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Developing a Waste-to-Energy Assessment Framework Integrating Engineering and Policy Dimensions Using a Triple Bottom Line Approach
No full textThe management of municipal solid waste (MSW) in swiftly urbanizing Philippine cities has emerged as a critical concern in both energy and governance. Dependence on landfills is approaching critical thresholds as disposal sites near saturation, transportation costs escalate, and host communities increasingly resist garbage transfers. In response, this study proposes a comprehensive Waste-to-Energy (WtE) assessment framework that integrates engineering evaluation with policy and stakeholder analysis to support sustainable decision- making.
Using Baguio City as a case study, the framework applies a Triple Bottom Line (TBL) approach to evaluate three waste management scenarios: (1) current landfill-dominated practices, (2) engineered landfill with gas recovery systems, and (3) an alternative thermochemical conversion pathway. The engineering component examines energy recovery potential, system costs, and greenhouse gas emission intensity using a streamlined modeling process informed by local waste composition data. The policy component incorporates stakeholder perspectives on health, social acceptance, and inter- LGU coordination to reflect governance conditions influencing implementation feasibility.
Quantitative indicators across the economic, environmental, and energy dimensions are normalized and integrated into a composite TBL index to compare the sustainability performance of each scenario. Findings demonstrate that while thermochemical conversion offers superior energy recovery, landfill gas recovery performs better environmentally, underscoring the need for balanced prioritization. The proposed framework, grounded in local realities, is designed as a transferable decision-support model for municipalities seeking to integrate technical feasibility, environmental accountability, and governance coherence in transitioning toward circular and low-carbon waste systems
Transforming Energy Management with Advanced Web-Driven Community Dashboards
No full textDashboards have proven to be useful tools for decision-making processes across various industries, including energy management. By visualizing data and providing insights, they help make informed decisions. This project explores the development of a local community energy analytics dashboard, showing how modern web technologies like the Next.js 14 framework can contribute to energy management efforts. By integrating these web tools, the dashboard makes energy consumption data more accessible and actionable, potentially supporting sustainability initiatives at the community level. The project highlights the importance of using user-friendly technologies to foster social innovation and improve sustainability practices. Future research should focus on improving performance, incorporating user feedback, and adding relevant features to maximize the use of such solutions for energy sustainability
Nepenthes megastoma (Nepenthaceae), a Micro-Endemic Pitcher Plant from Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Palawan, Philippines
No full textNepenthes megastoma is described and illustrated as a new species from the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Palawan Philippines. This carnivorous tropical pitcher plant is currently known from just three locations in the Mount Saint Paul karst formation, where it grows on vertical limestone walls. Morphologically, N. megastoma is characterised by its highly branched stems, campanulate pitchers, peltate tendril exsertion, dimorphic upper pitchers, and unidirectionally upturned female flowers. It is assessed as Critically Endangered under the IUCN Red List criteria, based on its restriction to three subpopulations comprising few total individuals. Pitcher morphology suggests a degree of ecological-functional convergence with N. campanulata of Borneo, though overall morphology indicates a probable close affinity with the widespread Palawan endemic N. philippinensis
Symbolism in Liu Yichang’s Inside the Temple
No full textLiu Yichang’s (刘以鬯, 1918–2018) novella Inside the Temple (Sinei; 寺内), has been widely regarded, along with The Drunkard (Jiutu; 酒徒) and Intersection (Duidao; 对倒), as one of the best representatives of Liu’s work due to its narrative completeness and unique literary style. This article explores the symbols that Liu adopts in Sinei as he merges Western stream-of-consciousness techniques with Chinese poetic language. Liu’s synthesis offers fresh insight into humanity, life, and society from two perspectives: “abstract” and “concrete.” Certain images in the novella carry an “abstract” geometric quality and can be categorized as either symbols of the “straight line” (zhixian; 直线) or symbols of the “circle” (yuanquan; 圆圈). The symbols of the straight line create a dynamic interplay between the characters and their surroundings, at times driving the narrative forward and at times obstructing the narrative, while the symbols of the circle construct a series of circular images derived from modern life experiences, serving as metaphors for the characters’ drunken dreams, the release of their desires, and their longing to escape constraints and oppression. These “abstract” symbols are presented alongside more “concrete” symbols that draw upon traditional imagery, such as the moon, which Liu Yichang imbues with new meanings. The moonlight awakens the characters’ long-suppressed emotions and thoughts, ultimately prompting acts of resistance. The moon’s presence throughout the story creates a sense of unity and resonance and adds depth to the characters’ inner worlds
Tranexamic Acid as Treatment for Acute Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
No full textIntroduction
Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a common and potentially life-threatening medical emergency. Despite advancements in therapy, mortality rates associated with GI bleeding remain high (2.4% to 11%). Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been proposed as a treatment. However, the HALT-IT trial questioned its efficacy and safety, showing no significant reduction in death and potential thrombotic complications. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of TXA in treating acute GI bleeding.
Methods
This systematic review and meta-analysis followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. In October 2024 a comprehensive literature search was conducted using relevant MeSh terms and keywords in 11 databases. We included patients with acute GI bleeding treated with TXA and compared it with either a placebo or standard treatment. Outcomes such as mortality, need for blood transfusion, surgery and thrombotic events were studied.
Results
The search identified 6810 articles. After screening, 23 studies were included, encompassing 2,061,231 participants. Our meta-analysis demonstrated that TXA significantly reduced rebleeding rates overall (RR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.87-0.97). This effect was even more pronounced in studies with a lower risk of bias. Additionally, TXA use was associated with a mortality reduction when administered through both oral and intravenous routes (RR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.35-0.89) and in cases of upper GI bleeding (RR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87). However, TXA was linked to a significant increase in mortality in patients with lower GI bleeding (RR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.44-1.93) and overall reduction when only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included (RR:0.83, 95% CI; 0.70 to 0,97, I2=0%). Other variables, such as the overall need for blood transfusions (RR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.80-1.32), thrombotic events (RR: 1.30, 95% CI: 0.75-2.23) and the need for surgical intervention (RR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.57-1.09), did not reach statistical significance. However, when considering only low risk of bias studies the need for surgical interventions was significantly reduced (RR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.75 to 0.97, I2=0%).
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that TXA significantly reduces rebleeding in patients, particularly in upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) and reduces need for surgical intervention when excluding high risk of bias studies. The findings also demonstrated a significant reduction in mortality, particularly in certain sub-groups. There was no definitive evidence that its use is associated with thromboembolictic events. These results highlight the potential benefit of TXA without dismissing the need for cautious interpretation and individualized patient management when considering TXA for GI bleeding
The Posthuman Evolution of a Hazardous Transcorporeality: Tracy K. Smith’s Poetics of Water from “Thirst” to Wade in the Water
Full text linkThis study analyzes Tracy K. Smith’s poetry through the lens of ecological materialism and Stacy Alaimo’s concept of transcorporeality, which emphasizes the fluidity and vitality of bodies and their interconnectedness. Tracing the evolution of Smith’s ethicopolitical concerns, I explore the elemental and transcorporeal forces in her work that create a poetics of fluidity. Additionally, I argue that Smith’s poetic trajectory marks a significant shift away from humanist frameworks, advancing toward a politically charged conception of Black marginality. By examining Smith’s poem “Watershed” in relation to Muriel Rukeyser’s The Book of the Dead, this study investigates the development of a posthuman lyric in Smith’s later work, viewed through the lens of hazardous transcorporeality
Transcultural Identity in Tan Twan Eng’s The Garden of Evening Mists
Full text linkThe Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng narrates the progression from apprenticeship of a Malaysian Chinese woman, Teoh Yun Ling, to her romantic relationship with a Japanese gardener, Nakamura Aritomo, expanding the space for identity writing in Malaysian English literature that reflects the interactions among diverse cultures. This article discusses Yun Ling’s adaptation of Japanese culture at the acculturation stage, her rediscovery of Chinese culture at the deculturation stage, and her transcultural practice of different cultures at the neoculturation stage, in light of transculturation theory. It argues that Yun Ling’s ongoing negotiation, while involving a collision between the external Japanese and internal Chinese cultures, forms an important foundation for her determination to practice her transcultural identity within multicultural Malaysia. It offers an alternative perspective for better understanding the mutual connections among diverse cultures and embracing hybridity, a central concept in postcolonial studies
On Exasperated Isles
Full text linkThis essay is an experimental piece of writing that brings together an array of thinkers from different traditions. Readers will encounter allusions to the Heideggerian Marxism of Axelos, the schizoanalysis of Deleuze and Guattari, and the pre-Socratics such as Heraclitus. Badiou is present, alongside Glissant, Nietzsche, and Bernard Stiegler. Karl Marx also makes an appearance. My project is to rethink the question of the unthought and the open system. I have been exploring this theme in various contexts, and for nearly a decade, I have been revisiting the excellent philosophy of Kostas Axelos. Axelos is a thinker who is rarely read nowadays, contributing to a certain impoverishment of thought, especially in the philosophy of technology. This intellectual deficiency overlooks the opportunity to critique technology as a whole, including Heidegger’s interpretation of it. I believe that through figures like Axelos, working in conjunction with philosophers like Deleuze and Guattari, a new mode of thinking can emerge—what I refer to as the open system or the quest for the philosophy of the unthought. So here, I explore the idea of philosophy as an exhausted exercise and contemplate the very end of utopian thinking as such. Central to my thought experiment is the “enigmatic” notion of the utterly unexpected, as articulated by Heraclitus. I intend to weave together various philosophical threads, drawing insights from thinkers such as Axelos on l’impense (the unthought), Glissant (relation), and Deleuze and Guattari (rhizome), to shed light on contemporary existential challenges in the context of the Anthropocene. By invoking the Greek concept of the unexpected, I make connections between Heraclitus’s fragmentary philosophy and the idea of the open system (Axelos). With a focus on philosophy’s state of exhaustion, I will explore the potential ramifications of this weariness for contemporary thought