconception. (shrink)

This study explores the history of the Hagia Sophia Mosque and its religious music forms, with a particular focus on how these forms are applied in the newly reopened Hagia Sophia. All genres performed here are executed by imams and muezzins who are highly skilled in their fields, making it a model for both contemporary performers and future generations. The study examines the types of mosque music performed during the five daily prayers, Fridays, holy days, and religious holidays in Hagia (...) Sophia, which has functioned as a mosque since 2020.Analysis reveals that some of these forms are unique to Hagia Sophia in terms of both structure and execution, underscoring the importance of bringing them to light. To this end, extensive research, observation, recording, and notation processes were carried out to document these unique styles. The article provides detailed insights into the maqam (musical mode) dimensions, performance styles, timing, and duration of various mosque music forms, including Qur’ān Tilāwah, Adhān, Ṣalā/Ṣalawāt, Iqāmah, Ilāhī, Mawlid, Miʿrācīyah, Qaṣīdah, Istighfār, Tasbīḥ, and others. The distinct and improvised characteristics of certain forms are also discussed. Furthermore, specific to the Hagia Sophia Mosque, the article includes the notations of the Tasbīḥāt recited at the mihrab after the Fajr prayer on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, as well as the notations of various Istighfār recited in different maqams collectively by the muezzins after each obligatory prayer. (shrink)

Causal finitism, the view that the causal history of any event must be finite, has garnered much philosophical interest recently—especially because of its applicability to the Kalām cosmological argument. The most prominent argument for causal finitism is the Grim Reaper argument, which attempts to show that, if infinite causal histories are possible, then other paradoxical states of affairs must also be possible. However, this style of argument has been criticized on the grounds of (i) relying on controversial modal principles, and (...) (ii) providing a false diagnosis of the paradoxes involved. In this paper, I develop a new kind of Grim Reaper argument immune to these criticisms. I show that, by using insights from the literature on time travel, causal finitists should instead argue that infinite causal histories are problematically inexplicable, as they entail the possibility of unexplained foiling mechanisms. The fruits of this paper are that (i) a novel supporting argument for the Kalām is developed, and (ii) along the way of building this argument, it is shown that the literatures on time travel and causal finitism are deeply and intimately connected. (shrink)

The Successive Addition Argument (SAA) is one of the key arguments espoused by William Lane Craig for the thesis that the universe began to exist. Recently, Malpass, Mind, 131(523), 786–804 (2021) has developed a challenge to the SAA by way of constructing a counterexample that originates in the work of Fred Dretske. In this paper, I show that the Malpass-Dretske counterexample is in fact no counterexample to the argument. Utilizing a distinction between properties of members and properties of collections, I (...) argue that Malpass’ counterexample has no bearing on the soundness of the SAA. I also develop a novel parity argument against Malpass’ argument that I demonstrate can only be resolved by way of the aforementioned analysis. (shrink)

The principle of modal continuity has become an increasingly popular bit of modal epistemology, featuring prominently in debates about mereology, value, causation, and theism. It claims, roughly, that degreed properties are modally unified. So, if the property of being three inches tall is exemplifiable, so is the property of being four inches tall, and five inches tall, etc. Despite its plausibility, in this paper I show that there is a class of counterexamples to modal continuity: what I call ‘powered properties.’ (...) More surprisingly, I show that an instance of these powered properties is entailed by another widely popular family of modal principles: the Lewisian patchwork principles, also known as cut-and-paste, or recombination, principles. Thus, despite appearing to be similar, and motivated by plenitudinous intuitions about the nature of modality, it turns out that the continuity and recombination approaches to modality rely on crucially different pictures of plenitude. (shrink)

Since the mid-1980s, there has been a gradual ethical drift in the provision of maternal care in African health facilities in general, and in Cameroon in particular, despite government efforts. In fact, in Cameroon, an increasing number of caregivers are reportedly not providing compassionate care in maternity services. Consequently, many women, particularly the financially vulnerable, experience numerous difficulties in accessing these health services. In this article, we highlight the unequal access to care in public maternity services in Cameroon in general (...) and the Noun Division in particular. For this study, in addition to documentary review, two qualitative data collection techniques were used: direct observation and individual interviews. Following the field work, the observation data were categorized and analyzed to assess their relevance and significance in relation to the topics listed in the observation checklist. Interviews were recorded using a dictaphone; they were subsequently transcribed and the data categorized and coded. After this stage, an analysis grid was constructed for content analysis of the transcripts, to study the frequency of topics addressed during the interviews, as well as divergences and convergences among the respondents. The results of this data analysis showed that money has become the driving force in service provision. As such, it is the patient’s economic capital that counts. Considered “clients”, pregnant women without sufficient financial resources wait long hours in corridors; some die in pain under the indifferent gaze of the professionals who are supposed to take care of them. In sharp contrast, the findings revealed that financially privileged patients are able to bribe caregivers to attract their favour and obtain prompt, careful, and effective care. These ethical abuses observed in the Noun public health facilities drive women to use, from the beginning of their pregnancies to the delivery, only healthcare delivered by traditional health attendants. (shrink)

It is a common intuition in scientific practice that positive instances confirm. This confirmation, at least based purely on syntactic considerations, is what Nelson Goodman’s ‘Grue Problem’, and more generally the ‘New Riddle’ of Induction, attempt to defeat. One treatment of the Grue Problem has been made along Bayesian lines, wherein the riddle reduces to a question of probability assignments. In this paper, I consider this so-called Bayesian Grue Problem and evaluate how one might proffer a solution to this problem (...) utilizing what I call a phenomenological approach. I argue that this approach to the problem can be successful on the Bayesian framework. (shrink)

Mitochondrial replacement technology (MRT) is an emerging and complex bioethical issue. This treatment aims to eliminate maternal inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) disorders. For Muslims, its introduction affects every aspect of human life, especially the five essential interests of human beings—namely, religion, life, lineage, intellect, and property. Thus, this technology must be assessed using a comprehensive and holistic approach addressing these human essential interests. Consequently, this article analyses and assesses tri-parent baby technology from the perspective of Maqasidic bioethics—that is, Islamic bioethics (...) based on the framework of Maqasid al-Shariah. Using this analysis, this article suggests that tri-parent baby technology should not be permitted for Muslims due to the existence of third-party cell gametes which lead to lineage mixing and due to the uncertain safety of the therapy itself and because the major aim of the technology is to fulfil the affected couples interest to conceive their own genetically healthy child, not to treat and cure mtDNA disorders sufferers. (shrink)

Background: Patients’ rights are universal values that must be respected; however, it is not easy to put such values and principles into effect as approaches and attitudes differ from individual to individual, from society to society, and from country to country. If we want to reach a general conclusion about the status of patient rights in the world as whole, we should examine the situation in individual countries. Objective: To study the effect of training sessions for nurses about patients’ rights (...) on the perceptions of nurses and patients in two Egyptian hospitals. Methods: Quasi-experimental with pre- and posttest design was used in this study. Two groups of participants were included in the study: the first with 97 nurses and the second with 135 patients. A questionnaire sheet was used for nurses and patients to assess their perceptions about patients’ rights before starting sessions. The training sessions were developed based on the baseline information gathered in the assessment phase and related literature. After the implementation of the sessions, a posttest was immediately conducted for nurses, while for patients the posttest was conducted 1 month after implementation to evaluate the effect of the nurses’ training sessions on the patients’ perceptions. The same tools were used in pretest and posttest. Ethical considerations: Written approval was sought and obtained from the administrators of the studied hospitals prior to conducting the study. Oral consent was obtained from nurses and patients willing to participate. Confidentiality and anonymity of the participants were strictly maintained through code numbers on the questionnaires. Results: The improvement in nurses’ knowledge and perceptions about patients’ rights after implementation of the training sessions was remarkable. Moreover, an improvement in patients’ perceptions regarding their rights was reported. Conclusion: Repetition of the training sessions is suggested to achieve continuous improvement. Provision of posters and booklets about a bill of patient rights within the hospitals and conduction of further study to examine nurses’ performance and patients’ satisfaction based on code of ethics are recommended. (shrink)

Zihnî temsillerin onto-epistemolojik statüsü İbn Sînâ sonrası felsefenin en tartışmalı problemleri arasında görülebilir. Problemin kökenleri bir yandan İbn Sînâ’nın farklı varlık düzlemleri arasında yüklemsel birlik elde etme teşebbüsünde, diğer yandan Fahreddin er-Râzî’nin zihnî varlık ve zihnî misallerin tümelliği eleştirisinde bulunur. Fahreddin er-Râzî’nin eleştirileri İbn Sînâ’nın önde gelen takipçilerini, İbn Sînâ’nın mahiyetlerin farklı varlık seviyelerinde korunumu ilkesini ve onun bilgiyi doğanın gayrimaddi temsili olarak tanımlamasını yeniden düşünmeye sevk etmiştir. Fahreddin er-Râzî’nin eleştirilerine karşı Nasîrüddin et-Tûsî mahiyetlerin ontolojik kapsamını daraltmış ve tümel yüklemlemeyi (...) yeniden tanımlamıştır. Kutbüddin er-Râzî’nin tartışmaya dâhil olması daraltma çabalarını daha ileri bir seviyeye taşımıştır. Tûsî’nin mahiyetlere sadece epistemolojik bir rol vererek onların ontolojik kapsamında yaptığı daraltmaya ilaveten Kutbüddin er- Râzî mahiyetlerin epistemolojik kapsamında da daraltmaya gitmiş ve İbn Sînâ’nın aklî suretlerini, hiçbir şekilde tümel olması mümkün olmayan, tikel bir zihindeki tikel suretler olarak değerlendirmiştir. Ayrıca Tûsî’yle birlikte, kendinde mahiyetlerin hariçteki fertler arasında müşterek varlığını reddeden Kutbüddin er-Râzî, bu iki adımdan yola çıkarak mutabakat ve tümellik tasavvurlarını yeniden tanımlamış, İbn Sînâ’nın hilomorfik cevher teorisi için mereolojik olmayan bir yorum geliştirmiştir. Bu makale İbn Sînâcı felsefede on üçüncü yüzyıldan itibaren ortaya çıkan bu adımları, İbn Sînâ’ya özgü gerçekçiliğin dönüşümü olarak okumakta ve bu dönüşüme giderek artan zihinselci bir eğilimin eşlik ettiğini öne sürmektedir. (shrink)