1,720,980 research outputs found
The Nature of Blame
No full textMy aim is to contribute to the contemporary debate on the nature of blame in two ways. First, I want to discuss and critically evaluate the most prominent attempts to answer the question: “What is blame?”. Second, I defend a theory on the nature of blame. According to this theory, blame is whatever mental state (cognitive, emotional, conative, or a mix of these) serves the function of signaling the blamer’s normative competence and normative commitments. A version of the theory of blame as signaling has been recently defended by D. Shoemaker and M. Vargas in their 2021. To my knowledge, their work has not been yet amply discussed. However, I think they are on the right track when they argue that the most important function of blame is that of signaling something.
Finally, this dissertation also deals with a somewhat neglected topic in the philosophical discussion on blame. This topic is the status of non-moral blame. Does a theory of blame need to address cases of non-moral blame, too? Or, more radically, is non-moral blame to be considered as “proper” blame? In my opinion, a theory of blame that cannot account for cases of non-moral blame is at best incomplete. In the last chapter of this dissertation, I want to show that a theory of blame as signaling can also accommodate cases of non-moral blame
Deploying EU biomethane potential for transports: Centralized/decentralized biogasrefinery schemes to SAF and maritime fuels
Full text linkAs Europe faces the dual challenge of decarbonizing its energy sector while ensuring energy security, REPowerEU reinforces the ambitious targets outlined in the Green Deal, complementing the “Fit for 55” package. This work analyses sustainable biomethane production in Europe, with a specific focus on Italy, and its conversion into sustainable fuels. Under the light of existing policy targets and regulatory instruments, the study explores innovative and sustainable agro-energy chains, with biomethane as energy vector for producing sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and methanol for maritime. Decentralized biomass digestion and centralized biomethane conversion in refinery are combined, considering three key Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) pathways: Fischer-Tropsch and methanol synthesis, and gas fermentation/alcohol-to-jet. A simulation model was used to estimate the performances of these routes, providing insights on process yields and energy balances. Additionally, preliminary investment cost estimates are considered by reviewing existing references and extrapolating unit-specific cost data.
As by 2030 biomethane in Europe could supply 38 bcm, the routes analysed could cover 4 to 11% of jet fuel demand, and from 25 to 56% of maritime fuel needs. By 2050, with a potential EU biomethane supply of 91 bcm, these pathways might meet 9–25% of jet fuel demand, and 48–105% of maritime fuel demand.
In Italy, by 2030, 5.6 bcm of biomethane could enable these pathways to meet 7–18% of jet fuel demand, and a remarkable 69–152% of maritime fuel demand. By 2050, with 8.2 bcm of biomethane, these routes might cover 8–22% of jet fuel demand, and potentially satisfy 91–198% of maritime fuel demand.
Moreover, these pathways would also yield other added-value by-products (e.g. naphtha, diesel, waxes, hydrogen, gasoline), which should be considered in comparing them.
The average investment costs for each route were estimated at 791,970 USD/t/day for the Fischer-Tropsch based GTL plant, 130,275 USD/t/day for the methanol-based GTL plant, and 669,740 USD/t/day for the GTL plant involving gas fermentation/alcohol-to-jet conversion
Towards sustainable biofuels production for aviation and maritime
Full text linkL'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen
FAStEN: An Efficient Adaptive Method for Feature Selection and Estimation in High-Dimensional Functional Regressions
No full textChallenges and opportunities of process modelling renewable advanced fuels
Full text linkThe Paris COP21 held on December 2015 represented a step forward global GHG emission reduction: this led to intensify
research efforts in renewables, including biofuels and bioliquids. However, addressing sustainable biofuels and bioliquid
routes and value chains which can limit or reverse the ILUC (indirect land-use change effect) is of paramount importance.
Given this background condition, the present study targets the analysis and modelling a new integrated biomass conversion
pathway to produce renewable advanced fuels, enabling the issue of indirect land-use change (ILUC) of biofuels to be tackled.
The bioenergy chain under investigation integrates the decentralized production of biogas through anaerobic digestion and
its upgrading to biomethane, followed by a centralized conversion to liquid transport fuels, involving methane reforming
into syngas, Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis, and methanol synthesis. The methodology adopted in this work stem from
extensive literature review of suitable bio/thermo-chemical conversion technologies and their process modelling using a
commercial flow-diagram simulation software is carried out. The major significance of the study is to understand the different modelling approaches, to allow the estimation of process yields and mass/energy balances: in such a way, this work
aims at providing guidance to process modellers targeting qualitative and quantitative assessments of biomass to biofuels
process routes. Beyond FT products, additional process pathways have been also explored, such as MeOH synthesis from
captured CO2 and direct methane to methanol synthesis (DMTM). The analysis demonstrated that it is possible to model
such innovative integrated processes through the selected simulation tool. However, research is still needed as regards the
DMTM process, where studies about modelling this route through the same tool have not been yet identified in the literature
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
- …
