In connection with the "Philosophy of Science" research program conducted by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft a colloquium was held in Munich from 18th to 20th May 1919. This covered basic structures of physical theories, the main emphasis being on the interrelation of space, time and mechanics. The present volume contains contributions and the results of the discussions. The papers are given here in the same order of presentation as at the meeting. The development of these "basic structures of physical theories" involved (...) diverging trends arising from different starting points in philosophy and physics. In order to obtain a clear comparison between these schools of thought, it was appropriate to concentrate discussion on geometry and chronology as the common foundation of classical and quantum mechanics. As a rather simple and "Tell prepared field of study, geochronometry seemed suited to analysing these mutually exclusive positions. vii D. Mayr and G. Sussmann (eds.), Space, Time, and Mechanics, vii. Copyright © 1983 by D. Reidel Publishing Company. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The editors gratefully appreciate the sponsorship of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the cooperation of the authors and publisher. It is also a pleasure to thank Frau M.-L. Grohmann and Frau I. Thies for their organisational and especially Frau B. Grund for typing and clerical work. D. MAYR G. SUSSMANN 1982 University of Munich viii INTRODUCTION The distinct positions present at the symposium may be roughly divided into three schools that differ in their philosophical interpretation of physics and their meta-... ~. (shrink)

We give a common mathematical characterization of relevant stochastic evolution schemes built up in the literatute to attack the quantum measurement problem. This characterization is based on two hypotheses, namely, (i) the trace conservation with probability one and (ii) the existence of a complex phase determining a linear support for the stochastic process driving the random evolution.

On a Dreyfusian account performers choke when they reflect upon and interfere with established routines of purely embodied expertise. This basic explanation of choking remains popular even today and apparently enjoys empirical support. Its driving insight can be understood through the lens of diverse philosophical visions of the embodied basis of expertise. These range from accounts of embodied cognition that are ultra conservative with respect to representational theories of cognition to those that are more radically embodied. This paper provides an (...) account of the acquisition of embodied expertise, and explanation of the choking effect, from the most radically enactive, embodied perspective, spelling out some of its practical implications and addressing some possible philosophical challenges. Specifically, we propose: an explanation of how skills can be acquired on the basis of ecological dynamics; and a non-linear pedagogy that takes into account how contentful representations might scaffold skill acquisition from a radically enactive perspective. (shrink)

One of the most tantalizing questions about the interpretation of Quantum Theory is the objective vs. subjective meaning of quantum states. Here, by focusing on a typical EPR experiment upon which a selection procedure is performed on one side, we will confront the fully epistemic view of quantum states with its results. Our statement is that such a view cannot be considered complete, although the opposite attitude would also pose well-known problems of interpretation.

Hastings Center Report, Volume 51, Issue 5, Page 12-17, September‐October 2021.

This study examined the connections between adolescent alcohol use in Alicante, Spain and variables reflecting academic problems, potentially delinquent behaviors, friends’ alcohol consumption, and friendship quality. Information about alcohol use and a number of school and social variables was collected from adolescent students (N = 640) who completed the National Students School-Based Drug Survey in a classroom setting. Results suggested that gender was not significantly associated with alcohol use. Alcohol use increased with age and was more likely for adolescents enrolled (...) in public schools in comparison to private. Academic problems explained 5.1% of the variance in adolescents’ alcohol use, potentially delinquent behaviors explained 29.0%, friends’ alcohol use 16.8%, and friendship quality 1.6%. When all unique predictors from these four models were included in a comprehensive model, they explained 32.3% of the variance in adolescents’ alcohol use. In this final model, getting expelled, participating in a fight, going out at night, the hour at which one returns, and the number of friends who have consumed alcohol were uniquely and positively associated with adolescents’ alcohol use. These results provide important information about multi-system influences on adolescent alcohol use in Alicante, Spain and suggest potential areas of focus for intervention research. (shrink)

The traditional “realist” conception of physics, according to which human concepts, laws and theories can grasp the essence of a reality in our absence , seems incompatible with quantum formalism and it most fruitful interpretation. The proof rests on the violation by quantum mechanical formalism of some fundamental principles of the classical ontology. We discuss if the conception behind Einstein’s idea of a reality in our absence, could be still maintained and at which price. We conclude that quantum mechanical formalism (...) is not formulated on those terms, leaving for a separated paper the discussion about the terms in which it could be formulated and the onto-epistemological implications it might have. (shrink)

Contributed articles presented at Group discussion; chiefly on philosophy, Sanskrit grammar and literature.

BackgroundPublic health emergencies, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, put great pressure on healthcare workers (HCW) across the world, possibly increasing the risk of experiencing ethically challenging situations (ECS). Whereas experiencing ECS as a HCW in such situations is likely unavoidable, mitigation of their adverse effects (e.g., moral distress) is necessary to reduce the risk of long-term negative consequences. One possible route of mitigation of these effects is via work environmental factors.ObjectivesThe current study aimed to examine: [1] risk factors associated with (...) ECS among HCW [2], intensity of moral distress associated with ECS across various occupational factors (i.e., profession, degree of exposure to patients with Covid-19), and [3] the impact of work environmental factors on this association, in a sample of HCW during the pandemic.MethodsWe employed multiple logistic and linear regression to self-report data from 977 HCWs at four Norwegian hospitals responding to a survey at the fourth wave of the pandemic.ResultsAbout half of HCW in this study had experienced ECS during the pandemic, and levels of moral distress associated with such were higher than in previous studies using similar assessment methods. Younger age, female sex, geographical work area (mid-north of Norway), and profession (nurse) were all associated with higher odds (range of OR: 1.30–2.59) of experiencing ECS, as were direct contact with patients with Covid-19. Among those participants who reported that they had experienced ECS during the pandemic, moral distress levels when recalling those situations were moderate (Mean 5.7 on a 0–10 scale). Men reported somewhat lower intensity of moral distress (partial eta squared; ηp2 = 0.02). Reporting a manageable workload (ηp2 = 0.02), and greater opportunity to work according to best practice (ηp2 = 0.02), were associated with lower levels of moral distress.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that moral distress could potentially be mitigated on an organizational level, particularly by focusing on ensuring a manageable workload, and an ability to work according to best practice. To build sustainable healthcare systems robust enough to withstand future public health emergencies, healthcare organizations should implement measures to facilitate these aspects of HCWs’ work environment. (shrink)

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has motivated medical ethicists and several task forces to revisit or issue new guidelines on allocating scarce medical resources. Such guidelines are relevant for the allocation of scarce therapeutics and vaccines and for allocation of ICU beds, ventilators, and other life-sustaining treatments or potentially scarce interventions. Principles underlying these guidelines, like saving the most lives, mitigating disparities, reciprocity to those who assume additional risk (eg, essential workers and clinical trial participants), and equal access may (...) compete with one another. We propose the use of a “categorized priority system” (also known as a “reserve system”) as an improvement over existing allocation methods, particularly because it may be able to achieve disparity mitigation better than other methods. (shrink)

A new approach to landscape ecology involves the application of the eco-field hypothesis and the General Theory of Resources. In this study, we describe the putative eco-field of bark beetles as a spatial configuration with a specific meaning-carrier for every organism-resource interaction. Bark beetles are insects with key roles in matter and energy cycles in coniferous forests, which cause significant changes to forestry landscapes when outbreaks occur. Bark beetles are guided towards host trees by the recognition of semiotic signals using (...) a specific eco-field. These signals mainly comprise a group of scents, which are called the odourtope. Their interactions with other organisms occur by sharing relevant information from the eco-field networks in the forest ecosystem. The eco-field networks modulate the expansion of the realized semiotic niche of the bark beetle towards the potential semiotic niche. Moreover, the niche construction process can be initiated by interchanging signals among species living in the same place, where these signals allow the exploitation of the required resources. If different organisms are interdependent on signals in eco-field networks, then this process may result in the establishment of mutualistic relationships. This is an example of how evolutionary processes are initiated by the recognition of signals in a network of eco-fields. (shrink)

Artificial intelligence plays an important role and has been used by several countries as a health strategy in an attempt to understand, control and find a cure for the disease caused by Coronavirus. These intelligent systems can assist in accelerating the process of developing antivirals for Coronavirus and in predicting new variants of this virus. For this reason, much research on COVID-19 has been developed with the aim of contributing to new discoveries about the Coronavirus. However, there are some epistemological (...) aspects about the use of AI in this pandemic period of Covid-19 that deserve to be discussed and need reflections. In this scenario, this article presents a reflection on the two epistemological aspects faced by the COVID-19 pandemic: The epistemological aspect resulting from the use of patient data to fill the knowledge base of intelligent systems; the epistemological problem arising from the dependence of health professionals on the results/diagnoses issued by intelligent systems. In addition, we present some epistemological challenges to be implemented in a pandemic period. (shrink)

Every quantum state can be represented as a probability distribution over the outcomes of an informationally complete measurement. But not all probability distributions correspond to quantum states. Quantum state space may thus be thought of as a restricted subset of all potentially available probabilities. A recent publication (Fuchs and Schack, arXiv:0906.2187v1, 2009) advocates such a representation using symmetric informationally complete (SIC) measurements. Building upon this work we study how this subset—quantum-state space—might be characterized. Our leading characteristic is that the inner (...) products of the probabilities are bounded, a simple condition with nontrivial consequences. To get quantum-state space something more detailed about the extreme points is needed. No definitive characterization is reached, but we see several new interesting features over those in Fuchs and Schack (arXiv:0906.2187v1, 2009), and all in conformity with quantum theory. (shrink)

This study investigates the prevalence of ‘Seeking God's Help’, its relation to time since diagnosis, and its association with Life Satisfaction for all cancer types. This study also investigates Disease-Specific Quality of Life (QoL: European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer modules) for patients with breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. Data were obtained from the third wave of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study of Norway (HUNT-3; 2006-2008), with 2,086 cancer patients identified by the Cancer Registry of Norway and 6,258 cancer-free (...) controls. Our results indicate a higher prevalence of ‘Seeking God's Help’ after a shorter time since diagnosis among men. No association was observed in multivariate analyses between ‘Seeking God's Help’ and ‘Life Satisfaction’ or ‘Disease-Specific QoL’ in long-term cancer survivors. Longitudinal investigations are needed to elucidate the relationship between the ‘Seeking God's Help’ variable and Life Satisfaction and Disease-Specific QoL among cancer patients in a Norwegian context. (shrink)

MicrofinanceMicrofinance institutions (MFIs) play a vital role in extending credit to poorer borrowers who are marginalized by the traditional banking system, contributing significantly to reducing poverty and providing economic opportunitiesOpportunity to poor people in different countries around the world. The achievement of social goals does not preclude the search for financial efficiencyEfficiency, so demonstrating financial viability has become a priority for these institutions. The objective of this chapter is to analyze the evolution of MFIsMicrofinance institutions (Mfls)’ economic efficiencyEconomic efficiency over (...) time and to explore the effect of different factors on it. The methodology that we have employed is the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA)Stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) which allows us to estimate a translog frontier cost functionCost function with an unbalanced panel of 1,580 MFIs from different geographic regions for the period 2003–2018. The results reveal that MFIsMicrofinance institutions (Mfls)’ economic efficiencyEconomic efficiency, on average, decreased during the period in all geographic regions, with a lower decrease in the South Asia and Middle East & and North Africa regions. Any relationship between MFIs’ experience and cost efficiencyEfficiency was not found. On the other hand, we have found that the proportion of borrowers in rural areas as well as village bankingVillage banking practices positively influence cost efficiencyEfficiency, whereas MFIsMicrofinance institutions (Mfls) with higher defaultDefault rates and larger scale are economicallyCost frontier less efficient. (shrink)

Etbâu’t tâbiîn neslinin önemli simalarından biri olan Süneyd b. Dâvûd el-Mısîsî’nin (öl. 226/841) hayatını, ilmî kişiliğini ve tefsir ilmine yaptığı katkıları inceleyen bu çalışma Türkiye’de bu alanda var olan boşluğu doldurmayı hedeflemektedir. Zira her ne kadar etbâu’t tâbiîn dönemi tefsir faaliyetlerini ve günümüze yansımalarını ele alan birtakım akademik çalışmalar mevcutsa da Süneyd b. Dâvûd özelinde ülkemizde bu alanda görebildiğimiz kadarıyla yapılmış müstakil bir araştırma bulunmamaktadır. Çalışma onun rivayet tefsiri geleneği içerisindeki rolünü ortaya koymayı amaçlamakta; böylece hem erken dönem tefsir faaliyetlerinin (...) daha iyi anlaşılmasına hem de Taberî (öl. 310/923) gibi büyük müfessirlerin kaynaklarının tespitine katkı sağlamaktadır. Bu bağlamda çalışma, Arap dünyasındaki Süneyd rivayetleri üzerinde yapılan ve İsrâ suresine kadar olan araştırmanın eksik bıraktığı Süneyd'in tefsir rivayetlerine dair bilgi vermektedir. Ayrıca Taberî Tefsirinin kaynakları üzerinde Horst ve Kaya'nın çalışmalarından faydalanılan bu araştırmanın temel özgünlüğü, yalnızca eksik nakilleri literatüre kazandırması değil, aynı zamanda senet zincirlerini yapısal bağlamda inceleyerek müfessirin takip ettiği silsileyi somut bir biçimde tespit etmesidir. Böylelikle çalışma, tefsir ilminin oluşum sürecine dair önemli bir halka olan Süneyd b. Dâvûd’un, rivayet tefsiri geleneğinin aktarımında üstlendiği rolü gözler önüne sermektedir. Bu yönüyle de makale hem klasik İslâm ilimleri araştırmaları hem de rivayet tefsiri çalışmaları için özgün ve katkı sunan bir nitelik arz etmektedir. Çalışmada Süneyd’in biyografik verileri klasik tabakât ve ricâl kaynaklarından derlenmiş, onun yetiştiği ilmî ortam, ders aldığı hocaları, kendisinden rivayette bulunan talebeleri ile ilgili bilgiler aktarılmıştır. Bu bağlamda, Süneyd’in özellikle hocası Haccâc b. Muhammed (öl. 206/821) yoluyla İbn Cüreyc’in (öl. 150/767) rivayetlerini aktardığı ve Mekke merkezli rivayet tefsiri geleneğini Misîs ve çevresine taşıdığı görülmüştür. Onun bu rivayetleri kendinden sonraki klasik dönem tefsir kaynakları tarafından da önemli ölçüde kullanılmıştır. Özellikle Taberî’nin Câmiʿu’l-beyân’ında Süneyd’in nakillerine sıkça yer verilmiştir. Oransal olarak bakıldığında da yaptığımız tespite göre Taberî tefsirindeki yaklaşık kırk bin rivayetin yüzde 6,5’i ondan nakledilen rivayetlerden oluşmaktadır. Taberî’den sonraki diğer rivayet tefsirleri de sınırlı da olsa Süneyd rivayetlerine yer vermişlerdir. Onun rivayetlerini Sa‘lebî (öl. 427/1035) tefsirinde beş, İbn Ebî Hâtim (öl. 327/938) üç, İbn Kesîr (öl. 774/1373) çoğunluğu Taberî’den olmak üzere otuz dokuz, Suyûtî (öl. 911/1505) ise on dört yerde nakleder. Bu veriler onun rivayetlerinin klasik tefsir literatürüne önemli bir katkı sunduğunu göstermektedir. Öte yandan Süneyd’in kendisine ait bir tefsirin varlığının sabit olduğu, bu eserin rivayet mahsulü bir çalışma olup o döneme kadar ilim erbabınca tanındığı ve hicri 11. miladi 17. asra kadar ulaştığı yine kaynaklardan anlaşılmıştır. Nitekim İbn Teymiyye (öl. 728/1328), Zehebî (öl. 748/1348), İbn Kayyım (öl. 751/1350), İbn Kesîr, Zerkeşi (öl. 794/1392) ve İbn Hacer (öl. 852/1449) gibi âlimler onun sahabe ve tabiînden gelen görüşleri toplayan kendisine ait ilim ehli tarafından bilinen meşhur bir eserinin olduğundan bahsetmişlerdir. Süneyd’in Hz. Peygamber’e ulaşan az sayıda rivayeti mevcut olup onun naklettiği rivayetlerin bir kısmı sahabeden, çoğunluğu ise tabiûn ve etbâu’t-tâbiîndendir. O, Hz. Ebubekir (öl. 13/634), Hz. Ömer (öl. 23/644) ve Hz. Ali (öl. 40/661) gibi sahabenin önde gelenlerinden bazı rivayetler nakletmekle beraber sahabeden en çok nakilde bulunduğu kişi İbn Abbâs’tır (öl. 68/687-88). Onun tâbiun dönemi müfessirleri içerisinde ise en çok Mücâhid’den (öl. 103/721) rivayette bulunduğu görülmektedir. Süneyd’in tefsire dair aktardığı müktesebat, içerik itibarıyla kıraat farklılıkları, garîbü’l-Kur’an, sebeb-i nüzûl, müphemât, nâsih-mensûh tartışmaları gibi pek çok farklı konuyla ilgili veriler ortaya koymuştur. Çalışma, ayrıca Süneyd’in ravi kimliğine dair farklı değerlendirmeleri içermektedir. Bazı muhaddisler onun rivayetlerini güvenilir kabul etmiş, “sika” olarak nitelendirmiş; bazıları ise rivayetlerindeki ihtilaflar nedeniyle eleştiriler yöneltmiştir. Bununla birlikte, genel kanaat onun güvenilir ve emin bir râvî olduğu yönündedir. (shrink)

BackgroundInformed consent is a key element of ethical clinical research. Addicted population may be at risk for impaired consent capacity. However, very little research has focused on their comprehension of consent forms. The aim of this study is to assess the capacity of addicted individuals to provide consent to research.Methods53 subjects with DSM-5 diagnoses of a Substance Use Disorder and 50 non psychiatric comparison subjects participated in the survey from December 2014 to March 2015. This cross-sectional study was carried out (...) at a community-based Outpatient Treatment Center and at an urban-located Health Centre in Spain. A binary judgment of capacity/incapacity was made guided by the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Clinical Research and a clinical interview. Demographics and clinical characteristics were assessed by cases notes and the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Global Assessment Functional Scale and the Clinical Global Impression Scale.ResultsNPCs performed the best on the MacCAT–CR, and patients with SUD had the worst performance, particularly on the Understanding and Appreciation subscales. 32.7 % SUD people lacked research-related decisional capacity. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of capacity to consent to research.ConclusionsThe findings of our study provide evidence that a large proportion of individuals with SUD had decisional capacity for consent to research. It is therefore inappropriate to draw conclusions about capacity to make research decisions on the basis of a SUD diagnosis. In the absence of advanced cognitive impairment, acute withdrawal or intoxication, we should assume that addicted persons possess decision-making capacity. Thus, the view that people with SUD would ipso facto lose decision-making power for research consent is flawed and stigmatizing. (shrink)

Higher education faces challenges such as overcrowded classrooms and diverse learning styles, which have driven the development of digital academic monitors based on artificial intelligence (AI). These systems aim to personalize teaching, optimize instructors' time, and strengthen students' executive functions. The objective of this research was to analyze the impact of AI-based academic monitors in higher education, focusing on their ability to improve educational quality and develop cognitive skills. A systematic bibliometric analysis (2018–2023) was conducted using VOSviewer, evaluating 60 publications (...) across three dimensions: learning personalization, teaching optimization, and executive function development. The study identified exponential growth in research since 2021, with prominent contributions in fields such as computer science and psychology. The monitors proved effective in adapting content (e.g., platforms like ALEKS), automating administrative tasks (e.g., Moodle chatbots), and enhancing metacognitive skills (self-regulation and planning). However, ethical and privacy challenges remain. AI monitors represent a transformative innovation, but their success depends on balancing technology with human oversight, ensuring inclusivity, and training educators in their strategic use. (shrink)

Müteahhirîn dönemin önde gelen Mâtürîdî âlimlerinden Birgivî Mehmed Efendi’nin (ö. 981/1573), eṭ-Ṭarîḳatü’l-Muḥammediyye adlı eserinde çözmeye çalıştığı en önemli problemlerden biri, insanın özgürlüğü ve ahlâkî sorumluluğunun nasıl temellendirileceği meselesidir. Birgivî, Allah’ın her şeyin yaratıcısı olması ile O’nun ezelde insanın fiillerini bilmesi, takdîr etmesi ve levh-i mahfûzda yazmasının, insanın söz konusu fiillerde mecbûr olduğu anlamına gelmeyeceğini savunmuştur. Çünkü insanın, fiillerinin âdete dayalı sebebi olan ve haricî varlığı bulunmayan, yani yaratmaya konu olmayan cüzî bir ihtiyârı ve kalbî bir iradesi vardır. Birgivî, bir taraftan (...) insanın sahip olduğu cüzî ihtiyâr ve kalbî irade sayesinde fiillerinde etkin bir rol üstlendiğini ifade ederken, diğer taraftan Ebü’l-Hasan el-Eşʿarî’nin (ö. 324/935-36), “Biz fiillerimizde muhtâr, irademizde muztarız” şeklinde ifade edilen cebr-i mutavassıt görüşünü savunduğunu, ancak bunun salt cebirden (cebr-i maḥż) farklı olmadığını ileri sürmüştür. Birgivî’nin, insan fiilleri problemi bağlamında dile getirdiği bu görüşler, kendisinden sonraki âlimler üzerinde son derece etkili olmuştur. Ancak Birgivî’nin sözü edilen etkisi, tüm âlimlerde aynı şekilde tezahür etmemiştir. Zira bir tarafta Dâvûd-i Karsî (ö. 1169/1756), Akkirmânî (ö. 1174/1760) ve Ebû Saîd el-Hâdimî (ö. 1176/1762) gibi pek çok âlim insan fiilleri problemini, Birgivî’den tevarüs ettikleri ilmî miras çerçevesinde temellendirme ve izah etme çabası güderken, diğer tarafta İbrahim el-Kûrânî (ö. 1101/1690), Saçaklızâde Mehmed Efendi (ö. 1145/1732) ve Mehmed Emin el-Üsküdârî (ö. 1149/1736) gibi onun, bahse konu görüşlerini tenkit eden âlimler de olmuştur. Bu çalışma Üsküdârî’nin, cebir ve kader meselesini ele aldığı risâlesinden hareketle Birgivî’ye yönelttiği eleştirileri içerik analiz yöntemini kullanmak suretiyle geniş bir perspektiften ele almaktadır. Böylelikle hem genel anlamda Üsküdârî’nin insan fiilleri meselesine bakışının hem de Birgivî’ye yönettiği tenkitlerin tespiti amaçlanmıştır. Üsküdârî, bahse konu risâlesinde Birgivî’nin Eşʿarî’ye yönelik eleştirilerine cevap verme amacı gütmüş, ancak bunu yaparken onun görüşlerine toptancı bir bakış açısıyla yaklaşmamış, aksine kabule şayan bulduğu hususları açıkça dile getirmiştir. Öte taraftan cüzî ihtiyârın ontik yapısı, yaratmanın anlamı, âdet-fiil ilişkisi, ilâhî ilim, takdîr ve levh-i mahfûzda yazma ile ihtiyârî fiil arasındaki irtibat, Eşʿarî’nin, insan fiilleri bağlamında dile getirdiği görüşlerin salt cebir olarak nitelendirilip nitelendirilemeyeceği gibi hususlarda Eşʿarî geleneğe uygun izahlar yapmıştır. (shrink)

The worldwide problem of corruption is one that requires greater knowledge about responsible leadership. Based on the literature on responsible leadership, developmental psychology, and moral development, the purpose of our study is to understand the constructions of the motivational drivers behind the behaviors of a responsible leader. Using biographical and narrative methodologies, we analyzed the individual motivational drivers of Carlos Cavelier, a recognized responsible leaders who grew up and works in Colombia, a social/economic context characterized by institutional fragility and corruption. (...) Our findings suggest that the coherence between the immediate environments of development of the future leader, configured optimal environments in which the leader developed the moral conscience that guides his behavior as a responsible leader. Our study points out the need not to take the development of responsible leaders for granted, and presents propositions that allow for a deeper understanding of the micro‐foundations of responsible leadership, highlighting the importance of the contexts in which leaders are raised and in which they develop. Thus, our study has the potential to be heuristic and generative of future studies. (shrink)

Collection of research papers presented by eminent scholars on definition of 'dvāsuparṇā' of Atharvana Upanishad.