External View Research Articles

Benatar’s Anti-Natalism: Philosophically Flawed, Morally Dubious

In the first part of the paper, I discuss Benatar’s asymmetry argument for the claim that it would have been better for each of us to have never lived at all. In contrast to other commentators, I will argue that there is a way of interpreting the premises of his argument which makes all of them come out true. (This will require one departure from Benatar’s own presentation.) Once we see why the premises are true, we will, however, also realise that the argument trades on an ambiguity that renders it invalid. In the second part of the paper, I consider whether discussions of how best to implement the anti-natalist conclusion crosses a moral barrier. I ask whether we can, independently of any philosophical argument, raise a legitimate moral objection to discussions of how best to end all life on earth. I discuss three views concerning the role of our pre-philosophical views and attitudes in philosophical debates: the external view according to which these attitudes set moral barriers to the content of philosophical debate whilst themselves standing outside this debate; the internal view according to which our intuitions are part of the material for philosophical reflection and play no further role; and the intermediate view according to which our pre-reflective views and attitudes, without themselves requiring philosophical validation, can play an important role when it comes to issues regarding the implementation of philosophical claims.

Curve Tilting With Nonlinear Model Predictive Control for Enhancing Motion Comfort

The benefits of automated driving can only be fully realized if the occupants are protected from motion sickness. Active suspensions hold the potential to raise the comfort level in automated passenger vehicles by enabling new functionalities in chassis control. One example is to actively lean the vehicle body toward the center of the corner to counteract the inertial lateral acceleration. Commonly known as curve tilting, the concept is deemed effective in reducing postural disturbance on the occupants and the visual-vestibular conflict when the occupants do not have an external view. We present in this article a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) method for the curve tilting functionality. The controller incorporates the nonlinear suspension forces in the prediction model to help achieve high tracking accuracy near the physical limit of the suspension system. The optimization process is accelerated with an explicit initialization method that is based on piecewise-affine (PWA) modeling and offline solution to an alternative optimal control problem (OCP). The controller is able to operate at 20 Hz in a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) setup. Given sufficient computational resources, we observe a significant reduction in the lateral acceleration sensed by the passenger over a vehicle with passive suspensions, namely, by 46.5%, 25.4%, and 25.4% in the highway, rural, and urban driving scenarios, respectively. The NMPC also outperforms the baseline proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller by achieving lower tracking error, namely, by 12.9%, 16.4%, and 38.0% in the aforementioned scenarios.

Improving Patient Engagement in Psychological Interventions

AimsThe aim of this service evaluation project is to gain understanding about the reasons for service user's disengagement in psychological interventions. We felt that the findings of this project will enable services to better understand the experience of service users and help recognise why someone requesting services does not follow through. Around 68% of patients who were referred to psychological therapy did not complete therapy in our community mental health team highlighting a need to improve patient engagement in psychological interventions. Patients under secondary mental health services have complex needs and any referral decision to the most appropriate psychological intervention will need to be carefully considered as a part of their treatment plan. Premature termination from psychological interventions can lead to poor treatment outcome, waste staff time and contribute to unnecessary long waiting lists.MethodsRandom sample of 20 service users who disengaged from psychological therapy were chosen and telephone interviews were conducted to determine their perspectives on reasons for their termination. Introductory letter informing about this project was posted to the service users and they were contacted after a week to gather information. The following themes were included in the interview questionnaire like demographic characteristics, psychopathological difficulties, problems related to therapy or therapist, external circumstantial problems, internal factors and service user views on satisfaction/achievement of therapy goals.ResultsThe results showed: 1.The most frequent reported reason for disengagement from psychological intervention was COVID-19 and internal factors (thinking that therapy would not help, low mood/too anxious, previous bad experience with therapy and feeling unwilling to open).2.Number of session's service users attended ranged from 0 to 6 and no one completed the therapy.3.Waiting time (from referral to start of therapy) ranged from 2 to 6 months.4.37.5% of service users were not aware about therapy details.ConclusionThe results were shared with staff via local meetings Recommendations were drawn to improve patient engagement and retention in therapy. 1.Outpatient pack resources developed to offer service users at appointments which has written information sheets about presenting problems, overview of psychological interventions/assessment and diaries for service users.2.New template was drafted to improve the referral process to psychology by referrers having access to guides on how to assess a person's psychological needs, readiness for therapy and the provision of consultation slots with psychologists.

A Randomized, Single-Blind Clinical Trial Comparing Robotic-Assisted Fluoroscopic-Guided with Ultrasound-Guided Renal Access for Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.

We conducted a randomized, single-blind clinical trial comparing the surgical outcomes of robotic-assisted fluoroscopic-guided (RAF group) and ultrasound-guided (US group) renal access in mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). We recruited patients who underwent mini-PCNL with ureteroscopic assistance for large renal stones between January 2020 and May 2021. Block randomization was performed using online software. Automated needle target with x-ray was used for fluoroscopic-guided renal access in the RAF group. PCNL was performed by residents using a pneumatic lithotripsy system with 16.5Fr/17.5Fr tracts. The primary outcome was single puncture success, and the secondary outcomes were stone-free rate, complication rate, parameters measured during renal access and fluoroscopy time. In total, 71 patients (35 in US group, 36 in RAF group) were enrolled. No difference was seen in the single puncture success rate between the US and RAF groups (34.3% and 50.0%, p=0.2). In 14.3% cases in the US group vs no cases in the RAF group, the resident was unable to obtain access due to difficult targeting (p=0.025). The mean number of needle punctures was significantly fewer, and the median duration of needle puncture was shorter in the RAF group (1.83 vs 2.51 times, p=0.025; 5.5 vs 8.0 minutes, p=0.049, respectively). The stone-free rate at 3 months after surgery was 83.3% and 70.6% in the RAF and US groups, respectively (p=0.26). Multivariate analysis revealed that RAF guidance reduced the mean number of needle punctures by 0.73 times (p=0.021). RAF renal access in mini-PCNL may have further potential applications in this field.

Computation by inverse causality: A universal principle to produce symbols for the external reality in living systems

How can a living system escape the solipsistic self-making process? This problem has been ignored in mainstream biology. This study seeks a reasonable mechanism by which a living system produces symbols that signify external states. To this end, the inverse causality model proposed in previous studies was theoretically improved by refining the core concepts. Inverse causality is an epistemic principle operating in a subject system to produce symbols internally, signifying the past states of the external reality hidden to the subject. Inverse causality yields an important theorem for a system to produce symbols for external states. It asserts that if a system changes from state x to y1 in some instances, and from x to y2 in others (y1 ≠ y2), then x ⟼ y1 produces a symbol that signifies one external state, and x ⟼ y2 produces a different symbol for another state. These symbols are embodied as the states of the system components. The model postulates the equivalence principle in the subject-reality relationship, asserting that inverse causality is equivalent to causality in the external view. Living systems operate with inverse causality using biological devices called measurers, which include membrane receptors, second messengers, and molecular switches in cells, and neurons in multicellular organisms. A measurer is a medium of symbols signifying external states. Biological subsystems functioning as measurers are ubiquitous and essential in contemporary living systems for adaptation to their environments in particular ways by manipulating the symbols they produce. By the inverse causality operation, living systems can reduce the uncertainty of events and manage the probability distribution of future events favorable to survival and reproduction. Due to this function, their measurer systems were sophisticated and diversified in evolution. In philosophy and science, there has been endless debate between determinism and indeterminism. However, surprisingly, contemporary living systems use the inverse causality operation (ICW) to adapt to their environments, which is logically equivalent to the causal principle of determinism.

Λ and the Limits of Effective Field Theory

AbstractThe cosmological constant problem stems from treating quantum field theory and general relativity as an effective field theory (EFT). We argue that the problem is a reduction ad absurdum and that one should reject the assumption that general relativity can generically be treated as an EFT. This marks a failure of naturalness and provides an internal signal that EFT methods do not apply in all spacetime domains. We then take an external view, showing that the assumptions for using EFTs are violated in general relativistic domains where Λ is relevant. We highlight some ways forward that do not depend on naturalness.

Item Analysis of Measuring Stem Teachers’ Practice in Higher-Order Thinking Skills Questioning Using Rasch Model

For interdisciplinary approach in STEM integration, HOTS questioning application is part of inquiry-based learning which helps learners to construct knowledge by discovering new concepts and developing design thinking. In Malaysia, STEM teachers still insufficient to construct HOTS questions in teaching and learning session. This study aims to analyse HOTS questioning practice items using the Rasch model in terms of validity and reliability. The inventory was developed to measure STEM teachers HOTS questioning practice from five dimensions such as external world view, classroom interactions, deep and analytical thinking and complex thinking strategies using Likert type scale. The pilot study was conducted in eight secondary schools which involved 86 upper secondary STEM teachers. WINSTEPS version 3.72.3 was applied to analyse the pilot study outcomes. The results showed that the reliability based on Cronbach Alpha is 0.97. The construct validity was determined by positive Point Measure Correlation (PMC) value, infit and outfit MSNQ between 0.4 to 1.5 and ZSTD range from -2.0 to 2.0. The summary statistics showed that person and item reliability were 0.97 and 0.95, respectively. The person separation index with the value of 5.39 and item separation index, 4.59 were considered as excellent separation. Finally, for unidimensionality, raw variance explained by measure was 49.1%, and the unexplained variance in the first factor was 6.7% meet the criteria Therefore, after eliminating the unfit items, the results demonstrated that this inventory was valid and reliable to measure STEM teachers HOTS questioning practice in future.

Закрытые и открытые структуры в традиционных женских обрядах

Women’s initiatory rituals or women’s rites of passage in which the status of a woman changes is one of the least studied areas in cultural anthropology and history. The reason is the closeness of this sphere from the external view, especially from the view of an outside male researcher. Ethnographic information is usually rather scarce and contradictory, and historical information is almost absent. Some exception, perhaps, is the wedding ceremony, which marks the most important stage in a woman’s life in traditional society and is reflected in the literature more widely. It would be interesting to reconstruct the system of women’s rituals as a whole, but based on the available material this is a difficult task. The article has a more modest goal — to try to reveal the “logic” of symbolic thinking, which manifests itself in women’s rituals of transition on the example of a wedding ceremony. According to our hypothesis, the status of an unmarried girl is characterized by closed structures, a closed contour, for example, the side strands of hair “tulym” are woven into one braid, the bride’s earrings are connected by a chain. After marriage, the structures open, the circuit opens, for example, “tulym” is braided into two separate braids, and the chain connecting the earrings is removed. The reasoning of the archaeologist E.R. Usmanova and her co-authors about the gender symbolism of a medieval Turkic female statue became the impetus for revealing this “logic”. The symbolism of the knees of the girlish stone image brought together and the relaxed position of the legs of the statue of a nursing woman is obvious. It can be assumed that it was this symbolism that was developed in other open and closed structures associated with women’s rites

Two new species of Pseudostaurosiropsis (Bacillariophyta, Fragilariophyceae) from the United States of America, with taxonomic comments on the genus

Two new species of Pseudostaurosiropsis are described based on material collected from rivers in southern UnitedStates of America, P. californicus sp. nov. and P. elaboratus sp. nov. Both species have specific characters that set themapart from taxa currently ascribed to the genus. Pseudostaurosiropsis californicus sp. nov. has lanceolate valves with subrostrate, broadlyrounded apices, an axial area at the same level as the virgae in internal and external views and both are at the same levelas striae in external view, the spine tips are dentate and their growth is produced by filamentous extensions, and it hasequal-sized apical pore fields on both valve extremes. On the other hand, P. elaboratus sp. nov. has heavily silicifiedvalves, the virgae are slender than the striae in outer view and wider in inner view, it only has a single, externally occludedapical pore field on one valve extreme, and the spines have a solid core. All species within Pseudostaurosiropsis are contrastedwith one another and unique features are described for each based on literature and newly collected image datafrom type material. The genus is reconsidered and two distinguishing features are recognized: rotae externally occludingthe areolae and areolae that are funnel-shaped. These features are contrasted with those in other genera and additionalpublished species that should be included in Pseudostaurosiropsis are discussed.

Lighting conditions in home office and occupant's perception: Exploring drivers of satisfaction

This paper depicts lighting home office conditions within different countries and continents, emphasizing the user's satisfaction with the visual environment. The scope of this article is to investigate the drivers of participants' satisfaction with the lighting conditions at the home office. The study was developed by a team of international experts working together on Subtask A: User perspective and requirements, Task 61 IEA (International Energy Agency): Solutions for daylighting and electric lighting. An online survey was launched in December 2020 and closed on March 2021. The survey was implemented in the native languages of six participant countries (Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, Italy, Poland, and Japan) using Google Forms, and its dissemination was via various social media platforms. Measures of association between variables and predictive tests were run to explore which investigated aspects drove participants' satisfaction with the lighting conditions at the home office. We found some differences in satisfaction due to participants' sex, occupation, and participants' continent of residence. Females were more satisfied with daylight than males. Associations between the perception of seven light descriptors and satisfaction showed differences between East Asians and the rest of the participants, which might be related to the high dependence of the formers on electric lighting even when daylight is available. Design features as southern facades, the distance from the working area to the window, type of internal sun shading were related to daylighting satisfaction. Moreover, satisfaction with the general light level and the electric light was higher for those participants who did not need to switch on the ceiling, floor, or desk lamp when daylight was available. We found that an external view composed of 3 layers and the sky's visibility afforded a higher satisfaction with the window view. Having an independent room for the home office appeared to be related to a higher willingness to continue in the home office. Likewise, higher satisfaction with the overall visual environment and window view appeared to increase the willingness to continue working from home. Bridging the gap amid cultural differences and daylighting and lighting satisfaction is needed, particularly, relational studies between design features –as a response of cultural, climatic, and local practices- and occupants' preferences and acceptability. Thus, our understanding of occupants' responses will be more comprehensive. Engaging further research and measures to improve the visual environment and overall indoor environmental quality in dwellings is now a necessary step.

"Roof" technique-a modified aortotomy closure in Y-incision aortic root enlargement upsizing 3-4 valve sizes.

"Roof" technique-a modified aortotomy closure in Y-incision aortic root enlargement upsizing 3-4 valve sizes.

Lumos: Increasing Awareness of Analytic Behavior during Visual Data Analysis.

Visual data analysis tools provide people with the agency and flexibility to explore data using a variety of interactive functionalities. However, this flexibility may introduce potential consequences in situations where users unknowingly overemphasize or underemphasize specific subsets of the data or attribute space they are analyzing. For example, users may overemphasize specific attributes and/or their values (e.g., Gender is always encoded on the X axis), underemphasize others (e.g., Religion is never encoded), ignore a subset of the data (e.g., older people are filtered out), etc. In response, we present Lumos, a visual data analysis tool that captures and shows the interaction history with data to increase awareness of such analytic behaviors. Using in-situ (at the place of interaction) and ex-situ (in an external view) visualization techniques, Lumos provides real-time feedback to users for them to reflect on their activities. For example, Lumos highlights datapoints that have been previously examined in the same visualization (in-situ) and also overlays them on the underlying data distribution (i.e., baseline distribution) in a separate visualization (ex-situ). Through a user study with 24 participants, we investigate how Lumos helps users' data exploration and decision-making processes. We found that Lumos increases users' awareness of visual data analysis practices in real-time, promoting reflection upon and acknowledgement of their intentions and potentially influencing subsequent interactions.

Emergency Department Stress Radiographs of Lateral Compression Type-1 Pelvic Ring Injuries Are Safe, Effective, and Reliable.

Occult instability of lateral compression type-1 (LC1) pelvic ring injuries may be determined with a fluoroscopic stress examination under anesthesia (EUA) performed in the operating room. We hypothesized that LC1 injuries, similar to some fractures of the extremities, could be radiographically stressed for stability in the emergency department (ED). Our primary objective was to determine if stress examination of LC1 fractures could be safely and accurately performed in the ED and could be tolerated by patients. A prospective, consecutive series of 70 patients with minimally displaced LC1 pelvic injuries (<10-mm displacement on presentation) underwent stress examinations performed by the on-call orthopaedic resident in the ED radiology suite. The stress examination series included static 40° inlet, internal rotation stress inlet, and external rotation stress inlet views. Pelvic fractures that had positive stress results (≥10 mm of overlap of the rami) were indicated for a surgical procedure. These fractures also underwent EUA in order for the 2 techniques to be compared. All patients tolerated the ED stress examination without general anesthetic or hemodynamic instability. Fifty-seven patients (81%) had negative stress results and were allowed to bear weight. All patients with negative stress results who had 3-month follow-up went on to radiographic union without substantial displacement. For the patients with a positive stress result in the ED, the mean displacement was 15.15 mm (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.8 to 19.4 mm) for the ED stress test and 15.60 mm (95% CI, 11.7 to 19.4 mm) for the EUA (p = 0.86). Two patients with a negative ED stress test did not mobilize during their hospitalization and underwent EUA and conversion to a surgical procedure. Thus, a total of 11 patients underwent both stress testing in the ED and EUA; no patient had a positive result on one test but a negative result on the other. ED stress examination of LC1 injuries is a safe and reliable method to determine pelvic ring stability. The displacement measured in the ED stress examination is similar to the displacement measured under general anesthesia. Furthermore, a negative ED stress examination predicts successful nonoperative treatment. Given the results of this study, we encourage the use of stress examination in the ED for LC1-type injuries involving complete sacral fractures only. Widescale adoption of this streamlined protocol may substantially diminish cost, anesthetic risk, and potential operations for patients. Diagnostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Objectives and measures of performance of Islamic microfinance banks in Indonesia: the stakeholders' perspectives

PurposeThis study investigates both internal and external stakeholders' views on the objectives and measures of performance of Indonesian Islamic microfinance banks (IMFBs).Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a qualitative approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders of IMFBs in Indonesia. The primary stakeholders interviewed comprised the board of directors of IMFBs located in several provinces in Indonesia, including rural and urban areas. The external stakeholders were the regulators/supervisors, represented by the Indonesian Financial Services Authority and Sharīʿah advisors of the National Sharīʿah Board as well as Muslim scholars. The data were analysed using CAQDAS, a computer-assisted tool for qualitative analysis.FindingsThe objectives of the IMFBs are seen to represent more than profits or economic well-being. Their objectives also comprise spirituality and daʿwah (Islamic propagation). Daʿwah is conducted through the provision of funding and services that are aligned with Sharīʿah (Islamic law), the dissemination of information about Islamic financing, which is based on Islamic values and principles, and the payment of zakat (Islamic alms) and charitable contributions. The measures of performance are considered to be more holistic than those of conventional banks. Profit and growth are deemed important as the means to achieve social well-being objectives.Research limitations/implicationsBetter insights into the objectives and measures of IMFBs could be achieved from interviews with other stakeholder categories, such as customers and the community. This could be the focus of future research.Originality/valueThis study added a new discussion to the limited empirical literature on IMFBs by investigating the views of stakeholders on the objectives and performance of IMFBs in Indonesia.

Deep learning-based fully automated Z-axis coverage range definition from scout scans to eliminate overscanning in chest CT imaging

BackgroundDespite the prevalence of chest CT in the clinic, concerns about unoptimized protocols delivering high radiation doses to patients still remain. This study aimed to assess the additional radiation dose associated with overscanning in chest CT and to develop an automated deep learning-assisted scan range selection technique to reduce radiation dose to patients.ResultsA significant overscanning range (31 ± 24) mm was observed in clinical setting for over 95% of the cases. The average Dice coefficient for lung segmentation was 0.96 and 0.97 for anterior–posterior (AP) and lateral projections, respectively. By considering the exact lung coverage as the ground truth, and AP and lateral projections as input, The DL-based approach resulted in errors of 0.08 ± 1.46 and − 1.5 ± 4.1 mm in superior and inferior directions, respectively. In contrast, the error on external scout views was − 0.7 ± 4.08 and 0.01 ± 14.97 mm for superior and inferior directions, respectively.The ED reduction achieved by automated scan range selection was 21% in the test group. The evaluation of a large multi-centric chest CT dataset revealed unnecessary ED of more than 2 mSv per scan and 67% increase in the thyroid absorbed dose.ConclusionThe proposed DL-based solution outperformed previous automatic methods with acceptable accuracy, even in complicated and challenging cases. The generizability of the model was demonstrated by fine-tuning the model on AP scout views and achieving acceptable results. The method can reduce the unoptimized dose to patients by exclunding unnecessary organs from field of view.

Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals' perspectives on research seeking genetic variants associated with TGD identities: a qualitative study.

Recent genetic research has explored how genetic variants may contribute to gender dysphoria and transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) identities. When investigating communities that have been marginalized, it is important for researchers to incorporate perspectives of the communities the research is targeting. Therefore, investigators should incorporate the TGD community's opinions into this research to mitigate potential ethical issues, given the history of pathologization of TGD identities and utilization of genetics for eugenics. The aim of this study was to understand the perspectives of TGD individuals about trans-associated genetic research (TAGR). Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the TGD community to explore how TGD individuals view TAGR. Through inductive content analysis, five major themes were emergent: (1) TAGR could affect self-perception of identity; (2) TAGR could affect external views of TGD people; (3) TAGR could affect access to gender-affirming services; (4) TAGR could contribute to the pathologization and elimination of TGD identities; and (5) researchers should consult TGD community members and consider ethical concerns before conducting research. Participants highlighted concerns about TAGR being used as a tool for discrimination. Those who identified potential advantages of TAGR gave warning that TAGR would be unlikely to solely have positive effects. It is important for genetic researchers to prioritize the perspectives and concerns of TGD people highlighted in this study. Research about the TGD community needs to include TGD individuals as core members of the research team. Moreover, due to the serious ethical issues outlined in this study, TAGR should be reconsidered altogether.

Patellar Fractures: Anatomy, Mechanics, and Surgical Management.

A preoperative computed tomography scan may be considered to improve surgical planning, as secondary fracture lines are poorly visualized on radiographs. Oblique internal and external rotation fluoroscopic views may be used intraoperatively to fully evaluate the medial and lateral facet articular reduction if direct assessment by visualization or palpation is not completed. Partial patellectomy for inferior pole fractures should be avoided, and bone-preserving procedures are recommended. A lateral arthrotomy may be used for direct visualization of the articular reduction for multifragmentary fractures. An inferomedial arthrotomy should be avoided to protect the dominant blood supply of the patella. Tension band fixation with cannulated screws yields a lower reoperation rate, improved functional outcome scores, and better performance in biomechanical studies than Kirschner wire-based tension band fixation. Preliminary studies of novel plate and screw constructs for osteosynthesis have shown promising results.

First record of the tribe Adelungiini Baker (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Megophthalminae) from the United Arab Emirates, with description of a new species

The tribe Adelungiini Baker, with Platyproctus agraphopteron Bergevin, 1932, P. melichari (Kusnezov, 1929), and P. emir sp. nov., collected on Calligonum crinitum Boiss. arabicum Sosk., is recorded for the first time from the United Arab Emirates. Symphypyga omani Kameswara Rao et Ramakrishnan, 1983 and Assiuta camena Linnavuori, 1969 are transferred to the genus Platyproctus Lindberg, 1925 based on male genitalia structure, with new combinations proposed – Platyproctus omani (Kameswara Rao et Ramakrishnan, 1983), comb. nov. and P. camena (Linnavuori, 1969), comb. nov. Platyproctus emir sp. nov. is closely related to P. camena and P. omani in general male genitalia structure, but well differs by the aedeagus with denticles on dorsal surface of the shaft and wider pygofer lobes. The genus Assiuta Linnavuori 1969 is treated as monotypic Canarian endemic, monophage on Traganum moquini Webb ex Moq. Assiuta salina is close to Emelyanogramma proxima (Dlabola, 1960) by strongly dentate ventral margin of aedeagal shaft. The lectotype is designated for Symphypyga melichari Kusnezov, 1929. Platyproctus flavidus Dubovsky, 1966 is placed in synonymy under P. marmoratus (Horváth, 1894) while P. maculatus (Pruthi, 1930) and Symphypyga melichari fuscopunctata Kusnezov, 1929 are placed in synonymy under P. melichari (Kusnezov, 1929). Illustrations of male genitalia structure for E. proxima and the photos of external views for A. salina and P. camena are given for the first time.

Issue Cover (October 2021)

Front cover: Cover image: External view of the cranial vault, taken from C. Wittner et al., ‘Thickness accuracy of virtually designed patient-specific implants for large neurocranial defects’, this issue

REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC WORKS ON TECHNOLOGIES FOR EXTRACTION OF BIOCOMPONENTS FROM VEGETABLE RAW MATERIALS. SUPERCRITICAL CO2 EXTRACTION IS AN EFFECTIVE NEW METHOD FOR SOLVING THE GLOBAL PROBLEM OF UTILIZATION AND QUALITY OF PLANT AND ORGANIC RAW MATERIALS

A brief review and assessment of methods for the extraction (extraction) of active biocomponents from plant raw materials is presented. The overview contains a number of tables and diagrams to facilitate the initial perception of this topic. Examples of stationary and mobile installations developed in the world are shown. The prospects of the Supercritical CO2-extraction method, as the most effective for the extraction of valuable biomedical components, have been analyzed. The schemes and samples of the used CO2-extractors are shown. The schemes and external view of the author’s experimental setup for extraction with supercritical CO2 developed by our team are presented.