Water, the most represented substance in the human body, is a trace of the primordial sea where life originated. Its virtues may be represented by the Venus of Botticelli coming out from the sea, as well as by Velasquezs water seller and by Aristophanes chant of the clouds. Water has been connected with medicine from time immemorial and is a common good.

BackgroundNeuroimaging studies have shown a complex pattern of brain activation during perception of a pleasant odor and during its olfactory imagery. To date, little is known regarding changes in motor cortex excitability during these tasks. Bergamot essential oil is extensively used in perfumes and cosmetics for its pleasantness. Therefore, to further our understanding of the human sense of smell, this study aimed to investigate the effect of perception and imagery of a pleasant odor on motor cortex using Transcranial magnetic stimulation.Materials (...) and MethodsWe examined the primary motor cortex excitability during perception of a pleasant odor or perception of odorless saline. Furthermore, we tested the effect of olfactory imagery of BEO on corticospinal excitability. The increase in motor evoked potential amplitude was correlated with personality dimensions scores, pleasantness, vividness, and general imagery ability.ResultsThe results indicate that the corticospinal excitability changed after both perception and imagery of a pleasant odor. The correlation analysis shows an association with neuroticism personality trait and with general olfactory imagery ability.ConclusionBoth perception of a pleasant odor and its olfactory imagery modulate motor cortex excitability. The enhanced brain activation is affected by specific individual characteristics. Overall, our findings provide physiological evidence for a complex interaction between the olfactory and motor systems. (shrink)

The construction of body image consists of the ways in which the body is considered, perceived, and evaluated. The ideal body image has been changing considerably over the centuries; the discrepanc...

In this paper we examine the contributions of the Italian geometrical school to the Foundations of Projective Geometry. Starting from De Paolis' work we discuss some papers by Segre, Peano, Veronese, Fano and Pieri. In particular we try to show how a totally abstract and general point of view was clearly adopted by the Italian scholars many years before the publication of Hilbert's Grundlagen.We are particularly interested in the interrelations between the Italian and the German schools (mainly the influence of (...) Staudt's and Klein's works). We try also to understand the reason of the steady decline of the Italian school during the twentieth century. (shrink)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the conceptual model of an innovative methodology (SAT) to assess the social acceptance of technology, especially focusing on artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology. -/- Design/methodology/approach After a review of the literature, this paper presents the main lines by which SAT stands out from current methods, namely, a four-bubble approach and a mix of qualitative and quantitative techniques that offer assessments that look at technology as a socio-technical system. Each bubble determines the social (...) variability of a cluster of values: User-Experience Acceptance, Social Disruptiveness, Value Impact and Trust. -/- Findings The methodology is still in development, requiring further developments, specifications and validation. Accordingly, the findings of this paper refer to the realm of the research discussion, that is, highlighting the importance of preventively assessing and forecasting the acceptance of technology and building the best design strategies to boost sustainable and ethical technology adoption. -/- Social implications Once SAT method will be validated, it could constitute a useful tool, with societal implications, for helping users, markets and institutions to appraise and determine the co-implications of technology and socio-cultural contexts. -/- Originality/value New AI applications flood today’s users and markets, often without a clear understanding of risks and impacts. In the European context, regulations (EU AI Act) and rules (EU Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy) try to fill this normative gap. The SAT method seeks to integrate the risk-based assessment of AI with an assessment of the perceptive-psychological and socio-behavioural aspects of its social acceptability. (shrink)

A simplified definition of point local clocks and the relationship between an inertial reference frame and a class of such clocks, at rest with respect to each other, are used for an algebraic determination of the geometry of Minkowski's space-time on the set of point events. The group of all automorphisms that preserve the time ordering induced by the set of all equivalent local clocks is shown to be generated by the inhomogeneous orthochronous Lorentz group and dilatations, consistently with a (...) well-known result of E. C. Zeeman. The existence of a universal limit velocity and of an invariant clock cone through any event is among the implications of our proof, thus effectively exploiting a suggestion due to F. Severi. (shrink)

Providing a novel multi-disciplinary theorization of memory politics, this insightful Handbook brings varied literatures into a focused dialogue on the ways in which the past is remembered and how these influence transnational, interstate, and global politics in the present. With case studies from Africa, East and Southeast Asia, Europe, South America, and the United States, the Handbook focuses on the political features of historical memory in international relations. Chapters examine key concepts of memory politics, including accountability, commemoration and memorialization, the (...) Europeanization of memory, and the politics of trauma and victimhood, as well as analyzing different sites of memory, from the human body and memorial sites to media, film, and television. It also answers essential questions such as who and what determines the relevance of the past in the present; how does memory become a political question; and what are the political effects and ethical implications of its mobilization? Exploring the links between the politics of memory, international ethics, law, and diplomacy, this stimulating Handbook will be essential reading for students and scholars of politics and international relations, cultural studies, history, and transitional justice. Its discussion of notable agents and practices of memory politics will also be beneficial for practitioners working in human rights, politics, and public policy. (shrink)

The aim of this paper is to identify the position the ru'yat Allāh holds within the curriculum of sciences described by the Iḫwān al-Ṣafa'. Their concept of knowledge is first clarified. The Ihwan use the terminology of rational knowledge to describe items of faith too. But faith is only an introduction to a greater knowledge. Now: is the supreme knowledge to be considered as speculative and theoretical, or are the ḫawciṣṣ, the only ones entitled to the vision of God, eventually (...) obliged to rely on a kind of divine “revelation” or “inspiration”? If the “vision of God” appears beyond any possible connotation of knowledge in “rational” terms, it is unclear, however, whether the Ihwan use the concepts of “revelation” and “inspiration” as a way of explaining in a theological terminology the utmost degree of human knowledge. Moreover, the qualities and moral dispositions attributed to the “Friends of God” remind us of Sufi doctrines. Consequently, the question of the relation between Sufism and imāmite theories could be re-opened: the Iḫwānian definition of the “science of the transcendent” shows that the gnoseological itinerary is not concluded even with the “vision of God.” Cet article vise à identifier la position tenue par la vision de Dieu dans le cadre du curriculum des sciences décrit par les Iḫwān al-Ṣafā'. En premier lieu, leur conception de la connaissance est clarifiée. Les Ihwan utilisent la terminologie de la connaissance rationnelle pour présenter aussi les articles de foi. La question est désormais celle-ci: la connaissance suprême doit-elle être considérée comme spéculative et théorique, ou bien les ḫawīṣṣ, les seuls à avoir droit à la vision de Dieu, sont-ils finalement obligés de se reposer sur une sorte de “révélation” ou “inspiration” divine? Si la vision de Dieu paraît être au delà de toute connotation cognitive en des termes “rationnels,” on ne sait pourtant pas clairement si les Iḫwān utilisent les concepts de “révélation” et “d'inspiration” comme une manière d'expliquer, en termes théologiques, le degré suprême de la connaissance humaine. En outre, les qualités et les dispositions morales attributées aux “Amis de Dieu” nous rappellent les doctrines soufies. Par conséquent, on pourrait rouvrir la question de la relation entre le soufisme et les théories imamites: la définition des Iḫwān de la “science du transcendant” montre que l'itinéraire gnoséologique reste inachevé même avec la “vision de Dieu.”. (shrink)

In this Chapter, Maria Kronfeldner discusses whether psychological essentialism is a necessary part of dehumanization. This involves different elements of essentialism, and a narrow and a broad way of conceptualizing psychological essentialism, the first akin to natural kind thinking, the second based on entitativity. She first presents authors that have connected essentialism with dehumanization. She then introduces the error theory of psychological essentialism regarding the category of the human, and distinguishes different elements of psychological essentialism. On that basis, Kronfeldner (...) connects historical, socio-psychological, and philosophical insights in order to show that although essentialism can act as a catalyst for dehumanization, it is not necessary for it. Examples relate to dehumanization in the context of colonialism and evolutionary thinking, to the history of dehumanizing women from Aristotle to 19th-century craniology, and to contemporary self-dehumanization and ‘lesser mind’ attribution. (shrink)

The manuscript Chisianus VII 240 (K) is an important witness for A. Donatus’ Commentum on Terence, unfortunately discovered only after the editorial work of P. Wessner. K was demonstrated to follow different sources in different sections of the Commentary, but, for the section containing the commentary on Andria, it derives from the Carnotensis, a codex deperditus with a good Donatian text. In this paper I pay attention to significant errors that join the Chisianus VII 240 with Λ, a group of (...) manuscripts that come from the Maguntinus, in order to demostrate that the most probable way of explaining these Bindefehler is the assumption of a deep process of contamination, probably due to Λ. (shrink)

Emerging evidence supports the role for the intracellular domains of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the physiology and function of APP. In this short report, I discuss the hypothesis that mutation of Tyr682 on the Y682ENPTY687 C‐terminal motif of APP may be directly or indirectly associated with alterations in APP functioning and activity, leading to neuronal defects and deficits. Mutation of Tyr682 induces an early and progressive age‐dependent cognitive and locomotor decline that is associated with a loss of synaptic connections, (...) a decrease in cholinergic tone, and defects in NGF signaling. These findings support a model in which APP‐C‐terminal domain exerts a pathogenic function in neuronal development and decline, and suggest that Tyr682 potentially could modulate the properties of APP metabolites in humans. (shrink)

The article compares some wellknown features of Western humanism with those of the so-called Muslim humanism (X-XII centuries). The Muslim “golden age” in its various aspects (philosophy, science, literature, politics, etc.) is built on a consistent, though multifarious, religious basis. Even cultural and historical reasons demonstrate, then, that ethics is not sufficient for establishing a common ground for dialogue with Islam, and that Islam has to be approached mainly in its religious meaning. A re-thinking of the Sacred Book on a (...) new basis, proposed by many of contemporary Muslim intellighenzia, who also often emphasize the importance of ancient humanism, should be taken into account also by their Western counterpart. West should not, on the contrary, make the mistake of reading Islam according to its own historical and/or ideological attitudes. KEY WORDS – Muslim humanism. West humanism. Intercultural dialog. Religion. (shrink)

O presente artigo compara algumas características bem conhecidas do humanismo ocidental com aquelas do assim chamado “humanismo muçulmano” dos séculos X-XII. A “idade de ouro” muçulmana, em suas várias facetas, construiu-se sobre uma consistente, apesar de multifacetada, base religiosa. Razões históricas e culturais demonstram sempre que a ética não é suficiente a fim de estabelecer uma base comum para o diálogo com o Islã, e que é preciso aproximar- se dele principalmente pelo viés do pensamento religioso. O re-pensar do Livro (...) Sagrado sobre um novo fundamento, proposto por diversos membros da intelligentzia muçulmana, e que realça, assim, o antigo humanismo, deve, pois, ser levado em consideração pela contraparte ocidental. Já o Ocidente, pelo contrário, não pode cometer o erro de ler o texto do Islã de acordo com suas próprias atitudes históricas e/ou ideológicas. PALAVRAS-CHAVE – Humanismo islâmico. Humanismo ocidental. Diálogo de culturas. Religião. (shrink)

This article deals with Averroes’s interpretation of Metaph. Ε 1, where Aristotle discusses the nature and object of metaphysics, as well as its place in the hierarchy of sciences. Among Averroes’s predecessors, al-Kindī seems to see a coincidence between metaphysics and theology, since God can be described as the “first cause of everything”. However, al-Fārābī and Avicenna discovered that “first philosophy” could be conceived as an ontology distinct from theology; moreover, they considered theology to be only a part of metaphysics, (...) not even the most important one. In the Great Commentary on Metaphysics - where the Arabic translation of the work by the Jacobite monk Usṭāth is quoted, Averroes often just paraphrases the original passages. One may infer that theology in the strict sense is merely mentioned by way of example. In the Epitome of Metaphysics, the objects of metaphysics are “general” ones; metaphysics studies the “absolute being” and cannot be identified with theology as “pertaining to God”. (shrink)

The article describes the fourteen passages of the encyclopaedia containing the word dawla. The Ikhwān introduce a cyclical conception of the alternation of ruling dynasties. After the dynasty of the evil reached its apex, the dynasty of the good begins when learned agree “on a unique school and a sole religion”. The Ikhwān introduce this as a wondrous event, close to become reality. This conception is linked to their vision in expectance of the legitimate rulers after the debasement of the (...) Family of the Prophet following Muḥammad’s death. The connection of these passages with the rituals described in Ep. 50 On the Various Kinds of Management (where political vision, astrology and magic are combined) might confirm the Ikhwān’s Ismā ‘īlī commitment. (shrink)

Based on a new and complete collation of manuscripts and ancient editions, this paper will discuss some stemmatic and textual problems concerning the “Excerpta de comoedia” attributed to Aelius Donatus.

This paper wants to demonstrate the not casual similarity between Plautus’Asinaria 205 and Terence’s Andria 545 arguing for the possibility that Plautus’Asinaria 205 was interpolated.

In the first act of Terence'sAndria, we find a dialogue between the old man Simo and Sosia, the freedman, with the former explaining why he has decided to arrange a false wedding for his young son Pamphilus. He has, in fact, learned that his son, despite being betrothed, has had a relationship with another girl and that—quite a serious matter—the fiancée's father, Chremes, has heard about the clandestine affair. In verses 144–9 Simo reports on the not-altogether friendly meeting he has (...) had with Chremes, who is furious about the complete disrespect that has been shown to his daughter; Simo's only defence is to attempt to deny the truth (146:ego illud sedulo negare factum). (shrink)

In human groups performing oscillatory tasks, it has been observed that the frequency of participants' oscillations reduces when compared to that acquired in solo. This experimental observation is not captured by the standard Kuramoto oscillators, often employed to model human synchronization. In this work, we aim at capturing this observed phenomenon by proposing three alternative modifications of the standard Kuramoto model that are based on three different biologically-relevant hypotheses underlying group synchronization. The three models are tuned, validated and compared against (...) experiments on a group synchronization task, which is a multi-agent extension of the so-called mirror game. (shrink)

La reproduction ou représentation de cet article, notamment par photocopie, n'est autorisée que dans les limites des conditions générales d'utilisation du site ou, le cas échéant, des conditions générales de la licence souscrite par votre établissement. Toute autre reproduction ou représentation, en tout ou partie, sous quelque forme et de quelque manière que ce soit, est interdite sauf accord préalable et écrit de l'éditeur, en dehors des cas prévus par la législation en vigueur en France. Il est précisé que son (...) stockage dans une base de données est également interdit. (shrink)

Heath and Tversky (1991, Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 4:5–28) posed that reaction to ambiguity is driven by perceived competence. Competence effects may be inconsistent with ambiguity aversion if betting on own judgement is preferred to betting on a chance event, because judgemental probabilities are more ambiguous than chance events. This laboratory experiment analyses whether ambiguity affects prices and volumes in a double auction market, and contrasts ambiguity aversion to competence effects. In order to test for the presence of competence (...) effects, in the experiment uncertainty is tied to the realisation of events about which the decision maker is more or less knowledgeable. Two experiments are presented: in the first, knowledge is exogenous, whereas in the second the knowledge judgement is endogenous. Market prices provide evidence in favour of the competence hypothesis only when competence is self-assessed. Comparable volumes are observed in both experiments. (shrink)

Maria Kronfeldner’s Preface and Introduction to the Routledge Handbook of Dehumanization maps the landscape of dehumanization studies. She starts with a brief portrayal of the history of the field. The systematically minded sections that follow guide the reader through the resulting rugged landscape represented in the Handbook’s contributions. Different realizations, levels, forms, and ontological contrasts of dehumanization are distinguished, followed by remarks on the variety of targets of dehumanization. A discussion on valence and emotional aspects is added. Causes, functions, (...) and consequences of dehumanization, and the prospects for reducing or undoing it, are introduced. The systematic overview closes with a discussion of some important theoretical complexities that arise in studying dehumanization. After these systematic sections, the scholarly work on dehumanization gets situated in the broader intellectual landscape of debates about the ‘human’ in the humanities and social sciences. The Introduction ends with some notes on scope, limitations, and intended readership of the Handbook. (shrink)

Mettant en perspective historique le parallèle entre sciences cognitives et phénoménologie, nous revenons sur « l’architecture ouverte », qui pour Bernstein expliquait la richesse du comportement à la lumière de la physiologie cérébrale. Sa conception de la « dextérité » sera interprétée en rapport à la « dégénérescence » du système nerveux au sens d’Edelman, de façon à mettre au jour les « contraintes dynamiques » entre l’environnement, le corps humain sensori-moteur et le cerveau. Les deux concepts renvoient, en effet, (...) à « l’ouverture » des processus mentaux et comportementaux, dont la plasticité conditionne l’adaptation de l’humain à son environnement. (shrink)

"Dr. Montessori was par excellence the great interpreter of the child; and though she herself has passed on from the scene of her labours her work will still go on."-- Westminster Cathedral Chronicle One of the landmark books in the history of education--and one of the least expensive editions now available--this volume describes a new system for educating youngsters. Based on a radical concept of liberty for the pupil and highly formal training of separate sensory, motor, and mental capacities, the (...) system enabled youngsters to master reading, writing, and arithmetic rapidly and substantially. Included are discussions of scientific pedagogy; discipline; the importance of proper diet, gymnastics, and manual labor; and many other topics. Unabridged reprint of the classic 1912 edition. (shrink)

A paper about cross-cultural and cross-racial loving that emphasizes the need to understand and affirm the plurality in and among women as central to feminist ontology and epistemology. Love is seen not as fusion and erasure of difference but as incompatible with them. Love reveals plurality. Unity–not to be confused with solidarity–is understood as conceptually tied to domination.

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented strain to healthcare systems worldwide and posed unique challenges to the healthcare professionals and the general public.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health, behavioral, and physical wellbeing of HCPs in the early and mid-term periods of the pandemic in comparison to non-HCPs. Thus, facilitating and guiding optimum planning and delivery of support to HCPs.Methods and AnalysisAn observational cross-sectional survey and cohort study aiming to enroll (...) over 1050 participants. Study questionnaires will be completed at baseline and after 6-weeks and 4-months. Recruitment initiated July 2020. The study was designed in London, United Kingdom, but open to participants worldwide. Baseline: Questionnaires comprising of validated self-administered screening tools for depression, anxiety, sleep-related issues, wellbeing, and burnout. The questionnaires also explore changes in behavior and physical wellbeing of the participants. In addition, associations of these mental health and behavioral factors with work-related factors and support will be explored. Six-weeks and 4-months follow-up: Follow-up questionnaires will assess change in symptoms of anxiety and depression, sleep disorders, use of alcohol and other substances, behavioral or interpersonal relationship changes. Physical wellbeing will be assessed through the presence of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection and absence from work. We will also evaluate the impact of variable provision of personal protection equipment, extended working hours, and concern for the wellbeing of family members, anxiety levels, and evidence of burnout.Statistical ConsiderationsThe study has 80% power to detect a 10% difference of combined depression and/or anxiety symptoms between the groups using two-sided type 1 error at 0.05 at baseline. Assuming that only 50% of these HCPs agree to be a part of a cohort survey, we will have 80% power to detect around 12% difference in the two groups in reported physical symptoms, or prevalence of depression and/or anxiety at the end of the study.EthicsThe study was approved by the Cambridge East, Research Ethics Committee.Trial Registration NumberClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04433260. (shrink)

This paper argues that neuroscience has great potential to increase free will rather than condemn us to determinism. If human freedom depends on such factors as: having the intelligence and rationality to understand the physical, social and moral consequences of one’s actions; being aware of what choices are available and viable; being without emotional illness and compulsion; etc., then brain based treatments can expand human freedom. We present several hypothetical cases in which treatments appear to increase experienced free will. In (...) the fi rst case, a prescription for Epistemidol increases the IQ and information-seeking drive of a woman with initially low normal intelligence. In the second case, a man with Dysthymia is treated with Optimistimine and becomes more outgoing and receptive to others. These and other cases suggest that experiential freedom can be pharmaceutically enhanced by an expanded ability to deliberate and understand the nature of choices and their consequences. (shrink)