Deliberative Systems View of Efforts to Democratize Energy in Arizona

Science often struggles to find answers in a world of complexity and uncertainty and deliberative democracy has been used as a way to bring in public values to help guide the scientific process. This study looks at Arizona’s energy system through a theoretical lens and three separate efforts to democratize dialogue around energy in Arizona. The Arizona Town Hall, Emerge and the Solar Summit are all efforts to engage a more diverse range of stakeholders and keep dialogue progressing

Child Pornography in Canada and the United States: The Myth of Right Answers

Child pornography is an increasing worldwide concern and is one of the most active fronts in the ongoing battle between freedom of expression and public safety and morality. In 2005, the child pornography provisions of the Canadian Criminal Code were amended in response to the controversial decision of the Supreme Court in R. v. Sharpe. Similar legislative response has occurred in the United States following the U.S. Supreme Court decision inAshcroft v. Free Speech Coalition. A comparative examination of the legislative and judicial treatments of the issue of child pornography in these countries reveals that despite reaching differing rights-balancing positions, the debate in both nations revolves around similar points. Further to this analysis, the difficult issue of child pornography is used as an example of how a theory of rights involving judicial review as championed by Ronald Dworkin, may be preferable to a democratic foundation of rights as suggested by authors such as Jeremy Waldron

Analysis of a High-Temperature Spectroscopic Gas Cell Design

Database parameters for line spectra are collected from many studies and require independent verification for use in the design and measurements of laser absorption spectroscopy systems. While many lower temperature lines are well characterized, the higher temperature and pressure lines found in studies of combustion products rely on theoretical scaling. High-temperature calibration devices are therefore desired to allow experimental validation of parameters under test conditions. For this research, the design of a high-temperature, three-zone gas cell is proposed as a replacement for the current absorption cell system at The University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI). This new design, a prototype of which has been built and tested at The Technical University of Denmark, allows for measurements of test gas samples at uniform temperatures of at least 1300K. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is shown for the current UTSI gas cell that has \u3c6% difference with measured flange temperatures and \u3c7% dierence from axial gas temperature measurements. This CFD model is then used to predict material and centerline gas temperatures expected at the limit of the proposed design. The model results show that the proposed cell design has a high temperature uniformity in the test section and flange temperatures well below the temperature limits of the desired O-ring materials and indicate that water-cooling will be unnecessary

Application of Relational Contracting Methods to Federal Construction Projects

Relational contracting is a method designed to improve relationships between contracted parties. The federal construction sector was a leader in the development and implementation of an early form of relational contracting known as partnering. Since then, alliancing has emerged as the new evolution of relational contracts. While it provides many potential benefits to contracting parties, alliancing has not yet been utilized in federal construction procurement, which is subject to stringent regulations. A commercially available standard form alliancing contract was selected for analysis against the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Key practices that characterize the alliancing method were identified. Utilizing a panel of federal contracting experts, qualitative data were gathered to analyze which of these key practices do or do not comply with federal regulations, why certain practices do not comply, and how those practices could achieve compliance. The results show that most alliancing key practices can be utilized in a federal acquisition project. While some practices cannot be used effectively under current regulations, these limitations do not significantly hinder the use of a comprehensive and effective federal alliancing contract

Chaetognath ecology in relation to hydrographic conditions in the Australian sector of the Antarctic Ocean

Chaetognath ecology in relation to hydrographic conditions was investigated during austral summer in the Antarctic Ocean with two cruises conducted seven years apart. Time series samples were collected at a total of five stations along 140_E in the region of the Antarctic Divergence (AD). The numerically dominant species was Eukrohnia hamata, averaging over 80% of the collected specimens. This species was most abundant north of the AD where bi-modal distribution was common. No species displayed regular diel vertical migration nor were their vertical distribution restricted by hydrographic clines. Breeding of E. hamata appeared unaffected by water conditions-the same maturity stages were present in similar percentages across the water masses. Vertical segregation of size classes among E. hamata was clearest north of the AD in a more stratified water column. In other locations, the size classes overlapped considerably; this is likely due to physical forcing from mixing water. Feeding activity of E. hamata was lowest within the AD and increased both north and south on the edges of the front. Feeding activity appeared continuous with no recognizable diel pattern. E. hamata containing prey items were smaller north of the AD compared to the south, suggesting two separate populations. The percentage of predators with food in their gut was much larger in this study than previously reported work. Often times nearly 50% of the E. hamata collected had highly digested contents in the posterior of the gut

Heavy Metal Chemistry of Sediments in Caves of the Springfield Plateau, Missouri-Arkansas-Oklahoma: A Link to Subterranean Biodiversity

We used X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to compare the heavy metal chemistry of sediments in caves in rural and urban areas to the chemistry of sediments from a control cave in a relatively undisturbed watershed in the Springfield (MO) Plateau. Sediment from Smallin Cave near Ozark, MO, the control cave, has the smallest peak sizes for Zn and Mn and a moderately-sized Pb peak. Sediment from the rural cave exhibited larger peaks of Zn and Mn and a smaller Pb peak. Sediment from the urban cave had the largest Zn, Mn and Pb peaks. Interestingly, smaller peak sizes appear to correlate to the presence of aquatic troglobites. The control cave hosts the most diverse troglobitic fauna and has sediment with smaller peak sizes. Ruark caves are rural caves, and are barren of troglobites and have sediment with larger peak sizes. Giboney Cave, an urban cave in Doling Park in Springfield, MO, provides the most interesting evidence. Giboney Cave splits into two branches, each of which has a unique chemical fingerprint. One channel is barren of cave life and has sediment that exhibits large metal peaks. The second channel hosts aquatic troglobites and has sediment that has small metal peaks. These findings are of particular importance because the caves of the Springfield Plateau host abundant troglobitic species, including the endangered Ozarks cavefish (Amblyopsis rosae). Sediment metal concentrations may indicate which cave systems are capable of supporting life, with XRF analysis providing a non-destructive, rapid way to identify such systems