title: Motive and right action

authors: van Zyl, Liezl

subjects: motive

abstract: Some philosophers believe that a change in motive alone is sometimes sufficient to bring about a change in the deontic status (rightness or wrongness) of an action. I refer to this position as ‘weak motivism’, and distinguish it from ‘strong’ and ‘partial motivism’. I examine a number of cases where our intuitive judgements appear to support the weak motivist’s thesis, and argue that in each case an alternative explanation can be given for why a change in motive brings about (or, in some cases, appears to bring about) a change in deontic status.

text: Motive and right action Some philosophers believe that a change in motive alone is sometimes sufficient to bring about a change in the deontic status (rightness or wrongness) of an action. I refer to this position as ‘weak motivism’, and distinguish it from ‘strong’ and ‘partial motivism’. I examine a number of cases where our intuitive judgements appear to support the weak motivist’s thesis, and argue that in each case an alternative explanation can be given for why a change in motive brings about (or, in some cases, appears to bring about) a change in deontic status.

year: 2010

title: Effect of the time characteristics of the Compton camera on its performance

authors: Uche, Chibueze Zimuzo

abstract: Purpose: The effect of the time characteristics of the Compton camera data acquisition (DAQ) system on the camera’s performance has been studied. 
Methods: The GEANT4 simulation software was used to simulate radiation transport and interactions with matter. Further investigations were carried out by utilizing straightforward approximations to estimate the charge collection times and their relationship to finding coincident events, setting thresholds to reject noise, and the resultant impacts on the Compton camera performance. 
Results: The results show that the time characteristics of the Compton camera DAQ account for about 17% and 13% reduction in detection efficiency at 140.5 keV and 511 keV, respectively, but made no significant difference on the Compton camera resolution.
Conclusions: Findings suggest that the detection efficiency of the Compton camera has been overestimated by previous investigators who did not predict count rate losses under clinical conditions.

text: Effect of the time characteristics of the Compton camera on its performance Purpose: The effect of the time characteristics of the Compton camera data acquisition (DAQ) system on the camera’s performance has been studied. 
Methods: The GEANT4 simulation software was used to simulate radiation transport and interactions with matter. Further investigations were carried out by utilizing straightforward approximations to estimate the charge collection times and their relationship to finding coincident events, setting thresholds to reject noise, and the resultant impacts on the Compton camera performance. 
Results: The results show that the time characteristics of the Compton camera DAQ account for about 17% and 13% reduction in detection efficiency at 140.5 keV and 511 keV, respectively, but made no significant difference on the Compton camera resolution.
Conclusions: Findings suggest that the detection efficiency of the Compton camera has been overestimated by previous investigators who did not predict count rate losses under clinical conditions.

year: 2011

title: Recognising the negative impacts of aquatic weed management: Okawa Bay, Lake Rotoiti case study

authors: Scholes, Paul

abstract: The Te Arawa Rotorua Lakes Programme continues to implement measures to maintain and restore lake water quality in line with trophic level indices (TLI’s) for respective lakes. In Lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti this has also meant not only reducing nutrients to and in the lakes but also managing periodic cyano-bacterial (blue-green) algal blooms.
Restoration measures in the Rotorua and Rotoiti catchments have included land use management efforts to arrest nutrient inputs; diversion of Lake Rotorua waters from entering Rotoiti; sewage reticulation of lakeside communities; and treatment of inflows
with aluminium sulphate (alum). While restoration efforts have produced water quality gains in both lakes, in recent years, cyano-bacterial blooms have occurred in the shallow embayment of Lake Rotoiti, known as Okawa Bay.
These water quality gains have not come without a cost. Submerged aquatic weeds such as Hornwort are an increasing problem in the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes and significant resources are needed to manage infestations primarily for aesthetic and recreational
amenity. Control of exotic aquatic weed is mostly with application of herbicide. Herbicide treatment leaves a decomposing biomass in the waterbody, potentially increasing the nutrient status.
We examine the impact aquatic weed decomposition has had on Okawa Bay’s nutrient status and the cyano-bacterial blooms over recent summers, and Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s response to reduce localised bloom development.

text: Recognising the negative impacts of aquatic weed management: Okawa Bay, Lake Rotoiti case study The Te Arawa Rotorua Lakes Programme continues to implement measures to maintain and restore lake water quality in line with trophic level indices (TLI’s) for respective lakes. In Lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti this has also meant not only reducing nutrients to and in the lakes but also managing periodic cyano-bacterial (blue-green) algal blooms.
Restoration measures in the Rotorua and Rotoiti catchments have included land use management efforts to arrest nutrient inputs; diversion of Lake Rotorua waters from entering Rotoiti; sewage reticulation of lakeside communities; and treatment of inflows
with aluminium sulphate (alum). While restoration efforts have produced water quality gains in both lakes, in recent years, cyano-bacterial blooms have occurred in the shallow embayment of Lake Rotoiti, known as Okawa Bay.
These water quality gains have not come without a cost. Submerged aquatic weeds such as Hornwort are an increasing problem in the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes and significant resources are needed to manage infestations primarily for aesthetic and recreational
amenity. Control of exotic aquatic weed is mostly with application of herbicide. Herbicide treatment leaves a decomposing biomass in the waterbody, potentially increasing the nutrient status.
We examine the impact aquatic weed decomposition has had on Okawa Bay’s nutrient status and the cyano-bacterial blooms over recent summers, and Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s response to reduce localised bloom development.

year: 2015