Important Objective Research Articles

"I Know it's Good to Do it": A Qualitative Study Exploring the Perspective of Autistic Men on Social Motivation.

The social motivation hypothesis states that people with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) have a diminished social motivation, that is (1) less priority in attention for objects of social importance, (2) diminished social reward, and (3) less desire to maintain and strengthen relationships. Little is known about the perception of autistic people on their social motivation. This study used semi-structured interviews to explore how eleven autistic men perceived their social motivation, behaviour, and interactions. In the interpretative phenomenological analysis, five themes were identified: (1) social network, (2) importance of social contact, (3) challenges regarding social contact, (4) conditionality of social contact, and (5) the struggle between importance, challenges and conditionality of social contact. Social motivation appeared to be a dynamic concept that varied between individuals and contexts. Most participants struggled between valuing social contact as important and the challenges they faced on a social level over the different contexts in which they participated. Even though elements of the social motivation hypothesis were recognized, the main finding was that this struggle seemed to be the source of the diminished social motivation that was observed in some of these men. Although more research is needed, the findings of this study could imply that social motivation might not be as straightforward for autistic men as described in the social motivation hypothesis.

Motivational Internalism and Disinterestedness

Abstract According to the most important objection to the existence of moral beauty, true judgements of moral beauty are not possible as moral judgements require being motivated to act in line with the moral judgement made, and judgements of beauty require not being motivated to act in any way. Here, I clarify the argument underlying the objection and demonstrate that it does not show that moral beauty does not exist. I present two responses: namely, that the beauty of moral beauty does not lie in the moral goodness per se (the ‘adjacent properties’ response), and that only a dispositional motivation to act is required for the moral judgements that are typically made as part of judgements of moral beauty, whereas aesthetic judgements only rule out state motivations to act (the ‘equivocation of motivation required’ response). In addressing the objection, I show how moral beauty is consistent with disinterestedness, and so should be accepted more widely; also clarifying where the beauty in moral beauty resides, and how the moral–aesthetic distinction should be drawn.

Chess is Still a Game

Michael Hickson as argued for the provocative thesis that chess is not a game – his “Illusory Checkmates: Why Chess is Not a Game.” More specifically, he (a) argues that chess is not a game in the sense provided by Bernard Suits’ highly influential work in the philosophy of games, and (b) responds to what he considers some of the most important objections to this thesis. In this paper I argue that Hickson is wrong, and that chess is, in fact, a game. The dialectic teaches us something important about the nuances of Suits’ rightly influential definition of ‘play a game’.

Care-theoretic semantics

Abstract This paper argues for two claims, one conservative and the other one less so. First is the thesis that the range of linguistic features that can be considered authentically semantic is far wider in breadth than is typically acknowledged. In particular, linguistic phenomena that are entirely orthogonal to veridical considerations—including ethical matters—are sufficiently robust to support e.g. theories of meaning and inference. Second, we aim to argue that philosophy’s prioritization of truth obscures the existence of an important prior concern for care or the reduction of harm. Specifically, we offer a topic-theoretic interpretation of the bounds consequence reading of sequents put forward by Restall and Ripley. We argue that this reading allows us to provide a rigorous semantics using the newly introduced categories of care and harm. An important objection may be that philosophy requires the centrality and priority of truth above all else insofar as truth-like features are necessary to ground theories of meaning or reasoning. Anticipating such an objection, we will argue that care not only is an authentically semantic feature but also that care is sufficient to ground such theories.

BiSTNet: Semantic Image Prior Guided Bidirectional Temporal Feature Fusion for Deep Exemplar-Based Video Colorization.

How to effectively explore the colors of exemplars and propagate them to colorize each frame is vital for exemplar-based video colorization. In this article, we present a BiSTNet to explore colors of exemplars and utilize them to help video colorization by a bidirectional temporal feature fusion with the guidance of semantic image prior. We first establish the semantic correspondence between each frame and the exemplars in deep feature space to explore color information from exemplars. Then, we develop a simple yet effective bidirectional temporal feature fusion module to propagate the colors of exemplars into each frame and avoid inaccurate alignment. We note that there usually exist color-bleeding artifacts around the boundaries of important objects in videos. To overcome this problem, we develop a mixed expert block to extract semantic information for modeling the object boundaries of frames so that the semantic image prior can better guide the colorization process. In addition, we develop a multi-scale refinement block to progressively colorize frames in a coarse-to-fine manner. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed BiSTNet performs favorably against state-of-the-art methods on the benchmark datasets and real-world scenes. Moreover, the BiSTNet obtains one champion in NTIRE 2023 video colorization challenge (Kang et al. 2023).

Aesthetic Non-Naturalism

Abstract Aesthetic non-naturalism is the view that there are objective aesthetic truths that hold in virtue of sui generis facts. This view is seldom explicitly endorsed in philosophical aesthetics. I argue that many aestheticians should treat it as the view to beat, since (a) their commitments favour aesthetic realism, (b) non-naturalistic forms of aesthetic realism are particularly promising and (c) non-naturalists have reasonable answers to four important objections.

Multi-Objective Optimization Methods for Train Load Planning in Seaport Container Terminals

In this paper we study the planning problem of loading trains in seaport container terminals, which consists in assigning containers to the wagon slots. The train load can be realized considering different objectives, in this work we focus on two very important objectives for terminal managers, that are the minimization of the number of reshuffles in the storage area and the minimization of the total distance covered by the handling equipment between the storage area and the wagons. To address this problem, some multi-objective methods are investigated in the paper, based on the <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\varepsilon$</tex-math> </inline-formula> -constraint approach and the lexicographic algorithm, allowing to find different sets of efficient solutions to be provided to train planners. The experimental tests, devised to compare the proposed multi-objective methods, show that the <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\varepsilon$</tex-math> </inline-formula> -constraint method integrated with a lexicographic approach is the most efficient choice since it allows to obtain a higher number of efficient solutions in shorter computational times. This method can be applied in decision support systems for train planners in order to allow them to decide the train load in an efficient way. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Note to Practitioners</i> —The automation and the process optimization in seaport container terminals is a relevant issue for terminal managers in order to face the strong competitiveness in the logistics and shipping sector and the new emerging problems due to the presence of mega vessels. Among the different operations to be optimally managed in a terminal, the loading of trains is becoming more and more significant, also due to the increase of freight traffic by rail, seen as a cheaper and more sustainable option compared with road transport. The optimal assignment of containers present in a storage area to the wagon slots is a crucial decision in order to reduce operational times and costs in a container terminal. In this paper, we address the train load planning problem considering two important objectives to be minimized, i.e. the number of reshuffles and the distance covered by the handling equipment. The multi-objective methods proposed in the paper are devised to find different efficient solutions in short computational times. The proposed algorithms are intended to be implemented within a decision support tool in which the solutions found are shown to the train planner who chooses the preferred option depending on personal evaluations and on the basis of information coming in real time.

Theological Affinities Between the Fourth Gospel and the Book of Revelation

Abstract The focus of this study is on the exploration of theological affinities between the Fourth Gospel and Revelation. While I personally hold to the apostolic authorship of both writings by John, the son of Zebedee — admittedly a minority view in contemporary Johannine scholarship—the specific identity of the author will not be of primary concern here. Rather, my focus will be on the plausibility (or lack thereof) of common authorship, whether by the apostle or another writer. If it can be shown that the differences in outlook between the Fourth Gospel and Revelation may be accounted for by different subject matter, genres, and circumstances addressed, an important objection against the common authorship of the two documents will be removed.

AAGP/AJGP Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Action: Historic Perspective and Future Goals

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are important objectives in all professional fields, and they are exceptionally important and impactful within healthcare. Every day, patients and their families put their trust in our hands. When doing so, they deserve to be treated at all times with the utmost respect and compassion. DEI principles create an environment of safety, belonging, and positive health outcomes.Diversity of health providers allows for better care of diverse patients and helps to promote health equity and reduce disparities. Since healthcare is ultimately built upon relationships, it is important that all our patients trust us to understand and meet their unique needs. Achieving our diversity, equity and inclusion objectives for the betterment of all healthcare is an ongoing process, and we are steadfastly committed to its success.AAGP remains committed to developing and fostering a culture of compassion, inclusivity, belonging, and acceptance. For many years AAGP had a Diversity Caucus, which since 2020 became AAGP Inclusion, Diversity, Equity in Action (IDEA) committee with representation on the AAGP Board.The AAGP IDEA committee promotes a welcoming environment for all, by prioritizing respectful diversity, equity and inclusion across AAGP and its membership; advises the AAGP Board on the establishment of policies related to these principles; serves as a consulting body to AAGP components; creates and identifies opportunities that advance diversity, equity and inclusion for members; identifies outreach opportunities to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion of current AAGP membership and potential members; forms subcommittees or workgroups as needed to focus on specific diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.AAGP through its flagship publication American Journal of Psychiatry (AJGP) provides readers with DEI updates in the areas of clinical practice, research, teaching and public policy in geriatric psychiatry.This session will provide the audience with overview of current AAGP/AGJP DEI initiatives and outline plans for creation of mentorship programs and outreach efforts for the benefit of geriatric psychiatry providers, patients and caregivers.

Influence of Calculation Parameters on the Slope Stability of the Historical Rasos Cemetery in Vilnius (Lithuania)

Many objects of cultural and religious importance are located on naturally or artificially shaped hills. In such cases, the stability of the slopes determines both the safety of users and the facilities themselves and thus the preservation of cultural heritage. The analysis of the slope stability requires the assessment of the soil shear strength, defined as the ratio of resistance forces to driving forces. An important issue in the slope stability analysis is the proper determination of soil mechanical parameters, including their changes due to soil moisture. This paper presents an assessment of the slope stability of the Rasos Cemetery in Vilnius (Lithuania), where, due to a partial slope sliding, some of the tombstones were destroyed by being covered with soil. An analysis of the slope stability (factor of safety) was performed for two cross-sections using six calculation schemes. In each of them, calculations were carried out for three groups of soil parameters and for four design approaches (characteristic values, DA2, DA3a, and DA3b in accordance with the geotechnical standard applicable in the European Union—Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design). For the calculation approach (DA3a) for different groups of soil parameters, the values of the slope stability factors of safety were practically below 1.0. If the value of the factor of safety is less than 1.0, the slope is unstable. In the range of values 1.0–1.3, there is a serious risk of slope instability, and only when the factor of safety value reaches above 1.3 is the slope classified as stable. The comparison of the slope stability factors obtained with different design approaches (in relation to the DA3a) shows that the most unfavorable stability factor is approximately 43% lower than the result obtained from the characteristic values, approximately 21% lower than the result obtained using the DA2 design approach, and approximately 24% lower than the result obtained using the DA3b design approach. The analytical and numerical method (GEO5) analysis showed that, regardless of the adopted calculation approach, the required slope stability factor was not obtained. The article shows that selecting the correct geological cross-section to determine the critical slope slip surface and adopting the relevant design approach is crucial for slope sustainability. Based on the analysis, a proprietary solution for the construction work was proposed, which will ensure both the full stability of the slope and the safety of all graves and consequently landslide disaster prevention.

The Royal Treatment

The Royal Treatment

Population mobility : spatial spillover effect of government health expenditure in China

ABSTRACT Background Since the 20th century, pursuing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has emerged as an important developmental objective in numerous countries and across the global health community. With the intricate ramifications of population mobility (PM), the government faces a mounting imperative to judiciously deploy health expenditure to realise UHC effectively. Objective This study aimed to construct a comprehensive UHC index for China, assess the spatial effects of Government Health Expenditure (GHE) on UHC, and explore the moderating effects of PM on this association. Method A Dynamic Spatial Durbin Model (DSDM) was employed to investigate the influence of the GHE on UHC. Therefore, we tested the moderating effect of PM. Results In the short-term, the GHE negatively impacted local UHC. However, it enhanced the UHC in neighbouring regions. Over the long term, GHE improved local UHC but decreased UHC in neighbouring regions. In the short-term, when the PM exceeded 1.42, the GHE increased the local UHC. Over the long term, when the PM exceeded 1.107, the GHE impeded local UHC. If the PM exceeded 0.91 in the long term, the GHE promoted UHC in neighbouring regions. The results of this study offer a partial explanation of GHE decisions and behaviours. Conclusions To enhance UHC, a viable strategy involves augmenting vertical transfer payments from the central government to local governments. Local governments should institute healthcare systems tailored to the urban scale and developmental stages, with due consideration for PM. Optimising the information disclosure mechanism is also a worthwhile endeavour.

The Diagnosis and Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa in Childhood and Adolescence.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious disease with a lifetime prevalence of up to 3.6% in women and 0.3% in men. Abnormally low weight and the associated starvation partly account for its somatic and mental manifestations. This review is based on publications retrieved by a selective search concerning AN in childhood and adolescence. The peak age of onset of AN is 15.5 years. The frequency of inpatient treatment for AN rose by 40% during the COVID pandemic, indicating the importance of environmental factors; the heritability of AN is estimated at 0.5. The ICD-11 sets the threshold for AN-associated underweight at the fifth percentile for age of the body mass index, as long as the remaining diagnostic criteria are met. The main goal of the multiprofessional treatment of AN is the return to normal body weight, which is a central prerequisite for regaining somatic and mental health. The mean duration of AN is 3.4 years, and approximately twothirds of patients recover from the disease over the long term. Marked weight loss in childhood and adolescence can trigger AN in the presence of a predisposition to this disease. Patients and their families should receive psychoeducation regarding the symptoms of starvation and their overlap with those of AN. Important objectives are to shorten the duration of the illness, minimize mortality and the risk of chronic illness, and to identify pharmacological approaches to treatment.

From agenda to action: JBI Evidence Synthesis and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

This pilot study sought to map the alignment of publications in JBI Evidence Synthesis to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (global health and well-being) and to understand JBI authors' awareness of and engagement with the goals. This will contribute to a larger-scale analysis to assist the JBI Collaboration in engaging with and working toward achieving the SDGs. In 2015, the United Nations agreed on 17 SDGs as the central framework for sustainable development worldwide. However, in the wake of the global pandemic, the 2030 SDG agenda is in jeopardy due to multiple cascading and intersecting crises. The Global Commission on Evidence has urged the evidence community to consider how it might more meaningfully contribute to the evidence architecture. As we pass the midway point to the SDG 2030 target date, it is timely to reflect on the contribution of those in the evidence synthesis community to achieving these important global objectives. A 2-phase study was conducted utilizing desktop audit methods. SDG 3 targets were mapped across systematic and scoping reviews published in JBI Evidence Synthesis using established key terms, followed by a brief author survey and thematic analysis. The results of this pilot study indicate that 28.5% of syntheses published in JBI Evidence Synthesis address 11 of the 13 targets of SDG 3. SDGs are not currently a priority consideration for most JBI Evidence Synthesis authors, but there is a desire to learn more and integrate the goals into their prioritization processes. While this was only a small pilot study, it is indicative of a need to reset and recommit to mutual global agendas to transform the evidence ecosystem, and to maximize the limited resources available in order to truly have a global impact on health outcomes.

Channel Measurement and Modeling for Millimeter-Wave Automotive Radar

Millimeter-wave (mmWave) automotive radar can detect the surrounding environment using highly directional, high-frequency electromagnetic waves. With these advantages, mmWave radar has become an important component of autonomous driving and integrated sensing systems. Designing systems and sensing algorithms requires the application of realistic channel models and simulation. In this paper, the propagation channel is measured, characterized, and modeled for mmWave automotive radar with typical configurations in scenarios. Based on the channel measurements in urban street and expressway environments, ray-tracing (RT) technology is verified for modeling important objects regarding radar cross-section and echo power. A hybrid channel model is proposed by integrating RT with the stochastic modeling of targets and surrounding environments, which significantly improves simulation efficiency and provides more flexibility for virtual tests in various complex environments.

السياسة بين الأخلاق والمقاصد: عرض مقارن بين ابن تيمية والشاطبيّ

Islamic scholars, including philosophers, sociologists, and jurists agree that the ultimate goal of the state or political authority is to achieve the welfare of the citizens and to bring goodness, prosperity, and happiness to the individual and society. This means safeguarding religion and managing worldly affairs. Political authority in Islam is based on a unique system consisting of two elements: ethics and objectives. These two elements constitute the highest goal of the prophetic message, as Sharia consists of the duality of ethics and interests. The article seeks to uncover the foundational moral and objective basis of political authority by providing a comparative analysis of the most important ethical objectives that must be possessed by uli al-amr, according to Imam Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH) in his book "Al-Siyasah al-Shar'iyyah fi Islah al-Ra'i wa al-Ra'iyah," and Abu Ishaq al-Shatibi (d. 790 AH) in his book "Al-Muwafaqat." The article concludes that the purpose of establishing political authority cannot be realized unless it is framed within the framework of ethics and virtues that enjoin justice, trustworthiness, truth, and freedom. Furthermore, ethics in the realm of politics must be subjected to the hierarchical classification of objectives into necessities, needs, and improvements. Accordingly, priority should be given to the most crucial virtues, while averting the most harmful vices.

Aesthetic Value of Immoral Fictions

Can one have an aesthetically valuable experience of fiction that takes an immoral perspective? Some have argued that one can. However, some important objections have been raised against this idea. Two objections are: that the immorality involved is confined to fictional reality, and that the aesthetic value of immoral fiction is dictated by a pluralistic attitude that not everyone accepts. My aim is to respond to these challenges and to argue, on the basis of two examples, that even an unlimited immoral perspective can enhance a widespread aesthetic value.

Teacher strikes in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico (2012–2022)

ABSTRACT Teacher unrest is an important research object in the literature on teacher unionism in Latin America. This article makes a novel contribution to this traditional topic, presenting statistical data on primary and secondary teacher strikes in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico from 2012 to 2022. This approach highlights important differences in strike activity between the public and private school sectors, between public school teachers in different states within each country, and between the three countries in terms of the configuration of the levels of bargaining at which teacher strikes take place. The category of ‘teacher labour regimes’ allows understanding these differences in a consistently theoretical manner, underlining the role of agents in configuring and reconfiguring labour regimes, the importance of labour control for the labour regime dynamics and the multi-scalar structuration of labour regimes.

On the Bromination of Diethyl 3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrole-2,4-dicarboxylate: the True Structure of the Halbig’s Product

Pyrrole and its derivatives have attracted the attention of researchers as promising objects of practical importance in various areas of human life. Focusing on Knorr pyrrole as the most readily available pyrrole derivative, our objective was to obtain its bromo derivatives, containing an allyl bromine atom followed by phosphorylation reactions. The reaction involving bromination was carried out with 2 mol of N-bromosuccinimide per 1 mol of Knorr pyrrole 1 in carbon tetrachloride. This reaction was initiated with azobis(isobutyronitrile) and carried out at a boiling point. In acetic acid, the bromination reaction was carried out at a temperature of 38-45°C with a molar ratio of Knorr pyrrole to bromine of 1:4 and another reaction was carried out at 40-50°C with a molar ratio of Knorr pyrrole to bromine of 1:5. The bromination reaction was also performed in chloroform at 27-30°C in the presence of catalytic amounts of aluminum chloride. The same crystalline product was obtained in all cases. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the single crystal structure is diethyl 5-(dibromomethyl)-3-methyl-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrole-3,4-dicarboxylate 5 with two bromine atoms. This composition is identical to that of the Halbig product. It was found that the bromination of Knorr pyrrole 1 occurs stepwise with excess N-bromosuccinimide and bromine, resulting in the unsaturated lactam 5, commonly known as Halbig’s product. The true structure of product 5 was determined.

Bibliometric Framing of Research Trends Regarding Public Sector Auditing to Fight Corruption and Prevent Fraud

Combating corruption is an important objective of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, with the aim of helping public institutions to act in the interest of citizens. To ensure this objective is met, the spending of public money is controlled by the supreme audit institutions of each country. The objective of this paper is to identify trends in and approaches to the field of auditing in the public sector to combat corruption and prevent fraud. To achieve the proposed objective, a bibliometric analysis of papers published in the journals indexed in Web of Science Clarivate Analytics for the period 2003–2022 was carried out; selection criteria was based on instances of the keywords “public audit fraud”, “supreme institution”, and “fraud” appearing in a sample of 528 articles. The results showed that there was a research interest in this field, with the trend being more pronounced since 2017. The main topics addressed were those related to the performance audit and the fight against corruption, and the most relevant studies were conducted on samples from Nordic European countries. Thus, it is confirmed that the external audit in public sector is an important factor in combating the phenomenon of corruption in the public sector, both by detecting fraud and by offering recommendations aimed at making the activity of this sector more efficient.