The sources and interpretation of Olympic Law

In this article, Mark James and Guy Osborn discuss how the relationships between the various members of the Olympic Movement are governed by the Olympic Charter and the legal framework within which an edition of the Olympic Games is organised. The legal status of the Charter and its interpretation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport are examined to identify who is subject to its terms and how challenges to its requirements can be made. Finally, by using the UK legislation that has been enacted to regulate advertising and trading at London 2012, the far-reaching and sometimes unexpected reach of Olympic Law is explored

Approaching Plato: A Guide to the Early and Middle Dialogues

Approaching Plato is a comprehensive research guide to all (fifteen) of Plato’s early and middle dialogues. Each of the dialogues is covered with a short outline, a detailed outline (including some Greek text), and an interpretive essay. Also included (among other things) is an essay distinguishing Plato’s idea of eudaimonia from our contemporary notion of happiness and brief descriptions of the dialogues’ main characters

Between Species: Choreographing Human and Nonhuman Bodies

BETWEEN SPECIES: CHOREOGRAPHING HUMAN AND NONHUMAN BODIES is a dissertation project informed by practice-led and practice-based modes of engagement, which approaches the space of the zoo as a multi-species, choreographic, affective assemblage. Drawing from critical scholarship in dance literature, zoo studies, human-animal studies, posthuman philosophy, and experiential/somatic field studies, this work utilizes choreographic engagement, with the topography and inhabitants of the Toronto Zoo and the Berlin Zoologischer Garten, to investigate the potential for kinaesthetic exchanges between human and nonhuman subjects. In tracing these exchanges, BETWEEN SPECIES documents the creation of the zoomorphic choreographic works ARK and ARCHE and creatively mediates on: more-than-human choreography; the curatorial paradigms, embodied practices, and forms of zoological gardens; the staging of human and nonhuman bodies and bodies of knowledge; the resonances and dissonances between ethological research and dance ethnography; and, the anthropocentric constitution of the field of dance studies

Athlete activism at the Olympics: challenging the legality of Rule 50 as a restriction of freedom of expression

Since Colin Kaepernick began taking the knee during the American national anthem to protest social injustice and inequality in the USA in 2016, athletes across a range of sports and from diverse national backgrounds have used their high media profiles to draw attention to the causes that they support. The International Olympic Committee, however, has maintained its stance that politics and sport should not mix, and that human rights should not be used as a tool to undermine the political autonomy of sport. Rule 50(2) of the Olympic Charter states that, “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas”. Anyone in breach of this provision may be disqualified from their event and have their Olympic accreditation removed, a position that was reinforced by the guidance issued to athletes prior to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Using examples of athlete activism at Tokyo 2020 as case studies, this chapter will analyze whether any of these exercises of the right to freedom of expression were in breach of Rule 50(2). It will then examine whether the application of Rule 50(2) at Tokyo 2020 is compatible with Article 10 European Convention of Human Rights and the likely outcome of any challenge before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Swiss Federal Tribunal, and the European Court of Human Rights. It concludes by arguing for a complete overhaul of Rule 50(2) so that it promotes, rather than prohibits, freedom of expression

Microbes on a bottle: substrate, season and geography influence community composition of microbes colonizing marine plastic debris

Plastic debris pervades in our oceans and freshwater systems and the potential ecosystem-level impacts of this anthropogenic litter require urgent evaluation. Microbes readily colonize aquatic plastic debris and members of these biofilm communities are speculated to include pathogenic, toxic, invasive or plastic degrading-species. The influence of plastic-colonizing microorganisms on the fate of plastic debris is largely unknown, as is the role of plastic in selecting for unique microbial communities. This work aimed to characterize microbial biofilm communities colonizing single-use poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) drinking bottles, determine their plastic-specificity in contrast with seawater and glass-colonizing communities, and identify seasonal and geographical influences on the communities. A substrate recruitment experiment was established in which PET bottles were deployed for 5–6 weeks at three stations in the North Sea in three different seasons. The structure and composition of the PET-colonizing bacterial/archaeal and eukaryotic communities varied with season and station. Abundant PET-colonizing taxa belonged to the phylum Bacteroidetes (e.g. Flavobacteriaceae, Cryomorphaceae, Saprospiraceae—all known to degrade complex carbon substrates) and diatoms (e.g. Coscinodiscophytina, Bacillariophytina). The PET-colonizing microbial communities differed significantly from free-living communities, but from particle-associated (>3 μm) communities or those inhabiting glass substrates. These data suggest that microbial community assembly on plastics is driven by conventional marine biofilm processes, with the plastic surface serving as raft for attachment, rather than selecting for recruitment of plastic-specific microbial colonizers. A small proportion of taxa, notably, members of the Cryomorphaceae and Alcanivoraceae, were significantly discriminant of PET but not glass surfaces, conjuring the possibility that these groups may directly interact with the PET substrate. Future research is required to investigate microscale functional interactions at the plastic surface

Ares I-X First Flight Loss of Vehicle Probability Analysis

As part of the Constellation (Cx) Program development effort, several test flights were planned to prove concepts and operational capabilities of the new vehicles being developed. The first test, involving the Eastern Test Range, is the Ares I-X launched in 2009. As part of this test, the risk to the general public was addressed to ensure it is within Air Force requirements. This paper describes the methodology used to develop first flight estimates of overall loss of vehicle (LOV) failure probability, specifically for the Ares I-X. The method described in this report starts with the Air Force s generic failure probability estimate for first flight and adjusts the value based on the complexity of the vehicle as compared to the complexity of a generic vehicle. The results estimate a 1 in 9 probability of failure. The paper also describes traditional PRA methods used in this assessment, which were then combined with the updated first flight risk methodology to generate inputs required by the malfunction turn analysis to support estimate of casualty (Ec) calculations as part of the Final Flight Data Package (FFDP) delivered to the Eastern Range for Final Flight Plan Approval

Wigner functions, contact interactions, and matching

Quantum mechanics in phase space (or deformation quantization) appears to fail as an autonomous quantum method when infinite potential walls are present. The stationary physical Wigner functions do not satisfy the normal eigen equations, the *-eigen equations, unless an ad hoc boundary potential is added [Dias-Prata]. Alternatively, they satisfy a different, higher-order, ``*-eigen-* equation'', locally, i.e. away from the walls [Kryukov-Walton]. Here we show that this substitute equation can be written in a very simple form, even in the presence of an additional, arbitrary, but regular potential. The more general applicability of the -eigen- equation is then demonstrated. First, using an idea from [Fairlie-Manogue], we extend it to a dynamical equation describing time evolution. We then show that also for general contact interactions, the -eigen- equation is satisfied locally. Specifically, we treat the most general possible (Robin) boundary conditions at an infinite wall, general one-dimensional point interactions, and a finite potential jump. Finally, we examine a smooth potential, that has simple but different expressions for x positive and negative. We find that the -eigen- equation is again satisfied locally. It seems, therefore, that the -eigen- equation is generally relevant to the matching of Wigner functions; it can be solved piece-wise and its solutions then matched.Comment: 20 pages, no figure

What Makes Us Human: Anthropology Public Outreach at COSI

As anthropologists, we strive to answer questions related to being human. These questions bridge the gap between science and the humanities. They challenge us to think about our origins and our biases, and they ask us to place ourselves in the shoes of people from all around the world. Even though anthropology touches so many aspects of our lives, it is rarely discussed outside the college classroom. One of the goals of the Anthropology Public Outreach Program (APOP), a part of Ohio State's anthropology department, is to rectify this issue by bringing anthropology into communities around Columbus, Ohio, so everyone can explore what it means to be human. APOP offers a collection of anthropology-themed educational experiences on portable carts, which our volunteers facilitate at our community partner, the Center of Science and Industry (COSI). The cart activities cover aspects of comparative morphology, human evolution, archaeology, and cultural anthropology. We aim to engage people from all ages and backgrounds, be they children, students, parents, or teachers. Our activities offer interactive opportunities for participants to engage with different aspects of human diversity, from our remote past to the present in such a way that knowledge can be constructed from individual points of view and life experiences. All activities use self-driven discovery, participation, and hands-on learning as their primary teaching tools with the goal of building understanding of the cultural and biological diversity of our species. APOP's mission is to help broaden people's perspectives of what it means to be human by challenging participants to consider different perspectives on subjects related to human biological and cultural diversity, both in the past and present. Our goals closely intersect with COSI's mission "for those of all ages to discover more about our environment, our accomplishments, our heritage, and ourselves." By working with COSI, we mutually benefit by sharing resources for a collective impact. In addition, our student volunteers gain experience teaching their passion, engaging with the public, and performing a community service. The perceptions individuals have of human diversity and cultural variation play an important role in shaping events on local, regional, national, and international scales in the face of changing social conditions.AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Mark Hubbe, associate professor, Ohio State Department of Anthropology, [email protected] (Corresponding Author); Alexandra Tuggle, graduate teaching associate, Ohio State Department of Anthropology; John Osborn, floor faculty manager, COSIThe mission of the Anthropology Public Outreach Program (APOP) at Ohio State is to help broaden people's perspectives of what it means to be human by challenging participants to consider different perspectives related to human biological and cultural diversity, both in the past and present. We believe in the power of ideas, scientific inquiry, and self-discovery. APOP offers a collection of anthropology-themed educational experiences on portable carts, which our volunteers facilitate at our community partner, the Center of Science and Industry (COSI). Our goals closely intersect with COSI's mission "for those of all ages to discover more about our environment, our accomplishments, our heritage, and ourselves." Our activities offer interactive opportunities for participants of all ages to engage with different aspects of human diversity, from our remote past to the present in such a way that knowledge can be constructed from individual points of view and life experiences

The Olympics, transnational law and legal transplants: the International Olympic Committee, ambush marketing and ticket touting

This paper concerns the origination, development and emergence of what might be termed ‘Olympic law’. This has an impact across borders and with transnational effect. It examines the unique process of creation of these laws, laws created by a national legislature to satisfy the commercial demands of a private body, the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It begins by critically locating the IOC and Olympic law and examining Olympic law as a transnational force. Using two case studies, those of ambush marketing and ticket touting, it demonstrates how private entities can be the drivers of specific, self-interested legislation when operating as a transnational organisation from within the global administrative space and notes the potential dangers of such legal transplants

Seasonal variation in denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia process rates and corresponding key functional genes along an estuarine nitrate gradient

This research investigated spatial-temporal variation in benthic bacterial community structure, rates of denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) processes and abundances of corresponding genes and transcripts at three sites—the estuary-head, mid-estuary and the estuary mouth (EM) along the nitrate gradient of the Colne estuary over an annual cycle. Denitrification rates declined down the estuary, while DNRA rates were higher at the estuary head and middle than the EM. In four out of the six 2-monthly time-points, rates of DNRA were greater than denitrification at each site. Abundance of gene markers for nitrate-reduction (nitrate reductase narG and napA), denitrification (nitrite reductase nirS) and DNRA (DNRA nitrite reductase nrfA) declined along the estuary with significant relationships between denitrification and nirS abundance, and DNRA and nrfA abundance. Spatially, rates of denitrification, DNRA and corresponding functional gene abundances decreased along the estuary. However, temporal correlations between rate processes and functional gene and transcript abundances were not observed