Socratic Metaethics Imagined

This is an imagined dialogue between one of the more famous skeptics regarding moral attribution, Thrasymachus, and an imagined Socrates who, through the convenient miracle of time travel, returns to Athens after exposure to contemporary metaethics, now a devoted and formidable quasi-realist expressivist. The dialogue focuses on the characterization of moral conflict and moral justification available to the expressivist, and the authors attempt to lay out the distinctive strengths and weaknesses of the expressivist view

Transitions In Tumultuous Times: Teachers’ Experiences With Distance Learning Amidst The COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 prompted the first nationwide extended educational disruption, resulting in many challenges for teachers as they were forced to a distance teaching and learning model. Educators modified curricular content, delivery, and assessment methods to accommodate and engage learners and maintain academic expectations while at the same time attempting to mitigate undue stress for their students. Teachers met this task with little to no adaptive expertise to draw from, as few had previous experience with distance teaching. Constructivist theory guided this qualitative study exploring teachers’ experiences in distance learning through a lens of adaptive expertise. A phenomenological approach was applied to data acquired through two rounds of interviews with teachers. The data was analyzed through an iterative process of coding, creating categories, and identifying emerging themes. The findings indicate that during the periods of distance learning, teachers modified their course content due to an imposed time constraint, delivery method, and desire not to overwhelm students. These modifications impacted academic rigor and continuity, as well as the assessment of student learning. Additionally, teachers’ priorities changed from that of academic progress to that of student well-being. Other teacher takeaways include applications for their future practice in both the traditional and distance learning settings and reflections on how their experiences in distance learning during the spring of 2020 could impact their future as educational professionals

Business Process Model Reuse In A Multi-Channel / Multi-Product Environment–Problem Identification And Tentative Design

Business Process Modeling has become a common activity in organisations. However, as the number of process models increases, so too does the number of duplicated models increase and the level of process model reuse has been found to be surprisingly low. In organisations which operate in an environment with multiple channels, products and customer types, complete process model reuse becomes especially challenging. Without a well-defined approach, such an environment could easily result in dozens of slight variations of what is essentially the same process which will lead to future model and repository management challenges. In response to this problem this paper reviews the literature of complete business process reuse in a multi-channel / multi-product environment. We find that there is a clear gap in the literature in terms of practical solutions that address the problem described but were able to distil five practices that can increase complete model reuse. This review and the practices described will help practitioners grappling with these challenges and paves the way for further needed research on this problem

Marine Benthic Habitat Mapping of Muir Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska With an Evaluation of the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard III

Seafloor geology and potential benthic habitats were mapped in Muir Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, using multibeam sonar, ground-truth information, and geological interpretations. Muir Inlet is a recently deglaciated fjord that is under the influence of glacial and paraglacial marine processes. High glacially derived sediment and meltwater fluxes, slope instabilities, and variable bathymetry result in a highly dynamic estuarine environment and benthic ecosystem. We characterize the fjord seafloor and potential benthic habitats using the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) recently developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NatureServe. Substrates within Muir Inlet are dominated by mud, derived from the high glacial debris flux. Water-column characteristics are derived from a combination of conductivity temperature depth (CTD) measurements and circulation-model results. We also present modern glaciomarine sediment accumulation data from quantitative differential bathymetry. These data show Muir Inlet is divided into two contrasting environments: a dynamic upper fjord and a relatively static lower fjord. The accompanying maps represent the first publicly available high-resolution bathymetric surveys of Muir Inlet. The results of these analyses serve as a test of the CMECS and as a baseline for continued mapping and correlations among seafloor substrate, benthic habitats, and glaciomarine processes

Predictors of Readiness to Quit Among a Diverse Sample of Sexual Minority Male Smokers

ABSTRACT Introduction: Readiness to quit smoking - a pattern of attitudes, intentions, and behaviors that reflect a likelihood of engaging in cessation activities—is a useful heuristic for understanding smoking disparities based on sexual orientation. This study examined demographic, tobacco-use patterns, psychosocial and cognitive factors associated with readiness to quit among gay and bisexual male smokers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted as part of a larger Tobacco Elimination and Control Collaboration (Q-TECC) initiative in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Readiness to quit was measured by a composite score created from four variables (motivation to quit, importance of quitting, plan to quit, and confidence in quitting) (alpha=.87, M=3.42, SD=.96, range 1-5). Results: The sexual minority smokers in the sample (N=208; M=33 years) were racially/ethnically diverse. Latino men had significantly lower levels of readiness to quit compared to African American and White men. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to explore the relative contributions of sociodemographic, tobacco-use patterns, psychosocial and cognitive factors on Readiness to Quit. In the final model, the following variables were associated with readiness to quit scores: Latino ethnicity, fewer quit attempts, positive expectancies for the beneficial effects of smoking, and lower perceived importance of smoking as an important LGBT health issue. None of the psychosocial factors were associated with readiness to quit. Discussion: Readiness to quit scores were largely predicted by modifiable attitudes, behaviors, and expectancies. Study findings have implications for improving outreach and awareness and for the development of effective treatment approaches

Oyster reef ecosystem services: Macrofauna utilization of restored oyster reefs - Harris Creek, Maryland, USA

Oyster reefs provide habitat for a variety of macrofauna species. Our studies focused on the relationship between oyster tissue biomass density and reef-associated macrofauna biomass density. Studies were conducted in 2015-2017 and sites encompassed the majority of the area in which restoration activities were conducted with the Harris Creek Oyster Sanctuary in Maryland. Results presented in this report focus on: 1) interactions between oyster biomass density and season in determining macrofauna biomass, 2) responses of macrofauna to oyster biomass densities below “threshold” levels (0-14.9 g DW m-2) and between threshold and “target” levels (15-49.9 g DW m-2) defined in the success metrics for the Harris Creek restoration effort, 3) the role of tray-scale (0.1 m2), plot-scale (10 m2), and reef-scale oyster biomass density in determining associated macrofauna biomass, and 4) larger scale patterns in macrofauna biomass density within the creek