14 research outputs found
Distance measures in cosmology: a simple approach
No full textThe aim of this paper is to analyze the concept of cosmological distance with a simple didactic approach that is not easy to find in textbooks. In this way, we hope to help facilitate student learning about this issue.The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author
Quine, Davidson, and the Naturalization of Metaethics
No full textAuthor Posting. (c) Wiley-Blackwell, 2001. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of the publisher for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version of this article is published in: Dialectica, v.55, no.2 (2001), pp. 145-166Quine’s ethical views typify what might seem to be natural sympathies between empiricism and
ethical noncognitivism. Like Ayer, he sees a case for noncognitivism rooted in an epistemic discontinuity
between ethics and science. Quine argues that the absence of genuine moral observation
sentences, and thus the absence of empirical checkpoints for the resolution of theoretical
disputes, renders ethics, as he terms it, “methodologically infirm.” However, recent papers
in this journal make clear that Quine appears to be voicing mutually incompatible commitments
to both noncognitivism and cognitivism. Here I argue that Davidson’s theory of interpretation
offers promising ways to resolve these tensions. His constructive program fleshes out the implications
of Quine’s largely destructive critique of intensional semantics and contains a fairly
well-articulated account of evaluative semantics, one which seems to combine cognitivist and
noncognitivist elements harmoniously. Moreover, it is argued that Davidson’s long-standing
differences with Quine over the epistemological status Quine accords observation sentences
with do not undermine Quine’s metaethical critique.Peer reviewe
Black Rain: Reflections on Hiroshima and Nuclear War in Japanese Film
No full textAuthor Posting. (c) Wiley-Blackwell, 2004.
This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of the publisher for personal use, not for redistribution. See the definitive version of this article at the publisher's website: http://www.crosscurrents.org/FeleppaSpring2004.htmIn the literature on atomic bomb themes in Japanese cinema we find a number of trends. Some films,
but surprisingly few, are intended as open social protest of America’s use of the bombs. There are some critics
who see the bombings as the key stimulus to a film genre, including the works of Ozu and others, concerned
with rapid post-war social transformations and all their related spiritual costs. There are still others who see the
science-fiction genre, especially the Godzilla films, as the main cinematic legacy of the bombings and find in this
genre, and its natural extension into anime films, deep insights into transformations in Japanese attitudes and
social relations. Finally, there are films which perceive in the experience of Hiroshima and Nagasaki indications
of broader spiritual and social dynamics with very real, apocalyptic potential. It is films in this last general
category that I want to consider here, since they evoke a cautionary attitude that best suits the spirit of
Hiroshima and which it is especially important to encourage in our students, given America’s growing emphasis
on aggressive foreign policy and technological war-making.Peer reviewe
Laparoscopic appendectomy for complicated acute appendicitis
No full textThe role of laparoscopic appendectomy in complicated appendicitis is still not widely accepted. The authors report their retrospective study performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the laparoscopic approach in the management of complicated appendicitis.
From January 2003 to October 2008, 552 patients underwent appendectomy in our surgical department. Among these, 358 were not complicated appendicitis while 194 were complicated. Of the 194 cases of complicated appendicitis, 121 patients underwent laparoscopic appendectomy while the remaining 73 cases were treated by conventional open surgery. The average length of hospital stay was 5.7 days, with a range from 4 to 13 days. Post-operative complications were observed in a total 11 patients (9.1%), including 3 cases of intra abdominal abscess (2.5%), 2 cases of umbilical wound infection (1.6%) and 6 cases of prolonged ileus (4.9%).
Our experience suggests that the laparoscopic procedure is a valid, safe and feasible option to manage acute complicated appendicitis
Comparing local excision with watch and wait for the management of rectal cancer patients responding to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: Composite endpoint analysis using the win ratio
No full textAim: The aim of this work was to apply the ‘win ratio’ to compare the outcomes of rectal-sparing approaches [watch and wait (WW) and local excision (LE)] in the management of locally advanced rectal cancer responding to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Method: Patients enrolled in the ReSARCh study (NCT02710812) between 2016 and 2021 were divided into two cohorts (WW vs. LE). The win ratio was calculated by dividing the number of successes (or wins) in the WW group by the number of successes in the LE group on matched pairs. Oncological outcomes (overall survival, distant and local recurrence), presence of a stoma and rectum not preserved were considered as outcomes of interest. Results: Overall, 108 (62.1%) patients underwent LE and 66 (37.9%) WW. Patients who underwent WW were more likely to have a complete clinical response (cCR) at restaging [i.e. ycT = 0: n = 51 (80%) for WW vs. n = 45 (42%) for LE, p < 0.001]. After matching for age, sex, distance from the anal verge and T stage at restaging, i.e. ycT, 57 pairs of patients were identified. The overall win ratio considering only oncological outcomes was 0.4 (95% CI 0.02–0.94). The disadvantage of WW was mainly due to a higher rate of local recurrences. The overall win ratio considering oncological outcomes, presence of a stoma and rectum not preserved was 0.6 (95% CI 0.04–1.38), indicating a potential disadvantage for WW, but with wide confidence intervals suggesting uncertainty. Conclusions: LE may have an advantage in terms of local recurrence rates compared with WW, potentially conferring a survival benefit. These results should be confirmed in further prospective randomized trials
Rectal Sparing Approach after preoperative Radio- and/or Chemo-therapy (ReSARCh): a prospective, multicenter, observational study
No full textBACKGROUND: Rectal-sparing approaches for patients with rectal cancer who achieved a complete or major response following neoadjuvant therapy constitute a paradigm of a potential shift in the management of patients with rectal cancer; however, their role remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of rectal-sparing approaches to preserve the rectum without impairing the outcomes. METHODS: This prospective, multicenter, observational study investigated the outcomes of patients with clinical stage II-III mid-low rectal adenocarcinoma treated with any neoadjuvant therapy, and either transanal local excision or watch-and-wait approach, based on tumor response (major or complete) and patient/surgeon choice. The primary endpoint of the study was rectum preservation at a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Secondary endpoints were overall, disease-free, local and distant recurrence-free, and stoma-free survival at 3 years. RESULTS: Of the 178 patients enrolled in 16 centers, 112 (62.9%) were managed with local excision and 66 (37.1%) with watch-and-wait. At a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 36.1 (30.6-45.6) months, the rectum was preserved in 144 (80.9%) patients. The 3-year rectum-sparing, overall survival, disease-free survival, local recurrence-free survival, and distant recurrence-free survival was 80.6% (95% CI 73.9-85.8), 97.6% (95% CI 93.6-99.1), 90.0% (95% CI 84.3-93.7), 94.7% (95% CI 90.1-97.2), and 94.6% (95% CI 89.9-97.2), respectively. The 3-year stoma-free survival was 95.0% (95% CI 89.5-97.6). The 3-year regrowth-free survival in the watch-and-wait group was 71.8% (95% CI 59.9-81.2). CONCLUSIONS: In rectal cancer patients with major or complete clinical response after neoadjuvant therapy, the rectum can be preserved in about 80% of cases, without compromising the outcomes
Rectal Sparing Approach after preoperative Radio- and/or Chemo-therapy (ReSARCh): a prospective, multicenter, observational study
No full textBACKGROUND: Rectal-sparing approaches for patients with rectal cancer who achieved a complete or major response following neoadjuvant therapy constitute a paradigm of a potential shift in the management of patients with rectal cancer; however, their role remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of rectal-sparing approaches to preserve the rectum without impairing the outcomes. METHODS: This prospective, multicenter, observational study investigated the outcomes of patients with clinical stage II-III mid-low rectal adenocarcinoma treated with any neoadjuvant therapy, and either transanal local excision or watch-and-wait approach, based on tumor response (major or complete) and patient/surgeon choice. The primary endpoint of the study was rectum preservation at a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Secondary endpoints were overall, disease-free, local and distant recurrence-free, and stoma-free survival at 3 years. RESULTS: Of the 178 patients enrolled in 16 centers, 112 (62.9%) were managed with local excision and 66 (37.1%) with watch-and-wait. At a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 36.1 (30.6-45.6) months, the rectum was preserved in 144 (80.9%) patients. The 3-year rectum-sparing, overall survival, disease-free survival, local recurrence-free survival, and distant recurrence-free survival was 80.6% (95% CI 73.9-85.8), 97.6% (95% CI 93.6-99.1), 90.0% (95% CI 84.3-93.7), 94.7% (95% CI 90.1-97.2), and 94.6% (95% CI 89.9-97.2), respectively. The 3-year stoma-free survival was 95.0% (95% CI 89.5-97.6). The 3-year regrowth-free survival in the watch-and-wait group was 71.8% (95% CI 59.9-81.2). CONCLUSIONS: In rectal cancer patients with major or complete clinical response after neoadjuvant therapy, the rectum can be preserved in about 80% of cases, without compromising the outcomes
Miracle-workers and magicians in the Acts of the Apostles and Philostratus' Life of Apollonius of Tyana.
No full textThe miracle-workers and magicians we meet in the Greco-Roman world and on the pages of Greco-Roman narratives are among the most difficult characters for modem scholars to understand. While Greco-Roman writers presume their readers will share their socio-cultural script and understand how one distinguishes between a legitimate miracle-worker and an illegitimate magician, this script is lost on modem scholars. Hindered first by absolute definitions for miracle and magic from social anthropology and then by relative definitions from the sociology of knowledge, this thesis calls for a re-engagement of the "historic imagination" with respect to these sorts of characters. In particular, this thesis suggests that a detailed investigation into the operation of characters labelled as performers of miracles or magic can reveal the criteria which distinguished the two in the minds of Greco-Roman Mediterraneans as well as revealing the practical outworking of the criteria themselves. Two narratives are chosen for this task-the canonical Acts of the Apostles, representing a Jewish- Christian angle, and Philostratus' Life of Apollonius of Tyana, representing a pagan angle. Methodologically the study proceeds by converting these narratives into "narrative worlds" and then subjecting the narrative worlds to a social investigation using models suggested by the work of Mary Douglas and Peter Brown. Under the rubric of "gaining power, " "intersecting power, " and "defending power" the two narrative worlds projected by these texts are compared and contrasted with respect to the criteria being used to distinguish miracle-worker from magician. The conclusion reached is that in both texts legitimacy for a mediator of divine power is found especially in demonstrating power without appearing desirous of personal gains. A miracle-worker is successful in this regard; a magician is one who fails in this regard
Making sense of institutional change in China: The cultural dimension of economic growth and modernization
No full textBuilding on a new model of institutions proposed by Aoki and the systemic approach to economic civilizations outlined by Kuran, this paper attempts an analysis of the cultural foundations of recent Chinese economic development. I argue that the cultural impact needs to be conceived as a creative process that involves linguistic entities and other public social items in order to provide integrative meaning to economic interactions and identities to different agents involved. I focus on three phenomena that stand at the center of economic culture in China, networks, localism and modernism. I eschew the standard dualism of individualism vs. collectivism in favour of a more detailed view on the self in social relationships. The Chinese pattern of social relations, guanxi, is also a constituent of localism, i.e. a peculiar arrangement and resulting dynamics of central-local interactions in governing the economy. Localism is balanced by culturalist controls of the center, which in contemporary China builds on the worldview of modernism. Thus, economic modernization is a cultural phenomenon on its own sake. I summarize these interactions in a process analysis based on Aoki's framework. --Aoki,culture and the economy,emics/etics,guanxi,relational collectivism,central/local government relations,culturalism,population quality,consumerism
Systematic review of perioperative and quality-of-life outcomes following surgical management of localised renal cancer
No full textUCAN Cancer Charity (www.ucanhelp.org.uk) and MacMillan Cancer Charity (www.macmillan.org.uk) helped design and conduct the study.Peer reviewe
