Fictional Realism and Indeterminate Identity

Fictional realists hold that fictional characters are real entities. However, Anthony Everett [“Against Fictional Realism”, Journal of Philosophy (2005)] notes that some fictions leave it indeterminate whether character A is identical to character B, while other fictions depict A as simultaneously identical and distinct from B. Everett argues that these fictions commit the realist to indeterminate and impossible identity relations among actual entities, and that as such realism is untenable. This paper defends fictional realism: for fictions depicting non-classical identity between A and B, the realist should hold that there are two salient fragments, one with a single character (named both ‘A’ and ‘B’) and the other with two (named ‘A’ and ‘B’, respectively). Truth according to the fiction depicting indeterminate identity is determined by supervaluating over truth according to those salient fragments. For fictions depicting impossible identity, truth is determined by subvaluating over truth according to those two salient fragments

Definite Descriptions and Semantic Pluralism

We pose two arguments for the view that sentences containing definite descriptions semantically express multiple propositions: a general proposition as Russell suggested, and a singular proposition featuring the individual who uniquely satisfies the description at the world-time of utterance. One argument mirrors David Kaplan\u27s arguments that indexicals express singular propositions through a context-sensitive character. The second argument mirrors Kent Bach\u27s and Stephen Neale\u27s arguments for pluralist views about terms putatively triggering conventional implicatures, appositive, and nonrestrictive relative clauses. After presenting these arguments, we show that rival explanations (appeals to implicature, referential use, presupposition, etc.) do not offer equally compelling explanations of the data, and defend the methodology employed in the arguments against some criticisms. © 2014 © 2014 The Editorial Board, Philosophical Papers

Was ist den Patienten wichtig - wie zufrieden sind die Patienten? : Ein Vergleich zwischen einem Universitätsklinikum und einem Krankenhaus der Regelversorgung

Die Umbrüche im Gesundheitssystem führen dazu, dass Krankenhäuser unter einem zunehmenden wirtschaftlichen Druck stehen. Daraus entwickelt sich ein Wettbewerb zwischen den Krankenhäusern. Kommunikationsmedien ermöglichen es dem Patienten sich das Krankenhaus, das seinen Ansprüchen und Bedürfnissen am besten gerecht wird, gezielt auszuwählen. Hochschulkliniken nehmen eine Sonderstellung bei der Krankenversorgung ein. Aus diesem Grund wurde eine Umfrage am Universitätsklinikum Bonn und einem peripheren Krankenhaus frei-gemeinnütziger Trägerschaft (Johanniter-Krankenhaus Bonn) durchgeführt, die Patientenwünsche und Patientenzufriedenheit im Krankenhaus evaluiert. Im Zeitraum von Februar 2010 bis Oktober 2010 wurden insgesamt 190 Patienten befragt. Es wurde untersucht, welche Bedeutung Informations-, Beteiligungs-, Komfort- und Kommunikationskomponenten während des Krankenhausaufenthalts für die Patienten haben und wie zufrieden jene mit der Umsetzung der Aspekte sind. Durch die Berechnung der Patientenzufriedenheitsindices werden unökonomische Aspekte der Krankenhausleistung verdeutlicht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen keine signifikanten Unterschiede hinsichtlich der untersuchten Komponenten zwischen beiden Krankenhäusern. Die Fachkompetenz spielt für beide Patientengruppen die wichtigste Rolle, Komfortkomponten treten in den Hintergrund. Deutlich wird das Interesse der Patienten an der eigenen Behandlung sowie der Wunsch nach Beteiligung bei der Therapie und die Bereitschaft zur Fehlervermeidung beizutragen. Festzustellen ist, dass die Patienten, die der Generation Y sowie der Generation der Babyboomer zugeordnet werden können, im Vergleich zu den Angehörigen der Lost Generation sowie den Angehörigen der 68er Generation deutlich höhere Ansprüche an die Krankenhausleistung haben. Befragt wurden ausschließlich operativ behandelte Patienten. Weiterhin wurde die Umfrage an einem Universitätsklinikum und an einem peripheren Krankenhaus durchgeführt. Um allgemeine Aussagen zu machen, müssen sich die Ergebnisse in weiteren Untersuchungen replizieren

Histiocytoid cardiomyopathy and microphthalmia with linear skin defects syndrome: phenotypes linked by truncating variants in NDUFB11

Variants in NDUFB11, which encodes a structural component of complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC), were recently independently reported to cause histiocytoid cardiomyopathy (histiocytoid CM) and microphthalmia with linear skin defects syndrome (MLS syndrome). Here we report an additional case of histiocytoid CM, which carries a de novo nonsense variant in NDUFB11 (ENST00000276062.8: c.262C > T; p.[Arg88*]) identified using whole-exome sequencing (WES) of a family trio. An identical variant has been previously reported in association with MLS syndrome. The case we describe here lacked the diagnostic features of MLS syndrome, but a detailed clinical comparison of the two cases revealed significant phenotypic overlap. Heterozygous variants in HCCS (which encodes an important mitochondrially targeted protein) and COX7B, which, like NDUFB11, encodes a protein of the MRC, have also previously been identified in MLS syndrome including a case with features of both MLS syndrome and histiocytoid CM. However, a systematic review of WES data from previously published histiocytoid CM cases, alongside four additional cases presented here for the first time, did not identify any variants in these genes. We conclude that NDUFB11 variants play a role in the pathogenesis of both histiocytoid CM and MLS and that these disorders are allelic (genetically related)

Mutations in GATA2 cause primary lymphedema associated with a predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia (Emberger syndrome).

We report an allelic series of eight mutations in GATA2 underlying Emberger syndrome, an autosomal dominant primary lymphedema associated with a predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia. GATA2 is a transcription factor that plays an essential role in gene regulation during vascular development and hematopoietic differentiation. Our findings indicate that haploinsufficiency of GATA2 underlies primary lymphedema and predisposes to acute myeloid leukemia in this syndrome

A Map of the Nanoworld: Sizing up the Science, Politics, and Business of the Infinitesimal

Mapping out the eight main nodes of nanotechnology discourse that have emerged in the past decade, we explore how various scientific, social, and ethical islands of discussion have developed, been recognized, and are being continually renegotiated. We do so by (1) identifying the ways in which scientists, policy makers, entrepreneurs, educators, and environmental groups have drawn boundaries on issues relating to nanotechnology; (2) describing concisely the perspectives from which these boundaries are drawn; and (3) exploring how boundaries on nanotechnology are marked and negotiated by various nodes of nanotechnology discourse.Comment: 25 page