The Diversity of Objections to Inequality

This is the text of The Lindley Lecture for 1996, given by T.M. Scanlon, an American philosopher

ƿ-adic Fourier analysis

Let Dk be the ring of integers of a finite extension of Q(_p), and let h ɛ Q≥(_0) be in its value group. This thesis considers the space of locally analytic functions of order h on Ok with values in Cp-. that is, functions that are defined on each disc of radius by a convergent power series. A necessary and sufficient condition for a sequence of polynomials, with coefficient in C(_p), to be orthogonal in this space is given, generalising a result of Amice [1] . This condition is used to prove that a particular sequence of polynomials defined in Schneider Teitelbaum [19] is not orthogonal

Immorality and Irrationality

Does immorality necessarily involve irrationality? The question is often taken to be among the deepest in moral philosophy. But apparently deep questions sometimes admit of deflationary answers. In this case we can make way for a deflationary answer by appealing to dualism about rationality, according to which there are two fundamentally distinct notions of rationality: structural rationality and substantive rationality. I have defended dualism elsewhere. Here, I’ll argue that it allows us to embrace a sensible – I will not say boring – moderate view about the relationship between immorality and irrationality: roughly, that immorality involves substantive irrationality, but not structural irrationality. I defend this moderate view, and argue that many of the arguments for less moderate views turn either on missing the distinction between substantive and structural rationality, or on misconstruing it

Structural and magnetic characterization of the complete delafossite solid solution (CuAlO2){1-x}(CuCrO2){x}

We have prepared the complete delafossite solid solution series between diamagnetic CuAlO2 and the t2g^3 frustrated antiferromagnet CuCrO2. The evolution with composition x in CuAl(1-x)Cr(x)O2 of the crystal structure and magnetic properties has been studied and is reported here. The room-temperature unit cell parameters follow the Vegard law and increase with x as expected. The effective moment is equal to the Cr^3+ spin-only S = 3/2 value throughout the entire solid solution. Theta is negative, indicating that the dominant interactions are antiferromagnetic, and its magnitude increases with Cr substitution. For dilute Cr compositions, J_BB was estimated by mean-field theory to be 2.0 meV. Despite the sizable Theta, long-range antiferromagnetic order does not develop until very large x, and is preceeded by glassy behavior. Data presented here, and that on dilute Al-substitution from Okuda et al., suggest that the reduction in magnetic frustration due to the presence of non-magnetic Al does not have as dominant an effect on magnetism as chemical disorder and dilution of the magnetic exchange. For all samples, the 5 K isothermal magnetization does not saturate in fields up to 5 T and minimal hysteresis is observed. The presence of antiferromagnetic interactions is clearly evident in the sub-Brillouin behavior with a reduced magnetization per Cr atom. An inspection of the scaled Curie plot reveals that significant short-range antiferromagnetic interactions occur in CuCrO2 above its Neel temperature, consistent with its magnetic frustration. Uncompensated short-range interactions are present in the Al-substituted samples and are likely a result of chemical disorder

Rationality as the Rule of Reason

The demands of rationality are linked both to our subjective normative perspective (given that rationality is a person-level concept) and to objective reasons or favoring relations (given that rationality is non-contingently authoritative for us). In this paper, I propose a new way of reconciling the tension between these two aspects: roughly, what rationality requires of us is having the attitudes that correspond to our take on reasons in the light of our evidence, but only if it is competent. I show how this view can account for structural rationality on the assumption that intentions and beliefs as such involve competent perceptions of downstream reasons, and explore various implications of the account

Potential Demand for Programs on Nuisance Wildlife Among Wildlife-Related Program Offerings to Urban/Suburban Organizations

Program planners of 114 organizations in the Roanoke Valley area of Virginia responded to the likelihood of their scheduling programs on wildlife-related topics. Among the topics offered was “Controlling Wildlife Pests and/or Their Damage.” Responses were organized by type of organization (civic club, neighborhood organization, educational/PTA organization, environmental/hobby organization, garden/plant club) and whether they were “highly likely” (HL), “somewhat likely” (SL), “not likely” (NL), or “not sure” (NS) they would schedule such a program. Results on likelihood of scheduling were as follows: 31 civic clubs (1 HL, 4 SL, 33NL, 4 NS); 26 neighborhood organizations (5 HL, 7 SL, 5 NL, 9 NS); 26 educational/PTA organizations (3HL, 7 SL, 14 NL, 2 NS); 10 environmental organizations (1 HL, 2 SL, 7 NL, 0 NS); and 21 garden clubs (2 HL, 6 SL, 11 NL, 2 NS). Overall, 114 respondents provided 12 HL, 26 SL, 59 NL, and 17 NS responses. Among the 114 respondents, only 8 rated the topic among their “top 3” most desired topics. In the overall survey, wildlife-related topics were not more acceptable than environmental program topics and, within the wildlife program topics, a program on “Controlling Wildlife Pests and/or Their Damage” was not likely to be scheduled by more than half the programs chairs. As only one-third of respondents indicated any likelihood of scheduling a program on “Controlling Wildlife Pests and/or Their Damage,” a challenge in developing proactive programs on wildlife pest management for urban/suburban club audiences seems very clear

An investigation into the mechanical damping characteristics of catenary contact wires and their effect on aerodynamic galloping instability

Measurement of the damped oscillation of a section of the UK East Coast Main Line (ECML) catenary/contact wire system was undertaken, and the natural frequency and mechanical damping were found to be 1.4Hz and 0.05 respectively. This information was used to assess the effect of increasing the mechanical damping ratio on the susceptibility of the system to an aerodynamic galloping instability. The section of line tested was known to gallop at wind speeds of approximately 40 mile/h, and theoretical and experimental work verified this. A friction damper arm was designed and three units were fitted to the section of line affected. The introduction of increased mechanical damping was found to raise the mechanical damping coefficient of the line to between 0.095 and 0.18, and the mathematical analysis produced a theoretical wind speed for galloping oscillation of between 75 and 141 mile/h respectively. For over a year since the units were fitted, no problems with galloping instability have been observed

Production and Engineering Aspects of Manufacturing Ice Cream

The purpose of this study is to develop an informative website that details the production of ice cream. The types of ingredients and the steps associated with the making of homemade and commercial ice cream are outlined. The effects of the processing steps used to make the ice cream on the mechanical properties have been studied. It is anticipated that the web site will improve the public understanding of the engineering principles necessary to make this unique treat

Mercury Accumulation in Tree Rings: Observed Trends in Quantity and Isotopic Composition in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Recent studies have shown that mercury (Hg) concentrations in tree rings have the potential to archive historical Hg exposure from local, regional, and global sources. The southeastern United States has received elevated Hg deposition, yet no studies have evaluated tree ring Hg in this region. Here, we quantify Hg accumulation and isotopic composition in tree rings collected in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. Cores were collected from three individuals of three tree species—white oak (Quercus alba), northern red oak (Quercus rubra), and pitch pine (Pinus rigida)—within the northern, central, and southern areas of the Park (n = 27 cores). The cores were analyzed for Hg content in 10‐year increments, with some cores dating back to the early 1800s. Overall, tree ring Hg concentrations (ranging from below detection to 4.4 ng/g) were similar to other studies and varied between species, with pitch pine having higher concentrations than the deciduous species. The most notable feature of the tree ring Hg time series was a peak that occurred during the 1930s through 1950s, coinciding with the use of Hg at a local industrial facility. Atmospheric modeling indicates that potential emissions from the plant likely had a stronger impact on the southern region of the Park, consistent with the latitudinal gradient in tree ring Hg concentrations. Mass‐dependent and mass‐independent fractionation of Hg isotopes suggests contributions from both regional anthropogenic and local industrial sources during this period. This study demonstrates the potential usefulness of tree ring dendrochemistry for identifying historical sources of atmospheric Hg exposure.Key PointsTree ring mercury levels in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, were similar to those measured in other North American forestsTree ring mercury peaked during the 1930s to 1950s, coinciding with mercury use at an industrial facility near the southern end of the ParkMercury isotopes suggest a local source at this time, demonstrating the potential of dendrochemistry to identify historical sourcesPlain Language SummaryFor many years scientists have used tree rings to reconstruct past climate. Increasingly, tree rings are being used to document the historical exposure of trees to pollutants. In this study, we cored trees in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, dated the tree rings, and then measured the amount of mercury stored within decadal core increments. We were surprised to find that mercury levels peaked in the 1930s to 1950s, even though global mercury emissions continued to rise throughout the past century, mostly as a by‐product of energy production. Our findings suggest that the trees were exposed to a local pollutant source during this earlier time period, perhaps from a nearby industrial plant that used mercury in the production of rayon. By examining the chemistry of wood within tree rings, we can get a clearer picture of when and where human activities have affected air pollution over recent centuries.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153685/1/jgrg21576_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153685/2/jgrg21576.pd

N incorporation and associated localized vibrational modes in GaSb

We present results of electronic structure calculations on the N-related localized vibrational modes in the dilute nitride alloy GaSb1−xNx. By calculating the formation energies of various possible N incorporation modes in the alloy, we determine the most favorable N configurations, and we calculate their vibrational mode frequencies using density functional theory under the generalized gradient approximation to electron exchange and correlation, including the effects of the relativistic spin-orbit interactions. For a single N impurity, we find substitution on an Sb site, NSb, to be most favorable, and for a two-N-atom complex, we find the N-N split interstitial on an Sb site to be most favorable. For these defects, as well as, for comparison, defects comprising two N atoms on neighboring Sb sites and a N-Sb split interstitial on an Sb site, we find well-localized vibration modes (LVMs), which should be experimentally observable. The frequency of the triply degenerate LVM associated with NSb is determined to be 427.6 cm−1. Our results serve as a guide to future experimental studies to elucidate the incorporation of small concentrations of N in GaSb, which is known to lead to a reduction of the band gap and opens the possibility of using the material for long-wavelength applications