Two investigations. An attempt to improve the yield of allyl magnesium bromide and a synthesis of o-diiodobenzene

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston Universit

The directionality of distinctively mathematical explanations

In “What Makes a Scientific Explanation Distinctively Mathematical?” (2013b), Lange uses several compelling examples to argue that certain explanations for natural phenomena appeal primarily to mathematical, rather than natural, facts. In such explanations, the core explanatory facts are modally stronger than facts about causation, regularity, and other natural relations. We show that Lange's account of distinctively mathematical explanation is flawed in that it fails to account for the implicit directionality in each of his examples. This inadequacy is remediable in each case by appeal to ontic facts that account for why the explanation is acceptable in one direction and unacceptable in the other direction. The mathematics involved in these examples cannot play this crucial normative role. While Lange's examples fail to demonstrate the existence of distinctively mathematical explanations, they help to emphasize that many superficially natural scientific explanations rely for their explanatory force on relations of stronger-than-natural necessity. These are not opposing kinds of scientific explanations; they are different aspects of scientific explanation

Mechanistic Levels, Reduction, and Emergence

We sketch the mechanistic approach to levels, contrast it with other senses of “level,” and explore some of its metaphysical implications. This perspective allows us to articulate what it means for things to be at different levels, to distinguish mechanistic levels from realization relations, and to describe the structure of multilevel explanations, the evidence by which they are evaluated, and the scientific unity that results from them. This approach is not intended to solve all metaphysical problems surrounding physicalism. Yet it provides a framework for thinking about how the macroscopic phenomena of our world are or might be related to its most fundamental entities and activities

A Preliminary Qualitative Evaluation of the Virginia Gold Program

The Virginia Gold Program was designed to improve the retention of certified nursing assistants (CNAs). CNAs provide the majority of paid care to nursing facility residents; however, annual CNA turnover is high, which can lead to substandard resident care. To address this, Virginia Medicaid funded CNA retention projects in five nursing facilities. Results from 10 focus groups suggest that retention and quality of care improved as a result. The study will be published in TQR in January 2013

\u27Picture This:\u27 Barbara Kruger\u27s \u27Imperfect Utopia\u27

California contemporary artist Barbara Kruger created the colossal, three-dimensional work Picture This as part of the winning outdoor park design Imperfect Utopia (1986-1997) held by the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. Situated in the landscape outside the museum’s original building designed by Edward Durell Stone, 80-foot-tall letters inscribe Kruger’s phrase Picture This. The letters are embedded with quotations, historical markers, cultural figures, as well as elements pertaining to North Carolina’s history and environment. This thesis proposes that Picture This functions as Kruger’s conceptual critique of museums; more specifically, it critiques their traditional utopian goals and simulacral stature. This thesis will demonstrate that Kruger’s phrase Picture This functions as a dialogue with the museum and the state. By drawing parallels between Kruger’s work and French philosopher Jean Baudrillard’s theory of simulation, this study will elucidate alternative readings of Picture This as well as foreground its impact on Kruger’s oeuvre

Using Remote Sensing and Environmental Precursors to Detect and Predict Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Blooms in Northeastern US Waterbodies

Cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) are a global problem with human health, environmental, and economic concerns. The severity and frequency of toxic cyanoHABs are expected to increase with climate change. Remote sensing has proven to be a useful tool in monitoring cyanoHABs. This study uses remote sensing observations from Sentinel-3Ocean Land Color Imager (OLCI)combined with the Spectral Shape Algorithm (SSA) to detect the presence of cyanobacteria in numerous waterbodies throughout the Northeast United States over 2016to 2020. The ACOLITE processor was used for the atmospheric correction of the Sentinel-3 OLCI data, as it has been shown to provide more accurate results over water bodies. Citizen scientist data from two EPA apps, BloomWatch and CyanoScope, were used to guide the cyanoHAB detection results. This study focuses on three different aspects of using the remote sensing methods to detect cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms: (1) examine two different reflectance center band combinations of the SSA at 665 nm and 681 nm, (2) compare SSA controls for non-bloom periods in winter/spring to the summer bloom periods, and (3) examine bloom areas within waterbodies. The SSA method with the center band at 665 nm was found to perform better than the SSA method with the center band at 681 nm. Additionally, cyanoHAB environmental precursors were determined and their effects on the formation of cyanoHABs were assessed, with maximum air temperature having the greatest impact on cyanoHABs formation