1,221 research outputs found
Character, global and local
Philosophers have recently argued that we should revise our understanding of character. An
individualâs behaviour is governed not by a set of âglobalâ traits, each elicited by a certain kind of situational
feature, but by a much larger array of âlocalâ traits, each elicited by a certain combination of situational features.
The data cited by these philosophers supports their theory only if we conceive of traits purely in terms of
stimulus and response, rather than in the more traditional terms of inner mental items such as inclinations. We
should not adopt the former conception, since doing so would impede pursuit of the ethical aims for which we
need a theory of character, whereas retaining the latter conception will facilitate this pursuit. So we should not
revise our understanding of character in this way
âHorses for Coursesâ: An analysis of equine sports regulation and disciplinary procedures regarding the non-human athlete
Sports governing bodies and international sports federations are very powerful organisations
within their sphere. The governance of these sports has created a hegemony which does not
necessarily serve the interests of those engaged in sport (the âruledâ), but instead those who âruleâ
sport. A key part of governance is the disciplinary mechanism and the control of cheating within
the promotion of integrity. The central tenet of such governance is the World Anti-Doping
Agency (WADA) Code, and separate rules within the same aim is the concept of strict liability,
modified to âpresumed faultâ and is predicated on the concept of human autonomy. The elite
sport horse is now socially constructed as a non-human âathleteâ, as it is no longer a bulk source
of power for industry, agriculture, or warfare. However, the contribution that the horse industry
makes to the UK leisure economy is considerable at ÂŁ7bn annually, before associated gambling
is even considered. Worldwide, there are more than 80 sports involving horses as participants but
the current hegemony regarding the maintaining of integrity is not working.
Sports involving horses are unique in that they involve teams of human and non-human athletes.
This thesis considers equine-based sport globally, but concentrates on the Olympic equestrian
sports and horse racing as examples to demonstrate the inequities and inadequacies in the
governance and disciplinary status quo, with respect to those non-human athletes, which impacts
on the associated human. This is not an animal rights treatise, although animal welfare
considerations do play a part in the discourse. Rather, this research takes a Gramscian
perspective to examine the problem and define whether the problem is systemic and, further, if it
is, why it has remained without radical alteration.
Ultimately, a new hegemony is proposed in dealing with cases of cheating with much greater
integration of, and reciprocity between, the various equine sports governance structures
Attack of the Clones: Problematising Equine Sports Integrity Regulation On the Ascendancy of the Genetically Copied Athlete
The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed versionCloned horses are already here and competing; this article considers in turn, both the challenges and the unprecedented opportunities for the development of human athlete regulation that the current participation of cloned equines in elite sport presents.
The arrival of the cloned human athlete has hitherto been considered as a future âspectreâ beset with potential sports ethics dilemmas. This paper argues however, that the Kuhnian state of crisis that sports integrity will be thrown into by the advent of the human clone will bring about a paradigm shift of epic proportions. There is however, the opportunity to learn from the regulatory mistakes of the past and shape the guidelines for human clones by regulating their equine counterparts effectively now. The current hegemony is that integrity regulation for one species, man, can be applied to another, horses, with little substantive amendment and be effective. The first sport of any kind to incorporate anti-doping measures into its rules was thoroughbred racing. In the early 1900s racehorses were subject to dope tests because of fears that they were being given cocaine. Human athlete sports followed suit and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code is the ultimate development of that thinking. Examples cited are the FĂ©dĂ©ration Ăquestre Internationale (FEI) regulations and to a different degree the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) rules developed independently from WADA.
None of this has resulted in a satisfactory situation as this paper will demonstrate. The better results are achieved by careful species-specific drafting well in advance of technological change, not struggling to keep up with innovation.
This article is part of a Special Edition of CIL incorporating selected papers from Buckingham University and DMU's 'Horses in Culture, Society and the Law' Conference Series inaugural event at DMU in April 2017. The Special Edition is edited by Dr Jonathan Merritt of DMU and Dr Sarah Sargent of Buckingham University
EFFECTS OF HIGH AND LOW MANAGEMENT INTENSITY ON PROFITABILITY FOR THREE WATERMELON GENOTYPES
A replicated, small plot study on watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunberg) Matsumura and Nakai] in 1997, 1999, and 2000 revealed that production management intensity affected yields and profitability of watermelon, in Oklahoma. Management intensity was based on a combination of cultural practices and levels of use of production methods. Low intensity management (LM) consisted of use of soil fertilization and weed control. High intensity management (HM) included the same weed control and fertilization as LM but also included use of plastic mulch, drip irrigation, insect pest control, and plant disease control. Cost and return analyses were based on the range of actual prices during the cropping season and the range of yields during the three years. Yields from the seedless triploid genotype 'Gem Dandy' consistently resulted in greater positive net revenue under HM than the diploid open pollinated 'Allsweet' or the hybrid diploid 'Sangria'. Under LM, yields from the seedless triploid also resulted in greater net revenues when conditions were favorable or lost less money than the open pollinated 'Allsweet' or the hybrid diploid 'Sangria' when conditions were unfavorable.Crop Production/Industries,
Geophysical-geotechnical sensor networks for landslide monitoring
Landslides are often the result of complex, multi-phase processes where gradual deterioration of shear strength
within the sub-surface precedes the appearance of surface features and slope failure. Moisture content increases
and the build-up of associated pore water pressures are invariably associated with a loss of strength, and thus are
a precursor to failure. Consequently, hydraulic processes typically play a major role in the development of
landslides. Geoelectrical techniques, such as resistivity and self-potential are being increasingly applied to study
landslide structure and the hydraulics of landslide processes. The great strengths of these techniques are that they
provide spatial or volumetric information at the site scale, which, when calibrated with appropriate geotechnical
and hydrogeological data, can be used to characterise lithological variability and monitor hydraulic changes in
the subsurface. In this study we describe the development of an automated time-lapse electrical resistivity
tomography (ALERT) and geotechnical monitoring system on an active inland landslide near Malton, North
Yorkshire, UK. The overarching objective of the research is to develop a 4D landslide monitoring system that
can characterise the subsurface structure of the landslide, and reveal the hydraulic precursors to movement. The
site is a particularly import research facility as it is representative of many lowland UK situations in which weak
mudrocks have failed on valley sides. Significant research efforts have already been expended at the site, and a
number of baseline data sets have been collected, including ground and airborne LIDAR, geomorphologic and
geological maps, and geophysical models. The monitoring network comprises an ALERT monitoring station
connected to a 3D monitoring electrode array installed across an area of 5,500 m2, extending from above the
back scarp to beyond the toe of the landslide. The ALERT instrument uses wireless telemetry (in this case
GPRS) to communicate with an office based server, which runs control software and a database management
system. The control software is used to schedule data acquisition, whilst the database management system stores,
processes and inverts the remotely streamed ERT data. Once installed and configured, the system operates
autonomously without manual intervention. Modifications to the ALERT system at this site have included the
addition of environmental and geotechnical sensors to monitor rainfall, ground movement, ground and air
temperature, and pore pressure changes within the landslide. The system is housed in a weatherproof enclosure
and is powered by batteries charged by a wind turbine & solar panels. 3D ERT images generated from the
landslide have been calibrated against resistivity information derived from laboratory testing of borehole core
recovered from the landslide. The calibrated images revealed key aspects of the 3D landslide structure, including
the lateral extent of slipped material and zones of depletion and accumulation; the surface of separation and the
thickness of individual earth flow lobes; and the dipping in situ geological boundary between the bedrock
formations. Time-lapse analysis of resistivity signatures has revealed artefacts within the images that are
diagnostic of electrode movement. Analytical models have been developed to simulate the observed artefacts,
from which predictions of electrode movement have been derived. This information has been used to correct the
ERT data sets, and has provided a means of using ERT to monitor landslide movement across the entire ALERT
imaging area. Initial assessment of seasonal changes in the resistivity signature has indicated that the system is
sensitive to moisture content changes in the body of the landslide, thereby providing a basis for further
development of the system with the aim of monitoring hydraulic precursors to failure
Undergraduatesâ perceptions of the value of service-learning
Service-learning integrates community service with academic study. Students apply skills and knowledge in practical situations and reflect on their experiences. Our 3000-level service-learning college course, Leadership Development in Agricultural Sciences, involved student-led development and execution of a one-day event, âAgCamp,â held on a university campus for high school students. The objective of this study was to evaluate if an intervention (i.e., a service-learning project) changed undergraduate studentsâ perceptions of their ability to collaborate, ability to lead, and overall perceptions of the usefulness of service-learning. An electronic mixed methods questionnaire-based survey was developed, tested for validity and reliability, and distributed to college students enrolled in Leadership Development in Agricultural Sciences as a pre- and post-test at the beginning and end of two semesters. Data were analyzed in SPSS 26.0 using measures of central tendency and paired sample t-tests. Undergraduate studentsâ (n = 74) had positive perceptions of service-learning entering the semester, all measures of which improved as a result of their experiences in the course. In comparison with traditional courses, students felt service-learning courses have more societal benefits and should be increasingly offered. Participating in the service-learning project significantly increased studentsâ comfort working with people from different cultures or backgrounds and empowered them in different ways, including with decision-making. Ultimately, our data indicate that students enjoyed service-learning and received soft skill development through the course. We recommend service-learning be increasingly integrated into post-secondary curriculum
Influence of Muscle-Tendon Wrapping on Calculations of Joint Reaction Forces in the Equine Distal Forelimb
The equine distal forelimb is a common location of injuries related to mechanical overload. In this study, a two-dimensional model of the musculoskeletal system of the region was developed and applied to kinematic and kinetic data from walking and trotting horses. The forces in major tendons and joint reaction forces were calculated. The components of the joint reaction forces caused by wrapping of tendons around sesamoid bones were found to be of similar magnitude to the reaction forces between the long bones at each joint. This finding highlighted the importance of taking into account muscle-tendon wrapping when evaluating joint loading in the equine distal forelimb
Organic and Conventional Vegetable Production in Oklahoma
This study compares he profitability and risk related to conventional and organic vegetable production systems A linear programming model was used to find the optimal mix of vegetables in both production systems. And a target MOTAD (minimization of total absolute deviation) model was used to perform risk analysis in both organic and conventional production systemsCrop Production/Industries, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,
Probing Stellar Dynamics in Galactic Nuclei
Electromagnetic observations over the last 15 years have yielded a growing
appreciation for the importance of supermassive black holes (SMBH) to the
evolution of galaxies, and for the intricacies of dynamical interactions in our
own Galactic center. Here we show that future low-frequency gravitational wave
observations, alone or in combination with electromagnetic data, will open up
unique windows to these processes. In particular, gravitational wave detections
in the 10^{-5}-10^{-1} Hz range will yield SMBH masses and spins to
unprecedented precision and will provide clues to the properties of the
otherwise undetectable stellar remnants expected to populate the centers of
galaxies. Such observations are therefore keys to understanding the interplay
between SMBHs and their environments.Comment: 8 pages, Science white paper for the Astro2010 Decadal Surve
"Kludge" gravitational waveforms for a test-body orbiting a Kerr black hole
One of the most exciting potential sources of gravitational waves for
low-frequency, space-based gravitational wave (GW) detectors such as the
proposed Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is the inspiral of compact
objects into massive black holes in the centers of galaxies. The detection of
waves from such "extreme mass ratio inspiral" systems (EMRIs) and extraction of
information from those waves require template waveforms. The systems' extreme
mass ratio means that their waveforms can be determined accurately using black
hole perturbation theory. Such calculations are computationally very expensive.
There is a pressing need for families of approximate waveforms that may be
generated cheaply and quickly but which still capture the main features of true
waveforms. In this paper, we introduce a family of such "kludge" waveforms and
describe ways to generate them. We assess performance of the introduced
approximations by comparing "kludge" waveforms to accurate waveforms obtained
by solving the Teukolsky equation in the adiabatic limit (neglecting GW
backreaction). We find that the kludge waveforms do extremely well at
approximating the true gravitational waveform, having overlaps with the
Teukolsky waveforms of 95% or higher over most of the parameter space for which
comparisons can currently be made. Indeed, we find these kludges to be of such
high quality (despite their ease of calculation) that it is possible they may
play some role in the final search of LISA data for EMRIs.Comment: 29 pages, 11 figures, requires subeqnarray; v2 contains minor changes
for consistency with published versio
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