bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An integrated multi-study analysis of intra-subject variability in cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-β concentrations collected by lumbar puncture and indwelling lumbar catheter
Authors: Lucey Brendan P. , Gonzales Celedon , Das Ujjwas , Li Jinhe , Siemers Eric R. , Slemmon J. Randall , Bateman Randall J. , Huang Yafei , Fox Gerard B. , Claassen Jurgen A.H.R. , Slats Diane , Verbeek Marcel M. , Tong Gary , Soares Holly , Savage Mary J. , Kennedy Matthew , Forman Mark , Sjögren Magnus , Margolin Richard , Chen Xia , Farlow Martin R. , Dean Robert A. , Waring Jeffrey F.
Published: July 2015

Introduction

Amyloid-β (Aβ) has been investigated as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic drug target. Recent studies found that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ fluctuates over time, including as a diurnal pattern, and increases in absolute concentration with serial collection. It is currently unknown what effect differences in CSF collection methodology have on Aβ variability. In this study, we sought to determine the effect of different collection methodologies on the stability of CSF Aβ concentrations over time.

Methods

Grouped analysis of CSF Aβ levels from multiple industry and academic groups collected by either lumbar puncture (n=83) or indwelling lumbar catheter (n=178). Participants were either placebo or untreated subjects from clinical drug trials or observational studies. Participants had CSF collected by lumbar puncture or lumbar catheter for quantitation of Aβ concentration by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Data from all sponsors was converted to percent of the mean for Aβ40 and Aβ42 for comparison. Repeated measures analysis of variance was performed to assess for factors affecting the linear rise of Aβ concentrations over time.

Results

Analysis of studies collecting CSF via lumbar catheter revealed tremendous inter-subject variability of Aβ40 and Aβ42 as well as an Aβ diurnal pattern in all of the sponsors’ studies. In contrast, Aβ concentrations from CSF samples collected at two time points by lumbar puncture showed no significant differences. Repeated measures analysis of variance found that only time and draw frequency were significantly associated with the slope of linear rise in Aβ40 and Aβ42 concentrations during the first 6 hours of collection.

Conclusions

Based on our findings, we recommend minimizing the frequency of CSF draws in studies measuring Aβ levels and keeping the frequency standardized between experimental groups. The Aβ diurnal pattern was noted in all sponsors’ studies and was not an artifact of study design. Averaging Aβ concentrations at each time point is recommended to minimize the effect of individual variability. Indwelling lumbar catheters are an invaluable research tool for following changes in CSF Aβ over 24-48 hours, but factors affecting Aβ concentration such as linear rise and diurnal variation need to be accounted for in planning study designs.
Early Outgrowth Pro-Angiogenic Cell Number and Function Do Not Correlate with Left Ventricular Structure and Function in Conventional Hemodialysis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Lineen James R. , Kuliszewski Michael , Dacouris Niki , Liao Christine , Rudenko Dmitriy , Deva Djeven P. , Goldstein Marc , Leong-Poi Howard , Wald Ron , Yan Andrew T. , Yuen Darren A.
Published: July 2015

Background:

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is commonly found in chronic dialysis (CD) recipients, and is associated with impaired microvascular cardiac perfusion and heart failure. In response to LVH and cardiac ischemia, early outgrowth pro-angiogenic cellS(EPCs) mobilize from the bone marrow to facilitate angiogenesis and endothelial repair. In the general population, EPC number and function correlate inversely with cardiovascular risk. In end-stage renal disease (ESRD), EPC number and function are generally reduced.

Objectives:

To test whether left ventricular abnormalities retain their potent ability to promote EPC reparative responses in the setting of ESRD.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Setting:

St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Patients:

47 prevalent chronic dialysis recipients.

Measurements:

(1) circulating CD34+ and CD133+ EPC number, (2) cultured EPC migratory ability, in vitro differentiation potential, and apoptosis rate, and (3) cardiac magnetic resonance-measured LV mass, volume and ejection fraction.

Methods:

Bivariate correlation analysis was performed with Spearman's rho test.

Results:

Of the 47 patients (mean age: 54 ± 13 years), the mean delivered urea reduction was 74 ± 10 %. Mean LV mass was 123 ± 38 g. Circulating CD34+ and CD133+ EPCs represented 0.14 % (IQR: 0.05 – 0.29 %) and 0.05 % (IQR: 0.01 – 0.10 %) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. There were no significant correlations between any EPC parameter and measures of LV mass or ejection fraction.

Limitations:

Lack of a non-ESRD control population, and the inability to measure all parameters of EPC function due to limitations in blood sampling. Our inability to measure cardiac VEGF expression prevented an assessment of changes in cardiac EPC mobilization signals.

Conclusions:

These data suggest that in ESRD, the reparative EPC response to cardiac hypertrophy may be blunted. Further investigation of the effects of uremia on EPC physiology and its relationship to cardiac injury are required.
Fast simultaneous seismic source separation using Stolt migration and demigration operators
Authors: Ibrahim Amr , Sacchi Mauricio D.
Published: July 2015

Stolt migration is a Fourier-domain imaging operator that assumes a constant-velocity media. We have developed a multivelocity version of the Stolt migration and demigration operators to derive a transform that can decompose seismic data into a sparse collection of coefficients in the image space. This Stolt-based transform is similar to the apex-shifted hyperbolic Radon transform (ASHRT). However, the Stolt-based transform is considerably faster than the classical ASHRT because it uses two fast operators (forward and inverse fast Fourier transforms) to estimate the data coefficients in the image space. We used this Stolt-based transform as a tool for simultaneous seismic source separation by removing erratic interference noise in common receiver gathers. Estimating the coefficients of interference-free seismic data using the Stolt-based transform was posed as an inverse problem. The solution of this inverse problem was found by minimizing a cost function that included a sparsity-promoting regularization term. In addition, the cost function incorporated a robust misfit function that was not sensitive to erratic interferences. Our tests on synthetic and field data examples determined that this new transform can efficiently remove interference noise and achieve fast simultaneous seismic source separation.
Earthquake Shaking Hazard Estimates and Exposure Changes in the Conterminous United States
Authors: Jaiswal Kishor S. , Petersen Mark D. , Rukstales Ken , Leith William S.
Published: July 2015

A large portion of the population of the United States lives in areas vulnerable to earthquake hazards. This investigation aims to quantify population and infrastructure exposure in places within the conterminous United States that are subjected to varying levels of earthquake ground motions by systematically analyzing the last four cycles of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Seismic Hazard Models (published in 1996, 2002, 2008 and 2014). Using the 2013 LandScan data, we estimate the number of people who are exposed to potentially damaging ground motions (peak ground accelerations at or above 0.1 g). At least 28 million (~9% of the total population) may experience 0.1 g level of shaking at relatively frequent intervals [annual rate of 1 in 72 years or 50% probability of exceedance (PE) in 50 years], 57 million (~18% of the total population) may experience this level of shaking at moderately frequent intervals (annual rate of 1 in 475 years or 10% PE in 50 years), and 143 million (~46% of the total population) may experience such shaking at relatively infrequent intervals (annual rate of 1 in 2,475 years or 2% PE in 50 years). We also show that there are a significant number of critical infrastructure facilities located in high-earthquake-hazard areas (modified Mercalli intensity ≥ VII with moderately frequent recurrence interval).
Collusion and the Organization of the Firm
Authors: Burlando Alfredo , Motta Alberto
Published: July 2015

This paper shows that the threat of collusion between a productive agent and the auditor in charge of monitoring production can influence a number of organizational dimensions of the firm, including outsourcing decisions and the allocation of production costs. We find that the optimal organizational response to internal collusion lets the agent choose between working outside the firm with no monitoring, or working within the firm with monitoring. In equilibrium, there are no rents due to collusion and the efficient worker works outside the firm. The results are robust to a number of extensions. (JEL D21, D43, D82, D86, L12, L13)
When Is It Optimal to Delegate: The Theory of Fast-Track Authority
Authors: Celik Levent , Karabay Bilgehan , McLaren John
Published: July 2015

With fast-track authority (FTA), the US Congress delegates trade-policy authority to the president by committing not to amend a trade agreement. Why would it cede such power? We suggest an interpretation in which Congress uses FTA to forestall destructive competition between its members for protectionist rents. In our model: (i) FTA is never granted if an industry operates in the majority of districts; (ii) The more symmetric the industrial pattern, the more likely is FTA, since competition for protectionist rents is most punishing when bargaining power is symmetrically distributed; (iii) Widely disparate initial tariffs prevent free trade even with FTA. (JEL C78, D72, F13, F14)
The Long-Term Direct and External Effects of Jewish Expulsions in Nazi Germany
Authors: Akbulut-Yuksel Mevlude , Yuksel Mutlu
Published: July 2015

This paper examines the long-term direct and spillover effects of large-scale human capital loss caused by the persecution of Jewish professionals in Nazi Germany. Using region-by-cohort variation in the percentage of the Jewish population as a quasi-experiment, we find that German children who were at school-age during the persecutions have fewer years of schooling on average in adulthood. Moreover, these children are less likely to finish high school and go to college. These results are robust after controlling for regional unemployment and income per capita, wartime destruction, Nazi and Communist Party support, compulsory schooling reform, migration, urbanization, and mortality. (JEL I21, I28, J24, J44, N34, N44, Z12)
Editorial
Authors: Cohnitz Daniel
Published: July 2015

Editorial to the two volume special issue "Truth".
Logic and Truth: Some Logics without Theorems
Authors: Sen Jayanta , Chakraborty Mihir Kumar
Published: July 2015

Two types of logical consequence are compared: one, with respect to matrix and designated elements and the other with respect to ordering in a suitable algebraic structure. Particular emphasis is laid on algebraic structures in which there is no top-element relative to the ordering. The significance of this special condition is discussed. Sequent calculi for a number of such structures are developed. As a consequence it is re-established that the notion of truth as such, not to speak of tautologies, is inessential in order to define validity of an argument.
The Modest, or Quantificational, Account of Truth
Authors: Künne Wolfgang
Published: July 2015

Truth is a stable, epistemically unconstrained property of propositions, and the concept of truth admits of a non-reductive explanation: that, in a nutshell, is the view for which I argued in Conceptions of Truth. In this paper I try to explain that explanation in a more detailed and, hopefully, more perspicuous way than I did in Ch. 6.2 of the book and to defend its use of sentential quantification against some of the criticisms it has has come in for.
Two-dimensional Truth
Authors: Spohn Wolfgang
Published: July 2015

The paper identifies two major strands of truth theories, ontological and epistemological ones, and argues that both are of equal primacy and find their home within two-dimensional semantics. Contrary to received views, it argues further that epistemological truth theories operate on Lewisian possible worlds and ontological truth theories on Wittgensteinian possible worlds and that both are mediated by the so-called epistemic-ontic map the further specification of which is of utmost philosophical importance.
Deflationary Truth and Truth-Biology
Authors: Laasberg Margo
Published: July 2015

Many or almost all writers about truth seem to agree that the entailment by a more or less formal account of truth of all the instances of the so-called disquotational schema - (DQ)
 is true if and only if p - is at least a necessary condition for this account to count as an adequate account of truth. My first task in this paper is to show that the correctness of the observation (DQ) does not by itself imply that truth lacks substance. My second task is to establish the instances of (DQ) as not only necessary but also sufficient for a characterisation of truth. Such a minimal theory of truth would seem to rob truth of all substance but going in for a more eloquent alternative as I shall attempt to show could result in an unwanted epistemisation of truth.
There are vague objects (in any sense in which there are ordinary objects)
Authors: Benovsky Jiri
Published: July 2015

Ordinary objects are vague, because either (i) composition is restricted, or (ii) there really are no such objects (but we still want to talk about them), or (iii) because such objects are not metaphysically (independently of us) distinguishable from other 'extra-ordinary' objects. In any sense in which there are ordinary objects, they are vague.
Mõistuse suutlikkuse piiridest
Authors: Näpinen Leo
Published: July 2015

Toetudes Friedrich August Hayeki spontaansete kordade ja George Sorose poolt teostatud Karl Raimund Popperi avatud ühiskonna mõiste edasiarendusele ning autori enese tööle iseorganiseerumise ja organiseerimise mõistete eksplitseerimisel, näidatakse, et mõistuse suutlikkusele maailma muutmisel (konstrueerimisel ja organiseerimisel) seab piirid iseorganiseerumine—struktuuride spontaanne, s.o. loomulik, ilma välise korrastava põhjuseta, tekkimine. Spontaansuse õitsenguks peavad valitsema teatavad üldised, suures koosluses käitumise reeglid. Iseorganiseeruva ja evolutsioneeruva reaalsuse, kuhu me ise kuulume, mõistmine on ebatäiuslik (s.o. see ei saa olla neutraalne või objektiivne või täielik) jameie tegevusel on ettekavatsemata tagajärjed. Kõik loomulik-ajaloolised süsteemid organiseeruvad ise kui avatud süsteemid omaeneste eesmärkidega ja spontaanse käitumisega terviklikus iseorganiseeruvas maailmas.Basing upon Friedrich August Hayek's concept of spontaneous orders and upon the elaboration of Karl Raimund Popper's concept of open society carried out by George Soros, and also basing upon author's own former work on the explication of the concepts of self-organization and organization, it is demonstrated that this is the self-organization - a spontaneous, i.e., a natural (without the external ordering reason) formation of structures - that puts the limits to the capability of mind in changing the world. For flourishing the spontaneity, certain general rules must exist. The understanding of the self-organizing and evolving reality where we ourselves belong to is imperfect (i.e., it cannot be neutral or objective or complete) and our activity leads to the results we have not intended.
The Realistic Fallacy, or: The Conception of Literary Narrative Fiction in Analytic Aesthetics
Authors: Mikkonen Jukka
Published: July 2015

In this paper, my aim is to show that in Anglo-American analytic aesthetics, the conception of narrative fiction is in general realistic and that it derives from philosophical theories of fiction-making, the act of producing works of literary narrative fiction. I shall firstly broadly show the origins of the problem and illustrate how the so-called realistic fallacy – the view which maintains that fictions consist of propositions which represent the fictional world “as it is” – is committed through the history of philosophical approaches to literature in the analytic tradition. Secondly, I shall show how the fallacy that derives from the 20th Century philosophy of language manifests itself in contemporary analytic aesthetics, using Peter Lamarque and Stein Haugom Olsen’s influential and well-known Gricean make-believe theory of fiction as an example. Finally, I shall sketch how the prevailing Gricean make-believe theories should be modified in order to reach the literary-fictive use of language and to cover fictions broader than Doyle’s stories and works alike.
Teaduslik teooria kui teadusfilosoofia kategooria
Authors: Vihalemm Rein
Published: July 2015

Artiklis arendatakse alternatiivset kontseptsiooni niihästi traditsioonilisele füüsikakesksele teadusliku teooria käsitlusele kui ka seisukohale, et füüsikateooriat ei saa teadusfilosoofias mõista teadusliku teooria mudelina, sest erinevates teadustes on teooriad oma loomult erinevad. Ollakse seisukohal, et teaduslik teooria on ikkagi teadusfilosoofia kategooriana teadusliku distsipliini eripärast sõltumatu. Käsitletakse põhiliselt kahte punkti: (1) miks on teadusfilosoofias põhjust kritiseerida traditsioonilist, füüsika põhjal saadud ettekujutust teaduslikust teooriast? (2) miks ei ole põhjendatud seisukoht, et nt keemias on teaduslik teooria (nt klassikaline keemilise struktuuri teooria) oma loomult füüsikateooriast (nt klassikalisest mehhaanikast) erinev? Traditsioonilise füüsikakeskse lähenemisviisi puhul ei ole piisavalt uuritud, miks õieti füüsikateooria on saanud teadusliku teooria etaloniks. Teoreetilise füüsika keskne teadusekontseptsioon on olnud ühekülgselt orienteeritudmatemaatikale ja loogikale. Kui aga lähtuda teooriast kui mudelite populatsioonist, nagu Ronald Giere on seda teinud ka klassikalise mehhaanika - füüsikakeskse teooriakäsituse traditsioonilise näite - korral, siis osutub see teooriakäsitus tõepoolest invariantseks teatavale tunnetustüübile, mida on alust nimetada teaduslikuks ja mis on selgesti omane ka nt keemiale.In this paper an alternative conception is proposed both to (1) the traditional physics-based conception of scientific theory, and (2) the view that a physical theory cannot be regarded as the model for scientific theory in philosophy of science in general because scientific theories are discipline-dependent. It is argued that scientific theory as a category of philosophy of science is independent of a particular scientific discipline. The main focus of the paper is on two questions: (1) Why is the traditional physics-based conception of scientific theory subject to criticism in philosophy of science? (2) Why is it unjustified to consider a scientific theory in chemistry (e.g., the classical chemical structure theory, which is probably the most characteristic theory of chemistry) to be different in character from a physical theory (e.g., classical mechanics, which is a prototypical example of a theory in the philosophy of science)? In case of the traditional physics-based approach not enough research has been done as to why theories of physics have become the etalon of scientific theory. The accepted view of science, centered on theoretical physics, has been one-sidedly oriented towards mathematics and logic. But when proceeding from a conception of a scientific theory as a population of models, as Ronald Giere has done for the case of classical mechanics - the traditional example of a physical theory -, this conception of a theory really does prove the invariance of a certain type of cognition that can justifiably be called scientific and that is clearly characteristic of, e.g., chemistry as well.
Intuitions in Epistemology: Towards a Naturalistic Alternative
Authors: Ahlstrom Kristoffer
Published: July 2015

The present paper revisits the main methodological problems with conceptual analysis and considers two attempts to rectify them in terms of prototypes and reflective equilibria, respectively. Finding both wanting for the purposes of epistemological analysis, a naturalistic alternative is then sketched that explores the positive implications of aforementioned problems for the demarcation of the respective roles of intuitions and empirical investigation within three epistemological domains, viz., the evaluation of epistemological hypotheses, the amelioration of epistemic practices, and the construction of a theory of epistemic value.
Philosophical Intuitions
Authors: Fedyk Mark
Published: July 2015

What exactly is a philosophical intuition? And what makes such an intuition reliable, when it is reliable? This paper provides a terminological framework that is able answer to the first question, and then puts the framework to work developing an answer to the second question. More specifically, the paper argues that we can distinguish between two different "evidential roles" which intuitions can occupy: under certain conditions they can provide information about the representational structure of an intuitor's concept, and under different conditions, they can provide information about whether or not a property is instantiated. The paper describes two principles intended to capture the difference between the two sets of conditions---that is, the paper offers a principle that explains when an intuition will be a reliable source of evidence about the representation structure of an intuitor's concept, and another principle that explains when an intuition will be a reliable source of evidence about whether or not a property is instantiated. The paper concludes by briefly arguing that, insofar as philosophers are interested using intuitions to determine whether or not some philosophically interesting property is instantiated by some scenario (for instance, whether knowledge is instantiated in a Gettier-case), the reliability of the intuition in question does not depend on whether or not the intuition is widely shared.
Intuitions, Externalism, and Conceptual Analysis
Authors: Haukioja Jussi
Published: July 2015

Semantic externalism about a class of expressions is often thought to make conceptual analysis about members of that class impossible. In particular, since externalism about natural kind terms makes the essences of natural kinds empirically discoverable, it seems that mere reflection on one's natural kind concept will not be able to tell one anything substantial about what it is for something to fall under one's natural kind concepts. Many hold the further view that one cannot even know anything substantial about the reference-fixers of one's natural kind concepts by armchair reflection. In this paper I want to question this latter view and claim that, because of the way our standard methodology of doing theories of reference relies on semantic intuitions, typical externalists in fact presuppose that one can know the reference-fixers of one's natural kind concepts by mere armchair reflection. The more interesting question is how substantial such knowledge can be. I also take some steps toward answering this question.
Psychology and the Use of Intuitions in Philosophy
Authors: Talbot Brian
Published: July 2015

There is widespread controversy about the use of intuitions in philosophy.  In this paper I will argue that there are legitimate concerns about this use, and that these concerns cannot be fully responded to using the traditional methods of philosophy.  We need an understanding of how intuitions are generated and what it is they are based on, and this understanding must be founded on the psychological investigation of the mind.  I explore how a psychological understanding of intuitions is likely to impact a range of philosophical projects, from conceptual analysis to the study of (non-conceptual) "things themselves" to experimental philosophy.
Narratiivsuse roll Hegeli filosoofilises süsteemis: üks täiendus "dialektilise" meetodi mittemetafüüsilise tõlgendamise juurde
Authors: Viik Tõnu
Published: July 2015

Artikkel lähtub Hegeli filosoofilise süsteemi mittemetafüüsilisest tõlgendusest ja keskendub ühele aspektile Hegeli dialektilise meetodi juures, mille iseloomustamiseks oleks autori arvates kõige adekvaatsem kasutada narratiivi mõistet. Artikli tees on kokkuvõtlikult järgmine: Hegeli arvates ei ole filosoofiline tõde väljendatav ühe lause või propositsiooniga, vaid (1) see nõuab tervet väidete jada, kusjuures (2) mõistete määratlused selles väidete jadas peavad suutma teiseneda --- nii nagu kirjandusliku jutustuse käigus võivad teiseneda tegelaste iseloom ja arusaamine asjadest (eriti ilmne on see Bildungsroman'ile omase narratiivi puhul). Lisaks neile kahele omadusele on narratiivile iseloomulik talle omaste struktuurielementide (algus, keskpaik ja lõpp) abil loodud (3) terviklikkus, mis võimaldab tal anda edasi sellist mõtet, mis ei sisaldu üheski narratiivi moodustavas lauses üksikult võetuna.  Need kolm omadust võimaldavad Hegeli "dialektilisele" meetodile narratiiviteooria vahenditega uut valgust heita ja spekulatiivse tõe loomust paremini mõista.The paper discusses the nature of Hegel's dialectical method and criticizes its wide-spread interpretation according to the thesis-antithesis-synthesis formula.  It is argued that there is no evidence of triadic structures in Hegel's works.  Rather, the elements (usually defined as "moments", "formations" (Gestalten) or "determinations" (Bestimmungen)) that make up the body of Hegel's texts, are organized as "series" (Reihen) that form circles, in which, as Hegel maintains, the last element leads us back to the first.  If synthesis means creating something new by using the initial elements then it is problematic whether anything becomes synthesized in Hegel texts.  The paper argues against interpreting the every third element of the series (the moment of Becoming being the most obvious candidate in the Science of Logic) or the end-points of the series (such as the final moment of absolute knowledge in the Phenomenology of Spirit) as synthetic unities.  Instead, the paper proposes that Hegel's speculative method uses the form of narrative for creating a vessel that is able to express the "speculative truth" which is "fluid" (flüssig) and which requires a "plastic" (plastische) form of presentation.  Narrative can accomplish what a singular proposition and a deductive system cannot, because (1) it consists of a series of claims (2) that is able to express the movement of what is said in each claim, and (3) because its ending creates a point at which the story as a whole obtains a meaning that is not expressed in any particular sentence constituting the story.
Eli Hirsch: Quantifier Variance and Realism: Essays in Metaontology. Trees and Tables Crackpot Ontology: Jury Still Out
Authors: Kitsik Eve
Published: July 2015

A review of Eli Hirsch "Quantifier Variance and Realism: Essays in Metaontology".
Order out of Chaos? A Case Study in High Energy Physics
Authors: Hillerbrand Rafaela
Published: July 2015

In recent years, computational sciences such as computational hydrodynamics or computational field theory have supplemented theoretical and experimental investigations in many scientific fields. Often, there is a seemingly fruitful overlap between theory, experiment, and numerics. The computational sciences are highly dynamic and seem a fairly successful endeavor---at least if success is measured in terms of publications or engineering applications. However, for theories, success in application and correctness are two very different things; and just the same may hold for "methodologies" like computer simulations. A lively debate on the epistemic status of computer simulations has thus emerged within the philosophy of science. This paper discusses possible problems when computer simulation and laboratory experiment are intertwined. In present experiments, stochastic methods in the form of Monte Carlo simulations are often involved in generating experimental data. It is questioned as to how far a realistic stance can be maintained when such stochastic elements are involved. Taking experiments in high energy physics as a study case, this paper contends that using these types of entangled material and numerical experiments as a source of new phenomena or for theory testing must presuppose a certain understanding of causality and thus binds us at least to a weak form of realism.
Epistemic Disagreements: A Solution for Contextualists
Authors: Mion Giovanni
Published: July 2015

My paper aims to account for the possibility of disagreements concerning what we know; for clearly, people disagree about what they know. More precisely, my goal is to explain how a contextualist theory of knowledge attributions can explain the existence of disagreement among speakers. My working hypothesis is that genuine epistemic disagreement is possible only under the assumption that the meaning of the word “knowledge” is governed by contexts that are objective, in the sense that that the content of the word “knowledge” is fixed for all speakers sharing a common conversational goal. The paper is divided into two sections. In the first section, I explain why current versions of epistemic contextualism cannot account for epistemic disagreement. In the second section, following Christopher Gauker’s theory of linguistic communication, I offer my own contextualist solution to the problem of epistemic disagreement.
Is Ground Said-in-Many-Ways?
Authors: Cameron Margaret Anne
Published: July 2015

Proponents of ground, which is used to indicate relations of ontological fundamentality, insist that ground is a unified phenomenon, but this thesis has recently been criticized. I will first review the proponents' claims for ground's unicity, as well as the criticisms that ground is too heterogeneous to do the philosophical work it is supposed to do. By drawing on Aristotle's notion of homonymy, I explore whether ground's metaphysical heterogeneity can be theoretically accommodated while at the same time preserving its proponents' desideratum that it be a unified phenomenon.
On the Reduction of Grounding to Essence
Authors: Carnino Pablo
Published: July 2015

In a recent article, Fabrice Correia explores the project of reducing the notion of grounding to that of essence. He then goes on to provide several candidate definitions and test each of them against a number of objections. His final take on the situation is, roughly, that two of the definitions can handle all of the considered objections. The aim of this paper is to re-evaluate Correia's conclusions in the light of two sources of insights: Firstly, I will argue that one of the objections treated by Correia has been somewhat underestimated, and that it still constitutes a threat against definitions of grounding in terms of essence. Secondly, there are at least two further objections that should be considered by the advocate of such definitions. As I will show, one of them can be neutralized; but the other one is more serious and suggests a clear dialectical edge to an operationalist definition.
Sameness, Definition, and Essence
Authors: Peramatzis Michail
Published: July 2015

I formulate an apparent inconsistency between some claims Aristotle makes in his Metaphysics about the sameness and non-sameness relations which obtain between an object and its essence: while a (type of) object is not the same as its essence, an essence is thought as being the same as its essence. I discuss different ways in which one may propose to overcome this apparent inconsistency and show that they are problematic. My diagnosis of the problem is that all these putative solutions share the assumption that Aristotle is operating exclusively with the notion of strict numerical identity between an object and its essence, or between definiendum and definiens. I introduce the notion of sameness in nature which holds between an object and its essence, understood as the metaphysical counterpart to the relation of 'being defined as': two items are the same in nature just in case the answer to the 'what is it?' or 'what is its nature/essence?' question is common to both. I argue that the notions of sameness in nature and 'being defined as' need not (but may) entail strict identity. Further, they are compatible with, indeed require, the idea that an essence is prior to its essence-bearer, or that a definiens is prior to the relevant definiendum. I conclude that the twin notions of sameness in nature and 'being defined as' successfully defuse the apparent inconsistency formulated at the outset.
Editorial
Authors: Soares Adriana Benevides , Tsallis Alexandra Cleopatre , Mendes Deise Maria Fernandes , Valentim Renata Patrícia Forain de , Barros Rita Maria Manso de
Published: July 2015

Adriana Benevides Soares, Alexandra Cleopatre Tsallis, Deise Maria Fernandes Mendes, Renata Patrícia Forain de Valentim, Rita Maria Manso de Barros
Na cena jornalística: incitamentos à vontade de família
Authors: Rodrigues Luciana , Hennigen Inês
Published: July 2015

Este trabalho problematiza discursos midiáticos acerca de duas estratégias que operam na garantia ao direito à convivência familiar e comunitária de crianças e adolescentes: os serviços de acolhimento e a adoção. Com base em referenciais teórico-metodológicos foucaultianos e do campo do jornalismo, analisamos uma série e um programa jornalístico televisivo de modo a investigar como essas estratégias são visibilizadas. Constatamos a produção de regimes de verdade que nos convocam a olhar os sujeitos, os quais passaram pelos serviços de acolhimento, sob a óptica do abandono e da perda da infância, e mostramos como tal construção se articula e contribui para compor o incitamento a uma vontade de família. Discutimos as formas como se operam proposições de verdades no território midiático e seus efeitos subjetivos, e colocamos em questão o que se enuncia a luz da concepção foucaultiana de governamentalidade.
O Impacto do Mobbing sobre o estresse no trabalho
Authors: Lima Tássia Donadello Ferreira , Souza Marcos Aguiar de
Published: July 2015

Definido como um conjunto de ações hostis e antiéticas, desenvolvidas no ambiente de trabalho de forma sistemática e recorrente que deixa o trabalhador em uma posição indefesa, o mobbing tem sido investigado na sua relação com a saúde e qualidade de vida do trabalhador. Neste sentido, o objetivo no presente trabalho foi (1) o desenvolvimento de três instrumentos para mensuração do mobbing, considerando sua prática por chefes, colegas e subordinados e (2) investigar o impacto do mobbing sobre o estresse no trabalho. Participaram do estudo 300 servidores de uma universidade federal do estado do Rio de Janeiro, sendo 157 homens e 143 mulheres. Os participantes preencheram os três instrumentos para mensuração do mobbing e a EET (Escala de Estresse no Trabalho). A análise fatorial exploratória dos principais eixos com rotação promax revelou uma estrutura ideal de dois fatores em cada instrumento, sendo nomeados de (1) comportamento respeitoso e (2) mobbing praticado por chefes, colegas ou subordinados, conforme o caso. A Modelagem por Equações Estruturais revelou um impacto positivo significativo do mobbing sobre o estresse no trabalho. Da mesma maneira, o comportamento respeitoso por parte de chefes, colegas e subordinados teve influência negativa significativa sobre o estresse no trabalho.
Transições cotidianas entre a família e a escola: atividades e relações de crianças nesses contextos ecológicos
Authors: Alvão Maureanna Cardoso , Cavalcante Lília Iêda Chaves
Published: July 2015

A partir do conceito de transição ecológica (TE), no escopo da Psicologia do Desenvolvimento, este estudo objetivou compreender as mudanças de ambiente, atividades, relações e papeis que marcam o início da vida escolar do ponto de vista da criança. Foram entrevistadas 46 crianças de uma escola pública, de três a quatro anos de idade, em Belém/PA. Os resultados revelaram que durante os percursos de ida à escola e volta para a casa as crianças demonstraram tanto sentimento de bem-estar/alegria (envolvimento da mãe e outros familiares nas rotinas diárias, relacionamentos iniciados no ambiente escolar) como mal-estar/tristeza (queixas de dor e outros sintomas de doenças, referência à violência). Este estudo pode ser útil para ampliar o conhecimento sobre esta e outras transições ecológicas vividas na infância, com destaque para o processo de adaptação da criança no início da vida escolar.
Os gestos na comunicação mãe-bebê: um estudo longitudinal
Authors: Camargo Janaina Franciele , Salomão Nádia Maria Ribeiro , Aquino Fabíola De Sousa Braz , Nunes Laísy De Lima
Published: July 2015

Segundo a perspectiva da interação social dos estudiosos da linguagem, esta se desenvolve por meio de interações bidirecionais estabelecidas entre adulto e criança desde as idades iniciais. O objetivo do estudo foi analisar a comunicação entre mãe e bebê na fase pré-verbal da criança. Participaram do estudo seis díades, filmadas em situação de brincadeira livre aos 6, 9 e 12 meses de idade do bebê. Os resultados demonstraram que, especialmente aos 9 meses, ocorrem mudanças, de modo que o gesto dêitico de alcançar deixa de ser única categoria utilizada pela criança e passa a ser substituído pelo gesto de apontar. Foi verificado também que os gestos representativos foram observados apenas a partir desta idade. Os gestos dêiticos mais utilizados no estabelecimento e manutenção de episódios interativos foram o de alcançar, por parte dos bebês, e o de mostrar, por parte das mães. Observou-se que mudanças nos gestos das crianças ao longo do seu desenvolvimento foram acompanhadas por mudanças nos gestos maternos. Tais resultados são relevantes no sentido de que contribuem para um maior conhecimento acerca da comunicação gestual mãe-bebê e do seu papel no desenvolvimento linguístico infantil.
Home-Literacy e os precursores da alfabetização
Authors: Cardoso Carla Valério , Mota Márcia Maria Peruzzi Elia da
Published: July 2015

A literatura PSI mostra que precursores cognitivos da leitura e escrita, com destaque para a consciência fonológica e o conhecimento do nome das letras, podem ser desenvolvidos junto à criança, no contexto familiar, antes do início da educação formal. Esses precursores estão associados ao desempenho positivo na leitura e escrita, bem como na escolarização inicial. A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar algumas práticas cotidianas familiares realizadas com as crianças relacionadas com o aprendizado da leitura, em duas classes sociais distintas. Foram aplicados questionários de práticas cotidianas nos pais e testes de consciência fonológica, conhecimento do nome das letras e aquisição de vocabulário receptivo nas crianças. As crianças tinham entre 5 e 6 anos e suas famílias eram oriundas de escolas da rede pública e privada dos municípios de Niterói e São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro (RJ), totalizando 80 famílias, sendo 40 de escolas particulares e 40 de escolas públicas. Os resultados das correlações de Spearman para relacionar o estímulo parental com o desenvolvimento dos precursores da leitura e escrita e testes de Mann-Whitney para comparar os escores de desempenho das variáveis dependentes para as duas classes sociais estudadas demonstraram que o estímulo ao desenvolvimento dos preditores da leitura e escrita contribuíram de forma significativa para o desempenho das crianças. As crianças das escolas particulares tiveram escores mais altos do que das escolas públicas. A relevância para a formulação de políticas educacionais que incentivem a exploração dos precursores da leitura e escrita enquanto facilitadores do desenvolvimento da linguagem das crianças antes da alfabetização são discutidas.
Intoxicação infantil por chumbo: uma análise discriminante entre os fatores de risco e de proteção
Authors: Dascanio Denise , Prette Zilda Aparecida Pereira Del , Fontaine Anne Marie Germane Victorine
Published: July 2015

As habilidades sociais são reconhecidas como fator de proteção ao longo do desenvolvimento humano, contra os impactos dos fatores de risco. Neste estudo, considerando a situação de risco de crianças e adolescentes contaminadas por chumbo, buscou-se identificar as variáveis (habilidades sociais, práticas parentais, problemas de comportamento e competência acadêmica) que as diferenciam das não contaminadas e a possível função protetora das habilidades sociais sobre problemas de comportamento em ambos os grupos. Participaram desta pesquisa 100 crianças, suas mães e professores. Os problemas de comportamento, a competência acadêmica e as habilidades sociais das crianças foram avaliados pelo Sistema de Avaliação de Habilidades Sociais (SSRS-BR); as habilidades sociais dos adolescentes pelo Inventário de Habilidades Sociais para Adolescentes (IHSA-Del-Prette). As práticas parentais foram avaliadas pelo Inventário de Estilos Parentais (IEP). Com base nas análises de variância, discriminante e de mediação, foi possível identificar diferenças entre os dois grupos, com maior comprometimento nas crianças contaminadas, exceto para a habilidade social de assertividade autoavaliada, cujo resultado apontou maior repertório para as crianças intoxicadas por chumbo. Comprovou-se também a função mediadora das habilidades sociais minimizando o impacto da plumbemia sobre os problemas de comportamento. O conjunto dos resultados reforça a ideia de que um repertório elaborado de habilidades sociais pode estar relacionado com a competência cognitiva das crianças e adolescentes.
Physical health assessment and care management in community addiction settings
Authors: Nesbitt Heather , Follan Michael
Published: July 2015

Individuals with addiction problems often experience challenges accessing or engaging with general health services. Addiction services may be the only service attended by these individuals and as such mental health nurses (MHN) working in these settings are in a position to assess and manage their physical health needs. This study investigated the views and confidence levels of MHN working in community addiction settings towards undertaking physical health assessment, and management, and found that there were variable attitudes and confidence levels among the participants, dependent on the physical assessment tasks discussed. In contrast to previous studies, medication side effect monitoring was seen by fewer participants as an important part of their role. On the whole participants felt positive about incorporating physical health into their practice, however, they reported requiring more training to develop and maintain competence in their physical assessment and care skills. There remained ambiguity among some of the participants as to whether some physical health assessments should be undertaken by MHNS and more detailed research is required to identify key skills clusters for this clinical area.
Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplantation Alleviates Renal Injury in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Ni Weimin , Fang Yan , Xie Ling , Liu Xue , Shan Wei , Zeng Ruixia , Liu Jiansheng , Liu Xueyuan
Published: July 2015

Previous studies have illustrated that bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (BMMSC) transplantation has therapeutic effects on diabetes and can prevent mice from renal damage and diabetic nephropathy (DN). Moreover, adipose-derived MSCs possess similar characteristics to BMMSCs. We investigated the effect of ADMSC transplantation on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced renal injury. Diabetes was induced in rats by STZ injection. After ADMSC treatment, renal histological changes and cell apoptosis were evaluated as were the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, Wnt/β-catenin pathway members, and klotho levels. We found that ADMSCs improved renal histological changes. Next, NRK-52E cells were exposed to normal glucose (NG; 5.5 mM glucose plus 24.5 mM mannitol)/high glucose (HG) or ADMSCs, and then measured for changes in the aforementioned proteins. Similarly, changes in these proteins were also determined following transient transfection of klotho siRNA. We found that both ADMSC transplantation and co-incubation reduced the rate of cellular apoptosis, decreased Bax and Wnt/β-catenin levels, and elevated Bcl-2 and klotho levels. Interestingly, klotho knockdown reversed the effects of ADMSCs on the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and Wnt/β-catenin pathway members. Taken together, ADMSCs transplantation might attenuate renal injury in DN via activating klotho and inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. This study may provide evidence for the treatment of DN using ADMSCs.
The Overdesigned and the Undesigned – Placemaking in New Residential
Complexes
Authors: Stender Marie
Published: July 2015

This article focuses on the paradox, that places on the one hand are
increasingly regarded as something that can be designed, while these
designed places on the other hand also seem to hold a remarkable longing for
that which is not designed. When architecture and landscape is shaped,
various steps are taken to shape the identity, life and story of the new
places.  Inherent in contemporary concepts like urban design, city branding
and placemaking is thus the assumption that we can – and should – design not
only our material surroundings but also the more immaterial social and
cultural aspects that constitute a place. In her book “Brandscapes” Anna
Klingman argues that in the experience economy the focus of architecture has
evolved from ”what is has” and ”what it does” to ”what you feel” and ”who
you are” (Klingman 2007). But by what means and to what extend is it
possible to design how we feel and who we are? This article addresses these
questions by focusing on how place is designed when new residential
buildings and neighbourhoods are given shape and taken into use.
Synthesis, Antiglycating and Antioxidant activities of Triazolo hexahydroquinazolines
Authors: Kulandaivelu Umasankar , Challuri Srikanth , Reddy Rajasekhar Alavala , Periyasamy Gomathi , Boyapati Shireesha
Published: July 2015

Some 5-aryl-triazolo[4,3-a] hexahydro quinazoline derivatives (4a-4e & 5a-5e)Â were synthesized and evaluated for theirÂ in vitroÂ antiglycation and antioxidant activities. Title compounds were found to have potent antiglycating activity than rutin in the range between 0.096 and 0.300 M.The compoundsÂ 4bÂ andÂ 5cÂ were the most active ones among them. The tested compounds had shown potent to moderate antioxidant activity by DPPH assay than BHT exceptÂ 5eÂ (p-NO2Â phenyl derivative). Among all, hydroxyl derivatives (4a-4e)Â are more potent than the corresponding thiols (5a-5e).
Bond Yield Spreads in the Eurozone
Authors: Proksová Denisa , Bohdalová Mária
Published: July 2015

Euro Area sovereign bond yield spreads fell significantly after the creation of the monetary union and moved in unison until the recession of 2008, when investors’ risk pricing changed considerably. Rising bond yield spreads caught the attention of economists who tried to find the factors influencing their size. Evolution of bond spreads was mostly related to various macroeconomic factors as well as the soundness of the countries’ banking sectors and a general level of risk aversion in the financial markets. Analysis presented in this paper compares bond yield spreads of Euro Area member countries and relates them to their debt levels as well as the liquidity of the securities and a general level of risk aversion. Apart from the usual variables, we also analysed differences in purchasing power to assess the impact of the common monetary policy in the pre-crisis period. After adjusting the model to better explain movements of linear regression residuals, we could not prove a systematic assessment of the above-mentioned factors except for time periods of high market volatility. We explain sudden changes in the importance of idiosyncratic factors as consequences of policies of the European Central Bank and other European Union institutions following such time periods, which, as our analysis suggests, distorted pricing of risk in the markets.