The growing prevalence of health care ethics consultation (HCEC) services in the U.S. has been accompanied by an increase in calls for accountability and quality assurance, and for the debates surrounding why and how HCEC is evaluated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of HCEC as indicated by several novel outcome measurements in East Asian medical encounters.

Digitized information and network have made an enormous impact on the music and movie industries. Internet piracy is popular and has greatly threatened the companies in these industries. This study tests Hunt-Vitell’s ethical decision model and attempts to understand why and how people share unauthorized music files with others in the peer-to-peer (P2P) network. The norm of anti-piracy, the ideology of free software, the norm of reciprocity, and the ideology of consumer rights are proposed as four deontological norms related to (...) using P2P systems. The model is tested using a scenario survey with four alternatives; the results indicate that the deontological norm of anti-piracy is not a main factor in affecting P2P users’ ethical considerations regarding sharing files with others. This finding suggests that to protect their property rights, record companies should try to realize the consumer benefits brought via new digital and network technology, instead of simply declaring their intellectual property and resisting the innovations resulting from new technologies. (shrink)

Improving the resilience of urban road networks suffering from various disruptions has been a central focus for urban emergence management. However, to date the effective methods which may mitigate the negative impacts caused by the disruptions, such as road accidents and natural disasters, on urban road networks is highly insufficient. This study proposes a novel adaptive signal control strategy based on a doubly dynamic learning framework, which consists of deep reinforcement learning and day-to-day traffic dynamic learning, to improve the network (...) performance by adjusting red/green time split. In this study, red time split is regarded as extra traffic flow to discourage drivers to use affected roads, so as to reduce congestion and improve the resilience when urban road networks are subject to different levels of disruptions. In addition, we utilize the convolution neural network as Q-network to approximate Q values, link flow distribution and link capacity are regarded as the state space, and actions are denoted as red/green time split. A small network is utilized as a numerical example, and a fixed time signal control and other two adaptive signal controls are employed for the comparisons with the proposed one. The results show that the proposed adaptive signal control based on deep reinforcement learning can achieve better resilience in most of the cases, particularly in the scenarios of moderate and severe disruptions. This study may shed light on the advantages of the proposed adaptive signal control dealing with major emergencies compared to others. (shrink)

Most studies have examined the outcomes of patients supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a life-sustaining treatment. It is unclear whether significant social events are associated with the use of life-sustaining treatment. This study aimed to compare the trend of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use in Taiwan with that in the world, and to examine the influence of significant social events on the trend of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use in Taiwan.

Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation has been introduced to clinical practice for several decades. It is unclear how internet and newspapers portray the use of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation. This study were: (1) to quantify the coverage of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation use in newspapers and on the Internet; (2) to describe the characteristics of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation users presented in newspaper articles and the Internet web pages in comparison with those shown in extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation studies in Taiwan; and (3) to examine the (...) survival rates of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation users presented in newspaper articles and the Internet web pages in comparison with those in Taiwan and in the Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary for January 2014. (shrink)

This study explorers whether the relative impacts of brand identification and identification with other users of brand pages on brand loyalty vary according to consumers’ regulatory focus. By integrating social identification theory with regulatory focus theory, this study adopts a dual identification framework to compare the differential impacts of promotion regulatory fit and prevention regulatory fit on brand loyalty. Besides, the moderating effects of product type on the relationship between promotion/prevention regulatory fit and brand loyalty are further investigated. Finally, this (...) study uses different combinations of information technology affordances in order to examine their influences on each identification target. The current study adopts a qualitative methodology and involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 27 brand page users in regard to IT affordances and their subdimensions. The research model was empirically tested using a cross-country comparison of data collected from surveys conducted in China and the United States. The results support our hypotheses and confirm the differential effects of promotion and prevention regulatory fit on brand loyalty. Theoretically, our study enhances our understanding of the relative effect of dual identification on brand loyalty on social media. Practically, our study delivers insights for companies into how social media brand pages can be used as a strategic tool to achieve brand values. (shrink)

BackgroundCoronary heart disease is closely associated with cognitive impairment, especially in severe cases of heart failure. However, it is unclear whether cardiac systolic function plays a role in the relationship between pre-existing CHD and cognitive impairment in subjects without clinical heart failure.MethodsIn total, 208 subjects from the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University were recruited from June 2014 to January 2015, and were divided into CHD and non-CHD groups according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The global cognitive function (...) of all subjects was assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination and cognitive impairment was defined as the score lower than the cutoff value. Left ventricular ejection fraction was measured using transthoracic echocardiograms. The relationship among pre-existing CHD, LVEF, and cognitive impairment was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression.ResultsIn total, 34 subjects met the criteria of cognitive impairment. Univariate analysis showed that the cognitive impairment prevalence in the CHD group was significantly higher than that in the non-CHD group. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that CHD was significantly associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment after adjusting for confounds except for LVEF. However, the OR of CHD decreased when LVEF was further corrected as a continuous variable, and LVEF was negatively associated with the risk of cognitive impairment.ConclusionPre-existing CHD is associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment, and such an association can be considerably explained by reduced LVEF. An impaired cardiac systolic function may play a key role in the relationship between CHD and cognitive impairment among patients with pre-heart failure conditions. (shrink)

The relationships between age and the life-supporting treatments use, and between gender and the life-supporting treatments use are still controversial. Using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as an example of life-supporting treatments, the objectives of this study were: to examine the relationship between age and the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use; to examine the relationship between age and the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use; and to deliberate the ethical and societal implications of age and gender disparities in the initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. This (...) is a population-based, retrospective cohort study. Taiwan’s extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cases from 2000 to 2010 were collected. The annual incidence rate of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use adjusting for both age and gender distribution for each year from 2000 to 2010 was derived using the population of 2000 as the reference population. The trend of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use was examined using time-series linear regression analysis. We conducted joinpoint regression for estimating the trend change of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use. The trends of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use both for different gender groups, and for different age groups have been significantly increasing over time. Men were more likely to be supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation than women. Women’s perspectives toward life and death, and women’s perception of well-being may be associated with the phenomenon. In addition, the patients at the age of 65 or older were more likely to be supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation than those younger than 65. Family autonomy/family-determination, and the Confucian tradition of filial piety and respecting elders may account for this phenomenon. This study showed gender and age disparities in the initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use in Taiwan, which may be accounted for by the cultural and societal values in Taiwan. For a healthcare professional who deals with patients’/family members’ medical decision-making to initiate life-supporting treatments, he/she should be sensitive not only to the legality, but also the societal and ethical issues involved. (shrink)

ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop a diagnostic model of multi-kinematic parameters for patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).MethodIn this cross-sectional study, 94 older adults were included (33 cognitively normal, CN; and 61 aMCI). We conducted neuropsychological battery tests, such as global cognition and cognitive domains, and collected gait parameters by an inertial-sensor gait analysis system. Multivariable regression models were used to identify the potential diagnostic variables for aMCI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were applied to assess the diagnostic accuracy (...) of kinematic parameters in discriminating aMCI from healthy subjects.ResultsMultivariable regression showed that multi-kinematic parameters were the potential diagnostic variables for aMCI. The multi-kinematic parameter model, developed using Timed Up and Go (TUG) time, stride length, toe-off/heel stride angles, one-leg standing (OLS) time, and braking force, showed areas under ROC (AUC), 0.96 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.905–0.857]; sensitivity, 0.90; and specificity, 0.91. In contrast, a single kinematic parameter’s sensitivity was 0.26–0.95 and specificity was 0.21–0.90. Notably, the separating capacity of multi-kinematic parameters was highly similar to Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA; AUC: 0.96 vs. 0.95). Compared to cognitive domain tests, the separating ability was comparable to Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) and Boston Naming Test (BNT; AUC: 0.96 vs. 0.97; AUC: 0.96 vs. 0.94).ConclusionWe developed one diagnostic model of multi-kinematic parameters for patients with aMCI in Foshan. (shrink)

Ru jia jing shen dui yu xian dang dai de Zhongguo ren lai shuo ying xiang shi ju da de, ru jia jing shen yi shen tou dao Zhongguo ren de yi yan yi xing zhong, shi ji shang cheng wei Zhonghua min zu nei ju de jing shen niu dai. ben shu zuo zhe yi qing song, you mei de bi diao xiang guang da du zhe xi tong jie shao liao ru jia jing shen de ji ben (...) nei han, li shi yan bian. ben shu shi guang da du zhe xue xi Zhongguo chuan tong wen hua de tong su du wu. (shrink)

形上學是其他學問的基礎，他先於其他學問， 不能與其他學問產生無法解決的衝突 但形上學是什麼.

本书以介绍科学的思维方法为主旨,阐述当代青年应努力掌握的思想观念,内容包括追寻智慧、认识你自己、跨越思维的误区、理想世界的创造、视角的转换、站在历史的高度上6章。.

本书主要内容包括:超越西方哲学传统;反基础主义纲领;心理学唯名论;行为主义知识论;没有世界的真理观;后哲学文化;无本体论的伦理学等.

In the years since its introduction, Edward Said’s celebrated study Orientalism has acquired a near-paradigmatic status as a model of the relationships between Western and non-Western cultures. Said seeks to show how Western imperialist images of its colonial others—images that, of course, are inevitably and sharply at odds with the self-understanding of the indigenous non-Western cultures they purport to represent—not only govern the West’s hegemonic policies, but were imported into the West’s political and cultural colonies where they affected native points (...) of view and thus served as instruments of domination themselves. Said’s focus is on the Near East, but his critics and supporters alike have extended his model far beyond the confines of that part of the world. Despite the popularity of Said’s model, however, comparatists and sinologists have yet to make extensive use of it in their attempts to define China’s self-image or the nature of the Sino-Western social, cultural, and political relationships. Xiaomei Chen is assistant professor of Chinese and comparative literature at Ohio State University. She has recently completed a book on the politics of cross-cultural “misunderstanding” in modern China and the West, and is now working on a cultural study of post-Mao Chinese theater. (shrink)

The notions of Di (Emperor), Shangdi (God in heaven), and Tian (Heaven) were endowed with a variety of meanings and were used to refer to different objects of worship in ancient Chinese religion. In different eras, Di referred to the earthly emperor as well as to the heavenly emperor; Tian referred to the physical sky as well as to a supreme personal god in different contexts. Hegel oversimplified these three notions when he characterized ancient Chinese religion as a kind of (...) natural religion. This article aims to clarify Hegel’s misunderstanding of ancient Chinese religion by clarifying the meanings and references of these three notions as they appeared in the Yin-Shang and the Zhou Dynasties. (shrink)

Ben shu zhu yao lun shu ru,Mo liang jia fa zheng si xiang,Bing fu lu xian dai xing fa dui bi fo jiao jie lü lun wen yi pian.Xie zuo te se yao fen wei er:yi,Zai yan jiu fang fa shang,Cai qu bi jiao fa xue yan jiu jin lu,Jian shi chuan tong si xiang yu xian dai jia zhi ti xi xian zhuan gong gou zhi ke neng.Shi gu wen zhang lun shu zhong xin bu zai chan shu (...) ru,Mo nei sheng dao de gong fu lun mian xiang,Er geng ce zhong qi yu xian dai fa li nian ji xian xing fa zhi du zhi dui bi fen xi.Er,Zai lun shu nei rong fang mian,Chuan tong yan jiu zhu yao tong guo jia zhi xi tong nei,Ji ken ding chuan tong wen hua zhi zhuan ye yan jiu zhe li chang chu fa,Zhang xian zhong guo zhe xue shi dai he li xing. (shrink)

中国现代哲学是20世纪中国哲学变革和发展的重要时期,不少哲学家建立了自己独特的思想体系,对智慧问题予以高度重视。本书以中国现代哲学对形上智慧的追问和求索为主题,对中国现代哲学关于形而上学问题的理论发展 作了深入而清晰的梳理,并展示了其中的逻辑脉络。主要内容有科玄之争、知识和智慧、存在与天道、理智和直觉、名言之域与超名言之域、自由和境界等,着力对理气之辩、心物之辩、逻辑思维的辩证法、理性的直觉、可说的 和不可说的、思辩地说和诗意地说、天道和境界、自由和真善美等话题进行理性沉思。全书资料翔实、结构严谨、见解独特,是一部很有价值的学术专著,适合大学文科师生、哲学社会科学爱好者和研究者阅读使用。.

高清海(1930~ ),满族,黑龙江虎林人,吉林大学社会发展研究所教授、博士生导师.

This paper provides an account of the experience of empathizing with the fictional characters of literary works, through the lens of Husserl's theory of presentification. Via a critical analysis of Husserl and other phenomenologists, I argue that fictional characters, though lacking embodied presence, can be presentified to the reader in the mode of "as if." Moreover, I claim that imaginative empathy is a guided creative reproduction of sedimented past bodily experiences. This explains why, motivated by imaginative empathetic presentification, not only (...) aesthetic feelings, but also "as if" existential feelings come to the fore. Finally, it shows to what extent presentation and the different modes of presentification are interwoven and function together. (shrink)

The Great Divide in metaphysical debates about laws of nature is between Humeans, who think that laws merely describe the distribution of matter, and non-Humeans, who think that laws govern it. The metaphysics can place demands on the proper formulations of physical theories. It is sometimes assumed that the governing view requires a fundamental / intrinsic direction of time: to govern, laws must be dynamical, producing later states of the world from earlier ones, in accord with the fundamental direction of (...) time in the universe. In this paper, we propose a minimal primitivism about laws of nature (MinP) according to which there is no such requirement. On our view, laws govern by constraining the physical possibilities. Our view captures the essence of the governing view without taking on extraneous commitments about the direction of time or dynamic production. Moreover, as a version of primitivism, our view requires no reduction / analysis of laws in terms of universals, powers, or dispositions. Our view accommodates several potential candidates for fundamental laws, including the principle of least action, the Past Hypothesis, the Einstein equation of general relativity, and even controversial examples found in the Wheeler-Feynman theory of electrodynamics and retrocausal theories of quantum mechanics. By understanding governing as constraining, non-Humeans who accept MinP have the same freedom to contemplate a wide variety of candidate fundamental laws as Humeans do. (shrink)

本书是对20世纪的法国哲学流派的研究。主要有胡塞尔、柏格森、、普鲁斯特、海德格尔、萨特与梅洛-庞蒂、列维那、福柯、德勒兹、米歇尔-塞尔、利奥塔尔、德里达等哲学家的哲学思想研究。.

A strongly deterministic theory of physics is one that permits exactly one possible history of the universe. In the words of Penrose (1989), "it is not just a matter of the future being determined by the past; the entire history of the universe is fixed, according to some precise mathematical scheme, for all time.” Such an extraordinary feature may appear unattainable in a world like ours. In this paper, I show that it can be achieved in a simple way and (...) discuss its implications for metaphysics and philosophy of science, including natural properties, free will, explanation, and modality. First, I propose a precise definition of strong determinism. Next, I discuss its philosophical ramifications and a toy example. Finally, I provide a realistic example of a strongly deterministic (and simple) physical theory---the Everettian Wentaculus. A surprising consequence is that whether or not our world is strongly deterministic may be empirically underdetermined. (shrink)

This study examines the relation between firms' corporate philanthropic giving and their performance in three other social domains - employee relations, environmental issues, and product safety. Based on a sample of 384 U.S. companies and using data pooled from 1998 through 2000, we find that worse performers in the other social areas are both more likely to make charitable contributions and that the extent of their giving is larger than for better performers. Analyses of each separate area of social performance, (...) however, indicate that the relation between giving and negative social performance only holds for the environmental issues and product safety areas. We find no significant association between corporate philanthropy and employee relations concerns. In general, these findings suggest that corporate philanthropy may be more a tool of legitimization than a measure of corporate social responsibility. (shrink)

本书是一本关于陈冲体验人生感悟人生的书法集子。内容包括:悟道篇;明理篇;做人篇;处世篇等。.

A distinct British approach to disease in the tropics has been identified in the recent historiography of colonial medicine: Mansonian tropical medicine, named after Sir Patrick Manson (1844–1922), the founder of the London School of Tropical Medicine. This essay examines Manson's study of filariasis (infection with the filarial nematode worm) and argues that his conceptual tools and research framework were derived from contemporary natural history. It investigates Manson's training in natural history at the University of Aberdeen, where some of his (...) teachers were closely associated with transcendental biology. The concepts of perfect adaptation and the harmony of nature were crucial to the formulation of his research problematic. This essay demonstrates that biogeographical concepts played an important part in Manson's research methodology. It also investigates how Manson's natural historical approach contributed to the making of so‐called Mansonian tropical medicine. (shrink)

Human behavior depends on the ability to effectively introspect about our performance. For simple perceptual decisions, this introspective or metacognitive ability varies substantially across individuals and is correlated with the structure of focal areas in prefrontal cortex. This raises the possibility that the ability to introspect about different perceptual decisions might be mediated by a common cognitive process. To test this hypothesis, we examined whether inter-individual differences in metacognitive ability were correlated across two different perceptual tasks where individuals made judgments (...) about different and unrelated visual stimulus properties. We found that inter-individual differences were strongly correlated between the two tasks for metacognitive ability but not objective performance. Such stability of an individual’s metacognitive ability across different perceptual tasks indicates a general mechanism supporting metacognition independent of the specific task. (shrink)

本书分为三个部分。第一部分是自序,包括前言、序、代序、序言等;第二部分是他序,即为他人所撰之序;第三部分是自跋。.

该书通过对宋明时代有代表性的二十余位理学思想家的介绍,叙述了宋明理学产生、发展、演变的过程,展示了宋明理学的基本人物、学术派别、概念命题与思想特色等内容。.