Adequate Theory Research Articles

Adequate Theory of Oscillator: A Prelude to Verification of Classical Mechanics, Part 4

In the paper, the adequate theory of oscillator is presented, being a sort of prelude to verification of the classical theory of mechanics. The developed theory is based on a properly understood notion of energy, quantum value changes of its determined measures (potentials), as well as of such changes types of sites of full energetic states which presents the essence of the true principle of the energy conservation. In the first part of the paper the principle of energy conservation was considered. Then the energetic aspects of the oscillator motion, with an exemplary real system motion was presented. The third part was a development of kinetics of a body in the harmonic motion and verification of the adequate theory of the oscillator. At the end, this Part 4 is devoted to the determination of the gravity acceleration by means of the mathematical pendulum to confirm the previously presented findings.

Parts, classes and Parts of Classes: an anti-realist reading of Lewisian mereology

This study is in two parts. In the first part, various important principles of classical extensional mereology are derived on the basis of a nice axiomatization involving ‘part of’ and fusion. All results are proved here with full Fregean (and Gentzenian) rigor. They are chosen because they are needed for the second part. In the second part, this natural-deduction framework is used in order to regiment David Lewis’s justification of his Division Thesis, which features prominently in his combination of mereology with class theory. The Division Thesis plays a crucial role in Lewis’s informal argument for his Second Thesis in his book Parts of Classes. In order to present Lewis’s argument in rigorous detail, an elegant new principle is offered for the theory that combines class theory and mereology. The new principle is called the Canonical Decomposition Thesis. It secures Lewis’s Division Thesis on the strong construal required in order for his argument to go through. The exercise illustrates how careful one has to be when setting up the details of an adequate foundational theory of parts and classes. The main aim behind this investigation is to determine whether an anti-realist, inferentialist theorist of meaning has the resources to exhibit Lewis’s argument for his Second Thesis—which is central to his marriage of class theory with mereology—as a purely conceptual one. The formal analysis shows that Lewis’s argument, despite its striking appearance to the contrary, can be given in the constructive, relevant logic IR. This is the logic that the author has argued, elsewhere, to be the correct logic from an anti-realist point of view. The anti-realist is therefore in a position to regard Lewis’s argument as purely conceptual.

Adequate Theory of Oscillator: A Prelude to Verification of Classical Mechanics Part 3

In the paper, the adequate theory of oscillator is presented, being a sort of prelude to verification of the classical theory of mechanics. The developed theory is based on a properly understood notion of energy, quantum value changes of its determined measures (potentials), as well as of such changes types of sites of full energetic states which presents the essence of the true principle of the energy conservation. In the first part of the paper the principle of energy conservation was considered. Then the energetic aspects of the oscillator motion, with an exemplary real system motion, were presented in the second Part. This part of the paper is devoted to the kinetics of a body in harmonic motion and verification of the adequate theory of oscillator. At the end, the determination of the gravity acceleration by means of mathematical pendulum is performed to confirm the presented findings.

Adequate Theory of Oscillator: A Prelude to Verification of Classical Mechanics Part 2

In the paper, the adequate theory of oscillator is presented, being a sort of prelude to verification of the classical theory of mechanics. In the first part of the paper the principle of energy conservation was considered. This second part of the paper is to present the energetic aspects of oscillator motion. Here also an exemplary real system corresponding with the existent differential equation of oscillator is given. They are to develop the kinetics of a body in the harmonic motion, to be presented in the next Part of the work.

What are groups?

In this paper I argue for a view of groups, things like teams, committees, clubs and courts. I begin by examining features all groups seem to share. I formulate a list of six features of groups that serve as criteria any adequate theory of groups must capture. Next, I examine four of the most prominent views of groups currently on offer—that groups are non-singular pluralities, fusions, aggregates and sets. I argue that each fails to capture one or more of the criteria. Last, I develop a view of groups as realizations of structures. The view has two components. First, groups are entities with structure. Second, since groups are concreta, they exist only when a group structure is realized. A structure is realized when each of its functionally defined nodes or places are occupied. I show how such a view captures the six criteria for groups, which no other view of groups adequately does, while offering a substantive answer to the question, “What are groups?”

How Can 'Positivism' Account for Legal Adjudicative Duty?

One aspiration of an analytic jurisprudential theory is to provide an account of how legal obligations arise, including the legal obligation of judges to apply only legally valid norms when adjudicating cases. Also, any fully adequate theory should enable a solution to a ‘chicken-egg’ puzzle regarding legal authority: legal authority can exist only in virtue of rules that authorize it, but such rules require a legal authority as their source. Which came first? This article argues that it is difficult to see how a particular type of positivist theory (featuring a fundamental norm that plays certain roles) can solve the puzzle and also account for the aforementioned adjudicative duty. The challenge can be framed in terms of the need to be able to derive a legal ‘ought’ (applying to courts) from only ‘is’-statements expressing social facts, where the requisite derivation cannot rely on what John Searle has called ‘institutional facts’.

Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility in Controversial Industry Sectors: The Social Value of Harm Minimisation

This paper examines how it is possible for firms in controversial sectors, which are often marked by social taboos and moral debates, to act in socially responsible ways, and whether a firm can be socially responsible if it produces products harmful to society or individuals. It contends that a utilitarian justification can be used to support the legal and regulated provision of goods and services in these areas, and the regulated and legal provision of these areas produces less harm than the real alternative—illegal and unregulated supply. Utilitarianism is concerned as much with harm minimisation as good maximisation, and both are equally important when it comes to maximising welfare (Bentham 1789, 1970; Mill [1863] 1964). Any adequate theory of CSR must, therefore, have the capacity to handle a business that minimises harm as well as those that more straightforwardly maximise good. In this paper we therefore attempt two tasks. First, we argue that the legal but regulated provision of products and services may be better from an overall utilitarian perspective than a situation in which these harmful or immoral goods and services are illegal but procurable via a black market. Porter and Kramer’s (2006) strategic CSR framework is then presented to describe how firms in these controversial sectors can act in socially responsible ways. This model highlights the importance of firm strategy in selecting areas of socially responsible behaviours that can be acted upon by firms in each industry.

Adequate Theory of Oscillator: A Prelude to Verification of Classical Mechanics, Part 1

In the paper, the adequate theory of oscillator is presented, being a sort of prelude to verification of the classical theory of mechanics. The developed theory is based on properly understood the notion of energy, on quantum value changes of its determined measures (potentials), as well as of such change stypes of sites of the total energetic states which present the essence of the true principle of energy conservation. General characteristics of classical mechanics is presented by exemplification of artifacts of classical theory of oscillator, energetic aspects of its motion, kinetics of the body in harmonic motion, and finely a new adequate theory of oscillator. This is the first part of the theory

Equilibrium at the edge and atomistic mechanisms of graphene growth

The morphology of graphene is crucial for its applications, yet an adequate theory of its growth is lacking: It is either simplified to a phenomenological-continuum level or is overly detailed in atomistic simulations, which are often intractable. Here we put forward a comprehensive picture dubbed nanoreactor, which draws from ideas of step-flow crystal growth augmented by detailed first-principles calculations. As the carbon atoms migrate from the feedstock to catalyst to final graphene lattice, they go through a sequence of states whose energy levels can be computed and arranged into a step-by-step map. Analysis begins with the structure and energies of arbitrary edges to yield equilibrium island shapes. Then, it elucidates how the atoms dock at the edges and how they avoid forming defects. The sequence of atomic row assembly determines the kinetic anisotropy of growth, and consequently, graphene island morphology, explaining a number of experimental facts and suggesting how the growth product can further be improved. Finally, this analysis adds a useful perspective on the synthesis of carbon nanotubes and its essential distinction from graphene.

The new Tweety puzzle: arguments against monistic Bayesian approaches in epistemology and cognitive science

In this paper we discuss the new Tweety puzzle. The original Tweety puzzle was addressed by approaches in non-monotonic logic, which aim to adequately represent the Tweety case, namely that Tweety is a penguin and, thus, an exceptional bird, which cannot fly, although in general birds can fly. The new Tweety puzzle is intended as a challenge for probabilistic theories of epistemic states. In the first part of the paper we argue against monistic Bayesians, who assume that epistemic states can at any given time be adequately described by a single subjective probability function. We show that monistic Bayesians cannot provide an adequate solution to the new Tweety puzzle, because this requires one to refer to a frequency-based probability function. We conclude that monistic Bayesianism cannot be a fully adequate theory of epistemic states. In the second part we describe an empirical study, which provides support for the thesis that monistic Bayesianism is also inadequate as a descriptive theory of cognitive states. In the final part of the paper we criticize Bayesian approaches in cognitive science, insofar as their monistic tendency cannot adequately address the new Tweety puzzle. We, further, argue against monistic Bayesianism in cognitive science by means of a case study. In this case study we show that Oaksford and Chater’s (2007, 2008) model of conditional inference—contrary to the authors’ theoretical position—has to refer also to a frequency-based probability function.

The hot house and the politics of production: Piecework Bargaining in retrospect

ABSTRACTBrown's studies of piecework bargaining are reviewed in light of later research and changing conditions. Some extensions are needed, for example, in relation to the definition of custom and practice. And some neglected themes, notably the role of gender in workplace bargaining, need attention. But the analytical framework is essentially robust. Its theoretical pay‐off is elaborated, and arguments that industrial relations lacks an adequate theory of pay are disputed. Its current relevance is illustrated in relation to the explosion of pay at the top of the earnings distribution.

Argument Tarskiego i teorie znaczenia Kazimierza Ajdukiewicza

In the years 1931-1934 Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz formulated two versions of the theory of meaning. Tarski showed that the second version of the theory allows for the existence of synonymous names with different denotations. Tarski and Ajdukiewicz believed that this feature disqualified the theory. In the article I briefly present the assumptions of the theory and make a detailed comparison of both versions of the theory, primarily because of the basic definition of the interchangeability of expressions. For this purpose I present a formalization of the basic definitions and show that Tarski's objection also applies to the first version of the theory. The strength of Tarski's argument is based on the assumption that no adequate theory of meaning can permit the existence of synonymous names with different denotations. I undertake a discussion with this standpoint.

The Nursing Student Self-Efficacy Scale

For nurse educators to optimize instruction that supports students' accurate estimates of their ability, a sound measure of nursing self-efficacy is needed. To provide evidence for an adequate item response theory model fit to scores measuring nursing students' self-efficacy to care for critically ill patients and to use the theory to provide evidence for reliable and valid interpretation of self-efficacy scores. The Nursing Student Self-Efficacy Scale was administered to 421 nursing students. Data regarding students' self-efficacy beliefs for psychomotor skill performance and communication skills were analyzed using the generalized partial credit item response theory model. All items showed acceptable model-data fit using the chi-square test with an alpha of .001. Review of item information functions showed that 40% of the items provided high information about self-efficacy and 20% provided moderately high information. Comparison of trait level distributions with reliability information given by the two subscales showed that the psychomotor subscale measured self-efficacy most accurately for second and third semester students and the communication subscale measured efficacy most accurately for first and second semester students. Significant mean differences in self-efficacy scores from both subscales were found between students in successive semesters of the program. Data analysis provided some evidence for reliable interpretation of scores indicating self-efficacy beliefs of nursing students. Comparison of scores from students in different semesters provided validity evidence; the instrument could be used to discriminate between beginning students and more advanced students possessing different levels of self-efficacy. When used for scale development, item response theory procedures can be more informative about item and test reliability than classical true score theory.

Fuzzy Uncertainty Representations of Coseismic Displacement Measurements Issued From SAR Imagery

An emerging way to reduce the geodetic parameter uncertainty is to combine the large numbers of data provided by satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. However, the measurements by radar imagery are subject to both random and systematic uncertainties. Thus, mathematical theories that are adequate for each type of uncertainty representation and handling have to be selected. Probability theory is known as the adequate theory for uncertainties corresponding to random variables, but questionable for systematic uncertainties, arising from information incompleteness. Fuzzy theory, being a generalization of interval mathematics, is more adapted to such uncertainty. Moreover, it provides a bridge with probability theory by its ability to represent a family of probability distributions. Therefore, we consider here the conventional probability and the fuzzy approaches for handling the random and systematic uncertainties of displacement measurements derived from differential SAR interferometry (D-InSAR) and SAR amplitude image correlation. The applications are performed on the measurement of the displacement field due to the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. The fuzzy approach, being free from distribution and independence hypotheses, gives the most pessimistic uncertainty assessment, while the conventional probability approach gives the most optimistic uncertainty assessment. As confirmed by the Monte Carlo simulation applied to an earth deformation model, the actual uncertainty should be situated between the fuzzy and conventional uncertainties.

The problem of the basing relation

In days past, epistemologists expended a good deal of effort trying to analyze the basing relation—the relation between a belief and its basis. No satisfying account was offered, and the project was largely abandoned. Younger epistemologists, however, have begun to yearn for an adequate theory of basing. I aim to deliver one. After establishing some data and arguing that traditional accounts of basing are unsatisfying, I introduce a novel theory of the basing relation: the dispositional theory. It begins with the pedestrian observation that beliefs stand or fall with their bases. The theory I offer is an elucidation and refinement of this thought.

Provision of Research Support Services to ODL Learners by Tutors: A Focus on the Zimbabwe Open University's Bachelor of Education (Educational Management) Research Students' Supervision Experiences

The study examined the ODL learners’ perceptions of the quality of provision of research support services to the ODL learners by tutors. It focused on the Zimbabwe Open University’s (ZOU) Bachelor of Education (Educational Management) research students’ experiences. It was a qualitative multiple case study of four of the 10 Regional Centres of the ZOU. It purposively sampled 40 out of 160 research participants because they possessed desirable research characteristics for this study. The study was deemed significant in influencing tutors and policy makers to consider their research students’ supervision experiences as a basis for improving the quality of services for future research supervision practices and research projects. The study was guided by a two fold theory namely, thee Facilitation Theory (Nyawaranda, 2005) and the Nurturing Theory (Anderson, Pay and Mac Laughlin, 2006). Both theories advocate for the need of the supervisors to give their students a big heart. In terms of research supervision services offered by tutors the study indicated the time students were offered to meet research supervisors, prompt returns of marked work, and tutor student motivation and counselling as key services. In connection with the joys about research supervision, the students highly regarded: the manner in which tutors motivated them, tutors guidance in choosing research topic, tutor mentorship during research supervision and provision of workshops to polish up their research skills. In line with the challenges to the provision of research support services, three categories of challenges emerged. First, student-related challenges included lack of time, lack of money, lack of library facilities, lack of motivation and commitment to do research, lack of adequate theory in the area being researched on and family problems. Second, supervisor-related challenges included: too little direction, too little practical help given, too few meeting with students, no interest in topics and with students, lack of research skills and experience. Third institution-related challenges included: lack of adequate statistics and research course sat undergraduate levels, lack of adequate courses in research methods and paradigms, exposure to research skills and experiences to name a few. In a bid to revamp the provision of research services, students suggested the need to improved library facilities, install computers in the library, hire internet services and photocopy relevant research material to name a few. The study concluded that tutors provided average research support services to ODL learners. Students tended to enjoy research supervision if they are exposed to academically nourishing experiences. Research support services were undermined by student related, supervisor related and institution related challenges. Students failed to visit their supervisors, libraries and purchase research materials due to lack of money. Students in rural areas do not have access to library facilities in their localities. The study recommended that tutors need to be trained, indicated and staff developed in the research support services area. ZOU needs to set up mobile libraries and internet facilities to service students in remote areas. ZOU needs to move its research support services a gear up by exposing students to time management skills.

Dynamics of nuclear polarization in InGaAs quantum dots in a transverse magnetic field

The time-resolved Hanle effect is examined for negatively charged InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots. Experimental data are analyzed by using an original approach to separate behavior of the longitudinal and transverse components of nuclear polarization. This made it possible to determine the rise and decay times of each component of nuclear polarization and their dependence on transverse magnetic field strength. The rise and decay times of the longitudinal component of nuclear polarization (parallel to the applied field) were found to be almost equal (approximately 5 ms). An analysis of the transverse component of nuclear polarization shows that the corresponding rise and decay times differ widely and strongly depend on magnetic field strength, increasing from a few to tens of milliseconds with an applied field between 20 and 100 mT. Current phenomenological models fail to explain the observed behavior of nuclear polarization. To find an explanation, an adequate theory of spin dynamics should be developed for the nuclear spin system of a quantum dot under conditions of strong quadrupole splitting.

A Philosophy of Cinematic Art--The Big Picture

A Philosophy of Cinematic Art is a systematic investigation of cinema as an art, examining cinematic expression, realism, authorship, interpretation, narration, emotional engagement and related topics. It argues that appeal to the medium plays an important role in any adequate theory of cinema as an art. Cinema is understood as the medium of the moving image. Like many other media (such as that of prints, which contains the media of etchings, engravings, woodcuts, etc.), the cinematic medium contains other media—not just photochemical (or ‘traditional’) film, which has been the almost exclusive focus of analytic philosophers, but also handmade cinema (such as that of Émile Reynaud in the 1890s) and digital cinema (discussion of which comprises a quarter of the book); and digital cinema in turn has both non-interactive and interactive forms, including videogames. Since the cinematic medium contains other media, which nest within it, explanations and evaluations of cinematic works sometimes appeal to features of the cinematic medium itself and sometimes to those of its nesting media; so the book investigates what makes cinema in general an art as distinct from, for instance, literature; what makes traditional cinema artistically distinct from digital cinema; and what makes cinema’s interactive forms artistically distinct from its non-interactive ones.

Theory of High Temperature Superconductivity in Cuprates and Other Doped Polar Insulators

In the last two decades, there have been tremendous attempts to build an adequate theory of high-temperature superconductivity. Most studies used some model Hamiltonians with input parameters not directly related to the material. The dielectric response function of electrons in strongly correlated high-temperature superconductors is a priori unknown. Hence, one has to start with the generic Hamiltonian including unscreened Coulomb and Frohlich electron–phonon interactions operating on the same scale since any ad-hoc assumption on their range and relative magnitude might fail. Using such a generic Hamiltonian, the analytical theory of high-temperature superconductivity in doped polar insulators predicting the critical temperature in excess of a hundred Kelvin without any adjustable parameters has been built. The many-particle electron system is described by an analytically solvable polaronic t–Jp Hamiltonian with reduced hopping integral, t, allowed double on-site occupancy, large phonon-induced antiferromagnetic exchange, Jp>t, and a high-temperature superconducting state of small superlight bipolarons protected from clustering. Here, major steps of the theory are outlined suggesting that the true origin of high-temperature superconductivity is found in a proper combination of strong electron–electron correlations with a significant finite-range (Frohlich) EPI, and that the theory is fully compatible with the key experiments.

Evidence and the Assessment of Causal Relations in the Health Sciences

This contribution claims that the two fundamental notions of causation at work in the health sciences are manipulative and mechanistic, and investigates what kinds of evidence matter for the assessment of causal relations. This article is a development of our 2007 article, ‘Plurality of Causality’, where we argue for a pluralistic account of causation with an eye to econometrics and a single medical example. The present contribution has a wider focus, and considers the notion of evidence within a whole range of disciplines belonging to the health sciences. Section 1 addresses the relations between kinds of evidence and causal accounts, and it is shown how different notions of causation can be employed in various medical cases. Section 2 calls attention to issues crucial for any adequate epistemological theory of causation, such as the distinctions between types and tokens, observational and experimental regimes, explanation and prediction. Lastly, the notion of context is articulated, highlighted in its role in the assessment of causal links. All these issues are tackled in the framework of what we label a ‘bottom–up’ epistemology.