Blockchain Technology for Governance of Plastic Waste Management: Where Are We?

Blockchain technology is emerging as a plausible disruptor of waste management practices that influence the governance of plastics. The interest among the waste management community in the potential and fundamental changes to complex resource management associated with blockchain adoption parallels recent research in other sectors, such as finance, health, public administration, etc. During any comparable period characterized by a step-change in positive coverage of an early-stage technology, it can be challenging for actors to access a grounded, evidence-based oversight of the current state of practice and make informed decisions about whether or how to adopt blockchain technology. The current absence of such a systematic overview of recent experiences with blockchain initiatives disrupting waste practices not only limits the visibility of these experimental efforts, but also limits the learning that can be shared across waste plastics researcher and practitioner communities. This paper contributes with a current overview of blockchain technology adoption in the waste management sector, giving particular attention to implications for the governance of plastics. Our study draws on both primary interview data and secondary documentation data to map the landscape of current blockchain initiatives in the global waste sector. We identify four areas of blockchain use that are beginning to change waste management practices (payment, recycling and reuse rewards, monitoring and tracking of waste, and smart contracts). We conclude by outlining five areas of significant blockchain uses, implications, and influences of relevance to the development of circular plastic waste governance in both research and practice.

How does smokefree policy impact nicotine-related and other prisoner spend (e.g. HFSS foods)?

Background People in custody (PiC) have poor health compared to the general population, in part due to high smoking rates. Scotland's prisons became smokefree in 2018. Rechargeable e-cigarettes became available a few weeks before the removal of tobacco from the 'canteen' (prison shop for PiC). Methods Routinely collected weekly 'canteen' purchase data (no of units of given product purchased by an individual by date) were available for 29-7-18 to 31-3-19 (2112638 rows of data, 645 unique products). Products were categorised into: tobacco; e-cigarettes; food/drink; communication; hygiene; NRT; other and graphed as mean/person/week, for 'smokers' and 'non-smokers' (at baseline). Spend by product type pre- and post-implementation was compared in PiC for 31+ weeks over this period, using mixed effects models. Results Mean weekly spend for 'smokers' in custody for 31+ weeks over the pre-post ban comparison period (n = 2541) decreased from £21.36 to £19.80; mean weekly nicotine-related spend reduced from £6.64 (pre-) to £5.55 (post-) (p < 0.001), but showed an increasing trend in nicotine-related spend (£0.08/week) post-ban. No changes were seen for 'non-smokers' (n = 342) overall) or in nicotine-related spend. Trends in mean spend for other products remained flat, suggesting positive transfers of spend noted in qualitative interviews over a comparable period were not evident at population level. Conclusions Whilst there are benefits of removing tobacco from prisons, for staff and PiC, previously heavy smokers may find (mandated) tobacco abstinence difficult. Some jurisdictions have made e-cigarettes available to support people quitting/managing without tobacco, but long-term implications of e-cigarette use in this population are as yet unknown. When the introduction of smokefree policy is facilitated by the introduction of e-cigarettes, nicotine spend by PiC may remain high; the implications for whether or not PiC return to smoking on release from custody are unclear.

Cognitive Prerequisites for Analysis: A Review of Plausible Concealed Intellectual Barriers in Analysts

Sluggish or lumpy progression of psychoanalysis or other insight-oriented psychotherapies, in opposite to non-analytical techniques, in unindustrialized societies or traditional nations, during the first decades of present century, in spite of availability of main references or resources, may suggest an exact rational or cognitive foundation, other than well-known socioeconomic explanations. Such sluggishness is worthy of analysis, because, chronologically, the similar course was not so slow in developed societies throughout the comparable period in the last century.

Initial experience with React 68 aspiration catheter

Introduction We describe our initial experience with the React 68 catheter (Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland), an FDA-approved catheter designed for aspiration in cases of emergent large vessel occlusion, as compared with the ACE 68 catheter (Penumbra, Alameda, CA). Methods This observational study followed consecutive patients treated with the React catheter over a seven-month period at a comprehensive stroke center. Use of the device was per discretion of the operator. Patient demographics, thrombectomy technique, reperfusion scoring, and disposition were assessed. Performance was compared with patients treated with the ACE 68 catheter over a comparable period. Results We treated 47 patients using the React 68 catheter using either aspiration alone or a combination of aspiration and stent retriever technique. The catheter was used in a variety of circumstances including proximal and distal occlusions involving the anterior and posterior circulation. Modified TICI 2b-3 was achieved in 45 of the 47 patients. The React 68 was comparable to the ACE 68 by all performance measures. Conclusion The React 68 catheter is a large-bore reperfusion catheter with trackability suitable for use in direct aspiration for recanalization of emergent large vessel occlusion.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE UROLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS IN OUTPATIENT CLINIC ON THE EXAMPLE OF PROSTATE BIOPSY

One of the main directions of improving medical care was the introduction of inpatient forms of medical care for patients who do not require round-the-clock supervision. Aim of the research: to prove the effectiveness and economic feasibility of minimally invasive procedures in outpatient conditions. Materials and methods. The study included 3524 patients in the period from 2010 to 2017, who underwent transrectal prostate biopsy on the basis of the Department of urology of polyclinic No. 195 of the Western district of Moscow. For comparison, the patients were taken, who underwent a biopsy of the prostate gland at the base hospital No. 31, No. 51, No. 17. Results. The average number of biopsies performed in hospital No. 31, No. 51 and No. 17 for the year amounted to 344 biopsies, and the average detectability of prostate cancer was 142 (41.3 %). The average number of biopsies per year in the urology department of the branch number 2 GP No. 195 amounted to 440.5, and the average detectability of prostate cancer – 152.8 (34.7 %). Thus, with comparable inpatient detection of prostate cancer in one large outpatient urology center, an average of 28 % more biopsies are performed (440.5 versus 344) than in 3 hospitals over a comparable period of time. Conclusions. Inpatient technologies can reduce the burden on hospitals. The development of hospital-replacing forms is determined by the need of the population and for efficient use of financial and technical resources of health care.

Linking AWPS and CARIS data to estimate perinatal mortality in Wales due to congenital anomalies

ABSTRACTObjectivesThe All Wales Perinatal Survey (AWPS) collects mortality data on perinatal, neonatal and infant mortality in Wales up to a year of age. The Congenital Anomaly Register and Information Service (CARIS) collects clinical data on all congenital anomalies in foeti, infants and children in Wales. This was the first attempt to link the AWPS and CARIS databases.ApproachThe AWPS database coded stillbirths, terminations and deaths by the clinic-pathologic classification until 2012, assigning each case a survey number. The CARIS database started collecting data from 1998. Thus, the common period between 1998 and 2012 (15 years) was chosen for this study. Using CARIS as the main dataset, AWPS data were matched against the CARIS database using NHS numbers, along with soft linking on date of birth, maternal date of birth, and postcode. The unique AWPS survey number and coding was then added to the matched record within the CARIS dataset. This final ‘linked’ dataset was used to look at trend data. ResultsBetween 1998 and 2012 a total of 20,574 cases were recorded in the CARIS database. After excluding cases where no gestation or date of death were recorded, and including deaths between >19 weeks’ gestation up to 365 days after birth, there were 1306 foetal losses/terminations, 231 stillbirths, and 662 livebirths (total 2,199) records left in the CARIS database who died with congenital anomalies. In the comparable period, using the same criteria, there were 6,909 records identified in the AWPS database. Of those, 1,765 had a recorded lethal congenital anomaly. By using the above criteria, a total of 2,039 cases in the CARIS database were linked to the AWPS database. 241 cases in the CARIS database and 151 cases in the AWPS database could not be linked by the above methods.Analysing the CARIS cases alone showed that consistently more than 80% of foeti are live-born, and survive. Chromosomal (22%), cardiovascular (21%) and brain (15%) anomalies are the most common congenital anomalies in the linked cases, which contribute to infant mortality. This pattern has remained largely unchanged over the study period. ConclusionUsing NHS numbers and soft linking, the majority of CARIS cases were linked to AWPS cases. Although both these databases should closely reflect each other, missing cases suggest there is scope for improvement in data collection. Sharing of data could also improve the quality of both databases.

Settlement Monitor

This section covers items—reprinted articles, statistics, and maps—pertaining to Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. They are reproduced as published, including original spelling and stylistic idiosyncrasies. Significant developments this quarter: As the right-wing Knesset continues to collectively punish Palestinians for the surge of resistance (habba) that began in Jerusalem in 9/2015, Israel returns to its pre-Oslo policy of vast land confiscations coupled with accelerated home demolitions in Area C. Similarly, Israel continues confiscating land in the Jerusalem area on the pretext of environmental preservation, with the larger aim being the Judaization of the city. While Palestinians lost homes and agricultural land at ever-increasing rates, Israel's spending on the settler population grew by 28.4% in 2015. In the first quarter of 2016 alone, the number of settlement units approved by the Israeli government was 250% higher than during the comparable period in 2015.

Wpływ kryzysu na wielkość pasażerskiego ruchu lotniczego na świecie na podstawie wybranych przykładów

Recent years have witnessed a whole range of changes in the global economic system; the changes have largely resulted from crisis situations in global markets. Air transport is an element of the system that is very sensitive to any kinds of changes. Due to a difficult financial situation the sector is relatively quickly affected. The corporate representatives and individuals in situation of financial crisis can easily resign from air transportation, especially for short distance travel. The main purpose of the paper is to present changes in passenger’s air transport quantity in the largest airports of the world with respect to the selected air carriers. The first part of the article presents the size of passenger’s air transport in the airports with the highest number of passengers (Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, London Heathrow, Frankfurt International) in years 2007−2010, i.e. since the moment preceding the global trend of decrease in air transportation till now (in accordance with the current availability of statistic data). Next, the changes in passenger’s air transportation quantity for the selected air carriers operating in various parts of the world have been analyzed with respect to a comparable period of time. In the last part of the paper the authors tried to present the examples of the impact of crisis on particular air carriers as well as to discuss the attempts undertaken to restore the passenger’s transportation rates to the level preceding the crisis.

The evolution of menopause in cetaceans and humans: the role of demography

Human females stop reproducing long before they die. Among other mammals, only pilot and killer whales exhibit a comparable period of post-reproductive life. The grandmother hypothesis suggests that kin selection can favour post-reproductive survival when older females help their relatives to reproduce. But although there is an evidence that grandmothers can provide such assistance, it is puzzling why menopause should have evolved only among the great apes and toothed whales. We have previously suggested ( Cant & Johnstone 2008 Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 105 , 5332–5336 ( doi:10.1073/pnas.0711911105 )) that relatedness asymmetries owing to female-biased dispersal in ancestral humans would have favoured younger females in reproductive competition with older females, predisposing our species to the evolution of menopause. But this argument appears inapplicable to menopausal cetaceans, which exhibit philopatry of both sexes combined with extra-group mating. Here, we derive general formulae for ‘kinship dynamics’, the age-related changes in local relatedness that occur in long-lived social organisms as a consequence of dispersal and mortality. We show that the very different social structures of great apes and menopausal whales both give rise to an increase in local relatedness with female age, favouring late-life helping. Our analysis can therefore help to explain why, of all long-lived, social mammals, it is specifically among the great apes and toothed whales that menopause and post-reproductive helping have evolved.

Spatial distribution of bottom sediment deposits in water reservoirs at Zesławice

Spatial distribution of bottom sediment deposits in water reservoirs at Zesławice Spatial distributions of bottom sediment deposits in two small water reservoirs located on the River Dłubnia at Zesławice is presented in this paper. The distribution was elaborated according to Dendy's method on the basis of results of silting measurements performed in the 2005. Horizontal and vertical distribution of sediment deposits was shown as relation between the relative volume of deposited sediments (Sh/S) and relative storage capacity of the reservoir (Vh/V); the vertical distribution of sediment deposits was presented as relation between the relative volume of deposited sediments (Sv/S) and relative reservoir depth (D/Dm). On the basis of performed analysis of horizontal distributions of sediment deposits it was stated that in the main reservoir at Zesławice 58% of the sediment trapped in the reservoir was accumulated in the inflow (upstream part of the reservoir, whose relative volume is 0.25). In the inflow section of the assistant reservoir of relative storage capacity equal 0.22 only 29% of the sediment was deposited. Comparing curves of horizontal sediment deposits distribution in the main reservoir in its inflow part according to measurement data from the 2005 and 1986 i.e. from a comparable period of operation before desilting and building of an assistant reservoir it was stated that relative volumes of sediment trapped after desilting are over 40% higher than before desilting. In a comparable period of operation before desilting (measurement in the 1983) and after desilting (measurements in the 2005) i.e. after seventeen and sixteen years respectively in the main reservoir the accumulated sediments formed an isle - the value Sv/S equaling 0.09 for D/Dm equal 0 in consequence of a change of hydraulic conditions of water and sediment flow - due to a part of inflowing water of the River Dłubnia being directed to the assistant reservoir.