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Climate Change and International Ethics
No full textClimate change is a complex collective action problem on a global and intergenerational scale. All sorts of otherwise unproblematic activities become morally questionable due to their contribution to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. All sorts of pre-existing vulnerabilities increase the danger that changes in climatic patterns result in humanitarian catastrophes. Climate change thus poses challenges for normative theory as such. There are ethical questions such as: How to balance the right to development and poverty reduction with our duties to reduce greenhouse gases for the sake of future generations? There are conceptual questions like: How are we to understand normatively significant responsibility in the context of complex collective action problems? There are questions relating to ethical guidelines in circumstances of risk and uncertainty. Finally, there is the question of to how to motivate people to do the right thing where there is so much distance in time and space between those incurring the costs of combatting climate change and those most benefitting from preventing it. This links to policy questions as to what kind of political institutions are realistic, legitimate, and efficient in providing climate protections. There are particular challenges which require us to reassess our approaches to ethics in international relations: How are we to deal with the situation that those who hold the most power and have the greatest capacities for realising an effective global climate policy have the least incentives to do so? How are we to assess the relevant normative concerns when they involve issues more complex than those enshrined in the minimal ethical consensus of formal human rights? In particular, what kind of normative framework is suitable to evaluate across cultural differences issues as distinct as raising energy prices, job losses, increased risks relating to extreme weather events, threats to cultural traditions (e.g. Inuit relying on a particular quality of snow and Americans used to going for a Sunday drive in a powerful car), and the loss of statehood for low lying Small Island States doomed by raising sea levels? This chapter will not attempt to answer any of these questions. Instead it will analyse the different strands of these interconnected questions and present an overview of the current approaches. To do so, the first section briefly presents the current understanding of climate science that forms the background of the debate and explains which features are deemed as normatively significant. The second section identifies the different (yet interconnected) angles of debates on justice in the context of climate change. The third section takes a look at the different theories of justice most prominent in influencing the current debates and their shortcomings. The forth section hones in on the particular role of international relations in the latest approaches to climate justice focusing on the need for discursive and relational approaches to justice. The final section concludes this chapter highlighting the importance of continued commitment to the values underlying human rights in the context of demands for mutual recognition and a better understanding of the global public sphere.European Commission Horizon 202
The gut microbiome influences the bioavailability of olanzapine in rats.
No full textBackground: The role of the gut microbiome in the biotransformation of drugs has recently come under scrutiny. It remains unclear whether the gut microbiome directly influences the extent of drug absorbed after oral administration and thus potentially alters clinical pharmacokinetics. Methods: In this study, we evaluated whether changes in the gut microbiota of male Sprague Dawley rats, as a result of either antibiotic or probiotic administration, influenced the oral bioavailability of two commonly prescribed antipsychotics, olanzapine and risperidone. Findings: The bioavailability of olanzapine, was significantly increased (1.8-fold) in rats that had undergone antibiotic-induced depletion of gut microbiota, whereas the bioavailability of risperidone was unchanged. There was no direct effect of microbiota depletion on the expression of major CYP450 enzymes involved in the metabolism of either drug. However, the expression of UGT1A3 in the duodenum was significantly downregulated. The reduction in faecal enzymatic activity, observed during and after antibiotic administration, did not alter the ex vivo metabolism of olanzapine or risperidone. The relative abundance of Alistipes significantly correlated with the AUC of olanzapine but not risperidone. Interpretation: Alistipes may play a role in the observed alterations in olanzapine pharmacokinetics. The gut microbiome might be an important variable determining the systemic bioavailability of orally administered olanzapine. Additional research exploring the potential implication of the gut microbiota on the clinical pharmacokinetics of olanzapine in humans is warranted
Onboarding new hires: recognising mutual learning opportunities
No full textPurpose – The onboarding stage of new hires represents a unique opportunity for mutual learning between the new hires and the organisation regardless of the company size. The current paper aims to address these learning opportunities. Design/methodology/approach – The authors reflect on current practice, draw on recent literature and their experience with recruitment and selection processes in the industry to generate new insights and identify opportunities for practitioners and new hires alike. Findings – Today’s new hires expect onboarding experiences that allow for a much greater degree of flexibility, customisation and personalisation. Similarly, many new hires expect hiring, onboarding, and learning and development to be interconnected to generate new learning and career opportunities. However, these expectations require changes in the way in which onboarding is implemented, evaluated and connected to other human resource practices, specifically with the dramatic (and successful) increase in remote work arrangements in 2020 in response to the global impact of the pandemic. Originality/value – The current paper provides readers with an overview of potential learning opportunities, outlines specific success factors and highlights a variety of pointers for practice and further professional development
Developing Microphysiological Systems of Bone Development, Physiology, and Repair
No full textAccurate models of human tissues and organ systems are foundational in our efforts to better understand human physiology. In the context of bone, a number of in vitro and in vivo models have been developed that facilitate study of bone at the cell, tissue and whole organism level. However, despite years of research, our knowledge of fundamental bone physiology is still limited to the extent that the cause of prominent bone diseases is still unknown. Microphysiological systems (MPSs), or organ-on-chip systems, represent a promising new platform technology with potential to augment current model systems and facilitate advanced bone research by recreating key bone functions in vitro. To realise this potential, the overall objective of this thesis is to develop MPSs of bone development, physiology and repair.
The first aim of this thesis was to establish methods of vascularising tissues within microfluidic devices as templates for generating physiologically relevant bone MPSs. Specifically, methods facilitating endothelial cell vasculogenesis in MPS devices with hBMSCs acting as a support cell were developed. It was observed that hBMSCs could directly support HUVEC vasculogenesis when cultured in the same hydrogel, or indirectly by the release of paracrine factors when cultured in separate hydrogels within an MPS device. This provides a framework to engineer bone with physiologically relevant vasculature in vitro.
The second aim of this thesis was to develop a model of endochondral ossification (EO) to mimic bone development/repair within a MPS device. hBMSC spheroids mimicking the different stages of cartilage maturity in developing/regenerating bone were vascularised to model key events during the transition of cartilage to bone in EO. The model showed evidence of key EO events such as the angiogenic switch that occurs between mature and hypertrophic cartilage, and vascular induced pluripotency. Vascular development was found to depend on the maturity of the cartilage spheroids, while in turn the phenotype of the developing cartilage was altered by the invading vasculature.
The final aim of the thesis was to develop a model of bone tissue capable of recreating the function of osteoblasts and osteocytes in mature bone, as these cells specifically are critical to bone remodelling and endocrine function. A collagen nanohydroxyapatite hydrogel was developed that can drive osteogenesis of hBMSCs, manifesting in the secretion of factors clinically relevant to bone remodelling and endocrine function. Thus, this engineered bone tissue can recreate mature bone function using an accessible human derived cell source for use in MPSs.
In summary, the work presented in this thesis establishes advanced models of human bone development/regeneration and mature bone function in MPS devices. Such in vitro systems have potential to improve our understanding of basic bone physiology, and hence accelerate research that will improve outcomes for those suffering with bone related conditions
Bioeconomy: Regional Innovation Ecosystem (West Ireland)
No full textThis study has discovered key players in Academia, Industry, Government
organizations, financial stakeholders and Users of west Ireland that consist of
nine counties- Clare, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Leitrim, Limerick, Mayo,
Roscommon and Sligo for developing Regional Innovation Ecosystem
focused on Bioeconomy for land and sea. This thesis has explored the
mechanisms of Interactions that can contribute towards active collaboration
of these four key players such as meetings, webinars etc. that are necessary
for knowledge sharing between research centers and Industries for strategic
implementation of Bio-economy. Secondary research during the thesis is
done using case study analysis of existing regional innovation systems like
Agri-food French Bio-economy, Sustainable forest Indicators-National Bioeconomy and Marine Knowledge Exchange Network (M-KEN) in East
England. Primary research is conducted through focused interviews of head
of the departments of universities, firms, SMEs, NGOs and government
organizations of three major sectors: agri-food, forest and fishing of bioeconomy responsible for conducting research, sharing information, making
policies and financing the activities. The Data collected through primary and
secondary analysis is further used to develop the roadmap of interaction and
have provided an analysis of the challenges that exist in implementing west
Ireland Bioeconomy for land and Marine
"Is there a way back to me, for me"? Older men\u27s stories of Life, Loss, Connection and Community Development.
No full textIt is well documented that older men do not connect in any real way with community
work, are difficult to engage with, and are at risk of isolation. This narrative inquiry tells
the story of six older men (55+) living on the margins of society in a public sheltered
housing complex in Dublin and how they talk about their engagement with a local
community development project.
The participants were selected from the many older men that engage with the local
community development project, that were interested in sharing, as well as being capable
of telling their story. The study is located within the interpretive paradigm where the
narrative methodology approach involved un-structured, participant led interviews which
maximized the potential for important discovery, particularly when combined with the
researcher’s long-time relationships that had been built over many years of working with
the participants. Data collection took place over numerous hours of conversational type
interviews and observation; stories were elicited, while also employing a constant back
and forth researcher/participant clarity checking process.
The study was guided by an ethical imperative, embedded within community work values,
and the relational ethic of narrative inquiry. The findings reflect the struggle facedby the
participants in dealing with poverty, inequality over a lifetime, invisibility disconnection,
unemployment, and loss of identity,struggle for redemption, love and loss,onset of old-age
and the subsequent loss of their masculinity script. Participants displayeda strong sense of
longing to belong, while dealing with personalized blame and regret fortheir perceived
failure as men. The findings emphasised the important work of the local community
development project, and the imperative of trusting relationships between community
workers and the people they engage with. Engaging in community development as well
asthe research process created in the participants a sense of agency,renewed purpose, self�belief that grew throughout the study.
In order to create positive change, when working with older men, we need to create
conditions and environments where those who are seldom heard feel that their voice is
relevant, listened to, understood, and acted upon
Private hedge fund firms\u27 incentives and performance: Evidence from audited filings
No full textUsing an entirely new dataset of audited filings from firms that manage hedge funds, this study examines whether the hedge fund compensation contract aligns managerial incentives and investor interests. Our novel dataset allows us to distinguish between firms focused exclusively on hedge fund management and diversified firms offering products in addition to hedge funds. Our results for compensation data of hedge fund only management firms confirm that compensation increases as assets under management increase, despite increased costs and performance diseconomies of scale. Hedge funds managed by diversified firms have significantly lower performance. A relatively small proportion of the compensation from these firms is generated from hedge funds. The results are consistent with diversified hedge fund firms having weaker alignment between managerial incentives and investment performance
Prevalence and impact of X-ray screening for atlantoaxial instability in children with Down syndrome
No full textIntroduction:
Atlantoaxial instability (AAI) is defined as excessive movement between the first and second
cervical vertebra. This can lead to spinal cord compression, resulting in myelopathic and
radicular symptoms. These symptoms occur in 1-2% of the down syndrome (DS) population.
DS athletes are often required to undergo pre-participation X-ray screening for AAI to help
identify those at risk. However, the evidence for plain cervical spine X-ray as a form of
screening is poor.
Aim:
This project aims to explore the use, sensitivity and specificity of X-ray screening for AAI in
the Irish DS population, to investigate the prevalence of symptomatic AAI, to identify the
rate of sport exclusion based on an abnormal X-ray and to investigate whether neuromuscular
conditions, type of schooling or activity level are significantly correlated to an abnormal Xray.
Method:
This is a nation-wide cross-sectional online survey. It was rolled out via email by Down
Syndrome Ireland to 1511 registered families. The survey asked parents if their child has had
to undergo x-ray screening, the result of the x-ray, the impact of the result and if they
developed symptoms. The survey also assessed parental knowledge of symptoms of AAI.
Results:
Out of 240 responders, 7 responders had symptomatic AAI and 5 of these had normal X-rays
(29% sensitivity). Chi-Squared testing showed no variables significantly correlated with
having an abnormal X-ray. Of the total group of 146 who underwent X-ray pre-participation
screening, 20 had abnormal results and were excluded from playing their desired sports
(specificity 86.7 %).
Conclusion:
X-ray screening for AAI in Ireland is very common and can result in the exclusion of many
from participating in sports. Plain X-ray has low sensitivity. Therefore, it is not an optimal
screening tool for AAI in asymptomatic children. More should be done to improve parental
knowledge of this condition
Onomatopoeia: a relevance-based eye-tracking study of digital manga
No full textThis study is concerned with the reception of onomatopoeia in the English translation of digital manga. In manga, onomatopoeia is often presented as part of the aesthetics, being both verbal (meaning) and non-verbal (showing) simultaneously. Drawing on the relevance-theoretic notion of a showing-saying continuum (Sperber and Wilson 1995), this study aims to identify factors that affect reading behaviour including the translation strategies and the degree of the showing/meaning ness. We conducted an eye-tracking study to gain empirically supported insight into readers’ interaction with onomatopoeia in manga. Findings of this study show that full-textual substitution, which is the hybrid of showing-meaning, attracts most interest and is the area that receives most attention when compared with annotation or the Japanese original. This in turn indicates that the degree of showing-ness of onomatopoeia influences the way readers interact with onomatopoeia in manga. The conclusion is that separating the showing and meaning elements of onomatopoeia in manga could result in a loss of engagement potential with readers, and full-textual substitution would be the recommended translation strategy for the best level of attention
Introduction: Visual Ethics after Communism
No full textThis special issue problematizes the often-uncritical use of images in publications and displays about communism. It poses a number of questions for anthropologists, historians, museologists and others: when does an image or a museum display present itself as problematic and for whom? Under what circumstances is it ethically justifiable to exhibit or publish such images or, conversely, to put images aside, leaving them undisplayed? When do arguments based on “the public good” outweigh the right to personal privacy, individual integrity and cultural patrimony of source communities