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No one denies the importance of applying knowledge to actions. But claiming identity (unity) of knowledge and action is quite another thing. There seem to be two problems with the claim: (1) the identity claim implies that the sole cause for one to fail to act on what one judges to be right is ignorance, but it is obviously false that the sole cause of failure in moral actions is ignorance. (2) The identity statement implies non-separation of knowledge and action. But knowledge does not necessarily lead to action. However, the identity of knowledge and action is what a famous Ming Confucian scholar, Wang Yang-ming, proposed and the concept became the central doctrine of his teaching. Though there are several major interpretations of Wang's doctrine in contemporary literature, it is not clear to me how they deal with the above mentioned difficulties. In this article, I will discuss these interpretations of the doctrine and propose a new interpretation. My purpose is to give an interpretation of Wang's doctrine that has the capacity of dealing with these challenges to the doctrine and also captures the essence of his teaching. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to deepen the understanding of tensions between old and new in the emerging global society driven by information and communication technology (ICT); and to argue that creation of a theory of this society would contribute in the easing of these tensions. Design/methodology/approach The methods used in this paper are mostly analytical, descriptive, and qualitative. An analysis of the creation and development of ICT from a mathematical discipline of computer science to a universal tool and a driving force of the emerging global society, a development which is paralleled by the commercialization of ICT, is followed by two case studies illustrating the tensions between old and new and the role ICT plays in them. One case is centered on the challenges of traditional models of education by new, ICT-friendly approaches, like the Multiple Intelligences Theory; the other addresses tensions between old and new that in many societies presently take the form of tensions between local/national and global. Findings A claim is formed that the existing tensions between old and new are closely linked to the tensions between the two most common forms of society, inclusive (egalitarian) and exclusive (elitist). Originality/value The paper will help understand some of the reactions to the process of globalization. It can serve as a tool for assessment and prediction regarding this process. Lastly, the paper contains a justification of merit in the creation of a “grass root” theory of an ICT-driven global society built on a universally accepted ethical foundation. © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

At the heart of the uniqueness debate is the possibility that the computer revolution may demand more in the way of ethical analysis than our traditional (that is, modern) ethical edification has prepared us for. In short, it may present new and unique problems and therefore demand new and unique solutions. In this article I argue that the solution is in fact an old and not-sounique one: casuistry. Appealing to Jonsen and Toulmin's analysis of casuistry (1988), I argue that a casuistic methodology is a more accurate description of the moral reasoning used by contemporary computer ethicists than are other accounts. In addition, I argue that the strengths that enabled casuistry to deal successfully with radical social, economic, and religious changes in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries render casuistry well suited to the task of dealing with radically new situations like those found in twentieth- and twenty-first-century computer technology. Before concluding, I briefly explore Pascal's fatal critique of casuistry and its relevance for contemporary computer ethics. © 2007 Metaphilosophy LLC and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to address the place of computer/ICT ethics in the global ICT society driven by knowledge economy. Design/methodology/approach - The paper focuses on three main issues: the evolution of the name of the leading technology of our times and, accordingly, the evolution of the name of the society in which this technology plays the leading role; some ethical dilemmas that the global ICT society will need to solve; global ICT ethics and the knowledge economy. Findings - The paper suggests that global ICT ethics should be an ethics focusing on the dynamics of the relationship between the weak and the strong, the rich and the poor, the healthy and the sick worldwide - and it should explore the ethical problems from the point of view of both parties involved. That way, Global ICT Ethics can have a truly communicative character, and it can become an ethics that will be both a co-creator and also a result of a democratic processes. Originality/value - This paper should interest anyone concerned with ICT and globalization.

This essay describes a new ethical theory that has begun to coalesce from the works of several scholars in the international computer ethics community. I call the new theory Flourishing Ethics because of its Aristotelian roots, though it also includes ideas suggestive of Taoism and Buddhism. In spite of its roots in ancient ethical theories, Flourishing Ethics is informed and grounded by recent scientific insights into the nature of living things, human nature and the fundamental nature of the universe-ideas from today's information theory, astrophysics and genetics. Flourishing Ethics can be divided conveniently into two parts. The first part, which I call Human-Centered FE, is focused exclusively upon human beings - their actions, values and characters. The second part, which I call General FE, applies to every physical entity in the universe, including humans. Rather than replacing traditional great ethical theories, Flourishing Ethics is likely to deepen and broaden our understanding of them. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006.

In light of the relation between culture and markets, an analysis of cultural evolution reveals that globalization will not lead to the homogenization of world cultures. © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Purpose: To investigate the attitudes, beliefs, and concerns of pregnant and postpartum adolescents regarding breastfeeding. Study Design and Methods: Audiotaped focus groups of low-income, largely minority pregnant and postpartum adolescents were conducted and transcripts analyzed using content analysis techniques. Findings: Major themes identified were in the area of beliefs, such as They say it's healthy, or It hurts; attitudes, such as breastfeeding is the mother's choice and The baby comes first; and concerns such as privacy, and Breastfeeding leads to dependency. Clinical Implications: Adolescents can be encouraged to breastfeed, but require appropriate education beyond what they have heard from others. Myths such as pain during breastfeeding need to be addressed. Since teens want to learn but not be told what to do, active learning strategies such as guided Internet searches could be helpful to guide them into discovery of the benefits of breastfeeding. Since all the teens in this study felt that the baby comes first, emphasizing the benefits of breastfeeding for the baby should predominate educational efforts. Concerns related to physical exposure while breastfeeding can be addressed antenatally through discussing creative strategies to maintain modesty. This study suggests that, in the postpartum hospital setting, adopting a sensitive, initially hands-off' approach to supporting breastfeeding might be more well-accepted than tactile assistance, and that following the initial establishment of a milk supply, various levels of breastfeeding exclusivity should be considered as potentially acceptable infant feeding patterns.

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the medication-taking experiences of undergraduate college students prescribed short-term antibiotic therapies and to describe factors influencing their adherence. Data sources: Thirty-four undergraduate students prescribed antibiotics for treatment of an acute infectious illness at a large university health center were recruited to participate in this study. Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted after students finished their course of treatment. Qualitative descriptive content analysis was used to analyze the transcripts typed from the audio-taped phone interviews. Conclusions: The main theme that emerged from the data was antibiotic-taking self-management. Most participants were able to adapt medication regimens into their daily routines, and used events in their day and specific reminder strategies to help them to remember to take their medications. This occurred despite an ever-changing class and work schedule and being prescribed complex, lengthy antibiotic regimens. Most dosing errors occurred during times when schedules changed or students were off campus during weekends or college breaks. A small number of students discontinued therapy early because of side effects or forgetfulness. Implications for practice: By understanding factors that influence antibiotic adherence from a college student perspective, healthcare providers can suggest strategies to promote adherence that are tailored to the specific needs of this unique population. © 2006 American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

In this paper we propose novel algorithms for reconfiguring modular robots that are composed of n atoms. Each atom has the shape of a unit cube and can expand/contract each face by half a unit, as well as attach to or detach from faces of neighboring atoms. For universal reconfiguration, atoms must be arranged in 2×2×2 modules. We respect certain physical constraints: each atom reaches at most unit velocity and (via expansion) can displace at most one other atom. We require that one of the atoms can store a map of the target configuration. Our algorithms involve a total of O(n 2) such atom operations, which are performed in O(n) parallel steps. This improves on previous reconfiguration algorithms, which either use O(n 2) parallel steps [8,10,4] or do not respect the constraints mentioned above [1]. In fact, in the setting considered, our algorithms are optimal, in the sense that certain reconfigurations require Ω(n) parallel steps. A further advantage of our algorithms is that reconfiguration can take place within the union of the source and target configurations. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.

This paper considers the following conjecture: If R is an unmixed, equidimensionallocal ring that is a homomorphic image of a Cohen-Macaulay local ring, then for any ideal J generated by a system of parameters, the Chern coefficient e1(J) < 0 is equivalent to R being non Cohen-Macaulay. The conjecture is established if R is a homomorphic image of a Gorenstein ring, and for all universally catenary integral domains containing fields. Criteria for the detection of Cohen-Macaulayness in equi-generated graded modules are derived. © International Press 2009.

The problem of motivation has received a great deal of attention, and many successful approaches have been developed. However, in areas such as introductory college mathematics, students often question their own potential for success. At the first sign of trouble, their fears are confirmed and many of them drop out, formally or informally. If a method could be found to improve persistence, motivational techniques would have an opportunity to succeed. In this article, the author describes a simple method to improve persistence using assessments that are normally already in place. Data are presented indicating that the method improves persistence and achievement. © 2009, Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

We study birational maps with empty base locus defined by almost complete intersection ideals. Birationality is shown to be expressed by the equality of two Chern numbers. We provide a relatively effective method for their calculation in terms of certain Hilbert coefficients. In dimension 2 the structure of the irreducible ideals-always complete intersections by a classical theorem of Serre-leads by a natural approach to the calculation of Sylvester determinants. We introduce a computer-assisted method (with a minimal intervention by the computer) which succeeds, in degree ≤5, in producing the full sets of equations of the ideals. In the process, it answers affirmatively some questions raised by Cox [Cox, D.A., 2006. Four conjectures: Two for the moving curve ideal and two for the Bezoutian. In: Proceedings of Commutative Algebra and its Interactions with Algebraic Geometry, CIRM, Luminy, France, May 2006 (available in CD media)]. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Given a convex polyhedron with n vertices and F faces, what is the fewest number of pieces, each of which unfolds to a simple polygon, into which it may be cut by slices along edges? Shephard's conjecture says that this number is always 1, but it's still open. The fewest nets problem asks to provide upper bounds for the number of pieces in terms of n and/or F. We improve the previous best known bound of F/2 by proving that every convex polyhedron can be unfolded into no more than 3F/8 non-overlapping nets. If the polyhedron is triangulated, the upper bound we obtain is 4F/11.

Core constructs are necessary as a basis for scale development in brand prestige research. This study examines the theoretical rationale for two such concepts - brand excellence and status conferral - and uses latent class scaling in an empirical test as to whether they are both important independent dimensions of prestige brands. Based on the analysis, these concepts are shown to be consistently present for two brands in two diverse product categories. The research calls into question earlier work on the measurement of brand prestige that was premised on a one-dimensional concept of prestige. Further studies are needed to explore the dimensionality and substantive structure of the brand prestige concept, to confirm or disconfirm findings from this research. © 2009 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a methodology by which qualitative analyses serve as rich source materials for discovery of theoretically cogent interrelations between latent variables. Design/methodology/approach: In an illustrative case, qualitative data are collected from US franchisee managers from a single branded franchise of automotive repair outlets. Qualitative analysis of franchisee experiences and attitudes is critical for construction of a causal model used to predict conflict intensity between franchisee managers and franchisors. Findings: The model is based on franchisees' normative expectations for resource allocation within the franchise; and their perceptions of franchisor normative violations, which are determinative of grievances, distrust, and hostility. This theoretical orientation serves to generate a system of interrelated empirically testable propositions. Research limitations/implications: In principle, the primary limitation of using qualitative analysis for the construction of causal models is the fruitfulness of the theoretical orientation shared by the qualitative analyst and the causal modeler. Practical implications: The methodological approach advanced in this paper advances qualitative research and causal modeling beyond the individual contributions. Qualitative analysis infuses variables and process imagery into causal modeling. In turn, causal modeling elaborates the qualitative analysis and makes explicit logical connections between variables. Originality/value: This paper advances a methodology by which qualitative analysis and causal model construction may be usefully integrated. Theory-based qualitative analysis may be formalized to map latent concepts and their interrelations. Further, operational measures of these concepts may be adduced from the analysis of textual data. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.