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Kantian constitutivism and the limits of agency
Get PDFThe philosophical method referred to as constitutivism regards some norms as constitutive of the active exercise of a particular capacity. The distinctive feature of Korsgaard’s Self-Constitution Constitutivism (SCC) is the way that it explains and justifies normativity. The SCC theory treats the principle of practical reason as constitutive of the capacity for agency.
While I take the SCC theory to be an ingenious attempt at providing an explanatory and justificatory ground for moral and non-moral normativity, the account it provides has come under criticism both from inside and outside the Kantian tradition. Those inside the Kantian tradition often criticize the view for its tendentious interpretation of practical reason. Those outside the Kantian tradition often criticize the view for offering an account of normativity that is insufficient to ground anything like categorical moral authority.
As a Kantian, with broadly sympathetic constructivist leanings, I aim to answer the criticisms of those from outside the Kantian tradition by taking on board the criticisms of Kantians. Specifically, I address three core problems and themes. First, I look to the problem of motivational ambivalence. Second, I discuss the relational theory of value. And, third, I discuss the objection that constitutivism provides insufficient ground for categorical moral authority.
I conclude by making a few suggestions that allow philosophers of different types to move past these debates. First, for philosophers who align with the SCC theory, I suggest that, instead of speaking of a unified capacity for rational agency, the theory would be better served by speaking of several capacities, each with their own rationally structured function. Second, for Kantians more broadly, I show what role constitutivism is playing in Kant’s practical philosophy. From this, it becomes clear that constitutivism cannot answer all metaethical questions
Humpback whale song complexity and evolution on a North-western Pacific breeding ground: Okinawa, Japan
Get PDFFunding: Royal Society (UF160081, URF\R\221020).Male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) sing a slowly evolving, sexually selected song display socially learned from conspecifics. Within an ocean basin, song similarity between breeding populations can reveal the degree of connectivity among them. In the northwestern Pacific Ocean, there is a paucity of information on song dynamics and linkages across the ocean basin. Here, we quantified fine-scale song evolution in whales near Okinawa, Japan, using similarity indices (Levenshtein distance and Dice’s similarity) and song complexity measures to investigate three consecutive years (2011–2013) of song dynamics on this breeding ground. Matched song themes revealed minimal evolution between 2011 and 2012, while the 2013 song was more distinct, as singers sang both new and evolved versions of themes. This was mirrored by the song complexity scores, which decreased and then increased over time. Qualitative comparisons of Okinawa song themes to other published North Pacific breeding ground songs revealed many themes were shared across the North Pacific, contributing to the growing body of evidence of a single panmictic song lineage across the North Pacific Ocean basin, in contrast to the South Pacific. Understanding geographically differing song dynamics is essential to revealing the underlying drivers of this ocean basin-wide non-human culture.Peer reviewe
What the FLIP do they think is going on? Learners’ and practitioners’ understanding of flipped learning in an emergency remote teaching English for academic purposes pre-sessional course
Get PDFThis small-scale case study sheds light on perceptions of flipped learning in an emergency remote teaching (Hodges et al., 2020) English for academic purposes (EAP) pre-sessional course in the U.K. context. Specifically, it explores students’ engagement with flipped learning (FL) from the perspectives of both EAP learners and practitioners. Using semi-structured interviews thematically analysed, key contributors to students’ engagement with FL are identified, following Cargile and Gollobin’s (2024) emergency remote teaching (ERT) reflective framework. These contributors are monitoring the flipped content, seamlessly integrating the flipped content and the live sessions, and creating a clear link between the flipped content and the assessments followed. Results also evidence students’ sophisticated understanding of FL, which is not systematically demonstrated by practitioners. Based on this analysis, this article concludes with a suggested checklist of good practices that aim to facilitate the successful implementation of FL based on the lessons learned during the pandemic.Peer reviewe
Controls on boron isotopes in a cold-water coral and the cost of resilience to ocean acidification
Get PDFFunding: This research was supported in part by a NSF CAREER Award (1552694) and a University of Washington Royalty Research Fund Award, both to A.C.G. A postdoctoral fellowship to A.M.G. from the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean also supported this research.Coral skeletal growth is sensitive to environmental change and may be adversely impacted by an acidifying ocean. However, physiological processes can also buffer biomineralization from external conditions, providing apparent resilience to acidification in some species. These same physiological processes affect skeletal composition and can impact paleoenvironmental proxies. Understanding the mechanisms of coral calcification is thus crucial for predicting the vulnerability of different corals to ocean acidification and for accurately interpreting coral-based climate records. Here, using boron isotope (δ11B) measurements on cultured cold-water corals, we explain fundamental features of coral calcification and its sensitivity to environmental change. Boron isotopes are one of the most widely used proxies for past seawater pH, and we observe the expected sensitivity between δ11B and pH. Surprisingly, we also discover that coral δ11B is independently sensitive to seawater dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). We can explain this new DIC effect if we introduce boric acid diffusion across cell membranes as a new flux within a geochemical model of biomineralization. This model independently predicts the sensitivity of the δ11B-pH proxy, without being trained to these data, even though calcifying fluid pH (pHCF) is constant. Boric acid diffusion can resolve why δ11B is a useful proxy across a range of calcifiers, including foraminifera, even when calcifying fluid pH differs from seawater. Our modeling shows that δ11B cannot be interpreted unequivocally as a direct tracer of pHCF. Constant pHCF implies similar calcification rates as seawater pH decreases, which can explain the resilience of some corals to ocean acidification. However, we show that this resilience has a hidden energetic cost such that calcification becomes less efficient in an acidifying ocean.Peer reviewe
EPPA numbers of graphs
Get PDFFunding: D.B-W. supported by the project EXPRO 20-31529X of the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR) and by the Czech Academy of Sciences CAS (RVO 67985840). J.H. Supported by the project 21-10775S of the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR) in the earlier stages of this project, and by a project that has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 810115) in the later stages. M.K. supported by the European Research Council (Project POCOCOP, ERC Synergy Grant 101071674).If G is a graph, A and B its induced subgraphs, and f : A→B an isomorphism, we say that f is a partial automorphism of G. In 1992, Hrushovski proved that graphs have the extension property for partial automorphisms (EPPA, also called the Hrushovski property), that is, for every finite graph G there is a finite graph H, an EPPA-witness for G, such that G is an induced subgraph of H and every partial automorphism of G extends to an automorphism of H. The EPPA number of a graph G, denoted by eppa(G), is the smallest number of vertices of an EPPA-witness for G, and we put eppa(n)=max{eppa(G) : |G| = n}. In this note we review the state of the area, prove several lower bounds (in particular, we show that eppa(n) ≥ 2n/sqrt(n), thereby identifying the correct base of the exponential) and pose many open questions. We also briefly discuss EPPA numbers of hypergraphs, directed graphs, and Kk-free graphs.Peer reviewe
Cas10 based 7SL-sRNA diagnostic for the detection of active trypanosomosis
Get PDFFunding: PCS, LJM and FG are funded through core support to the Roslin Institute by the United Kingdom Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (BBS/E/ RL/230002C); PCS is supported by a BBSRC Discovery Fellowship (BB/X009807/1); LJM and KRM were supported by a Wellcome Trust Collaborative Award (206815/Z/17/Z); MFW and SG are funded by a grant from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Grant REF BB/T004789/1) and a European Research Council Advanced Grant (Grant REF 101018608).Animal Trypanosomosis (AT) is a significant disease affecting cattle across sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia, posing a major threat to economic productivity and animal welfare. The absence of reliable diagnostic tests has led to an over-reliance on widespread pre-emptive drug treatments, which not only compromise animal health but also heighten the risk of drug resistance. The chronic nature of AT, characterized by cyclical low or undetectable parasite levels, and the necessity for field-applicable tests that can distinguish between active infection and prior exposure, present considerable challenges in developing effective diagnostics. In previous work, we identified a parasite-specific small RNA, 7SL-sRNA, which is detectable in the serum of infected cattle, even during the chronic stages of infection. However, existing methods for detecting sRNA require specialized equipment, making them unsuitable for field use. In this study, we have developed both a fluorescence-based and a lateral flow diagnostic test utilizing Cas10 technology for the detection of 7SL-sRNA from Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei. The fluorescence assay detects 10 – 100 fM T. congolense 7SL-sRNA and 1 pM T. brucei 7SL-sRNA, and the lateral flow assay showed a limit of detection of 1 – 10 pM for both species. Either assay can effectively identify active infections in cattle, including during chronic phases (with positive signals observed up to the experimental end point, 63 days post infection). This also highlights the effective use of Cas10 for small RNA detection, paving the way for a cost-effective, user-friendly, and field-deployable diagnostic test for AT, while establishing Cas10 technology for the detection of small RNAs in general.Peer reviewe
Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis
Get PDFGirls and women are disproportionately affected by delayed diagnoses of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but research on the impact of this is limited. Our study aimed to centre lived experiences of women with late-diagnosed ADHD to increase understanding of the impact of such delays. We employed a mixed methods survey to investigate the perspectives of 28 women with late-diagnosed ADHD. Results starkly demonstrate the criticism and lack of support participants faced from society and medical professionals, illustrating the negative consequences of delayed ADHD diagnosis on quality of life and mental health. Participants commonly reported internalising criticism and described disconcertingly low self-esteem; citing guilt, shame, and negative self-perception due to delayed diagnoses. Participants found diagnosis revelatory, their lives finally making sense; citing healing, improved self-esteem, and life feeling more worth living. The adversities faced from delayed diagnoses were described from early childhood, through adolescence, and adulthood. Participants reflected on ‘what could have been’, and described grieving the lives they could have led if diagnosed earlier. The negative impacts of missed ADHD diagnosis are broad and span life stages. With potential implications for public health policy, this work highlights the importance of increasing girls’ and women’s access to ADHD diagnoses to address avoidable detrimental hardship.Peer reviewe
Evaluating the prospects for US–Southeast Asia relations under the second Trump administration
Get PDFWhat are the prospects for the relationship between Trump 2.0 and Southeast Asia? The ties between the US and this region have been inconsistent, with periods of intense engagement but also moments of US distraction or preoccupation with other regions and issues. Given this historical context and the current challenges of discerning a clear strategy toward the region, this article evaluates the possible approach of Trump 2.0 toward Southeast Asia through a series of scenarios: maintenance of the status quo, increased competition, and retrenchment (either by accommodation or by withdrawal). The three scenarios are explored through foreign policy approaches and multilateral platforms, as well as through the South China Sea dispute. We argue that the status quo scenario is the most plausible, but that increased competition is also likely.Peer reviewe
Pierrot and his world : art, theatricality, and the marketplace in France, 1697-1945
Get PDFPierrot, a theatrical stock character known by his distinctive costume of loose white tunic and trousers, is a ubiquitous figure in French art and culture. This richly illustrated book offers an account of Pierrot's recurrence in painting, printmaking, photography and film, tracing this distinctive type from the art of Antoine Watteau to the cinema of Occupied France. As a visual type, Pierrot thrives at the intersection of theatrical and marketplace practices. From Watteau's Pierrot (c. 1720) and Édouard Manet's The Old Musician (1862) to Nadar and Adrien Tournachon's Pierrot the Photographer (1855) and the landmark film Children of Paradise (1945), Pierrot has given artists a medium through which to explore the marketplace as a form for both social life and creative practice. Simultaneously a human figure and a theatrical mask, Pierrot elicits artistic reflection on the representation of personality in the marketplace
Advancing intercalation strategies in layered hybrid perovskites by bringing together synthesis and simulations
Get PDFFunding: J.L.P. thanks the University of St Andrews for funding and the Carnegie Trust for a Research Incentive Grant (RIG008653). J.L.P. and H.O. thank the Leverhulme Trust for a Research Grant (RPG-2022-188). We also thank EPSRC for funding (EP/T019298/1, EP/R023751/1 and EP/V034138/1). L.K.J. thanks UKRI for a Future Leaders Fellowship (MR/T022094/1). H.-Y.T.C. thanks the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) in Taiwan (111-2221-E-007-087-MY3, 111-2112-M-007-028-MY3 and 112-2113-M-007-004) and National Tsing Hua University (112Q2711E1 and 112QI014E1).Finding ways to modify the electronic structure of halide perovskites is desireable as they have applications in a variety of devices, from photovoltaics to LEDs. Additionally, designing functional materials can be facilitated through the use of computation. Here, we have used a combination of synthesis and computation to screen for intercalated, layered hybrid perovskites. 54 compositions were screened and five compounds containing intercalated halogens were prepared as single crystals. A further compound, which was not screened and contained IBr, was prepared. We computationally identified an intercalated layered hybrid perovskite with a low bandgap and prepared it as a thin-film. Through examination of single crystal X-ray diffraction data, we provide some design guidelines for intercalation. The conformational flexibility in the organic ammonium cation allows rotations in the carbon backbone which change upon intercalation. Optoelectronic properties were studied using photoluminescence spectroscopy and preliminary photovoltaic device testing.Peer reviewe
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