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Mission and Human Dignity in the Black Sea Region – Philosophical Considerations
No full textBecause human dignity presents us, in all regions of the world, with a cause for celebration and a steep challenge, it constitutes a problem for humanity. Engagement with the idea tends to happen when the problem makes itself felt and the ethical challenges that mark a region are therefore testified to in its writings on human dignity. Engaging with such writings make it possible, for example for the Black Sea Region, to move more concertedly towards appreciation of human dignity. This engagement is precious because it promotes both the understanding of and thereby the possible appreciation of the fundamental value of the human being. It is argued in this article that such promotion pertains to the central task of Christian mission, in so far as concern for human dignity stands at the heart of Christ’s own mission
Investigation and analysis of demand response approaches, bottlenecks, and future potential capabilities for IoT‐enabled smart grid
No full textSignificant attempts have been made to make the electrical grid more intelligent and responsive to better meet customers' requirements while boosting the stability and efficiency of current power systems. Smart grid technologies, which have just recently emerged, facilitated the incorporation of demand response (DR) by introducing an information and communication backbone to the current system. The Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a key technology for smart energy grids. Security concerns have emerged as a major obstacle to the widespread adoption of IoT‐enabled devices because of the inherent Internet connectivity of these smart gadgets. Therefore, security is a crucial factor to address before the widespread implementation of IoT‐based devices in power grids. In this study, the framework and architecture of smart grids that are enabled by the IoT are first examined. Then, the role of IoT for DR in smart grids and different approaches adopted worldwide to make DR schemes more effective, have been discussed in detail. Finally, the authors discuss how IoT‐enabled smart grids can benefit from cutting‐edge solutions and technologies that make them more secure and resistant to cyber and physical attacks
Inside Out: The Short Stories of Micheál Ó Conghaile
No full textIn “Trasnú” (Crossing), Gaeltacht poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh revels
in the creative tension inherent in the comingling of traditional Irishlanguage culture with late modernity. He describes contemporary
identity as a messy hybrid of ancient and tenacious tradition on the one
hand and a freeing but fickle globalized culture on the other: “tá muid
leath-réamhstairiúil / agus leath-postmodern intertextual” (we are half
prehistoric, half postmodern intertextual).1
Few authors exemplify
this dual identity better than the Gaeltacht novelist, short-story writer,
and playwright Micheál Ó Conghaile. Born in 1962, Ó Conghaile
is by no means an old man, yet the upbringing that he describes is
now totally unthinkable. While Ireland entered the “Lemass era” of
economic change—often considered to have catalyzed radical social
transformation over the following decades—Ó Conghaile spent his
youth in one of the most dramatically isolated, and consequently culturally stable, parts of the country. Now an acclaimed author with a
secure place in the Irish-language canon, Ó Conghaile—who went
on to found one of the language’s most important publishers, Cló
Iar-Chonnacht—grew up reading by candlelight. His hybrid identity
as a rural gay man, a native Irish-speaker, and an educated and welltraveled entrepreneur provides him with a unique and complicated
perspective that seems to accommodate both the authority of one on
the inside and the marginalization of one inherently different. Difference is accepted as a fact of life in his work, which ranges from realistic
testimony to the wildly experimental and obscene
The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled in the European Union: Reflecting on Its Implementation and Gauging Its Impact from a Disability Perspective
No full textThe Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled (Marrakesh Treaty) requires State Parties to introduce limitations and exceptions to national copyright rules in order to allow the reproduction, distribution and making available of published works in formats that are accessible to persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled. This Treaty was concluded by the European Union (EU) on behalf of its Member States in 2018. It was then implemented by means of a Directive and a Regulation. On the tenth anniversary of its adoption, and six years after the enactment of the EU implementing acts, this article reflects on the implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty in the EU, highlighting its strengths and shortcomings. It then discusses, from a disability perspective, the impact of the Marrakesh Treaty within Europe on foot of a multimethod empirical study conducted within the project ReCreating Europe. On the whole, this article argues that, in spite of some weaknesses of the Marrakesh Directive, which leaves room for differences across the Member States, the ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty by the EU has supported access to printed materials for people with disabilities
In search of a neuropsychological profile for migraine: A scoping review
No full textObjective: Migraine is commonly overlooked by the general population and by professionals in research and clinical practice. Moreover, it is difficult to grasp the neuropsychological profile of migraineurs due to the cyclic nature of the disorder. With this in mind, a scoping review of the literature was conducted with the goal of characterizing cognitive domains associated with deficits in migraine.Methods: PubMed, PsychInfo, Scopus, EMBASE and OpenGrey databases were searched for studies published from 1st January 2006 to 30th November 2022. Following the review process, 52 eligible studies were included in the review.Results: Studies included in this review show mixed and sometimes contradic-tory findings. Overall, both visual and auditory perception appear to be impaired. Deficits on attention, many memory processes, visuospatial function and spatial navigation and on a wide range of executive functions (set- shifting and cogni-tive flexibility, decision- making and reasoning, working memory and prospective memory) complete a complex cognitive profile in migraine. Lack of consistency across studies in sample selection and sizes, lack of detailed links between cogni-tive deficits and specific migraine phases, or length and chronicity, inconsisten-cies on the role of aura in cognitive function; and heterogeneity and sometimes questionable reliability and validity of some of the cognitive measures used may affect the clarity and consistency of results observed.Conclusion: Further research properly addressing the role of gender and age, migraine stage, length and chronicity of the condition, the effect of aura and co-morbidities is needed, alongside increasing consistency across diverse neuropsy-chological assessment protocols.Significance: This review provides a comprehensive, up- to- date picture of the current status of knowledge in relation to the characterization of the complex cognitive profile of migraine. It offers detailed information of the existing re-search gaps and challenges to improve the cognitive characterization of migraine across its different stages and leads clinicians to carefully consider the selection of relevant cognitive tasks, in order to grasp more accurately the patient’s cognitive profile; an assessment that should be an integral part of any protocol developed for the clinical assessment and subsequent treatment planning for migraine
The next frontier for climate change science – Insights from the authors of the IPCC 6th assessment report on knowledge gaps and priorities for research
No full textAs climate change impacts intensify globally in both frequency and magnitude, and with scientific consensus on what is yet to come if the world fails to act, the imperative to step up our collective response has never been more pressing. By providing the knowledge necessary to formulate effective mitigation and adaptation strategies, climate science serves as a critical enabler of climate action and a vital input to evidence-based policymaking. Bridging the knowledge gaps in climate change research is crucial for guiding the transition towards a low-carbon climate resilient future, for fostering consensus and alliances, for empowering global cooperation and for mobilising stakeholders across the society. This report draws attention to where additional research is required to effectively and adequately address climate change, aiming to inform future calls under the EU Horizon Europe R&I Programme and beyond
MAC attack: MSCs and macrophages join forces against chronic lung infection
No full textMesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs)
possess several characteristics that make
them attractive as a potential adjunct
therapy for acute and chronic infectious
diseases. MSCs are well known for their
impressive immunomodulatory, prorepair effects and clinical safety
profile, however, the efficacy of MSCs
in controlling bacterial infections, at least
directly, remains unclear.
Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease (MAC-PD) is a chronic condition driven by multi-drug resistant bacteria
for which there are no robust efficacious
treatment strategies
Who uses connected health technologies after a cancer diagnosis? evidence from the US Health Information National Trends Survey
No full textPurpose As the number of people living with and beyond cancer increases, connected health technologies offer promise to enhance access to care and support, while reducing costs. However, uptake of connected health technologies may vary depending on sociodemographic and health-related variables. This study aimed to investigate demographic and health predictors of connected health technology use among people living with and beyond cancer. Methods Cross-sectional data from the US Health Information National Trends Survey Version 5 Cycle 4 (H5c4) was used. Regression analysis was used to examine associations between sociodemographic factors and the use of connected health technologies. The sample was restricted to individuals who self-reported a cancer diagnosis or history of cancer. Results In this cycle, 626 respondents self-reported a cancer diagnosis, with 41.1% using connected health technologies(health and wellness apps and/or wearable devices). Most were female (58.9%) and white (82.5%); 43.4% had graduated college or higher education. One third (33.6%) had a household income of $75,000 or more. Respondents who were younger, have higher education, were living as married, had higher incomes, had higher self-rated health and had higher health-related self-efficacy were significantly more likely to use connected health technologies. There were no significant associations between gender, race, stratum, time since diagnosis, history of anxiety or depression, and use of connected health technologies among people living with and beyond cancer. Conclusions Connected health technology use among people living with and beyond cancer is associated with sociodemographic factors. Future research should examine these demographic disparities as the use of connected health technologies in healthcare continues to gather momentum. Implications for cancer survivors The study underscores a disparity in connected heath technology usage among people living with and beyond cancer. There is a pressing need for research into adoption barriers and interventions to ensure equitable digital healthcare integration among this population, especially with the heightened adoption of technology postCOVID-19 pandemic
Stochastic Geometry-Based Trajectory Design for Multi-Purpose UAVs: Package and Data Delivery
No full textWith the advancements achieved in drones’ flexibility,
low cost, and high efficiency, they obtain huge application opportunities in various industries, such as aerial delivery and future
communication networks. However, the increasing transportation
needs and expansion of network capacity demands for UAVs will
cause aerial traffic conflicts in the future. To address this issue, in
this article, we explore the idea of multi-purpose UAVs, which act
as aerial wireless communication data relays and means of aerial
transportation simultaneously to deliver data and packages at the
same time. While UAVs deliver the packages from warehouses to
residential areas, we design their trajectories which enable them
to collect data from multiple Internet of Things (IoT) clusters and
forward the collected data to terrestrial base stations (TBSs). To
select the serving nearby IoT clusters, UAVs rank them based
on their priorities and distances. From the perspectives of data
and package delivery, respectively, we propose two algorithms that
design the optimal UAVs trajectory to maximize the transmitted
data or minimize the round trip time. Specifically, we use tools
from stochastic geometry to model the locations of IoT clusters
and TBSs. Given the nature of random locations, the proposed
algorithm applies to general cases. Our numerical results show
that multi-purpose UAVs are practical and have great potential to
enhance the energy/time-efficiency of future networks
Law, Morality, and the State’s Justification of Punishment: Aquinas, J.S. Mill and Brentano
No full textEven though their views differ on what constitutes the proper relationship between morality and the law, Aquinas, J.S. Mill and Brentano all agree that the state is morally justified in inflicting punishment on those who are found guilty of infringing state law and committing crime. Punishment is necessary, they argue, for the purposes of bringing about law compliance and a better society. Punishment, however, steps in after the law has not been complied with and, even when transacted, punishment is no guarantee of any moral betterment in society. Notwithstanding the different moral theories that Aquinas, Mill and Brentano elaborate, this paper argues that each of these authors hold an a priori moral conviction in the state's justification of punishment, but this cherished conviction can be called into question on practical, moral and state grounds