The Cutopia Paradox: anthropomorphism as entertainment

An infant chimpanzee, dressed in riotous checks, bowtie and braces, cradled in human arms while it regards a camera, is perhaps further from us than a tiger lurking in the deepest jungle. Anthropomorphic sentiment negates empathy, blinding us to the real animal behind the “character.” The engaging creature we imagine we’d like to hold and protect is the product, most likely, of violent separation and trauma, stolen in order to bring us this enjoyment. We read the comical face, celebrating what appear to be traces of commonality; but the eyes of the small creature are windows to a realm we cannot comprehend. By following the life of a single chimpanzee, Cobby, the oldest chimp in captivity in the USA, this paper will explore our attraction to cuteness via the lens of chimpanzees in entertainment, regarding it as an intersection of emotion and metaphor that is potentially devastating to animals. We will argue that anthropomorphic sentiment and construction misdirects empathy away from the plight of real animals, and that every animal has the right to be acknowledged as a unique individual, rather than a generic entity. Animals that have been born in captivity and, to a lesser extent, those that have been extracted from the wild in infancy, can be seen as trapped between worlds. There exists, therefore, a hybrid population of animals that lives amongst us, amnesiacs dependent upon human compassion, or conversely, prey to its absence

Cavity optoelectromechanical regenerative amplification

Cavity optoelectromechanical regenerative amplification is demonstrated. An optical cavity enhances mechanical transduction, allowing sensitive measurement even for heavy oscillators. A 27.3 MHz mechanical mode of a microtoroid was linewidth narrowed to 6.6\pm1.4 mHz, 30 times smaller than previously achieved with radiation pressure driving in such a system. These results may have applications in areas such as ultrasensitive optomechanical mass spectroscopy

Testing moderation: physical punishment, parental warmth, and aggression

Physical punishment is a disciplinary technique that many parents utilize and report as being effective. Nevertheless, researchers continue to debate its usefulness and impact on child adjustment. Many have argued that physical punishment is detrimental to children's socio-emotional functioning, and in particular, that it increases aggression. However, some have argued that whether parents utilize physical punishment is less important than how they use it, citing strong evidence that not all children who are spanked display abnormal levels of aggression. This has lead to the theory that various parenting characteristics and techniques may moderate the relationship between physical punishment and aggression. The current study examines parental warmth as a moderator of the relationship between physical punishment and aggression 30 months later. Results of the study yielded no evidence that this relationship exists. Several limitations are believed to have contributed to the null findings. Directions for future research are discussed

Do Nonresident Fathers Matter? Associations Between Nonresident Fathering and Adolescent Functioning

The present study examined the relationship between nonresident father involvement and adolescent psychosocial functioning among Black and White adolescents. The study sample, drawn from Wave 2 of the National Survey of Families and Households, included 372 adolescents who resided with their biological mother, had a nonresident father, and had no male figure in the household. Analysis indicated that nonresident fathers who had conflictual relationships with resident mothers had more contact with their children. Overall, the quality of the nonresident father-child relationship was a weak predictor of adolescent outcomes, particularly when controlling for the mother-child relationship. However, frequency of father contact was related to poorer adolescent adjustment when quality of the father-child relationship was poor. Conflict in the resident mother-nonresident father relationship was associated with higher levels of adolescent externalizing behavior. Findings of the study suggest that a more holistic conceptualization of nonresident father involvement is needed in order to understand the unique influence of nonresident fathers on adolescent adjustment. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed

Multiple Tunnels in Soil with Shotcrete Linings on Tren Urbano, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Tunnelling was part of the new Tren Urbano transit system in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Four tunnels in soil were designed and constructed with shotcrete linings using the sequential excavation method (SEM), which uses some aspects of the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). Four 6-m-diameter tunnels of about 100 m in length were required to preserve two historic structures located above the subway alignment. Two of the four tunnels were constructed as part of a turnout to a future line. Cover over the SEM tunnels ranges from 20 to 5 m. Some of the tunnels are located less than 1 m from each other in the turnout section. Detailed analysis of the staged construction was undertaken to design shotcrete lining thickness, shotcrete strength, and reinforcing with welded wire fabric and lattice girders. Several variations in lining section were required, which depended on sequence of tunnel excavation and depth of cover. Further refinement of the lining design was possible by considering the initial lining as permanent since it had been constructed with final structure quality requirements. Compensation grouting effectively mitigated ground movements and building settlement was limited. Tunnel lining convergence measurements revealed the lining displacements due to excavation of adjacent or overlying tunnel construction to be within acceptable limits. Design and construction of the tunnels as sequentially excavated with shotcrete support (SEM) was unprecedented in Puerto Rico and not in widespread practice in the continental United States. Further, this was the first major United States underground transit construction project with design-build project delivery

A Committee to Manage Innovative Learning Spaces: Balancing Committee Size, Cross-Campus Representation, and Decision-Making Power

The growth in active learning classrooms represents a major shift in the pedagogy and built environment of higher education. While a robust literature exists to discuss the development, use, and evaluation of these innovative learning spaces, the practical considerations of managing innovative learning spaces has not received the same level of attention. This article describes the management model at _____ University, outlining key workflow considerations: committee size, cross-campus representation, and decision-making power. The conclusion sets out future research opportunities related to the institutional dynamics of innovative learning space management