Cognitive Science, Volume 46, Issue 3, March 2022.

There is a gap in the clinical bioethics literature concerning the approach to assessment of medical decision-making capacity of adolescents or young adults who demonstrate diminished maturity due to longstanding reliance on caregiver support, despite having reached the age of majority. This paper attempts to address this question via the examination of a particular case involving assessment of the decision-making capacity of a young adult pregnant patient who also had a physically disabling neurological condition. Drawing on concepts from adolescent bioethics (...) and feminist critiques of bioethical theory, we argue that limited life experience, secondary to a disabling neurological condition, can result in a lack of adult-like capacity even in a patient who is legally an adult. In such cases, it may be that autonomy, to the extent that it is to be relevant and meaningful, must be viewed through a relational lens. Furthermore, clinicians may avoid unjustifiably paternalistic practices by working with the patient help her gain a better appreciation of the consequences of her decision, thereby calling forward her capacity rather than resorting to being directive in counseling. We conclude that lessons from this case can be used to approach ethically complex instances of medical decision-making in adult patients with normal cognition but diminished experiential maturity. (shrink)

We examined how social cues and representational ones jointly shape people's spatial memory representations and their subsequent descriptions. In 24 pairs, Directors studied an array with a symmetrical structure while either knowing their Matcher's subsequent viewpoint or not. During the subsequent description of the array, the array's intrinsic structure was aligned with the Director, the Matcher, or neither partner. According to memory tests preceding descriptions, Directors who had studied the array while aligned with its structure were more likely to use (...) its orientation as an organizing direction. Directors who had studied the array while misaligned with its structure used its orientation more frequently as an organizing orientation when knowing that the Matcher would be aligned with it, but used their own viewpoint more frequently as an organizing direction when not knowing the Matcher's viewpoint. Directors also adapted their descriptions strategically, using more egocentric expressions when aligned with the intrinsic structure and more partner-centered expressions when their Matchers were the ones aligned with the structure, even when this information wasn't available in advance. These findings suggest that speakers are guided by converging social and representational cues to adapt flexibly the organization of their memories and the perspectives of their descriptions. (shrink)

In this article we present a possible way to make usual quantum mechanics fully compatible with physical realism, defined as the statement that the goal of physics is to study entities of the natural world, existing independently from any particular observer’s perception, and obeying universal and intelligible rules. Rather than elaborating on the quantum formalism itself, we propose a new quantum ontology, where physical properties are attributed jointly to the system, and to the context in which it is embedded. In (...) combination with a quantization principle, this non-classical definition of physical reality sheds new light on counter-intuitive features of quantum mechanics such as the origin of probabilities, non-locality, and the quantum-classical boundary. (shrink)

Systemic risks are risks produced through interconnected non-wrongful actions of individuals, in the sense that an individual's action is a negligible cause of the risk. Due to scale effects of interaction, their consequences can be serious but they are also difficult to predict and assess via a risk assessment. Since we can have good reason to engage in the interconnected activities giving rise to systemic risk, we incur a concurrent collective responsibility to ensure that the risks are fairly distributed and (...) well regulated. James argues that fairness in this context requires taking reasonably available precautions ensuring for each risk-bearer a favourable ratio of expected benefits over expected losses. In sections 2 and 3 we argue that such a conception of fairness applies but only on the condition that the systemic risks created are irreversible risks and that the general background conditions of justice are imperfectly fair. When risks are reversible, compensatory justice can correct for unfairness in risk imposition. Where risks are irreversible, compensatory justice necessarily fails, giving rise to a collective responsibility to regulate fairly ex ante. Additionally, where background conditions of justice are fully fair and the systemic risk is well understood, risk bearers can be said to have consented to the systemic risk. If they are not fair, we argue that the primary political obligation should lie in fixing the fairness of the backgrounds of justice. A related reason for addressing the general background conditions of fairness is that James’ account of fairness in systemic risk imposition encounters a baseline problem. If expected risks and benefits are calculated again an unfair historic background condition, systemic risk imposition would not be fully fair. Section 4 shows why differences in evidentiary uncertainty as to probability and levels of harm and effective responses require a normatively appropriate response in the form of additional precautions. We show that the evidentiary standards set for risk-based cost-benefit analysis have a connection with deontology because they express a postulate of equal treatment in formal terms. Systemic risks can have different possible degrees of epistemological certainty due to factors of social and natural origin, such as more available research funding or higher degrees of complexity for some systemic risks but not others. These differences have to be mitigated by taking even greater precautions in difficult-to-research systemic risks. (shrink)

This paper aims to show that fairness in trade calls for relaxing existing WTO rules to include a greater liberalisation of labour migration. After having addressed several objections to global egalitarianism, it will argue, first, that the world’s rich and the world’s poor participate in a same multilateral trading system whose point is primarily to reduce trade barriers, and hence to establish global economic competitions, in order to raise their standards of living; second, that these competitions are subject to requirements (...) of formal and substantive fairness; and, third, that the substantive fairness of the competitions that are taking place in the field of trade in goods is likely to require a greater liberalisation of labour migration, especially low-skilled labour from developing countries. (shrink)

Aujourd’hui, la question du consentement se règle par une dichotomie universellement admise : oui c’est oui et non c’est non. Mais que faire des « peut-être », des silences, des hésitations, ou encore des relations sexuelles acceptées mais non désirées? En déplaçant la focale analytique sur les sexualités quotidiennes des individu-e-s, le consentement apparaît finalement comme un spectre constitué de « zones grises », impossibles à expliquer via le cadre juridique et social du « vrai viol » ou du consentement (...) « libre et éclairé ». Pourtant, cette vision binaire hégémonique est la seule lecture reconnue pour juger de la légalité des pratiques sexuelles en France. Cet article pointe ainsi le décalage d’un système juridique garant d’une égalité théorique qui s’exerce au sein d’une société hétéronormative, et questionne l’efficacité des dispositifs institutionnels actuels pour comprendre et réguler le consentement sexuel. (shrink)

In previous articles we presented a simple set of axioms named “Contexts, Systems and Modalities”, where the structure of quantum mechanics appears as a result of the interplay between the quantized number of modalities accessible to a quantum system, and the continuum of contexts that are required to define these modalities. In the present article we discuss further how to obtain Born’s rule within this framework. Our approach is compared with other former and recent derivations, and its strong links with (...) Gleason’s theorem are particularly emphasized. (shrink)

Gustave de Molinari (1819–1912) is one of the most important representatives of the French liberal school in the 19th century. Although a Belgian by birth, he is, without contest, a member of the French tradition in the same way as Jean-Baptiste Say or Frédéric Bastiat. Yet, his work is little-known, or only limited to the knowledge of his most controversial theories, which are set out in his most famous publications, “De la Production de la Sécurité.

Résumé Cet article explore le processus de déshumanisation et ses effets sur les individus et plus particulièrement sur leur corps. Pour approcher l’univers de la déshumanisation, les auteurs se sont plongées dans l’irreprésentable des violences génocidaires survenues dans la région des Grands Lacs au Burundi. Deux grandes interrogations constituent le fil rouge de la réflexion : le corps et le paradoxal. Le cas de Nemesa, jeune ex-rebelle burundaise, a permis de penser la souffrance paradoxale liée aux violences extrêmes et inhumaines.

Résumé Cet article explore le processus de déshumanisation et ses effets sur les individus et plus particulièrement sur leur corps. Pour approcher l’univers de la déshumanisation, les auteurs se sont plongées dans l’irreprésentable des violences génocidaires survenues dans la région des Grands Lacs au Burundi. Deux grandes interrogations constituent le fil rouge de la réflexion : le corps et le paradoxal. Le cas de Nemesa, jeune ex-rebelle burundaise, a permis de penser la souffrance paradoxale liée aux violences extrêmes et inhumaines.

Although there is a growing recognition that older adults and those with extensive comorbid conditions undergo cancer screening too frequently, there is little information about patients’ perceptions regarding cessation of cancer screening. Information on older adults’ views of screening cessation would be helpful both for clinicians and for those designing interventions to reduce overscreening.

Salvo contadas excepciones, el itinerario de Antonio Gramsci en la Argentina es generalmente asociado a los gramscianos argentinos reunidos en la revista Pasado y presente, encabezada por José Aricó, sin atender a su historia previa. Sin embargo, se olvida u omite que la introducción del pensamiento de Gramsci en este país fue realizada por Héctor P. Agosti, quien ejerció una notable influencia en muchos de aquellos jóvenes que luego confluirían en el grupo en torno a Aricó. El objetivo de este (...) trabajo es, más allá de las observaciones que se hacen sobre los detractores de Agosti, contribuir a la difusión, y presentación en algunos casos, del pensamiento de uno de los intelectuales más notables que ha dado el Partido Comunista Argentino . Se pretende profundizar en algunos de los vínculos entre las elaboraciones teóricas de Agosti y las de Gramsci que no han sido suficientemente atendidos, así como incidir en el papel que Agosti tuvo en la inserción del pensador italiano en el debate comunista argentino. (shrink)

Although tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is the only medication approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for acute ischemic stroke, there is no consensus about the need for informed consent for its use. As a result, hospitals throughout the U.S. have varying requirements regarding obtaining informed consent from patients for the use of tPA, ranging from no requirement for informed consent to a requirement for verbal or written informed consent. We conducted a study to (1) determine current (...) beliefs about obtaining patients’ informed consent for tPA among a large group of stroke clinicians and (2) identify the ethical, clinical, and organizational factors that influence tPA consent practices. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by trained and experienced investigators and research staff to identify key barriers to implementing acute stroke services. Part of the interview explored current beliefs and practices around informed consent for tPA.This was a multicenter study that included 38 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospital locations. Participants were 68 stroke team clinicians, serving primarily on the neurology (35 percent) or emergency medicine (41 percent) service. We conducted thematic analysis based on principles of grounded theory to identify codes about consent for tPA. We used interpretive convergence to ensure consistency among the individual investigators’ codes and to ensure that all of the investigators agreed on coding and themes.We found that 38 percent of the stroke clinicians did not believe any form of consent was necessary for tPA, 47 percent thought that some form of consent was necessary, and 15 percent were unsure. Clinicians who believed tPA required informed consent were divided on whether consent should be written (40 percent) or verbal (60 percent). We identified three factors describing clinicians’ attitudes about consent: (1) legal and policy factors, (2) ethical factors, and (3) medical factors.The lack of consensus regarding consent for tPA creates the potential for delays in treatment, uneasiness among clinicians, and legal liability. The identified factors provide a potential framework to guide discussions about developing a standard of care for acquiring the informed consent of patients for the administration of tPA. (shrink)

Through theoretical discussion, literature review, and a computational model, this paper poses a challenge to the notion that perspective-taking involves a fixed architecture in which particular processes have priority. For example, considerable work has shown that egocentric perspectives can arise more quickly, with other perspectives (such as of task partners) emerging only secondarily. This theoretical dichotomy is challenged here, and we propose a general view of perspective-taking as an emergent phenomenon governed by the interplay among several cognitive mechanisms. We first (...) describe the pervasive relevance of perspective-taking to cognitive science. A dynamical systems model is then introduced which explicitly formulates the timescale interaction proposed. Implications are discussed, with ideas for future empirical research. (shrink)

Olgária Chain Féres Matos é professora titular aposentada pelo Departamento de Filosofia da Universidade de São Paulo e professora titular no Departamento de Filosofia da Universidade Federal de São Paulo. Sua trajetória tem início em fins dos anos 1960, quando ingressa como estudante na Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras da Universidade de São Paulo, então situada à rua Maria Antonia. Rousseau, Marcuse, Adorno, Derrida e principalmente Walter Benjamin são algumas de suas referências filosóficas mais importantes, a partir das quais (...) a filósofa compõe uma constelação de ideias animadas pelo afeto e pelo erótico. Tendo a utopia como bússola, o desvio como método e a astúcia como guia, seu esforço constantemente renovado é o de iluminar os clássicos com a potência do efêmero e o brilho questionador do extemporâneo. (shrink)

Jane Campion’s work regularly revolves around women’s often complex relationship with socio-cultural discourses and their articulation in language, whether in familial and institutional structures or in cultural and creative practice. In this sense, Campion’s filmmaking continues a feminist tradition of exploration regarding female subjectivity, identity and desire as it is represented in language (cinematic or otherwise). In the Cut (2003), adapted from Susanna Moore’s novel of the same name, again places language and the (dis)articulation of the female voice at its (...) heart: the renewal of which is positioned within the film as crucial to women’s survival. In taking its cue from Hélène Cixous’s ‘The Laugh of the Medusa’ (1976) and later writings such as ‘Castration or Decapitation?' (1981) and ‘Coming to Writing' (1991), this article frames its discussion of Campion’s interrogation of ‘Woman’s’ attempts at the articulation of the self as an exemplar (in both theme and form) of Cixousian strategies. The article will argue that techniques such as a cinematic écriture feminine, and the appropriation and adaptation of the language of Hollywood genre film, form part of Campion’s feminist inquiry into the discourses and legacies of a phallogocentric patriarchal culture which traditionally delimit Woman as a ‘speaking’ subject. In this way, In the Cut exposes the tensions between what Cixous calls the ‘Absolute Woman’ of culture (the aphonic hysteric) and attempts towards agency, thus challenging phallogocentric representations of women. In using these strategies, Campion’s adaptation creates a polyphonic artefact which not only revises Moore’s novel but also re-visits (in order to reclaim) female articulation; re-writing phallogocentric claims to agency and subjectivity, imagining women's ‘survival’ through language. In this sense, then, adaptation itself can be thought of as a feminist act of subversion. (shrink)

Resumo: Para ampliar a compreensão das problemáticas ambientais atuais, este texto reúne as análises interpretativas de dois documentos, os quais, por possuírem perspectivas distintas, contribuem significativamente com o estudo da teoria fleckiana. São dois coletivos de pensamento desenvolvendo práticas científicas com intencionalidades advindas das opções teóricas e políticas, configurando um processo dinâmico de produção de conhecimento. A essência de cada um desses coletivos de pensamento consiste na ampliação e na disseminação da ideia transpessoal, por ela não pertencer, de forma exclusiva, (...) a nenhum dos componentes do coletivo. Propiciar a troca constante de concepções interna e externamente impulsiona o conhecimento científico, cuja evolução depende do processo coletivo em que o pensamento se desenvolve por vínculos e interferências engendradas pelo condicionamento social.: With the intention of broadening the understanding of current environmental issues, this article contains interpretive analysis of two documents which, because of their different perspectives, contribute significantly to the study of Fleckian theory. They are two collective thought manifestoes which develop scientific practices, their goals arising from theoretical and political options that configure a dynamic process of knowledge production. The essence of each of these collective thoughts consists in the expansion and spread of transpersonal ideas that do not belong exclusively to any of the components of the collective. Propitiating the constant exchange of internal and external views drives scientific knowledge, whose evolution depends on a collective process in which thought is developed by bonds and interferences engendered by social conditioning. (shrink)

A coletânea de artigos de Herbert Marcuse comemora em 2007 o lançamento de mais um volume: Art and Liberation. Originada de uma série de visitas empreendidas, a partir de 1989, por Douglas Kellner aos Arquivos Marcuse em Frankfurt, esta coletânea de artigos prevê o lançamento de seis volumes, cada um dos quais dedicado ao tratamento de um tema específico. Único impresso no Brasil, o primeiro engloba alguns textos escritos em colaboração com o governo norte-americano, e discute a relação entre a (...) tecnologia, a guerra e o fascismo (MARCUSE, 1999). (shrink)

Jean-Claude Forquin é professor da UFR de Psychologie, Sociologie et Sciences de l'Education da Universidade de Rouen, na França, e desde a década de 70, tem elaborado uma série de escritos sobre educação. Seu livro Escola e Cultura é uma versão abreviada de sua tese de doutorado de estado em Letras e Ciências Humanas, defendida em 1987, na Universidade de Ciências Humanas de Estrasburgo, cujo título é Le débat sur l 'école et la culture chez les théoriciens et sociologues de (...) l'education en Grande-Bretagne (1960-1985). A problemática central desta obra é discutir o que a escola deve ensinar, que cultura ela deve transmitir, quais conteúdos devem fazer parte do currículo escolar. O autor preocupa-se com estas questões porque considera que o fator essencial da crise da educação, desde os anos 60, é a crise na sua função específica de transmissão cultural - os professores não têm mais certeza do que devem ensinar para seus alunos. Por isso, ele defende que a teoria da educação, além de examinar as relações entre a escola e fatores externos a ela como o contexto econômico, político-administrativo, deve deter-se mais na análise interna desta instituição social, dos conteúdos e saberes escolares. (shrink)

Dans une approche psycho-développementale et systémique, cet article examine l’expérience grand-parentale en contexte de troubles du spectre autistique ( tsa ) de l’enfant en considérant la pluralité des relations familiales (conjugale, co-grand-parentale, parents/enfant(s), grand(s)-parent(s)/petit(s)-enfant(s), etc.) dans lesquelles les grands-parents sont inscrits. L’analyse des entretiens menés auprès de six grands-parents (quatre familles) montre notamment l’important engagement et le soutien instrumental et émotionnel des grands-parents auprès des parents et de leur petit-enfant porteur de tsa. Ces résultats sont discutés en lien avec l’accompagnement (...) des enfants présentant un tsa et leurs familles, dans une perspective systémique. (shrink)

The DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) of chromatin constitute one of the best landmarks of eukaryotic genes that are poised and/or activated for transcription. For over 35 years, the high‐mobility group nucleosome‐binding chromosomal proteins HMGN1 and HMGN2 have been shown to play a role in the establishment of these chromatin‐accessible domains at transcriptional regulatory elements, namely promoters and enhancers. The critical presence of HMGNs at enhancers, as highlighted by a recent publication, suggests a role for them in the structural and (...) functional fine‐tuning of the DHSs in vertebrates. As we review here, while preferentially out‐competing histone H1 binding and invading neighbor nucleosomes, HMGNs may also modulate histone H3 at serine 10 (H3S10ph), which plays an important role in enhancer function and transcriptional initiation. (shrink)

Healthcare providers have been central actors in containing the COVID-19 pandemic. Although potentially very beneficial, the implementation of large-scale rapid serological tests raises ethical dilemmas and affects HCPs’ capacity to work in optimal conditions. In this regard, we call for attention to address specific and urgent ethical issues distinctively affecting HCPs following the availability and possible mandatory use of rapid serological tests for COVID-19.

In distinguishing itself from other distributed approaches to cognition, Anderson's theory of neural reuse is susceptible to some of the same criticisms that have been leveled at modular approaches. Specifically, neural reuse theories state that: (1) the of a given brain circuit is fixed, rather than shaped by its input, and (2) that high-level cognitive behaviors can be cleanly mapped onto a specific set of brain circuits in a non-contextualized manner.

Adverse childhood experiences are prevalent in many western populations. Large studies have put the likelihood of having at least one ACE above 50% of the general population. ACEs and the associated experience of chronic stress, moreover, have been consistently linked with a variety of negative physical and psychological health outcomes across the lifespan from behavioral problems and cognitive difficulties early on, to greater chance of suffering from a mental health disorder and engaging in self destructing behaviors. The literature puts forward (...) several protective factors, such as mother-child relations, parental health, and community engagement. In this perspective paper we put forward the potential of regular nature engagement as a possible additional protective factor. Nature’s therapeutic potential has been well documented, for many psychopathologies and mental health difficulties. Yet studies looking at the protective and therapeutic potential of nature with people with ACEs are remarkably limited in numbers. In this perspective piece we conduct a search of the literature to find previous applications of nature as a protective or therapeutic intervention for people with ACEs. We highlight the gap in the current literature, and put forward various mechanisms of action that justify a closer exploration of this area in further research. (shrink)

In a matter of mere milliseconds, conversational partners can transform their expectations about the world in a way that accords with another person's perspective. At the same time, in similar situations, the exact opposite also appears to be true. Rather than being at odds, these findings suggest that there are multiple contextual and processing constraints that may guide when and how people consider perspective. These constraints are shaped by a host of factors, including the availability of social and environmental cues, (...) and intrinsic biases and cognitive abilities. To explain how these might be integrated in a new way forward, we turn to an adaptive account of interpersonal interaction. This account draws from basic principles of dynamical systems, principles that we argue are already expressed, both implicitly and explicitly, within a broad landscape of existing research. We then showcase an initial attempt to develop a computational framework to instantiate some of these principles. This framework, consisting of what we argue to be important mechanistic insights rendered by neural network models, is based on a promising and long-standing approach that has yet to take hold in the current domain. We argue that by bridging this gap, new insights into other theoretical accounts, such as the connections between memory and common ground information, might be revealed. (shrink)

The primary objective was to review pediatric ethics consultations at a large academic health center over a nine year period, assessing demographics, ethical issues, and consultant intervention. The secondary objective was to describe the evolution of PECs at our institution. This was a retrospective review of Consultation Summary Sheets compiled for PECs at our Academic Health Center between January 2008 and April 2017. There were 165 PECs reviewed during the study period. Most consult requests came from the inpatient setting, with (...) the Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units being the highest utilizers. Consultation utilization increased over the study period. The most common patient age was less than one year. Physicians were most likely to request consultation. Patient Best Interest, Withholding/Withdrawing of Life Sustaining Therapy, and Provider Moral Distress were ethical issues most commonly identified by the consultants. Making recommendations was the most common consultant intervention. The ethics consultation process evolved over time from informal provider discussions, to a hospital infant care review committee, to a pediatric only consultation service, to a combined adult/pediatric consultation service, with variable levels of salary support for consultants. Ethics consultation requests are growing at our institution. Similarities in identified ethical issues exist between our findings and existing literature, however meaningful comparisons remains elusive secondary to variability in approaches to investigation and reporting. A combined paid/volunteer/trainee ethics consultation service model appears sustainable and real time ethics consultation is feasible using this approach. (shrink)

Cet article constitue la présentation des recherches effectuées par une équipe franco-grecque sur le tell de Kirrha en Phocide entre 2008 et 2015, et représente la publication préliminaire des structures archéologiques mises au jour. Deux secteurs distants l’un de l’autre ont été fouillés, révélant une dense occupation de l’Helladique Moyen, ainsi que des niveaux s’étageant jusqu’à l’Helladique Récent III. Notamment, une nécropole de la période transitionnelle (Helladique Moyen III – Helladique Récent I/II) a été fouillée dans la partie occidentale du (...) site, tandis que des niveaux mycéniens ont été reconnus à proximité du sommet. (shrink)

It is evident, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic that has physicians confronting death and dying at unprecedented levels along with growing data suggesting that physicians who care for dying patients face complex emotional, psychological and behavioural effects, that there is a need for their better understanding and the implementation of supportive measures. Taking into account data positing that effects of caring for dying patients may impact a physician’s concept of personhood, or “what makes you, ‘you’”, we adopt Radha (...) Krishna’s Ring Theory of Personhood (RToP) to scrutinise the experiences of physicians working in intensive care units (ICU) using a fictional scenario that was inspired by real events. The impact of death and dying, its catalysts, internal constituents, external factors, dyssynchrony, and buffers, specific to ICU physicians, were identified and explored. Such a framework allows for ramifications to be considered holistically and facilitates the curation of strategies for conflict resolution. This evaluation of the RToP acknowledges the experience and wide-ranging effects it has on ICU physicians. As such, our findings provide insight into their specific needs and highlight the importance of support on a personal and organisational level. Although further research needs to be conducted, the RToP could serve as the basis for a longitudinal assessment tool supported by the use of portfolios or mentorship due to their provision of personalised, appropriate, specific, timely, accessible and long-term support. (shrink)