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Trolley dilemmas have been used to justify the intuitive appeal of the doctrine of double effect. According to this doctrine, if a good action has a harmful side effect, it is morally acceptable to do it, provided the harmful effect is not intended. However, in some variants of the dilemma, most people are willing to forego this doctrine, thus making responses inconsistent. In this study, 404 university students from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were presented with 4 versions of the trolley dilemma. Results came out showing that higher levels of depressive symptoms predict greater consistency in adherence (or rejection) to the doctrine of double effect. Likewise, higher levels of depressive symptom predict utilitarian responses to trolley dilemmas. Anxiety symptoms had similar effects, but more moderate. Demographic variables (age, gender) were also assessed as predictors of responses and consistency to trolley scenarios, but no significant effects were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Perceived ethnic discrimination is known to be associated with anxiety and depression, and in turn, anxiety and depression are known to be associated with nightmare frequency and distress. This elicits a question: is perceived ethnic discrimination associated with nightmare frequency and distress? In this study, 179 female university students from the United Arab Emirates were assessed to answer that question. Results showed that while anxiety and depression were related to nightmare experiences, perceived ethnic discrimination was a stronger predictor of nightmare experiences. We posit two explanations for this finding: one based on psychoanalytical insights, and the other based on the Disposition–Stress model with neurobiological correlates. No significant differences were found across ethnicity when it comes to nightmare experiences or perceived ethnic discrimination. This is an encouraging sign of optimal societal integration in the United Arab Emirates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Intake of sugary beverages has been associated with obesity and chronic non-communicable diseases, thereby increasing the direct health costs related to these diseases. Front-of-package nutrition labeling (FoPNL) aims to help consumers understand food composition, thereby improving food choices and preventing the development of such diseases. Objective: To estimate, over five years, the impact of implementing FoPNL in Brazil on the prevalence of excess body weight and obesity in adults who consume sugary beverages and the direct costs related to such problems. Methods: A simulation study to performed to estimate the effect of FoPNL implementation on the prevalence of excess body weight and obesity. The VIGITEL research database (2019), published in the 2020 report, was used in this study (the final sample consisted of 12,471 data points representing 14,380,032 Brazilians). The scenarios were considered: base (trend in sugary beverage intake); 1 (base scenario associated with the changes in energy content of the purchased beverages observed after the first phase of the Chilean labeling law (−9.9%); and 2 (scenario 1 associated with reformulation of beverages, total energy reduction of −1.6%). Changes in body weight were estimated using the simulation model of Hall et al. (2011) over five years. A linear trend in the prevalence of obesity and excess body weight in the Brazilian population was considered. The impact of the prevalence of obesity and excess body weight on body mass index was estimated. In addition, the direct health costs related to obesity were estimated. Results: Energy consumption from sugary beverages after FoPNL implementation is expected to be reduced by approximately 28 kcal/day (95% CI, −30 to −27) considering scenario 1. In scenarios 1 and 2, without FoPNL, the prevalence of obesity and excess body weight over five years was estimated to be 25.3% and 25.2%, and 64.4% and 64.2%, respectively. By extrapolating the results to the entire Brazilian population, it was observed that the implementation of FoPNL may reduce the prevalence of obesity by −0.32 percentage points and −0.35 percentage points (scenario 1 and 2, respectively) and excess body weight by −0.42 percentage points and −0.48 percentage points (scenarios 1 and 2, respectively) in five years. It is estimated that after five years of implementation, it will be possible to save approximately US$ 5,5 millions (95% CI 4,7 to 8,8) in scenario 1, reaching approximately US$ 6,1 millions (95% CI 5,3 to 9,8) in scenario 2. Conclusion: The results of this modeling study indicate that FoPNL may reduce prevalence of excess body weight and obesity, representing strategic public policies for obesity prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

And at any rate, so argues Crutchfield, even if compulsory moral enhancement violates autonomy, the violation is lesser if the compulsion is done covertly. Crutchfield's proposal of covert administration opens a can of worms, as it may play into the narrative of many conspiracy theorists, according to which, public health officials run secret programs to control society. Crutchfield goes even further to claim that the covert compulsion of moral enhancement does not eliminate autonomy, provided the concept of autonomy is correctly understood. [Extracted from the article]

For the past 10 years, Venezuela has undergone a severe electric crisis. However, not all regions have been equally affected. The city of Maracaibo has endured more blackouts than other cities, and they have now become routine. This article sought to study the impact of electric shortages on the mental health of Maracaibo's inhabitants. Using a sample from all districts in the city, the study sought to test if there are correlations between the number of hours without electricity (per week), and four dimensions of mental health: anxiety, depression, poor sleep quality, and boredom. Results came out showing that there are moderate correlations across all four variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1989, Thomas Donaldson requested the California courts to allow physicians to hasten his death. Donaldson had been diagnosed with brain cancer, and he desired to die in order to cryonically preserve his brain, so as to stop its further deterioration. This case elicits an important question: is this a case of euthanasia? In this article, we examine the traditional criteria of death, and contrast it with the information-theoretic criterion. If this criterion is accepted, we posit that Donaldson's case would have been cryocide, but not euthanasia. We then examine if cryocide is an ethically feasible alternative to euthanasia. To do so, we rely on the ethical doctrine of double effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mental health issues are still stigmatized in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), possibly due to cultural reasons. This implies that some mental health conditions (most notably depression and anxiety) are not properly treated, due to resistance to seek help. It is therefore important to assess attitudes towards mental health in the UAE and their possible association with other variables. Results: In this study with 201 participants, attitudes towards mental health were assessed. Results came out showing no association with gender, nationality, age, or emirate of residency. A correlation was found with traditional family values, and in turn, this adherence varied across genders, with males having higher levels. Conclusions: Mental health issues in the United Arab Emirates are still stigmatized, although some improvement is evident. Given that stronger values predict more negative attitudes towards mental health problem, it is recommended authorities in the United Arab Emirates attempt some cultural progressive reforms in order to remove the stigma from mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incest taboos are universal, but it is questionable whether consensual incest should continue to be illegal. The most common argument in favor of the illegalization of consensual incest appeals to genetic risks and the harm to potential offspring. In this article, we examine whether public health concern is a sufficient reason to illegalize consensual incest. We posit that indeed, incest represents a risk, but this is not reason enough to illegalize incest. For, other circumstances of sexual intercourse may lead to similar risks, and yet, such practices are not illegal. While those practices may represent an added risk to public health, to forbid them as a way to improve the genetic pool would be akin to eugenic program, and that is morally objectionable. This does not imply that consensual incest ought to be legal, for there may be other good reasons to illegalize it. But they do not relate to public health and genetic risks, and consequently, medical practitioners and public health officials ought to avoid using their medical authority as a platform to make moral pronouncements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The religion of Maria Lionza in Venezuela includes many healing and possession rituals, where alcohol consumption is frequent. This has contributed to the perception that this religion is uniquely associated with alcoholism and criminality. Those perceptions may be negative stereotypes that are rooted in race and class biases. This study tests the hypothesis that the religion of Maria Lionza is associated with greater alcohol consumption, in a study with 71 participants. The results suggest that marialionceros are at greater risk of developing Alcohol Use Disorders than a control group. However, no statistically significant correlation was found between alcohol consumption and religiosity as a whole, although there is a weak correlation between organisational religious activity and alcohol consumption. A strong negative correlation was found between educational level and alcohol consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new hybrid method for transient heat conduction problems is developed and applied to simulate a Plug and Abandonment (P&A) operation of oil wells. An oil well is approximated by concentric disks in a one-dimensional configuration, which allows for use of polar coordinates. The application of the Separation of Variables Method (SVM) is used as the analytical framework for the solution of the conductive heat transfer arising from a volumetric heat source located in the center of the disks. The SVM is able to solve only time-independent boundary conditions. However, using the Duhamel's theorem, the solution determined with the SVM can be used to achieve the solution when both time-dependent boundary conditions and internal heat generation are prescribed. Lastly, for verification purposes, a commercial software that solves the transient temperature field by means of numerical procedures, providing reliability to the analytical method proposed in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Arab Emirates has been very successful in its vaccination campaign for the COVID-19 injection, and vaccine hesitancy is not currently a major concern. Nevertheless, the motivations of residents in the UAE to receive the COVID-19 vaccine are varied. In this study with 426 vaccinated participants, 55% expressed health motivations to receive the vaccine, whereas 45% expressed non-health motivations. Nationality was a predictive factor in motivation, as expatriates from South Asian countries expressed the lowest motivation to get the vaccine on the basis of intrinsic health reasons, followed by expatriates from Arab countries, Emiratis, and expatriates from the rest of the world. The same nationality pattern was observed in vaccine readiness and vaccine knowledge. Both of these variables had a correlation with intrinsic health motivation in receiving the vaccine. No significant difference across nationalities was observed regarding vaccine conspiracy beliefs, and this variable only had a weak negative correlation with motivations to receive the vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trolley dilemmas have been tested cross-culturally, but only recently have researchers begun to assess the effect of responding to such dilemmas in a foreign language. Previous studies have found a Moral Foreign Language Effect (MFLE) in trolley dilemmas, whereby subjects who respond to these dilemmas in a foreign language, tend to offer more utilitarian responses. The present study seeks to test whether the MFLE holds amongst native speakers of Arabic. Additionally, the present study seeks to test whether the use of visual images has any effect on responses. For such purposes, four groups were compared: 1) participants responding to trolley dilemmas in English without visual images; 2) participants responding to trolley dilemmas in Arabic without visual images; 3) participants responding to trolley dilemmas in English with visual images; 4) participants responding to trolley dilemmas in Arabic with visual images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the religion of Maria Lionza is practiced throughout Venezuela, it is not in the mainstream of Venezuelan culture. As a result, traditionally this religious manifestation has been perceived negatively by the dominant religious establishment, as well as by intellectual and political elites. One particular concern in this dominant narrative is that the religion of Maria Lionza represents Venezuela's uncivilized past and therefore, it is an obstacle to the nation's path to modernization. This notion has found resonance in the realm of psychology, as it has been posited that the religion of Maria Lionza may have detrimental effects on mental health. The present study tests that hypothesis, by studying a sample of 68 Marialionceros and comparing them with a control group of 62 Catholics and 53 Protestants. Results show that, as compared to Catholics and Protestants, Marialionceros are at greater risk for schizotypy, but not for general mental health. Results also show that amongst Marialionceros, increased religiosity predicts decreased risk of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a well does not fulfil its objectives, it is repurposed or permanently plugged, a shift in budget from revenue to Plug and Abandonment (P&A) expenditures occurs. New technologies being developed for P&A make use of a powerful heat emitter for melting the surrounding of the well forming a solid plug after the cool down. However, there is a gap in understanding the heat transport process in the well and much need for appropriate mathematical tools and solutions for estimating the effectiveness of Thermal P&A. The thermal analysis of the process requires eigenvalues in polar coordinates, which return only real quantities due to its implicitly dependence on the angular eigenvalues. Here, a hybrid analytical/numerical method is applied to an asymmetric transient heat conduction problem. The oil well is conceived as a 2-D multi-layer disc cast in polar coordinates, where the Separation of Variables Method (SVM) was applied to achieve a closed-form solution. Asymmetric boundary conditions of first, second and third kind can be implemented utilizing the proposed framework. A Finite Volume Method (FVM) numerical solution was produced for code verification. Lastly, research results show that temperature levels arising from the thermite reaction throughout the composite cylinder domain in radial and azimuthal ranges are enough for surpassing the melting point of the production tube steel. The results evidenced the thermal efficiency of the TP&A procedure and suggested that the production column may be destroyed by fusion, thus reducing tamponing expenses significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to complex social, political and economic causes, Venezuela has encountered difficulties managing the Covid-19 pandemic. Although a vaccination program has started, it is still comparatively slow and largely inefficient. One particular challenge has been vaccine hesitancy. Venezuelan policymakers have traditionally not rendered much attention to ethnic disparities. In this study, we assess whether vaccine hesitancy varies across ethnic groups, in a sample of 273 Venezuelan university students. Results come out showing that marginalized ethnic groups in Venezuela are more prone to vaccine hesitancy, and also have greater levels of acceptance regarding conspiracy theories. Coefficients of correlation of ethnic discrimination with vaccine hesitancy and conspiracy beliefs are moderate. Coefficients of correlation of paranoid ideation with vaccine hesitancy and conspiracy beliefs are weak. This suggests that in order to successfully complete the vaccination program, policymakers in Venezuela must begin to approach racial disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite his popularity throughout his tenure as President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez's populist style aroused confrontation. This confrontation took place in media, and music was not spared. One particular musical genre, gaita zuliana, was used as an expression of dissatisfaction with Chávez's policies and attitudes. This article analyzes the most relevant protest gaitas composed in a relatively short period of time (1999–2003) by the bands Gran Coquivacoa, Koquimba, and Barrio Obrero. Although in subsequent years protest gaitas all but disappeared, the creative wave of protest gaita in this period still resonates today, as Venezuelans still listen intently to these songs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Church of Satan has used animal tropes recurrently. This article analyzes some of the most important animal representations that Anton LaVey came up with, both for esthetic and ideological purposes. Seizing on the long traditions of Satanism, LaVey embraced goat imagery to a significant degree. He also chose this particular animal for its associations with Pan, and the themes surrounding sexuality. Likewise, he embraced the snake, lion, and panthers. Yet, his choice of animal symbolism went beyond the esthetic. As he established the Church of Satan, LaVey hoped to construct an ideology that would emphasize humans' animalistic aspect. In this endeavor, he also made use of animal imagery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although incest (i.e., sex between siblings or between parents and offspring) is universally abhorred (per the Westermarck effect), cousin marriage (consanguineous unions) is only rejected by some cultures. Although in some Western countries, and especially in the United States, there is extensive legislation against cousin marriage, this has not always been historically the case. The negative attitudes towards cousin marriage in the West actually have a long history, and non-medical factors (religion, politics, economics, demography) have played a role in this regard. However, by the mid-19th Century, the stand against cousin marriage was medicalized. Even though ultimately medical studies have proven that cousin marriage is not particularly dangerous, negative attitudes towards it persist. This article approaches this problem from a historical and philosophical perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although researchers have not satisfactorily tracked the origins of COVID-19, there are no indications that this virus has been engineered by human beings. Yet, conspiracy theories blaming either the United States or China, are increasingly popular. For a greater research project to be developed in the future, a pilot study was done, where 165 Venezuelan students were asked in a survey to rate their agreement with conspiracy theories about COVID-19. Although the majority of subjects were skeptical of these claims, the percentage of acceptance of COVID-19 conspiracy theories was still fairly high, if compared to other medical conspiracy theories. Educational level was not a significant predictive factor in acceptance of these conspiracy theories. Acceptance of other conspiracy theories has a significant relation, but only if they cohere with ideological positioning in the Venezuelan context. Likewise, ethnicity also correlated with belief in covid-19 conspiracy theories, but again, mediated by political alignments in the Venezuelan context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gaita zuliana is a folk musical genre from Zulia State, in Western Venezuela. Its origins reflect an amalgam of Spanish, Indigenous and African elements, serving as a metaphor for Venezuela's own racial image. By the 1960s, gaita was becoming increasingly standardised, and moved from improvisations in the barrios (poor neighbourhoods) to the recording studio. With that move, gaita also began to take a more active political role, as it coincided with the arrival of democracy in Venezuela. A subgenre developed as 'protest gaita', addressing the rampant problems of corruption in Venezuela's failing democracy. Previous scholarship has addressed some of the political aspects of gaita, but none have studied how Venezuela's dramatic political events in the last two decades have impacted the genre; likewise, unlike previous scholarship, this article follows an evolutionary process of musical transformation. This article evaluates such developments, considering how, after the rise of Hugo Chavez to power in 1999, protest gaita went into decline, partly due to self-censorship, and it remains this way under Nicolas Maduro's tenure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functional verification of multicore chips requires the generation of parallel test programs able to expose design errors and ensure high coverage in less time. Albeit the coherence hardware can scale gracefully as the number of cores grows, the state space of the coherence protocol increases exponentially. That is why this article describes a directed test generation approach that exploits random test generation (RTG) for avoiding explicit enumeration of the coherence state space while memory consistency is verified. The novel approach was designed for synergy between a data-driven engine that explores neighborhoods toward higher coverage and a model-based engine that exploits constraints while driving RTG toward faster coverage evolution. As compared to a state-of-the-art data-driven generator and to a model-based generator, the proposed approach led to superior coverage evolution with time, when targeting 32-core designs relying on different protocols. For MOESI 2-level, the novel approach was from 4.8 to 18.7 faster to reach the data-driven generator’s maximal coverage, and it was up to 2.7 faster to reach the model-driven generator’s. For MESI 3-level, it found, in 10 to 15 min, a few errors whose detection required the data-driven generator 45 min to 7 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hugo Chávez's rise to power in 1998 brought many changes to Venezuela's political culture. One transformation not frequently commented on is the constant formulation of conspiracy theories, both by chavismo supporters and by its opponents. This article discusses some of those conspiracy theories, relating to the deceased Venezuelan President's origins, his religious beliefs, the 2002 failed coup d'état, and Chávez's own death. It also addresses more recent conspiracy theories relating to Nicolás Maduro's birth, economic warfare, and drug smuggling operations. Venezuela is currently undergoing a major humanitarian crisis, and this article defends the view that, at least partially, conspiracy mongering has been a factor in Venezuela's collapse. As part of Venezuela's reconstruction, this article recommends that Venezuelan political forces need to reach a consensus and agree not to make ridiculous conspiratorial claims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explains comprador intellectual and why Indian-American commentator Dinesh D'Souza fits that description perfectly. Topics discussed include definition of comprador intellectual, views of D'Souza on colonialism, as a point of entry to a holistic critique of what he stands for, and how D'Souza tried to defend perhaps the most important icon of European colonialism, Christopher Columbus.

In the northern Pantanal wetlands of Brazil, alkaline sodic soils play a significant role in the ecological functioning of the region, but little is known about their mineralogical equilibria in current flooding dynamics, which is necessary for good management of these areas. This study focused on a transition between sodic and non‐sodic soils, identified by low frequency electromagnetic induction survey. Samples of B horizons from alkaline‐sodic and non‐sodic soils were analyzed via soil solution from saturated paste, decomposition of X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and transmission electron microscopy with X‐ray dispersive energy spectroscopy (TEM‐EDS) analysis. The transition between alkaline‐sodic and non‐sodic soils matches with the transition between flooded and non‐flooded areas. The soil solution shows a concentration factor of about 40 along this transition. The formation of sodic soils results from an accumulation by evaporation of solutions with a positive calcite residual alkalinity (RAcalcite), probably imposed by the chemistry of the São Lourenço River. An increasing Na:Ca ratio caused solonization of the exchange complex. These alkaline‐sodic soils, however, can be interpreted as declining soils in the current context with an evacuation of soluble salts during flood cycles. The detailed investigation of the fine clay fraction (< 0.2 μm) using full profile modelling and decomposition of XRD patterns and TEM‐EDS analysis demonstrates gradual transformations of trioctahedral to dioctahedral smectite by Mg ‐ Al substitutions on octahedral sites, leading to the prevalence of kaolinite‐smectite interstratified minerals when the conditions become more acidic via the solodization process. Highlights: Clay minerals of alkaline‐sodic soil have been altered due to flooding dynamic.Clay minerals are a useful tool for understanding environmental changes.Interstratified clay minerals result from current acidification.The evolution of soil mineral suite is related to the environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay contrasts the ethnic identity dynamics of two island nations in the Caribbean: Cuba and the Cayman Islands. It does so by reviewing two recent books dedicated to each case, respectively: Christopher Williams' Defining the Caymanian Identity, and Danielle Pilar Clealand's The Power of Race in Cuba: Racial Ideology and Black Consciousness. Although Cuba and the Cayman Islands seem to represent opposite poles in terms of political ideology (Communism vs. capitalism), they both share the complexities of the legacy of colonialism. This is especially the case in their approach to ethnic relations, and the challenges that lie ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since nondeterministic behavior is key to exposing shared-memory errors, nonsynchronized parallel programs are often used for verification and test of multicore chips. In the verification phase, however, the slow execution in a simulator requires nonconventional constraints for enabling error exposure with shorter programs. This paper proposes two novel techniques that build upon conventional random test generation for efficient shared-memory verification. The first technique exploits canonical dependence chains for constraining the random generation of instruction sequences so that the races induced at runtime are likely to raise the coverage of state transitions due to memory events conflicting at a same shared location. The second one exploits address space constraints for biasing random address assignment so that the competition of distinct shared locations for a same cache set can be controlled for raising the coverage of state transitions due to eviction events. We built generators relying on each of the proposed techniques, as well as on their combination, and we compared them to a conventional constrained random test generator for 8, 16, and 32-core architectures. Each of the four generators synthesized 1200 distinct test programs for verifying ten faulty designs derived from each of the three architectures (144 000 verification runs in total). For 32-core designs, the combination of the proposed techniques made at least 50% of the generation space capable of exposing errors, improved the median functional coverage by 44% and 83% at the two highest hierarchical levels, and reduced the average verification effort by one order of magnitude in many cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a serious medical condition worldwide, which needs new approaches and recognized international consensus in treating diseases leading to morbidity. The aim of this review was to examine heterogeneous links among the various phenotypes of obesity in adults. Proteins and associated genes in each group were analysed to differentiate between biomarkers. A variety of terms for classification and characterization within this pathology are currently in use; however, there is no clear consensus in terminology. The most significant groups reviewed include metabolically healthy obese, metabolically abnormal obese, metabolically abnormal, normal weight and sarcopenic obese. These phenotypes do not define particular genotypes or epigenetic gene regulation, or proteins related to inflammation. There are many other genes linked to obesity, though the value of screening all of those for diagnosis has low predictive results, as there are no significant biomarkers. It is important to establish a consensus in the terminology used and the characteristics attributed to obesity subtypes. The identification of specific molecular biomarkers is also required for better diagnosis in subtypes of obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upcoming year 2020 marks a decade of the tragedy resulted from the police riot of September 30, 2010. As reported by the Ministry of Health, that day were 10 deaths nationwide. Shortly after the recovery of the constitutional order, the representative powers tried to get a political benefit from what happened. In this academic article I will explore the development of the image built by the ruling party around the political opposition to the government of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa Delgado after the police riot of September 30, 2010 in the city of Quito. I will answer in which discursive record is categorized those accuse of being responsible of the events and how the regime used this discourse to generate a media response that later turned into harassment, imprisonment and political persecution. To achieve this objective I will use the immediate discourse of the Ecuadorian regime; I will study President Rafael Correa's first speech after being rescued (2010-09-30), and the press conference that followed these statements (2010-09-30); I will analyze the weekly Government streaming "Enlaces ciudadanos" (citizen links) no. 190 (2010-10-02) and no. 191 (2010-10-09) in addition to an interview granted to the "A solas" (Alone) program of Russia Today (2010-10-20) dedicated exclusively to the treatment of the experience of September 30, 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the postmodern attack on science. On the basis of relativism, postmodernism posits that science should not have a more privileged status than pseudoscientific or plainly anti-scientific disciplines. Some 20th-century philosophers have unfortunately provided intellectual ammunition for this attack. Levi-Strauss’s approach to rationality, Peter Winch’s criticisms of Evans-Pritchard, Wittgenstein’s notion of “language games”, Kuhn’s approach to the incommensurability of paradigms, and Feyerabend’s epistemological anarchism, are duly addressed and criticized in the article. Likewise, Popper’s philosophy of science has been erroneously used by postmodernists to attack science, and this article clarifies some of these misconceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satanism has baffled many historians and cultural commentators. Who in their right mind would ever worship Satan, the representation of absolute evil? When in the 1980s, there was an alleged epidemic of Satanic Ritual Abuse in the United States, mental health professionals were pressured to approach this phenomenon from a clinical perspective. In this article, we consider the way some diagnostic criteria laid out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), could (and could not) be applied to some historical and contemporary aspects of Satanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emancipada is the first Ecuadorian novel and one of the first Latin American in the subgenre of literary realism, however, it goes unnoticed for the university debate two centuries after the birth of its author Miguel Riofrío. By the contribution of this work, more than a century and a half later, it can be demonstrated, from the critical theory to which it precedes by far, that in this one you can find greater and better vestiges of denunciation for the dignity of people, Human rights and the right to resistance. This work is divided into five parts. In the first one, the writing of the work analyzed in its historical moment and according to the author's social environment will be contextualized. In the second part we will study the discursive environment of ideas in La Emancipada and the author's thinking in the context of his narrative. In the third part, resistance and disobedience will be analyzed as categories of study in the environment of the social and creative process of the work. In the fourth part, he will evaluate the influence of the mother figure of the protagonist of the story according to the categories anticipated in the previous section. The last part is dedicated to establishing conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Philosophers have long asked a fundamental metaphysical question: by what criterion can a person persist in her identity? The most common-sense criterion is the body, according to which, a person persists in her identity, if and only if the same body is preserved. Despite its intuitive appeal, this position brings forth many interesting philosophical questions. Some interesting thought experiments, such as the ship of Theseus, can shed light on the adequateness of the body criterion. Yet, other thought experiments, mostly derived from Derek Parfit's philosophy, invite further thought about the adequateness of the body as criterion for personal identity. This article examines these questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Mineral evolution in weathering zones is usually a complex process. Mixed-layered minerals (MLMs) can form as a result of progressive weathering advancement, promoting important geochemical changes in soils. In this contribution, four soil profiles located in Paraná State (southern Brazil) and formed from different fine-grained Permian sedimentary rocks (one siltstone, two Al-rich shales and one organic black shale) were characterized on mineralogical and geochemical bases. General physico-chemical/morphological characterization, XRD profile modeling of clay fractions, geochemical mass balance and weathering index calculations were performed to relate clay minerals transformation with the geochemical transformations in soils. MLMs dominate clay mineral suite, in progressive compositional ranges. The three soils developed from Al-rich shales (P1, P2 and P4) are dominated by several R0 K-I (kaolinite-illite) phases, and exhibit a trend of progressive kaolinization towards surface soil horizons. The soil developed from Mg-rich organic black shale (P3), however, has R0 I-S (illite-smectite) as the dominant phase, and a progressive dominance of smectite in I-S phase prevails towards surface. These results suggest the prevalence of topotactic transformations (solid-state reactions) during the transition of one clay into another as weathering advances. In the three soils where kaolinization of K-I phases prevails, geochemical mass balance calculations indicate massive losses of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 and alkalis, in addition to high values for weathering indices. Conversely, SiO 2 and MgO accumulate, and values for weathering indices are lower in the P3 soil profile. The agreement between the pathways of clay mineral transformations and the mass balance calculations and weathering indices suggests that transformations involving MLMs drive geochemical transformation in soils. The nature of clay suites, in turn, is highly dependent on the chemical compositions of fresh rocks, which determine how transformations involving clays proceed. Highlights • Mixed-layered minerals (MLM) prevail in soils as weathering advances. • Diagenetic illite transforms into R0 kaolinite-illite or illite-smectite. • Kaolinite/smectite contents in MLM increase towards highly weathered horizons. • Chemical composition of rocks defines the pathways of mineral transformations. • Mass balance calculations/weathering indices support the models of clays evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In continuation with the New Thought movement that arose in the United States in the 19th Century, there is now a massive self-help industry that markets books and seminars. This industry has also extended to healthcare in the form of positive thinking, i.e., the idea that happy thoughts are essential for health. While some of these claims may seem reasonable and commonsensical, they are not free of problems. This article posits that positive thinking has some ethical underpinnings. Extreme positive thinking may promote alternative forms of medicine that ultimately substitute effective treatment, and this is unethical. The emphasis on positive thinking for cancer patients may be too burdensome for them. Likewise, unrestricted positive thinking is not necessarily good for mental health. After considering the ethics of positive thinking, this article proposes a more realistic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The so-called Trolley Problem was first discussed by Philippa Foot in 1967 as a way to test moral intuitions regarding the doctrine of double effect, Kantian principles and utilitarianism. Ever since, a great number of philosophers and psychologists have come up with alternative scenarios to further test intuitions and the relevance of conventional moral doctrines. Given that physicians routinely face moral decisions regarding life and death, the Trolley Problem should be considered of great importance in medical ethics. In this article, five "classic" trolley scenarios are discussed: the driver diverting the trolley, a bystander pulling a lever to divert the trolley, a fat man being thrown from a bridge to stop the trolley, a bystander pulling a lever to divert a trolley so that a fat man may be run over, and a bystander pulling a lever so that a fat man falls off from a bridge to stop the trolley. As these scenarios are discussed, relevant moral differences amongst them are addressed, and some of the applications in medical ethics are discussed. The article concludes that Trolley scenarios are not the ultimate criterion to make ethical decisions in difficult ethical challenges in medicine cases but they do serve as an initial intuitive guide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although anti-racism proved to be very worthwhile in the refutation of racist theories, in more recent times, many of its varieties in Academia have become themselves irrational. This article critically examines three of those irrational varieties: 1) Cultural relativism (the idea that all cultures have the same worth); 2) Black supremacy (the idea that blacks are biologically superior to whites); 3) IQ inadequacy and IAT adequacy (the idea that IQ tests are inadequate whereas IAT tests are adequate). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1964, Fact magazine sent a survey to American psychiatrists asking them to comment on Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater's mental health status. Respondents described Goldwater in very negative terms using the common psychiatric jargon of the time. The American Psychiatric Association realized that this affair damaged the professional integrity of psychiatry and, as a result, in 1973 issued the so-called "Goldwater rule." Under this rule, psychiatrists are not allowed to comment on the mental health of public figures without a direct interview and without their permission. In 2016, as a result of Donald Trump's rise to power, there has been some public pressure to overcome the Goldwater rule. This article acknowledges that times have changed and that debates about rescinding the Goldwater rule are welcome; however, it also defends the view that the Goldwater rule preserves considerable ethical soundness. This conclusion is reached by analyzing some of the main considerations in this debate: free speech, the "duty to warn," the suitability of the direct interview, and the politicization of psychiatry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Describe a case series of ocular Cat-scratch-disease (CSD) with vision-threatening findings and poor outcomes, indicating severity of disease.Methods: Retrospective case series from the Uveitis Department of São Paulo Federal University from 2011 to 2015.Results: In this period, six eyes of four patients had confirmed diagnosis of CSD. Two were male and two female. Mean age was 24.8 years old [7-45]. Two had bilateral disease. Visual acuity at presentation ranged from no light perception to 20/25. Three patients were treated with doxycycline and one with clarithromycin and prednisone. Visual outcome after treatment ranged from counting fingers to 20/20: 5/6 eyes had final visual acuity of less than 20/40 and 3/6 had final visual acuity equal or less than 20/400.Conclusion: Although usually described as a benign disease with spontaneous resolution, CSD can present with atypical manifestations such as vascular angiomatous lesions, serous retinal detachment, and vascular occlusion syndromes, carrying a severe course and guarded prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There are few real-life studies on the intravitreal 0.7-mg dexamethasone implant for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) conducted in Latin America. We aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of this implant in clinical practice. Methods: Twenty-seven centers from Brazil and one from Argentina provided information on patients with DME treated with Ozurdex. The efficacy outcome variables were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in Snellen and central retinal thickness (CRT). Safety was assessed by the elevation in intraocular pressure (IOP), occurrence of cataracts, and adverse events. Results: A total of 329 eyes (both treated cases and naïve eyes) from 282 patients underwent treatment. The time since diagnosis of DME ranged from 1 to 156 months. The median BCVA was 0.7 logMAR/50 letters at baseline and 0.3 logMAR/70 letters after treatment (both p < 0.001). Median CRT values decreased from 425 µm at baseline to 270 µm after treatment (p < 0.001). Increases in IOP of at least 10 mm Hg were observed in 7.4% of eyes, and 4% of eyes had cataract evolution. No cases of endophthalmitis were reported. Conclusion: These real-life results suggest that the intravitreal dexamethasone implant is effective and safe for eyes with DME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terror Management Theory predicts that when subjects are exposed to mortality salience (i.e. they are reminded of their death), they develop higher levels of anxiety and have stronger holdings for their cultural worldviews. Mortality salience also makes subjects more cautious in many daily activities. These premises lead to the hypothesis that, under mortality salience, subjects are more deontological in their moral judgments. To test this hypothesis, medical students from a Caribbean school were presented with two classical versions of the Trolley Problem. Subjects were placed in two groups, on the basis of a computer random generator. One group was not exposed to mortality salience, the other group was. Results came out showing that being under mortality salience does not significantly increase the probability that subjects have a deontological approach to ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With 75 affirmative votes, of 137 that make up the legislative body, the National Assembly of Ecuador, on December 18, 2018, approved the ninety modifications in which it includes the elimination of the media lynching, among other questioned legal figures. However, the text was sent to the Executive on the 20th of the same month and the presidential promulgation remains pending, and with this the uncertainty about the fate of these debates concerning the study of communication is preserved. Is it possible that a law that was presented as the antidote to democratize access to communication is the instrument to intimidate critical public opinion and become an initiative for the social construction of fear? This work is divided into three parts. The first is intended to study the etymological meaning of the word lynching. The second part proposes the concept studied as a broad figure in its application, studying examples in different countries. The third part deals with the subjects to briefly explain the variables of transversal comparison in the communication dynamics and anticipates some elements that make it possible to establish some conclusions. Finally, some plot solutions are offered to the present work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terror Management Theory predicts that when subjects are exposed to mortality salience (i.e. they are reminded of their death), they develop higher levels of anxiety and have stronger holdings for their cultural worldviews. Mortality salience also makes subjects more cautious in many daily activities. These premises lead to the hypothesis that, under mortality salience, subjects are more deontological in their moral judgments. To test this hypothesis, medical students from a Caribbean school were presented with two classical versions of the Trolley Problem. Subjects were placed in two groups, on the basis of a computer random generator. One group was not exposed to mortality salience, the other group was. Results came out showing that being under mortality salience does not significantly increase the probability that subjects have a deontological approach to ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To present a case of hemorrhagic occlusive retinal vasculitis (HORV) associated with intravitreal injection of vancomycin after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). Methods: Single case report. Results: A 67-year-old woman presented with bestcorrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/400 in the left eye. For clinical suspicion of chronic endophthalmitis, empirical treatment was initiated with vancomycin and ceftazidime without clinical improvement. The patient was submitted to pars plana vitrectomy. During surgery rhegmatogenous retinal detachment was observed and treated. At the end of surgery, intravitreal vancomycin was injected. After 18 days BCVA was counting fingers and fundus examination showed diffuse retinal vascular sheathing, intraretinal hemorrhages, and ischemic macular whitening. The clinical diagnosis was compatible with HORV secondary to retinal toxicity due to intraocular vancomycin. Conclusions: This case illustrates the importance of including intravitreal vancomycin during PPV surgery on the list of potential causes when investigating a case of suspected hemorrhagic occlusive retinal vasculitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnosis of transient/latent HPV infections requires a rethinking of ideas concerning the host virus relationship. With this in mind, we address several concepts, such as mutualism and commensalism, to understand better the different stages of development, in addition to briefly covering current methods of detection. We suggest analyzing molecules related to the innate immune response for earlier diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a hybrid analytical and numerical solution for transient heat conduction across a composite cylindrical sector is presented. A two-dimensional domain consisting of a multi-layer circular sector of angle φ was investigated (φ < 2 π). The Separation of Variables Method (SVM) was applied to solve the partial differential equation with non-homogeneous boundary conditions of the first, second and third kinds prescribed in the radial direction. Homogeneous boundary conditions of first and second kinds were arbitrated in the angular direction. A spatial time-independent source term g i (r , θ) was considered. The radial eigenvalues problem for the (r , θ) domain returns only real quantities and depends implicitly on the angular eigenvalues. Results for time dependent temperatures using the Separation of Variables Method were compared with numerical results, showing good accuracy. A second set of results was developed to investigate boundary conditions, material properties and the thermal source power required to rise temperature levels (mainly around the mid-angle φ /2) high enough to promote melting of certain layers of materials. These results might be useful for investigating a novel technology for the decommissioning of oil wells using thermal sources, often referred to in the literature as Thermal Plug and Abandonment (TP&A). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racial determinations that lead to race-based treatments and mistreatments have many harmful social effects. When used in the practice of medicine, can racial determinants lead to good outcomes? This is an emerging question in medical ethics. It is undoubtedly true that some individuals are more genetically prone to some diseases than others. However, should one rush to judgment with the belief that race may be a valid indicator in identifying diseases an individual is susceptible to? Furthermore, should race be considered in prescribing treatment? Illnesses such as sickle cell-anemia and Tay Sachs disease have long been thought to have a racial origin. This assumption is challenged in this paper. There have also been attempts to prescribe specific drugs for specific racial groups; but this is approach call for further inquiry. Belief in the presupposition that disease is a bio-psycho-social process implies that genetic predispositions are only one factor among many others that relate to the way things are socially constructed. This paper seeks to critique one's view of the use of race as a criterion of medicine to prescribe treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constitutions establish the framework of formal and informal institutions of democracy. The political parties, recognized by law, that obtain the government and those that remain in the opposition, through universal and direct elections, with pre-established procedures for the adoption of political decisions, obtain and preserve the monopoly of the formal democratic representation. This means that government, justice, legislation and power come from formal institutions. But what happens when rebellion, in the form of the right of resistance, is justified within the framework of positive law and of the formal institutions themselves? How does the exercise of the right of resistance become a moral and civic obligation to resist the same unjust law through the constitutionalized forms of the always possible political totalitarianism? This work, developed from an interdisciplinary epistemological approach between constitutional law and political science, raises the right of resistance as a right-guarantee, prior and superior to the constitutional state, due to its origin in natural law, but which is enabled in an extreme circumstance, when the pillars of the modern state have collapsed and in a borderline situation of positive law. This work is divided into three parts: The first one, defines the conceptual framework on the current debate on the subject. The second part discusses the structural elements of power and law. The last part is about the conceptual limits in the legal typicity of the resistance action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove soils have peculiar chemical and physical conditions generated by the variable water salinity, cyclic tidal changes and intense biological activity that produce complex clay suites. In this study, the crystal-chemical characteristics of clay minerals from two mangrove soils were investigated in detail to further our understanding of the processes taking place. The two Brazilian mangroves are from zones of contrasting climatic type and continental sediment character: (1) tropical wet climate area receiving highly weathered sediments (Bragança, Pará State) and (2) mild semiarid climate area supplied with a mixture of highly and moderately weathered sediments (Acaraú, Ceará State). The investigation of the 2–0.2 μm and < 0.2 μm size fractions of the soils using XRD, Mössbauer spectroscopy, chemical analysis of individual mineral grains (TEM-EDS) and bulk samples (XRF) showed mineral assemblages composed by endmember and mixed-layer clay minerals. Three to four mineral phases were detected by XRD in each sample such as kaolinite-smectite minerals (K-S), illite-smectite (I-S) and Fe-rich illite, suggesting a progressive transformation via mixed-layering from detrital kaolinite (unstable in mangrove soil conditions) to K-S and I-S minerals rich in smectite, and then to Fe-rich illite. The chemical characterization corroborates this gradual transformation: there is an enrichment in K, Fe and Mg at the expense of Al in all samples. A solid-state reaction explains the sequential transformation, where crystal-chemical changes take place without complete disruption of the lattice. There is evidence of octahedral Fe reduction during the illitization stage, showing the influence of a reducing environment, from decaying organic matter and bacterial activity, on the clay minerals. The increase in layer charge is balanced by K and NH 4 ions, abundant in the interstitial water. Superior Fe-rich illite contents in Acaraú mangrove, compared to Bragança mangrove, are explained by high inputs of 2:1 clays from sediment source areas inland. The above clay mineral reactions shed light on the role of clays and the interaction between minerals and biotic components in mangrove soils. In addition, these reactions may influence the cycle of major elements in coastal ecosystem surrounding mangroves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past life regression therapy is used by some physicians in cases with some mental diseases. Anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and gender dysphoria have all been treated using life regression therapy by some doctors on the assumption that they reflect problems in past lives. Although it is not supported by psychiatric associations, few medical associations have actually condemned it as unethical. In this article, I argue that past life regression therapy is unethical for two basic reasons. First, it is not evidence-based. Past life regression is based on the reincarnation hypothesis, but this hypothesis is not supported by evidence, and in fact, it faces some insurmountable conceptual problems. If patients are not fully informed about these problems, they cannot provide an informed consent, and hence, the principle of autonomy is violated. Second, past life regression therapy has the great risk of implanting false memories in patients, and thus, causing significant harm. This is a violation of the principle of non-malfeasance, which is surely the most important principle in medical ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]