This article aims to elaborate on the relationships between Georges Castriota Scanderbeg and noble families from Drivasto. Drivasto was an Albanian medieval city located in the Northern Albania, about 12 km away from Shkodra. Its origin dates to antiquity but it has achieved its cultural, economic, and political peak during the Middle Age. Drivasto had its schools, church, and social life. The city elite consisted of noble families, such as Engjelli, Spani, Suma, Moneta, and Dushmani. The city elite played an (...) important role in the resistance against the establishment of Ottoman rule in Albanian lands, so many figures deriving from that elite closely cooperated with Georges Castriota Scanderbeg. They used their diplomatic and military background to transmit Scanderbeg’s claims abroad or to fight against the Ottomans. Therefore, this article aims also to elaborate on the social aspects of the society of Drivasto and its role in political circumstances, aiming thus to present to the audience some historical and social features and international relations during the Middle Age. The first part of this scientific research provides a brief presentation about the city of Drivasto during the Middle Age, continues with noble families and their role and cooperation with Scanderbeg; lastly summarises circumstances that derived from the return of Scanderbeg until the year 1478 when Drivasto fell under the Ottoman rule. The work “The nobility of Drivasto and Scanderbeg” derived of intensive scientific research. The comparative and synthetic methodologies have been used to draft this article. (shrink)

In On Repentance, noted scholar Pinchas Peli has gathered the major points of Rabbi Soloveitchik's teachings on teshuvah (repentance), based on the annual series of lectures on the theme of teshuvah, presented on the anniversary of his ...

This paper analyzes image macros via the theoretical framework of conceptual blending on the example of online responses to 2011 and 2012 doomsday predictions. To date, conceptual blending has shown promise in the analysis of a variety of internet memes; however, most studies have been limited to one type of meme or one blending model. This project adds to the discussion in two ways. First, it presents a thematic analysis – image macros responding to end of the world predictions – (...) thereby covering a broader variety of image macro genres. Second, it modifies blending models according to the needs of the different genres. The discussion explores the extent to which the three different image macro genres require different blending models and the implication for future study. (shrink)

This paper combines Langacker’s notion of intersubjectivity with research into the discursive purposes of the first-person plural to analyse the 2008 debate between Richard Dawkins and John Lennox Has Science Buried God? The analysis identifies several differences and similarities between the debaters. Both speakers navigate the objectivity – (inter)subjectivity continuum in similar ways. Both speakers also use we to create their unique discursive identities. Dawkins primarily uses we to refer to himself as a member of an atemporal or cross-generational scientific (...) community. This use was often exclusive as part of his argument seemed to be that he was a scientist in a way that Lennox was not. In contrast, Lennox’s uses are primarily inclusive, placing himself, Dawkins, and all scientists as part of the human race and using the human predicament as his main argument. Although only one debate is examined here, this paper may serve as a model for conducting a larger-scale project. With the recent increased polarisation of society, this analysis of we and intersubjectivity within a debate over an often volatile topic could provide insight for improving dialogue. Thus, this study is also relevant to fields beyond linguistics. (shrink)

This dissertation will present a mathematically informed interpretation of a classically romantic literary-theoretic thesis: that a work of literature can aesthetically communicate an ineffably complex holistic understanding of the real world, which we might call the work’s ‘aesthetic meaning.’ Drawing on a generalization of ‘deep learning’ (“artificial intuition”) systems and on elementary algorithmic information theory, we describe a kind or aspect of aesthetic meaning – ‘ambient meaning’ – that may have a special resonance with Modernist and avant-garde approaches to aesthetic (...) meaning, as well as with the concepts of aesthetically sophisticated cultural-materialist literary criticism of the kind that critics like Sianne Ngai or Raymond Williams practice. (shrink)

Summary Historians have devoted little attention to blood transfusion in the nineteenth century. In part, this neglect reflects the presentist assumption that, before Karl Landsteiner's discovery of blood types, this practice would have failed too often to gain currency. Yet, transfusion was in fact the subject of much debate, and was actively practised, primarily by obstetricians on haemorrhaging women. Examining this practice through the conceptual lens of ‘blood clots’, both as noun and as observation, I follow transfusors’ assumptions about the (...) nature of the blood and the problem of its coagulation. Tracing the medicalization of ideas about blood by the century's end, I map this shift onto changing notions about why transfusion was performed, what substance was best employed, and what instrument best fitted that substance's movement into the circulation. In this way, ‘Blood Clots’ reconstructs the discourse surrounding transfusion, extending that discourse to material culture in order to illuminate the rationale that guided transfusion's practice in nineteenth-century Britain. (shrink)

It seems obvious that blood itself is the most appropriate fluid to replace blood, and there is no doubt as to its efficacy. On the other hand, to my surprise, it has not shown itself, experimentally, to be so much superior to certain artificial solutions, such as gum arabic, as I expected.

We're a story-telling species. Stories give our lives meaning; they cause us to get up in the morning, fashion our thoughts and behavior, send us to war, to church, to the marketplace and to the workplace. Our stories become us, and we become our stories. Using a wealth of scientific evidence and real-life examples, this book illustrates how many of the stories we regularly use to explain and motivate our lives - from religion to economics, from free will to rights (...) and privileges - often consist of myths, obfuscations, and/or outright lies - convenient, useful, but false. (shrink)

This article presents the current legislative and educative measures in place for plagiarism prevention in Kosovo, especially in the case of student work, and provides an analysis of the effectiveness of such measures. Two public universities are used as case studies – the University of Haxhi Zeka and the University of Kadri Zeka – and the research is based on the legal and policy documents enacted by the two universities, as well as many reports, scientific articles on plagiarism and HEI (...) official websites. The issue of plagiarism has only recently become a priority in Kosovo, with many factors hindering advancement and development in this area. (shrink)

The aim of this paper is to introduce erotetic search scenarios known from Inferential Erotetic Logic by using the framework of epistemic erotetic logic. The key notions used in this system are those of askability and epistemic erotetic implication. Scenarios are supposed to represent all rational strategies of an agent solving the problem posed by the initial question where the interaction with an external information source is seen as a series of updates of the agent’s knowledge.

Although there is much research on the contract cheating phenomenon, there is very little research on the legal solutions available to address such problems and almost zero research on the contract cheating phenomenon specifically in Kosovo in the Western Balkan region. This article presents the current situation with regard to contract cheating in Kosovo and compares it to western countries, with the aim of identifying the best international practices for combating contract cheating. We also present the results of a study (...) we conducted which suggest that the term “contract cheating” is not well defined in university legal documents, nor is there a consistent understanding of what constitutes contract cheating. Consequently, the perpetrators are not being punished. Results from our online survey also show that 5% to 20% of students use contract cheating services, and they are paying an estimated fee of between 100 and 200 euros and in some cases, more than 250 euros. (shrink)

We investigate gender disparities and network linkages among editors of Finance journals at the end of 2022. The role of journal editors in shaping academic disciplines is crucial, yet gender imbalances and the geographic concentration of editors remain poorly understood. Ethical considerations arise when examining the representation of women on editorial boards, as these imbalances can impact academic equity and the diversity of perspectives. We examine the gender composition of editorial boards and uncover the network structures among editors, seeking to (...) shed light on the concentration of editorial power and its implications for diversity and inclusion. Our findings reveal that women account for an average of 20% of all editors, with notable variations across countries. Additionally, editorial affiliations are heavily concentrated in the United States and the United Kingdom. Through typological metrics, we identify highly connected editors with significant board memberships. While gender ratios remain consistent in substructures involving highly central editors or those serving on multiple boards, men consistently outnumber women. (shrink)

This article reviews Conceptualizing Evolution Education: A Corpus-Based Analysis of US Press Discourse.

The seminal treatise and guide to Ashtanga yoga by the master of this increasingly popular discipline There is a yoga boom in America, and Sri K. Pattabhi Jois is at the heart of it. One of the great yoga figures of our time, Jois brought Ashtanga yoga to the West a quarter of a century ago and has been the driving force behind its worldwide dissemination. Based on flowing, energetic movement, Ashtanga and the many forms of vinyasa yoga that grow (...) directly out of it--have become the most widespread and influential styles of practice in the United States today. Mala means "garland" in Sanskrit, and Yoga Mala--a "garland of yoga practice"--is Jois's distillation of Ashtanga. He first outlines the ethical principles and philosophy underlying the discipline and explains its important terms and concepts. Next he guides the reader through Ashtanga's versions of the Sun Salutation and its subsequent sequence of forty-two asanas, or poses, precisely describing how to execute each position and what benefits each provides. Brought into English by Eddie Stern, a student of Jois's for twelve years and director of the Patanjali Yoga Shala in New York City, Yoga Mala will be an indispensable handbook for students and teachers of yoga for years to come. (shrink)

The author traces the path from split brains to basic beliefs by linking the deautomatized pattern of spiritual masters, as reorted in Rorschach protocols, with subsymbolic, parallel, distriguted processing, The older brain structures constitute humanity's common heritage, while the new brain constitutes particular cultural heritages. Expanding levels of complexity move from the limbic system throuh conitive left‐mind vigilance and right‐mind responsiveness to %Pelie patterns of proclamation and manifestation to the world‐integrating mysticism of limbic input and the world‐fulfilling action of the (...) new brain. Whole brain activity combines emotional meaning and propositional explanation. Analogically seaking, the brain provides clues to understanding God. A ialectical theology parallels the reciprocal integration of brain processes. Whole brain belief originates in the old brain's evolutionary adaptation to our genetic inheritance and in the new brain's conscious intention to fulfill the will of God through our cultural inheritances. (shrink)

Lessons from a great yoga master and an eminent psychoanalyst that explore what psychotherapy and yoga philosophy have in common Yoga philosophy and Freud's revolutionary approach to psychology could not have been developed in more different times, places, or cultural conditions. And yet these two profound and dynamic systems of understanding human behavior, emotions, perception, and what's essential in our existence have an astonishing amount to share. What we learn by comparing their similarities as well as their differences can enhance (...) how we comprehend our lives and our potential for change. In Freud and Yoga, the great yoga master T.K.V. Desikachar and the eminent psychoanalyst Hellfried Krusche examine forty classic sayings, or sūtras, from the vantage point of their respective disciplines. Through clear, candid conversations that draw on long experience and are illustrated by case studies from the clinic and the shala, these two experts explain the concepts, terms, forces, and processes in their traditions. Therapists and patients, yoga adepts and professionals, and readers interested in psychology and spirituality will find this unique investigation fascinating, enriching, and useful. In a time when Western and Eastern modalities have ever more to offer each other, Freud and Yoga is a watershed work--one that draws us closer to understanding our own nature and the deep workings of the human psyche. (shrink)

The northwestern dialects of Albanian stretch from Plava and Gucia in the North to Mat in the South, from Tivari and Ulqini in the West to Nikaj-Mërtur and Pukë in the East. This group of dialects includes the dialects of Kelmendi, Hoti, Kastrati, Shkreli, Buza e Uji, Koplik, Grizha, Lohe, Reci, Rrjolli, Shala, Shosh, Pulti, of Postriba, Shllak, Temal, Shkodra, Buna Bank, Drini Bank and Zadrima. The areas where the northwestern dialects of Albanian are spoken, as evidenced by the (...) discoveries made so far, were inhabited very early. The great Ardian tribe lived in these places. Moving specifically to the studies of Northwestern Albanian dialects, we see their origin at the beginning of the 20th century, although their data did not present scientific certainty. The Albanian lexicographers of the Northern region Frang Bardhi, Nikollë Gazulli and Benedikt Dema also played a fundamental role in the creation of the old Albanian literature, but the invaluable help started by Buzuku, Budi and Bogdani should not be left out. (shrink)

An inquiry into the current ways of knowing, their ramifications, and institutional and noninstitutional artistic practices that provide channels for education from below. Artistic Ecologies: New Compasses and Tools aims to both analyze and speculate about potentials of artistic ecologies, collective learning, and engaged pedagogies to engender new institutionalities. Going beyond tensions between individuals and institutions, Artistic Ecologies examines avenues for collective learning. If learning for life is emancipation—understood not just as a matter of power but of freedom—the essential question (...) that emerges is: What knowledge makes us free and how can institutions help produce it? In search of an answer, this publication’s textual and visual contributions explore sites and practices through which new institutionalities can emerge. Artistic Ecologies comprises essays analyzing current ways of knowing and their ramifications (Marina Garcés, Yayo Herrero and Pirate Care) and portraying alternative ways of forming knowledge through institutional and non-institutional artistic practices (DAAR—Decolonizing Architecture Art Research, Yael Davids, Max Jorge Hinderer Cruz, The Sensing Salon). Artistic contributions in various formats—poems, drawings, visual essays—by Luna Acosta, CAConrads, Eva Ďurovec, Teuta Gatolin, Margherita Isola, and Jammers illustrate heterodox channels for questioning the dominant forms of knowledge and educating from below. (shrink)