Friendship, Justice And Eudaimonia In The Nicomachean Ethics

It is often claimed that Aristotle's ethical theory is founded upon selfishness and egoism, and that even in his account of friendship, self-interest is paramount. The aim of this dissertation is to examine the validity of these claims. In chapter 1 , Aristotle's theory of friendship is examined in detail. The various kinds Of friendship are investigated, principally with a view to establishing whether any genuinely other-regarding features may be found within them. It is concluded that Aristotle makes provision for altruistic well-wishing and well-doing in virtue friendship (that kind of friendship in which the phronimos engages), but that is is impossible to state conclusively whether any measure of genuine goodwill exists in the two lesser friendships. Chapter 2 aims to show that virtue friendship is centrally related to the cardinal virtue of complete justice, and the active virtuous life. It is shown that the phronimos aims to benefit fellow-citizens as well as close friends, and that he acts towards fellow-citizens in a spirit of friendship, and not of mere rectitude. By displaying the connection between virtue friendship and complete justice, chapter 2 shows that genuinely other-regarding motivation is central to the active virtuous life, but it remains to be discovered whether this active virtuous life is supremely valuable for man. An examination of the various interpretations of Eudaimonia in chapter 3 reveals that while we may state positively that the theoretical life is supremely valuable for man, no such conclusion is possible in respect of the active virtuous life. Chapter 4 aims to find a place for virtue friendship in the theoretical life. A distinction is drawn between intention and justification. It is concluded that while Aristotle intends that such friendship should have a place in the theoretical life, he cannot justify that intention satisfactorily

Comportamiento de compra y consumo de las TIC. Aplicación a su uso en la enseñanza universitaria

Por tanto, en este trabajo analizamos el cambio en los hábitos de consumo con respecto a las TIC dentro del sector educativo-formativo. Y, al mismo tiempo, se reflexiona sobre su influencia en aspectos tan importantes como el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje o la adopción de una determinada ideología y hábitos de vida por parte de los jóvenes. El presente trabajo ha respondido al objetivo general de demostrar el creciente uso de las TIC con distintos formatos en los ámbitos educativos y formativos. Además se han planteado otros objetivos de carácter específico: 1. Comprobar que los alumnos a través de la competencia digital desde el uso de las TIC mejoran su proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. 2. Verificar que el uso de las TIC propicia una metodología que fomenta un proceso de enseñanza activo-participativo por parte del alumno. 3. Determinar cuáles son los recursos y herramientas TIC más utilizados en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje por los alumnos encuestados. 4. Identificar la frecuencia con la que usan las TIC en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje y las razones principales a la hora de elegir determinadas herramientas TIC y no otras. 5. Comprobar la percepción de los alumnos sobre la experiencia de su aprendizaje a través de las TIC. 6. Comprobar la influencia de las TIC, así como de sus aplicaciones más usadas, en la perspectiva ideológica y en los nuevos hábitos de vida de los universitarios actuales. Para el desarrollo de la primera parte del trabajo se ha empleado la clásica revisión de la literatura. Para ello nos hemos apoyado en manuales pero sobre todo en artículos sobre el tema a estudiar. A partir de la definición del marco teórico hemos optado por la encuesta personal como técnica de recogida de información para la parte práctica del trabajo. Este método es una de las fórmulas más utilizadas en el estudio del comportamiento del consumidor en relación a las TIC y nos permite conocer la opinión del individuo. A partir de las consideraciones anteriores, la memoria que recoge el trabajo realizado se ha estructurado en tres capítulos. El primero se ocupa del marco teórico en su totalidad y analiza tanto el concepto de comportamiento del consumidor como diferentes aspectos relativos al uso de las TIC en el ámbito universitario, como medio para ayudar a mejorar el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje desde el punto de vista de los hábitos de comportamiento de los estudiantes universitarios. El segundo capítulo se centra en el estudio empírico realizado sobre una muestra de universitarios cuyo objeto fue analizar los hábitos de comportamiento de los individuos en relación a las TIC y herramientas 2.0, tanto desde un punto de vista general como centradas en su utilidad en el día a día universitario. Para terminar esta memoria en el último capítulo mostraremos las principales conclusiones que hemos extraído de toda la investigación realizada. Conclusiones generales sobre la parte teórica primero para, después, adentrarnos en las que se derivan del análisis de los datos recogidos vía cuestionario. Además, creemos conveniente incorporar un apartado de recomendaciones, las cuales hemos podido proponer a través del diagnóstico realizado para culminar la parte empírica de este trabajo.Grado en Administración y Dirección de Empresa

Life-Expectancy Disparities Among Adults With HIV in the United States and Canada: The Impact of a Reduction in Drug- and Alcohol-Related Deaths Using the Lives Saved Simulation Model.

Improvements in life expectancy among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) receiving antiretroviral treatment in the United States and Canada might differ among key populations. Given the difference in substance use among key populations and the current opioid epidemic, drug- and alcohol-related deaths might be contributing to the disparities in life expectancy. We sought to estimate life expectancy at age 20 years in key populations (and their comparison groups) in 3 time periods (2004-2007, 2008-2011, and 2012-2015) and the potential increase in expected life expectancy with a simulated 20% reduction in drug- and alcohol-related deaths using the novel Lives Saved Simulation model. Among 92,289 PLWH, life expectancy increased in all key populations and comparison groups from 2004-2007 to 2012-2015. Disparities in survival of approximately a decade persisted among black versus white men who have sex with men and people with (vs. without) a history of injection drug use. A 20% reduction in drug- and alcohol-related mortality would have the greatest life-expectancy benefit for black men who have sex with men, white women, and people with a history of injection drug use. Our findings suggest that preventing drug- and alcohol-related deaths among PLWH could narrow disparities in life expectancy among some key populations, but other causes of death must be addressed to further narrow the disparities

TESS Discovery of a Transiting Super-Earth in the π\pi Mensae System

We report the detection of a transiting planet around $\pi$ Mensae (HD 39091), using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The solar-type host star is unusually bright (V=5.7) and was already known to host a Jovian planet on a highly eccentric, 5.7-year orbit. The newly discovered planet has a size of $2.04\pm 0.05$ $R_\oplus$ and an orbital period of 6.27 days. Radial-velocity data from the HARPS and AAT/UCLES archives also displays a 6.27-day periodicity, confirming the existence of the planet and leading to a mass determination of $4.82\pm 0.85$ $M_\oplus$. The star's proximity and brightness will facilitate further investigations, such as atmospheric spectroscopy, asteroseismology, the Rossiter--McLaughlin effect, astrometry, and direct imaging.Comment: Accepted for publication ApJ Letters. This letter makes use of the TESS Alert data, which is currently in a beta test phase. The discovery light curve is included in a table inside the arxiv submissio

Novel opsin gene variation in large-bodied, diurnal lemurs

Some primate populations include both trichromatic and dichromatic (red-green colour blind) individuals due to allelic variation at the X-linked opsin locus. This polymorphic trichromacy is well described in day-active New World monkeys. Less is known about colour vision in Malagasy lemurs, but, unlike New World monkeys, only some day-active lemurs are polymorphic, while others are dichromatic. The evolutionary pressures underlying these differences in lemurs are unknown, but aspects of species ecology, including variation in activity pattern, are hypothesized to play a role. Limited data on X-linked opsin variation in lemurs make such hypotheses difficult to evaluate. We provide the first detailed examination of X-linked opsin variation across a lemur clade (Indriidae). We sequenced the X-linked opsin in the most strictly diurnal and largest extant lemur, Indri indri, and nine species of smaller, generally diurnal indriids (Propithecus). Although nocturnal Avahi (sister taxon to Propithecus) lacks a polymorphism, at least eight species of diurnal indriids have two or more X-linked opsin alleles. Four rainforest-living taxa-I. indri and the three largest Propithecus species-have alleles not previously documented in lemurs. Moreover, we identified at least three opsin alleles in Indri with peak spectral sensitivities similar to some New World monkeys

Can a key boreal Calanus copepod species now complete its life-cycle in the Arctic? Evidence and implications for Arctic food-webs

The changing Arctic environment is affecting zooplankton that support its abundant wildlife. We examined how these changes are influencing a key zooplankton species, Calanus finmarchicus, principally found in the North Atlantic but expatriated to the Arctic. Close to the ice-edge in the Fram Strait, we identified areas that, since the 1980s, are increasingly favourable to C. finmarchicus. Field-sampling revealed part of the population there to be capable of amassing enough reserves to overwinter. Early developmental stages were also present in early summer, suggesting successful local recruitment. This extension to suitable C. finmarchicus habitat is most likely facilitated by the long-term retreat of the ice-edge, allowing phytoplankton to bloom earlier and for longer and through higher temperatures increasing copepod developmental rates. The increased capacity for this species to complete its life-cycle and prosper in the Fram Strait can change community structure, with large consequences to regional food-webs

Priority use cases for antibody-detecting assays of recent malaria exposure as tools to achieve and sustain malaria elimination

Measurement of malaria specific antibody responses represents a practical and informative method for malaria control programs to assess recent exposure to infection. Technical advances in recombinant antigen production, serological screening platforms, and analytical methods have enabled the identification of several target antigens for laboratory based and point-of-contact tests. Questions remain as to how these serological assays can best be integrated into malaria surveillance activities to inform programmatic decision-making. This report synthesizes discussions from a convening at Institut Pasteur in Paris in June 2017 aimed at defining practical and informative use cases for serology applications and highlights five programmatic uses for serological assays including: documenting the absence of transmission; stratification of transmission; measuring the effect of interventions; informing a decentralized immediate response; and testing and treating P. vivax hypnozoite carriers

Influence of land-use on the dynamics, quantity and composition of the organic matter transported across estuaries

The flux of terrigenous organic carbon across estuaries is an important and changing component of the global carbon cycle, but it is poorly understood. It has been proposed that estuaries can act either as a transporter of terrestrial dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to the ocean or as a reactor system in which DOC can be buried or transformed into carbon dioxide and released to the atmosphere. However, there is no clear understanding of the factors that drive estuaries to behave in one way or the other. Here we present the results from a study conducted in thirteen British estuaries which drain catchments of diverse land-uses under different hydrological conditions. Our data show that land-use influences the composition of the dissolved organic matter (DOM), the mixing dynamics of DOC and the quantity of DOC exported off the estuaries. Estuaries, whose catchments are less intensively managed and represent more natural ecosystems (average proportion of arable and (sub)-urban land-use ~12 %), contain a higher proportion of biologically-refractory “humic-like” DOM, which is transported conservatively across the salinity gradient. In contrast, estuaries whose catchments are more intensively managed (average proportion of arable and (sub)-urban land-use ~32 %) contain a high fraction of “protein-like” DOM which is transported non-conservatively, and thus suggest the existence of additions and removal processes across the salinity gradient. Furthermore, estuaries with more intensively managed catchments tend to export more DOC to coastal areas than they receive from rivers. Our results indicate that future changes in land-use have the potential to alter aquatic fluxes of terrigenous DOM and the fate of the constituent carbon

First occurrence of diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and hypertension among North American HIV-infected adults, 2000-2013

Background: There remains concern regarding the occurrence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) among individuals aging with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but few studies have described whether disparities between demographic subgroups are present among individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART) with access to care. Methods: We assessed the first documented occurrence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and treated hypertension (HTN) by age, sex, and race within the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD). HIV-infected adults (≥18 years) who initiated ART were observed for first NCD occurrence between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2013. Cumulative incidences as of age 70 were estimated accounting for the competing risk of death; Poisson regression was used to compare rates of NCD occurrence by demographic subgroup. Results: We included >50000 persons with >250000 person-years of follow-up. Median follow-up was 4.7 (interquartile range, 2.4–8.1) years. Rates of first occurrence (per 100 person-years) were 1.2 for DM, 0.6 for CKD, and 2.6 for HTN. Relative to non-black women, the cumulative incidences were increased in black women (68% vs 51% for HTN, 52% vs 41% for DM, and 38% vs 35% for CKD; all P < .001); this disparity was also found among men (73% vs 60% for HTN, 44% vs 34% for DM, and 30% vs 25% for CKD; all P < .001). Conclusions: Racial disparities in the occurrence of DM, CKD, and HTN emphasize the need for prevention and treatment options for these HIV populations receiving care in North America