The autonomous life: a pure social view

In this paper I propose and develop a social account of global autonomy. On this view, a person is autonomous simply to the extent to which it is difficult for others to subject her to their wills. I argue that many properties commonly thought necessary for autonomy are in fact properties that tend to increase an agent’s immunity to such interpersonal subjection, and that the proposed account is therefore capable of providing theoretical unity to many of the otherwise heterogeneous requirements of autonomy familiar from recent discussions. Specifically, I discuss three such requirements: (i) possession of legally protected status, (ii) a sense of one’s own self- worth, and (iii) a capacity for critical reflection. I argue that the proposed account is not only theoretically satisfying but also yields a rich and attractive conception of autonomy

Electrophoretic Analysis of Blood Serum Proteins in Three Species of Water Snakes (Genus Nerodia)

Serum from three species of water snakes (Nerodia rhombifera, N. erythrogaster and N. fasciata) from one geographic region was analyzed electrophoretically on cellulose acetate, and anodic mobility and relative concentration of the fractions were determined by a recording densitometer with an automatic integrator. Classification of fractions was based on mobility (Rf, values), and for identification purposes, bands were labeled in order of decreasing mobility (albumin and alpha₁, alpha₂, alpha₃, beta₁, beta₂, gamma₁, and gamma₂ globulins). Seven fractions were identified in each species with alpha₃ being absent from N. rhombifera and N. erythrogaster, and only one gamma fraction was observed in N. fasciata. In the three species, gamma globulin was the predominant protein (42-46%), and albumin levels were characteristically low ;however, a distinct difference was observed in albumin concentration (N. fasciata, 7%; N. rhombifera and N. erythrogaster, 16-18%). The Rf values and relative concentrations of other globulins showed heterogeneity in the three species, with the protein pattern of N. fasciata being distinct from the other two species

Scincella lateralis

Number of Pages: 4Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Chronologies for Recent Peat Deposits Using Wiggle-matched Radiocarbon Ages: Problems with Old Carbon Contamination

Dating sediments which have accumulated over the last few hundred years is critical to the calibration of longer-term paleoclimate records with instrumental climate data. We attempted to use wiggle-matched radiocarbon ages to date 2 peat profiles from northern England which have high-resolution records of paleomoisture variability over the last ~300 yr. A total of 65<sup>14</sup>C accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) measurements were made on 33 macrofossil samples. A number of the age estimates were older than expected and some of the oldest ages occurred in the upper parts of the sequence, which had been dated to the late 19th and early 20th century using other techniques. We suggest that the older <sup>14</sup>C ages are the result of contamination by industrial pollution. Based on counts of spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs), the potential aging effect for SCP carbon was calculated and shown to be appreciable for samples from the early 20th century. Ages corrected for this effect were still too old in some cases, which could be a result of fossil CO<sub>2</sub> fixation, non-SCP particulate carbon, contamination due to imperfect cleaning of samples, or the "reservoir effect" from fixation of fossil carbon emanating from deeper peat layers. Wiggle matches based on the overall shape of the depth-<sup>14</sup>C relationship and the <sup>14</sup>C minima in the calibration curve could still be identified. These were tested against other age estimates (<sup>210</sup>Pb, pollen, and SCPs) to provide new age-depth models for the profiles. New approaches are needed to measure the impact of industrially derived carbon on recent sediment ages to provide more secure chronologies over the last few hundred years

Isotope (¹⁴C and ¹³C) analysis of deep peat CO₂ using a passive sampling technique

We developed and tested a new method to collect CO<sub>2</sub> from the surface to deep layers of a peatland for radiocarbon analysis. The method comprises two components: i) a probe equipped with a hydrophobic filter that allows entry of peat gases by diffusion, whilst simultaneously excluding water, and, ii) a cartridge containing zeolite molecular sieve that traps CO<sub>2</sub> passively. We field tested the method by sampling at depths of between 0.25 and 4 m at duplicate sites within a temperate raised peat bog. CO<sub>2</sub> was trapped at a depth-dependent rate of between ∼0.2 and 0.8 ml d<sup>−1</sup>, enabling sufficient CO<sub>2</sub> for routine <sup>14</sup>C analysis to be collected when left in place for several weeks. The age of peatland CO<sub>2</sub> increased with depth from modern to not, vert, similar170 BP for samples collected from 0.25 m, to ∼4000 BP at 4 m. The CO<sub>2</sub> was younger, but followed a similar trend to the age profile of bulk peat previously reported for the site (Langdon and Barber, 2005). δ<sup>13</sup>C values of recovered CO<sub>2</sub> increased with depth. CO<sub>2</sub> collected from the deepest sampling probes was considerably <sup>13</sup>C-enriched (up to not, vert, similar+9‰) and agreed well with results reported for other peatlands where this phenomenon has been attributed to fermentation processes. CO<sub>2</sub> collected from plant-free static chambers at the surface of the mire was slightly <sup>14</sup>C-enriched compared to the contemporary atmosphere, suggesting that surface CO<sub>2</sub> emissions were predominantly derived from carbon fixed during the post-bomb era. However, consistent trends of enriched 13C and depleted <sup>14</sup>C in chamber CO<sub>2</sub> between autumn and winter samples were most likely explained by an increased contribution of deep peat CO<sub>2</sub> to the surface efflux in winter. The passive sampling technique is readily portable, easy to install and operate, causes minimal site disturbance, and can be reliably used to collect peatland CO<sub>2</sub> from a wide range of depths

Radicalizing refamiliarization

In this short article, our aim is to consider contemporary American visual culture through a contribution to the question concerning Barack Obama. However, our article is not a work of academic philosophy, art theory, or even a description of the theoretical humanities. Rather, it is a postmodern meditation on the condition of American appropriation art

Testing the use of bomb radiocarbon to date the surface layers of blanket peat

The recently formed surface layers of peatlands are archives of past environmental conditions and can have a temporal resolution considerably greater than deeper layers. The low density and conditions of fluctuating water table have hindered attempts to construct chronologies for these peats. We tested the use of the radiocarbon bomb pulse to date recently accumulated peat in a blanket mire. The site was chosen because the peat profiles contained independent chronological markers in the form of charcoal-rich layers produced from known burning events. We compared chronologies derived from accelerator mass spectrometry C-14 analysis of plant macrofossils against these chronological markers. The bomb C-14-derived chronologies were in broad agreement with the charcoal dating evidence. However, there were uncertainties in the final interpretation of the C- 14 results because the pattern of C-14 concentration in the peat profiles did not follow closely the known atmospheric C-14 record. Furthermore, samples of different macrofossil materials from the same depth contained considerable differences in C-14. Suggested explanations for the observed results include the following: i) minor disturbance at the site, ii) in-situ contamination of the C-14 samples by carbonaceous soot, and iii) differential incorporation of plant material during blanket peat growth

Mean Field Theory for Lossy Nonlinear Composites

The mean-field theory for lossy nonlinear composites, described by complex and field-dependent dielectric functions, is presented. By using the spectral representation of linear composites with identical microstructure, we develop self-consistent equations for the effective response. We examine two types of microstructure, namely, the Maxwell-Garnett approximation and the effective medium approximation to illustrate the theory.Comment: 11 pages, LaTeX format, 2 figures, accepted for publication by Solid State Communications 18 November 199