Research on Search Method of Potential Sliding Surface of Rock Slope with Embedded Structural Plane

Slope stability has been a key issue in the field of geotechnical engineering. Determining the potential sliding surface of a slope is an important link in evaluating the stability of the slope. For rock slope with embedded structural plane, the potential sliding surface is greatly affected by the embedded structural plane. When determining the potential sliding surface, the influence of the position of the embedded structural plane should be considered. According to the distribution characteristics of the embedded structural plane of the rock slope, the structural plane in rock slope is divided into two types: (1) front embedded and (2) rear embedded structural plane. Considering the influence of two types of structural planes, a search method for potential sliding surfaces of rock slope is proposed combined with the finite random tracking method. The location of the sliding surface is controlled through the cut-in point, cut-out point, and arc height so that the range of search variables does not need empirical assumption. An engineering example is used to verify the search method. The results show that the method could accurately obtain the potential sliding surface of the rock slope with embedded structural plane, which proves the effectiveness of the search method.

The Disutility of Labor

Some Austrian economists have argued that the disutility of labor is a necessary auxiliary empirical assumption to complement otherwise a priori economic theory in order for it to apply to the real world. Without this assumption, it is claimed that individuals will supply the full quantity of labor of which they are physically capable. We argue that the disutility of labor assumption is unnecessary to derive this conclusion, which can instead be derived through standard marginal analysis. Leisure (the state of not engaging in labor) is a necessary complementary good for consuming other goods. As such, leisure’s status as a consumer good is a priori true, not an empirical assumption. Furthermore, the concept of disutility of labor is not only unnecessary but also leads to confusion due to its being used in two different ways, and therefore ought to be discarded.

A vueltas con el Transhumanismo: cuestiones de futuro imperfecto | Dealing with Transhumanism: Issues about the Future Imperfect

Resumen: El Transhumanismo es una perspectiva que aboga por la posibilidad de mejorar la condición humana física, emocional y cognitiva utilizando el progreso y la tecnología. Las cuestiones que plantea requieren asumir dos premisas, una normativa y otra empírica: la primera es que la formación para el uso de las tecnologías requiere una educación ética y jurídica, además de científica. La segunda implica que en un futuro próximo habrá robots muy sofisticados y dotados de inteligencia artificial avanzada que podrán tomar decisiones operativas, así que ¿cómo regular estas capacidades? Las aplicaciones en el ámbito sanitario muestran los términos del trilema normativo relativo a la distinción conceptual entre “terapia”, “mejora” y “superación” de la condición humana. Abstract: Transhumanism stands up for the physical, emotional and cognitive human enhancement by progress and technology. The issues in question involve both a normative and an empirical assumption: the first one undertakes that the use of new technologies demands not only a scientific approach but also an ethical and legal one. The second means that in the near future advanced robots with artificial intelligence will make working decisions. So, how shall we have to rule those abilities? Many health implementations show the normative trilemma posed by the conceptual difference between therapy, enhancement and going beyond the human condition.

Can the Variation Be Explained Away?

The success of defending universalist or objectivist theories of moral responsibility rests on a crucial empirical assumption. Specifically, the assumption that under ideal conditions of rationality human beings would come to share considered intuitions about moral responsibility regardless of their physical and social environment. This chapter raises serious doubts about the plausibility of this assumption by examining the origins of these intuitive differences and the psychological mechanisms that underlie them. It reviews recent theories in the evolution of cooperation, which suggest that a wide variety of norms may emerge as a response to the different features of a culture's social and physical environment. It then appeals to theories about the psychology of norm acquisition to argue that variation in norms about responsibility is grounded in cognitive mechanisms associated with emotional responses and intuitions about deservingness. It concludes that it is unlikely that we would ever reach agreement about the criteria of moral responsibility—even under ideal conditions of rationality.

Shear Design of Wide Beam Ribbed Slabs

A method for the shear design of wide beam ribbed slabs is proposed. The method modifies the current UK code design method for solid slabs by applying a shear area factor which reduces the area of the code critical shear perimeter to take account of the loss of shear area from that of a solid slab. The proposed method gives good agreement with test data for internal column situations, and underestimates the strength at edge columns. The conservativeness in relation to edge columns arises because of an empirical assumption made in the basic code method for solid slabs and is not due to the modification that it is proposed for wide beam ribbed slabs.

The boards functional emphasis - a contingency approach

The understanding of the board of a corporation and its behavior is limited, despite the board’s societal importance. We present a contingency approach to the board’s functional emphasis, considering a fourth function in addition to monitoring, decision making, and service or resource provision. The additional function is conflict resolution (or principal identification). The approach contrasts with mainstream research by assuming that the firm is a nexus of investments, avoiding the empirical assumption that the shareholder is the sole principal. We derive propositions that are not restricted to any empirical category of a corporation, and address praxis implications for managing functional disharmony.

The boards functional emphasis a contingency approach

The understanding of the board of a corporation and its behavior is limited, despite the board’s societal importance. We present a contingency approach to the board’s functional emphasis, considering a fourth function in addition to monitoring, decision making, and service or resource provision. The additional function is conflict resolution (or principal identification). The approach contrasts with mainstream research by assuming that the firm is a nexus of investments, avoiding the empirical assumption that the shareholder is the sole principal. We derive propositions that are not restricted to any empirical category of a corporation, and address praxis implications for managing functional disharmony.

Modern tendencies in psychotherapy: The specialisation of practice and knowledge integration

The paper considers chronological and theoretical development of psychotherapy with the aim of formulating psychotherapeutic paradigm as an expression of scientific improvement in this field, as well as methodological and empirical assumption of integrative models in the psychotherapy. Special attention is paid to the phenomena that have characterised the field of psychotherapy in recent time, such as, on one hand, the emphasis on the increased need for the empirical evaluation of practice and accompanied trend regarding specialisation, and, on the other hand, the strengthening of the trend towards defining and researching general change mechanisms from wider, more integrative and transtheoretical perspective.

The Fan Propeller and Blade Interference

For some time it has been recognised that the aerodynamical theory of the screw propeller, as at present presented, leaves considerable room for improvement. The leading specialists in this branch of aerodynamics, such as Mr. Fage, Mr. McKinnon-Wood and Dr. Watts, have given recognition to the all-important fact that a velocity of inflow can only, be produced by the mutual interfering action of the propeller blades upon each other. Dr. H. C. Watts was, I believe, the first person to point this out clearly, and to show that the hitherto accepted theories of inflow rested upon a highly empirical basis. By “ velocity of inflow ” is meant the additional velocity required to modify the method of propeller analysis, known as the blade element theory, originally enunciated by S. Drzewiecki in 1892. The accepted and standard inflow theory of the airscrew, as, for example, given in Professor L. Bairstow's “ Applied Aerodynamics,” rests upon the empirical assumption that the ratio (velocity of inflow)/(velocity of impressed slip) is a constant for all propellers and for all radii along the propeller blade length.