bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incorporating Value Trade-offs into Community-Based Environmental Risk Decisions
Authors: Gregory Robin S.
Published: June 2023

Although much attention has been given to the role of community stakeholders in developing environmental risk-management policies, most local and national initiatives are better known for their failings than their successes. One reason for this continuing difficulty, we contend, is a reluctance to address the many difficult value trade-offs that necessarily arise in the course of creating and evaluating alternative risk-management options. In this paper we discuss six reasons why such trade-offs are difficult and, for each, present helpful techniques from the decision sciences along with case study examples of successful applications.
Participation and Environmental Governance: Consensus, Ambivalence and Debate
Authors: Bulkeley Harriet , Mol Arthur P.J.
Published: June 2023

During the past four decades the governance of environmental problems – the definition of issues and their political and practical resolution – has evolved to include a wider range of stakeholders in more extensive open discussions. In the introduction to this issue of Environmental Values on ‘Environment, Policy and Participation’, we outline some features of these recent developments in participatory environmental governance, indicate some key questions that arise, and give an overview of the collection of papers in this special issue.
Environment and Participation in a Context of Political Modernisation
Authors: Van Tatenhove Jan P.M. , Leroy Pieter
Published: June 2023

This article discusses the relation between environment and participation in the context of different stages of political modernisation. We focus on the dynamics of environmental policy on the one hand, and the organisation of political participation on the other. The central argument is that participation is inextricably linked to environmental issues, but that their relation differs substantially over the various stages of the institutionalisation of environmental policy. While in the 1970s supplementary forms of participation dominated, the societalisation and marketisation of environmental policies from the late 1980s has given rise to new opportunities for participation, implying a more rule-altering potential.
Can Environmental Ethics ‘Solve’ Environmental Problems and save the World? Yes, but First We Must Recognise the Essential Normative Nature of Environmental Problems
Authors: Kassiola Joel J.
Published: June 2023

What is the nature of environmental problems? This article attempts to illuminate this question by exploring the relationship between environmental ethics, environmental problems and their solution. It does this by examining and criticising the argument contained in a recent issue of Environmental Values asserting that environmental ethics does not have a role to play in solving environmental problems. The major point made in this rebuttal article is that environmental problems are essentially normative in nature. Therefore, normative discourse, and environmental ethics in particular, do have a crucial role to play in environmental thought and action. The discussion concludes with the judgment that a failure to recognise this essential contribution of normative discourse to environmentalism by committing to a conservative empirical reductionism of environmental problems is detrimental to the necessary ethical and social change required to save the world.
Reproductive Liberty and Overpopulation
Authors: Kates Carol A.
Published: June 2023

Despite substantial evidence pointing to a looming Malthusian catastrophe, governmental measures to reduce population have been opposed both by religious conservatives and by many liberals, especially liberal feminists. Liberal critics have claimed that ‘utilitarian’ population policies violate a ‘fundamental right of reproductive liberty’. This essay argues that reproductive liberty should not be considered a fundamental human right, or certainly not an indefeasible right. It should, instead, be strictly regulated by a global agreement designed to reduce population to a sustainable level. Three major points are discussed: 1) the current state of the overpopulation problem; 2) the claim of a fundamental human right of reproductive liberty; 3) an outline of a global agreement to address overpopulation as a ‘tragedy of the commons’.
Environmental Risks, Uncertainty and Intergenerational Ethics
Authors: Ekeli Kristian Skagen
Published: June 2023

The way our decisions and actions can affect future generations is surrounded by uncertainty. This is evident in current discussions of environmental risks related to global climate change, biotechnology and the use and storage of nuclear energy. The aim of this paper is to consider more closely how uncertainty affects our moral responsibility to future generations, and to what extent moral agents can be held responsible for activities that inflict risks on future people. It is argued that our moral responsibility to posterity is limited because our ability to foresee how present decisions and activities will affect future people is limited. The reason for this is primarily that we are in a situation of ignorance regarding the pace and direction of future scientific and technological development. This ignorance reduces our responsibility in a temporal dimension because in most areas it is impossible to predict the interests and resource needs of future generations. In one area, however, we have fairly reliable knowledge about future people. It is reasonable to assume that future human beings will have the same basic physiological (physical and biological) needs as we have. On this basis, it is argued that we can be held responsible for activities causing avoidable damage to critical resources that are necessary to provide for future physiological needs. Furthermore, it is suggested that it is prima facie immoral to impose risks upon future generations in cases where the following conditions are fulfilled: (1) the risk poses a threat to the ability of future generations to meet their physiological needs, and (2) the risk assessment is supported by scientifically based harm scenarios.
Aesthetics in Practice: Valuing the Natural World
Authors: Brady Emily
Published: June 2023

Aesthetic value, often viewed as subjective and even trivial compared to other environmental values, is commonly given low priority in policy debates. In this paper I argue that the seriousness and importance of aesthetic value cannot be denied when we recognise the ways that aesthetic experience is already embedded in a range of human practices. The first area of human practice considered involves the complex relationship between aesthetic experience and the development of an ethical attitude towards the environment. I then discuss how aesthetics has played a role in scientific study and the use of evaluative aesthetic concepts in science, such as variety and diversity. The final section shows the connection between the beneficial effects of aesthetic engagement with nature and the restorative value of nature for human well-being.
Caring for Nature: What Science and Economics Can't Teach Us but Religion Can
Authors: Rolston Holmes
Published: June 2023

Neither ecologists nor economists can teach us what we most need to know about nature: how to value it. The Hebrew prophets claimed that there can be no intelligent human ecology except as people learn to use land justly and charitably. Lands do not flow with milk and honey for all unless and until justice rolls down like waters. What kind of planet ought we humans wish to have? One we resourcefully manage for our benefits? Or one we hold in loving care? Science and economics can't teach us that; perhaps religion and ethics can.
Natural Subjects: Nature and Political Community
Authors: Smith Kimberly K.
Published: June 2023

Environmental political theory poses new challenges to our received political concepts and values. Increasingly, we are reconceptualising nature as a subject rather than solely an object of politics. On one front, we are being challenged to think of natural entities as subjects of justice – as bearers of rights or interests that the political system should accommodate. On a second front, we are being challenged to see nature as a subject of power, constructed and ordered through scientific and political practice. These reconceptualisations have significant implications for our political practices and institutions.
Ethics and Climate Change: A Commentary on MacCracken, Toman and Gardiner
Authors: Singer Peter
Published: June 2023

Climate change is an ethical issue, because it involves the distribution of a scarce resource – the capacity of the atmosphere to absorb our waste gases without producing consequences that no one wants. Various principles might be used to decide what distribution is just. This commentary argues that on any plausible principle, the industrialised nations should be doing much more than they are doing now, and much more than they are required to do by the Kyoto protocol, to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The commentary also responds specifically to some issues raised by MacCracken, Toman and Gardiner, including feasibility, the discount rate, and grounds for pessimism.
Global and Ecological Justice: Prioritising Conflicting Demands1
Authors: Wissenburg Marcel
Published: June 2023

‘Global and ecological justice’ (or some variant) is a very popular catchphrase in policy documents, treaties, publications by think-tanks, NGOs and other bodies. I argue that it represents an informal combination of four distinct and sometimes conflicting ideas: global justice, protection of the ecology, sustainability and sustainable growth. To solve the practical, conceptual and logical complications thus caused, a more precise interpretation of global justice and ecological justice is suggested, on the basis of which it is also possible to rank the two and re-interpret the further goals of sustainability and growth.
Darwinism and Human Dignity
Authors: Dixon Ben
Published: June 2023

James Rachels argued against the possibility of finding some moral capacity in humans that confers upon them a unique dignity. His argument contends that Darwinism challenges such attempts, because Darwinism predicts that any morally valuable capacity able to bestow a unique dignity is likely present to a degree within both humans and non-human animals alike. I make the case, however, that some of Darwin's own thoughts regarding the nature of conscience provide a springboard for criticising Rachels's claim here. Using Darwin's thoughts regarding conscience, I begin the project of grounding a revised account of human dignity in the human tendency to enshrine products of conscience within institutions. Specifically, I argue that this new account of human dignity is partly contingent upon humans creating institutions morally respectful of the values present within non-human nature.
Scientists’ Perspectives on the Deliberate Release of GM Crops
Authors: Kvakkestad Valborg , Gillund FrøYdis , KjøLberg Kamilla Anette , Vatn Arild
Published: June 2023

In this paper we analyse scientists’ perspectives on the release of genetically modified (GM) crops into the environment, and the relationship between their perspectives and the context that they work within, e.g. their place of employment (university or industry), funding of their research (public or industry) and their disciplinary background (ecology, molecular biology or conventional plant breeding). We employed Q-methodology to examine these issues. Two distinct factors were identified by interviewing 62 scientists. These two factors included 92 per cent of the sample. Scientists in factor 1 had a moderately negative attitude to GM crops and emphasised the uncertainty and ignorance involved, while scientists in factor 2 had a positive attitude to GM crops and emphasised that GM crops are useful and do not represent any unique risks compared to conventional crops. Funding had a significant effect on the perspective held by the scientists in this study. No ecologists were associated with factor 2, while all the scientists employed in the GM-industry were associated with this factor. The strong effects of training and funding might justify certain institutional changes concerning how we organise science and how we make public decisions when new technologies are to be evaluated. Policy makers should encourage more interdisciplinary training and research and they should make sure that representatives of different disciplines are involved in public decisions on new technologies.
Cultivating Carrots and Community: Local Organic Food and Sustainable Consumption
Authors: Seyfang Gill
Published: June 2023

This paper examines the social implications of sustainable consumption through an empirical study of a local organic food initiative. It sets out an analytical framework based upon Douglas's Cultural Theory to categorise the range of competing value perspectives on sustainable consumption into ‘hierarchical', ‘individualistic’ and ‘egalitarian’ worldviews, and considers how these various worldviews might each adopt locally-grown organic food as a sustainable consumption initiative. Tensions between the paradigms are evident when attention is turned to a case study of a local organic food producers’ cooperative. Research with both producers and consumers reveals that the values embedded in its practice are both partisan and pluralistic, but are principally ‘Egalitarian'. Its interactions with policy regimes and social and economic institutions are examined, to illustrate the value conflicts inherent, and understand the barriers it faces in operation and the institutional factors inhibiting the growth of grassroots ‘bottom-up’ sustainable food initiatives of this kind. In addition to addressing these barriers, the policy implications of these findings for sustainable consumption policy and practice are discussed.
An Inquiry concerning the Acceptance of Intrinsic Value Theories of Nature
Authors: Butler W.F. , Acott T.G.
Published: June 2023

This study empirically assesses the extent to which intrinsic value theories of nature are accepted and acknowledged outside the realm of academic environmental ethics. It focuses on twenty of the largest landowning organisations in England, including both conservation and non-conservation organisations and investigates the environmental philosophical beliefs and values held by representative individuals of these groups. An in-depth interview was held with a representative from each organisation. The interviews were analysed using qualitative data analysis software and the results compared against a backdrop of academic philosophical positions. The study found that an ecocentric position which acknowledges nature's intrinsic value was adopted by the majority of respondents, both from conservation and non-conservation organisations. However, it was also found that individuals felt the idea of nature's intrinsic value was generally not reflected in organisational policy.
Anthropocentrism vs. Nonanthropocentrism: Why Should We Care?
Authors: Mcshane Katie
Published: June 2023

Many recent critical discussions of anthropocentrism have focused on Bryan Norton's ‘convergence hypothesis': the claim that both anthropocentric and nonanthropocentric ethics will recommend the same environmentally responsible behaviours and policies. I argue that even if we grant the truth of Norton's convergence hypothesis, there are still good reasons to worry about anthropocentric ethics. Ethics legitimately raises questions about how to feel, not just about which actions to take or which policies to adopt. From the point of view of norms for feeling, anthropocentrism has very different practical implications from nonanthropocentrism; it undermines some of the common attitudes – love, respect, awe – that people think it appropriate to take toward the natural world.
Territorial Equity and Sustainable Development
Authors: Zuindeau Bertrand
Published: June 2023

The sustainable development (SD) issue is mainly focused on questions of intergenerational equity. The study of intragenerational equity is less common. In this article, I am interested in a particular kind of intragenerational equity, territorial equity. As well as exposing the various territorial inequalities, the literature on SD comprehends territorial equity through possible territorial transfers of sustainability. The reality of these transfers and how to measure them are however, very directly dependent on general conceptions of SD. The text examines analyses that may be inferred from these different ideas. It attempts to reveal the respective limits and to propose a synthesis, which incorporates operational objectives.
BeEAM (Bendamustine, Etoposide, Cytarabine, Melphalan) Versus BEAM (Carmustine, Etoposide, Cytarabine, Melphalan) as Conditioning Regimen Before Autologous Haematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wu Ran , Ma Liyuan
Published: June 2023

High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a standard of care for selected patients with refractory/relapsed Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), and it is also used as first-line clinical consolidation option for some aggressive NHL subtypes. Conditioning regimen prior to ASCT is one of the essential factors related with clinical outcomes post transplant. The conditioning regimen of carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan (BEAM) traditionally is considered the standard of care for patients with lymphoma who are eligible for transplantation. Replacement of carmustine with bendamustine (BeEAM) was described as an alternative conditioning regimen in the autograft setting for patients with lymphoma. Several studies have reported inconsistent clinical outcomes comparing BeEAM and BEAM. Therefore, in the lack of well-designed prospective comparative studies, the comparison of BeEAM versus BEAM is based on retrospective trials. To compare the clinical outcomes between BeEAM and BEAM, we performed a meta-analysis of 10 studies which compared the outcomes between BeEAM and BEAM in patients autografted for lymphoma disease (HL or NHL). We searched article titles and compared transplantation with BeEAM versus BEAM in MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane library, and EMBASE database. Here, we report the results of nine main endpoints in our meta-analysis comparing BeEAM and BEAM, including neutrophil engraftment (NE), platelet engraftment (PE), overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), non-relapse mortality (NRM), relapse rate (RR), grade 3 mucositis, renal toxicity, and cardiotoxicity. We discovered that the BeEAM regimen was associated with a slightly better PFS [pooled odds ratio (OR) of 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.52–0.94, P = 0.02], lower RR (0.49, 95% CI, 0.31–0.76, P = 0.002), higher mucositis (3.43, 95% CI, 2.29–5.16, P = 0.001), renal toxicity (4.49, 95% CI, 2.68–7.51, P = 0.001), and cardiotoxicity (1.88, 95% CI, 1.03–3.40, P = 0.03). We also discovered that the two groups had equivalent NE (pooled WMD –0.64, 95% CI, –1.46 to 0.18, P = 0.13), PE (pooled WMD –0.3, 95% CI, –1.68 to 2.28, P = 0.77), OS (0.73, 95% CI, 0.52–1.01, P = 0.07), and NRM (1.51, 95% CI, 0.76–2.98, P = 0.24). The results of this meta-analysis show that the BeEAM regimen is a viable alternative to BEAM. More prospective comparisons between BeEAM and BEAM are required.
Mediating Effect of Employee Performance on the Relationship Between Emotional Labour and Intent to Leave Among Nurses
Authors: Sahin Bayram , Ilgun Gülnur , Sonmez Seda
Published: June 2023

In this study, it was aimed to examine the effect of nurses’ emotional labor levels on their intention to leave and to determine whether employee performance plays a mediating role in this relationship. The study is of descriptive cross-sectional type, which was conducted through a questionnaire on nurses. The surface acting has positive effect on the intent to leave among nurses, whereas deep acting has negative effect; employee performance has partial mediating role on the relationship between the surface acting and intent to leave, and the relationship between deep acting and intent to leave. The study is considered to provide significant tips in the identification of nurses with higher risk to leave the work, and in deciding managerial interventions that would be realised against such circumstances. It is suggested that it may be beneficial for nurse managers to organise training in their units, to evaluate the performance of nurses at regular intervals and thus to determine the reason for the increase and decrease, to plan activities that will reduce emotional burden.
Action and the active life: The contribution of contextual action theory to current career development challenges
Authors: Young Richard A , Mundy Amrit K S
Published: June 2023

The field of career development faces challenges in light of the significant ecological, economic, and political changes occurring globally. In response to these challenges, Guichard (2022) identified the need for new conceptual frameworks and interventions in the career field consistent with Arendt's (1958) broad perspective of action and the active life rather than simply making smooth transitions to occupations. In this article, contextual action theory is proposed as one alternative approach that addresses some of these issues regarding reconceptualizing career theory and practice. Specifically contextual action theory focuses on goal-directed action, provides a theoretical connection between action and career, incorporates social context, and provides a new framework for interventions. Specific approaches to career interventions and counseling are provided.
Experiences of First-Year Music Teachers in Hawai‘i During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges, Adaptability, and Implications for Future Music Teaching
Authors: Matherne Nicholas
Published: June 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to delivering music content through distance learning, adding to what is often already a stressful and challenging time for first-year educators. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of six first-year music teachers who began teaching in Hawai‘i during the COVID-19 pandemic. I interviewed participants twice during the summer after their first year of teaching and collected background information and teaching artifacts. Despite the year’s challenges, the teachers maintained their commitment to teaching. They did note that they felt underprepared for this experience by their undergraduate education and lack of prior teaching experience. Themes suggested the importance of teacher mentors and professional networks for the novice teachers, and that these teachers could have benefited from ongoing support from their preservice teacher education programs. In addition, the experiences of these teachers highlight the importance of adaptability in learning for both students and teachers.
Total Ankle Arthroplasty: Does Obesity Matter?
Authors: Kim Billy I. , Anastasio Albert T. , Wixted Colleen M. , DeOrio James K. , Nunley James A. , Easley Mark E. , Adams Samuel B.
Published: June 2023

Background:

There is limited data evaluating the effect of obesity on outcomes following total ankle arthroplasty (TAA), especially in adequate sample sizes to detect impacts on patient-reported outcomes (PROs). The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of obesity on complication rates and PROs.

Methods:

This was a single-institution, retrospective study of 1093 primary TAA performed between 2001 and 2020. Minimum follow-up was 2 years. Patients were stratified by body mass index (BMI) into control (BMI = 18.5-29.9; n = 615), obesity class I (BMI = 30.0-34.9; n = 285), and obesity class II (BMI > 35.0; n = 193) groups. Patient information, intraoperative variables, postoperative complications, and PRO measures were compared between groups using univariable statistics. Multivariable Cox regression was performed to assess risk for implant failure. Mean follow-up was 5.6 years (SD: 3.1).

Results:

Compared to control and class I, class II patients had the lowest mean age ( P = .001), highest mean ASA score ( P < .001), and greatest proportion of female sex ( P < .001) and Black/African American race ( P = .005). There were no statistically significant differences in postoperative complications (infection, implant failure, or impingement) across the BMI classes ( P > .05). Preoperatively, class II had lower (worse) mean scores for Foot and Ankle Outcome Score pain and ADL subscales than controls (post hoc pairwise P < .001 for both). At final follow-up, both class II and class I had lower (worse) mean Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (post hoc pairwise P < .001 and P = .030, respectively) and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey scores (post hoc pairwise P < .001 and P = .005, respectively) than controls.

Conclusion:

At midterm follow-up, obesity was not associated with increased rates of complications after TAA. Patients with obesity reported worse musculoskeletal function and overall quality of life after TAA but there was no differential improvement in PROs across BMI classes. To our knowledge, this is the largest single-institution study to date examining the effect of obesity on outcomes after primary TAA.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Incidence of Thrombosis at Different Sites During the Follow-Up Period in Essential Thrombocythemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wang Dehao , Yu Xinyue , Sun Yan , Lv Yan , Li Yumeng , Zhao Pei , Niu Jicong , Zhang Yanyu , Chen Yi , Chen Ke , Chen Zhuo , Liu Weiyi , Wang Mingjing , Hu Xiaomei
Published: June 2023

Thrombotic events are the most frequent manifestations of essential thrombocythemia (ET). The objective of this study is to determine the incidence of thrombosis at different sites on follow-up in patients with ET. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library databases and calculated the incidence of thrombosis by pooling and analyzing the extracted data using a random-effects model. A total of 70 studies (N  =  25,805) were included in the analysis. The total and annual incidences of arterial thrombosis on follow-up were 13.4% and 2.0%, respectively. The total and annual incidences of the different manifestations of arterial thrombosis were as follows: stroke (5.3% and 0.8%), transient ischemic attack (5.1% and 1.2%), myocardial infarction (2.4% and 0.5%), unstable angina (0.9% and 0.2%), and peripheral arterial thrombosis (2.0% and 0.2%), respectively. In contrast, the total and annual incidences of arterial thrombosis in JAK2-positive patients were 18.4% and 2.7%, respectively. The total and annual incidences of arterial thrombosis in JAK2-negative patients were 5.9% and 0.8%, respectively. The total and annual incidences of venous thrombosis were 5.5% and 0.7%, respectively, and the incidences of the different manifestations of venous thrombosis at different sites were as follows: peripheral venous thrombosis (2.9% and 0.5%), superficial venous thrombosis (1.8% and 0.7%), deep venous thrombosis (1.6% and 0.3%), abdominal venous thrombosis (0.8% and 0.1%), pulmonary embolism (0.3% and 0.1%), and cerebral venous thrombosis (0.2% and 0%), respectively. The total and annual incidences of venous thrombosis in JAK2-positive patients were 7.4% and 1.2%, respectively. The total and annual incidences of venous thrombosis in JAK2-negative patients were 1.6% and 0.4%, respectively. The incidence of arterial thrombosis was higher than that of venous thrombosis in patients with ET. Arterial thrombosis manifested with cerebral arterial thrombosis, followed by cardiac thrombosis. Venous thrombosis events were mainly peripheral and superficial venous thrombosis. JAK2-positive patients have a higher incidence of arterial and venous thromboses than JAK2-negative patients, the sequence of thrombsis sites was similar to that of the overall patients.
Evaluation of potential cost savings through chemotherapy and biotherapy dose-rounding at a pediatric institution
Authors: Graff Justin M , Cramer Jesse , Kolb Lauren L , Agherrabi Zakari , Burgess McKenna
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Rapidly increasing costs of medication acquisition can pose a challenge for health-system pharmacy budgets. The impact of dose-rounding in a pediatric oncology population has not previously been well documented and a retrospective review was undertaken to quantify the potential cost benefits.

Methods

A retrospective chart review of patients with an oncologic diagnosis was performed for cytotoxic agents, asparaginase products, and biotherapy administered between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2017. In the analysis, orders that could be rounded down to the nearest vial size by 5 or 10% were included. Medication pricing information was based on wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) and was provided by the Department of Pharmacy. Cost savings per medication were determined by multiplying the WAC of the medication by the number of vials saved.

Results

Over a 4-year span, 347 patients were evaluated and 552 out of a possible 3110 orders (17.7%) met criteria for a theoretical cost savings of approximately $1,126,000 (∼$3200 per patient). Rounding down doses by up to 5% resulted in a potential savings of about $529,000. When rounding was extended to 5–10% of the originally ordered dose, an additional $597,000 of approximate cost savings could have been realized. The medications with the largest impact on cost savings were rituximab, pegaspargase, and erwinia asparaginase.

Conclusions

For pediatric oncology patients, there exists a unique potential cost savings opportunity if doses are rounded down within 5 or 10% of the originally ordered weight-based or body surface area-calculated dose.
Indigenous Oral and Gut Phages Defeat the Deadly NDM-1 Superbug
Authors: Yadalam Pradeep Kumar , Anegundi Raghavendra Vamsi , Ramadoss Ramya , Saravanan M , Veeramuthu AshokKumar , Heboyan Artak
Published: June 2023

Aim:

Antibiotics treat various diseases by targeting microorganisms by killing them or reducing their multiplication rate. New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) is produced by bacteria possessing the resistance gene blaNDM-1, the enzyme that makes bacteria resistant to beta-lactams. Bacteriophages, especially Lactococcus, have shown their ability to break down lactams. Hence, the current study computationally evaluated the binding potential of Lactococcus bacteriophages with NDM using Molecular docking and dynamics.

Methods:

Modelling of NDM I-TASSER for Main tail protein gp19 OS=Lactococcus phage LL-H or Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis after downloading from UNIPROT ID- Q38344. Cluspro tool helps in Understanding cellular function and organization with protein-protein interactions. MD simulations(19) typically compute atom movements over time. Simulations were used to predict the ligand binding status in the physiological environment.

Results:

The best binding affinity score was found -1040.6 Kcal/mol compared to other docking scores. MD simulations show in RMSD values for target remains within 1.0 Angstrom, which is acceptable. The ligand-protein fit to receptor protein RMSD values of 2.752 fluctuates within 1.5 Angstrom after equilibration.

Conclusions:

Lactococcus bacteriophages showed a strong affinity to the NDM. Hence, this hypothesis, supported by evidence from a computational approach, will solve this life-threatening superbug problem.
Governing pandemic fatigue: an International Relations case of experiential biopolitics
Authors: Gäckle Nicolas
Published: June 2023

The Covid-19 pandemic has made evident that living through a protracted global biopolitical emergency requires new theoretical reflections to make sense of what it means to govern life in a global context. As a central reference in the study of global health in International Relations (IR), biopolitical approaches have privileged a molecular-informational understanding of life as their object of governance. However, the phenomenon of global pandemic fatigue calls for a new problematisation. Experiential biopolitics is proposed here as an approach from which to recognise a limitation of biopolitical emergency governance that has resulted in a generalised feeling of exhaustion among populations subject to prolonged emergency measures. This reformulated biopolitical gaze understands human life, not only as a biological substance, but through its reflexive capacity to nurture lived experience, highlighting the entanglement of pandemic experiences and infection dynamics. The article explores experiential biopolitics through the WHO’s problematisation of pandemic fatigue. It analyses how assessing pandemic experience through behavioural insights studies enables a reflexive visibility of the pandemic event by drawing together biological and experiential variables. Subsequently, it interrogates theories of risk perception as a cornerstone in imagining the pandemic subject as a fundamentally experiential being.
Tourism and the shadow economy: Long-run and short-run implications for resource allocation
Authors: Kahyalar Neslihan , Seetaram Neelu , Fethi Sami
Published: June 2023

This paper is one of the first which provides an in-depth quantitative analysis of how the development of the tourism industry impacts on the size of the shadow economy of a specific destination. The paper employs time-series techniques and annual data from 1960 to 2018 from Turkey. First, the size of the shadow economy is estimated using the electricity consumption method. The estimates are then used to assess the effect of tourism development on the size of the shadow economy. The findings show that there is a negative relationship between the two. A 1% increase in international tourism arrivals leads to a 0.21% and 0.316% fall in the size of the shadow economy in the short-run and long-run respectively. It implies that as the tourism sector develops, it becomes instrumental in modernising the Turkish economy leading to the movement of resources from the shadow economy to the formal sector. In the long-run the effect of the tourism industry in reducing the size of the shadow economy surpasses that of the financial sector of Turkey.
Machine visions: A corporate imaginary of artificial sight
Authors: Hsiao Wei-Jie , Shorey Samantha
Published: June 2023

Machine vision is one the most consequential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in contemporary society. This article analyzes how companies that produce machine vision technology articulate what it means for machines to “see.” Through a thematic analysis of more than 200 corporately produced documents, we examine the companies’ product offerings and identify three discursive techniques that entwine basic explanations of emerging technology with the ideologies of AI producers: dismantling sight into technical action, expanding the parameters of sight, and seeing through data. These recurring corporate narratives organize perceptions of automation, educating outsiders how to value computational outcomes and support them through rearranging the real-world conditions of labor. We argue that the social power of machine vision is not only in how it detects objects, but also in how it arbitrates what work is visible in visions of the industry’s future.
Investigations on reactivity controlled compression ignition combustion with different injection strategies using alternative fuels produced from waste resources
Authors: Chidambaram Arun Raj , Krishnasamy Anand , Duraisamy Ganesh , Hossain Abul Kalam
Published: June 2023

Reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) is a promising low-temperature combustion (LTC) strategy that results in low oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and soot emissions while maintaining high thermal efficiency. At the same time, RCCI leads to increased unburned hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions in the exhaust, particularly under low loads. The current work experimented novel port-injected RCCI (PI-RCCI) strategy to overcome the high unburned emission limitations at low load conditions in RCCI. PI-RCCI is a port injection strategy in which low-reactivity fuel (LRF) is injected using a low-pressure injector, and the high-reactivity fuel (HRF) is injected through a high-pressure common rail direct injection (CRDI) injector. The low volatile HRF is injected into a heated fuel vaporizer maintained at 180°C in the intake manifold during the suction stroke. Modifying a single-cylinder, light-duty diesel engine with the necessary intake and fuel injection systems allows engine operation in both RCCI and PI-RCCI modes. Alternative fuels from waste resources such as waste cooking oil biodiesel (WCO) and plastic waste oil (WPO) are used as the HRF and LRF fuel in RCCI and PI-RCCI. To achieve maximum thermal efficiency in RCCI, the premixed energy ratio and the start of injection of the direct-injected fuel are optimized at all load conditions. The engine performance and exhaust emissions characteristics in PI-RCCI are compared with RCCI as a baseline reference. The results show a 70% and 48% reduction in CO and HC emissions, respectively, in PI-RCCI than in RCCI. Further, the brake thermal efficiency (BTE) was enhanced by around 20%, and the brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) was reduced by 13% in PI-RCCI. The NOx emissions decreased without any considerable changes in soot emission in PI-RCCI. The current study shows that fuels derived from waste resources can be used in RCCI and PI-RCCI modes with better engine performance and lower emissions.
Numeric assessment of the effect of the twin island design on the airflow dynamics around a generic aircraft carrier
Authors: Nehra Ankit , Rajagopalan Vijayakumar
Published: June 2023

The twin island concept is the most recent innovation in the top-deck architecture of an aircraft carrier. The carrier’s bluff body design presents the pilot with a number of difficulties, with landing on deck posing the biggest problem. The goal of the current study is to carry out the numerical analysis of the aerodynamic behaviour of twin island structure on Generic Aircraft Carrier. The flow characterization has been performed utilizing the normalized axial velocity and turbulent kinetic energy as aids for establishing pilot workload along the glideslope line. In this paper, multiple transverse planes cut across perpendicular to the flow direction are used to analyse the flow across the flight deck of twin island GAC and its downstream. The impacts of the two islands’ longitudinal translations with regard to the initial GAC position were then investigated and the results were analysed and compiled with reference to the landing approach path of the aircraft. The results show that the twin island designs are preferable to a single island. The maximum advantage in terms of turbulence reduction is achieved when the bifurcated islands are longitudinally repositioned forward of the original single island design position. The modified design not only achieves a 72% reduction in peak turbulence but also provides an additional time advantage to the pilot for assessing the environmental conditions while he is approaching the carrier flight deck for landing thus aiding to efficiently and effectively manage the workload. The findings of this study can act as a driving force for the integration and application of twin island concept in future design plans for floating structures and further studies in the field.
Education policy is spatial policy: Using spatial imaginaries to enhance education policy research
Authors: Mann Bryan , Dudek Jaclyn
Published: June 2023

Education policy scholars must consider spatial theories and related methodologies. Spatial theories encourage rich understandings of education policy because education and place are intimately connected. This article shows how scholars can use spatial imaginaries to enhance knowledge of place and education policy. We explain these connections in three ways. First, we outline theoretical concepts and analytical considerations of spatial imaginaries. Second, we provide examples of lines of inquiry related to spatial imaginaries and education policy. Third, we consider methodological techniques. Education policy is spatial policy, so building theory and methods about place and education policy is vital to the field.
Reporting empirical results to .docx files
Authors: Xue Yuan , Li Chuntao , Si Haitao
Published: June 2023

Reporting empirical results to automatically generate structured tables is important but time consuming for empirical researchers. Because of the lack of commands that can effectively create and edit Office Open XML documents (.docx documents), neither official commands nor community-contributed commands could tabulate results to this regularly used document type until putdocx was launched in Stata 15. In this article, we introduce four new commands: sum2docx, corr2docx, t2docx, and reg2docx. These new commands are all based on putdocx. They can be coalesced and can report summary statistics, correlation coefficient matrices, split-sample t tests, and regression results automatically in one .docx file. The commands are user friendly and can provide researchers with new options for reporting empirical results.
Results of the Chimney Technique in a Community Hospital
Authors: Özdemir-van Brunschot Denise M. D. , Tevs Maria , Holzhey David
Published: June 2023

Background

The chimney technique, fenestrated or branched endovascular aortic repair are endovascular options in patients with a juxtarenal, suprarenal or type IV thoraco-abdominal aneurysm. The chimney technique has specific advantages and disadvantages. A retrospective single center study was performed to describe the results.

Patients and methods

All consecutive patients in whom the chimney technique was used between 1th January 2011 and 31th December 2020 were included. We excluded patients who needed a revision of an existing EVAR and patients with a para-anastomotic aneurysm. Outcomes were reported in accordance with the reporting standards.

Results

38 Patients were included in the study, a total of 59 chimney grafts were deployed. At a median follow-up duration of 26.6 months, there were 9 patients with occlusion of the chimney graft. In 1 patient an iliac renal bypass was performed. In the other patients the renal function stabilized and no further therapy was necessary. All chimneys in the mesenteric arteries remained patent. Gutter endoleak was seen in 5 patients, 3 patients were successfully treated and in the other 2 patients the gutter endoleak disappeared spontaneously.

Conclusions

Conclusions should be drawn carefully as this is a retrospective non-comparative study. Results from 38 patients treated with the chimney technique are presented. Chimney graft occlusion rate was 15.3% at the end of follow-up. However, the majority (77.8%) of the occluded stents were self-expandable stents, stressing the importance of selecting the right devices.
Thermo-viscous influence on the mechanical seal performance in a reactor coolant pump (RCP)
Authors: Wang Jun-Li , Su Wen-Tao , Wu Jian , Li Xiao-Bin
Published: June 2023

The mechanical seal performance in reactor coolant pump (RCP) is of great importance for the efficient and safe operation of primary loop in nuclear power plant. The sealing medium filling inside the seal encounters strong thermal gradient. In this paper, thermo-viscous effect on sealing characteristics with two typical mechanical seal faces, namely the tapered-end-face and wave-tilt-dam, is numerically studied, by introducing the temperature-viscosity equation according to the real physical properties of the sealing medium. Performance of mechanical seal with two different temperature-viscosity equations are compared. In addition, the influence of thermo-viscous effect on cavitation is also analyzed. It is revealed that the temperature-viscosity variation significantly influences the internal flow field, temperature field, two-phase distribution, and the opening force as well. With low base film thickness, the temperature difference will reduce 58% as considering the thermal effect on viscosity, and the difference in leakage may be as high as 43%. Also, the prediction of cavitation under small film thickness indicates that the thermo-viscous effect decreases the cavitating area. This work contributes to the mechanical seal design and performance prediction by assessing the thermal influences on viscosity of seal medium, and meanwhile revealing the effect on the possible cavitation event.
Patient-Reported Outcomes in Total Ankle Arthroplasty: Patient Specific Versus Standard Instrumentation
Authors: Yau James , Emmerson Benjamin , Kakwani Rajesh , Murty Aradhyula N. , Townshend David N.
Published: June 2023

Background

Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) can now be performed using patient-specific instrumentation (PSI). Advantages include the ability to preoperatively plan and reduce the number of intraoperative surgical steps. The aim of this study was to compare PSI with standard instrumentation (SI) in a nonrandomized retrospective cohort study with respect to patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Secondary aims were to compare complications, reoperations, tourniquet time, fluoroscopy time, and postoperative alignment.

Methods

In all, 159 patients (111 men, 48 women) undergoing a total of 168 Infinity TAA (Stryker, Memphis, TN) using PSI (Prophecy, Stryker, Memphis, TN) or SI between 2014 and 2021 were included with a minimum follow-up of 12 months. The PROMs were obtained preoperatively and at 1 year, and included the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ), Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS), and European Quality of Life 5 Dimension 3 Level (EQ-5D-3L). Coronal plane deformity correction was assessed using the midline tibiotalar angle (MTTA). Demographics, tourniquet time, and intraoperative fluoroscopy times were obtained from the hospital records.

Results

There were 61 TAAs in the PSI group and 107 TAAs in the SI group. There was no significant difference in total MOXFQ, AOS, or EQ-5D. There was a significantly reduced tourniquet time (PSI mean: 95.39 minutes, SI mean: 116.87 minutes, P < .001) and radiation exposure (PSI mean: 31 seconds, SI mean: 53 seconds, P < .001). Angular correction was more accurate in the PSI group (PSI mean: 1.29°, SI mean: 2.26°, P = .005).

Conclusion

This study supports the use of PSI to decrease operative time, reduce intraoperative fluoroscopy, improve accuracy of implantation, and improve postoperative alignment in TAA. There was a significant difference (P = .032) in favor of PSI in the walking/standing domain of the MOXFQ at 12 months but no significant difference in overall PROMs.

Levels of Evidence

Level III, Retrospective
Knee Osteoarthritis: Clinical and MRI Outcomes After Multiple Intra-Articular Injections With Expanded Autologous Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells or Platelet-Rich Plasma
Authors: Khoury Miguel A. , Chamari Karim , Tabben Montassar , Alkhelaifi Khalid , Papacostas Emmanuel , Marín Fermín Theodorakys , Laupheimer Markus , D′Hooghe Pieter
Published: June 2023

Objective

To directly compare clinical and MRI outcomes of multiple intra-articular injections of adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Design

We retrospectively compared 24-month outcomes in (1) 27 patients receiving 3-monthly intra-articular injections with a total of 43.8 million ASCs and (2) 23 patients receiving 3-monthly injections of 3-ml preparation of PRP. All patients had Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1, 2, or 3 knee OA with failed conservative medical therapy. The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) scores; Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months after the first injection; and the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score (MOAKS) at 12 and 24 months were considered as outcomes.

Results

No major complications occurred in any patient. Both groups significantly improved in pain NPRS score and KOOS at 6 months. At 12- and 24-month evaluations, the ASC group significantly decreased scores to a greater degree ( P < 0.001) than the PRP group. MOAKS scores indicated a decrease in disease progression in the ASC group.

Conclusion

Both ASCs and PRP were safe and resulted in clinical improvement in patients with knee OA at 6 months; however, at 12 and 24 months, ASCs outperformed leukocyte-poor PRP in clinical and radiological outcomes.