Experts, rights and precaution

In this article, we offer an account of the epistemological and moral principles that should govern decisions where judges and other official decision-makers are asked to authorize courses of action which would amount to a violation of someone's rights in the absence ofjustifying circumstances. Our argument is in four sections. In Section I, we outline the normative framework for our analysis. We draw on the theory of rights expounded by Alan Gewirth and developed by Beyleveld, Brownsword and Pattinson, but rather than relying on the reader's being fully convinced by Gewirth's argument for the ‘dialectical necessity' of such rights, we suggest an alternative, contractarian defence of Gewirth's ‘Principle of Generic Consistency' (PGC) as a basis for social co-operation that all reasonable citizens could accept. Section II explores the epistemological implications of the principle of public justification: specifically, how the knowledge-claims of experts are made cognitively accessible to, and open to evaluation by, ordinary citizens. Section III brings together the epistemological and moral arguments to set out a framework of ‘rights precautionism' by which non-consensual expert intervention in the lives of citizens can be regulated. Section IV illustrates the application of the principles developed in Sections II and III to two fictional examples drawn from mental health and capacity law

Model Configuration And Data Management In The Short-Term Water Information Forecasting Tools

The Short-term Water Information and Forecasting Tools (SWIFT) is a suite of tools for flood and short-term streamflow forecasting, consisting of a collection of hydrologic model components and utilities. Catchments are modeled using conceptual subareas and a node-link structure for channel routing. The tools comprise modules for calibration, model state updating, output error correction, ensemble runs and data assimilation. Given the combinatorial nature of the modelling experiments and the sub-daily time steps typically used for simulations, the volume of model configurations and time series data is substantial and its management is not trivial. SWIFT is currently used mostly for research purposes but has also been used operationally, with intersecting but significantly different requirements. Early versions of SWIFT used mostly ad-hoc text files handled via Fortran code, with limited use of netCDF for time series data. The configuration and data handling modules have since been redesigned. The model configuration now follows a design where the data model is decoupled from the on-disk persistence mechanism. For research purposes the preferred on-disk format is JSON, to leverage numerous software libraries in a variety of languages, while retaining the legacy option of custom tab-separated text formats when it is a preferred access arrangement for the researcher. By decoupling data model and data persistence, it is much easier to interchangeably use for instance relational databases to provide stricter provenance and audit trail capabilities in an operational flood forecasting context. For the time series data, given the volume and required throughput, text based formats are usually inadequate. A schema derived from CF conventions has been designed to efficiently handle time series for SWIFT

“I always wanted to see the night sky”: blind user preferences for Sensory Substitution Devices

Sensory Substitution Devices (SSDs) convert visual information into another sensory channel (e.g. sound) to improve the everyday functioning of blind and visually impaired persons (BVIP). However, the range of possible functions and options for translating vision into sound is largely open-ended. To provide constraints on the design of this technology, we interviewed ten BVIPs who were briefly trained in the use of three novel devices that, collectively, showcase a large range of design permutations. The SSDs include the ‘Depth-vOICe,’ ‘Synaestheatre’ and ‘Creole’ that offer high spatial, temporal, and colour resolutions respectively via a variety of sound outputs (electronic tones, instruments, vocals). The participants identified a range of practical concerns in relation to the devices (e.g. curb detection, recognition, mental effort) but also highlighted experiential aspects. This included both curiosity about the visual world (e.g. understanding shades of colour, the shape of cars, seeing the night sky) and the desire for the substituting sound to be responsive to movement of the device and aesthetically engaging

Modelling the Mechanical and Strain Recovery Behaviour of Partially Crystalline PLA

YesThis is a study of the modelling and prediction of strain recovery in a polylactide. Strain recovery near the glass transition temperature is the underlying mechanism for the shape memory in an amorphous polymer. The investigation is aimed at modelling such shape memory behaviour. A PLA-based copolymer is subjected to stress-strain, stress relaxation and strain recovery experiments at large strain at 60 °C just below its glass transition temperature. The material is 13% crystalline. Using published data on the mechanical properties of the crystals, finite element modelling was used to determine the effect of the crystal phase on the overall mechanical behaviour of the material, which was found to be significant. The finite element models were also used to relate the stress-strain results to the yield stress of the amorphous phase. This yield stress was found to possess strain rate dependence consistent with an Eyring process. Stress relaxation experiments were also interpreted in terms of the Eyring process, and a two-process Eyring-based model was defined that was capable of modelling strain recovery behaviour. This was essentially a model of the amorphous phase. It was shown to be capable of useful predictions of strain recovery.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, grant number EP/L020572/1.. Not submitted within 3 months from acceptance or publication but is a Gold paper

The outlook for control of New Zealand’s most abundant, widespread and damaging invertebrate pests: social wasps

Invasive social wasps (Vespula germanica and V. vulgaris) are probably the most damaging, widespread invertebrate pests in New Zealand. In large areas of beech forests they can attain a biomass as great as, or greater than, the combined biomasses of birds, rodents and stoats. Wasps are effective and voracious predators and pose a significant risk to human health. Here, we highlight the scale and diversity of wasp impacts and the opportunities to develop cost effective landscape-scale tools for wasp control. Toxic baits can be extremely effective for wasp control, though the most effective pesticide (fipronil) is currently not commercially available for wasp control within New Zealand. Significant progress has been made to enhance lures for toxin delivery, including the use of synthetic lures. Biological control could offer the possibility of controlling wasps over huge areas at reasonable cost, though previous releases of biocontrol agents have not been successful. Avenues for further biological control work, such as the use of pathogens or parasitoids, are encouraged. We believe it is necessary and strategic to develop a suite of control tools. We urge government and the public to take action to control the wasp problem and to designate one agency as having the prime responsibility for doing this. Given that wasps are harming our natural heritage and inhibiting or adversely affecting people’s enjoyment of natural areas, we look to the natural resource sector to drive research and implement solutions. This includes Department of Conservation, Ministry of Primary Industry and Councils

“I feel happy when I surf because it takes stress from my mind”: An Initial Exploration of Program Theory within Waves for Change Surf Therapy in Post-Conflict Liberia

Surf therapy is a novel form of sport for development (SFD) intervention being utilized to support well-being within post-conflict settings. There is currently little research exploring surf therapy program theory in SFD contexts. Theoretical exploration is important for optimization, monitoring, and further expansion of service delivery. This research utilized pragmatic qualitative methods to explore participant-perceived impacts and outcomes within the Waves for Change (W4C) surf therapy intervention, as implemented in Harper, Liberia, that aims to support youth well-being. Twenty-three past W4C participants (17 males and 6 females, mean age = 15.8 years, SD = 3.6 years, range 11-25 years) took part in semistructured interviews about their experiences of surf therapy. Data were analyzed through constant comparative analysis. Six impacts and outcomes were identified within three intervention domains: Social, Skills Curriculum/Bananas Culture, and Surfing. The findings highlight sport as an adaptable vehicle for improving well-being and skills within successful intervention delivery while providing a foundation for further in-depth exploration of program theory. Furthermore, the findings provide empirical evidence on how to optimize and proliferate surf therapy within other post-conflict settings. The findings also provide transferable conclusions for the improvement of SFD more generally