Why Economics Does Not An Ethics Make: A Case Study

This essay is a multidisciplinary case study of environmental injustice. It demonstrates that misuse of the environment can ultimately impact humans unjustly and further that attempts to remediate injustice in one area merely shifts the burden of injustice to others. After providing the historical, sociological and scientific facts surrounding the 50-acre site, an ethical assessment is presented. It was determined that the actors in this case study were not employing any ethical valuing in their decision making process, but rather relied upon economic values to make their choices. The authors then suggest that judging them from within their own economic valuing system that the actors’ decisions had failed to meet their own values, i.e. good economics

Core Principles of the California Current Acidification Network: Linking Chemistry, Physics, and Ecological Effects

Numerous monitoring efforts are underway to improve understanding of ocean acidification and its impacts on coastal environments, but there is a need to develop a coordinated approach that facilitates spatial and temporal comparisons of drivers and responses on a regional scale. Toward that goal, the California Current Acidification Network (C-CAN) held a series of workshops to develop a set of core principles for facilitating integration of ocean acidification monitoring efforts on the US West Coast. The recommended core principles include: (1) monitoring measurements should facilitate determination of aragonite saturation state (Ω[subscript]arag) as the common currency of comparison, allowing a complete description of the inorganic carbon system; (2) maximum uncertainty of ±0.2 in the calculation of Ω[subscript]arag is required to adequately link changes in ocean chemistry to changes in ecosystem function; (3) inclusion of a variety of monitoring platforms and levels of effort in the network will insure collection of high-frequency temporal data at fixed locations as well as spatial mapping across locations; (4) physical and chemical oceanographic monitoring should be linked with biological monitoring; and (5) the monitoring network should share data and make it accessible to a broad audience

Low Energy Electron Diffraction of Thin Chromium Films on a Palladium Crystal

The surface-surface interactions between a sample of palladium and a thin film of chromium grown on the surface were studied using Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The combination of the thin film and the properties of LEED allowed for close study of interaction of the chromium atoms on the surface of the palladium without penetrating into the palladium bulk. The geometric arrangement of the atoms and lattice that the chromium created as it bonded to the palladium was of great interest. The exact arrangement of the atoms as they attempt to fit together can be used to predict the properties of the interactions, along with the differences between thin and thick films of material, leading to new uses of the material

Exploring Gluon Polarization in the Proton with STAR Jet Data and the NNPDF Polarized Parton Distributions

The NNPDF Polarized Parton Distribution Functions (PDF) are a PDF set made using a neural network technique rather than using traditional functional forms. The NNPDF polarized parton distribution includes one hundred different fits, or replicas, that are all considered equally probable. The NNPDF replicas were used to calculate the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry, $A_{LL}$, for inclusive jet production at $\sqrt{s} = \text{200 GeV}$. The calculations were compared to STAR inclusive jet $A_{LL}$ results from 2006 and 2009, and the $\chi^{2}$ was determined for each replica. The $\chi^{2}$ values were used in a reweighting procedure, which the NNPDF group developed, for the inclusion of new data into an existing PDF fit. After the reweighting, the polarization of the gluon is examined. The STAR data provide significant constraining power on the gluon polarization, compared to the unweighted NNPDF set

A paired conceptual framework integrating information systems research and democracy theory

Anastasiadou, M., dos Santos, V. D., & Evans, A. M. (2020). A paired conceptual framework integrating information systems research and democracy theory. In H. Santos, G. V. Pereira, M. Budde, S. F. Lopes, & P. Nikolic (Eds.), Science and Technologies for Smart Cities: 5th EAI International Summit, SmartCity360, Braga, Portugal, December 4-6, 2019, Proceedings (pp. 217-235). (Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST; Vol. 323 LNICST). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51005-3_20Information systems (IS) play an important role in contemporary society, but critical questions remain on their impact on democracy. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of this phenomenon. In order to do so, the study develops an innovative methodological approach. Drawing from Design Science Research (DSR), we build conceptual pairs between core preoccupations explored by critical thought on democracy and available problem-solving information technologies. The study does not aim at an exhaustive analysis of problems and solutions; this would be unfeasible, considering the limitations of journal article format. Rather, it aims at early-stage methodology incorporation across disciplines that draw from different research paradigms. The findings will offer a preliminary probe on the analytical input of DSR conceptual artefacts in examining functional links between information systems and political outcomes.authorsversionpublishe

Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) Near Detector Conceptual Design Report

International audienceThe Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is an international, world-class experiment aimed at exploring fundamental questions about the universe that are at the forefront of astrophysics and particle physics research. DUNE will study questions pertaining to the preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early universe, the dynamics of supernovae, the subtleties of neutrino interaction physics, and a number of beyond the Standard Model topics accessible in a powerful neutrino beam. A critical component of the DUNE physics program involves the study of changes in a powerful beam of neutrinos, i.e., neutrino oscillations, as the neutrinos propagate a long distance. The experiment consists of a near detector, sited close to the source of the beam, and a far detector, sited along the beam at a large distance. This document, the DUNE Near Detector Conceptual Design Report (CDR), describes the design of the DUNE near detector and the science program that drives the design and technology choices. The goals and requirements underlying the design, along with projected performance are given. It serves as a starting point for a more detailed design that will be described in future documents