The Truth in Compatibilism and the truth of Libertarianism

The paper offers the outlines of a response to the often-made suggestion is that it is impossible to see how indeterminism could possibly provide us with anything that we might want in the way of freedom, anything that could really amount to control, as opposed merely to an openness in the flow of reality that would constitute merely the injection of chance, or randomness, into the unfolding of the processes which underlie our activity. It is suggested that the best first move for the libertarian is to make a number of important concessions to the compatibilist. It should be conceded, in particular, that certain sorts of alternative possibilities are neither truly available to real, worldly agents, nor required in order that those agents should act freely; and it should be admitted also that it is the compatibilist who tends to give the most plausible sorts of analyses of many of the ‘can’ and ‘could have’ statements which seem to need to be assertible of those agents we regard as free. But these concessions do not bring compatibilism itself in their wake. The most promising version of libertarianism, it is argued, should be based on the idea that agency itself (and not merely some special instances of it which we might designate with the honorific appellation ‘free’) is inconsistent with determinism. This version of libertarianism, it is claimed, can avoid the objection that indeterminism is as difficult to square with true agential control as determinism can sometimes seem to be

Links between geochemical and engineering properties in weathered pyritic shales.

Natural weathering systems and resultant changes in the engineering properties of weathered rocks cannot be analysed in detail due to their inherent complexity. However, laboratory simulation of natural reactions under controlled conditions facilitates identification of specific factors which may contribute to changes in the physical behaviour of weathered rocks. Experiments in which the Carboniferous Edale Shale was reacted with sulphuric acid of a concentration commensurate with that generated under natural conditions showed that the acid composition was markedly altered. Furthermore, the acid composition became qualitatively similar to that observed in a natural shale weathering system by Vear & Curtis (1981). Natural reactions may thus be reproduced in the laboratory. The influence of pore solution composition on the residual shear strength and plasticity properties of Edale Shale were investigated using KNO , NaN03 , acid and groundwater from a major landslip at Mam Tor, Derbyshire. These engineering properties were found to be sensitive to porewater composition and concentration. The effects of physical breakdown on rock properties are less easy to assess because standard techniques for measuring grain size distributions, particularly the < 2 ~m size fraction are unreliable for indurated rocks. A statistical correlation between the < 2 ~m fraction and the Si02/A1203 ratio was found to give a better estimate of the amount of fine material present in a sample. Using this method it was determined that rapid physical weathering does not reduce consolidated material to its fundamental grain size. In addition, residual shear strength and plasticity were found to be independent of the state of physical breakdown and are apparently influenced more strongly by mineralogy. The implications of these investigations to slope stability are considered for the case of a major rotational landslip at Mam Tor, Derbyshire. Finally, a model is proposed in which weathering is divided into distinct components, each capable of separate investigation

Do actions occur inside the body?

The paper offers a critical examination of Jennifer Hornsby's view that actions are internal to the body. It focuses on three of Hornsby's central claims: (P) many actions are bodily movements (in a special sense of the word “movement”) (Q) all actions are tryings; and (R) all actions occur inside the body. It is argued, contra Hornsby, that we may accept (P) and (Q) without accepting also the implausible (R). Two arguments are first offered in favour of the thesis (Contrary-R): that no actions occur inside the body. Three of Hornsby's arguments in favour of R are then examined. It is argued that we need to make a distinction between the causes and the causings of bodily movements (in the ordinary sense of the word “movement”) and that actions ought to be identified with the latter rather than the former. This distinction is then used to show how Hornsby's arguments for (R) may be resisted

The Ursinus Weekly, November 16, 1906

Football • Personals • Society notes • Meeting of the Directors of Ursinus College • Alumni notes • School of Theology • Ursinus Union • Literary Supplement: The garden of the Lord; Wanted: An instructor; Socialism; Our poet traveler; The little red school house on the hill; Just a modest Irish maid • Exchangeshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/2921/thumbnail.jp

Validity and reliability of short‐term heart‐rate variability from disposable electrocardiography leads

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Single‐use electrocardiography (ECG) leads have been developed to reduce healthcare‐associated infection. This study compared the validity and reliability of short‐term heart rate variability (HRV) obtained from single‐use disposable ECG leads. METHODS: Thirty healthy subjects (33 ± 10 years; 9 females) underwent 5‐min resting HRV assessments using disposable (single use) ECG cable and wire system (Kendall DL™ Cardinal Health) and a standard, reusable ECG leads (CardioExpress, Spacelabs Healthcare). RESULTS: Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) with 95% confidence interval (CI) between disposable and reusable ECG leads was for the time domain [R‐R interval (ms); 0.99 (0.91, 1.00)], the root mean square of successive normal R‐R interval differences (RMSSD) (ms); 0.91 (0.76, 0.96), the SD of normal‐to‐normal R‐R intervals (SDNN) (ms); 0.91 (0.68, 0.97) and frequency domain [low‐frequency (LF) normalized units (nu); 0.90 (0.79, 0.95), high frequency (HF) nu; 0.91 (0.80, 0.96), LF power (ms(2)); 0.89 (0.62, 0.96), HF power (ms(2)); 0.90 (0.72, 0.96)] variables. The mean difference and upper and lower limits of agreement between disposable and reusable leads for time‐ and frequency‐domain variables were acceptable. Analysis of repeated measures using disposable leads demonstrated excellent reproducibility (ICC 95% CI) for R‐R interval (ms); 0.93 (0.85, 0.97), RMSSD (ms); 0.93 (0.85, 0.97), SDNN (ms); 0.88 (0.75, 0.95), LF power (ms(2)); 0.87 (0.72, 0.94), and HF power (ms(2)); 0.88 (0.73, 0.94) with coefficient of variation ranging from 2.2% to 5% (p > 0.37 for all variables). CONCLUSION: Single‐use Kendall DL™ ECG leads demonstrate a valid and reproducible tool for the assessment of HRV