The Next Release Problem (NRP) is a combinatorial optimization problem that aims to find a subset of software requirements to be delivered in the next software release, which maximize the satisfaction of a list of clients and minimize the effort required by developers to implement them. Previous studies have applied various metaheuristics, mostly genetic algorithms. Estimation of Distribution Algorithms (EDA), based on probabilistic modelling, have been proved to obtain good results in problems where genetic algorithms struggle. In this paper we (...) propose to adapt three EDAs to tackle the multi-objective NRP in a fast and effective way. Results show that EDAs can be applicable to solve the NRP with rather good quality of solutions. Furthermore, we prove that their execution time can be significantly reduced using a per-iteration solution subset selection method while maintaining the overall quality of the solutions obtained, and they perform the best when limiting the search time as in an interactive tool that requires fast responsiveness. The experimental framework, code and datasets have been made public in a code repository. (shrink)

The expressivist account of knowledge attributions, while claiming that these attributions are nonfactual, also typically holds that they retain a factual component. This factual component involves the attribution of a belief. The aim of this work is to show that considerations analogous to those motivating an expressivist account of knowledge attributions can be applied to belief attributions. As a consequence, we claim that expressivists should not treat the so-called factual component as such. The phenomenon we focus on to claim that (...) belief attributions are non-factual is that of normative doxastic disagreement. We show through several examples that this kind of disagreement is analogous to that of the epistemic kind. The result will be a doxastic expressivism. Finally, we answer some objections that our doxastic expressivism could seem to face. (shrink)

Background: This research explores how public awareness and attitudes toward donation and transplantation policies may contribute to Spain's success in cadaveric organ donation. Materials and Methods: A representative sample of 813 people residing in Andalusia (Southern Spain) were surveyed by telephone or via Internet between October and December 2018. Results: Most participants trust Spain's donation and transplantation system (93%) and wish to donate their organs after death (76%). Among donors, a majority have expressed their consent (59%), and few nondonors have (...) expressed their refusal (14%). Only a minority are aware of the presumed consent system in force (28%) and feel sufficiently informed regarding the requirements needed to be an organ donor (16%). Participants mainly consider that relatives should represent the deceased's preferences and be consulted when the deceased's wishes are unknown, as is the case in Spain. Conclusion: Public trust in the transplant system may contribute to Spain's high performance in organ donation. High levels of societal support toward organ donation and transplantation do not correspond with similar levels of public awareness of donation and transplantation policies in Spain. (shrink)

El propósito de este texto es aclarar la dirección, los alcances y los límites del análisis filosófico según lo concibe Peter Strawson en Análisis y metafísica. Para el autor el análisis filosófico asume la forma de una metafísica descriptiva, esto es, de una teoría que exhibe cuáles son, y cómo se relacionan, los distintos elementos que componen nuestro esquema conceptual ordinario. Para lograr tal teoría descriptiva se debe adoptar un estilo de análisis que el autor denomina conectivo, cuya meta es (...) identificar cuáles conceptos, al interior de nuestro esquema son básicos o fundamentales. A este fin deberán aplicarse tres criterios: generalidad, irreductibilidad y no contingencia. (shrink)

Este artículo evalúa los alcances del Cuaderno Azul como crítica sistemática en contra de la que se ha denominado una concepción o explicación causal del significado, específicamente la que formula Russell en The Analysis of Mind. Tal evaluación procederá, primero, aclarando la manera como la concepción causal defiende una noción de significado entendida como la conducta adecuada según el acontecer de leyes causales de orden psicológico. En segundo lugar, desarrollando la crítica que Wittgenstein elabora en el Cuaderno Azul contra la (...) concepción russelliana en tres momentos: 1) la crítica a la hipótesis de las imágenes; 2) el rechazo a la existencia de un proceso interno y oculto; 3) el abandono de una noción psicológica de comprensión para explicar el concepto de significado. Finalmente se aclarará de qué manera toda la crítica del Cuaderno Azul está orientada a debilitar la pretensión que subyace a la explicación causal de explicar científicamente el concepto de significado. (shrink)

In this paper, we address the question whether a mechanistic approach can account for evolutionary causes. The last decade has seen a major attempt to account for natural selection as a mechanism. Nevertheless, we stress the relevance of broadening the debate by including the other evolutionary causes inside the mechanistic approach, in order to be a legitimate conceptual framework on the same footing as other approaches to evolutionary theory. We analyse the current debate on natural selection as a mechanism, and (...) extend it to the rest of the evolutionary causes. We focus on three approaches that we call the stochastic view, the functional view, and the minimalist view. We argue that all of them are unable to account for evolutionary causes as mechanisms. It is concluded that the current mechanistic proposals cannot be accepted as a common framework for evolutionary causes. Finally, we outline some guidelines and requirements that any mechanistic proposal should meet in order to be applied to evolutionary theory. (shrink)

El artículo desarrolla el estado de la cuestión respecto a los elementos de la práctica deportiva que influyen en la producción de emociones. Se focaliza la selección bibliográfica desde la perspectiva teórica y metodológica procedente de la sociología y la psicología social. En las conclusiones se muestra que la frecuencia de la práctica deportiva, el grado de interacción y la presencia de competición son los principales factores que influyen en la producción emocional.

El propósito de este texto es aclarar la dirección, los alcances y los límites del análisis filosófico según lo concibe Peter Strawson en Análisis y metafísica. Para el autor el análisis filosófico asume la forma de una metafísica descriptiva, esto es, de una teoría que exhibe cuáles son, y cómo se relacionan, los distintos elementos que componen nuestro esquema conceptual ordinario. Para lograr tal teoría descriptiva se debe adoptar un estilo de análisis que el autor denomina conectivo, cuya meta es (...) identificar cuáles conceptos, al interior de nuestro esquema son básicos o fundamentales. A este fin deberán aplicarse tres criterios: generalidad, irreductibilidad y no contingencia. (shrink)

We show that both Rado's Conjecture and strong Chang's Conjecture imply that there are no special ℵ2-Aronszajn trees if the Continuum Hypothesis fails. We give similar result for trees of higher heights and we also investigate the influence of Rado's Conjecture on square sequences.

We show that both Rado's Conjecture and strong Chang's Conjecture imply that there are no special ℵ2-Aronszajn trees if the Continuum Hypothesis fails. We give similar result for trees of higher heights and we also investigate the influence of Rado's Conjecture on square sequences.

El lector me permitirá quizá que le explique de entrada el propósito y el alcance de este brevísimo ensayo, anticipándole los temas de las tres partes que lo componen. Primero, explico lo que quiero decir con la expresión «sociedad civil». Con este fin, describo un tipo o carácter ideal de sociedad civil, en torno al cual he organizado un esquema conceptual que utilizo desde hace años en un amplio programa de investigación en ciencia social; y esbozo las líneas de demarcación (...) entre mi uso de esa expresión y otros usos que se han hecho y se hacen tic ella. Segundo, reelaboro el proceso por el que comencé a utilizar este concepto a mediados de los años setenta. Se trata de un esbozo de reconstrucción, hipotético y fragmentario, del contexto de descubrimiento de aquel esquema conceptual. Es un flash back que me lleva de los primeros sesenta a mi libro Estado, burocracia y sociedad civil, que escribí en 1976 . Tercero, tomo nota de los cambios en mi posición a lo largo de estos años, y me interrogo sobre algunos de los problemas que me han llevado de la concepción de 1976 a la que expongo en La primacía de la sociedad civil de 1993 , y en mis trabajos ulteriores, donde hay un desplazamiento sistemático del énfasis de mi trabajo desde lo que Hamo «sociedad civil sensu stricto» hacia la «sociedad civil sensu lato». La explicación podría radicar en la necesidad de revisar, ampliar y formalizar el esquema «acomodándolo»: uno, al proceso en curso de mis trabajos de investigación empírica, y a la importancia creciente en esos trabajos de los temas de autoridad pública, esfera pública y política pública; dos, al horizonte histórico del whithcring away del totalitarismo comunista; y tres, a mi interés creciente en los temas de tradición, instituciones y retórica. Aunque los tres factores están interrelacionados, centraré aquí mi atención sobre todo en el primero de ellos, es decir, en los estímulos para la re-elaboración del esquema originario que han procedido de mi experiencia de investigación empírica, con alguna referencia al segundo, dejando el tercero poco más que aludido. (shrink)

This is a continuation of our paper where we show that Rado's Conjecture can trivialize ‐sequences in some cases when ϑ is not necessarily a successor cardinal.

El fenómeno turístico es uno de los elementos más importantes en relación a los vectores de cambio social. Como objetivo se plantea un análisis bibliométrico-descriptivo sobre el turismo activo y su relación con las prácticas deportivas mediante el estudio de la producción académica en Scopus. Las conclusiones ofrecen un perfilado de los intereses de investigación, temas, tópicos y elementos distintivos de los artículos centrados en esta línea de investigación, resaltando que existen publicaciones muy diversas sobre el tema de la relación (...) entre turismo activo y deporte, donde se contemplan distintos eventos deportivos como oferta turística en una gran variedad geográfica. (shrink)

We consider several game versions of the cardinal invariants \, \ and \. We show that the standard proof that parametrized diamond principles prove that the cardinal invariants are small actually shows that their game counterparts are small. On the other hand we show that \ and \ are both relatively consistent with ZFC, where \ and \ are the principal game versions of \ and \, respectively. The corresponding question for \ remains open.

Unfounded—conspiracy and health—beliefs about COVID-19 have accompanied the pandemic worldwide. Here, we examined cross-nationally the structure and correlates of these beliefs with an 8-item scale, using a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. We obtained a two-factor model of unfounded (conspiracy and health) beliefs with good internal structure (average CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.05, SRMR = 0.04), but a high correlation between the two factors (average latent factor correlation = 0.57). This model was replicable across 50 countries (total N = 13,579), (...) as evidenced by metric invariance between countries (CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMS = 0.07) as well as scalar invariance across genders (CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.04, SRMS = 0.03) and educational levels (CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.04, SRMS = 0.03). Also, lower levels of education, more fear of COVID-19, and more cynicism were weakly associated with stronger conspiracy and health beliefs. The study contributes to knowledge about the structure of unfounded beliefs, and reveals the potential relevance of affective (i.e., fear of COVID-19) and cognitive (i.e., cynicism) factors along with demographics, in endorsing such beliefs. In summary, we obtained cross-cultural evidence for the distinctiveness of unfounded conspiracy and health beliefs about COVID-19 in terms of their structure and correlates. (shrink)

Unfounded—conspiracy and health—beliefs about COVID-19 have accompanied the pandemic worldwide. Here, we examined cross-nationally the structure and correlates of these beliefs with an 8-item scale, using a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. We obtained a two-factor model of unfounded (conspiracy and health) beliefs with good internal structure (average CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.05, SRMR = 0.04), but a high correlation between the two factors (average latent factor correlation = 0.57). This model was replicable across 50 countries (total N = 13,579), (...) as evidenced by metric invariance between countries (CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMS = 0.07) as well as scalar invariance across genders (CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.04, SRMS = 0.03) and educational levels (CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.04, SRMS = 0.03). Also, lower levels of education, more fear of COVID-19, and more cynicism were weakly associated with stronger conspiracy and health beliefs. The study contributes to knowledge about the structure of unfounded beliefs, and reveals the potential relevance of affective (i.e., fear of COVID-19) and cognitive (i.e., cynicism) factors along with demographics, in endorsing such beliefs. In summary, we obtained cross-cultural evidence for the distinctiveness of unfounded conspiracy and health beliefs about COVID-19 in terms of their structure and correlates. (shrink)

For years theists have claimed that the constants of physics had to be finely tuned by God to the values that have for life in the universe to be possible. In my column of June, 2009 I showed that many of these claims are based on an improper analysis of the data. Even some of the competent scientists who write on this subject commit the fallacy of holding all the parameters constant and varying just one. When you allow all to (...) vary, you find that changes to one parameter can be easily compensated for by changes to another, leaving the ingredients for life in place. This point is also made nicely in a recent Scientific American cover story by Alejandro Jenkins and Gilad Perez. In this column I will discuss perhaps the most cited example of claimed fine-tuning, the Hoyle resonance. In 1953 the famous astronomer Fred Hoyle calculated that the production of carbon would not occur with sufficient probability unless that probability was boosted by the presence of an excited nuclear state of C12 at a very specific energy. In what appeared to be a remarkable victory for anthropic reasoning, Hoyle proposed that this previously unknown state must exist at about 7.7 MeV. (shrink)

Parsa-Parsi et al systematically discuss and elucidate contentious and non-controversial ethical issues that emerged during the ICoME (International Code of Medical Ethics) revision process and the consensus they achieved. The ethical issues discussed include the physician’s duty to act in the best interests of patients and to ensure they are protected from the unjustifiable risk of harm, respect for patient autonomy and the duties of physicians during emergencies, among others. This paper examines paragraph 26, which requires doctors to provide only (...) medically justified remote treatment, ensure patients offer informed consent and adequately protect their confidentiality.1 At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries in Europe and America implemented remote-by-default healthcare policies. At that time, the policy aimed to ensure that patients enjoyed continued access to care while protecting healthcare professionals’ health and well-being. After the COVID-19 pandemic, this policy remained in place. Regardless of the nature of their ailment, patients have consistently preferred in-person care out of concern that their health issues might not be accurately diagnosed and that they may not receive quality care …. (shrink)

El pensamiento de María Zambrano emerge, en la distancia histórica, bajo la imagen, siempre sugerente, de una Antígona contemporánea. Como ella asiste al conflicto trágico de una Guerra Civil; como ella apura el cáliz del sufrimiento y la soledad para hacer emerger una conducta ética y moral que sirva de Guía a sus contemporáneos, en un momento de crisis y confusión. Todas las grandes nociones del pensamiento zambraniano (sueño, confesión, guía, alba y aurora) se dan cita en esta máscara, pero (...) será el personaje galdoniano de la Nina de Misericordia, como aspiración pura nunca lograda, el verdadero motor que revela la personalidad de María Zambrano, tal como la vemos florecer en sus obras finales, Aurora, Claros del bosque y, sobre todo, Los bienaventurados. (shrink)

El antiguo problema de la libertad y el determinismo ha sido retomado en nuestros días por las neurociencias desde una perspectiva naturalista. Son muchos los problemas metodológicos y conceptuales a los que se enfrentan los investigadores al tratar de resolver científicamente la pregunta por la existencia del libre albedrío. Nuestro objetivo será someter a crítica uno de los presupuestos de estas investigaciones, la posibilidad de cuantificar la libertad como un hecho. Para ello expondremos en primer lugar las dificultades relativas a (...) esta pretensión. Tras ello estableceremos cuáles son las condiciones de posibilidad de la libertad en aras de someter a crítica las perspectivas psicológica y neurocientífica, sugerimos que ambas son incapaces de ofrecer conocimiento sobre la existencia de tales condiciones. Asimismo, ofreceremos algunas consideraciones metodológicas tomando como eje de la crítica el famoso experimento de Libet. (shrink)

The aim of this paper is to use the approaches of the Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han, on the one hand, to show the challenges that formulate and define our times and, on the other, to focus this view on education. In this sense, it is necessary to define the post-pandemic 21st century society marked by psychopolitics. Education is subject to a framework of unprecedented complexity, due to digitalisation and the acceleration of a world that is perceived as progressing, and yet (...) is becoming increasingly ill due to an excess of positivity. The pedagogy that operates through pleasure and the new relational plane of social networks, which formulate affine and disembodied encounters, eliminates negativity. Education lends itself to a demanding examination as the starting point of this society and is seen as the place where the possibility of transformation arises. In the latter sense it is argued that philosophy in our classrooms has a crucial role to play. (shrink)

I INTRODUCTION: RESPECT, EQUALITY AND THE AUTONOMY OF MORALITY We often invoke a notion of respect to express our sense of human equality. ...

We focus on the literature about UBI and the experiments developed all around the world to test it in order to address how UBI implementation could affect entrepreneurship. Building on these findings and various strands of entrepreneurial theory, we develop a theoretical framework to explain how the implementation of UBI would dramatically change the environment of entrepreneurial activity, shaping entrepreneurial action at three levels: (i) the desirability of becoming an entrepreneur; (ii) the perceived feasibility of becoming an entrepreneur; (iii) the (...) propensity to act. Consequently, UBI implementation would arguably facilitate the decision to become an entrepreneur. The contribution of the paper is threefold. It firstly provides a theoretical framework that opens new directions for further research on the relationship between UBI and entrepreneurship. Secondly, it offers new insights for policy makers by shedding light on potential effects of UBI implementation. Finally, it raises further questions that remains unsolved related to the role of non-pecuniary motivations and financial constraints. (shrink)

Everyone, even when asserting unchallengeable authority from God or Science, thinks in language, in words and phrases, in expressions of moral, social and political impact, fighting words and words with and over which we fight. However, debates among the educated can be irrelevant elsewhere, ineffective against the highly motivated whose dogma instructs and guides them, their voting and their arming. The degeneration of “democracy” to “tyranny” such as Plato’s Republic postulated threatens in some lands “of the free,” while in others (...) it seems inexorably in progress. Today “democracy,” republic,” “liberty/freedom,” “justice,” “law and order” are adduced by their actual enemies to complement “nationalism,” “patriotism,” and frightening “empire.” Extremists on both sides decry “Tyranny!” each in fact seeking authoritarian power. All of which have instructive ancient precedents: in the History of the Peloponnesian War Thucydides offers horrific accounts of ancient nation-states “long ago and far away,” more or less democratic, that abandoned common sense, moral sense, and with them regard for value words and truth itself. In the early 2020s CE many persons and governments have done little better during the still lingering pandemic. A second horror is prompted by Thucydides’ report of civil war on Corcyra, telling how faction spawned riots, coups d’état, and outright civil war. The twenty-first-century media are uniquely potent, yet mechanics of seduction are timeless. Likewise techniques for winning true believers and votes, as illustrated by passages in Mein Kampf on the language of propaganda, its production and reception. Our hope is therefore Education for a New Era to help students to discover pitfalls of media(ted) “information,” to achieve independent critical thinking at levels of basic language use and foundations of argument. Besides recognizing mis- and disinformation as harmful, they must learn themselves to judge thoughtless use, cynical abuse, or, worse yet, brazen disdain of vocabulary indicating moral/ethical value. Scientists have key roles in this drama; humanists larger ones yet. (shrink)

El artículo investiga, en relación con la noción de formación, el concepto de humanismo al que se remonta Gadamer en _Verdad y método._ Para ello, trata de reconstruir las líneas generales del debate que tuvo lugar en Alemania en torno a 1800 sobre el significado de la _Bildung_ y sus implicaciones para las primeras reformas educativas estatales del siglo XIX. Con ello, busca ganar un horizonte desde el que volver a pensar el concepto humanista de formación como un modo de (...) enfrentar las pretensiones de universalidad de la ciencia moderna y para entender, a partir de ahí, una noción de verdad que abre, a su vez, nuevos horizontes desde los que pensar el compromiso hermenéutico con la educación. (shrink)