The Role Of Truth In Explanatory Understanding

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-98
Author(s):  
Stefan Petkov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Second Line ◽  
Critical Argument ◽  
Partial Truth ◽  
Normative Value

This paper discusses the polemical question of whether explanations that produce understanding must be true. It argues positively for the role of truth in reaching explanatory understanding, by presenting three lines of criticism of alternative accounts. The first is that by rejecting truth as a criterion for evaluating explanations, any non-factual account thereby effectively cuts ties with the central theories of explanations, which provide at least partial criteria for explanatory understanding. The second line of criticism is that some of the most well-known non-factual accounts implicitly operate over a notion of partial-truth, and as such, they do not provide a valid alternative. The final critical argument is that, in the place of truth evaluations, these accounts often offer a multiplicity of other criteria, and by changing a unitary criterion such as truth for a collection of other requirements, these non-factive theories introduce a level of ad hoc-ness, which diminishes their normative value.

Social Representations and Commitment

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Bonetto ◽  
Fabien Girandola ◽  
Grégory Lo Monaco
Keyword(s):  
Social Representations ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Second Line ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
First Line ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
The Social ◽  
Bibliographic Search ◽  
English Articles

Abstract. This contribution consists of a critical review of the literature about the articulation of two traditionally separated theoretical fields: social representations and commitment. Besides consulting various works and communications, a bibliographic search was carried out (between February and December, 2016) on various databases using the keywords “commitment” and “social representation,” in the singular and in the plural, in French and in English. Articles published in English or in French, that explicitly made reference to both terms, were included. The relations between commitment and social representations are approached according to two approaches or complementary lines. The first line follows the role of commitment in the representational dynamics: how can commitment transform the representations? This articulation gathers most of the work on the topic. The second line envisages the social representations as determinants of commitment procedures: how can these representations influence the effects of commitment procedures? This literature review will identify unexploited tracks, as well as research perspectives for both areas of research.

Writing and Ritual in Deuteronomy 28

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Quick
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
History Of ◽  
Important Means ◽  
Written Word ◽  
Ritual Process ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
Ritual Context

This chapter argue that ritual behaviours might be just as good a source as literary texts for the diffusion of traditional cursing and treaty material across different cultures in the ancient Near East. In particular, the role of ad hoc oral Targum in the ritual process could have been an important means by which traditions were shared between different language communities. Recognition of the ritual context of this material also provides insights for the comparative method, the dating and authorship of Deuteronomy 28, and the subversive impetus thought to have stood behind its composition. Ultimately, the function of the written word in a largely oral world is shown to be fundamental to understanding the composition, function and the early history of the curses in the book of Deuteronomy.

The African Union and Universal Jurisdiction

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Mennecke
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
Universal Jurisdiction ◽  
African Union ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
African Government ◽  
Double Standards ◽  
Legal Principle ◽  
The Status

Universal jurisdiction permits states to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of certain widely condemned offences, irrespective of whether they possess any of the traditional territorial, nationality, or other jurisdictional links to the offence. As a legal principle, African states accept the principle of universal jurisdiction, but in the past decade they have pushed back against it due to the perception that the courts of various European states have unfairly targeted African government officials that they perceive as enemies. Against this background, the chapter examines the status of the universal jurisdiction debate and how it relates to the role of the International Criminal Court and that of the African Union and its member states, in addition to evaluating the proposals made by African states within the framework of the United Nations to address the African government concerns about double standards in the application of universal jurisdiction through a special ad hoc committee of the General Assembly.

Role of routine nephrectomy for non-functioning kidneys due to genitourinary tuberculosis: Data from an Indian subcontinent

2021 ◽  
pp. 205141582098766
Author(s):  
Pradeep Prakash ◽  
Prabhjot Singh ◽  
Amlesh Seth ◽  
Rishi Nayyar ◽  
Brusabhanu Nayak
Keyword(s):  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Disease Recurrence ◽  
Drug Resistant ◽  
Second Line ◽  
Sensitivity Testing ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Lower Blood ◽  
Anti Tubercular Therapy ◽  
Open Nephrectomy

Objective: To evaluate the role of routine nephrectomy for tuberculous non-functioning kidney (TNFK) after receiving anti-tubercular therapy (ATT) by demonstrating whether live tubercle bacilli persist in nephrectomy specimens after treatment or not. Materials and methods: Patients with TNFK who underwent nephrectomy after completion of at least 6 months of ATT were included in this prospective cohort study. We sent tissue/pus from a nephrectomy specimen for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) staining, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture to look for live bacilli. Bacilli were considered alive only if AFB culture was positive. Results: Twenty-four patients underwent nephrectomy for TNFK between April 2015 and October 2017 (18 laparoscopic and 6 open nephrectomy). Laparoscopic nephrectomy was associated with lower blood loss (225 ml versus 408 ml, p = 0.0003) and shorter hospital stay (3 versus 3.8 days, p = 0.06) compared with open nephrectomy; however, mean operative time and overall complications were similar. Eight specimens were AFB smear and/or tuberculosis PCR positive, out of which three showed viable bacilli upon culture. Drug sensitivity testing showed multi-drug resistant strain in all three patients who were treated with second-line ATT. Conclusion: It is preferable to do routine nephrectomy for TNFKs as they are more likely to harbour live bacilli and lead to disease recurrence. Viability testing for AFB must be performed on all operated specimens to identify drug resistant bacilli so that patients may be treated with second-line therapy if required. Level of evidence: 4.

Securing the future of statistics in Africa through National Strategies for the Development of Statistic

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 15-25
Author(s):  
Ben Kiregyera
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Global Level ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Statistical Systems ◽  
Development Agendas ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Statistical Development

Adoption of development agendas at different levels – national, regional, continental, and global level – has led to an unprecedented increase in demand for official statistics. This increase has not only brought to the fore a litany of challenges facing National Statistical Systems (NSSs) in Africa but also it has created opportunities for strengthening statistical production and development. This paper underscores the need for countries to take full advantage of these opportunities and increase investments in statistics, undertake data innovation, and expand and diversify data ecosystems, leveraging on the foundations of the data revolution for sustainable development and in line with current international statistical frameworks. The paper posits that these improvements will not happen coincidentally nor through ad hoc, piecemeal and uncoordinated approaches. Rather they will happen through more systematic, coordinated and multi-sectoral approaches to statistical development. The National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) is presented as a comprehensive and robust framework for building statistical capacity and turning around NSSs in African countries. The paper unpacks the NSDS; elaborates the NSDS processes including; mainstreaming sectors into the NSDS, the stages of the NSDS lifecycle and the role of leadership in the NSDS proces; highlights NSDS extension; presents the design and implementation challenges, and the key lessons learned from the NSDS processes in Africa in the last 15 years or so.

scholarly journals Chimeric elk/mouse prion proteins in transgenic mice

2013 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 443-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gültekin Tamgüney ◽  
Kurt Giles ◽  
Abby Oehler ◽  
Natrina L. Johnson ◽  
Stephen J. DeArmond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Prion Proteins ◽  
Second Line ◽  
Mouse Line ◽  
Wasting Disease ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Incubation Periods ◽  
N Terminus ◽  
Mouse Lines

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer and elk is a highly communicable neurodegenerative disorder caused by prions. Investigations of CWD are hampered by slow bioassays in transgenic (Tg) mice. Towards the development of Tg mice that will be more susceptible to CWD prions, we created a series of chimeric elk/mouse transgenes that encode the N terminus of elk PrP (ElkPrP) up to residue Y168 and the C terminus of mouse PrP (MoPrP) beyond residue 169 (mouse numbering), designated Elk3M(SNIVVK). Between codons 169 and 219, six residues distinguish ElkPrP from MoPrP: N169S, T173N, V183I, I202V, I214V and R219K. Using chimeric elk/mouse PrP constructs, we generated 12 Tg mouse lines and determined incubation times after intracerebral inoculation with the mouse-passaged RML scrapie or Elk1P CWD prions. Unexpectedly, one Tg mouse line expressing Elk3M(SNIVVK) exhibited incubation times of <70 days when inoculated with RML prions; a second line had incubation times of <90 days. In contrast, mice expressing full-length ElkPrP had incubation periods of >250 days for RML prions. Tg(Elk3M,SNIVVK) mice were less susceptible to CWD prions than Tg(ElkPrP) mice. Changing three C-terminal mouse residues (202, 214 and 219) to those of elk doubled the incubation time for mouse RML prions and rendered the mice resistant to Elk1P CWD prions. Mutating an additional two residues from mouse to elk at codons 169 and 173 increased the incubation times for mouse prions to >300 days, but made the mice susceptible to CWD prions. Our findings highlight the role of C-terminal residues in PrP that control the susceptibility and replication of prions.

Uniendo lo humano y lo divino. La gramática, la ontología y la forma del lenguaje en la conversación de san Agustín en Ostia (conf. 9, 24)

Augustinus ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-136
Author(s):  
Pablo Irizar ◽  
Guinevere Rallens ◽  
Charles Kim ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Human Experience ◽  
Second Line ◽  
First Line

The fracturing of language at Babel (Gn 11.1-9) is one of the defining events which, for Augustine, gives language its current fallen characteristics and limitations. But does the fallen state of language necessarily imply that language creates a chiasm rather than a bridge between the human and the divine? And if so, is language used in vain to invoke God? This paper addresses these questions through an analysis of the role of language in Augustine’s Ostia ascent narrative (conf. 9, 24). According to a first line of interpretation, language creates a chiasm rather than a bridge between the human and the divine in the ‘Ostia ascent’. According to a second line of interpretation, though fractured, language does not create a chiasm but rather a bridge between the human and the divine. By identifying and intertextually analyzing three facets of the function of language in conf. 9, 24, namely the grammatical, the ontological, and the modal, this paper aims at substantiating the second line of interpretation. Part one explores Augustine’s use of the expression per uerbum (Jn 1.1-15) to analyze the grammar of human and divine language. Part two analyzes the ontological function of language as a mechanism of mediation by showing that the ascent in conf. 9, 24 is similar to the structure of manifestation evident in the transition from forma dei to forma serui (Phil 2.6-7) in Augustine’s s. 264. Finally, part three shows that for Augustine, the conversion from the schola superbiae of rhetoric pride to the humility of the schola pectoris implicitly requires the mode of language as a precondition for ascent in conf. 9, 24. As such, this paper concludes, the three facets of language, namely the ontological, grammatical and modal, function in conf. 9, 24 to unite, mediate and transform the human experience of the divine.

The constitutional influence of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council on the UK apex court: institutional proximity and jurisprudential divergence?

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-302
Author(s):  
Roger Masterman
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Court Decisions ◽  
Privy Council ◽  
House Of Lords ◽  
Uk Supreme Court ◽  
Proportionality Test ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship

It is often claimed that the constitutional role of the UK’s apex court is enriched as a result of the experiences of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as interpreter of constitutions within its overseas jurisdiction. This paper considers the relationship between the House of Lords/UK Supreme Court and the Judicial Committee and its effect on the importation of external influences into the UK’s legal system(s), further seeking to assess how far the jurisprudence of the Judicial Committee has influenced constitutional decision-making in the UK apex court. While ad hoc citation of Privy Council authorities in House of Lords/Supreme Court decisions is relatively commonplace, a post-1998 enthusiasm for reliance on Judicial Committee authority – relating to (i) a ‘generous and purposive’ approach to constitutional interpretation and (ii) supporting the developing domestic test for proportionality – quickly faded. Both areas are illustrative of a diminishing reliance on Judicial Committee authority, but reveal divergent approaches to constitutional borrowing as the UK apex court has incrementally mapped the contours of an autochthonous constitutionalism while simultaneously recognising the trans-jurisdictional qualities of the proportionality test.

Ziv-aflibercept: A novel angiogenesis inhibitor for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer

2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (21) ◽  
pp. 1887-1896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clement Chung ◽  
Nisha Pherwani
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Metastatic Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Angiogenesis Inhibitor ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Second Line ◽  
Patient Response ◽  
Line Setting

Abstract Purpose The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, safety, and administration of ziv-aflibercept in combination therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) are reviewed. Summary Ziv-aflibercept (Zaltrap, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and sanofi-aventis) is a novel recombinant fusion protein that targets the angiogenesis signaling pathway of tumor cells by blocking vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors that play a key role in tumor growth and metastasis; it is a more potent VEGF blocker than bevacizumab. Ziv-aflibercept is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in combination with fluorouracil, irinotecan, and leucovorin (the FOLFIRI regimen) for second-line treatment of patients with mCRC who have disease progression during first-line oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. A Phase III trial demonstrated that relative to FOLFIRI therapy alone, the use of ziv-aflibercept was associated with significantly improved patient response, overall survival, and progression-free survival in patients with good performance status at baseline, including some who had received prior bevacizumab therapy. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse effects associated with ziv-aflibercept use in clinical studies were neutropenia, hypertension, and diarrhea; the U.S. product labeling warns of potential hemorrhage and other treatment-related risks. Conclusion Current clinical data are insufficient to directly compare ziv-aflibercept and bevacizumab when used with standard combination chemotherapy as first- or second-line regimens for mCRC. The role of ziv-aflibercept is currently limited to the second-line setting in combination with irinotecan-based regimens in mCRC patients who have not received irinotecan previously. The role of ziv-aflibercept in chemotherapy for other tumor types is yet to be determined.

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