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Psychological literature indicates that actions performed with the assistance of cognition‐enhancing biomedical technologies are often deemed to be less praiseworthy than similar actions performed without such assistance. This study examines (i) whether this result extends to the bioenhancement of moral capacities, and (ii) if so, what explains the effect of moral bioenhancement on perceived praiseworthiness. The findings indicate that actions facilitated by morally bioenhanced individuals are considered less deserving of praise than similar actions facilitated by 'traditional' moral enhancement—for example, moral self‐education. This diminished praise does not seem to be driven by an aversion to (moral) bioenhancement per se. Instead, it appears to be primarily attributable to a perceived lack of effort exerted by bioenhanced individuals in the course of their moral enhancement. Our findings advance the philosophical discourse on the foundations of praise in the context of moral bioenhancement by elucidating the empirical basis underlying some assumptions commonly employed to argue for or against the permissibility of moral bioenhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permafrost degradation in peatlands is altering vegetation and soil properties and impacting net carbon storage. We studied four adjacent sites in Alaska with varied permafrost regimes, including a black spruce forest on a peat plateau with permafrost, two collapse scar bogs of different ages formed following thermokarst, and a rich fen without permafrost. Measurements included year‐round eddy covariance estimates of net carbon dioxide (CO2), mid‐April to October methane (CH4) emissions, and environmental variables. From 2011 to 2022, annual rainfall was above the historical average, snow water equivalent increased, and snow‐season duration shortened due to later snow return. Seasonally thawed active layer depths also increased. During this period, all ecosystems acted as slight annual sources of CO2 (13–59 g C m−2 year−1) and stronger sources of CH4 (11–14 g CH4 m−2 from ~April to October). The interannual variability of net ecosystem exchange was high, approximately ±100 g C m−2 year−1, or twice what has been previously reported across other boreal sites. Net CO2 release was positively related to increased summer rainfall and winter snow water equivalent and later snow return. Controls over CH4 emissions were related to increased soil moisture and inundation status. The dominant emitter of carbon was the rich fen, which, in addition to being a source of CO2, was also the largest CH4 emitter. These results suggest that the future carbon‐source strength of boreal lowlands in Interior Alaska may be determined by the area occupied by minerotrophic fens, which are expected to become more abundant as permafrost thaw increases hydrologic connectivity. Since our measurements occur within close proximity of each other (≤1 km2), this study also has implications for the spatial scale and data used in benchmarking carbon cycle models and emphasizes the necessity of long‐term measurements to identify carbon cycle process changes in a warming climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small water bodies (i.e., ponds; <0.01 km2) play an important role in Earth System processes, including carbon cycling and emissions of methane. Detection and monitoring of ponds using satellite imagery has been extremely difficult and many water maps are biased toward lakes (>0.01 km2). We leverage high‐resolution (3 m) optical satellite imagery from Planet Labs and deep learning methods to map seasonal changes in pond and lake areal extent across four regions in Alaska. Our water maps indicate that changes in open water extent over the snow‐free season are especially pronounced in ponds. To investigate potential impacts of seasonal changes in pond area on carbon emissions, we provide a case study of open water methane emission budgets using the new water maps. Our approach has widespread applications for water resources, habitat and land cover change assessments, wildlife management, risk assessments, and other biogeochemical modeling efforts. Plain Language Summary: Small water bodies (<0.01 km2) are an important driver of many Earth system processes. Despite their importance, many existing water mapping products have difficulty detecting these small water features and their seasonal changes in surface area. We used deep learning and high‐resolution (3 m) satellite imagery to map and monitor seasonal changes in the areal extent of lakes and small ponds across four regions in Alaska. The resulting water maps accounted for considerably more water coverage than existing products. The maps also effectively tracked widespread seasonal changes in pond and lake area that were not previously identified. This demonstrates the importance of monitoring surface water at high spatial resolutions and across seasons. Key Points: Deep learning and 3 m resolution satellite imagery from Planet Labs can detect and track ponds and lakes >0.0001 km2Total surface area for ponds (<0.01 km2) in boreal forest and tundra environments can vary by 20%–40% throughout an individual seasonPonds can contribute to a broad range (8%–37%) of total methane emissions from lakes and ponds in northern boreal forest and tundra [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shoreline erosion over the last few decades along the Point Hope, Alaska, USA coastline has led to considerable loss of tundra behind the beach. Analysis of available remote sensing, morphology, and hydrodynamic datasets are used to inform the time scales and mechanisms of coastal land loss at Point Hope, in part through integration of these data into an analytical retreat model originally developed for coastal foredunes. At shorter time scales, these analyses indicate that steeper local beach slopes influence higher wave runup that can enhance the scale of tundra retreat at a particular section of coast. Coastal stretches that are most vulnerable to wave attack of the tundra scarp appear to shift with time related to complex spatio‐temporal variability in shoreline change rates. These local beach erosion rates primarily control the retreat of the tundra at decadal scales. However, independent of the fronting beach morphology, the largest erosion events throughout the region generally occur when there is the coincidence of both high wave energy and elevated still water levels. Additional exploratory modeling results indicate that future changes to sea level and changes in wave energy will further enhance the magnitude of tundra erosion. Plain Language Summary: Coastal regions of the Arctic are experiencing some of the greatest rates of land loss on earth, which is increasingly threatening resources in remote communities. Understanding how, when, and why this erosion occurs is critical for assessing the potential for future retreat of beach and tundra systems and to design and implement adaptation strategies to these hazards. This work uses topographic data to quantify the magnitude of landscape losses along a section of rapidly retreating shoreline in Point Hope, Alaska. The analysis of these data, in conjunction with information about the ocean climate, are used to inform the drivers and timescale of erosion. It is found that the tundra at this site erodes in a similar fashion to coastal foredunes, with the height that the water reaches on the shoreline during storms being an important factor in how much volume is lost from the tundra and how fast it retreats landward. Although individual storms are important factors driving erosion of the tundra at short time scales, the rate of tundra loss over longer time intervals is primarily controlled by how fast the local shoreline is retreating. Key Points: At decadal time scales, net shoreline changes primarily control the rate of tundra retreat adjacent to an Arctic beach systemTundra retreat events are driven by the confluence of high wave energy and still water levels that are most probable in the fallIn‐situ measurements suggest global hydrodynamic models reasonably resolve oceanographic processes in remote parts of the Chukchi Sea [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We collected ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) and frequency‐domain electromagnetic induction (FDEM) profiles in 2011 and 2012 to identify the extent of permafrost relative to surface biomass and solar insolation around Twelvemile Lake near Fort Yukon, Alaska. We compared a Landsat‐derived biomass estimate and modeled solar insolation from a digital elevation model to the geophysical measurements. We show correspondence between vegetation type and biomass relative to permafrost extent and seasonal freeze–thaw. Thicker permafrost (≥25 m) was covered by greater biomass, and seasonal thaw depths in these regions were minimal (1 m). Shallow (1–3 m depth) and thin (20–50 cm) newly forming permafrost or frozen layers from the previous winter occurred below northward oriented slopes with thin biomass cover. South‐facing slopes exhibited permafrost when there was enough biomass to shield incoming solar energy. We developed an artificial neural network to predict permafrost extent across the broader region by mapping GPR‐observed instances of permafrost to FDEM, biomass, and terrain observations with 90.2% accuracy. We identified a strong linear correlation (r = −0.77) between permafrost probability and seasonal thaw depth, indicating that our models may also be used to explore thaw patterns and variability in active layer thickness. This study highlights the combined influence of biomass and terrain on the presence of permafrost and the value of evaluating such parameters via remote sensing to predict permafrost spatial or temporal variability. Incorporating diverse geophysical datasets with in‐situ validation into machine learning models demonstrates a useful approach to upscale estimated permafrost extent across large Arctic expanses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tanana Flats in central Alaska are a hot spot for thermokarst that is rapidly transforming the landscape. Time series analysis of high‐resolution imagery showed that permafrost degradation increased the area of three large fens by 26% from 1949 to 2018, but surprisingly permafrost also aggraded in small areas. Permafrost soils in adjacent birch forests frequently had fen peat near the surface indicating recent permafrost degradation and aggradation. We attribute groundwater as the primary driver of recent permafrost degradation, while climate extremes (especially cold, less snowy winters) caused recent permafrost aggradation, but only after ecological succession provided conditions favorable for permafrost formation. Near‐surface groundwater temperatures during early winters (2–6°C during 2011–2014) contributed to a near steady rate of lateral permafrost degradation (0.36 m/yr) over three periods. Fairbanks climate records (1904–2019) showed large ranges in mean winter temperatures (12°C) and snow depths (69 cm) between cold, less snowy winters and warm, snowy winters. During ecological succession from the collapsing margins to the fen centers over a ~250‐yr period, vegetation transitioned from aquatic forbs to shrubs and mosses, water depths decreased, and the soil carbon stock of new peat increased. These interactions among permafrost, groundwater, climate warming, and succession complicate our ability to project future ecological transitions and soil carbon changes across this dynamic boreal lowland landscape. The more frequent warm, snowy winters since 2014 and model projections for warmer winters, however, indicate that the region has crossed a tipping point where permafrost will no longer form and permafrost loss is irreversible. Key Points: Fens have repeatedly undergone permafrost aggradation and degradation over the last 500 years, but future permafrost formation is unlikelyGroundwater promoted widespread, long‐term permafrost degradation, while climate extremes caused recent permafrost aggradation, but only in late successional stagesClimate, hydrology, ecosystem, and permafrost interactions complicate ecological transitions and soil carbon changes across the peatlands [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the frequency and extent of wildfires are expected to lead to substantial and irreversible alterations to permafrost landscapes under a warming climate. Here we review recent publications (2010–2019) that advance our understanding of the effects of wildfire on surface and ground temperatures, on active layer thickness and, where permafrost is ice‐rich, on ground subsidence and the development of thermokarst features. These thermal and geomorphic changes are initiated immediately following wildfire and alter the hydrology and biogeochemistry of permafrost landscapes, including the release of previously frozen carbon. In many locations, permafrost has been resilient, with key characteristics such as active layer thickness returning to pre‐fire conditions after several decades. However, permafrost near its southern limit is losing this resiliency as a result of ongoing climate warming and increasingly common vegetation state changes. Shifts in fire return intervals, severity and extent are expected to alter the trajectories of wildfire impacts on permafrost, and to enlarge spatial impacts to more regularly include the burning of tundra areas. Modeling indicates some lowland boreal forest and tundra environments will remain resilient while uplands and areas with thin organic layers and dry soils will experience rapid and irreversible permafrost degradation. More work is needed to relate modeling to empirical studies, particularly incorporating dynamic variables such as soil moisture, snow and thermokarst development, and to identify post‐fire permafrost responses for different landscape types and regions. Future progress requires further collaboration among geocryologists, ecologists, hydrologists, biogeochemists, modelers and remote sensing specialists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the drivers of competitive advantage within the hospital industry. Specifically, we examine both the direct and joint effects of market structure, firm-level competencies, and interorganizational relationships on organizational performance. The results of this approach indicated that managers, through their strategic actions related to the capabilities and relationships they develop and deploy, can establish advantageous competitive positions and influence the negative effects of market structure by developing important strategic competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We seek to develop a plausible conception of genetic parenthood, taking a recent discussion by Heidi Mertes as our point of departure. Mertes considers two conceptions of genetic parenthood—one invoking genetic resemblance and the other genetic inheritance—and presents counter‐examples to both conceptions. We revise Mertes' second conception so as to avoid these and related counter‐examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Heroin use poses a significant health and economic burden to society, and individuals with heroin dependence are responsible for a significant amount of crime. Owing to its efficacy and cost‐effectiveness, methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) is offered as an optional alternative to imprisonment for drug offenders in several jurisdictions. Some object to such ‘MMT offers’ on the basis that they involve coercion and thus invalidate the offender's consent to MMT. While we find these arguments unpersuasive, we do not attempt to build a case against them here. Instead, we explore whether administration of MMT following acceptance of an MMT offer might be permissible even on the assumption that MMT offers are coercive, and in such a way that the resulting MMT is non‐consensual. We argue that non‐consensual MMT following an MMT offer is typically permissible. We first offer empirical evidence to demonstrate the substantial benefits to the offender and society of implementing non‐consensual MMT in the criminal justice system. We then explore and respond to potential objections to such uses of MMT. These appeal respectively to harm, autonomy, bodily and mental interference, and penal theoretic considerations. Finally, we introduce and dismiss a potential response to our argument that takes a revisionist position, rejecting prevailing incarceration practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We address the issue of whether, why and under what conditions, quarantine and isolation are morally justified, with a particular focus on measures implemented in the developing world. We argue that the benefits of quarantine and isolation justify some level of coercion or compulsion by the state, but that the state should be able to provide the strongest justification possible for implementing such measures. While a constrained form of consequentialism might provide a justification for such public health interventions, we argue that a stronger justification is provided by a principle of State Enforced Easy Rescue: a state may permissibly compel individuals to engage in activities that entail a small cost to them but a large benefit to others, because individuals have a moral duty of easy rescue to engage in those activities. The principle of State Enforced Easy Rescue gives rise to an Obligation Enforcement Requirement: the state should create the conditions such that submitting to coercive or compulsive measures becomes a fundamental moral duty of individuals, i.e. a duty of easy rescue. When the state can create such conditions, it has the strongest justification possible for implementing coercive or compulsive measures, because individuals have a moral duty to temporarily relinquish the rights that such measures would infringe. Our argument has significant implications for how public health emergencies in the developing world should be tackled. Where isolation and quarantine measures are necessary, states or the international community have a moral obligation to provide certain benefits to those quarantined or isolated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Selection against embryos that are predisposed to develop disabilities is one of the less controversial uses of embryo selection technologies (ESTs). Many bio‐conservatives argue that while the use of ESTs to select for non‐disease‐related traits, such as height and eye‐colour, should be banned, their use to avoid disease and disability should be permitted. Nevertheless, there remains significant opposition, particularly from the disability rights movement, to the use of ESTs to select against disability. In this article we examine whether and why the state could be justified in restricting the use of ESTs to select against disability. We first outline the challenge posed by proponents of ‘liberal eugenics’. Liberal eugenicists challenge those who defend restrictions on the use of ESTs to show why the use of these technologies would create a harm of the type and magnitude required to justify coercive measures. We argue that this challenge could be met by adverting to the risk of harms to future persons that would result from a loss of certain forms of cognitive diversity. We suggest that this risk establishes a pro tanto case for restricting selection against some disabilities, including dyslexia and Asperger's syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Bioethicists sometimes defend compromise positions, particularly when they enter debates on applied topics that have traditionally been highly polarised, such as those regarding abortion, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research. However, defending compromise positions is often regarded with a degree of disdain. Many are intuitively attracted to the view that it is almost always problematic to defend compromise positions, in the sense that we have a significant moral reason not to do so. In this paper, we consider whether this common sense view can be given a principled basis. We first show how existing explanations for the problematic nature of compromise fall short of vindicating the common sense view, before offering our own explanation, which, we claim, comes closer to vindicating that view. We argue that defending a compromise will typically have two epistemic costs: it will corrupt attempts to use the claims of ethicists as testimonial evidence, and it will undermine standards that are important to making epistemic progress in ethics. We end by suggesting that the epistemic costs of compromise could be reduced by introducing a stronger separation between ethical debate aimed at fulfilling the epistemic role of ethics, and ethical debate that aims to directly produce good policy or practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproductive genetic technologies ( RGTs) allow parents to decide whether their future children will have or lack certain genetic predispositions. A popular model that has been proposed for regulating access to RGTs is the 'genetic supermarket'. In the genetic supermarket, parents are free to make decisions about which genes to select for their children with little state interference. One possible consequence of the genetic supermarket is that collective action problems will arise: if rational individuals use the genetic supermarket in isolation from one another, this may have a negative effect on society as a whole, including future generations. In this article we argue that RGTs targeting height, innate immunity, and certain cognitive traits could lead to collective action problems. We then discuss whether this risk could in principle justify state intervention in the genetic supermarket. We argue that there is a plausible prima facie case for the view that such state intervention would be justified and respond to a number of arguments that might be adduced against that view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Some argue that humans should enhance their moral capacities by adopting institutions that facilitate morally good motives and behaviour. I have defended a parallel claim: that we could permissibly use biomedical technologies to enhance our moral capacities, for example by attenuating certain counter-moral emotions. John Harris has recently responded to my argument by raising three concerns about the direct modulation of emotions as a means to moral enhancement. He argues (1) that such means will be relatively ineffective in bringing about moral improvements, (2) that direct modulation of emotions would invariably come at an unacceptable cost to our freedom, and (3) that we might end up modulating emotions in ways that actually lead to moral decline. In this article I outline some counter-intuitive potential implications of Harris' claims. I then respond individually to his three concerns, arguing that they license only the very weak conclusion that moral enhancement via direct emotion modulation is sometimes impermissible. However I acknowledge that his third concern might, with further argument, be developed into a more troubling objection to such enhancements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manuscript Type Review Research Question/Issue The article is concerned with the prevalence, character, and development of qualitative research within the field of corporate governance. The paper provides an overview of published qualitative research in the field of corporate governance based on a structured literature search of papers published in scholarly peer-reviewed journals between 1986 and 2011. Research Findings/Insights A fine-grained search based on key words resulted in a sample of 78 qualitative corporate governance studies. A review and content analysis of these studies show that qualitative studies in governance have grown in number since the 1990s, but remain a small fraction of the published work on corporate governance. Studies are mostly developed by UK and European scholars, published in European journals and tend to explore boards of directors more than other governance related actors and mechanisms. These studies utilize a range of disciplines, predominantly management, adopting a wide range of methods, the most prevalent being that of the interview, often in combination with other methods to get a better account of the empirical phenomenon. Theoretical/Academic Implications The search reveals an eclectic range of theories, spanning several disciplines, which is serving to generate, elaborate, and refine theorizing about corporate governance and the associated meanings, mechanisms, processes and relationships. There is much scope and need for more qualitative studies of significant rigor and relevance which explore the array of interactions and processes involved in corporate governance, across different levels of analysis and contexts. Practitioner/Policy Implications After over two decades of research and reform of corporate governance, problems of practice remain, and corporate governance prescription via codes and other forms of regulation is increasing in search of better governance. Qualitative research can assist policy-makers and practitioners to develop more efficient governance mechanisms, by shedding light on the efficacy of policy prescription. Qualitative research provides a basis for rethinking and challenging some of the dominant assumptions and meanings about how governance actors and institutions actually function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses several articles within the issue on topics including the codification of standards inqualitative research, ownership behavior of pension fund, and leadership skills of a board chairman.

Potentially toxic nitroaromatic and nitramine compounds are introduced onto soils during detonation of explosives. The present study was conducted to investigate the desorption and transformation of explosive compounds loaded onto three soils through controlled detonation. The soils were proximally detonated with Composition B, a commonly used military explosive containing 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), and octahydro 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX). Gas-exchangeable surface areas were measured from pristine and detonated soils. Aqueous batches of detonated soils were prepared by mixing each soil with ultrapure water. Samples were collected for 141 d and concentrations of Composition B compounds and TNT transformation products 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2ADNT), 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4ADNT), and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (1,3,5-TNB) were measured. The RDX, HMX, and TNT concentrations in detonated soil batches exhibited first-order physical desorption for the first, roughly, 10 d and then reached steady state apparent equilibrium within 40 d. An aqueous batch containing powdered Composition B in water was sampled over time to quantify TNT, RDX, and HMX dissolution from undetonated Composition B particles. The TNT, RDX, and HMX concentrations in aqueous batches of pure Composition B reached equilibrium within 6, 11, and 20 d, respectively. Detonated soils exhibited lower gas-exchangeable surface areas than their pristine counterparts. This is likely due to an explosive residue coating on detonated soil surfaces, shock-induced compaction, sintering, and/or partial fusion of soil particles under the intense heat associated with detonation. Our results suggest that explosive compounds loaded to soils through detonation take longer to reach equilibrium concentrations in aqueous batches than soils loaded with explosive residues through aqueous addition. This is likely due to the heterogeneous interactions between explosive residues and soil particle surfaces. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011;30:345-353. © 2010 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigates community attitudes to abortion in a range of clinical and social situations in Australia. Previous surveys on abortion attitudes presented limitations of existing data which may be misinterpreted in public debate about abortion law reform. An anonymous online survey of 1,050 Australians 18 years and older was conducted in July 28-31, 2008. A discussion, analysis and statistical tabulation of the results and conclusions are provided. Findings reportedly challenge the belief that Australians oppose women accessing late abortion.

The article presents a study which investigates the nitroaromatic compounds 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and nitramines 1,3,5-hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitrotriazine (RDX) and 1,3,5,7-tetrahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitrotetrazocine (HMX) in water suspensions that contain fractured and pristine soils. Soil samples were gathered from different locations including Norwich, Vermont for the poor rated glaciofluvial sand "Church," near Delta Junction, Alaska for the well-rated sand "Delta," and near Bovina, Mississippi for the fluvial silty sand "BBTS." It cites the use of compaction methods from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Results show that fractured soil particles contain higher rates of transformation for nitroaromatic and nitramine compounds than pristine soil particles.

How companies respond to impending regulations is a significant aspect of corporate strategy. Regulations, especially environmental regulations, are expanding quickly and increasingly important to firm success. The threat of impending environmental regulation forces companies to choose levels of strategic responses on a continuum from passive to active. Using practitioner oriented research and existing theoretical models of corporate response, this study finds that the type of strategic response is negatively related to size, positively related to state uncertainty and negatively related to effect/response uncertainty. Based on existing literature and the results of this study, the paper suggests that simplifying the uncertainty construct could lead to more definitive findings in future research. The study results also suggest that a curvilinear relationship may exist between managerial perception of influence and level of strategic response. Most importantly, the findings could have a significant impact on firm decision making regarding environmental investments. For example, it is hoped that firms will be able to use the findings of this study to further understand and anticipate their competitors' decisions. Practitioners may also benefit from the conclusions on uncertainty in that they may be able to more cleanly parse the types of uncertainty immersed in impending environmental regulations. Finally, firms may be better able to understand decisions by their own managers and their competitors' managers in terms of their perceived influence over the regulatory process. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Six Sigma is increasingly implemented in industry, little academic research has been done on Six Sigma and its influence on quality management theory and application. There is a criticism that Six Sigma simply puts traditional quality management practices in a new package. To investigate this issue and the role of Six Sigma in quality management, this study reviewed both the traditional quality management and Six Sigma literatures and identified three new practices that are critical for implementing Six Sigma's concept and method in an organization. These practices are referred to as: Six Sigma role structure, Six Sigma structured improvement procedure, and Six Sigma focus on metrics. A research model and survey instrument were developed to investigate how these Six Sigma practices integrate with seven traditional quality management practices to affect quality performance and business performance. Test results based on a sample of 226 US manufacturing plants revealed that the three Six Sigma practices are distinct practices from traditional quality management practices, and that they complement the traditional quality management practices in improving performance. The implications of the findings for researchers and practitioners are discussed and further research directions are offered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Opponents of biomedical enhancement often claim that, even if such enhancement would benefit the enhanced, it would harm others. But this objection looks unpersuasive when the enhancement in question is a moral enhancement — an enhancement that will expectably leave the enhanced person with morally better motives than she had previously. In this article I (1) describe one type of psychological alteration that would plausibly qualify as a moral enhancement, (2) argue that we will, in the medium-term future, probably be able to induce such alterations via biomedical intervention, and (3) defend future engagement in such moral enhancements against possible objections. My aim is to present this kind of moral enhancement as a counter-example to the view that biomedical enhancement is always morally impermissible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses the Deming management model developed by Anderson et al. (1994b) as an initial template to analyze total quality in services. While the literatures addressing quality management have developed separately for products and services, the founders of total quality portrayed this management philosophy as universally oriented. Our study first replicates two earlier studies that tested the Deming management model in manufacturing industries. Using hospitals as our unit of analysis, we realized findings similar to the earlier manufacturing studies. Next, we used contributions from the MBNQA literature to test an enhanced model. Our subsequent findings support the MBNQA concept that ‘leadership drives the system that creates results’ and provides evidence of the ubiquitous importance of leadership for ensuring the success of a quality improvement program. Finally, an anomaly of this study and those published earlier is the inability to find support for the relationship between continuous improvement and customer satisfaction. Integrating the substantial work in the service quality literature focused on customer satisfaction measurement is recommended to future researchers to help resolve this issue and further enhance the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the ability of firms to integrate a critical strategic issue, the natural environment, into the strategic planning process within the natural resource-based perspective. Using survey data collected from a wide variety of firms and industries based in the United States, we empirically examined the antecedents and effects of integrating the natural environment into the formal planning process. These data were analysed using structural equation modelling with the LISREL technique. Overall, our data provided strong support for the hypothesized relationships. Specifically, we found that the level of integration of environmental management concerns in the strategic planning process was positively related to financial and environmental performance. Furthermore, we found that the greater the functional coverage and the more resources provided to environmental issues, the greater the integration of environmental issues in the planning process. These results suggest that concern for environmental issues may yield competitive advantages in the marketplace as the natural resource-based perspective suggests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on science and technology in a modern society. An experiment was conducted at the University of Nebraska to identify whether or not the relationships of technical and scientific advances of human and physical geography, and of the social and political problems connected with spage-age could be nurtured as a unified study and can be taught to junior high school pupils. A team of well-informed teachers of social science and physical science was chosen to teach, evaluate, and develop the course.