Human adenovirus (HAdV)-F40 and -F41 are leading causes of diarrhea and diarrhea-associated mortality in children under the age of five, but the mechanisms by which they infect host cells are poorly ...understood. HAdVs initiate infection through interactions between the knob domain of the fiber capsid protein and host cell receptors. Unlike most other HAdVs, HAdV-F40 and -F41 possess two different fiber proteins-a long fiber and a short fiber. Whereas the long fiber binds to the Coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR), no binding partners have been identified for the short fiber. In this study, we identified heparan sulfate (HS) as an interaction partner for the short fiber of enteric HAdVs. We demonstrate that exposure to acidic pH, which mimics the environment of the stomach, inactivates the interaction of enteric adenovirus with CAR. However, the short fiber:HS interaction is resistant to and even enhanced by acidic pH, which allows attachment to host cells. Our results suggest a switch in receptor usage of enteric HAdVs after exposure to acidic pH and add to the understanding of the function of the short fibers. These results may also be useful for antiviral drug development and the utilization of enteric HAdVs for clinical applications such as vaccine development.
New technologies often give rise to previously unknown ethical problems, and it often takes many years to fully integrate them in society. We propose a new form of technology assessment that will ...focus on the ethical implications of new technologies; ethical technology assessment (eTA). Ethical technology assessment will serve as a tool for identifying adverse effects of new technologies at an early stage. It should be undertaken in dialogue with technology developers and have the form of a continuous dialogue rather than a single evaluation at a specific point in time. eTA can be conducted on the basis of a check-list that refers to nine crucial ethical aspects of technology; (1) Dissemination and use of information, (2) Control, influence and power, (3) Impact on social contact patterns, (4) Privacy, (5) Sustainability, (6) Human reproduction, (7) Gender, minorities and justice, (8) International relations, and (9) Impact on human values. Ethical technology assessments should not be committed to any particular moral theory. Instead they should be open to different perspectives and solutions.
The contributors to this issue offer applied critical and normative perspectives on central, yet overlooked, ethical aspects of migration management with a certain cosmopolitan lance in some ...capacity. However, cosmopolitanism might mean different things for transnational migration. It can refer to “political cosmopolitanism” that provides the reasons for why there should be certain global institutions governing migration. It can also refer to “moral cosmopolitanism” that simply represents a moral concern for individual rights and interests first and foremost (Caney 2005). Cosmopolitanism can also work as a lens that is based on a scepticism towards using the nation-state as the ultimate unit or locus of analysis. These perspectives are not mutually exclusive, and the contributions in this special issue accommodate a form of cosmopolitan outlook or stance to some extent in their discussion on migration management practices.
In October 2015 Stockholm University Library (SUB) decided to no longer use the services of a subscription agent for managing individual journal subscriptions. Instead, SUB has taken a do-it-yourself ...(DIY) approach to subscriptions management and now renews and orders new journals directly from each publisher. In the light of two years of experience, this article discusses the key findings of this new way of working with subscriptions, the differences between the first and second year of renewing directly with publishers and the pros and cons of not using an agent. The article ends with a few recommendations and things for other libraries to consider before making the decision to do without a subscription agent and explains why SUB has decided to continue with the DIY approach.
Can state sovereignty justify privileged receiving countries exercising authority over non‐members in a third country to safeguard their own interests? Under the current migration governance of the ...EU, state sovereignty is manifested in migrant interdiction, interception and detention policies employed to prevent unauthorized migrants from reaching the EU, and even from attempting to embark on cross‐Mediterranean journeys. While reinforcement of the Schengen region's external borders is a key aim of the EU's internal migration politics, collaboration with third countries regarding migration control has, in the last decade, become a key feature of its external migration policy. In close collaboration with third countries, the EU has managed to curb the outflux of migrants from transit and sending countries. In effect, irregular migrants are prevented from exiting as well as from entering. This article explores the justifiability of such practices, by questioning commonly invoked models of justification such as the sovereignty “model”, with a special focus on partnership agreements regarding migration control between the EU and Libya.
The Kei Islands of Southeast Moluccas, like other parts of Indonesia, have a customary order and cultural diversity. The values of local wisdom existing in the Kei community, which is contained in ...the customary law of Larwul Ngabal, is a very important cultural social capital in the social integration of its society. The type of study was an empirical research with sociological-anthropological juridical approach. The results show that the existence of customary law of Larwul Ngabal supports the implementation of regional autonomy with full authority and reinforcement in local regulations based on local wisdom in Kei Island. The dominant factors that caused the values of customary law of Larwul Ngabal have not provided legal strength in the implementation of local government is because it is determined by the recruitment factor of the leader who lacks capacity and competence. Added to the polarization of political parties and the values of local wisdom on financial strength in determining leadership. Therefore, to realize good local governance in Kei Islands, the values of customary law of Larwul Ngabal in various Local Regulations and local government policies must be accommodated, keeping in mind the custom, governmental and religious factors that are the foundation of Kei community life.
Västvärldens åldrande befolkning anses ofta ställa krav på nya former av vård och omsorg. Olika typer av informations- och kommunikationstekniskt (IKT) baserat vårdstöd framhålls ofta som en lösning. ...Tekniken medger en rad olika fördelar, exempelvis tätare tillsyn, kontinuerliga mätningar av vitala funktioner, med möjlighet att kontinuerligt ställa diagnos, och snabb respons på larm, men de tekniska lösningarna får också etiska implikationer. I den här artikeln beskrivs och exemplifieras IKT-baserad vård och omsorg och teknikens påverkan på centrala värden som personlig integritet, autonomi, frivillighet och informerat samtycke diskuteras. Interaktiv etisk teknikvärdering föreslås för att bättre inkorporera alla berörda parters behov av och synpunkter på den här typen av vårdstöd.
An aging population is often taken to require a profound reorganization of the prevailing health care system. In particular, a more cost-effective care system is warranted and ICT-based home care is ...often considered a promising alternative. Modern health care devices admit a transfer of patients with rather complex care needs from institutions to the home care setting. With care recipients set up with health monitoring technologies at home, spouses and children are likely to become involved in the caring process and informal caregivers may have to assist kin-persons with advanced care needs by means of sophisticated technology. This paper investigates some of the ethical implications of a near-future shift from institutional care to technology-assisted home care and the subsequent impact on the care recipient and formal- and informal care providers.
Aging populations have become a major concern in the developed world and are expected to require novel care strategies. Public policies, health-care regimes and technology developers alike stress the ...need for a more individualized care to meet the increased demand for care services in response to demographic change. Increasingly, care services are offered to individuals with diseases and or disabilities in their homes by means of Personalized Health-Monitoring (PHM) technologies. PHM-based home care is typically portrayed as the key to a cost-effective future care that better can accommodate the needs of an aging population and promote care recipients’ independence. In light of the emerging technology-based home care, this article sets forth to investigate the significance and implications of a strong emphasis on independence in relation to this novel care form. Notions of independence as used by care planners, care providers and technology developers are examined in relation to ICT-based home care and the reasonableness of independence as an aim for future health-care is critically discussed. In conclusion, the need for a shift from a strong emphasis on independence to a right to healthy dependence is advocated.
Identity and evidence of identity in the form of identification documents, passwords, and codes are key features of the information age and identity infrastructures which are essential in delivering ...public services and in executing border-control measures. Although increasingly sophisticated, such infrastructures and digital identities are vulnerable to exploitation. Identity theft, offline as well as online, is a key concern for all law enforcement. Fraudulent use of passports from the European Union (EU) is prevalent and has been rather constant over the past few years despite enhanced security mechanisms in EU passports. In response, a harmonized EU-wide e-passport is currently under development, aimed at enhancing the security of identification processes and at stifling identity theft. In this paper, an assessment is undertaken, investigating ethical implications of the novel EU passport regime and how different stakeholders may be affected. It is argued that assessments should include the effects on third country nationals and not only on EU members.
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