General Tendency Research Articles

Fractographic justification of fracture resistance loss in steel elements of overloaded machinery metal constructions

The problem related to the loss of resistance to brittle fracture in steel elements of the metal structure of loading equipment has been investigated. A fracto- graphic analysis was conducted at macro and micro levels on samples taken from two sections of the crane that underwent testing to determine their impact toughness. The selected samples covered the least and most loaded areas of the crane's metal structure to reflect the minimum and maximum levels of operational steel degradation. The assessment of metal degradation was carried out based on its resistance to brittle fracture. A correlation was established between the nature of the fracture, energy absorption, and indicators of resistance to brittle fracture. Special attention was given to the location of delamination along the direction of rolling during macro and microfracto- graphic studies. Macrofractographic analysis confirmed the general tendency of the metal to delaminate, especially along the fibers of the texture. This tendency varied for different sections of the crane's metal structure and depended on the level of operational stresses in the structural elements. It was found that longitudinal samples exhibited fractographic signs of delamination in the form of secondary cracks perpendicular to the fracture plane. The macrofracture of a sample from a loaded area revealed a significant amount of delamination, indicating their role in the propagation of fractures during impact tests. These results allow establishing a connection between the material's structure, its mechanical properties, and operational degra-dation, which is crucial for improving the reliability and safety of crane metal structures

CLINICAL FEATURES OF OROANTRAL COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT USING BUCCAL FAT PAD BY TUNNEL METHOD

Background: Today, there is a wide variety of techniques for eliminating oroantral communication. One of them is the tunnel technique using a flap of the buccal fat pad. The introduction of this technique into clinical practice and the determination of the characteristics of the clinical course of the postoperative period in patients with the elimination of the oroantral communication using the tunnel method with the buccal fat pad determined the purpose of this work. Objectives: To determine the features of the clinical course of the postoperative period in patients with elimination of the oroantral communication using the tunnel method with the buccal fat pad. Materials and methods: In 30 patients aged from 35 to 72 years at the Department of Surgical Dentistry of ROSUNIMED was carried out the management of oroantral communication arising during the extraction of maxillary molars using the buccal fat pad by tunnel method. Results: In all cases of elimination of the oroantral communication after maxillary molars removal, the tunnel technique was used without completely covering the flap of the buccal fat pad with a vestibular flap. There was a general tendency for the severity of pain and swelling to increase on the 3rd day after treatment and decrease by the 7th day. During control examinations, no cases of recurrence of oroantral communication were detected. Complete epithelization of the postoperative area was observed in 29 patients (96.7%) on day 30. Conclusions: The emerging specific features of the postoperative period allow us to recommend the tunnel method of the oroantral communication management using the buccal fat pad.

Individual Differences in Substance Use Motives, Trauma, and Stress Among College-Based Polysubstance Users

Background : Co-use of alcohol and other drugs within a certain time frame (i.e., polysubstance use) has become increasingly prevalent, particularly among college-aged individuals, but understanding motives for co-use remains limited. Polysubstance use has been associated with a higher likelihood of negative health consequences as compared to single substance use. Objectives : The current study examined associations between motivations for using alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis among college students who use multiple substances versus students using only one substance or no substances. Additionally, we examined the effect of trauma and daily stress on polysubstance use in self-report data from individuals (N=134) participating in the MAPme Study. Results : First, the observed prevalence of polysubstance use was greater than expected by chance, with most individuals co-using alcohol and cannabis. “Alcohol and Other Drug Users” were more frequently motivated to drink for social (β=0.27, CI=[0.07, 0.44]), enhancement (β=0.26, CI=[0.01, 0.42]) and coping (β=0.21, CI=[0.06, 0.47]) reasons compared to individuals who consumed alcohol alone. Conclusions : Individual differences in motivations for use were partly explained by frequency of alcohol use and alcohol problem severity, but not by history of trauma or stress. Finally, while patterns of correlations among motivations for use across substances suggested a general tendency to be motivated to use substances for similar reasons, this was not supported by confirmatory factor models. Overall, shared motives may inform potential behavioral patterns for co-use of substances during college and might advise future treatment efforts.

THE TERM "ARCHAEOLOGICAL CULTURE" AND ITS DISCOURSE IN ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDIES OF EARLY IRON AGE POPULATIONS ON THE UPPER OB

The paper analyzes the use of the term “Bolsherechenskaya archaeological culture” in domestic anthropological publications of the second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Using historiographical and conceptual analysis, the author of the paper presents the main options and contradictions in using the term “Bolsherechenskaya” archaeological culture within the framework of anthropological publications. The analysis of available materials helps to emphasize the discussion points regarding the contradictory and inconsistent use of this term in a specific regional context. Such features fully correspond to the general tendencies of crisis phenomena in using the term “archaeological culture” in modern settings.

Crystallographic and Topographic Analysis of Ultra-Translucent Zirconia After Various Surface Treatments

The aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of 4 different surface treatments, on the crystallographic characteristics of Ultra-Translucent Zirconia. Fully sintered zirconia specimens of highly translucent yttria partially stabilized zirconia (Y-PSZ) (KATANA UTML) were divided into four experimental groups and a control group (n=10). Each group received one of the following surface treatments: sandblasting with 50µm alumina particles (Al₂O₃), sandblasting with 110µm alumina particles, and grinding with a rotary high-speed turbine with and without water irrigation. For each sample, x-ray diffraction was carried out to analyze peak intensity, calculate the crystallite size, and detect the presence of compressive and tensile stress. Surface roughness was measured on all specimens using a standard scanning profilometer. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed to qualitatively analyze the surfaces of the specimens. Statistical analysis included repeated measures analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey test (p≤0.05). The control group exhibited the highest crystallite size (323nm). All surface treatments led to a reduction in the crystallite size, with the most significant reduction observed in the groups subjected to sandblasting with 110µm alumina particles and high-speed grinding with irrigation. Sandblasting with 50µm alumina particles resulted in less transformation of the crystallite size. A general tendency of the diffraction peaks to shift to a lower angle can be observed in the experimental groups, indicating the presence of compressive stress on the samples. Profilometry revealed higher roughness in the ground samples (6,14µm and 6,57µm) compared to the sandblasted groups (2,93µm and 2,02µm). The crystal domain size showed a tendency to decrease after the surface treatments. Sandblasted samples, as well as ground samples without irrigation, exhibited compressive stress. Sandblasted samples had lower surface roughness compared to the ground samples. Sandblasting with 50µm alumina particles caused the least decrease in crystallite size.

Uncertainty cues amplify late positive potential responses to aversive emotional stimuli

ABSTRACT Uncertainty is unavoidable, and maladaptive responses to uncertainty may underlie the etiology and maintenance of psychopathology. A general tendency to associate uncertainty with aversive consequences, a type of covariation bias, can amplify aversive emotional experiences. To address questions about uncertainty during emotion regulation, we examined the Late Positive Potential (LPP) – an electrocortical marker of attention to and appraisal of motivationally relevant emotional stimuli – during a task designed to measure the effect of covariation bias and its emotional response consequences. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while participants (N = 52) were presented with a pre-stimulus cue that either conveyed information about the valence of an upcoming emotional image, or left them in ambiguity. We replicated findings that demonstrate expectancy biases in a priori and online expectancies of emotion-eliciting images, as well as in a posteriori estimates for concurrence of uncertainty cues and aversive images. Moreover, we demonstrate a novel finding that uncertainty cues amplify the LPP in response to subsequent aversive emotional stimuli. These findings advance research by conjoining existing emotion regulation research on the LPP with study of the effects of uncertainty on emotional appraisal and highlight the importance of accounting for stimulus uncertainty in emotion regulation research.

Dual envy influences online shoppers' intention to purchase luxury counterfeits

AbstractEnvy fuels luxury consumption—both real and fake. Through three studies, we show that benign envy motivates online shoppers to purchase authentic luxury products, whereas malicious envy encourages counterfeiting. By triggering envy through its antecedents of deservingness and pride, we show that benign (malicious) envy motivates a general tendency towards moral (immoral) behavior, which has distinct downstream effects on consumer attitude towards luxury. Benign envy increases belief in the moral virtue of hard work, thereby inspiring consumers to aspire and strive for original luxury products. Whereas malicious envy triggers moral disengagement—dissolving the moral dilemma associated with counterfeiting. Malicious envy also makes consumers appraise luxury corporations as immoral—fueling the desire to punish the brand through counterfeiting. The effects hold for both brand‐generated envy and incidental envy. The findings have important implications for luxury branding to help control consumer demand for counterfeits.

Self-Medication Knowledge, Attitude and Practice among the Population of Jamshoro City: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Self-medication is a globally prevalent practice, with varying degrees of awareness and regulation across different regions. In developing countries like Pakistan, the practice poses significant public health challenges, including the risk of medication misuse and antibiotic resistance. Jamshoro, a city with a diverse demographic and educational landscape, provides a unique setting to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of self-medication among its residents. Objective: This study aimed to assess the extent of self-medication practices among the adult population in Jamshoro, focusing on their knowledge, attitudes, and the types of medications commonly used. It sought to identify potential risks associated with self-medication and propose recommendations for safer practices. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to April 2023, involving 400 participants selected through non-probability convenience sampling. The survey encompassed questions related to demographic information, knowledge about self-medication, attitudes towards its practice, and the frequency and types of medications used. Data were collected using both online questionnaires distributed via Google Forms and face-to-face interviews, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of self-medication behaviors. Ethical approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), with the study adhering to the Helsinki Declaration's ethical standards. Data analysis was performed using SPSS Version 25, utilizing descriptive statistics to summarize findings. Results: The majority of respondents were male (55.5%) and undergraduates (64.5%), with students representing 66% of the sample. A significant portion (87.3%) reported a lack of knowledge regarding self-medication, and 90.3% had never taken medication without a physician’s prescription. About 64% were aware of the difference between over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs, and 82.5% recognized the risk of antibiotic resistance. Self-medication practices were infrequent among participants, with 32.5% engaging in it only occasionally. The study also found a predominant preference for private healthcare facilities (68.5%) over public ones. Conclusion: The findings indicate a substantial knowledge gap regarding self-medication among the population of Jamshoro, despite a general tendency to consult healthcare professionals for medical issues. There is a critical need for public health initiatives to educate the community on safe medication practices, the risks of antibiotic resistance, and the importance of adhering to prescribed treatments.

Recovery from anhydrobiosis in the tardigrade Paramacrobiotus experimentalis: Better to be young than old and in a group than alone

Desiccation-tolerant organisms can survive dehydration in a state of anhydrobiosis. Tardigrades can recover from anhydrobiosis at any life stage and are considered among the toughest animals on Earth. However, the factors that influence recovery from anhydrobiosis are not well understood. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of sex, age, the presence of other individuals and the combination of the number and duration of anhydrobiosis episodes on the recovery of Paramacrobiotus experimentalis. The activity of 1200 individuals for up to 48 h after rehydration was evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Age was the main factor influencing return to activity, followed by the combination of number and duration of anhydrobiosis episodes, influence of the presence of other individuals, and sex. More individuals returned to activity after repeated short than repeated long anhydrobiosis episodes and older individuals were less likely to recover than younger individuals. In addition, when compared to single animals, the presence of other individuals resulted in higher number of active animals after dehydration and rehydration. The effect of sex was significant, but there was no general tendency for one sex to recover from anhydrobiosis better than the other one. The results contribute to a better understanding of the anhydrobiosis ability of Paramacrobiotus experimentalis and provide background for full explanation of molecular, cellular and environmental mechanisms of anhydrobiosis.

Failed distractional bone regeneration as a complication of distraction osteosynthesis: risk factors, preventive diagnosis, treatment

Introduction Despite the large number of articles on complications associated with surgical lengthening, information about such a complication of transosseous distraction osteosynthesis as failed bone regenerate (called hypoplastic in foreign literature) is extremely rare. There are no methods for predicting the restructuring of the regenerate and clinical recommendations for the management of patients at various stages of reconstruction of the distraction regenerate. This entails a long period of immobilization and severe complications.The objective of the work was to define the notion of inadequate (“ischemic”/hypoplastic) bone regeneration and the problem of its formation as a complication during surgical limb lengtheningMaterial and methods The PubMed database and the eLIBRARY scientific electronic library were used to select sources for a systematic literature review. The sources published between 1997 and 2020 were selectedResults and discussion Ineffective distraction bone regenerate is a complication of surgical segment lengthening with the shape and/or structure of the newly formed bone preventing functional load on the segment. There is a general tendency with bone elongations being greater than 15-20 % to significantly reduce biomechanical properties of the distractional regenerate bone. Patients' age at surgical lengthening is not reported as a risk factor for distraction regenerate fractures and a history of adverse events and complications is regarded as an additional risk factor. Inadequate (unstable) distraction regenerate bone includes morphotypes III-V and structural types 1, 5, 7 as classified by Ru Li. There are no clinical guidelines for operational strategy. Failed distraction bone regeneration as a complication of distraction osteosynthesis was reported by different authors between 1997 and 2020. There are conflicting statistically unreliable data regarding a risk for regenerate bone to develop into a less stable type. The surgical options presented have no statistical significance (occasional case reports) and do not describe all possible clinical scenarios.Conclusion The problem of failed distraction regeneration and impaired organotypic restructuring remains one of the most important problems in limb lengthening. Inadequate formation and restructuring of newly formed bone can be caused by many factors including anatomical, physiological and technological aspects that would require further comprehensive study.

Grammatical Cohesion in English and Arabic Business Texts: A Contrastive Discoursal Analysis

The current study centres around uncovering the functions and types of grammatical cohesion in structuring business texts in English and Arabic newspapers. Unequivocally, it aims to unravel the possible similarities and differences in the English and Arab journalistic registers in terms of grammatical cohesion. Moreover, the study is built on two hypotheses. First, there are differences in the frequencies of grammatical cohesive tools manipulated by English and Arabic writers. Unlike their Arabic counterparts, the English articles tend to involve more realizations of grammatical cohesive patterns. Second, both English and Arabic journalists exhibit a general tendency to take advantage of the same types of grammatical cohesion in their business articles. Ten articles have been selected from The Guardian and Ashareq Al-Awsat newspaper websites as data for analysis. Five articles have been picked from each newspaper. Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) model of grammatical cohesion has been applied to the selected articles in both languages. The results show that reference and conjunction exist profoundly in the two newspapers. On the contrary, substitution and ellipsis have almost disappeared in both corpora.

Penerapan Metode ADL Pengaruh Harga BBM dan Jumlah Uang Beredar terhadap Inflasi di Kota Medan

Inflation is a general and continuous tendency to increase the price of goods. Factors causing inflation include increases in fuel prices and money supply. The general impact of inflation is a decrease in domestic investment, an increase in interest rates, encouraging investment through speculation, failure to develop, economic instability, a balance of payments deficit, and lowering the standard of living and welfare of the community.The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of fuel prices and the amount of money in circulation on inflation in the city of Medan. The model used is the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ADL) Model. If the variables in the ADL model, both the dependent variable and the independent variable have a unit root, usually performed stasionary test. The ADL model as-sumes stationary data even if the dependent and independent variables are nei-ther stationary or cointegrated. The test results indicate that there is no cointe-gration between the variables, and the model produced indicates that the varia-bles affecting the price of fuel and the availability of money have a considerable impact on inflation, with a coefficient of determination of 71,4% and a MAPE value of 15,64%, making it suitable for making predictions.

How Design Thinking Could Benefit Future Educational Environments in a Post-Pandemic Era?

This research paper gives an overview of students’ experience in a virtual learning context during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. By categorising students’ perceptions based on a geographic-based social context, the research analyses a general tendency of their learning experience at three different levels — family and community-based level (small-sized), region-based level (medium-sized), and international level (grand-sized). The investigation uses a hybrid research method including direct observation, interviews, and design thinking strategies — including empathising, redefining and prototyping. The author has also been referring to two directions that may enhance the future learning environment design for students’ better experience. 1. To leverage the power of existing memory. 2. To research people’s micro habits and the hidden psychological factor behind them.

Нигилистическое опустошение современного человека

The article is devoted to the problem of the growth of nihilistic tendencies in culture. It is proven that modern transformations of the structure of social relations qualitatively change the concept of nihilism as a way of representing culture. This article proceeds from the assumption that the general crisis in the sphere of axiology allows us to state the origins of modern nihilism in the active process of man's reasoning. Hence, general pessimistic tendencies determine a kind of semantic shift when destruction becomes a simulacrum of creativity. At the same time, it is determined that nihilism is revived in the process of replacing value with evaluation. In a comparative analysis of the achievements of modern philosophical thought, the main facets of the modern nihilistic attitude of man toward the world are revealed. In particular, it is indicated that the emergence of the philosophy of devastation can form the recognition of destruction as a social norm. An attempt is made to trace the concepts of epistemic nihilism. The semantic complexity of modern nihilism for its bearers is revealed. Special attention is paid to such a phenomenon as intellectual humility. New forms of alienation of modern man from himself through the rejection of his own beliefs in the face of some opposing statements are traced. It is shown that the revival of nihilistic tendencies in culture contributes to the expansion of the field of manipulative practices in social life. The risks of illusions of explanatory depth due to the formation of a behavioral strategy of intellectual humility are evidently determined. Aspects of the evolution of nihilism are touched upon. The connection between nihilism and the thesis about the state of total war in the 20th century is traced in the trends of the development of modern philosophical thought. It is determined that the devaluation of life provokes the formation of the illusion of the absolute value of material progress and negatively affects the processes of self-consciousness. The role of microaggressions by marginals in the formation of modern nihilism is revealed.

O2 supplementation disambiguation in clinical narratives to support retrospective COVID-19 studies

BackgroundOxygen saturation, a key indicator of COVID-19 severity, poses challenges, especially in cases of silent hypoxemia. Electronic health records (EHRs) often contain supplemental oxygen information within clinical narratives. Streamlining patient identification based on oxygen levels is crucial for COVID-19 research, underscoring the need for automated classifiers in discharge summaries to ease the manual review burden on physicians.MethodWe analysed text lines extracted from anonymised COVID-19 patient discharge summaries in German to perform a binary classification task, differentiating patients who received oxygen supplementation and those who did not. Various machine learning (ML) algorithms, including classical ML to deep learning (DL) models, were compared. Classifier decisions were explained using Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME), which visualize the model decisions.ResultClassical ML to DL models achieved comparable performance in classification, with an F-measure varying between 0.942 and 0.955, whereas the classical ML approaches were faster. Visualisation of embedding representation of input data reveals notable variations in the encoding patterns between classic and DL encoders. Furthermore, LIME explanations provide insights into the most relevant features at token level that contribute to these observed differences.ConclusionDespite a general tendency towards deep learning, these use cases show that classical approaches yield comparable results at lower computational cost. Model prediction explanations using LIME in textual and visual layouts provided a qualitative explanation for the model performance.

Birds that breed exclusively on islands have smaller clutches

Abstract The “island syndrome” refers to similarity in the biology of island organisms, but its generality is questionable, as the scope of species and traits examined are often limited. Here, I show that birds breeding exclusively on islands (breeding island endemics) evolved smaller clutches, using a dataset of 4,530 bird species. Using an inclusive definition of a breeding island endemic, which also encompasses migratory species and seabirds, I examine the evolution of clutch sizes in island breeding species using phylogenetic generalized linear models. Across disparate phylogenetic hypotheses, and after accounting for biological and geographical co-variables, I show that breeding island endemic landbirds (470 species) evolved smaller clutch sizes than continental breeding species (3,818 species). I show that the evolution of clutch size follows the expectations of the island syndrome, as among breeding island endemic landbirds there is a positive relationship between clutch size and breeding range area. Finally, I reinforce the view that the island syndrome is a general pattern in birds, spanning diverse phylogenetic and ecological groups, by showing that in a seabird-only dataset (242 species), breeding island endemic seabirds show evolution of smaller clutch sizes. In a model of the full dataset of both landbirds and seabirds (4,530 species) there was no evidence of an interaction of being a seabird with breeding island endemicity, showing that seabirds and landbirds respond in the same way. This study, using more than 40% of all bird species, provides the first evidence of a general evolutionary response in a life history trait, clearly showing the island syndrome as a general evolutionary tendency associated with island environments.

P105 Mendelian Randomization screening for JAK inhibitor related potential serious adverse events

Abstract Background JAK inhibitors (JAKi) suppress the JAK/STAT signalling pathway through inhibition of the four Janus kinase proteins JAK1, JAK2, JAK3 and TYK2. JAKi are licensed for the treatment of a wide range of immune mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) including inflammatory bowel disease. Concerns have been raised for the potential of this class of medication to associate with serious adverse events, particularly in those older than 65 years of age or with previous cardiovascular comorbidities. Mendelian randomization (MR) uses genetic variants as instrumental variables (IVs) to examine the causal effects of an exposure (e.g. inhibition of a drug target) on an outcome (e.g. the risk of developing a disease and/or potential adverse effects due to alteration of gene activity). We carried out a comprehensive MR evaluation to explore the therapeutic potential of JAKi for a range of IMIDs, and to study the unintended drug effects that might be caused by this therapeutic strategy. Methods The basis of MR relies on the use of genetic variants as IVs that are reliably related to the risk factor and that are not susceptible of reverse causation and confounding. We used genetic variants (SNPs) associated with protein levels and gene expression (pQTLs and eQTLs, respectively) as IVs to study the effects of inhibiting the genes in the JAK/STAT signalling pathway. The underlying assumption is that these IVs serve as proxies of the effects of JAKi. As a source of the effect estimates on the selected outcomes, we used summary statistics from a compiled list of genome-wide association studies. Results We used the MR approach to chart the range of possible outcomes associated with JAKi treatment. First, we explored the therapeutic potential of JAKi for IMIDs. Second, we evaluated a range of potential adverse events associated with JAKi, focusing particularly on cardiovascular, infectious and cancer-related malignancies. Our MR results confirm a general tendency towards JAK/STAT signalling pathway involvement in IMIDs risk, implying the suitability of JAKi for IMIDs. Regarding potential adverse outcomes, we carried out stratification-based analyses to evaluate whether potential adverse events are enhanced in individuals at particular high risk. The MR analyses highlighted potential risk of JAKi for non-IMIDs traits, particularly when targeting JAK2. This includes already known associations with cardiovascular disease and specific cancer types. Conclusion We performed an outcome-wide exploration based on MR to characterize the therapeutic potential and range of adverse effects expected for JAKi. We recapitulate the known potential of these drugs to treat IMIDs, while uncovering specific severe adverse effects associated with this therapeutic target.

Dinucleotide biases in the genomes of prokaryotic and eukaryotic dsDNA viruses and their hosts.

The genomes of cellular organisms display CpG and TpA dinucleotide composition biases. Such biases have been poorly investigated in dsDNA viruses. Here, we show that in dsDNA virus, bacterial, and eukaryotic genomes, the representation of TpA and CpG dinucleotides is strongly dependent on genomic G + C content. Thus, the classical observed/expected ratios do not fully capture dinucleotide biases across genomes. Because a larger portion of the variance in TpA frequency was explained by G + C content, we explored which additional factors drive the distribution of CpG dinucleotides. Using the residuals of the linear regressions as a measure of dinucleotide abundance and ancestral state reconstruction across eukaryotic and prokaryotic virus trees, we identified an important role for phylogeny in driving CpG representation. Nonetheless, phylogenetic ANOVA analyses showed that few host associations also account for significant variations. Among eukaryotic viruses, most significant differences were observed between arthropod-infecting viruses and viruses that infect vertebrates or unicellular organisms. However, an effect of viral DNA methylation status (either driven by the host or by viral-encoded methyltransferases) is also likely. Among prokaryotic viruses, cyanobacteria-infecting phages resulted to be significantly CpG-depleted, whereas phages that infect bacteria in the genera Burkolderia and Staphylococcus were CpG-rich. Comparison with bacterial genomes indicated that this effect is largely driven by the general tendency for phages to resemble the host's genomic CpG content. Notably, such tendency is stronger for temperate than for lytic phages. Our data shed light into the processes that shape virus genome composition and inform manipulation strategies for biotechnological applications.

The Problem with Preparing to Kill in Self‐Defense

ABSTRACTIn a society marked by liberal gun ownership laws, and an increasingly militarized police force, how should we think about cases where a homeowner shoots a person who has mistakenly knocked on the wrong door, or where a police officer shoots someone who is unarmed? The general tendency – by shooters, courts, and many observers – is to use the framework of self‐defense. However, as I will argue, relying on the framework of self‐defense is inappropriate in these cases, because theories of self‐defensive killing are built up around a very specific type of case, namely, a random, sudden, one‐off encounter between roughly equally matched strangers. When a person who acts in self‐defense has undertaken certain preparations to kill in self‐defense – such as buying a gun, or undergoing certain kinds of training – they transform what would have been defensive violence into offensive violence. But because the self‐defense framework distinguishes only between defensive and aggressive violence, it cannot easily register the unique moral features of offensive violence. Relying on the self‐defense framework, then, produces judgments that are overly permissive of killings by gun owners and police, masking them as self‐defensive when in fact they are much more morally fraught.

“That was a long time ago”

Abstract The paper contributes to ongoing research on memory work with a focus on “memory work markers” (mwm), affirmative and negative constructions with first person singular verbs such as ‘I remember’ and ‘I know’. We observe them in a longitudinal approach, based on a hexagonal French corpus of biographical interviews, and compare speakers with Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) and cognitive impairment (CI) with matched speakers in normal aging. We observe a general tendency to use negative mwm more frequently in normal aging, while the speaker with AD uses positive as well as negative mwm for memory work performance, and the speaker with CI as tools for topic self-selection. We conclude that framing the process of remembering with mwm can preserve speakers’ autonomy and that an inclusive conversation style could be enhanced by the nuanced awareness of mwm and their relevance in interaction.