A new dawn? The Roman Catholic Church and environmental issues

This is a PDF version of an article published in New Blackfriars© 1997. The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com.This article discusses the stance of the Roman Catholic Church on environmental issues and argues that the Church tends to stay on the fringe rather than get involved. Some of the ways in which Roman Catholic theologians have incorporated environmental issues into theological reflection is discussed, as are environmental challenges facing the Church in Britain (conservation, resources, biodiversity, animal welfare, biotechnology, cooperate/individual ethics, environmental justice, economics/policy development, and global issues)

The preferentially magnified active nucleus in IRAS F10214+4724 - II. Spatially resolved cold molecular gas

We present JVLA observations of the cold (CO (1-0)) molecular gas in IRAS F10214+4724, a lensed ULIRG at z=2.3 with an obscured active nucleus. The galaxy is spatially and spectrally well-resolved in the CO (1-0) emission line. A CO (1-0) counter-image is detected at the 3-sigma level. Five of the 42 km/s channels (with >5-sigma detections) are mapped back into the source plane and their total magnification posterior PDFs sampled. This reveals a roughly linear arrangement, tentatively a rotating disk. We derive a molecular gas mass of M_gas = 1.2 +- 0.2 x 10^10 M_sun, assuming a ULIRG L_{CO}-to-M_{gas} conversion ratio of \alpha = 0.8 M_sun / (K km/s pc^2) that agrees well with the derived range of \alpha = 0.3 - 1.3 for separate dynamical mass estimates at assumed inclinations of i = 90 - 30 degrees. Based on the AGN and CO (1-0) peak emission positions and the lens model, we predict a distortion of the CO Spectral Line Energy Distribution (SLED) where higher order J lines that may be partially excited by AGN heating will be preferentially lensed owing to their smaller solid angles and closer proximity to the AGN and therefore the cusp of the caustic. Comparison with other lensing inversion results shows that the narrow line region and AGN radio core in IRAS F10214+4724 are preferentially lensed by a factor >~ 3 and 11 respectively, relative to the molecular gas emission. This distorts the global continuum emission Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) and suggests caution in unsophisticated uses of IRAS F10214+4724 as an archetype high-redshift ULIRG. We explore two Large Velocity Gradient (LVG) models, incorporating spatial CO (1-0) and (3-2) information and present tentative evidence for an extended, low excitation cold gas component that implies that the total molecular gas mass in IRAS F10214+4724 is a factor >~2 greater than that calculated using spatially unresolved CO observations.Comment: Dedicated to Steve Rawlings. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 16 pages, 11 figure

AIU Ins. Co. v. Superior Court: Insurers Liable for Environmental Response Costs

Who cleans up, when and how, and who pays are critical questions in the cleanup of pollution. Many companies identified by the government as parties responsible for past hazardous waste releases were insured under Comprehensive General Liability policies. In AIU Ins. Co. v. Superior Court, decided in 1990, the California Supreme Court unanimously held that that these Comprehensive General Liability policies cover the cost of complying with cleanup procedures under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980. Thus, insurers must pay for the cleanup costs of pollution by the companies they insure. This Casenote examines this decision, as well as the state of the law nationwide at the time of the decision. The author examines the impact and implications of the decision, and finds that the court appropriately supported legislative policy with this decision

Illustrating field emission theory by using Lauritsen plots of transmission probability and barrier strength

This technical note relates to the theory of cold field electron emission (CFE). It starts by suggesting that, to emphasize common properties in relation to CFE theory, the term 'Lauritsen plot' could be used to describe all graphical plots made with the reciprocal of barrier field (or the reciprocal of a quantity proportional to barrier field) on the horizontal axis. It then argues that Lauritsen plots related to barrier strength (G) and transmission probability (D) could play a useful role in discussion of CFE theory. Such plots would supplement conventional Fowler-Nordheim (FN) plots. All these plots would be regarded as particular types of Lauritsen plot. The Lauritsen plots of -G and lnD can be used to illustrate how basic aspects of FN tunnelling theory are influenced by the mathematical form of the tunnelling barrier. These, in turn, influence local emission current density and emission current. Illustrative applications used in this note relate to the well-known exact triangular and Schottky-Nordheim barriers, and to the Coulomb barrier (i.e., the electrostatic component of the electron potential energy barrier outside a model spherical emitter). For the Coulomb barrier, a good analytical series approximation has been found for the barrier-form correction factor; this can be used to predict the existence (and to some extent the properties) of related curvature in FN plots.Comment: Based on a poster presented at the 25th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference, Jeju, S. Korea, July 2012. Version 3 incorporates small changes made at proof stag

Employers’ responses to the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa: Revisiting the evidence

Do employers have a role to play to support people living with HIV? The literature on sub-Saharan Africa points to the existence of a positive business case that sees firms as incentivised to provide HIV-related services to HIV positive workers4. However, the evidence is narrow and incomplete, with the business case holding for a limited number of formal sector skilled workers, leaving out the majority of people living with HIV. If employers are to play a role, policy makers need to create conducive conditions for positive responses, in addition to – not in replacement of – strengthening public health care systems

Neuron-Based Heredity and Human Evolution

It is widely recognized that human evolution has been driven by two systems of heredity: one DNA-based and the other based on the transmission of behaviorally acquired information via nervous system functions. The genetic system is ancient, going back to the appearance of life on Earth. It is responsible for the evolutionary processes described by Darwin. By comparison, the nervous system is relatively newly minted and in its highest form, responsible for ideation and mind-to-mind transmission of information. Here the informational capabilities and functions of the two systems are compared. While employing quite different mechanisms for encoding, storing and transmission of information, both systems perform these generic hereditary functions. Three additional features of neuron-based heredity in humans are identified: the ability to transfer hereditary information to other members of their population, not just progeny; a selection process for the information being transferred; and a profoundly shorter time span for creation and dissemination of survival-enhancing information in a population. The mechanisms underlying neuron-based heredity involve hippocampal neurogenesis and memory and learning processes modifying and creating new neural assemblages changing brain structure and functions. A fundamental process in rewiring brain circuitry is through increased neural activity (use) strengthening and increasing the number of synaptic connections. Decreased activity in circuitry (disuse) leads to loss of synapses. Use and disuse modifying an organ to bring about new modes of living, habits and functions are processes in line with Neolamarckian concepts of evolution (Packard, 1901). Evidence is presented of bipartite evolutionary processes-Darwinian and Neolamarckian-driving human descent from a common ancestor shared with the great apes

A Case of a Young Asymptomatic Woman with Optic Disc Drusen and Vasculitis

Purpose: We present the case of a young woman with optic disc drusen and peripheral vasculitis. Methods: Diagnosis was based on fundoscopic, optical coherence tomography as well as fluorescein angiography (FA) findings. Results: An asymptomatic 34-year-old female patient with no systemic pathology was referred to our hospital from her optician for retinal findings. Fundoscopy revealed mild disc swelling that could be attributed to the presence of optic disc drusen in both eyes. There was fundoscopic evidence of periphlebitis in the periphery confirmed by FA findings. Conclusions: In our case, the unique feature was the presence of optic disc drusen and retinal periphlebitis. The patient’s disc configuration may have contributed to a predisposition for vasculitis in addition to vessel tortuosity

METODE PELAKSANAAN KONSTRUKSI BAJA PADA PEKERJAAN PROYEK PEMBANGUNAN KANTOR DISTRIBUSI OFFICE CENTER AIRMADIDI MINAHASA UTARA

Perkembangan struktur bangunan dalam era globalisasi dan modernisasi dapat dirasakan pesatnya. Material bangunan gedung, menara, jembatan, perkantoran, hotel, dan bangunan lainnya pada umumnya terbuat dari gabungan bahan baja dan beton. Proses pembangunan digunakan pada saat konstruksi. Penelitian ini adalah untuk mendapatkan hasil metode pekerjaan dalam konstruksi baja. Metode pelaksanaan satu proyek konstruksi baja menuntut adanya suatu sistem pengawasan dan analisis dimana bisa memberikan hasil dan masukan pada tahap awal mengenai pertumbuhan biaya proyek sehingga dapat memberikan gambaran apakah proyek dapat menguntungkan pihak pelaksana atau sebaliknya. Pengendalian dan pengawasn proyek bertujuan untuk mengendalikan proses pelaksanaan proyek sejak awal dimulainya pembangunan hingga selesainya proyek terlaksana sesuai waktu, mutu yang telah direncanakan.Penerapan metode pelaksanaan konstruksi baja digunakan sebagai salah satu alat kendali dalam pelaksanaan proyek konstruksi. Tolak ukur atau acuan pengukuran analisis adalah metode pelaksanaan, Studi kasus dilakukan pada pembangunan Distribusi center (Airmadidi Kab Minahasa Utara, Sulawesi Utara. Hasil yang diperoleh dari penggunaan metode pekerjaan konstruksi baja berdasarkan hasil pekerjaan pada pelaksanaan konstruksi baja, dan proses pengawasan pekerjaan. Kata kunci: Metode Pelaksanaan, Konstruksi, baja, proyek, pengawasa