Moral judgments, whether delivered in ordinary experience or in the courtroom, depend on our ability to infer intentions. We forgive unintentional or accidental harms and condemn failed attempts to harm. Prior work demonstrates that patients with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex deliver abnormal judgments in response to moral dilemmas and that these patients are especially impaired in triggering emotional responses to inferred or abstract events, as opposed to real or actual outcomes. We therefore predicted that VMPC patients would deliver (...) abnormal moral judgments of harmful intentions in the absence of harmful outcomes, as in failed attempts to harm. This prediction was confirmed in the current study: VMPC patients judged attempted harms, including attempted murder, as more morally permissible relative to controls. These results highlight the critical role of the VMPC in processing harmful intent for moral judgment. (shrink)

Research has shown that people sometimes report self-perceived growth as a result of dealing with a potentially traumatic event, but relatively few methodologically rigorous studies have examined whether perceived posttraumatic growth is associated with improved subsequent well-being across a wide range of outcomes. In this three-wave longitudinal study of Colombian emerging adults, we examined the associations of perceived posttraumatic growth with 17 well-being outcomes across domains of psychological well-being, psychological distress, social well-being, physical well-being, and character strengths. Using an outcome-wide (...) analytic design that adjusted for a range of covariates assessed in Wave 1, we found that overall perceived posttraumatic growth assessed in Wave 2 was robustly associated with improvements in one or more facet of each well-being domain assessed approximately six months later in Wave 3. Our findings suggest that perceived posttraumatic growth may contribute to individual well-being over the longer-term. (shrink)

The relational and intersubjective model of subjectivity does not deny the subject, neither does the self-narrating exercise of synthesis of the heterogeneous evade the identity question. It is the role of language to found the meaning of ipseity, to articulate the needs and desires, to organize the dispersion experienced, and to tie action to moral principles of social responsibility. Reflection and self-reflection structure the human experiences of recognition. The correlation between the idea of freedom of individual choice and the idea (...) of collective responsibility is the opportunity for the affirmation of each one and for the establishment of reciprocity between everyone. Within this context, the dialogue between Ricœur, Honneth and Sen proves to be very inspiring.  . (shrink)

Os anos 1964-1985 se caracterizam pela mobilização popular e pela emergência de uma poderosa vontade de mudança social. Queria-se uma libertação das opressões históricas que a maioria do povo vinha sofrendo. Paradoxalmente, foi um tempo de autoritarismo e desrespeito aos direitos sociais e humanos. Este trabalho pretende analisar o movimento do catolicismo brasileiro, especialmente sua luta por esses direitos. Diversos aspectos atuam e influenciam no contexto político-religioso desse período. A reconstrução do significado desse movimento valeu-se de ampla documentação. Apesar dos (...) entraves e das limitações, o catolicismo fez seu percurso e assinalou um passo importante na trajetória histórica desse período. Na compreensão e análise desse caminho, está a proposta deste estudo. Palabras clave: Catolicismo; Direitos sociais e humanos. ABSTRACT The years 1964-1985 were characterised by popular mobilisation and the emergence of a powerful wish for social change, in the sence of a liberation from historical oppressions suffered by most people. Paradoxically, it was a time of authoritarianism and disregard for social and human rights. This paper aims at analysing the movemnt of Brazilian Catholicism, especially its fight for those rights. Various aspects play a part in and influence the political and religious context of that period. A wide range of documents was used for reconstructing the meaning of that movement. Despite hindrances and constraints, Catholicism made its way and pointed out an important step in the historical development of the period. This paper aims at understanding and analysing that way. Key words: Catholicism; Social and human rights. (shrink)

Nursing research using concept analysis plays a critical role for knowledge development, particularly when concerning to broad and foundational concepts for nursing practice, such as dignity. This study aimed to synthesize research concerning concept analysis of dignity in nursing care. Based on a literature review, electronic databases were searched using the terms “dignity,” “human dignity,” “concept analysis,” and nurs*. Papers in Portuguese or English were included. The research synthesis was conducted independently by two reviewers. A total of 35 citations were (...) identified and seven papers were included. Six studies were elected using Walker and Avant concept analysis methodology while one applied the Beth Rodgers evolutionary model. The concept of dignity has been studied by nurses, and its attributes, antecedents, consequences, and similar concepts were synthesized into a definition. Dignity emerged as a fundamental concept in nursing ethics and the main attributes synthesized were personhood, sociability, respect, and autonomy. The antecedents identified were: facilitators—patient focus care, recognition, education, and ethical competence; threats—vulnerability and organizational environment. The consequences were positive coping, empowerment, and dignity preservation. The synthesis of these seven studies using concept analysis provided a clear definition of dignity. These findings challenge future research and education, particularly for the study of undergraduate and postgraduate nursing education programs to enhance skills for preserving patient dignity in clinical practice. (shrink)

Este ensaio aborda as tensões emergentes do antagonismo entre a demanda pelo fomento à disseminação das inovações educacionais e a cultura escolar vigente. Em face da discussão de conceitos e modelos de disseminação das inovações educacionais, são focalizadas as lacunas dos paradigmas de formação docente e suas implicações na conformação da cultura escolar vigente. Nesse contexto, a incorporação do uso pedagógico das Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação (TICs) aos processos educacionais escolares é problematizada como estratégia promissora à indução da cultura (...) de trabalho docente colaborativo. Num milênio caracterizado por crises que assolam, sobremaneira, as populações globais, o ativo trabalho colaborativo passa a compor, simultaneamente, uma exigência, uma necessidade, um desafio e uma possibilidade de superação da transitoriedade das soluções até então propostas e aplicadas ao enfrentamento das demandas prementes. No cenário contemporâneo de profusão de redes sociais e digitais, a mediação das TICs apresenta-se como mecanismo estratégico, especialmente, para o campo educacional escolar, no que tange à conformação da cultura do trabalho colaborativo. Como promover ações que viabilizem e deem sustentabilidade às propostas e práticas curriculares e pedagógicas compatíveis com perspectiva de conformação da cultura de trabalho colaborativo docente mediado pelas TICs? Eis um dos grandes desafios do sistema educacional brasileiro para o século XXI. (shrink)

Aborda o conceito filosófico de rizoma na teorização de Gilles Deleuze e Félix Guattari para desfazer mal entendidos na literatura recente de Ciência da Informação. Explana a dinâmica de criação conceitual na Filosofia e na Ciência, entendendo-as como movimentos entre o virtual e o atual. Em seguida aborda o deslizamento de planos entre Filosofia, Arte e Ciência para ser possível compreender a absorção do conceito filosófico de rizoma pela Ciência da Informação. Apresenta a organização e fluxo da informação pensados inicialmente (...) com a noção de árvore caminhando mais recentemente para a noção de rizoma ou rede. Por fim aproxima as teorizações da filosofia da diferença e da análise de discurso da escola francesa para iluminar ainda mais os mal entendidos sobre a transposição conceitual na Ciência da Informação. (shrink)

In Europe ≈15,000 patients receive larval therapy for wound treatment annually. Over the past few years, clinical studies have demonstrated the success of larvae of Lucilia sericata as debridement agents. This is based on a combination of physical and biochemical actions. Laboratory investigations have advanced our understanding of the biochemical mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of larval secretions, including removal of dead tissue, reduction of the bacterial burden, and promotion of tissue regeneration. The present article summarizes our current understanding of (...) the microbiological, immunological, and wound healing actions of larval therapy, and the molecules involved in these beneficial effects. Future studies will focus on the isolation, identification, and (pre)clinical testing of the effective molecules of L. sericata larvae. These molecules may be candidates for the development of new agents for the treatment of several infectious and inflammatory diseases, including chronic wounds. (shrink)

This study investigated the performance of boys with psychopathic tendencies and comparison boys, aged 9 to 17 years, on two tasks believed to be sensitive to amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex func- tioning. Fifty-one boys were divided into two groups according to the Psychopathy Screening Device (PSD, P. J. Frick & R. D. Hare, in press) and presented with two tasks. The tasks were the gambling task (A. Bechara, A. R. Damasio, H. Damasio, & S. W. Anderson, 1994) and the (...) Intradimensional/ Extradimensional (ID/ED) shift task (R. Dias, T. W. Robbins, & A. C. Roberts, 1996). The boys with psychopathic tendencies showed impaired performance on the gambling task. However, there were no group differences on the ID/ED task either for response reversal or extradimensional set shifting. The implications of these results for models of psychopathy are discussed. (shrink)

Although risky decision-making has been posited to contribute to the maladaptive behavior of individuals with psychopathic tendencies, the performance of psychopathic groups on a common task of risky decision-making, the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT; Bechara, Damasio, Damasio, & Anderson, 1994), has been equivocal. Different aspects of psychopathy (personality traits, antisocial deviance) and/or moderating variables may help to explain these inconsistent findings. In a sample of college students (N = 129, age 18–27), we examined the relationship between primary and secondary (...) psychopathic features and IGT performance. A measure of impulsivity was included to investigate its potential as a moderator. In a joint model including main effects and interactions between primary psychopathy, secondary psychopathy and impulsivity, only secondary psychopathy was significantly related to risky IGT performance, and this effect was not moderated by the other variables. This finding supports the growing literature suggesting that secondary psychopathy is a better predictor of decision-making problems than the primary psychopathic personality traits of lack of empathy and remorselessness. (shrink)

Philosophers, psychologists, neuroscientists, and psychiatrists examine the will and its pathologies from theoretical and empirical perspectives, offering a conceptual overview and discussing schizophrenia, depression, prefrontal lobe damage, and substance abuse as disorders of volition. Science tries to understand human action from two perspectives, the cognitive and the volitional. The volitional approach, in contrast to the more dominant "outside-in" studies of cognition, looks at actions from the inside out, examining how actions are formed and informed by internal conditions. In Disorders of (...) Volition, scholars from a range of disciplines seek to advance our understanding of the processes supporting voluntary action by addressing conditions in which the will is impaired. Philosophers, psychologists, neuroscientists, and psychiatrists examine the will and its pathologies from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, offering a conceptual overview and discussing specific neurological and psychiatric conditions as disorders of volition. After presenting different conceptual frameworks that identify agency, decision making, and goal pursuit as central components of volition, the book examines how impairments in these and other aspects of volition manifest themselves in schizophrenia, depression, prefrontal lobe damage, and substance abuse. Contributors George Ainslie, Tim Bayne, Antoine Bechara, Paul W. Burgess, Anna-Lisa Cohen, Daniel Dennett, Stéphanie Dubal, Philippe Fossati, Chris Frith, Sam J. Gilbert, Peter Gollwitzer, Jordan Grafman, Patrick Haggard, Jay G. Hull, Marc Jeannerod, Roland Jouvent, Frank Krueger, Neil Levy, Peter F. Liddle, Kristen L. Mackiewitz, Thomas Metzinger, Jack B. Nitschke, Jiro Okuda, Adrian M. Owen, Chris Parry, Wolfgang Prinz, Joëlle Proust, Michael A. Sayette, Werner X. Schneider, Natalie Sebanz, Jon S. Simons, Laurie B. Slone, Sean A. Spence. (shrink)

The mechanisms responsible for the fine tuning of development, where the wildtype phenotype is reproduced with high fidelity, are not well understood. The difficulty in approaching this problem is the identification of mutant phenotypes indicative of a defect in these fine‐tuning control mechanisms. Evolutionary biologists have used asymmetry as a measure of developmental homeostasis. The rationale for this was that, since the same genome controls the development of the left and right sides of a bilaterally symmetrical organism, departures from symmetry (...) can be used to measure genetic or environmental perturbations. This paper examines the relationship between asymmtry and resistance to organophosphorous insecticides in the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina. A resistance gene, Rop‐1, which encodes a carboxylesterase enzyme, also confers a significant increase in asymmetry. Continued exposure of resistant populations to insecticide has selected a dominant suppressor of the asymmetry phenotype. Genetic evidence indicates that the modifier is the L. cuprina Notch homologue. (shrink)

The field of affective neuroscience has emerged from the efforts of Jaak Panksepp in the 1990s and reinforced by the work of, among others, Joseph LeDoux in the 2000s. It is based on the ideas that affective processes are supported by brain structures that appeared earlier in the phylogenetic scale (as the periaqueductal gray area), they run in parallel with cognitive processes, and can influence behaviour independently of cognitive judgements. This kind of approach contrasts with the hegemonic concept of conscious (...) processing in cognitive neurosciences, which is based on the identification of brain circuits responsible for the processing of (cognitive) representations. Within cognitive neurosciences, the frontal lobes are assigned the role of coordinators in maintaining affective states and their emotional expressions under cognitive control. An intermediary view is the Damasio-Bechara Somatic Marker model, which puts cognition under partial somatic-affective control. We present here our efforts to make a synthesis of these views, by proposing the existence of two interacting brain circuits; the first one in charge of cognitive processes and the second mediating feelings about cognitive contents. The coupling of the two circuits promotes an endogenous feedback that supports conscious processes. Within this framework, we present the defence that detailed study of both affective and cognitive processes, their interactions, as well of their respective brain networks, is necessary for a science of consciousness. (shrink)

The field of affective neuroscience has emerged from the efforts of Jaak Panksepp in the 1990s and reinforced by the work of, among others, Joseph LeDoux in the 2000s. It is based on the ideas that affective processes are supported by brain structures that appeared earlier in the phylogenetic scale (as the periaqueductal gray area), they run in parallel with cognitive processes, and can influence behaviour independently of cognitive judgements. This kind of approach contrasts with the hegemonic concept of conscious (...) processing in cognitive neurosciences, which is based on the identification of brain circuits responsible for the processing of (cognitive) representations. Within cognitive neurosciences, the frontal lobes are assigned the role of coordinators in maintaining affective states and their emotional expressions under cognitive control. An intermediary view is the Damasio-Bechara Somatic Marker model, which puts cognition under partial somatic-affective control. We present here our efforts to make a synthesis of these views, by proposing the existence of two interacting brain circuits; the first one in charge of cognitive processes and the second mediating feelings about cognitive contents. The coupling of the two circuits promotes an endogenous feedback that supports conscious processes. Within this framework, we present the defence that detailed study of both affective and cognitive processes, their interactions, as well of their respective brain networks, is necessary for a science of consciousness. (shrink)