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Justification of principles for healthcare priority setting: the relevance and roles of empirical studies exploring public values [Elektronisk resurs]
No full textHow should scarce healthcare resources be distributed? This is a contentious issue that became especially pressing during the pandemic. It is often emphasised that studies exploring public views about this question provide valuable input to the issue of healthcare priority setting. While there has been a vast number of such studies it is rarely articulated, more specifically, what the results from these studies would mean for the justification of principles for priority setting. On the one hand, it seems unreasonable that public values would straightforwardly decide the ethical question of how resources should be distributed. On the other hand, in a democratic society, it seems equally unreasonable that they would be considered irrelevant for this question. In this paper we draw on the notion of reflective equilibrium and discuss the relevance and roles that empirical studies may plausibly have for justification in priority setting ethics. We develop a framework for analysing how different kinds of empirical results may have different kinds of implications for justification.</p
PRDM16 functions as a co-repressor in the BMP pathway to suppress neural stem cell proliferation
No full textBMP signaling acts as an instructive cue in various developmental processes such as tissue patterning, stem cell proliferation, and differentiation. However, it is not fully understood how this signaling pathway generates different cell-specific outputs. Here, we have identified PRDM16 as a key co-factor for BMP signaling in the mouse brain. PRDM16 contributes to a repressive role of BMP signaling on neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation. We demonstrate that PRDM16 regulates the genomic distribution of BMP pathway transcription factors, the SMAD4/pSMAD complex, preventing the activation of cell proliferation genes. When Prdm16 is lost, the SMAD complex relocates to nearby genomic regions, leading to abnormal upregulation of BMP target genes. This function of PRDM16 is also required for the specification of choroid plexus (ChP) epithelial cells. Through a single-cell resolution fluorescent in situ approach, we have observed that genes co-repressed by SMAD and PRDM16, such as Wnt7b and several cell cycle regulators, become overexpressed in Prdm16 mutant ChP. Our findings elucidate a mechanism through which SMAD4 and pSMAD1/5/8 repress gene expression. Moreover, our study suggests a regulatory circuit composed of BMP and Wnt signaling, along with PRDM16, in controlling stem cell behaviors.</p
Temperature and plastic strain dependent Chaboche model for 316 L used in simulation of cold pilgering [Elektronisk resurs]
No full textCold pilgering is a complex forming process used to produce seamless tubes, posing significant challenges in material modeling due to its non-proportional loading history and extensive accumulated plastic strain. In this study, a temperature- and plastic strain-dependent Chaboche model for 316 L stainless steel was developed and calibrated. To simulate the complex loading conditions, unique alternating compression-compression tests were conducted, and the model parameters were optimized accordingly. The calibrated model was integrated into a thermo-mechanical finite element simulation of the cold pilgering process, resulting in improved accuracy in predicting stress-strain responses and yield stress evolution. Close agreement with experimental tensile tests of the final tube was demonstrated, illustrating the model’s capability to predict hardening behavior during cold pilgering. Valuable insights and a practical modeling approach for enhancing the simulation and optimization of cold pilgering processes are provided by this work.</p
A safety net for all? – Vignette-based assessments of Swedish social assistance over three decades
No full textSwedish welfare is often characterized as comprehensive and generous. Social assistance constitutes the final safety net in the Swedish model. Unlike most other benefits, eligibility and subsidy levels are here subject to extensive means-testing, with eligibility determined by individual caseworkers. In this article, we explore the extent to which eligibility determination and generosity of benefits have changed in social assistance assessments over three decades, relating these to changes in regulations over the same period.The article presents data from three independent vignette studies conducted in the mid-1990s, mid-2000s and in 2018 respectively. The data consist of assessments of a total of six vignettes, made by individual caseworkers (n=1 337). The results indicate that overall generosity in social assistance has decreased considerably over the last 25 years and that, despite both national and local initiatives to reduce individual variation in assessments, disparities have instead increased.</p
Hybrids and Heritage Resources: Rethinking the social foundation of Historic Environment Records in England Hybrids and heritage resources in English HERs
No full textBy reconsidering the concept of the historic environment, the aim is to better understand how heritage is expressed by examining the networks within which the cultural performances of the historic environment take place. The goal is to move beyond a purely material expression and seek the expansion of the cultural dimension of the historic environment. Conceptually, the historic environment is considered a valuable resource for heritage expression and exploration. The databases and records that house historic environment data are venerated and frequented entities for archaeologists, but arguably less so for non-specialist users. In inventorying the historic environment, they fulfil a major role in the planning process and asset management that is often considered to be more than just perfunctory. This paper approaches Historic Environment Records (HERs) from an actor network perspective, particularizing the social foundation and relationships within the networks governing the historic environment and its associated records. The paper concludes that the performance of HERs from an actor-network perspective is a hegemonic process, that is biased towards the supply and input to and from professional users. Furthermore. the article provides a schematic for how many of the flaws in heritage transmission have come about. The relevance here is largely belied by the fact that HERs as both public digital resources and as heritage networks were awaiting to be addressed in depth from a theoretical point of view
Drones in last-mile delivery: a systematic literature review from a logistics management perspective [Elektronisk resurs]
No full textPurposeThis study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of the interdisciplinary literature on drones in last-mile delivery (LMD) to extrapolate pertinent insights from and into the logistics management field.Design/methodology/approachRooting their analytical categories in the LMD literature, the authors performed a deductive, theory refinement SLR on 307 interdisciplinary journal articles published during 2015–2022 to integrate this emergent phenomenon into the field.FindingsThe authors derived the potentials, challenges and solutions of drone deliveries in relation to 12 LMD criteria dispersed across four stakeholder groups: senders, receivers, regulators and societies. Relationships between these criteria were also identified.Research limitations/implicationsThis review contributes to logistics management by offering a current, nuanced and multifaceted discussion of drones' potential to improve the LMD process together with the challenges and solutions involved.Practical implicationsThe authors provide logistics managers with a holistic roadmap to help them make informed decisions about adopting drones in their delivery systems. Regulators and society members also gain insights into the prospects, requirements and repercussions of drone deliveries.Originality/valueThis is one of the first SLRs on drone applications in LMD from a logistics management perspective.</p
Energy Consumption Evaluation of Emerging and Current Vehicle Fleets in Urban Logistics
No full textDriverless multipurpose vehicles (DMVs) are an emerging vehicle concept for urban heavy-duty transport. However, little is known about their effect on urban road transport systems. Thus, the aim of this study is to analyse the total fleet energy consumption of DMVs for specific transport operations in urban logistics compared to heavy- duty battery and combustion vehicles. A novel electric vehicle routing problem was used to simulate in total 96 case-studies of operations with varying network and vehicle fleet properties. We found that the combustion vehicle fleets consumed significantly more energy for the same operation compared to the electric vehicle fleets. Although the DMV fleet and battery electric vehicle fleet showcased similar energy consumption for most case-studies, there were several operations where the DMV fleet consumed less energy and required a smaller fleet size. This study highlights the potential benefits of DMV fleets in urban logistics operations in terms of reducing total fleet energy consumption and fleet size.</p
On the multi-scale nature of ski-snow friction in cold conditions [Elektronisk resurs]
No full textIn the Olympic winter sports cross-country skiing and the biathlon, athletes aim to minimise resistive forces such as aerodynamic drag, gravity, and ski–snow friction to enhance performance. Ski–snow friction is complex, involving multiple friction mechanisms that vary depending on snow conditions. In cold environments, where the moisture and water content are minimal, friction is presumably influenced primarily by dry interactions between the ski and snow, particularly through adhesion and abrasion at the micro-scale. Here, we examined ski–snow friction under cold conditions using eight pairs of cross-country skis, with different apparent contact lengths and real contact areas. Our findings revealed that apparent contact length, a macro-scale parameter, had the greatest impact on friction, followed by total real contact area, which is a multi-scale parameter. For snow temperatures below approximately −10 °C, longer apparent contact lengths reduced friction, whereas shorter lengths are more effective above −10 °C. In addition, at −3 °C, minimising the total real contact area was advantageous for reducing friction, while this effect diminished at −8.5 °C. At the coldest tested temperature of −13 °C, a larger total real contact area resulted in the lowest friction. These findings highlight the importance of considering both macro- and micro-scale contact properties for optimising ski performance in different cold conditions.</p
Sexual and gender-based harassment against police employees in European countries : a scoping review
No full textSexual and gender-based harassment is a work environment concern, especially in hierarchical and male-dominant organisations such as the police. This scoping review aims to examine the existing literature on such harassment against police employees in Europe to identify the available knowledge and highlight the gaps for future studies. Following the Arksey and O'Malley framework, 16 relevant articles were analysed. Most of the studies were focused on sexual harassment, and gender-based harassment was mostly absent or mixed with other discriminations. The analysis resulted in six main themes: existence of sexual and gender-based harassment; perpetrators; associated factors; consequences; individual response; and impact of organisational policies. The findings demonstrate that such harassment remains prevalent among police employees, emphasising the need for continuous and rigorous supervision, evaluation, and comprehensive revision of policies by police authorities. This study recommends further research to address the identified gaps in this field.PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENTThe findings presented in this article have the potential to significantly advance the field of police research in Europe by providing a comprehensive map of existing knowledge and identifying important gaps within this research domain. Moreover, the study facilitates the application of more accurate and comprehensive methodologies. Additionally, the outcomes of this research can directly benefit police authorities by offering insights to enhance organizational culture and the work environment for police employees.</p