Search

In a workforce characterized by constant disruption across social, economic, and environmental domains, as well as widespread employee suffering in the form of stress, burnout, and disengagement, both scholars and leaders have called for business to undergo transformative change in an effort to bring about collective flourishing. Drawing inspiration from Buddhist philosophy and research on the communicative constitution of organizations, we present a new theory that explains how organizations can foster a positive form of organizing—what we term humanistic organizing—through a tripartite framework of mindful organizational communication. Our theory demonstrates that transforming organizations to become more humanistic is a matter of rethinking an organization's underlying ethos, grounding that new ethos in humanistic principles, and then: (a) embedding the wisdom of this new ethos in organizational communication, (b) intentionally drawing on this wisdom in everyday talk and text, and (c) ethically enacting this wisdom in the form of ongoing organizing practices, which may include revising the preexisting organizing practices. We illustrate our theory through two case illustrations: one that reflects an organization that has demonstrated humanistic organizing from its inception, and another that reflects an organization that underwent a transformative process to become more humanistic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paul Woodruff, who sadly passed away last year (28 August 1943–23 September 2023), left us an extraordinary and timely gift in his book Living Toward Virtue , a masterpiece on practical ethics that engages with and goes beyond the Socratic philosophy found in Plato's dialogues. The book is a tour de force of scholarship, intellectual humility, and philosophical acuity. It offers a neo-Socratic approach to virtue ethics – often contrasting it with neo-Aristotelian virtue ethics – based on the Socratic idea of taking care of our souls, which entails relentless self-examination that maintains us aware of our cognitive limitations and could help us avoid moral injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glass-encapsulated pulse PiN diode (GED) is one of the important devices in pulsed power systems. Irreversible deterioration or even failure may occur in GEDs under long-term pulse conditions and endanger the safety of the pulse power system. In this paper, a comprehensive assessment of the failure mechanism of GED is conducted by life experiments and failure analysis. The results show that breakdown and forward conduction voltage (VF) drop are two major deterioration phenomena of GED under pulse conditions. The breakdown and the VF drop should have different mechanisms because of the weak correlation between the two phenomena. During the turn-off of GED with high di/dt and loss, a dynamic avalanche occurs at the N + n- junction side which produces current filaments and triggers a thermal runaway resulting in breakdown. During the turn-on of GED with high current density, defects multiply the current density by 2 ~ 4 times and trigger a thermal runaway which would stop when turned off resulting in partial chips failure and VF drop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I raise three problems for Pummer's account of impermissible yet praiseworthy actions. First, Pummer does not offer a plausible account of the motives of his agents, and this presents a major obstacle to evaluating those agents' conduct. Second, the success of his argument hinges on a problematic way of individuating actions. Finally, there is a better candidate for a type of action that is both praiseworthy and impermissible, but this candidate presents novel challenges for Pummer's account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the issue of sexual harassment and assault in the field of professional philosophy and discusses the possibility of punishing philosophers who engage in such behavior. It argues that punishment can be justified within the professional context and norms of the discipline. The text suggests that the philosophical community should take responsibility for punishing members who violate professional norms, and proposes the use of shunning as a form of punishment. The author emphasizes the importance of careful consideration, procedural justice, and the ultimate goal of encouraging reflection, recompense, and behavior change. [Extracted from the article]

This article theorizes how femme sociality and world-making provide a counterpoint to a politics that aims for neutrality or innocence, arguing that neutrality or innocence are hallmarks of different forms of patriarchy. Instead, the authors offer embracing complicity as a concept that structures practical ethics centered in abolitionism and nondisposability. Complicity is formulated as a mode of self-understanding that guides action, evading the social hierarchies demanded by a claim to innocence, uprooting (neo)liberal attitudes that look to evade friction by doling out punishment and exclusion. The proposal to embrace complicity is followed by a proposal for solidarity based on openness. Rather than being "right" or "solving problems," a turn to the sensuous provides a form of world-making that can hold difference—without reducing life to the single organizational forms characteristic of liberalism. As a key part of this form of solidarity, the authors show how trans femmeness emphasizes possibilities for social and sensorial transformation. Practices of care and solidarity allow one to entangle with different forms of life. Instead of reforming the structures of oppression, femme practices encourage us to unlearn and uproot institutional forms that reproduce social and material oppressions, and to take agency in (re)constructing and nourishing one's own worlds—to collectively plant the rose garden of struggle for liberation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reappraisal of the local and living a rooted life are often highlighted by international advocates for sustainable and environmentally conscious lifestyles. The purpose of this study is to explore and theorize downshifters' lifestyle changes, with a particular focus on their living environments and sense of place, and we draw on a theoretical framework that combines insights from previous research on downshifting and voluntary simplicity. We conducted 30 life story interviews with individuals in Sweden who consider themselves downshifters or advocates of a simpler life. These materials were analysed along the dimensions of (1) spatial adaptation and appropriation; (2) local and global scales; and (3) temporality of place. Our results emphasize the non-linearity of lifestyle changes towards simplicity where, whereby commitment to sustainability varies while personal goals rely on the previous experiences and everyday practices, values and knowledge that can improve both individual and global sustainability. Our analysis shows that sense of place is a dynamic process influenced by mobilities and flows, spatial inertia and context, and memories and emotions. Our research contributes to the recent more than- relational view on space and place with concepts from humanistic geography that further assist in understanding individuals' sense of place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What role do moral norms play in the justification of legal norms? Here, I explore an answer that emphasises the moral significance of imperfection – of the fact that we are imperfect people, who live imperfect lives, and who have imperfect tools at our disposal for responding to our predicament. These imperfections, I argue, help make the case for (one version of) the harm principle. And they help make the case against the claim traditionally associated with legal moralism, namely that moral duties give law-makers reason to create legal duties with the same content. To accept all this is compatible with accepting – as I also claim here – that legal norms which help us better conform to moral norms are legal norms there is reason for law-makers to create. Those who accept this are nowadays dubbed perfectionists. Following John Gardner, I suggest that they are better thought of as legal imperfectionists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical data and a partial description of the ongoing neurosurgical scenario in Nepal were reported and published earlier. However, updated data on neurosurgical manpower in Nepal has not yet been published. This study aims to explore the neurosurgical workforce in Nepal involved in different administrative territories and in different health sectors. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. A nationwide survey was conducted through personal communication from April to September of 2023. Data on neurosurgeons in all 7 provinces of the country and the major sectors of the health services were collected. Similarly, the number of neurosurgeons in the country every year from 1988 was also collected. Through September 2023, there are 114 actively practicing neurosurgeons in the country for the population of 29,164,578, meaning 1 neurosurgeon serving about 255,829 people. Neurosurgeons are available in all 7 provinces of the country. More than half of the neurosurgeons in the country are fully involved in private practice while about one-third are in medical college and less than one-fifth are in the government service. The capital city has more than half of the neurosurgeons of the country. The number of neurosurgeons in the country is still small, however its ratio with population is better than most of the other South Asian countries. In a short period of time, neurosurgical service flourished significantly in Nepal and is available in all the provinces and thus it has become more easily accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can people choose to be happy? To date we have no definite answer to this very old question. In this paper, we introduced and tested a new theoretical model of the pursuit of happiness in which we integrated individual happiness definitions, happiness-related intentions, and happiness-enhancing activities. Further, we tested different characteristics of happiness-enhancing activities that have previously been discussed in the literature as potentially relevant for the successful pursuit of happiness: the breadth (i.e., how many different facets of happiness are positively affected by one single activity), variety (i.e., how many different happiness-enhancing activities people conduct in daily life), and frequency (i.e., overall number) of happiness-enhancing activities. The results of an experience sampling study (N = 473; 2815 daily-level data points) support our preregistered hypotheses: Individual definitions of happiness were predictive of intentions and well-being related behaviors in everyday life. Further, the engagement in broader and a higher number of happiness-enhancing activities was associated with higher levels of daily well-being. The variety of happiness-enhancing activities, however, did not predict daily well-being. Overall, we demonstrated that defining and pursuing happiness in a multifaceted manner is related to higher levels of well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective requirements elicitation is crucial for the success of large-scale software projects. However, challenges arise when customers are unavailable or unable to express their needs clearly. This research presents a cost-effective model to address these challenges and facilitate efficient requirements elicitation in such scenarios. The survey is used to investigate the significance of the requirements elicitation process and its impact on software project outcomes. The key themes that emerged from the survey analysis are the importance of the elicitation process, the value of prior experience, the impact of poor requirements definition, customer engagement and communication, schedule adherence, and previous success and confidence. Based on these findings, the proposed model provides a systematic framework for requirements elicitation. It encompasses essential components such as determining customer availability, gathering domain understanding, defining project scope and objectives, conducting personal and collective introspection, consolidating requirements, refining and prioritizing requirements, developing an initial Software Requirements Specification (SRS) version, and validating requirements. This research article contributes valuable insights into the requirements elicitation process and presents a practical model that enhances understanding and capturing stakeholder needs when customer involvement is challenging, accelerates elicitation and analysis processes, improves requirements documentation accuracy and completeness, and offers competitive market advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Al-Adab / Al-ādāb is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We sometimes face personal choices that are so momentous they appear to give rise to an intrapersonal analogue to the non-identity problem. Where the non-identity problem presents as a problem for morality, the intrapersonal analogue presents as a problem for prudence. The analogy has been explored recently by Das and Paul, and although, as this paper argues, their analysis fails—there is no intrapersonal analogue for the non-identity problem—it functions to highlight a persistent and perplexing puzzle for prudential rationality. This paper offers its own explanation: namely, that the phenomena that motivate the purported intrapersonal problem are better accounted for by conceiving prudence as disjunctive. To this end, I sketch a theory of two varieties of prudence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body composition assessment helps conducting a healthy life or tracking the effectiveness of a weight management therapy. Ultrasound (US)-based body composition research has gained momentum because of the emergence of portable and inexpensive instruments bundled with user-friendly software. Previously, US-based assessment of body fat percentage (% BF) was found precise, but inaccurate in certain populations. Therefore, this study sought to compute % BF from subcutaneous fat thicknesses (SFs) given by US converting an anthropometric formula that involves skinfold thicknesses (SKFs) measured at the same sites. The symmetry of the body with respect to the central sagittal plane is an underlying assumption in both anthropometry and US-based body composition assessment, so measurements were taken on the right side of the body. Relying on experimental data on skinfold compressibility, we adapted 33 SKF formulas for US use and tested their validity against air displacement plethysmography on a study group of 97 women (BMI = 25.4 ± 6.4 kg/m2, mean ± SD) and 107 men (BMI = 26.7 ± 5.7 kg/m2). For both sexes, the best proprietary formula had Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) between 0.7 and 0.73, standard error of estimate (SEE) < 3% BF and total error (TE) > 6% BF—mainly because of the underestimation of % BF in overweight and obese subjects. For women (men) the best adapted formula had CCC = 0.85 (0.80), SEE = 3.2% (2.4%) BF, and TE = 4.6% (5.4%) BF. Remarkably, certain adapted formulas were more accurate for overweight and obese people than the proprietary equations. In conclusion, anthropometric equations provide useful starting points in the quest for novel formulas to estimate body fat content from ultrasound measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrobatid frogs are famous for their amazing body design colours and poisonous skin. The male perspective is the focus of most studies, with males known as caregivers, persistent singers, and assiduous flirts. Little is known about what females do other than reproduce or very rarely be territorial and care for their tadpoles. Two interesting questions that remain to be answered are whether dendrobatid frogs can organize themselves into a complex social system and what males and females do outside of reproductive periods. We studied the multicolour species Adelphobates galactonotus in a delimited natural environment, with 11 females and 6 males with three different body colours. Over 27 months, the individuals interacted and conducted their life histories together since their metamorphosis. Continuous daily samplings revealed that females and males are organized in a female dominance hierarchy based on aggression, with resource defence: the territory. The social repertoire involved touching, visual and sound communication, fights and grouping of individuals associated with dominant females and territorial males. Herein, we describe the social repertoire, and we tested the behavioural trait that most influences successful reproduction: fighting a lot or being a popular individual in groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Landscape Architecture Frontiers is the property of Higher Education Press Limited Company and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Academic incivility is a serious concern for higher education. The continuum of incivility to bullying is not agreed upon, but the behaviors associated with these constructs disrupt education at every level. Unaddressed, these behaviors can significantly complicate teaching and learning conditions for students, faculty, and institutions. Acts of academic incivility in higher education influence (a) student achievement, (b) psychological well-being, (c) instructor performance, and (d) institutional growth. Incivility can be overt or covert, but the damage can be pervasive and long-lasting. To support faculty and institutions of higher education in their efforts to mitigate of incivility, an instrument to measure incivility is warranted. To meet this need, the Academic Incivility Scale was developed, and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted to determine the scale's factor structure and psychometric properties. The scale, intended for students, measures the frequency of academic incivility. Theoretically and statistically, the final two-factor solution yielded the subscales of Interpersonal Communication and Personal Conduct, included 33 items, and accounted for 60% of the variance. The scale demonstrated evidence of internal consistency, convergent validity, and divergent validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the recent resurgence of interest in character and virtues within philosophy, psychology, and educational studies. This renewed interest has been inspired by a retrieval of character-and-virtue research in psychology and the advent of positive psychology. The article explores the concept of phronesis, or practical wisdom, and its role in moral decision-making. It also examines the relationship between virtues, wisdom, skills, and expertise. The aim of the article is to bring together scholars from various disciplines to address the methodological and substantive challenges in the study of virtue cultivation, practical wisdom, and expertise. [Extracted from the article]

Drawing on Anscombe, in this essay I argue that we should not take Aristotle to be a moral philosopher, nor a virtue ethicist. This is because contemporary virtue ethics has little to do with Aristotelian ethics. While contemporary virtue ethics (or aretaic moral theory, as one may call it) operates on the level of moral and thus categorical norms, Aristotelian ethics—an aretaic life ethics—is primarily concerned with pragmatic norms. The main question for Aristotle is what a good general conduct of life is. The major concern of aretaic moral theory, on the other hand, is to provide a criterion of morally right action and hence to define the concepts of the morally right, the impermissible and moral duty in aretaic terms. This shows that contemporary authors assume a primacy of virtue, while Aristotle assumes a primacy of eudaimonia. I illustrate this distinction by addressing the question of how the virtues benefit their possessor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study conducted life story interviews with 40 members of the PRSA College of Fellows to examine the influence of crucibles (i.e. trials, challenges or growth opportunities) in the moral development and psychology of public relations exemplars. The outcomes were the development of an illustration of their moral and leader development journey drawing on Rest's four-component model of ethical decision making, and a moral psychology profile of the key characteristics of public relations exemplars. The profile that emerged is that of leaders who exemplify moral courage, resilience, generosity, genuine care about others and are willing to listen and learn. When they faced trials, they emerged stronger and stayed true to their values and character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtue ethical inspired approaches to practical and professional ethics have long been endorsed across various disciplines. Journalistic ethics is no exception. Call such approaches Virtue Ethical Journalism (VEJ). Virtue ethics has also drawn considerable attention from the field of moral psychology, though not all of it is supportive. Among the critics, some take the view that character traits and virtues are not effective enough in guiding people's behavior. As a result, they conclude that traits should be minimized in ethical thought. Call this stronger view character skepticism. VEJ has taken character skepticism seriously. Many responses to character skepticism defending VEJ, however, raise similar points as those that defend a more general theory of virtue ethics from such skepticism. I argue, however, that such responses to character skepticism are not up to the task of defending VEJ. Accordingly, VEJ would benefit from novel responses to character skepticism or significant revision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction:Teleconsultations for preoperative evaluation in anesthesiology proved to be feasible during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, widespread implementation of teleconsultations has not yet occurred. Besides time savings and economic benefits, teleconsultations in anesthesia may have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions. Methods:We conducted a life cycle assessment based on prospective surveys to assess the potential environmental benefits of preoperative anesthesia teleconsultations in comparison to the status-quo in-person consultations. Within 1 month, all patients presenting at the preoperative anesthesia clinic at RWTH Aachen University Hospital were asked about the distance traveled and mode of transportation to the hospital. The main outcome measure was the potential environmental benefit resulting from the implementation of teleconsultations. Results:In total, 821 out of 981 patients presenting at the anesthesia clinic participated in the survey. Most patients visited on an outpatient basis (62.9%) and traveled by car (81.7%). The median travel distance was 25 km [interquartile range 12–40]. If patients who came to the hospital solely for the anesthesia appointment had scheduled virtual appointments, the emissions of 3.03-ton CO2 equivalents (CO2-eq) could be avoided in the first month after implementation. The environmental impact associated with the production of teleconsultation equipment is outweighed by the reduction in patient travel. If all outpatient appointments were performed virtually, these savings would triple. Within 10 years, more than 1,300 tons CO2-eq could be avoided. Conclusion:Teleconsultations can mitigate the environmental impact of in-person anesthesia consultations. Further research is essential to leverage teleconsultations for preoperative evaluation also across other medical specialties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The twentieth century is witness to a revival of interest in the bildungsroman as writers, especially from postcolonies in the Global South, turn to it to reflect on concerns of history, culture, and social life in a postcolonial setting. Scholars, however, disagree regarding the nature of these reworkings. Some see them as a continuation of the original European models established by Goethe, Dickens, and other European writers. Others find such associations Eurocentric and call for more local standards of evaluation. This article examines this debate by looking closely at a version of the postcolonial bildungsroman proposed by the Kannada writer U. R. Ananthamurthy in his 1965 novel Samskara. The novel follows an orthodox Brahmin priest from Karnataka who, disillusioned by the corruption and moral decay in his community, embarks on a pilgrimage to rediscover his identity in the rapidly modernizing world of twentieth‐century India. Ananthamurthy's bildungsroman, while retaining some structural similarities, departs from European models in fundamental ways. The motif of the hero's journey, for instance, is flipped. The novel tracks the hero's growing discontentment with his community leading to a sense of communal alienation, thus inverting the European journey‐trajectory that typically follows the hero's movement toward social integration. It also deviates from the generic Western rags‐to‐riches storyline that complements that hero's road to social integration. Instead, it adopts the narrative structure of the Niti‐shastra, a set of precolonial Hindu texts that teach about the wise conduct of life. Such readings not only facilitate fresh ways of understanding the relationship between the Western and the postcolonial models, but they also allow new insights into understanding how South Asian authors utilize the bildungsroman to rediscover precolonial and classical works through modernity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

John Milton's Paradise Lost is shaped by an implicit theory of life. In Milton's view, the mark of the living is the capacity to endeavor, the ability to strive in phenomenally available and self-exceeding ways. This essay examines how Milton reworks ancient and early modern ideas about life in order both to develop a concept of endeavor and to represent the activity of endeavoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores how integrating the bodily dimension into the Spiritual Exercises can enhance the spiritual experience, addressing common challenges faced by retreatants. Topics discussed include the role of bodily exercises in prayer, the function of the Additions in deepening spiritual engagement, and the impact of creating a conducive atmosphere through sensory experiences.

This research aims to understand current patterns, trends, and gaps in personal finance by conducting a systematic literature review of 20 years. The study collected and analyzed the articles published between 2004 to 2024. The research articles were collected from the Scopus database using the PRISMA framework. The review shows changes in the research area, including behavioural finance, digital financial planning tools, and its impact on individuals' financial literacy and planning. The major limitation of this study is that the literature search for personal financial planning might not have incorporated all publications in this area. Furthermore, there is a possibility of bias in this review concerning the papers selected for review and how the researchers interpreted the results. The findings of this systematic literature review can assist policymakers, financial planners, and practitioners in making more informed financial planning decisions and regulations. Thus, by identifying the trends and gaps in personal financial planning, strategies can be defined to provide individuals and society with the necessary level of support. The research is helpful to existing knowledge in that it presents a critical discussion of the personal financial planning literature evident in the last twenty years. The research is original and provides valuable information for upcoming research and practical application in personal financial planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We conducted a systematic review of post‐test communication protocols and observational studies regarding counseling for a positive sexually transmitted infection (STI) result and also discuss the role of dental specialist (e.g., oral medicine) in this sense. Methods and Results: The search process followed the parameters of PRISMA 2020 guidelines. MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, and LILACS were consulted with a specific search strategy for each one. Additionally, the references of the included studies, grey literature, and experts were consulted. Four protocols and 18 observational studies were included in this systematic review, published between 1997 and 2022 in the Americas and Europe. The communication protocols emphasized the importance of conducting personal and private discussions with patients to address their fears and questions. Among the observational studies, 56% indicated that post‐test counseling was either ineffective or absent. Furthermore, 22% of the studies used telephone communication to deliver results to patients. Conclusions: Our study showed that the communication process of a positive STI result affects the patients in several aspects, as treatment adherence and their relationship with the community. Nevertheless, this process of STI post‐test communication seems to be flawed, which brings potential negative effects to patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of research that focuses on the lived experiences of British Yemeni young people in the UK as they pertain to their learning and development. This paper aims to bridge the gap by exploring the case of Nuha, an 18-year-old British Yemeni young woman, as she navigates the conduct of her everyday life. The paper presents a developed conceptual model and associated methodological approach for exploring Nuha. It does so by first reviewing what might be viewed as dominant approaches to the study of ethnic young people's experiences that advocate a social identity theory. A critique of such thinking is developed that takes issue with much of this writing that has the potential for an essentialised abstracted approach. The paper instead advocates the use of a subjectively focused, practice orientated and yet culturally sensitive approach to exploring human behaviour in the context of the conduct of everyday life. Based on an analytical matrix that is developed from such thinking, I examine Nuha's life experiences using Dreier's theory of a person. In doing so, I recognise the additional importance of personhood in practice that provide a reference point for exploring more deeply the learning and development of Nuha. The research is generated through a case study narrative that is analysed dialectically through theory, recognising how theory is simultaneously driven by the data. The paper concludes with arguments made about the centrality of an extended and developed sense of the conduct of everyday life to get at the nuanced evolving sense of being and doing for British Yemeni young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhuangzi is often regarded as an authority in the realm of spiritual cultivation. This article explores Zhuangzi's theory of self-cultivation and identifies two distinct approaches: one focuses on the transformation of consciousness, known as the "Inner Chamber" practice, while the other centers on the transformation of materials, referred to as the "Craftsmanship" practice. Both methods can achieve a state of transformation where the boundaries between the self and the external world blur, leading to a sense of unity. Zhuangzi's state of unity transcends cognitive boundaries and erases the distinction between the self and the external world, creating a realm of spiritual emptiness. However, the concept of "nothingness" in this realm is a linguistic expression of consciousness, rather than a denial of existence. On the contrary, it elevates and preserves the essence of all things, including the innate essence of material substances, often referred to as the "primordial essence of things." The "primordial essence" is a paradoxical concept, simultaneously devoid of substance and possessing substance, while the "Inner Chamber" of the mind represents "knowledge in ignorance." When this state is realized, there exists an intrinsic coexistence between the self and all things, returning both to their original essence. In Zhuangzi's worldview, the other, or external entities, receive affirmation within the framework of existence, leading to harmony between the self and the material world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides a legal and regulatory update for May 2024 in the European Union (EU) regarding pharmaceutical patents and market authorizations. It highlights specific cases, such as the invalidity of Novartis' patent for fingolimod, the injunction against generic versions of sitagliptin and metformin, and the rejection of a SPC application for avelumab. The document also mentions the dismissal of requests to cancel market authorizations for the Spikevas and Cominarty COVID-19 vaccines. It discusses two separate cases related to the commercialization of medical products, one involving Mylan Ireland and the other involving Doctipharma SAS. The document further examines a complicated judgment regarding the procedure used by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to designate its experts, as well as a judgment under appeal regarding the interpretation of a policy on competing interests in the pharmaceutical industry. [Extracted from the article]

Identifying peacekeeping as practical ethics helps analyze how the problems of existing approaches to military ethical training led to practical problems of standard setting. This article illustrates the value of understanding ethics as a theoretical framework to confront and prepare for moral practice. Pointing out the problems in terms of how military ethics ascertain the nature of ethics, the field of military ethics frames problems in ways that undermine standard settings for moral practice. Specifying these problems complements established theoretical inputs and helps peacekeepers better adjust to the moral choices and dilemmas ahead. This is particularly because military ethical training is also about coming to terms with society's moral standards and demands that led to peacekeeping and peacebuilding missions in the first place. The article illustrates the advantages and disadvantages of this approach to military ethical training with the example of Austrian peacekeeper ethical training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempted to answer the question of how to share the values and ethics of youth work among practitioners and with policymakers, funders, and society. Although social interest in youth support in Japan has been on rise recently due to the increase number of difficulties surrounding young people, the 'ethics and values' in practice and in the field can be driven by the neoliberal social and political trends present in our society. This study presents a way to resist and counter the penetration of neoliberal practical ethics and organisational management through the process of visualising, sharing and legitimising the 'practical ethics and values' embedded in the fields where youth work has been developed with young people. This is the research-based practice of 'practitioners collectively telling, writing, sharing, and communicating the stories of practice'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress is an all too a common part of life today. Sometimes few individuals can avoid. In fact, a nationwide survey conducted by a large life insurance company showed that nearly 46% of American workers believe their jobs are highly stressful. This growing evidence suggests that high levels of stress adversely affect physical health, psychological well-being and many aspects of task performance. Concern about the impact of stress on people, has its roots in medicine and specifically in the pioneering work of Hans selye, the recognized father of stress. In his search for a hormone by chance he discovered that tissue damage is a nonspecific response to virtually all noxious stimuli. He called this phenomenon the general adaption syndrome and about a decade later he introduced the terms "stress" in his writings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scepticism about ought simpliciter is the view that there is no such thing as what one ought simpliciter to do. Instead, practical deliberation is governed by a plurality of normative standpoints, each authoritative from their own perspective but none authoritative simpliciter. This paper aims to resist such scepticism. After setting out the challenge in general terms, I argue that scepticism can be resisted by rejecting a key assumption in the sceptic's argument. This is the assumption that standpoint-relative ought judgments bring with them a commitment to act in accordance with those judgments. Instead, I propose an alternative account of our normative concepts according to which only ought simpliciter judgments commit one to acting in accordance with those judgments. In addition to answering the sceptical challenge, the proposal offers an independently motivated account of what makes a concept normatively authoritative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this work was to measure the effect of the proper prenatal medical care on the health of newborns. This study was based on a survey conducted in France in 2010 by the National Institute for Health and Medical Research and the Ministry of Health. Three different definitions of newborn health were used, and the definition of proper prenatal care was set based on the recommendations of the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS). The analysis was conducted based on propensity score methods to adjust for potential confounders. The results showed that proper prenatal may reduce some newborn health problems. But, if allowance is made for women's behaviour or for mothers' perceptions of their pregnancy, prenatal care could have no effect on newborn health. Moreover, it seems that a subpopulation of women would use prenatal care visits to enforce a self-commitment, to adhere to personal good conduct rather than for only medical reasons. Better information, prevention and customization of prenatal care according to pregnant women's profiles might be more effective in terms of health and perhaps cost-saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]