Democratic authority to geoengineer

ABSTRACT

Does any existing single actor have, or could any existing single actor come to have, the authority to geoengineer? In this paper, I will focus on Solar Radiation Management strategies (leaving at least some Carbon Dioxide Removal strategies on the table). I’ll argue that global democratic authorization is possible in principle, and could be obtained on the basis of large-scale representative sampling. I present experimental findings from the Australian context showing that democratic authorization would not be granted, and conclude that if we can expect this result to generalize, then the deployment of SRM by a single actor is impermissible.     

Role of orthopedic implants and bone morphology in the identification of human remains

When conventional methods of identification, such as visual recognition and dental comparison, cannot be used to identify a deceased person, it becomes necessary to consider alternative methods. The presence of an orthopedic implant in a body may assist identification if ante-mortem medical records are available for comparison. Another method of identification involves comparison of ante-mortem and postmortem radiographs. Eight cases are reported from Forensic Science SA where the presence of orthopedic implants and/or ante-mortem radiographs were used to try to establish identification. In six cases, positive identification was established, and in two cases with upper limb orthopedic implants, the bones remained unidentified. Manufacturers were unable to provide any information about the distribution and use of the implants that could be of use with identification, as there are no requirements in Australia for individual medical implants to be tracked. Such a system has the potential to aid postmortem identification if serial codes were etched onto implants that could then be traced to manufacturers, surgeons, and recipients of these devices.     

Effects of High‐g Impact on Physical,Electrical, and Optical Characteristics of Light‐Emitting Diodes

Previously, one of the tools available in automotive or aircraft accident analysis was the examination of the indicator bulbs. Currently, indicator bulbs have been largely replaced by light‐emitting diodes (LEDs). Here a series of studies was carried out on impact effects on LEDs to determine whether their properties change after impact, and whether it is related to its working status (lit or unlit). The LEDs were measured before mechanical shock with a series of tests, including current–voltage, current–light, bandwidth, subject to impact ranging from 450 g to 2000 g, and then retested. The tests showed consistent slight but statistically significant increases in forward voltages at a given current after impact, which could be used to estimate the impact. Some LEDS were imaged before and after impact with thermal and X‐ray imaging, but no mechanical changes were seen. It was not possible to determine the LED's working status from these test results.     

Re-animating a radioactive landscape: informal life politics in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster

The earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident of 11 March 2011 posed massive and continuing social challenges to communities in the affected areas. People from wide areas around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant received vastly conflicting information about the levels of radiation released and about the likely health effects. They were left facing agonising decisions whether to remain and face possible (but uncertain) long-term health risks, or whether to move away, leaving behind homes, friends, jobs, schools and communities. Focusing on the case of the small farming community of Tōwa in Nihonmatsu City, this article examines self-help activities that have emerged in the affected areas in the wake of 3/11. The activities have included community monitoring of radiation levels and collaborative research with academic scientists to explore ways to reduce radioactive contamination in forests, farm soil and crops. The self-help activities of Tōwa residents can be seen as an example of “informal life politics” – that is, of the way in which grassroots groups respond to challenges to their livelihood or way of life by organising themselves and taking actions outside the sphere of formal governmental structures. It is argued here that the residents of Tōwa were able to respond rapidly to the challenges of the Fukushima disaster because they had already developed informal life politics practices in response to earlier challenges of local economic decline and depopulation. I also suggest that, in responding to the Fukushima disaster, the relationship between the people of Tōwa and their landscape has been profoundly changed, and that this change has implications not just for the community itself but also for the wider world.     

浅谈城市辐射效应在统筹城乡发展中的积极作用

在统筹城乡发展中城市的辐射效应发挥着极为重要的积极作用。城市的中心枢纽地位为统筹城乡发展提供了平台;由城镇化战略推进的城市化进程实现了城乡良性互动;在城市的产业优势带动农村产业发展的同时,城市的文化优势也增强了城市对乡村的文明辐射力。     

语言情感功能的实现方式

在近些年来的语言学研究中,人们越来越关注对语言功能的研究,但是针对语言功能的实现方式的研究却相对少些,有的只是研究众多潜在实现方式中的一个层面。通过对日常语言的具体应用的分析,在收集整理了大量语料的基础上,本文试图系统地讨论语言情感功能的几个基本的实现方式,它们是:词汇选择,语音特点以及修辞手法。探讨语言功能的实现方式,不仅可以加深对语言的认识,而且对语言的实际应用也具有现实的指导意义。     

加强北京市移动通信建设项目环境保护管理

移动通信引起的环境电磁辐射问题越来越被人们所重视，如何加强管理，已成为环境保护部门面临的重要课题。木文讨论了制定《北京市移动通信建设项目环境保护管理规定》（试行）的必要性、目的和有关问题的说明。     

大鼠脑弥漫性损伤早期β-APP变化的研究

观察 β APP在弥漫性脑损伤动物模型中的变化规律。应用免疫组织化学方法和图像分析技术 ,对大鼠弥漫性脑损伤早期不同损伤时间大脑皮层、丘脑和桥脑部位神经元内 β APP的变化进行研究。结果发现 ,β APP在弥漫性脑损伤早期 ( 30min～ 1h)即有增加 ,增加趋势呈波动性 ;不同部位的变化规律不同。作为反应蛋白 β APP是有望用于检测早期脑损伤的生物学指标     

Increased hematocrit after applications of conducted energy weapons (including TASER(®) devices) to Sus scrofa

Conducted energy weapons (CEWs) are used by law enforcement personnel to incapacitate individuals quickly and effectively, without intending to cause lethality. CEWs have been deployed for relatively long or repeated exposures in some cases. In laboratory animal models, central venous hematocrit has increased significantly after CEW exposure. Even limited applications (e.g., three 5-sec applications) resulted in statistically significant increases in hematocrit. Preexposure hematocrit was significantly higher in nonsurvivors versus survivors after more extreme CEW applications. The purpose of this technical note is to address specific questions that may be generated when examining these results. Comparisons among results of CEW applications, other electrical muscle stimulation, and exercise/voluntary muscle contraction are included. The anesthetized swine appears to be an acceptable animal model for studying changes in hematocrit and associated red blood cell changes. Potential detrimental effects of increased hematocrit, and considerations during law enforcement use, are discussed.     

Manual and Automated Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): A Comparison of Associated Injury Patterns,

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare patterns of trauma associated with AutoPulse^® CPR and manual CPR. Finalized autopsy records from 175 decedents brought to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences were reviewed, 87 received manual‐only CPR, and 88 received AutoPulse^® CPR (in combination with manual CPR as per standard protocol). The characteristic pattern observed in manual‐only CPR use included a high frequency of anterior rib fractures, sternal fractures, and midline chest abrasions along the sternum. The characteristic pattern observed in AutoPulse^® CPR use included a high frequency of posterior rib fractures, skin abrasions located along the anterolateral chest and shoulder, vertebral fractures, and a few cases of visceral injuries including liver lacerations, splenic lacerations, and hemoperitoneum. Knowledge of the AutoPulse^® CPR injury pattern can help forensic pathologists differentiate therapeutic from inflicted injuries and therefore avoid an erroneous assessment of cause and manner of death.