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Political Morality and Utopia: St. Thomas More and the Politics of Christian Humanism
No full textThis dissertation is a reevaluation and interpretation of St. Thomas More’s most famous work Utopia (1516). Utopia is a notoriously opaque work, and hence no scholarly consensus has formed around its meaning, much less around its implications for political theory. Yet, despite its opacity, the text has attained a place among the great works of Western literature and philosophy, spawning two sub-genera of literary, philosophical, and socio-political reflection, the utopia and the dystopia. While it has long been recognized that Utopia should be interpreted with relation to the intellectual milieu of Renaissance humanism—and the Christian humanism associated with Desiderius Erasmus in particular—the precise nature of the relationship has remained obscure and contested. Noting the vaguely unsettling character of Utopia, as well as the objections to the ostensibly ideal society placed in the mouth of More’s character in the dialogue, many interpreters have suggested that the work is better read as an ironic criticism of the Utopian regime. A recent line of scholarship has opened a new and fruitful line of interpretation. This scholarship suggests that More’s interlocutor in the work, a mysterious traveling philosopher named Raphael Hythloday, should be understood not as some aspect of More’s personality, but rather as a playful and exaggerated Erasmus. If this is the case, the meaning of the work takes on a new aspect: it now can be viewed as a lively debate in which More (called “Morus” in the Latin), Peter Giles (mutual friend to More and Erasmus) and Raphael Hythloday, a pastiche of Erasmus, debate the implications of Erasmian humanism for political order. While More and Erasmus were close friends and collaborators, there is reason to believe that they differed in certain aspects of their political thinking. This dissertation argues that the two friends represent two broad strands of Christian humanism, Stoic and Augustinian, and that Utopia presents a debate between two dispositions. They begin with a debate about the duties and hazards associated with philosophers becoming involved in political action. The course of the conversation leads to Hythloday’s lengthy declamation in Book II in which he describes the Utopian commonwealth, an island civilization that he claims to have visited while sailing with Amerigo Vespucci. While he begins his encomium with the intent of demonstrating that a propertyless society is possible, he concludes with a peroration in which he argues that Utopia is not only the best commonwealth possible, but the only socio-political arrangement worthy of the name. Morus remains unconvinced, even after Hythloday’s detailed exposition, and gives himself the final word, doubting both the desirability and the possibility of such an arrangement. While many interpreters have viewed Morus’s critical arguments as ironic, not intended to be taken seriously, this dissertation argues that they are in fact the key to the political teaching of Utopia. Though Hythloday’s words dominate the text, Morus’s objections point to weaknesses in Hythloday’s account, and carefully considered, the Utopian commonwealth is less desirable than it seems, suggesting that, like Morus, More (the author) doubted the ideal nature of the Utopian commonwealth. Rather, I suggest, Book II is a psychagogic thought experiment, intended to present, for consideration, discussion, and, ultimately, criticism, a political community built on Erasmus’ idiosyncratic and individualistic synthesis of Epicurean, Stoic, and Christian ethics.Political sciencePoliticsDegree Awarded: Ph.D. Politics. The Catholic University of Americ
High precision detection of change in intermediate range order of amorphous zirconia-doped tantala thin films due to annealing
No full textPhysical Review Letters, Volume 123, Issue 4, 23 July 2019, Article number 045501.Understanding the local atomic order in amorphous thin film coatings and how it relates to macroscopic performance factors, such as mechanical loss, provides an important path towards enabling the accelerated discovery and development of improved coatings. High precision x-ray scattering measurements of thin films of amorphous zirconia-doped tantala (ZrO2-Ta2O5) show systematic changes in intermediate range order (IRO) as a function of postdeposition heat treatment (annealing). Atomic modeling captures and explains these changes, and shows that the material has building blocks of metal-centered polyhedra and the effect of annealing is to alter the connections between the polyhedra. The observed changes in IRO are associated with a shift in the ratio of corner-sharing to edge-sharing polyhedra. These changes correlate with changes in mechanical loss upon annealing, and suggest that the mechanical loss can be reduced by developing a material with a designed ratio of corner-sharing to edge-sharing polyhedra
Contextualizing the Farm Bill: questions of food, land and agricultural governance
No full textRenewable Agriculture and Food Systems, Volume 35, Issue 4, 1 August 2020, Pages 352-357
Capture of complete ciliate chromosomes in single sequencing reads reveals widespread chromosome isoforms
No full textBMC Genomics, Volume 20, Issue 1, 30 December 2019, Article number 1037.Background: Whole-genome shotgun sequencing, which stitches together millions of short sequencing reads into a single genome, ushered in the era of modern genomics and led to a rapid expansion of the number of genome sequences available. Nevertheless, assembly of short reads remains difficult, resulting in fragmented genome sequences. Ultimately, only a sequencing technology capable of capturing complete chromosomes in a single run could resolve all ambiguities. Even "third generation" sequencing technologies produce reads far shorter than most eukaryotic chromosomes. However, the ciliate Oxytricha trifallax has a somatic genome with thousands of chromosomes averaging only 3.2 kbp, making it an ideal candidate for exploring the benefits of sequencing whole chromosomes without assembly. Results: We used single-molecule real-time sequencing to capture thousands of complete chromosomes in single reads and to update the published Oxytricha trifallax JRB310 genome assembly. In this version, over 50% of the completed chromosomes with two telomeres derive from single reads. The improved assembly includes over 12,000 new chromosome isoforms, and demonstrates that somatic chromosomes derive from variable rearrangements between somatic segments encoded up to 191,000 base pairs away. However, while long reads reduce the need for assembly, a hybrid approach that supplements long-read sequencing with short reads for error correction produced the most complete and accurate assembly, overall. Conclusions: This assembly provides the first example of complete eukaryotic chromosomes captured by single sequencing reads and demonstrates that traditional approaches to genome assembly can mask considerable structural variation
Handwritten sign on a stool inside a CVS
No full textHandwritten sign directing customers picking up prescriptions at the CVS pharmacy to 'Please stay behind stool -Thank you CVS!
Margaritas in a store-front window
No full textA table of wine bottles and containers containing margaritas is displayed in an open window at the restaurant Tico. A banner attached to the tables reads 'MARGARITAS'. Writing on the left window reads 'MARGARITAS', and on the right window reads 'TICODC.COM FOR INFO!' and 'WINE'. A person stands near the door of the restaurant
The effects of corrective information about disease epidemics and outbreaks: evidence from Zika and yellow fever in Brazil
No full textScience Advances, Volume 6, Issue 5, 29 January 2020, Article number eaaw7449.Disease epidemics and outbreaks often generate conspiracy theories and misperceptions that mislead people about the risks they face and how best to protect themselves. We investigate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at combating false and unsupported information about the Zika epidemic and subsequent yellow fever outbreak in Brazil. Results from a nationally representative survey show that conspiracy theories and other misperceptions about Zika are widely believed. Moreover, results from three preregistered survey experiments suggest that efforts to counter misperceptions about diseases during epidemics and outbreaks may not always be effective. We find that corrective information not only fails to reduce targeted Zika misperceptions but also reduces the accuracy of other beliefs about the disease. In addition, although corrective information about the better-known threat from yellow fever was more effective, none of these corrections affected support for vector control policies or intentions to engage in preventive behavior
The Cognitive and Subjective Effects of Chronic Caffeinated Energy Drink Consumption in Young Adults
No full textCaffeinated beverages, including energy drinks (EDs), are widely consumed for their purported cognitive enhancing effects. Most prior research studies on the cognitive effects of caffeine have examined acute effects; however, caffeine is most often consumed in a chronic fashion. Furthermore, chronic caffeine consumption can produce tolerance and physical dependence, which manifests as cognitive and emotional disruptions upon acute abstinence. The present study investigated the attentional and subjective effects of caffeinated EDs consumed daily for three weeks. It has been proposed that attention can be divided into three networks—alerting, orienting and executive control (Posner & Peterson, 1990), which are often assessed with the Attention Network Task (ANT; Fan et al., 2002). Thirty-seven light non-dependent caffeine consumers (43.2% female; mean daily caffeine use = 81.26 mg) participated in a six week within-subjects study. After a one-week baseline period, participants consumed one week of daily placebo EDs, followed by three weeks of daily caffeinated EDs (200 mg), and then one week of daily placebo EDs. Reactions to the EDs were assessed in the laboratory across nine different timepoints. Consumption of caffeinated EDs (timepoints 4, 5, and 6) produced faster reaction times (RTs) but no differences for percent error and the three attention networks compared to placebo EDs (timepoints 3, 7, and 8). Acute caffeinated ED exposure (timepoint 4) produced faster RTs and improvements in executive control than the placebo ED (timepoint 3), but no differences for percent error or the alerting and orienting networks. Greater mood disturbances and withdrawal symptoms were observed in response to the placebo ED (timepoints 7 or 8; 24 and 48 hours of abstinence, respectively) that was consumed after three weeks of daily caffeinated EDs when compared to the placebo ED that was consumed prior to caffeine exposure (timepoint 3). The unexpected effects of caffeine and acute caffeine abstinence on ANT performance warrant future inquiry. The findings from the present study suggest that physical dependence develops after only three weeks of daily moderate caffeine exposure and have implications for the use of caffeinated EDs for cognitive enhancement.Clinical psychologyAttention, Attention Networks, Caffeine, Cognition, Energy Drinks, Physical DependencePsychologyDegree Awarded: Ph.D. Psychology. American Universit
A Practical Implementation of Mitis Iudex in the Diocese of Des Moines
No full textIntroduction With the motu proprio Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus (MI), Pope Francis changed the landscape of tribunal procedure. He made it easier for a petitioner to bring a charge of nullity to his local tribunal, and he introduced a shorter process for the hearing of marriage nullity cases. This, in turn, made changes in tribunal practice necessary. In the Diocese of Des Moines, these changes still need to be fully implemented and, as we move forward in implementing these changes, it is important to keep in mind the right of defense of the respondent. This thesis, while focusing on the competence of the Des Moines tribunal to hear the cases of the petitioner with a view to the many diverse peoples in the Diocese of Des Moines,1 expounds on the right of the defense of the respondent. The first chapter of the thesis highlights developments in the law governing tribunal competence in the Latin and Eastern Churches up until MI, and mentions several issues that have arisen in American tribunals that may influence the right of defense. This first chapter treats the Catholic Church’s claim of a right to adjudicate marriage cases, the eligibility of persons to present cases, and the tribunal of competence. In the second chapter, I discuss changes to the procedural law of marriage brought about by MI and how these changes may influence marriage nullity procedures in the Diocese of Des Moines. MI opened the door to people who may have been excluded from our tribunals in the past due to the difficulties associated with being in a foreign country. Will the tribunal in the Diocese of Des Moines be ready to handle the challenges that this will bring and to open our doors to the migrants and refugees who are wondering about their legal status in the Catholic Church? The Latin Church historically has had a developing relationship with the members of Eastern Churches (Catholic and non-Catholic), and Chapter two treats the issue of recognizing the potential civil impact of handling the marriage nullities of people who were married in foreign countries that recognize the competence of religious organizations over the civil effects of marriage. I also describe the current structures we have available in the Diocese to handle these challenges and include a brief list of areas for improvement of our tribunal to help the Catholics of the Diocese of Des Moines.Canon lawCanon LawDegree Awarded: J.C.L. Canon Law. The Catholic University of Americ