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I'm a believer : Evans' transparency remark and self-knowledge
Get PDFThe central goal of this thesis is to understand self-knowledge through understanding a particularly difficult and promising remark of Gareth Evans’, from his The Varieties of Reference (Evans, 1982), a remark which has formed the basis of so called ‘Transparency’ accounts of self-knowledge. Evans’ Transparency Remark is sometimes read as deflationary of self-knowledge in some respect, and I hope to show that although Evans’ account is indeed deflationary of our ordinary idea of self-knowledge, it retains what we might consider central features of an account of self-knowledge.
I do this by giving an overview of the literature surrounding Evans’ remark and making a distinction between Rationalist and Inferentialist accounts of Transparency. I also suggest that the goal of an account of self-knowledge is to explain, or explain away, the phenomenon of Privileged Access. Having done this we return to Evans’ development of his remark, and from that I develop a novel Rationalist account of self-knowledge of belief which hews closely to Evans’ own development but differs in one significant way, which leads to an answer to one of the central objections to Transparency accounts of self-knowledge, the Puzzle of Transparency. Having developed this Simple Account of Transparency and defended it against what I take to be the major objections to Transparency accounts, I turn to the best developed Inferentialist account, Byrne’s Transparency and Self-Knowledge (Byrne, 2018), and suggest why we might find his account wanting. Finally, I suggest ways in which the Simple Account of Transparency might be extended into a general account of self-knowledge, and suggest there is one important unanswered question remaining."This work was supported by the Templeton Foundation Knowledge Beyond Natural Sciences project [grant number 58450]" -- Fundin
The oil industry in the Pastaza-Marañón Basin and its environmental and social impacts
No full textFunding: The authors are grateful for funding from the Leverhulme Trust, the Scottish Research Council, the University of St Andrews and Natural Environment Research Council (grant No. RPG-2018-306, NE/R000751/1, NE/R016860/1, NE/V018760/1)
Synthesis, properties and applications of all-cis-pentafluorocyclohexane 'Janus' ring building blocks
Get PDFStrategically fluorinated compounds such as the all-cis-pentafluorocyclohexane ‘Janus’ rings, the subject of this research, can have strong molecular dipole moments because the electronegative fluorines polarise the geminal hydrogens rendering them electropositive.
In Chapter 1, a general discussion of the dominant interactions associated with organofluorine compounds is given. This is followed by an examination of the variety of fluorination methods available. The role of fluorine in medicinal chemistry is explored including in positron emission tomography (PET). A summary of previous work from the St Andrews group provides the contextual basis on which the following chapters build.
Chapter 2 explores a recently reported Rh-catalysed hydrogenation reaction of fluoroarenes to access all-cis-fluorocyclohexanes in excellent diastereoselectivity. The scope of this reaction is expanded to generate novel cyclohexane products such as alcohol 2.47 and methyl ester 2.60. Derivatisation of these products has furnished a library of all-cis-pentafluorocyclohexane building blocks for further study. These include alkyl bromide 2.82, organoazide 2.83 and aldehyde 2.87.
In Chapter 3, the elaboration of these building blocks to higher order molecular structures is explored. Ugi 4-component reactions (Ugi-4CR) with aldehyde 2.87 provide combinatorial access to medicinally relevant bis-amides 3.20-3.27. The Ugi-4CR, optimised by microwave assistance, can be completed within 45 mins. Using an HPLC method the Log P of three of these Ugi products (3.23, 3.25 and 3.27) was measured and in each case the Log P value reduced relative to phenyl ring analogues. This finding suggests a potential application of the ‘Janus’ ring as an arene isostere in medicinal chemistry. Other methods of elaboration explored in Chapter 3 include amide coupling, Wittig and CuAAC ‘click’ reactions.
Chapter 4 reports the preparation of ‘Janus’ ring bearing novel amphiphiles, the long chain carboxylic acid 4.1 and alcohol 4.2 as well as analogous hydrocarbon reference compounds 4.4 and 4.5. A Langmuir isotherm study examined the influence of the ring system on phase behaviour at the air-water interface. Evidence is presented of molecular self-assembly for the long chain 4.1 and 4.2, unlike the classical behaviour observed for the hydrocarbon counterparts 4.4 and 4.5. This analysis is supported by a thorough examination of X-ray crystal structures and presents a platform for the further development of the ‘Janus’ ring motif for supramolecular chemistry.
Finally, Chapter 5 summarises the findings of the previous chapters and explores possible avenues for future work such as the development of a ‘pull-down’ assay using biotinylated affinity probes 5.1 and 5.2 to better understand interactions between the ‘Janus’ ring and proteins of interest."The research underpinning this thesis has received funding from the EPSRC Centre for
Doctoral Training in Critical Resource Catalysis (CRITICAT, Grant Number EP/L016419/1)." -- Fundin
The Importance of Being Earnest... in Ancient Greek and Latin : translation of Oscar Wilde's original text, with vocabulary help
No full textOne of Oscar Wilde's most well-known theatre pieces, translated into Ancient Greek and Latin for all those who have already got a sound knowledge of either language
Optimizing digital tools for the field of substance use and substance use disorders : backcasting exercise
Get PDFThis paper received funding through the Inter·GLAM project, which was co-funded under the European Union’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers Justice Programme “Drugs Policy Initiatives—Supporting initiatives in the field of drugs policy” (JUST-2019-AG-DRUGS) from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2023 (grant 957776).Background: Substance use trends are complex; they often rapidly evolve and necessitate an intersectional approach in research, service, and policy making. Current and emerging digital tools related to substance use are promising but also create a range of challenges and opportunities. Objective: This paper reports on a backcasting exercise aimed at the development of a roadmap that identifies values, challenges, facilitators, and milestones to achieve optimal use of digital tools in the substance use field by 2030. Methods: A backcasting exercise method was adopted, wherein the core elements are identifying key values, challenges, facilitators, milestones, cornerstones and a current, desired, and future scenario. A structured approach was used by means of (1) an Open Science Framework page as a web-based collaborative working space and (2) key stakeholders’ collaborative engagement during the 2022 Lisbon Addiction Conference. Results: The identified key values were digital rights, evidence-based tools, user-friendliness, accessibility and availability, and person-centeredness. The key challenges identified were ethical funding, regulations, commercialization, best practice models, digital literacy, and access or reach. The key facilitators identified were scientific research, interoperable infrastructure and a culture of innovation, expertise, ethical funding, user-friendly designs, and digital rights and regulations. A range of milestones were identified. The overarching identified cornerstones consisted of creating ethical frameworks, increasing access to digital tools, and continuous trend analysis. Conclusions: The use of digital tools in the field of substance use is linked to a range of risks and opportunities that need to be managed. The current trajectories of the use of such tools are heavily influenced by large multinational for-profit companies with relatively little involvement of key stakeholders such as people who use drugs, service providers, and researchers. The current funding models are problematic and lack the necessary flexibility associated with best practice business approaches such as lean and agile principles to design and execute customer discovery methods. Accessibility and availability, digital rights, user-friendly design, and person-focused approaches should be at the forefront in the further development of digital tools. Global legislative and technical infrastructures by means of a global action plan and strategy are necessary and should include ethical frameworks, accessibility of digital tools for substance use, and continuous trend analysis as cornerstones.Peer reviewe
Holocene floodplain aggradation in the central Grampian Highlands, Scotland
Get PDFRadiocarbon ages for samples of organic material within and overlying the highest Holocene floodplain and fan terraces in Glen Feshie and Glen Tromie imply sediment aggradation after ∼4.3 cal ka and probably incision after ∼3.7 cal ka, and in the Edendon Valley aggradation after ∼2.8 cal ka, with incision after ∼2.7 cal ka. The timing of sediment aggradation at all three sites postdates the onset of pine forest decline (∼4.8 cal ka) at nearby high-level sites, and coincides with wet periods characterised by high water tables. This coincidence in timing suggests that forest decline may have caused upstream extension of the tributary network, headwater incision and flashier flood responses, and that increased rainfall enhanced sediment discharge from headwater tributaries, with consequent sediment accumulation downstream on low-gradient fans and floodplains. More speculatively, exhaustion of readily entrained sediment from headwater areas may have stimulated subsequent floodplain and fan incision. Our results show that the highest Holocene terrace (the Main Holocene Terrace) is a diachronous feature, even in valleys emanating from the same upland source area, and support the conclusions of simulation models that predict marked increases in sediment discharge when deforestation is succeeded by an episode of increased rainfall.Peer reviewe
PHANGS-JWST first results : the dust filament network of NGC 628 and its relation to star formation activity
Get PDFFunding: J.M.D.K. gratefully acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program via the ERC Starting Grant MUSTANG (grant agreement number 714907). T.G.W. and E.S. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Unionʼs Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No. 694343). F.B. would like to acknowledge funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Unionʼs Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No.726384/Empire). R.S.K. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council via the ERC Synergy Grant “ECOGAL” (project ID 855130). S.D. is supported by funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Unionʼs Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement no. 101018897 CosmicExplorer).PHANGS-JWST mid-infrared (MIR) imaging of nearby spiral galaxies has revealed ubiquitous filaments of dust emission in intricate detail. We present a pilot study to systematically map the dust filament network (DFN) at multiple scales between 25-400 pc in NGC 628. MIRI images at 7.7, 10, 11.3 and 21 μm of NGC 628 are used to generate maps of the filaments in emission, while PHANGS-HST B-band imaging yields maps of dust attenuation features. We quantify the correspondence between filaments traced by MIR thermal continuum / polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission and filaments detected via extinction / scattering of visible light; the fraction of MIR flux contained in the DFN; and the fraction of HII regions, young star clusters and associations within the DFN. We examine the dependence of these quantities with the physical scale at which the DFN is extracted. With our highest resolution DFN maps (25 pc filament width), we find that filaments in emission and attenuation are co-spatial in 40% of sight lines, often exhibiting detailed morphological agreement; that ~30% of the MIR flux is associated with the DFN; and that 75-80% of HII regions and 60% of star clusters younger than 5 Myr are contained within the DFN. However, the DFN at this scale is anti-correlated with looser associations of stars younger than 5 Myr identified using PHANGS-HST near-UV imaging. We discuss the impact of these findings for studies of star formation and the ISM, and the broad range of new investigations enabled with multi-scale maps of the DFN.Peer reviewe
An experimental and theoretical insight into I2/Br2 oxidation of bis(pyridin‐2‐yl)diselane and ditellane
Get PDFCINECA is kindly acknowledged for providing computational resources (ISCRA C projects BIFluoex, LithoDFT, QMPhosph). KKB is thankful to NASI for the Platinum Jubilee Fellowship and UGC - New Delhi for financial assistance.The reactivity between bis(pyridin-2-yl)diselane oPy2Se2 and ditellane oPy2Te2 ( L1 and L2 , respectively; oPy=pyridyn-2-yl) and I2/Br2 is discussed. Single-crystal structure analysis revealed that the reaction of L1 with I2 yielded [(H L1 +)(I−)⋅5/2I2]∞ ( 1 ) in which monoprotonated cations H L1 + template a self-assembled infinite pseudo-cubic polyiodide 3D-network, while the reaction with Br2 yielded the dibromide HoPySeIIBr2 ( 2 ). The oxidation of L2 with I2 and Br2 yielded the compounds HoPyTeIII2 ( 3 ) and HoPyTeIVBr4 ( 6 ), respectively, whose structures were elucidated by X-ray diffraction analysis. FT-Raman spectroscopy measurements are consistent with a 3c–4e description of all the X−Ch−X three-body systems (Ch=Se, Te; X=Br, I) in compounds 2 , 3 , HoPyTeIIBr2 ( 5 ), and 6 . The structural and spectroscopic observations are supported by extensive theoretical calculations carried out at the DFT level that were employed to study the electronic structure of the investigated compounds, the thermodynamic aspects of their formation, and the role of noncovalent σ-hole halogen and chalcogen bonds in the X⋅⋅⋅X, X⋅⋅⋅Ch and Ch⋅⋅⋅Ch interactions evidenced structurally.Peer reviewe
Thin-film polymeric metasurfaces for visible wavelengths
Get PDFFunding: The project was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (Grant Agreement No. 819346).Photonic metasurfaces are typically realized by the periodic distribution of meta-atoms, which incorporate two or more different materials. This requirement introduces constraints in the design and fabrication that are particularly significant for flexible and conformable metasurfaces. Here, we report on the design and fabrication of efficient, polarization independent, all-polymeric metasurface membranes for holographic applications in the visible range. These results will facilitate the large-scale production of holographic metasurfaces, advancing their adoption in practical, real-life scenarios.Peer reviewe
Fin whale song evolution in the North Atlantic
Get PDFFunding: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (UIDB/00006/2020); US Navy (Living Marine Resources N3943019C2176) - TAM.Animal songs can change within and between populations as the result of different evolutionary processes. When these processes include cultural transmission, the social learning of information or behaviours from conspecifics, songs can undergo rapid evolutions because cultural novelties can emerge more frequently than genetic mutations. Understanding these song variations over large temporal and spatial scales can provide insights into the patterns, drivers and limits of song evolution that can ultimately inform on the species' capacity to adapt to rapidly changing acoustic environments. Here, we analysed changes in fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) songs recorded over two decades across the central and eastern North Atlantic Ocean. We document a rapid replacement of song INIs (inter-note intervals) over just four singing seasons, that co-occurred with hybrid songs (with both INIs), and a clear geographic gradient in the occurrence of different song INIs during the transition period. We also found gradual changes in INIs and note frequencies over more than a decade with fin whales adopting song changes. These results provide evidence of vocal learning in fin whales and reveal patterns of song evolution that raise questions on the limits of song variation in this species.Peer reviewe
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