Difficulties of Simplicity

This paper attempts to show that the doctrine of divine simplicity suffers from difficulties which undermine its plausibility. The main difficulties explored are Plantinga’s problem of double identification, Pruss’ multiple attributes problem, and Schmitt’s co-specificity problem. In more recent years, defenders of the doctrine have offered a way out of these problems by interpreting it in light of a truthmaker account of predication. This paper analyzes this recent defense, among others, and attempts to show that this new interpretation of divine simplicity still has problems which undermine the plausibility of the doctrine

Impact of the Bakken Oil Boom on Employment and Wages in North Dakota

A difference-in-difference methodology is used to examine the impact of the 2008 oil boom on employment and wages in North Dakota. Finding show an 8.68 percent increase in employment and 4.85 percent increase in wages in counties producing Bakken oil relative to the rest of North Dakota. In addition, a modified Difference- in-Difference is used to examine the rate of growth in employment and wages. Results show a 0.271 percent increase in quarterly job growth in Bakken oil producing counties relative to the rest of North Dakota. No significant impact is observed in the growth of wages

Exploring A Stable Aspen Niche Within Aspen-Conifer Forests of Utah

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is the most widespread broadleaf tree species of North America. Increasing evidence shows that aspen has diverging ecological roles across its range as both “seral” and “stable” aspen community types. This leads us to believe that the successional pathway of aspen may not always lead to a climax conifer sere, but may in some cases consist of persisting stands of pure aspen. This study is an attempt to understand the relationship of aspen community types to climatic, physical, and biophysical variables by modeling patterns of aspen and conifer distribution using remote sensing and GIS technology. Study methodologies and results were specifically designed to aid land managers in identifying extent and status of aspen populations as well as prioritizing aspen restoration projects. Four study sites were chosen in order to capture the geographic and climatic range of aspen. Photointerpretation of NAIP color infrared imagery and linear unmixing of Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery were used to classify dominant forest cover. A Kappa analysis indicates photointerpretation methods to be more accurate (Khat=92.07%, N=85) than linear unmixing (Khat=51.05%, N=85). At each plot, variables were calculated and derived from DAYMET data, digital elevation models, and soil surveys, then assessed for precision and ability to model aspen and conifer distributions. A generalized linear model and discriminant analysis were used to assess habitat overlap between aspen and conifer and to predict areas where “stable” aspen communities are likely to occur. Results do not provide definitive evidence for a “stable” aspen niche. However, the model indicates 60 to 90 cm of total annual precipitation and topographic positions receiving greater than 4,500 Wh m‐2 d‐1 of solar radiation have a higher potential for “stable” aspen communities. Model predictions were depicted spatially within GIS as probability of conifer encroachment. In addition, prediction‐conditioned fallout rates and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to partition the continuous model output. Categorical maps were then produced for each study site delineating potential “stable” and “seral” aspen community types using an overlay analysis with landcover maps of aspen‐conifer forests

An Examination of Environmental Applications for Uncooled Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing Instruments

Advancements in system design for thermal instruments require assessment of potential environmental applications and appropriate data processing techniques. A novel multi-band thermal imaging system was proposed by DRS Leonardo for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Earth Science Technology Office Instrument Incubator Program, for which these criteria were assessed. The Multi-Band Uncooled Radiometer Imager (MURI) is a six spectral channel instrument designed to collect images in the thermal infrared, specifically in the range of 7.5 to 12.5 μm. The work detailed in this thesis characterizes the ability of a thermal imager with an uncooled microbolometer focal plane array to provide valuable data for environmental science applications. Here, a pair of studies using simulated data demonstrates the ability of a multispectral instrument such as MURI to detect enhanced levels of atmospheric methane using a novel approach that performs similarly to a state of the art algorithm when applied to MURI data. The novel method is evaluated using a controlled concentration simulated dataset to determine the extent of its detection capabilities and its dependence on atmospheric conditions. The methane investigations reveal the system is capable of detecting a 20 m thick CH4 plume of 10-20 ppm above background levels when column water vapor is low using both the NDMI and matched filter approaches. Additionally, land surface temperature and emissivity retrieval techniques were applied to experimental MURI data recorded during initial test flights to assess their accuracy with MURI data. Utilizing split window and Temperature Emissivity Separation make this examination distinct as this establishes that proven methods can be applied to uncooled multiband imager data. Application of these methods to MURI data demonstrated the system is capable of temperature retrievals with Root Mean Square Errors of less than 1 K to measured reference values and surface emissivity retrievals within 2% of reference database values. The definition and application of the Normalized Differential Methane Index in this thesis demonstrates a novel approach for detection of enhanced plumes of methane utilizing a multispectral system with only a single band allocated to methane absorption features

Implementing an “Intro to SST” Topics Course

This study is designed to gauge Cal Poly Construction Management students interest level in a potential new topics course, “Intro to SST”, that will feature small building projects and emphasize construction safety. With this course, students will be more experienced and safe with building in the SST prior to the Residential and Commercial building labs, as well as receiving a brief knowledge of what goes into the trade jobs on a day to day basis. Students were asked to answer ten questions – nine survey and one free response. These questions were designed to provide quantitative and qualitative data that would inform the Cal Poly Construction Management department of student interest in a new topics course, and what subjects this course would include

Determination of the effects that a previously uncharacterized secreted product from Klebsiella pneumoniae has on Citrobacter freundii and Enterobacter cloacae biofilms

More so than ever, Multiple Drug Resistant (MDR) bacteria are on the rise due to overuse of antibiotics along with natural selection for adaptations that enhance drug-resistant properties. One particular bacterial family, Enterobacteriaceae, has been problematic, exhibiting several bacterial members that have developed a precipitous resistance to modern antibiotics and are also primary causative agents of nosocomial, or hospital acquired, infections. Citrobacter freundii (CF) and Enterobacter cloacae (ECL) are two species of the Enterobacteriaceae family causing significant medical concern due to their role in producing numerous opportunistic infections such as bacteremia, lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and endocarditis. Adding to the difficulty of this situation is the ability of bacteria to produce biofilms. These biofilms are communities of bacteria that exhibit increased resistance to antibiotic treatment and eradication. Previous work in the laboratory of Dr. Fox at ETSU has identified an uncharacterized product secreted by Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP), another member of the Enterobacteriaceae family, which appears to have inhibitory effects toward CF and ECL. The current study was designed to characterize the effects this secreted product has on CF and ECL biofilms. Through a high throughput microtiter plate assay, the effects of this secreted product were examined on CF and ECL phases of biofilm attachment and maturation. Based on our findings, we have concluded that this secreted product can be categorized as a possible bacteriostatic agent against biofilm cell density, biofilm mass, and cell viability for both biofilm phases of attachment and maturation