Reckoning with COVID-19 denial: Brazil's exemplary model for global response.

In the aftermath of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Brazil, accountability is crucial for those who denied the severity of the virus, spreading false information and causing harm. Some individuals have already faced legal proceedings against them, revealing economic motivations behind their actions. It is equally important to hold doctors accountable for prescribing ineffective treatments, putting the population at risk. The leaders of the denial movement and the federal government, who mishandled the pandemic, should be held accountable for the high death toll. Seeking justice from the legislative and executive branches is necessary, along with exemplary measures for those who spread misinformation about COVID-19.

Against epigenetic responsibility: The problem of causality in 'foetal programming' science.

Emerging evidence that intrauterine exposures to environmental stressors can 'programme' epigenetic modifications in offspring, leading to long-lasting health risks, has generated debate about whether prospective mothers have a specific 'epigenetic' moral responsibility. However, to date, proposals for maternal epigenetic responsibility have failed to grapple adequately with the uncertainty of scientific evidence, and specifically, whether the causal basis for intrauterine epigenetic effects is sufficiently established to ground claims of moral responsibility. Causality is widely considered a necessary condition for the attribution of moral responsibility. In this paper, we show that much foetal programming science in humans has yet to establish a causal epigenetic connection between intrauterine exposures and subsequent offspring health impacts. This research struggles to establish that the relationship between such exposures and offspring health risks is in fact causal, neither has it been able to evince the causal significance of exposures during pregnancy to such outcomes. We argue that these two challenges to establishing causality in foetal programming research seriously undercut the idea that prospective mothers may have a moral responsibility to ensure the epigenetics of their offspring.

A scoping review of individual health responsibility: A context-base concept.

BACKGROUND: Individual health responsibility plays an important role in maintaining and improving people's health. There are controversial opinions related to this concept. This study aimed to investigate controversial opinions related to individual health responsibility and familiarize researchers and policy makers with the available evidence and gap of knowledge in the recent years. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This paper is a scoping review. The five-step approach of Arksey and O'Malley was used to review the relevant literature from the beginning of 2017 to the end of 2022. The search was done in the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, web of sciences, Cochrane databases, and Google Scholar search engine using the English keywords "health responsibility" AND "individual" OR "personal". RESULTS: All articles and theses related to individual health responsibility, which were in English and had access to their full text, were included in the study. After a 2-stage screening for 1,412 articles and theses, 32 were included in the study. The findings indicated that most of the studies were conducted in developed European continent. The published articles included a wide range of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research, and acute and chronic diseases have been considered in this field. CONCLUSION: Individual health responsibility is a multidimensional concept that is influenced by individual, social, and cultural factors, and emphasizing it can have both positive and negative effects on people's health. To the concept be effective in health promotion, it is important to pay attention to individual and social context, health status, and community and health policy makers views about individual health responsibility.

'Hard AI Crime': The Deterrence Turn.

Machines powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly taking over tasks previously performed by humans alone. In accomplishing such tasks, they may intentionally commit 'AI crimes', ie engage in behaviour which would be considered a crime if it were accomplished by humans. For instance, an advanced AI trading agent may-despite its designer's best efforts-autonomously manipulate markets while lacking the properties for being held criminally responsible. In such cases (hard AI crimes) a criminal responsibility gap emerges since no agent (human or artificial) can be legitimately punished for this outcome. We aim to shift the 'hard AI crime' discussion from blame to deterrence and design an 'AI deterrence paradigm', separate from criminal law and inspired by the economic theory of crime. The homo economicus has come to life as a machina economica, which, even if cannot be meaningfully blamed, can nevertheless be effectively deterred since it internalises criminal sanctions as costs.

Spatially explicit analysis of production and consumption responsibility for the PM2.5-related health burden towards beautiful China.

Promoting good health and ensuring responsible production and consumption are essential components of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by of the United Nations, as well as the goals of beautiful China. While the health impacts of air pollution have garnered significant attention, there remains a paucity of studies comparing the disparities in responsibility arising from production versus consumption. This paper integrates the Weather Research and Forecasting - Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (WRF-CAMx) model, the multiregional input‒output (MRIO) model, and the global exposure mortality model (GEMM) to assess the extent of PM2.5-related premature deaths caused by production and consumption activities in 30 Chinese provinces. The findings reveal a spatial mismatch in health burdens between production and consumption. Considering pollutant emissions and their transfer only through the supply chain leads to the finding that the net outflow of emissions from producers is mainly located in most of the northern provinces of China. However, when atmospheric transport and health impacts are included, the producing provinces are mainly located in central China, while the consuming provinces are located in the southeastern coastal and remote western and northern regions. Additionally, the long-range impact of consumption provinces with respect to the health burden is more than twice as large as that of production provinces, and its potential impact on the health burden cannot be ignored. From a sectoral perspective, production emissions from the non-electricity industry and services sectors contribute to 60% of the health burden, while their consumption emissions contribute to over 80% of the health burden. Furthermore, consumption activities in the non-electricity industry and services sectors significantly influence production emissions in the transport, agriculture, and electricity sectors. The geographical separation of consumption and production regions facilitated by trade is a critical yet often overlooked aspect in current regional air quality planning in China. A more comprehensive analysis of life-cycle emissions driven by final consumption could yield greater reductions compared to direct production reductions.

Peer conformity and competition shape how business managers evaluate withdrawals from Russia amid the Ukraine War.

States have long used economic sanctions in response to violations of international law as a strategy to restore order. Increasingly, firms also reject doing business with violators. In response to the war in Ukraine, hundreds of multinational corporations voluntarily withdrew from Russia, even when policymakers were still debating the extent of sanctions. How did firm managers evaluate whether to withdraw from the Russian market? Using a survey experiment with Japanese firm managers conducted three months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, we explore how peer effects-information on what other firms are doing in response to the crisis-influence support for withdrawal of business activity with Russia. Our findings show that information about withdrawal by other firms from a diverse set of countries promotes peer conformity that increases support. In contrast, information about ongoing business with Russia by Chinese firms fosters competition that reduces support. Market exposure moderates these reactions, although the concern about peer behavior does not appear to be driven by a reputation mechanism. Our research provides insight into how business actors perceive the strategic interplay of peer influence and market dynamics in the context of geopolitical conflicts.

A Life on the Frontlines: The Legacy of Norman Bethune (1890-1939).

Henry Norman Bethune was a prominent Canadian thoracic surgeon who came to fame during the 1930s. After being made a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Bethune became head of thoracic surgery in a hospital in Cartierville, Canada. During this time, he pioneered surgical techniques, published research findings, and invented surgical instruments. Not content with being only a physician, innovator, and humanitarian, Bethune also found himself in medical services on the frontlines of wars in both Spain and China. In Spain, Bethune emphasized the need for prompt blood transfusions and developed mobile blood transfusion services. After the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Bethune traveled to China and quickly organized a mobile operating unit. Following discussions with Chinese leaders, Bethune performed surgeries on the frontlines of conflict in northern China, where his exceptional loyalty to duty became famous throughout the region. Although he met his end at an early age due to septicemia in 1939, his medical legacy carries on in multiple countries and serves to inspire a future generation of medical practitioners.

Comparing third-party responsibility with intention attribution: An fMRI investigation of moral judgment.

Neuroimaging studies demonstrate that moral responsibility judgments activate the social cognition network, presumably reflecting mentalising processes. Conceptually, establishing an agent's intention is a sub-process of responsibility judgment. However, the relationship between both processes on a neural level is poorly understood. To date, neural correlates of responsibility and intention judgments have not been compared directly. The present fMRI study compares neural activation elicited by third-party judgments of responsibility and intention in response to animated pictorial stimuli showing harm events. Our results show that the social cognition network, in particular Angular Gyrus (AG) and right Temporo-Parietal Junction (RTPJ), showed stronger activation during responsibility vs. intention evaluation. No greater activations for the reverse contrast were observed. Our imaging results are consistent with conceptualisations of intention attribution as a sub-process of responsibility judgment. However, they question whether the activation of the social cognition network, particularly AG/RTPJ, during responsibility judgment is limited to intention evaluation.

Green innovation imperative for natural resource-driven sustainable economic recovery: Linking rights Structure, corporate social responsibility, and renewable energy contracts.

This study examines the complex relationships necessary for a sustainable economic recovery, focusing on the interplay between contracts for renewable energy, natural resource use, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and rights frameworks. Motivated by the increasing scrutiny of environmental practices, this research aims to highlight the need for sustainable business models during the transition to a more environmentally sensitive economy. The study area encompasses diverse sectors where CSR goals can be aligned with renewable energy project frameworks through natural resource utilization. Methodologies include a novel composite CSR evaluation indicator designed to complement industry rankings and a thorough analysis of CSR within the mining industry. Results demonstrate how aligning CSR with renewable energy initiatives can reshape profit models for stakeholders and emphasize the changing green product market as a catalyst for economic resurgence. Recommendations in the area of policies focus on the reasoned utilization of natural resources and the application of innovations following the principles of CSR. This research provides critical guidance to relevant authorities and institutions charged with ethical responsibility, ensuring the proper utilization and implementation of renewable energy sources to create a more ecological future based on green technology and sustainable resource management.

Behind the designs: An exploration of sustainability attitudes among interior design students in Jordan.

This research is an attempt to understand where interior design students in Jordan and the Middle East Region stand in the sustainable thinking process through education and practice and if their education on sustainability and environmental issues is enough or if it needs more development in terms of interior design programs curriculums to be more effective sustainable interior designers. The survey instrument was used to assess the attitudes of interior design students toward ecological responsibility and environmental sustainability; a modified New Ecological Paradigm Scale (NEP) was used in this research. Students enrolled in interior design programs at a Northern Jordanian university were surveyed. The sample comprised 160 interior design students from different levels of an interior design program at a public university in Jordan. In the study's sample, the students showed more interest in the negative effect of human usage of many of the planet's resources and how this will impact the planet's ecological system. This attitude provides insight into the students' minds regarding where they have those ideas. As design students, this can motivate them to take a proactive stand toward sustainability, which may be done through their projects in the future. However, many participants did not understand sustainable practices and strategies. This can be due to the lack of sustainability training at the university level.Based on the NEP score distribution in each section, it can be concluded that students support the concept of sustainability and reject the destruction happening to the planet. This data shows an increased awareness of environmental and ecological problems, which can positively push design students and future designers to adapt sustainable design strategies to their projects.

Exploring firm and country's specific factors affecting carbon emission reduction performance: Study on selected ASEAN countries.

The research aims to analyze the determinants that impact a company's capability to mitigate carbon emissions in various ASEAN countries, specifically Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Singapore. The investigation delves into company-specific factors, including corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy, green innovation, corporate governance, and product responsibility, as well as country-specific factors such as voice and accountability, regulatory quality, government effectiveness, and the rule of law. The results reveal that all examined company-specific factors exhibit a positive and significant influence on a company's capability to reduce carbon emissions. Nonetheless, the influence of country-specific factors on emission reduction performance remains indefinite. While regulatory quality and government effectiveness are significantly associated with a company's emission reduction performance, the same relationship does not apply to voice and accountability and the rule of law.

The roles and responsibilities of general practice nurses in China: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: General hospitals in China have been establishing General Practice Departments (GPD). Although General Practice Nurses (GPNs) are an important part of this medical system, their training has not been synchronised. This study explored the working status of nurses in GPDs in general hospitals in Beijing to provide a theoretical basis for the training and development of GPNs in China. METHODS: We conducted in-depth, individual interviews with outpatient nurses at 19 hospitals in Beijing between March and April 2021. We employed a qualitative analysis to interpret participant narratives and used a codebook thematic analysis to analyse the interview data and extract themes. RESULTS: The analysis revealed four themes: (i) a lack of full-time GPNs in GPDs of most tertiary hospitals, (ii) the inability of GPNs to fully express their potential and skills owing to their limited roles, (iii) insufficient standardised patient education provided by nurses in GPDs, and (iv) a lack of systematic and relevant training for nurses working in general practice settings. CONCLUSIONS: To promote the development of GPNs, GPDs in general hospitals in China should hire full-time GPNs, define their job duties in alignment with their values, and provide standardised training to strengthen their core competencies.

Patterns in paternal and maternal filicide: A comparative analysis of filicide cases in Turkey.

Filicide is the act of a parent killing their own offspring. Previous studies indicate that there are both commonalities and distinctions between filicides committed by mothers and fathers. The main objective of this study was to compare maternal and paternal filicide with a major focus on clinical and sociodemographic features of perpetrators, incident details, and victims. Filicide cases were examined at the bedded unit of the Expertise Department of Observation of the Council of Forensic Medicine that were referred by the Turkish Ministry of Justice. A total of 51 perpetrators and 57 victims were analyzed from June 2014 to December 2023. The perpetrators were daily face-to-face interviews by psychiatry and forensic medicine physicians. There were significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics and psychiatric conditions between maternal and paternal cases. Female perpetrators tended to be younger, unemployed, mostly targeted younger victims and used asphyxiation to kill, whereas males tended to target older victims and utilized firearms. The most common primary cause of filicide in maternal cases was "unwanted pregnancy," whereas "spousal revenge" and "anger or impulsivity" were predominant in paternal filicides. All perpetrators who were not criminally responsible were mothers, mostly diagnosed with psychotic depression. Unwanted pregnancy, psychotic depression, and postpartum psychosis should be assessed when evaluating risk for mothers, especially for infanticide. The desire for revenge on a spouse, often seen with personality disorders, impulsivity and anger, access to firearms should be screened for risk of paternal filicide, particularly in older victims. Early recognition of these factors can help in implementing prevention strategies.

Digital social responsibility towards digital education of international higher education students' institutions: Digital culture as mediator.

Digital social responsibility (DSR) has emerged as a wise strategic decision for all higher education institutions during the new crown pandemic. This study explores whether the DSR dimensions (social, economic, legal, and environmental) enhance digital education (DE) in universities. Specifically, this paper intends to investigate the impact of digital culture (DC) on these relationships as a mediator variable. By adopting a cross-sectional approach, data are gathered through an online survey among a sample of 181 students from different nationalities in higher education institutions in Chang'an-China. The partial least squares-structural equation modelling has been used to perform the statistical analyses. Results revealed that all DSR dimensions directly and indirectly affect DE. DC also significantly influences students' DE during the new crown pandemic. Furthermore, our findings show that DC mediates the link between the social, economic, and environmental DSR aspects and students' DE. The study suggests Chinese universities review their DSR policies and student DC perspectives, and design social digital responsibility education programs. These measures can predict the success of student DE and provide a competitive edge as social media technology advances.

The journey of service-learning: Perspectives from medical imaging and therapeutic sciences students.

INTRODUCTION: South Africa (SA) is portrayed as a developing country facing many socio-economic challenges. Service-Learning (SL) is considered an integral part of work-integrated learning (WIL) whereby students are provided an opportunity to experience the real world of work by putting to practice the theory that they have been taught. In the context of this paper, SL is embedded in the undergraduate curriculum of medical imaging and therapeutic sciences (MITS) students in SA, in the form of a SL community project (SLCP). Similar projects permit students to engage with a variety of patient groups to better understand their future patients' bio-psycho-social environments for improved person-centred care practices. Although publications pertaining to students' lived experience of SL are available, no study has yet been conducted with MITS students and their experience of SL. The authors, therefore, aimed to explore the experience of MITS students in SA who successfully completed a SLCP. METHODS: A qualitative research design was employed with the use of purposive sampling. The study population included all registered MITS students at the research site who completed a SLCP. This study was undertaken using a phased approach, phase A: a document analysis of reflective reports, phase B: one-on-one semi-structured interviews and phase C: the development of recommendations. Participation was voluntary and a reflexive thematic analysis technique was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Three main themes were developed: 1) challenges and barriers, 2) positive lecturer attributes and 3) positive project outcomes. Although the participants shared some of their challenges while engaged in SL, several positive outcomes were also highlighted which encouraged them to want to give back to their communities. The support received from their lecturer was highly recognised. Recommendations for educators that were developed included having regular check-in sessions, finding methods to develop a trusting relationship with the students and the consideration of an earlier introduction of SL in the curriculum. CONCLUSION: It is clear, from the findings of this study, that SL is able to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Within the undergraduate curriculum of healthcare students, SL is considered a key instrument towards cultivating an enhanced sense of civic responsibility. Effective time management and finding sponsors were noted as critical for the successful completion of a SLCP. Personal- and professional growth was evident amongst the sampled participants and the importance of interdisciplinary learning was highlighted. Participants furthermore expressed their appreciation for the opportunity that SL provided them by being able to collaborate with, and learn from, other healthcare professionals.

Green finance pilot policy and corporate environmental social responsibility: empirical evidence from China's green finance reform and innovation pilot zones.

The establishment of green finance reform and innovation pilot zone (GFRIPZ) is a pivotal strategy for harmonizing the twin goals of economic prosperity and environmental preservation. By applying panel data on Chinese A-share listed firms from 2011 to 2022, this study examines the influence of China's green finance pilot policy on corporate environmental social responsibility (ESR) using a difference-in-differences (DID) model. The study's findings indicate that the green finance pilot policy promotes corporate environmental social responsibility. The results remain robust after a series of robustness tests. Moreover, mechanism analysis reveals that the pilot policy promotes firms' ESR through three key channels: financing constraints, green innovation, and corporate governance mechanisms. Additionally, analyst attention can positively moderate the promotional effect of the green finance pilot policy on corporate ESR. Furthermore, this study reveals that the green finance pilot policy's impact on corporate ESR is more pronounced among large-scale firms and firms operating in regions characterized by stringent environmental regulations and greater marketization. The empirical findings present evidence for enhancing ESR through the implementation of the green finance pilot policy in China and offer insights for refining the green finance system.

Balanced Scorecards and sustainability Balanced Scorecards for corporate social responsibility strategic alignment: A systematic literature review.

The integration of social and environmental issues into their business model is today a major issue for companies facing the challenge of sustainability. This is leading them to redefine their models of performance measurement. In this perspective, integrated and multi-dimensional frameworks such as Balanced Scorecards (BSCs) and Sustainability Balanced Scorecards (SBSCs) offer attractive opportunities. Drawing on a systematic literature review (SRL), this article provides an analysis of the literature to identify the main trends in research on (S)BSCs and their contribution to CSR and sustainability issues. While the SLR reveals a major stream of instrumentalist and functionalist research aimed at demonstrating the relevance of SBSC in the strategic alignment of CSR, more critical approaches question the foundations, purposes and architecture of these instruments regarding the macroscopic challenges of sustainability. More precisely, focused on an organizational performance measurement, these tools would struggle to embrace the full complexity of sustainability issues. The article contributes novel insights to expand current models of SBSC from the perspective of a real contribution to strong sustainability challenges.

Dynamics of corporate social responsibility (CSR) during mineral exploration: Evidence from Eastern Region, Ghana.

How are decisions around Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arrived at in the mining sector, particularly in Ghana? To date, the literature on mining and development in the region has mostly analysed individual interventions made in the name of CSR and critiqued the case for embracing it. These assessments, however, very crucially overlook exploration, an essential phase of the mine lifecycle, during which inaugural dialogues are initiated with local communities that ultimately have a bearing on CSR strategy over the long term. This paper examines the dynamics of CSR at the exploration phase of mining projects, surveys local communities' perspectives on the subject, and assesses the actions of international mineral exploration companies. It does so using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with policymakers, exploration company officials, and inhabitants of and leaders in mining communities in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The findings suggest that while mineral exploration companies use CSR as platform to showcase their commitments to social and environmental standards, they have made little efforts to understand the socio-cultural, economic and political dynamics of their host communities. It was also revealed that host communities are not afforded the opportunity to provide inputs into decisions on how CSR should be operationalised. The paper calls for a revision of policies and regulations governing mining in Ghana by making CSR a key requirement for mineral exploration companies seeking to undertake exploration or prospecting activities in the country.