1,047 research outputs found
Ethical Concerns of Heroism Training
Heroism training programs originated in the mid-2000s with the goal to “Train everyday heroes” (Heroic Imagination Project, 2017). Most participants of these programs are students between the ages of 10 and 20. Anecdotal and empirical evidence suggests that these programs may create more courageous and prosocial people (Heiner, 2018; Kohen & Sólo, 2019), however there is very little discussion in the emerging academic field of heroism science about the potential ethical concerns of training minors to be heroes (Beggan, 2019; Franco & Zimbardo, 2016; Franco et al., 2017). With the growth of heroism science scholarship, it would be wise to examine and offer best practices for the ethical training of heroism with minors.
Heroic action is inherently risky, and while training programs currently discuss mortality and risk assessment, minors have not developed the neural or cognitive capacity to assess risks as adults can. Furthermore, the content and goals of heroism training may go against schools’ and parents’ wishes. Heroism training programs also have the potential to make heroism seem glamorous, which could lead some participants to seek out, or create, situations requiring heroic action. The paper discusses these, and other, ethical concerns in training minors to be heroes. The paper concludes with a variety of best practice recommendations for heroism training programs working with minors including; obtaining parent consent for training, working to improve minors’ risk assessment abilities, domain specific training, and involving parents and other relevant stakeholders in the heroism training process
Exact analytical evaluation of time dependent transmission coefficient from the method of reactive flux for an inverted parabolic barrier
In this paper we derive a general expression for the transmission coefficient
using the method of reactive flux for a particle coupled to a harmonic bath
surmounting a one dimensional inverted parabolic barrier. Unlike Kohen and
Tannor [J. Chem. Phys. 103, 6013 (1995)] we use a normal mode analysis where
the unstable and the other modes have a complete physical meaning. Importantly
our approach results a very general expression for the time dependent
transmission coefficient not restricted to overdamped limit. Once the spectral
density for the problem is know one can use our formula to evaluate the time
dependent transmission coefficient. We have done the calculations with time
dependent friction used by Xie [Phys. Rev. Lett 93, 180603 (2004)] and also the
one used by Kohen and Tannor [J. Chem. Phys. 103, 6013 (1995)]. Like the
formula of Kohen and Tannor our formula also reproduces the results of
transition state theory as well as the Kramers theory in the limits t->0 and
t->infinity respectively
Ethical Concerns of Heroism Training
Heroism training programs originated in the mid-2000s with the goal to “Train everyday heroes” (Heroic Imagination Project, 2017). Most participants of these programs are students between the ages of 10 and 20. Anecdotal and empirical evidence suggests that these programs may create more courageous and prosocial people (Heiner, 2018; Kohen & Sólo, 2019), however there is very little discussion in the emerging academic field of heroism science about the potential ethical concerns of training minors to be heroes (Beggan, 2019; Franco & Zimbardo, 2016; Franco et al., 2017). Heroic action is inherently risky, and while training programs currently discuss mortality and risk assessment, minors have not developed the neural or cognitive capacity to assess risks as adults can. Furthermore, the content and goals of heroism training may go against schools’ and parents’ wishes. Heroism training programs also have the potential to make heroism seem glamorous, which could lead some participants to seek out, or create, situations requiring heroic action. The paper discusses these, and other, ethical concerns in training minors to be heroes. The paper concludes with a variety of best practice recommendations for heroism training programs working with minors including; obtaining parent consent for training, working to improve minors’ risk assessment abilities, domain specific training, and involving parents and other relevant stakeholders in the heroism training process
Reply to Comment on "Completely positive quantum dissipation"
This is the reply to a Comment by R. F. O'Connell (Phys. Rev. Lett. 87 (2001)
028901) on a paper written by the author (B. Vacchini, ``Completely positive
quantum dissipation'', Phys.Rev.Lett. 84 (2000) 1374, arXiv:quant-ph/0002094).Comment: 2 pages, revtex, no figure
Quantum Transition State Theory for proton transfer reactions in enzymes
We consider the role of quantum effects in the transfer of hyrogen-like
species in enzyme-catalysed reactions. This study is stimulated by claims that
the observed magnitude and temperature dependence of kinetic isotope effects
imply that quantum tunneling below the energy barrier associated with the
transition state significantly enhances the reaction rate in many enzymes. We
use a path integral approach which provides a general framework to understand
tunneling in a quantum system which interacts with an environment at non-zero
temperature. Here the quantum system is the active site of the enzyme and the
environment is the surrounding protein and water. Tunneling well below the
barrier only occurs for temperatures less than a temperature which is
determined by the curvature of potential energy surface near the top of the
barrier. We argue that for most enzymes this temperature is less than room
temperature. For physically reasonable parameters quantum transition state
theory gives a quantitative description of the temperature dependence and
magnitude of kinetic isotope effects for two classes of enzymes which have been
claimed to exhibit signatures of quantum tunneling. The only quantum effects
are those associated with the transition state, both reflection at the barrier
top and tunneling just below the barrier. We establish that the friction due to
the environment is weak and only slightly modifies the reaction rate.
Furthermore, at room temperature and for typical energy barriers environmental
degrees of freedom with frequencies much less than 1000 cm do not have a
significant effect on quantum corrections to the reaction rate.Comment: Aspects of the article are discussed at
condensedconcepts.blogspot.co
Local and macroscopic tunneling spectroscopy of Y(1-x)CaxBa2Cu3O(7-d) films: evidence for a doping dependent is or idxy component in the order parameter
Tunneling spectroscopy of epitaxial (110) Y1-xCaxBa2Cu3O7-d films reveals a
doping dependent transition from pure d(x2-y2) to d(x2-y2)+is or d(x2-y2)+idxy
order parameter. The subdominant (is or idxy) component manifests itself in a
splitting of the zero bias conductance peak and the appearance of subgap
structures. The splitting is seen in the overdoped samples, increases
systematically with doping, and is found to be an inherent property of the
overdoped films. It was observed in both local tunnel junctions, using scanning
tunneling microscopy (STM), and in macroscopic planar junctions, for films
prepared by either RF sputtering or laser ablation. The STM measurements
exhibit fairly uniform splitting size in [110] oriented areas on the order of
10 nm2 but vary from area to area, indicating some doping inhomogeneity. U and
V-shaped gaps were also observed, with good correspondence to the local
faceting, a manifestation of the dominant d-wave order parameter
Antioxidant activities of sicilian prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica) fruit extracts and reducing properties of its betalains: betanin and indicaxanthin.
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