The Challenge of Temptation: Desire, Emotion, and Stability.

Desires are usually presented as simple states whose contribution to action, choice, and deliberation are understood simply in terms of motivational strength and object. The challenge of temptation is to give an account of desires that explains why temptations should not be treated on a par with other desires in rational deliberation. Desires qua simple states fail this challenge as ex hypothesi what it is to be tempted to do some thing is for doing that thing to be your strongest motivation. I examine the nature of desire through the lens of temptation, and create a more complex picture of desires identifying and defending various properties of desires. These properties are: an account of how desires may be more or less stable with respect to reflection and new information; the emotional component of desires (desire responses), in variously forming and undermining our reflectively stable desires (considered preferences); how it is that we are psychologically disposed to value goods over time (hyperbolically), and the way in which it is rational to value goods over time (exponentially); finally an account of the difference between warranted and unwarranted changes in the strength of desires. Temptation is a consequence of a pervasive natural tendency to discount the future hyperbolically. If you discount the future hyperbolically, then the proximity of the good causes the comparative strength of your desire responses to reverse. Desire responses are produced by a perception-like system within the agent, the conative system. This reversal occurs because proximity constitutes abnormal operating conditions for the conative system, thus producing unreliable desire responses. As the visual system produces misleading visual perceptions under abnormal conditions, the conative system can produce misleading desire responses under abnormal conditions—temptations. We can identify and compensate for these misleading desire responses by paying attention to the relative stability of our desires. Thus desires are not simple states which contribute to deliberation solely in terms of object and strength, but rather more complex states that contribute to deliberation in terms of their stability and emotional components, as well as their object and motivational strength.Ph.D.PhilosophyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57609/2/sgollop_1.pd

Library and Information Science Education: Preparing Librarians for a Multicultural Society

For more than a decade, the demographic prognosticators have been saying that the racial, ethnic, and cultural makeup of the United States is on the verge of a major shift; and that not long after the turn of the new century, segments of the population that had previously been in the minority will collectively become the majority, with Hispanics being the largest minority group. The implications of such an unprecedented event have prompted private- and public-sector institutions to question whether they will be equipped to work with their “new” constituencies. Schools of library and information science (LIS) are not exempt from such self-examination and must make every effort to prepare all their graduates to work in larger multicultural environments. However, such preparation may mean altering several courses in a school’s curriculum. These kinds of changes are likely to meet with greater success when all parties involved, both inside and outside the classroom, hold a committed and vested interest in the reorganization efforts. This article discusses issues of diversity in LIS education programs and how these efforts can be addressed positively to better serve students and their future users

Implications of taxon-level variation in climate change response for interpreting plankton lifeform biodiversity indicators

Abstract Indicators based on broad functional characteristics, which group plankton taxa into “lifeforms”, summarize changes across a high number of taxa in a way that reflects changes in community functioning and are used to inform policy assessments. Key questions remain, however, as to what extent plankton taxa within these lifeforms share responses to environmental change. Addressing this knowledge gap can provide additional information on the influence of environmental drivers, including climate change, on plankton communities. Here, we use a multi-decadal plankton time series to examine the extent to which taxa within lifeforms share responses to sea surface temperature (SST) change. At the North Sea scale, the individual taxa responses within the dinoflagellate lifeform are skewed towards a negative response to increasing SST, consolidating previous findings that dinoflagellate abundance is decreasing with ocean warming. The individual taxa responses within the zooplankton lifeforms, however, varied, suggesting that lifeform traits are less of a factor determining response to SST for zooplankton than for phytoplankton. The lifeform level of grouping taxa, therefore, is useful for communicating change in the state and functioning of ecosystems, but finer taxonomically resolved data are essential for determining the drivers of plankton community change, including climate influences, during formal assessments.</jats:p

Visions for the North Sea: The Societal Dilemma Behind Specifying Good Environmental Status.

We augment discussions about the Good Environmental Status of the North Sea by developing two extreme visions and assessing their societal benefits. One vision (‘Then’) assumes restoration of benthic functioning; we contend that trawling had already degraded the southern North Sea a century ago. Available information is used to speculate about benthic functioning in a relatively undisturbed southern North Sea. The second vision (‘Now’) draws on recent benthic functioning. The supply of five ecosystem services, supported by benthic functioning, is discussed. ‘Then’ offers confidence in the sustainable supply of diverse services but restoration of past function is uncertain and likely to be paired with costs, notably trawling restraints. ‘Now’ delivers known and valued services but sustained delivery is threatened by, for example, climate change. We do not advocate either vision. Our purpose is to stimulate debate about what society wants, and might receive, from the future southern North Sea

The epidemiology and natural history of Crohn’s disease in population-based patient cohorts from North America: a systematic review

To quantify, through systematic review, the epidemiology and natural history of Crohn’s disease in North America. Methods:  The selected articles contained: (i) population-based samples of patients followed from the time of diagnosis; and (ii) objective diagnostic criteria for disease. Studies on the natural history of Crohn’s disease also contained sufficient follow-up. Data collection and analysis:  For prevalence studies, data on the incidence, prevalence, gender and age at diagnosis were extracted. For natural history studies, data on the disease activity, use of medications and surgery were extracted. Main results:  The prevalence of Crohn’s disease in North America ranges from 26.0 to 198.5 cases per 100 000 persons. The incidence rates range from 3.1 to 14.6 cases per 100 000 person-years. Most patients have a chronic intermittent disease course, while 13% have an unremitting disease course and 10% have a prolonged remission. Less than half require corticosteroids at any point. During any given year, approximately 10% are treated with corticosteroids and 30% are treated with 5-aminosalicylates. Up to 57% of patients require at least one surgical resection. Conclusions:  Between 400 000 and 600 000 patients in North America have Crohn’s disease, and the natural history is marked by frequent exacerbations requiring treatment with corticosteroids, 5-aminosalicylate products and surgery.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72031/1/j.1365-2036.2002.01140.x.pd

Marine parks for coastal cities: A concept for enhanced community well-being, prosperity and sustainable city living

Coastal cities continue to experience rapid urbanisation and population growth worldwide, linked to the diverse economic and social benefits flowing from proximity to the sea. Growing concern over human impacts upon coastal waters and global strategic goals for healthier cities requires that coastal cities develop innovative ways to inspire and empower communities to embrace and cherish city seascapes. Coastal city communities have much to gain from a healthier relationship with the sea. This paper proposes a collaborative community-led marine park concept that celebrates a city's connection to the marine environment, enhances sustainable economic prosperity and enables communities to participate in activities that deepen understanding, value, care and enjoyment of the city seascape. A city marine park (CMP) is not a marine protected area because it does not have biodiversity and heritage protection or ecosystem governance as a primary goal and does not aim to restrict human activities. A CMP enables city communities to collaborate towards a shared vision of elevated status and value for the city seascape. A CMP considers socio-economic and geographical context, including land-sea connectivity, and is integrated within a coastal city's strategic urban planning. This paper highlights core themes of a CMP and the diverse and wide-ranging benefits from coordinated activities that better connect the city community with its seascape. If co-created by the coastal city community and civic leaders, a CMP will form an enduring spatial nexus for progress toward healthy cities addressing multiple interlinked global sustainable development goals