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Epistemologists have recently proposed a number of norms governing rational inquiry. My aim in this paper is to unify and explain recently proposed norms of inquiry by developing a general account of the conditions under which inquiries are rational, analogous to theories such as evidentialism and reliabilism for rational belief. I begin with a reason-responsiveness conception of rationality as responding correctly to possessed normative reasons. I extend this account with a series of claims about the normative reasons for inquiry that we possess. I apply the account to shed light on two classes of norms that have featured prominently in recent discussions: norms of clutter avoidance forbidding agents from engaging in trivial inquiries, and norms of logical non-omniscience governing properties such as the deductive closure and consistency of an agent's belief state. I conclude with a discussion of the sense in which norms of inquiry should be regarded as epistemic norms.

There are enduring misconceptions in the marketing and management literature about the potential biasing effects of Common Method Variance (CMV). One belief is that the biasing effect of CMV is of greater theoretical than practical importance; another belief is that if CMV is a potential problem, it can be easily identified with the Harman one-factor test. In this article, we show that both beliefs are ill founded and need correction. To demonstrate our key points with greater generality, we use analytical derivations rather than empirical simulations. First, we examine the effects of CMV on correlations between observed variables as a function of measure unreliability and the sign and size of the “true” trait correlation. We demonstrate that, for negative trait correlations, CMV leads to a substantial upward bias in observed correlations (i.e., observed correlations are less negative than the trait correlation), and under certain conditions observed correlations may even have the wrong sign (assuming that the method loadings are both positive or both negative). We also show that, for positive trait correlations, the downward bias due to measurement unreliability does not always mitigate the upward bias due to CMV (again assuming that the method loadings are either both positive or both negative). Importantly, our results indicate that the inflationary effect of CMV is larger at lower levels of (positive) trait correlations, whereas the deflationary effect of unreliability is larger at higher levels of trait correlations. Second, we demonstrate analytically the serious deficiencies of the popular Harman one-factor test for detecting common method variance and strongly recommend against its use in future research.

Jane Harman is a former nine-term Democratic congresswoman from California who served as ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee after 9/11 and recently completed a decade at the nonpartisan Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars. She joins Washington Post columnist David Ignatius to discuss her new book, “Insanity Defense: Why Our Failure to Confront Hard National Security Problems Makes Us Less Safe.” Harnessing her experience at the nexus of security and public policy issues, Harman addresses the reforms she says could help rebuild American leadership and bipartisanship. Join Washington Post Live on Monday, May 3 at 1:00pm ET.

Harman and norharman, two neuroactive β-carbolines, are present in several plants and in thermally processed foods. They exhibited a wide spectrum of biological and pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory effects. In this article, we review the progress of recent research on the presence of these compounds in food, as well as their various biological and neuroactive properties. Our findings strongly suggest that some foods, especially coffee, can act as a rich source of β-carbolines, which may possibly be associated with a reduced risk for serious neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

This paper puts forward a new way of thinking about objects, worlds, and events. The philosophical contribution of the paper pivots around the idea that objects are force-full: smoldering furnaces of affects that are capable of creating, policing, and destroying the very contours of existence. The paper begins with a problem, which is how to account for objects, worlds, and events outside of human consciousness or ‘in-themselves’. It answers by constructing an ‘evental geography’ from the ontologies of Martin Heidegger, Alain Badiou, and Graham Harman. A ‘geo-event’ names the transformation of a world – from galaxies to nation states to ecosystems – by ‘inexistent’ objects and the forces they unleash. The paper is situated at the busy crossroads of (object-oriented) philosophy, non-representational theory, and actor-network theory.

Speculative Realism, New Realism or Postcontinental Realism is an eclectic current that comes to overcome the aporias and insufficiencies of continental philosophy from a perspective that could be attributed to the same problems as the idealist and constructivist perspective of continental philosophers. For the development of philosophy, it is important to engage in conversation with the authors of this movement. This article presents an approach to the successes and insufficiencies of the ontologies of two current authors such as Markus Gabriel and Graham Harman. The strengths and weaknesses of Markus Gabriel's neutral realism and Object-Oriented Ontology are presented, in this order. In the last section, by way of conclusions, the common points of the ontologies are pointed out and the idea of event is provided as a line of research that overcomes the aporias that emerge from the contrast between idealism and realism. Keywords: Postcontinental realism. New realism. Markus Gabriel. Graham Harman. Ontology. El Realismo Especulativo, Nuevo Realismo o Realismo Postcontinental es una corriente eclectica que viene a superar las aporias e insuficiencias de la filosofia continental desde una perspectiva a la que se le podrian achacar los mismos problemas que la perspectiva idealista y constructivista de los filosofos continentales. Para el desarrollo de la filosofia es importante entablar conversacion los autores de este movimiento. En el presente articulo se presenta una aproximacion a los aciertos e insuficiencias de las ontologias de dos autores de la corriente como son Markus Gabriel y Graham Harman. Se presentan los aciertos e insuficiencias del realismo neutro de Markus Gabriel y de la Ontologia Orientada a los Objetos, en este orden. En el ultimo epigrafe, a modo de conclusiones, se senalan los puntos en comun de las ontologias y se aporta la idea de acontecimiento como linea de investigacion que supere las aporias que emergen de la contraposicion entre el idealismo y realismo. Palabras clave: Realismo postcontinental. Nuevo realismo. Markus Gabriel. Graham Harman. Ontologia. O Realismo Especulativo, Novo Realismo ou Realismo Pos-continental e uma corrente ecletica que vem superar as aporias e insuficiencias da filosofia continental a partir de uma perspectiva que poderia ser atribuida aos mesmos problemas da perspectiva idealista e construtivista dos filosofos continentais. Para o desenvolvimento da filosofia e importante envolver os autores deste movimento na conversa. Este artigo apresenta uma abordagem dos sucessos e deficiencias das ontologias de dois autores atuais como Markus Gabriel e Graham Harman. Os sucessos e deficiencias do realismo neutro e da Ontologia Orientada a Objetos de Markus Gabriel sao apresentados, nesta ordem. Na ultima secao, a titulo de conclusoes, sao apontados os pontos comuns das ontologias e apresentada a ideia do acontecimento como uma linha de pesquisa que supera as aporias que emergem do contraste entre idealismo e realismo. Palavras-chave: Realismo pos-continental. Novo realismo. Markus Gabriel. Graham Harman. Ontologia.

The β-carbolines, mainly including harman and norharman, are a group of naturally occurring, plant-derived alkaloids, and are also considered as nonpolar heterocyclic aromatic amines. Sesame seed oils contain a high level of β-carbolines (harman and norharman). In China, sesame seed oil blends are one of the most popular types of vegetable oils blends, which can be used as cooking oils or frying oils. Thus, it is meaningful to investigate the degradation of β-carbolines (harman and norharman) in sesame seed oil blends as frying oils during heating. In this work, the loss of harman and norharman in different types of sesame seed oil blends have been investigated. The results showed that the degradation of harman and norharman were dependent both on the type of oil blends, heating temperature and time. Harman and norharman were more degraded during heating (150 °C, 180 °C) in oleic acid-rich oil blends compared to polyunsaturated acid-rich oil blends. Mechanistic investigation suggested that the reduction in harman and norharman in oil blends during heating was mainly due to the oxidative degradation reaction between β-carbolines and lipid oxidation products. Therefore, the contents of β-carbolines (harman and norharman) in sesame seed oil blends when used as frying oils and heated can be decreased with prolonged cooking time.

The discourse on non-anthropocentric humanities has an essentializing and ontologizing character, allowing connections to be made with Roman Ingarden’s own ontology. The problems considered by researchers such as Bjørnar Olsen and Graham Harman appear to allign with those of the Polish philosopher. Concepts problematized in both non-anthropocentric discourse and Ingarden’s theory include self-containedness, autonomy and independence of the object from the cognizing subject, together with the manner in which the object itself is endowed as a subject with its own merits. Although functional questions (how things act as non-human actors in reality and what relations they form with human actors) seem to be the most important for modern researchers, the essential points they raise allow for a better understanding of what conditions objects require for their action and even causality. Introducing the discourse of non-anthropocentric humanities into the context of Ingarden’s ontology could allow, among other things, for the clarification of certain concepts. In this way, the return to things, a subject hitherto lacking its own vocabulary, can be perceived as a significant new discourse within contemporary humanities.

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) oxidizes neurotransmitters and xenobiotic amines, including vasopressor and neurotoxic amines such as the MPTP neurotoxin. Its inhibitors are useful as antidepressants and neuroprotectants. This work shows that diluted soy sauce (1/3) and soy sauce extracts inhibited human MAO-A and -B isozymes in vitro, which were measured with a chromatographic assay to avoid interferences, and it suggests the presence of MAO inhibitors. Chromatographic and spectrometric studies showed the occurrence of the β-carboline alkaloids harman and norharman in soy sauce extracts inhibiting MAO-A. Harman was isolated from soy sauce, and it was a potent and competitive inhibitor of MAO-A (0.4 µM, 44 % inhibition). The concentrations of harman and norharman were determined in commercial soy sauces, reaching 243 and 52 μg/L, respectively. Subsequently, the alkaloids 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (THCA) and 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (MTCA) were identified and analyzed in soy sauces reaching concentrations of 69 and 448 mg/L, respectively. The results show that MTCA was a precursor of harman under oxidative and heating conditions, and soy sauces increased the amount of harman under those conditions. This work shows that soy sauce contains bioactive β-carbolines and constitutes a dietary source of MAO-A and -B inhibitors.

The β-carbolines in our diet, mainly including harman and norharman, are a group of biologically active, naturally occurring plant-derived alkaloids. Fragrant sesame seed oil is one of the most popular flavor edible oils in China. Considering that sesame seeds are roasted at 200–240 °C during the processing of flavor sesame seed oils, it is meaningful to investigate the levels of β-carboline compounds in various sesame seed oils. In this work, the levels of β-carbolines (harman and norharman) in different types of sesame seed oils in China (e.g., pressed fragrant sesame oil, ground fragrant sesame oil) have been determined systematically. The results showed that the levels of total β-carbolines in pressed fragrant sesame oils (700.5~2423.2 μg/kg) were higher than that in ground fragrant sesame oils (660.4~1171.7 μg/kg). Roasting sesame seeds at high temperatures (200–240 °C) led to higher levels of β-carbolines (660~2400 μg/kg) in fragrant sesame seed oils. In addition, the loss of tryptophan might be attributed to the formation of β-carbolines in sesame seeds during the roasting process. In general, fragrant sesame seed oils (pressed fragrant sesame oils, ground fragrant sesame oils) contain higher levels of β-carbolines due to the formation of harman and norharman during the roasting sesame seed process.