Virtue and austerity

Virtue ethics is often proposed as a third way in health‐care ethics, that while consequentialism and deontology focus on action guidelines, virtue focuses on character; all three aim to help agents discern morally right action although virtue seems to have least to contribute to political issues, such as austerity. I claim: (1) This is a bad way to characterize virtue ethics. The 20th century renaissance of virtue ethics was first proposed as a response to the difficulty of making sense of ‘moral rightness’ outside a religious context. For Aristotle the right action is that which is practically best; that means best for the agent in order to live a flourishing life. There are no moral considerations besides this. (2) Properly characterized, virtue ethics can contribute to discussion of austerity. A criticism of virtue ethics is that fixed characteristics seem a bad idea in ever‐changing environments; perhaps we should be generous in prosperity, selfish in austerity. Furthermore, empirical evidence suggests that people indeed do change with their environment. However, I argue that virtues concern fixed values not fixed behaviour; the values underlying virtue allow for different behaviour in different circumstances: in austerity, virtues still give the agent the best chance of flourishing. Two questions arise. (a) In austere environments might not injustice help an individual flourish by, say, obtaining material goods? No, because unjust acts undermine the type of society the agent needs for flourishing. (b) What good is virtue to those lacking the other means to flourish? The notion of degrees of flourishing shows that most people would benefit somewhat from virtue. However, in extreme circumstances virtue might harm rather than benefit the agent: such circumstances are to be avoided; virtue ethics thus has a political agenda to enable flourishing. This requires justice, a fortiori when in austerity.     

Crisis and Disaster Counseling: Lessons Learned From Hurricane Katrina and Other Disasters

This study sought to intergate and evaluate existing enrichment research literature. most of which had never been published. Meta-analysis. the review technique used in the study. is a new method for statistically aggregating and evaluating empirical findings. Eighty-five studies of premarital, marital and family enrichment, representing 3.886 couples or families wen gathered and their results statistically aggregated. Findings from the study are discussed in terms of overall enrichment effectiveness as well as salient program, subject. design and measurement characteristics. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

Terahertz Wave Propagation in a Nanotube Conveying Fluid Taking into Account Surface Effect

In nanoscale structure sizes, the surface-to-bulk energy ratio is high and the surface effects must be taken into account. Surface effect plays a key role in accurately predicting the vibration behavior of nanostructures. In this paper, the wave behaviors of a single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) conveying fluid are studied. The nonlocal Timoshenko beam theory is used and the surface effect is taken into account. It is found that the fluid can flow at a very high flow velocity and the wave propagates in the terahertz frequency range. The surface effects can significantly enhance the propagating frequency. This finding is different from the classical model where the surface effect is neglected.     

综合医院疗愈花园设计思考——以北大国际医院疗愈花园为例

在本原健康理论的框架下,从自然、色彩、标识、声音、光线、艺术品、文化活动与社会支持8个方面,对北大国际医院住院部前花园的疗愈环境进行实地调研与分析,总结出了其设计所存在的问题与可借鉴的经验,为其他综合医院疗愈花园的设计提供参考。     

Problematizing official narratives of HIV and AIDS education in Scotland and Zimbabwe

When human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are framed within an intersectional approach, they have the potential to transform understandings of social justice within the curriculum and education policy and practice in general. Yet, this transformative potential is often hampered by official narratives that fail to position HIV and AIDS as an integral component of overlapping systems of oppression, domination and discrimination. This article explores how official HIV and AIDS narratives tend to promote systemic injustice and inequality within education policy and practice in both Scotland and Zimbabwe, despite their good intents. We frame our argument within a transformative education discourse which seeks to create participatory and emancipatory HIV-related messages at school, tertiary and community levels. Using a narrative enquiry design, a Foucauldian theoretical lens was used to analyse the narratives derived from key informant responses, supplemented by analysis of key documents that deal with HIV and AIDS in both Scotland and Zimbabwe. Four broad narratives emerged: the ‘Gay’ Narrative; the Migration Narrative; the Conspiracy Narrative; and the Religious Narrative. We discuss how each of these narratives entrench stigma across both developed and developing world contexts, and propose how a more intersectional interpretation would contribute to a deeper and less stigmatizing understanding of HIV, thus offering more useful insights into related policy and educational practices. This article will thus contribute to the growing body of intersectional HIV and AIDS knowledge that is relevant for schools, teacher education, public health and community settings, not only in the countries studied, but the world over.     

耐多药结核病治疗药物及潜在药物的结构和性质计算

目的：比较分析耐多药结核病（MDR-TB）临床治疗药物和潜在药物结构与性质差异，为开发新药提供参考。方法：运用密度泛函理论M06-2X/6-311+G（2d，p）方法，对噁唑烷酮类MDR-TB治疗药物利奈唑胺（Lin），临床试验药物舒特唑胺（Sut）、德帕唑胺（Del）、TBI-223（223）及新近合成化合物19c的药效构象、几何和电子结构、红外（IR）、紫外-可见（UV-Vis）、电子圆二色（ECD）谱进行计算比较，并借助概念密度泛函理论进行分子全局反应指数分析，使用药物代谢动力学平台开展成药性和ADME/Tox评估。结果：计算显示19c增加一个手性中心明显减少了药效构象，在不同溶剂环境中，五种化合物药效结构几何参数值相近，计算值与晶体参数吻合较好。极性环境使Del极性改变最大。计算红外光谱特征与实验吻合。Lin计算的紫外最大吸收波数与实验完全一致，Del紫外吸收光谱以HOMO电子向LUMO跃迁为主，其他均以HOMO向LUMO+2跃迁为主，都具有双峰曲线。Sut计算ECD峰与实验相吻合。19c、Sut和Lin静电势分布主要集中在噁唑烷酮端，而Del和223则另一端呈电势负性。五种化合物反应指数彼此数值接近。类药性评价显示Del分布系数与其他差别大，整体彼此相近。动力学参数五种化合物比较一致，但临床用药Lin的参数更优。结论：新化合物19c较MDR-TB临床治疗药物及临床试验药物具有优势，存在进一步开发的价值。     

Linear Stability Analysis and Gas Kinetic Scheme (GKS) Simulations of Instabilities in Compressible Plane Poiseuille Flow

The fundamental nature of flow instability in wall bounded flows changes with Mach number. The objectives of this study are two-fold, (i) compute the instability modes in high Mach number Poiseuille flows using linear stability analysis (LSA) and, (ii) perform direct numerical simulations (DNS) of the instability development using a solver based on gas kinetic method (GKM) for the purpose of code validation by comparison against LSA results. The LSA and DNS are performed for the case of Poiseuille flow over a range of Mach numbers – from moderately supersonic to hypersonic speeds. First, LSA is employed to identify the most unstable mode over the range of Mach numbers. We then perform two sets of GKM-DNS to corroborate the LSA results over the Mach number range. In the first set of simulations, the background field is initially perturbed with the most unstable mode identified by LSA and the evolution is monitored. It is shown that GKM-DNS accurately captures the exponential growth in kinetic energy for all Mach numbers. The second set of GKM-DNS simulations is performed by superposing the background pressure field with random initial perturbations. After an initial transient period, the modes predicted by LSA dominate the DNS flow field evolution. The wave-vector and mode shapes of the dominant instability are well replicated by GKM-DNS at each Mach number. These insights in the linear regime of high speed Poiseuille flow and validation of GKM are important for understanding and simulating wall bounded flows.     

Theorizing About Social Support and Health Communication in a Prostate Cancer Support Group

This article inquires into whether and how uncertainty reduction theory and problematic integration theory, two theories relevant to social support as enacted within a chapter of the Man-to-Man prostate cancer support group, inform us of how such groups can assist group members most effectively. Interview data from members of a prostate cancer support group shed light on theoretical assumptions about uncertainty. Although the group applies elements of both theories, prostate cancer survivors likely would benefit from a more comprehensive and flexible treatment of social support theory.     

Factors Associated with Tobacco Use among Iranian Adolescents: An Application of Protection Motivation Theory

Background: Tobacco use is a significant predisposing factor to many diseases. Protection motivation theory is a well-suited theory, since fear can motivate individuals to change their unhealthy behaviors. Objective: This study was conducted to examine the associations between the constructs of this theory with intention and tobacco use behavior. Method: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in Noshahr, Iran. The participants were 440 high school boys selected using a stratified random sampling in 2016. A questionnaire about tobacco use based on protection motivation theory was developed and its validity and reliability were assessed. The questionnaire included the demographic information, the constructs of theory, and tobacco use behavior. Structural equation modeling was used to test the associations between the constructs with intention and tobacco use. Results: The variables of perceived vulnerability (β = 0/137, P < 0.001), fear (β = 0/149, P < 0.001), self-efficacy (β = 0/249, P < 0.001), perceived intrinsic reward (β = ?0.285, P < 0.001), threat appraisal (β = ?0.25, P < 0.001), and coping appraisal (β = 0.358, P < 0.001) had direct effect and are significant with intention. Moreover, perceived vulnerability (β = ?0.158, P < 0.001), fear (β = ?0.172, P < 0.001), self-efficacy (β = ?0.288, P < 0.001), perceived intrinsic reward (β = 0.329, P < 0.001), threat appraisal (β = 0.265, P < 0.001), and coping appraisal (β = ?0.379, P < 0.001) affected tobacco use indirectly through intention and were significantly associated with behavior. Also, intention had direct effect and is significant with tobacco use (β = ?1.156, P < 0.001). Conclusions: The protection motivation theory provides a useful framework for investigating factors of tobacco use among male students. Future tobacco prevention interventions should focus on increasing the vulnerability and fear, decreasing intrinsic reward, and improving self-efficacy to reduce tobacco use.