Does Godwin’s law (rule of Nazi analogies) apply in observable reality? An empirical study of selected words in 199 million Reddit posts

As Godwin’s Law states, “as a discussion on the Internet grows longer, the likelihood of a person being compared to Hitler, or another Nazi reference, increases.” However, even though the theoretical probability of an infinitely long conversation including any term should approach 1.0, in practice, conversations cannot be infinite in length, and this long-accepted axiom is impossible to observe. By analyzing 199 million Reddit posts, we note that, after a certain point, the probability of observing the terms “Nazi” or “Hitler” actually decreases significantly with conversation length. In addition, a corollary of Godwin’s Law holds that “the invocation of Godwin’s Law is usually done by an individual that is losing the argument,” and, thus, that comparisons to Nazis are a signal of a discussion’s end. In other words, comparing one’s interlocutor to Hitler is supposed to be a conversation-killer. While it is difficult to determine whether a discussion on a given topic ended or not in a large dataset, we observe a marked increase in conversation length when the words “Hitler” or “Nazi” are newly interjected. Given that both of these observations challenge widely accepted and intuitive truisms, other words were run through the same set of tests. Within the context of the initial question, these results suggest that it is not inevitable that conversations eventually disintegrate into reductio ad Hitlerum, and that such comparisons are not conversation-killers. The results moreover suggest that we may underestimate, in the popular imagination, how much conversations may actually become narrower and therefore may tend to have a more impoverished or limited vocabulary as they stretch on. All of these observations provoke questions for further research.

O002. Factors facilitating the self- and shared-management of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Background Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) requires some form of lifelong management, with at least one third of children symptomatic in adulthood. Therefore, empowering children to competently self-manage their health and wellbeing across the lifecourse is logical, while supporting families in their shared-management role during childhood. However, there was a limited theoretical basis to the self- and shared-management of JIA across the lifecourse. The objective is to explore the factors facilitating the self- and shared-management of JIA using a realist approach to evaluation. Methods Guided by the Individual and Family Self-management Theory, a three-stage realist approach to evaluation was undertaken: 1) initial JIA self- and shared-management question theories were elicited from literature reviews and stakeholder insights [1]; 2) seven initial question theories were tested using teacher-learner cycle interviews with 20 participants; 3) findings were analysed using a theory-driven approach to thematic analysis, using deductive, inductive, and retroductive reasoning to extend or refute the initial question theories, in order to identify demi-regularities in the data. Results Six refined JIA self- and shared-management question theories emerged: 1) meaningful and bespoke self-management support across the life course for children and young people with JIA; 2) recognised and valued shared-management support for the families of children and young people with JIA, with autonomy in mind; 3) individual healthcare plans as a shared management communication tool to facilitate optimal management of JIA; 4) consistent recognition, value, and encourage of self- and shared-management support from the paediatric rheumatology multi-disciplinary team and associated professionals; 5) child, young-person, and family-focused paediatric rheumatology care and support services across the lifecourse; and 6) bespoke and inclusive approaches by education providers to enable children and young people with JIA to feel safe, supported, and able to fulfil their potential. Conclusion There is an increasing recognition of the importance of self- and shared-management of JIA and other paediatric-onset chronic conditions. However, there is a lack of an overall, cohesive approach to self- and shared-management between healthcare providers, education providers, and patient/parent organisations. The findings from this study illuminate the factors facilitating JIA self- and shared-management at individual, interpersonal, institutional and infrastructural levels, bearing relevance to individuals and organisations involved in caring for, and supporting children with JIA and their families.

‘Answer in any way you want’: Discursive tensions in conversations of a citizen participation process

This paper contributes to empirical knowledge of citizen participation as a communicative event, by analyzing discursive tensions in interviews between civil servants and citizen-parents, that are part of a participatory process on how to mitigate violence in a suburban area in Sweden. Citizen participation events are increasingly initiated by public institutions in Western societies. Research, however, shows that goals of participatory processes often conflict with formal decision-making structures and institutional boundaries. Yet, how such tensions play out on the level of interaction is little researched. This study therefore analyzes discursive practices deployed by civil servants and how these construct characteristic tensions for the interviews. Three practices are identified: (1) pursuing the initial question, (2) cueing an institutional frame, and (3) epistemic positioning of the parents. These practices, being guided by an institutional agenda, create tensions both to the parents’ lifeworld and for the ideals of the participatory method itself.

Intellectual Property and International Law: A Research Framework

This chapter offers a framework for legal research that concerns or applies ‘international law’ concepts, perspectives, and methodologies to intellectual property (IP). The idea is to discuss how research questions related to IP can be framed from the standpoint of international law. This begs an initial question: what do we mean by ‘international law’ and how does this relate to IP? Section I tackles these questions by offering a range of possible views on the notion of international IP Law. Section II then considers how a multidimensional conception of international law can serve to frame research questions on IP. It also gives some more concrete examples of the diversity in adopting an international law approach to IP.

Inner Fitness and Outer Cause

Just how does the mind manage, on the basis of the inward rush of mere energy upon the portals of sensation, to represent to itself a world populated with a dizzying variety of putatively mind-independent objects? This chapter argues that two distinct and independent factors are involved; each is necessary, together they are sufficient. One factor is extra-representational, causal and informational, and rooted in the world. The other factor is internal and structural and rooted in the subject. Section 2 develops the initial question. In section 3, semantic referentialism is distinguished from semantic presentationalism. Semantic referentialism emphasizes the first factor, semantic presentationalism emphasizes the second. Taylor will advocate a modified version of semantic referentialism, two-factor referentialism. Section 3 aims to understand doctrine of the epistemic one-sidedness of all reference and to begin to undermine it as a motivation for semantic presentationalism. Section 4 considers the notion of a merely objectual representation and begins to lay the groundwork for two-factor representationalism by distinguishing between objectual and fully objective representations. Section 5 critically explores the Fregean and Kantian roots of this distinction.

Learning and Corruption on Monitoring Chains

“But who will guard the guardians?” I revisit this age-old question under the following assumptions: (i) guardians are devoid of ethical motives and have quasilinear preferences, (ii) guardians monitor one another through a monitoring chain, and (iii) any two consecutive guardians in the chain can bargain away “inefficient” punishments through corruptive arrangements. Under these assumptions, monitoring is impossible unless rewards or punishments are unbounded. When material incentives are bounded and local corruption is feasible, the answer to the initial question is “no one.”

Data mining of coronavirus: SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV

Objective In this study we compare the amino acid and codon sequence of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV using different statistics programs to understand their characteristics. Specifically, we are interested in how differences in the amino acid and codon sequence can lead to different incubation periods and outbreak periods. Our initial question was to compare SARS-CoV-2 to different viruses in the coronavirus family using BLAST program of NCBI and machine learning algorithms. Results The result of experiments using BLAST, Apriori and Decision Tree has shown that SARS-CoV-2 had high similarity with SARS-CoV while having comparably low similarity with MERS-CoV. We decided to compare the codons of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV to see the difference. Though the viruses are very alike according to BLAST and Apriori experiments, SVM proved that they can be effectively classified using non-linear kernels. Decision Tree experiment proved several remarkable properties of SARS-CoV-2 amino acid sequence that cannot be found in MERS-CoV amino acid sequence. The consequential purpose of this paper is to minimize the damage on humanity from SARS-CoV-2. Hence, further studies can be focused on the comparison of SARS-CoV-2 virus with other viruses that also can be transmitted during latent periods.

Data Mining of Coronavirus: SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV

Objectives: All three SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV belong to the Coronaviridae family. In this study we compare amino acid and codon sequence of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV using different statistics programs to understand their characteristics. Specifically, we are interested in how differences in the amino acid and codon sequence lead to different incubation periods and outbreak periods.Results: The initial question we had was to compare SARS-CoV-2 to different viruses in the coronavirus family to understand its characteristics. The result of experiments using BLAST, Apriori and Decision Tree has shown that SARS-CoV-2 had high similarity with SARS-CoV while having comparably low similarity with MERS-CoV. We decided to compare the codons of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV to see the difference. Though the viruses are very alike according to BLAST and Apriori experiments, SVM proved that they can be effectively classified using non-linear kernels. Decision Tree experiment has proved several remarkable properties of SARS-CoV-2 amino acid sequence that cannot be found in MERS-CoV amino acid sequence.The consequential purpose of this paper is to minimize the damage on humanity from SARS-CoV-2. Hence, further studies can focus on the comparison of SARS-CoV-2 virus with other viruses that also can be transmitted during latent periods.

Maintaining the Quality Management Program

AbstractsEstablishing and maintaining a quality management program (QMP) is easy in theory but difficult in practice. It requires considerable time, energy, and the full commitment of everyone involved, starting with the program management. The time involved in establishing a QMP varies in terms of time, depending on the scope of your system and the starting point. The initial question you need to ask is, “What standards, knowledge, do we already have?” In almost every case, the answer is “a considerable amount!” These days many hospitals already have accreditations or certifications like Joint Commission International (JCI), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), standards issued by the government and institutions and professional organizations. The most important pool of knowledge, however, is the education and experience of staff. All standards are initially created by colleagues in the field and, at least for FACT-JACIE, also further developed in a 3-year review cycle.

Metaphysical settings of architecture according to the theо-anthropocentric paradigm of Justin Popovic

The basic truths of architecture have been forgotten. This paper searches for the solution in the knowledge of metaphysical settings of architecture. More precisely, the metaphysical aspects of ontology, gnoseology, axiology and methodology; which together represent the basic criteria of a scientific paradigm. The initial question must be gnoseological, i.e. - what is the raison d??tre of architecture? The analysis leads to an assumption that without knowing the metaphysics of man there can be no knowledge of the metaphysics of architecture; that is, a conclusion can be drawn that the problem of metaphysic of man in architecture has not been posed. Therefore, man must be the main issue of architecture, as well as of this paper. Given that the problem of knowledge in general sense, and therefore of man, is also of theological and philosophical nature, in this paper, the problem of man is understood as a gnoseological choice; namely: the choice between man as man-god (man is the source of knowledge) and man as god-man (God is the source of knowledge). Respectively, there is a choice between historical antipodes, the paradigm of anthropo-theocentrism and the paradigm of theo-anthropocentrism. In this paper, I argue that the issue of god-man and the paradigm of Orthodox theoanthropocentrism, as interpreted by Justin Popovic, is potentially the most comprehensive solution to the problem of raison d??tre of man, and architecture that he creates. Discussion and analysis have established that, in this pattern, man is seen as a holistic, spiritual and physical entity, whose primary need to be met and his raison d??tre - is deification. Thereby, architecture of orthodox theo-anthropocentrism acquires not only a physical, but also a spiritual, and thus, a holistic dimension. It may represent a symbolic means (through sensory and primarily visual representation) of man?s ascension to God. Theo-anthropocentric paradigm solves the metaphysical foundations and potentially forms more holistically organized architecture that meets the equally holistic, spiritual and physical, needs of man. Its material manifestation is determined by only one criterion - deification.