Moral Dilemmas and Vagueness

In this paper we point out some interesting structural similarities between vagueness and moral dilemmas as well as between some of the proposed solutions to both problems. Moral dilemma involves a situation with opposed obligations that cannot all be satisfied. Transvaluationism as an approach to vagueness makes three claims concerning the nature of vagueness: (1) it involves incompatibility between mutually unsatisfiable requirements, (2) the underlying requirements retain their normative power even when they happen to be overruled, and (3) this incompatibility turns out to be rather benign in practice. Given that transvaluationism is inspired by moral dilemmas, these claims are assessed in respect to them. Transvaluationism provides a smooth account of the mentioned claims concerning vagueness. Following a brief discussion of Sorensen’s views on moral dilemmas and conflict vagueness, we offer a model of moral pluralism accommodating structurally similar claims about the nature of moral conflict and moral dilemmas.     

High-speed energy efficient selective removal of large area copper layer by laser induced delamination

An indirect laser-induced method for selective removal of large copper areas from a printed circuit board is theoretically and experimentally investigated. The results show that the threshold condition for the process involves phase transition of the epoxy-based substrate resin. Optimal parameters for maximizing process speed are found and discussed.     

Diode-pumped passively mode-locked Nd:YAG laser with 10-W average power in a diffraction-limited beam

We present a passively mode-locked Nd:YAG laser with 10.7-W average output power in a diffraction-limited beam. Stable self-starting mode locking with a pulse duration of 16 ps and a pulse energy of 120 nJ is obtained with a semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror. The laser is directly side pumped with two 20-W diode bars. Single-pass frequency doubling in an external 5-mm-thick KTP crystal yields 3.2-W average power at 532 nm.     

Structure and mechanical properties of talc‐filled blends of polypropylene and styrenic block copolymers

The structure–property relationships of isotactic polypropylene (iPP)/styrenic block copolymer blends filled with talc were examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, and tensile‐ and impact strength measurements. The composites were analyzed as a function of the poly(styrene‐b‐ethylene‐co‐propylene) diblock copolymer (SEP) and the poly(styrene‐b‐butadiene‐b‐styrene) triblock copolymer (SBS) content in the range from 0 to 20 vol % as elastomeric components and with 12 vol % of aminosilane surface‐treated talc as a filler. Talc crystals incorporated in the iPP matrix accommodated mostly plane‐parallel to the surface of the samples and strongly affected the crystallization process of the iPP matrix. The SBS block copolymer disoriented plane‐parallel talc crystals more significantly than the SEP block copolymer. The mechanical properties depended on the final phase morphology of the investigated iPP blends and composites and supermolecular structure of the iPP matrix because of the interactivity between their components. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1255–1264, 2004     

Morphology of solidified polysulfone structures obtained by wet phase separation

Evidence is presented that all three theoretically predicted modes of phase separation take place in the ternary system polysulfone(PSf)/N,N-dimethyl acetamide(DMA)/water during the process of wet phase separation (WPS). The elementary process of solidification is reconsidered with regard to the (non-) equilibrium phase separation. Cast solutions with more than 15 wt% of PSf undergo nucleation and growth of the polymer lean phase with formation of separation membranes characterised by a cellular structure. When cast solutions with about 5-7 wt% of PSf undergo WPS, somewhere inside the ternary system conditions are established so that alongside other solidified PSf structures the bicontinuous spinodal structures superimposed by bead-like structures are also formed. Variety of lacy PSf structures with less/more polymer beads is the manifestation of the primary phase separation by the spinodal mode superimposed by the secondary phase separation taking place by heterogeneous nucleation and growth of the polymer rich phase mode. Latex formation during the WPS will also be explained. Skin formation on the cast solution - coagulation bath interface by direct accumulation of polymer is established regardless of the PSf content in the cast solution.     

Core and Ancillary Epistemic Virtues

We argue, primarily by appeal to phenomenological considerations related to the experiential aspects of agency, that belief fixation is broadly agentive; although it is rarely (if ever) voluntary, nonetheless, it is phenomenologically agentive because of its significant phenomenological similarities to voluntary-agency experience. An important consequence is that epistemic rationality, as a central feature of belief fixation, is an agentive notion. This enables us to introduce and develop a distinction between core and ancillary epistemic virtues. Core epistemic virtues involve several inter-related kinds of epistemic rationality in belief fixation. Other “habits of mind” pertinent to belief fixation constitute ancillary epistemic virtues. Finally, we discuss the relationship between both kinds of virtues, offering a unified account of epistemic virtuousness.