Equal Consideration Research Articles

XI—Equality, Friendship, and Politics

Abstract A growing number of theorists have argued for equality as an ideal of social relations. For these theorists, the ideal of relational equality is embedded in many social relationships in modern society with which people are familiar. Friendship, they argue, is a paradigmatic case of relational equality, in the sense that it is essentially constituted by two norms of equality: equal power or authority and equal consideration of interests. Furthermore, equality in personal relationships can support equality in the political relationship of citizens. This essay challenges these claims made by relational egalitarians. It argues that friendship is not constituted by the two norms of equality, and is a poor model for political relationships.

Valuing informal carers\u2019 quality of life using best-worst scaling\u2014Finnish preference weights for the Adult \ufeffSocial Care Outcomes Toolkit for carers (ASCOT-Carer)

This study developed Finnish preference weights for the seven-attribute Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit for carers (ASCOT-Carer) and investigated survey fatigue and learning in best-worst scaling (BWS) experiments. An online survey that included a BWS experiment using the ASCOT-Carer was completed by a sample from the general population in Finland. A block of eight BWS profiles describing different states from the ASCOT-Carer were randomly assigned to each respondent, who consecutively made four choices (best, worst, second best and second worst) per profile. The analysis panel data had 32,160 choices made by 1005 respondents. A scale multinomial logit (S-MNL) model was used to estimate preference weights for 28 ASCOT-Carer attribute levels. Fatigue and learning effects were examined as scale heterogeneity. Several specifications of the generalised MNL model were employed to ensure the stability of the preference estimates. The most and least-valued states were the top and bottom levels of the control over daily life attribute. The preference weights were not on a cardinal scale. We observed the position effect of the attributes on preferences associated with the best or second-best choices. A learning effect was found. The established preference weights can be used in evaluations of the effects of long-term care services and interventions on the quality of life of service users and caregivers. The learning effect implies a need to develop study designs that ensure equal consideration to all profiles (choice tasks) in a sequential choice experiment.

Classifying ecosystem disservices and valuating their effects - a case study of Beijing, China

Ecosystem disservices (EDS) is an important form of social-ecological interactions and can strongly influence people’s perception of nature. However, compare to ecosystem services (ES), current studies on EDS are still very limited especially from the perspective of classification and valuation. Here, we firstly proposed a function-based classification system to better explain the general effects of EDS. Then, we used Beijing, the capital of China, as a case study to value three common urban EDS (excessive decrease in water quantity, plant-related diseases and infrastructure damage) there. The results suggested that the total EDS value of Beijing was approximately 10.54 billion RMB/year in 2019, which equaled about 5.13% of the total value of five important ecosystem services (food and raw material production, climate regulation, environmental quality regulation, soil retention and ecotourism). The finding showed that although EDS caused considerable financial loss, the potential economic gains from ecosystem services could still greatly outweigh the loss and therefore supported the current urban greening expansion policy in Beijing. Our study attempted to promote the bridging of ecosystem services and disservices studies and call for more equal consideration of both ES and EDS to create more compressive and sustainable planning.

IMPEDIMENTS TO WOMEN HIGHER EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN: A CASE STUDY OF DISTRICT CHITRAL

Education is a holistic approach for peace, progress and bringing change in a society. Women equipped with higher education play a significant role in development of a country. The socio-economic and political uplift of a society largely depends on women higher education. Almost all the developed countries of the world give equal attention and consideration to boys as well as girls education; however higher education in underdeveloped states including Pakistan is the most neglected sector. In developing countries including Pakistan one of the major causes of lagging behind economically and socially is absence of technically qualified and highly educated women. Since its inception Pakistan has faced many serious issues in education sector and the education system has failed to deliver to the aspirations of the people. However, literacy rate in Pakistan since 2014 has sustainably increased from 56 percent to 59 percent, however the ratio and proportion of girls is 43 percent as compared to boy’s 57 percent which is still a matter of serious concern. The status of women education varies in rural urban division in Pakistan. Situated just across the borders of Afghanistan Chitral is the northern-most district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Because of its topology and geographic location Chitral is isolated from the rest of Pakistan. The socio-economic sector of the area was largely ignored in the past, due to which the living condition of people are extremely poor. Among the population of 4 lakhs almost 36 percent of the population live below the poverty line according to a baseline survey (ICUN). Although the ratio of education in Chitral is high comparatively in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but still women face substantial challenges and hurdles in higher education. Women education in primary and secondary level is slightly better than higher education level. Women face many hurdles and issues because of socio-cultural taboos, financial constraints, negative perception of co-education and lack of facilities in in higher education sector. This paper will discuss and highlight the status of women education in Chitral, problem faced by NGOs working for higher education, impediments to women higher education and will suggest recommendation for a better way forward

Toxic effects of UV filters from sunscreens on coral reefs revisited: regulatory aspects for \u201creef safe\u201d products

BackgroundTropical coral reefs have been recognized for their significant ecological and economical value. However, increasing anthropogenic disturbances have led to progressively declining coral reef ecosystems on a global scale. More recently, several studies implicated UV filters used in sunscreen products to negatively affect corals and possibly contribute to regional trends in coral decline. Following a public debate, bans were implemented on several organic UV filters and sunscreen products in different locations including Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Palau. This included banning the widely used oxybenzone and octinoxate, while promoting the use of inorganic filters such as zinc oxide even although their toxicity towards aquatic organisms had been documented previously. The bans of organic UV filters were based on preliminary scientific studies that showed several weaknesses as there is to this point no standardized testing scheme for scleractinian corals. Despite the lack of sound scientific proof, the latter controversial bans have already resulted in the emergence of a new sunscreen market for products claimed to be ‘reef safe’ (or similar). Thus, a market analysis of ‘reef safe’ sunscreen products was conducted to assess relevant environmental safety aspects of approved UV filters, especially for coral reefs. Further, a scientifically sound decision-making process in a regulatory context is proposed.ResultsOur market analysis revealed that about 80% of surveyed sunscreens contained inorganic UV filters and that there is a variety of unregulated claims being used in the marketing of ‘reef safe’ products with ‘reef friendly’ being the most frequently used term. Predominantly, four organic UV filters are used in ‘reef safe’ sunscreens in the absence of the banned filters oxybenzone and octinoxate. Analysis of safe threshold concentrations for marine water retrieved from existing REACH registration dossiers could currently also safeguard corals.ConclusionThere is a substantial discrepancy of treatments of organic versus inorganic UV filters in politics as well as in the ‘reef safe’ sunscreen market, which to this point is not scientifically justified. Thus, a risk-based approach with equal consideration of organic and inorganic UV filters is recommended for future regulatory measures as well as a clear definition and regulation of the ‘reef safe’ terminology.

Intraoperative Neuromonitoring During Resection of Gliomas Involving Eloquent Areas.

In the case of resection of gliomas involving eloquent areas, equal consideration should be given to maintain maximal extent of resection (EOR) and neurological protection, for which the intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) proves an effective and admirable approach. IONM techniques applied in clinical practice currently consist of somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP), direct electrical stimulation (DES), motor evoked potential (MEP), electromyography (EMG), and electrocorticography (ECoG). The combined use of DES and ECoG has been adopted widely. With the development of technology, more effective IONM tactics and programs would be proposed. The ultimate goal would be strengthening the localization of eloquent areas and epilepsy foci, reducing the incidence of postoperative dysfunction and epilepsy improving the life quality of patients.

Model-Based Contract Design for Low Energy Waste Heat Contracts: The Route to Pricing

Urban Waste Heat Recovery, heat recovery from low-temperature urban sources such as data centres and metro systems, has a great deal of potential in terms of meeting domestic and commercial heat demands whilst significantly reducing carbon emissions. Urban sources of heat are advantageous in that they tend to be close to areas of high heat demand and are therefore highly suitable as inputs to existing and newly constructed district heating networks. This paper has two main focuses. Firstly, the issue of efficiency in waste heat recovery is addressed with a focus on Technical, Economic, Social, and Environmental (TESE) efficiencies, which we consider should be given equal consideration. Secondly, we address the question of contractual efficiency and argue that contracts should be underpinned by mathematical modelling. We then focus on the contractual relationship between the owner of the waste heat and the district heating operator and consider the question of waste heat pricing. We suggest a profit sharing approach in which the price per unit of waste heat is allowed to vary according to important aspects such as demand and the electricity price. A demonstration of this approach is presented using a simple model of a waste heat recovery system that extracts heat from a data centre in Brunswick, Germany.

With Liberty and Reinsurance for All: Demanding a Government Backstop in Health Care

This article calls attention to our differential neglect of state-sponsored reinsurance for health care when viewed in light of the robust backstopping of risk that the U.S. government undertakes in other domains. For all our vaunted aversion to entitlements, whenever we as a nation we have deemed a material interest to be vital--from housing, food crops, higher education, or even banking--we have provided state guarantees. These guarantees, however, have not necessarily backed the individual beneficiary, but rather the primary private insurer or financier who bridges beneficiary access to that good or service. These commitments suggest an American conception of the government’s role as reinsurer of last resort. In these arenas and more, correlated or high-magnitude catastrophic losses are shed onto the state in order to smooth-out and shore-up the underlying private risk market. Health care risks should be given at least equal consideration.

Peer review declaration

All papers published in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing. Type of peer review: Single-blind Peer review conducted was a single-blind review. Conference submission management system: Easychair • Number of submissions received: 85 • Number of submissions sent for review: 43 (Engineering related manuscripts) Number of submissions accepted: 20 Acceptance Rate (Number of Submissions Accepted / Number of Submissions Received X 100): 23.5% Average number of reviews per paper: 1.3 • Total number of reviewers involved: 31 Any additional info on review process: Reviewers are to adhere to the requirements below:- 1. All unpublished manuscripts are confidential documents. 2. Equal consideration shall be given to all articles regardless of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, citizenship or political philosophy of the authors.3. Any terminology used shall not be offensive or might be perceived to be offensive to others.4. Statement of recommendation for each article shall be clear and comments shall be supplied in support of the recommendation.5. Only articles with clear support from reviewers will be accepted for publication.6. If plagiarism is detected in the article reviewed, please kindly notify the publication committee. • Contact person for queries: Dr Yong Ee Ling (email: eeling@utm.my) Dr Nor Eliza Alias (email: noreliza@utm.my)

From concrete to abstract regional planning strategies in North West England: building and legitimizing discourses and mobilizing actors for spatial transformation?

ABSTRACT This study questions if abstract regional planning strategies are fit to respond to changing societal and political conditions. We compare regional planning strategy making in North West England. Findings suggest that abstract strategies are more effective in building than managing transformative discourses. Results show that: (I) transformative discourses need to be built around manageable regional socio-spatial and spatial-economic disparities; (II) policy entrepreneurs should be targeted with equal consideration for power and counterpower; and (III) the regional planning authority should have access to specific funding schemes. It is our ultimate aim to re-energize strategic regional planning debates in England and beyond.

Misunderstanding and Truth About Peter Singer's Principle of Equal Consideration of Interests

Misunderstanding and Truth About Peter Singer's Principle of Equal Consideration of Interests

COVID-19 and Beyond: The Need for Copathy and Impartial Advisers.

When humanity has either suppressed coronavirus disease 2019 or learned to come to terms with its continued existence, governments and corporations probably return to their prepandemic stances. Solutions to the world's problems are sought from technology and business innovations, not from considerations of equality and well-being for all. This is in stark contrast with the pandemic-time situation. Many governments, at least initially, listened to the recommendations of expert advisers, most notably public health authorities, who proceeded from considerations of equality and common good. I suggest that we should continue on this path when the immediate threat of the disease is over. Other crises are already ongoing-poverty, conflicts, climate change, financial bubbles, and so on-and it would be good to use expert knowledge rather than interests and ideologies in dealing with them. To assist in this, I outline the characteristics of a new kind of counsellor, impartial adviser, who is normatively motivated by a sense of copathy and who takes into account all views, nice and not-so-nice alike. I illustrate the nature and ideological orientation of copathic impartial advisers by placing them on a map of justice and examining their relationships with the main political moralities of our time.

Professor SHI Yin's experience in treatment of obese polycystic ovary syndrome based on spleen and kidney functions

Professor SHI Yin's clinical experience in treatment of obese polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) accompained with infertility with acupuncture and moxibustion in view of spleen and kidney functions is summarized. Professor SHI believes PCOS is commonly seen in obese women of childbearing age, accompained with infertility, with kidney and spleen involved in terms of the disorder location. In pathogenesis, spleen and kidney deficiency is the primary and obstruction of phlegm (damp) in collateral is the secondary. According to clinical differentiation, the main acupoints are selected from the thoroughfare and conception vessels, the kidney meridian and the spleen/stomach meridian and the corresponding acupoint prescriptions and techniques are used individually, aiming at tonifying kidney, strengthening spleen, benefiting qi, resolving phlegm, eliminating damp, resolving stasis, activating blood circulating and regulating menstruation for successful pregnancy. Professor SHI proposes the theory as "taking syndrome/pattern differentiation as the root, equal consideration of the property of acupoints and that of herbal medicine, similarity of acupoint selection with herbal prescription, as well as determination of reinforcing and reducing techniques of acupuncture and moxibustion". It fully embodies the idea of TCM as "syndrome/pattern differentiation and treatment determination" and displays the curative effect of acupoints and the techniques of acupuncture and moxibustion, being worthy of clinical reference.

「바라죠프 백작부인」 속 올컷이 재건한 미국 재건시대

Louisa May Alcott’s literary life is one very exciting and thrilling suspense of its own. Her initial reputation as ‘the children’s friend’ came from one of the all-time favorites in English literature, Little Women. That reputation underwent a surprisingly shocking turn when her anonymous and pseudonymous publication of blood-and-thunder stories were discovered by Leona Rostenberg. The discovery soon paved the ground for rediscovering Alcott as one of the leading feminist writers of 19th-century America. Though a huge contribution to enriching Alcott studies as well as women’s studies, her rediscovery as such has seriously thwarted many other non-feminist approaches to her stories. This essay intends to widen the ground in Alcott scholarship by proposing to read her stories in a historicized way and tracing her unconventional view of the most influential event that happened in her life and career: the Civil War followed by Reconstruction. As much as critical were gender issues at the time, mid- and late-19th-century America was literally and figuratively overwhelmed by the conflict and reunion of the North and the South over slavery. So far, the history of the war and reconciliation has been recorded in favor of the North, who were to abolish racial discrimination in opposition of anachronistic Southern planters. Yet a recent generation of historians launched on rewriting it with equal consideration of the Southern causes while decentralizing racial issues from the position of the primary reason of the war as the North used to insist. This essay places Alcott’s much-overlooked story, “Countess Varazoff,” in relation with that rewriting and shows how Alcott the Northerner tries to look at the American policies of Reconstruction as a set of the North-directing imperialist projects of colonizing the South in that story. Alcott’s representation of the Polish countess’s persisting resistance to the despotic possessiveness of the Russian prince in “Countess Varazoff” turns out to be a call for unbiased and objective acceptance of differences within one nation of ‘democratic’ America.

Let’s Save the Bear: A multispecies livelihoods approach to wildlife conservation and achieving the SDGs

ABSTRACT The Apennines (also known as Marsican) brown bear is a critically endangered subspecies of the European brown bear, with only an estimated 50–60 individuals remaining in the wild. The bear is endemic to the Central Apennines Mountain Range where two nonprofit organizations, Salviamo L’Orso (SLO) and Rewilding Apennines (RA), work with local stakeholders, wildlife ecotourists, sustainable entrepreneurs, and strategic partners to conserve the species and foster ecological restoration. Sustainable entrepreneurship may provide a balanced approach to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, if nonhuman animals’ rights, agency, and welfare are foregrounded. This case study analyzes how SLO and RA embraced multispecies livelihoods sustainable entrepreneurship to tackle five of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 8, 10, 11, 15, 17) in an attempt to save this species. The multispecies livelihoods approach argues for equal consideration to the rights, agency, and welfare of humans and nonhumans alike in the context of biodiversity conservation, sustainable entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. The case study is limited in scope, but provides insight into how sustainable entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, and researchers may consider this approach to address the threat of species extinction, become more sustainable, and achieve the SDGs.

Planning for sustainable tourism development in Wales: an analysis of destination management plans

Tourism is a vital component of the Welsh economy and the need to incorporate sustainability principles into new and more responsible forms of tourism development is now widely accepted. Sustainability in a tourism context is multi-faceted, involving consideration of the economic, sociocultural and environmental impacts of tourism on all of the people and places impacted by it, including tourism and non-tourism businesses, residents and guests. Planning for sustainable tourism is therefore complex, requiring integration with other relevant planning processes; wide-ranging stakeholder participation; and, an integrative, iterative and strategic approach. This study assessed the extent to which Wales’ regional tourism entities have to date incorporated a stakeholder-driven, sustainability-focused mindset into their planning activities. Evaluation of 22 recent destination management plans revealed that there are many opportunities for improvement in the extent to which the desires of the industry, visitors and residents, and the conditions of the local economy, society and environment, are given equal consideration in tourism planning efforts. The need to refocus is especially important in light of Visit Wales’ recently articulated new ambition for tourism and the broader aspirations of the Well-being of Future Generations Act.

Insights from the Implementation and Adoption of Community-Based Health Interventions

Abstract Effective implementation of health interventions is critical for maximum adoption and optimal health outcomes. This qualitative study assessed the differences in Community Health Club (CHC) implementation in villages using qualitative research methods. Villages in Rusizi district in Rwanda were purposively selected with high, medium, and low adoption rates. The results revealed that the traits and skills of intervention facilitators (providers or implementers) at the village level, the involvement of the head of the village in the CHC intervention activities, and the support supervision by the Community Environmental Health Officer from the health center may have contributed to high rates of adoption of the intervention. Poor community organization, mistrust, lack of equal consideration among intervention beneficiaries, and lack of skills and capacity for intervention facilitators may have contributed to the low rates of intervention adoption. The results of this study suggest the need for capacity building of implementers, local leaders, and supervisors for improved (1) skills to adapt to local contexts and maximize the intervention adoption, (2) involvement and participation of local leadership, and (3) support supervision, guidance, and close monitoring, respectively. for effective implementation and maximum adoption of CHC intervention.

Comparison between fuzzy logic and water quality index methods: A case of water quality assessment in Ikare community, Southwestern Nigeria

A ubiquitous, reliable, and affordable method to determine surface water quality (SWQ) is still evasive. In the current study, we compared two easily accessible statistical tools: fuzzy logic (FL) inference and water quality index (WQI) analytical methods, in assessing the water quality in Ikare community of Nigeria. Furthermore, crosstabs analysis and Python programming language validated the reliability of FL and WQI methods. Consequently, a classification map was generated in the ArcGIS environment to depict the disparity in the methods’ pollution distribution levels. We observed that, of the 20 sampling points, BOD5 evinced a 65% and 37% impact on SWQ via WQI and FL analyses, respectively. However, with fecal coliform, FL and WQI professed an absolute (100%) and zero (0%) impact, respectively. Through ArcGIS, 8.3% of the waters were categorized as “moderate” for drinking using FL, whereas WQI classified the whole study area's waters as “bad”. Hence, via the comparison, we infer on the superiority of FL inference over WQI methods because FL enables equal consideration to the measured values and SWQ standards, whereas WQI considers only the latter for evaluation.

Perceptions and Motivations for Uterus Transplant in Transgender Women

Uterus transplant has been demonstrated to be a viable fertility-restoring treatment for women categorized as female at birth with absolute uterine factor infertility. Recent advancements, as well as considerations of fairness and equality in reproductive care, have now led to the possibility of uterus transplant being undertaken in transgender women. To investigate the reproductive aspirations of transgender women and their perceptions of uterus transplant. This cross-sectional survey study used a 27-item electronic questionnaire to investigate the reproductive aspirations of 182 transgender women older than 16 years, including their perceptions of and motivations for uterus transplant, between May 1 and November 1, 2019. Perceptions of and motivations for uterus transplant, including perceived significance of the ability to gestate, menstruate, and have a physiologically functioning vagina. A total of 182 transgender women completed the questionnaire; most women (109 [60%]) were aged 20 to 29 years. Most did not have children prior to transitioning (167 [92%]) and expressed a desire to have children in the future (171 [94%]). In addition, most respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the ability to gestate and give birth to children (171 [94%]) and menstruate (161 [88%]) would enhance perceptions of their femininity. Similarly, high proportions strongly agreed or agreed that having a transplanted, functioning vagina would improve their sexual experience (163 [90%]), improve their quality of life (163 [90%]), and help them to feel like more of a woman (168 [92%]). Nearly all respondents (180 [99%]) believed that uterus transplant would lead to greater happiness in transgender women. More than three-quarters of the respondents (140 [77%]) strongly agreed or agreed that they would be more inclined to cryopreserve sperm if uterus transplant became a realistic option. This study provides insights into the reproductive aspirations of transgender women and reports on their multifaceted motivation to undergo uterus transplant. The survey responses suggest that transgender women would choose to have female physiologic experiences, such as menstruation and gestation, as well as potentially having a physiologically functioning transplanted vagina. If proven feasible and safe in this setting, uterus transplant may facilitate the achievement of reproductive aspirations, improve quality of life, and further alleviate dysphoric symptoms in transgender women.

Gender Norms, Beliefs and Academic Achievement of Orphaned Adolescent Boys and Girls in Uganda

This study examined the traditional gender norms and beliefs held by orphaned adolescent boys and girls, and the role of such norms and beliefs on their academic performance. Data from a NIMH-funded study known as Suubi-Maka in Uganda were analyzed. Results indicate that overall, adolescents held strong gendered norms and beliefs that favor males over females. Compared to boys, girls were more likely to report more egalitarian gender norms and beliefs that give equal consideration to both girls and boys. In addition, more egalitarian gender norms and beliefs were associated with better school grades. Study findings point to the need to integrate targeted components that address harmful gender norms and beliefs in programs that support vulnerable adolescents, including education policy, if we are to address inequalities in education access and achievement, as well promote and strengthen education for all in sub-Saharan Africa.