Scientific Theories Research Articles

Evolutionism and intelligent design in the writingsof Józef Życiński (1948 – 2011)

More than 150 years ago, Charles Darwin’s major work, On the Origin of Species,revolutionized science and the approach to explaining the biological complexity of theworld. This happened because Darwin was the first naturalist to propose in a systematic and scientific way a theory intended to explain the creation of all the complexityof the world without resorting to supernatural causes.66 The theory of evolution hassince become a paradigm for practicing natural sciences. However nowadays molecularbiology sheds new light on the issue of the origin of life and the evolution of the naturalworld. Hence at the end of the 20th century, the scientific theory of intelligent designwas developed in the United States, which postulates that there are very serious reasons – related to the very structure of biological molecular systems – to believe that themechanisms of life can never be explained in accordance with Darwinian principles.67The article will present the essence of evolutionism and intelligent design in the lightof Józef Życiński’s writings and their interpretations put forward by some researchers.The last part will attempt to evaluate the final conclusions presented by the philosopher

Natural contra human sciences: the conflict between nomothetic and idiographic sciences, with special reference to S. J. Boëthius

ABSTRACT This article tackles issues central to most academic disciplines, including scientific boundary demarcation, the battle of the faculties, the theory of science, and the conflict between nomothetic and idiographic methodologies, that is, between the two main approaches to science. It does so through discovering and rethinking a Methodenstreit in Swedish political science, an academic dispute involving Professor Rudolf Kjellén, the father of geopolitics, and his greatest rival, Professor S. J. Boëthius. Shortly after retiring from the Johan Skytte Professorship at Uppsala University, S. J. Boëthius published a great but inaccessible work on state theory and its history entitled Om statslivet (On the life of the state, 1916). The book critiques the positivistic and nomothetic (law-searching) approaches of the burgeoning social sciences, which were emancipating themselves from their father, history, and becoming independent disciplines. Boëthius critiqued the nomothetic studies of history, economics, statistics, sociology, and geopolitics for overemphasizing the significance of historical, economic, statistical, sociological, and geographical environments and structures. Thus, the exponents of these new or changing disciplines were criticized for neglecting the most important driving force of human affairs in Boëthius’s mind, namely, the power of personality and individual free will.

THE EFFECT OF SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Socio-emotional learning has become one of the most important areas of research in the theory and practice of psychological science. Although not much time has passed since the formation of socio-emotional learning, a lot of experience has been collected in the fields of theoretical and applied research, and it is known that socio-emotional learning has a direct impact on the development of emotional intelligence. Studies prove that regardless of IQ level, students face serious failures in the future because they do not have enough time to develop emotional intelligence. The most favorable project supporting the development of emotional intelligence is socio-emotional learning. Unfortunately, since socio-emotional learning is still emerging, there is no rich literature on it. However, the demand for the development of emotional intelligence and the support of socio-emotional learning in the education policy of many countries led to conducting extensive research on this project and achieving successful results. The work carried out by psychologists shows that there is great potential to make work more active in the country. In particular, we are talking about the activities of pre-school educational institutions, secondary schools and higher educational institutions.

The ultrametric backbone is the union of all minimum spanning forests

Minimum spanning trees and forests are powerful sparsification techniques that remove cycles from weighted graphs to minimize total edge weight while preserving node reachability, with applications in computer science, network science, and graph theory. Despite their utility and ubiquity, they have several limitations, including that they are only defined for undirected networks, they significantly alter dynamics on networks, and they do not generally preserve important network features such as shortest distances, shortest path distribution, and community structure. In contrast, distance backbones, which are subgraphs formed by all edges that obey a generalized triangle inequality, are well defined in directed and undirected graphs and preserve those and other important network features. The backbone of a graph is defined with respect to a specified path-length operator that aggregates weights along a path to define its length, thereby associating a cost to indirect connections. The backbone is the union of all shortest paths between each pair of nodes according to the specified operator. One such operator, the max function, computes the length of a path as the largest weight of the edges that compose it (a weakest link criterion). It is the only operator that yields an algebraic structure for computing shortest paths that is consistent with De Morgan's laws. Applying this operator yields the ultrametric backbone of a graph in that (semi-triangular) edges whose weights are larger than the length of an indirect path connecting the same nodes (i.e. those that break the generalized triangle inequality based on max as a path-length operator) are removed. We show that the ultrametric backbone is the union of minimum spanning forests in undirected graphs and provides a new generalization of minimum spanning trees to directed graphs that, unlike minimum equivalent graphs and minimum spanning arborescences, preserves all shortest paths and De Morgan's law consistency.

Restoring Psychiatric Mental Health APRN Roles: A Report of Innovations in Workforce Development Design Supported by Salutogenic Solutions and an Enduring Educational Frame, Part One.

The change from a clinical nurse specialist to nurse practitioner model has significantly affected graduate education and practice because of emphasis on the dominant biomedical prescriber role, marginalizing the nurse-psychotherapy and consultation-liaison roles fundamental to quality psychiatric advanced practice nursing practice. We report on a four-year Workforce Development Project supported by an academic-practice partnership to restore formation and skill building of the marginalized roles. Part One focuses on program design, the curriculum for nine specialty courses, and the teaching and learning community approach that promotes engagement, faculty commitment, and preceptor recruitment and retention; the creative faculty staffing model is described. The educational frame described includes highlights of teaching/learning strategies drawn from the history of professional formation curriculum rooted in salutogenesis and belonging science, existentialism, solution-focused therapy, modeling and role modeling theory, and Peplau's Interpersonal Relations . There is significant interest and commitment to learning the nurse-psychotherapist and consultation-liaison roles.

Analysis of the causes, psychological mechanisms, and coping strategies of short video addiction in China.

Short video addiction refers to the uncontrollable desire of users to watch short videos, leading to significant behavioral loss of control or attention disorders, which in turn result in difficulties in social interaction, learning, and work adaptation. With the "invasion" of short videos into people's daily lives and their spread among underage groups, the issue of short video addiction has attracted widespread social attention. Firstly, based on the causes of short video addiction, this study analyzes it from four levels: algorithm design, content services, platform control, and user experience. Secondly, combining relevant scientific theories, the psychological mechanisms of short video addiction are explained from four levels: cognition, emotion, motivation, and social factors. Finally, in terms of coping strategies, on the theoretical level, further research on the occurrence mechanism of short video addiction should be deepened, and attention should be paid to the influence of recommendation algorithms on short video addiction. On the practical level, the obligations and responsibilities of relevant stakeholders such as short video producers, platforms, and regulators in preventing short video addiction should be clarified, aiming to promote prevention and management of short video addiction.

Unification, T-theoreticity, and Testing: The Case of Fitness in Natural Selection

AbstractTheoreticity and unification are two main issues discussed in philosophy of science. The first attempts to clarify the different roles of concepts used in a scientific theory. The second concerns the role of unification in scientific explanation and scientific progress. Both discussions have followed separate, independent paths. In this paper, we examine the interrelatedness of these two notions by focusing on classical particle mechanics and the theory of natural selection. We claim that they are interconnected in two distinct ways. On the one hand, a theory’s unifying power relies on the presence of some theoretical concepts that apply to heterogeneous phenomena through the assumption of a (sometimes unstated) general principle. On the other hand, a sensible application of the theoreticity criterion to these integrating concepts requires the unification not being spurious. We conclude that a correct determination of the theoreticty status requires analyzing how specific applications of different parts of a theory interact with each other.

Category theory in consciousness science: going beyond the correlational project

We discuss the potential of applying category theory to the study of consciousness. We first review a recent proposal from the neurosciences of consciousness to illustrate the “correlational project”, using the integrated information theory of consciousness as an example. We then discuss some technical preliminaries related to categories and in particular to the notion of a functor, which carries the bulk of conceptual weight in many current discussions. We then look at possible payoffs of this project—getting to grips with the hard problem, theory integration, and exploiting explanatory dualities—and discuss possible avenues for further research, stressing the need to better develop the categorical representation of consciousness, in particular its phenomenological structure. A better understanding of consciousness cannot be achieved by merely studying the physical brain. By contrast, the categorical treatment even suggests application beyond the domain of neuroscience, for example in computer science and artificial intelligence research, while also emphasizing the primacy of (phenomenal) experience.

A reproductive justice analysis of Black motherwork

AbstractThis paper examines how Black mothers have had each tenet of reproductive justice violated by state powers and institutions, how Black mothers have resisted these injustices, and how this struggle between reproductive oppression and resistance is critical to understanding the relevance of Black motherwork in intersectional theories in family science. I argue that applying a reproductive justice analysis to Black motherwork involves three key components: (a) the right to identify and engage with Black motherwork; (b) the right of empowerment to disengage (further) with Black motherwork; and (c) the right to perform Black motherwork in safe and survivable environments. This paper emphasizes that infringements on Black women's reproductive liberties happens beyond the site of the body, it expands into their homes, their neighborhoods, and even their educational spaces.

Liberals and Conservatives Rely on Very Similar Sets of Foundations When Comparing Moral Violations

Applications of moral foundations theory in political science have revealed differences in the degree to which liberals and conservatives explicitly endorse five core moral foundations of care, fairness, authority, loyalty, and sanctity. We argue that differences between liberals and conservatives in their explicit ratings of abstract and generalized moral principles do not imply that citizens with different political orientations have fundamentally different moral intuitions. We introduce a new approach for measuring the importance of the five moral foundations by asking U.K. and U.S. survey respondents to compare pairs of vignettes describing violations relevant to each foundation. We analyze responses to these comparisons using a hierarchical Bradley–Terry model which allows us to evaluate the relative importance of each foundation to individuals with different political perspectives. Our results suggest that, despite prominent claims to the contrary, voters on the left and the right of politics share broadly similar moral intuitions.

Coordination analysis and evaluation of population, water resources, economy, and ecosystem coupling in the Tuha region of China

The non-coordination between the socio-economic systems and ecosystems of a region is a crucial obstacle to sustainable development. To reveal the relationships between complex urban systems and achieve the goal of sustainable and coordinated urban development, we constructed a coupling coordination degree model (CCDM) and coupling angle model (CAM) and analyzed the degree of coupling coordination and evolution process among the population, water resources, economy, and ecology (PWEE) system of the Tuha region for 2005–2020. The results indicated that: (1) During 2005–2020, the comprehensive development index (CDI) of the population, water resources and economy subsystems was 0.21–0.65, with the three subsystems portraying an overall increase; the average values of the RSEI at five-year intervals were 0.29, 0.28, 0.28, and 0.26, indicating a downward trend in the environmental quality. (2) The coupling coordination effect of the PWEE system portrayed a low level; the coupling coordination degree (CCD) values were 0.28–0.58, portraying a fluctuating upward trend. The level of CCD increased from low disorder to marginal coordination. (3) The PWEE system’s scissor difference reflects large evolutionary characteristics. The ecological support capacity was not observed until the late stage. We conclude that the PWEE composite system of the region is in a stage of disordered development. These findings significantly bolster the theoretical underpinnings of sustainable development studies, offering essential scientific theories and methodological frameworks for crafting sustainable development policies tailored to urban systems in the Tuha region.

Predicting the technological impact of papers: Exploring optimal models and most important features

Patent citations received by a paper are considered one of the most appropriate indicators for quantifying the technological impact of scientific research. In light of the large number of published research outcomes, technology developers need an effective method to identify academic work with potential technological impact and so as to provide scientific theories for the generation of relevant technologies. Focusing on the technical field of artificial intelligence (AI), this study constructs a set of 47 features from seven dimensions and uses feature selection and machine learning models to accurately predict how research papers impact AI technology. The results show that the random forest model is superior to the other tested models in predicting AI patent citations of papers, with citation-related features (such as ‘PaperCitations’ and ‘Background’) playing a vital role in the prediction.

An Empirical Assessment of Drug Trafficking Trends from Latin America into the United States: The Role of Fishing Vessels

ABSTRACT Drug trafficking is one of the most serious crimes of our century. The market reach is estimated to be over $500 billion annually, with a particularly robust user base found in the Americas and Europe. The United States, in particular, is one of the strongest consumer markets for drugs originating from Latin America. While such serious drugs as cocaine have been trafficked into the United States using various means, one method that has been gaining attention is the use of fishing vessels. Nevertheless, studies on the role of fishing vessels in trafficking drugs from Latin America into the United States are rare. To fill this gap, this research uses fishing vessel interception data obtained through Freedom of Information Act request from the United States Coast Guard for the years 2015–2021. Informed by crime science theory, this research examines the geospatial and temporal trends associated with drug trafficking by fishing vessels, as well as such vessel characteristics as flags they carried at the time of interception, and vessel type. Policy implications are discussed in light of the main research findings.

Transcendental Meditation Enriches Nurses' Authentic Presence Through Caring for Self and Others.

Purpose of Study: Given the enormity of the most recent challenges to clinician well-being, intensified by the pandemic, we decided to explore the influence of Transcendental Meditation® (TM)® on the well-being of clinical nurses. The purpose of our study was to use qualitative analysis to enhance our understanding of the experiences of clinical nurses who practiced TM, as viewed through the lens of our conceptual model and Watson's holistic unitary caring science theory. Design and Method: This qualitative study involved a thematic analysis of clinical nurses' written descriptions following the completion of the TM program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: The nurse participants shared their experiences with the practice of TM as creating present moment focus, leading to enhanced self-care, and development of authentic presence with others. The overall theme uncovered in the analysis is that authentic presence is veritas (truth) in knowing, being, doing, and becoming. Conclusions: The findings were congruent with Watson's unitary caring science theory and provided illumination of the holistic value of TM as a self-care strategy for supporting nurses' well-being with the goal of retaining nurses in practice. When nurses care for themselves, they are more likely and able to care for others, thus helping them to enjoy their nursing careers.

Benchmarking Giant Panda Welfare in Tourism: A Co-Design Approach for Animals, Tourists, Managers, and Researchers.

This study introduces a co-design benchmarking framework to understand tourists' perceptions of animal welfare, integrating diverse perspectives from tourists, researchers, and animals. By leveraging scientific theories to establish benchmark dimensions, the framework is refined through visitor input, ensuring a robust and adaptable methodological tool for assessing tourists' perceptions and animal informed consent in wildlife tourism. Using the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding as an example, we analyzed 4839 visitor comments collected from March to August 2023 to benchmark perceptions of giant panda welfare. This approach underscores the importance of effective communication in educational initiatives, aiming to enhance public literacy and knowledge about animal welfare. By addressing the complexity and variability in tourists' perceptions, the proposed framework contributes to more impactful conservation education efforts. The study demonstrates that a collaborative effort results in a benchmarking framework that is firmly grounded in theoretical foundations yet flexible enough to adapt based on visitors' insights and animal participation. Ultimately, this comprehensive approach ensures that educational initiatives resonate with tourists' diverse backgrounds, fostering a deeper understanding and commitment to animal welfare and conservation, which, we argue, should be key components of sustainable tourism.

Symbology and Codes in Dan Brown’s Origin

This paper explores the intricate web of symbology and codes found within Dan Brown's gripping novel, Origin. As a renowned master of blending history, art, science and religion, Brown weaves a tale that captivates readers with a labyrinth of symbols and enigmatic ciphers. Through an analysis of key elements in the narrative, this study aims to shed light on the significance of symbolism and cryptographic puzzles as essential devices in the plot's development. Drawing upon Brown's signature writing style, the paper examines the role of religious symbology, ancient texts and iconic art and architecture, intertwining them with scientific theories to craft a compelling narrative. The central focus lies in the protagonist, Robert Langdon, a symbologist, whose expertise in languages and linguistics plays a pivotal role in deciphering messages and solving the mystery at hand. Jean Moréas' Symbolist Manifesto (1886) is a foundational text in the development of literary symbolism. In this manifesto, Moréas emphasized the importance of symbolism in art and literature, advocating for a departure from naturalism and realism. He proposed that artists should focus on conveying emotions and ideas through symbols, rather than direct representation. Applying Moréas' theory of symbolism, the researcher analyzes how Dan Brown employs symbols and codes as key elements in Origin. By analyzing the relationship between language and technological innovation, the study aims to unveil how these elements converge to heighten the intrigue and suspense in the novel. It delves into the significance of linguistic techniques and cryptic passages, as tools for building suspense and enriching the reading experience. Langdon reveals meanings and ideas inherent in symbols and codes and demystifies the concepts- "Where do we come from?" and "Where are we going?"

Navigating the future of megaprojects sustainability: a comprehensive framework and research agendas

PurposeMegaprojects can play a crucial role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and tackling Global Challenges. However, they are often criticized for their massive resource consumption, poor cost/time performance and significant social-environmental impacts, including irreversible environmental damage. This study aims to chart the evolution of research on megaprojects sustainability and to offer a roadmap for future developments.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify emerging themes and gaps. This study follows a three-step process of planning, conducting and reporting, based on the Tranfield approach. The overview of megaprojects sustainability research was captured through bibliometric analysis. In addition, content analysis was carried out to reveal the development of this field and get an insight into the future directions towards sustainability transition.FindingsThis study provides a longitudinal, in-depth analysis of megaprojects sustainability studies. Drawing on sustainability science and project management theories, we introduce a three-dimensional analytical framework consisting of sustainability, scope and stakeholder. This framework explains the evolution of megaprojects sustainability research from sustainability of megaprojects, to sustainability for megaprojects and then to sustainability by megaprojects. Three future avenues are proposed: (1) SDGs orientation at multi-level; (2) scope enlargement at temporal and spatial scales and (3) inclusive development for stakeholders.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive and forward-looking analysis of megaprojects sustainability research. The framework and three research agendas provide a comprehensive picture of megaproject sustainability research; the agenda for future research is intended to inspire more studies and disruptive actions towards sustainability transition.

A synergistic workspace for human consciousness revealed by Integrated Information Decomposition.

How is the information-processing architecture of the human brain organised, and how does its organisation support consciousness? Here, we combine network science and a rigorous information-theoretic notion of synergy to delineate a 'synergistic global workspace', comprising gateway regions that gather synergistic information from specialised modules across the human brain. This information is then integrated within the workspace and widely distributed via broadcaster regions. Through functional MRI analysis, we show that gateway regions of the synergistic workspace correspond to the human brain's default mode network, whereas broadcasters coincide with the executive control network. We find that loss of consciousness due to general anaesthesia or disorders of consciousness corresponds to diminished ability of the synergistic workspace to integrate information, which is restored upon recovery. Thus, loss of consciousness coincides with a breakdown of information integration within the synergistic workspace of the human brain. This work contributes to conceptual and empirical reconciliation between two prominent scientific theories of consciousness, the Global Neuronal Workspace and Integrated Information Theory, while also advancing our understanding of how the human brain supports consciousness through the synergistic integration of information.

Health system reform and path-dependency: how ideas constrained change in South Africa’s national health insurance policy process

Path-dependency theory says that complex systems, such as health systems, are shaped by prior conditions and decisions, and are resistant to change. As a result, major policy changes, such as health system reform, are often only possible in policy windows—moments of transition or contextual crisis that re-balance social power dynamics and enable the consideration of new policy ideas. However, even in policy windows there can be resistance to change. In this paper, we consider the role of ideas in constraining change. We draw on political science theory on the dynamic relationship between foreground ideas (policy programmes and frames) and background ideas (deeply held collective cognitive and normative beliefs) to better understand how ideas exert influence independently of the contextual conditions that give rise to them or the actors that espouse them. To do so, we examine two apparent policy windows in the South African National Health Insurance policy process. The analysis reveals how ideas can become institutionalised in organisations and procedures (such as policy instruments or provider networks), and in intangible cultural norms—becoming hegemonic and uncontested ideas that shape the attitudes and perspectives of policy actors. In this way, ideas operate as independent variables, constraining change across policy windows. While health policy analysts increasingly recognise the influence of ideational variables in policy processes, they tend to conceptualise ideas as tools actors wield to drive change. This analysis reveals the importance of considering ideas (values, norms, and beliefs) as persistent features of the policy-making context that constrain actors.

Challenging the gender binary in occupation-based research: A feminist critical discourse analysis of sex differences

ABSTRACT Gender is a constitutive element of an oppressive system based on sexual differentiation. Making difference between the female and male sexes is an accepted practice that is particularly widespread in scientific research. Yet, this research practice can contribute to the construction of gender as an oppressive system with consequences for people’s occupations and health. The aim of the present study is to address the potential contribution of occupation-based scientific articles in the construction of a gendered social order through the taken-for-granted use of sex categories. A literature review resulted in the selection of 22 articles published in occupational therapy and occupational science journals that differentiate individuals based on female/male sex characteristics. A feminist critical discourse analysis was used to make visible how these texts contribute to the construction of gender and their occupational and health consequences. Three specific mechanisms were identified in the analysis: naturalization, banalization, and sacralization. Together, they show the specific process of naturalization of care work as ‘women’s work’ and how it further constitutes a basis towards indifference and banalization of women’s health and occupational issues. Sacralization illustrates how full authority is conferred to numbers within science to justify research based on sex categories and how this contributes to reproducing one gendered reality over another. In conclusion, this study aligns with feminist and critical occupational science theories and contributes to epistemological disruption of the scientific construction of binary sexes within occupation-based scholarship.