Ethics and technology design

This article offers a discussion of the connection between technology and values and, specifically, I take a closer look at ethically sound design. In order to bring the discussion into a concrete context, the theory of Value Sensitive Design (VSD) will be the focus point. To illustrate my argument concerning design ethics, the discussion involves a case study of an augmented window, designed by the VSD Research Lab, which has turned out to be a potentially surveillance-enabling technology. I call attention to a “positivist problem” that has to do with the connection between the design context and the use context, which VSD seems to presuppose, and I argue that it is necessary to clearly distinguish between the two, since the designers’ intentions do not always correspond with the users’ practice; in fact, the relation between design and use is very complex and principally unpredictable. Thus, a design theory must accept that foresight is limited to anticipation rather than prediction. To overcome the positivist problem, I suggest a phenomenological approach to technology inspired by Don Ihde’s concept of multistability. This argument, which is general in nature and thus applies to any theory of design ethics, is intended as a constructive criticism, which can hopefully contribute to the further development of design ethics.     

A preliminary report on the role of yoga asanas on oxidative stress in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

Nineteen subjects of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) between the age group of 30–60 yrs were studied to see the effect of specific yoga asanas on fasting and postprandial blood glucose (FBG, PPG), serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA₁) in addition to drug treatment and diet control. The duration of diabetes ranged from 1–10 years. Patients with renal, cardiac and proliferative retinal diseases were excluded from the study. The same patients served as their own control. Subjects were called in the morning to the cardio-respiratory laboratory and were given training by a yoga expert. Yoga asanas included Suryanamskar, Tadasan, TriKonasan, Padmasan, Pranayam, Paschimottanasan, Ardhmatsyendrasan, Pavanmukthasan, Sarpasan and Shavasan. The asanas were done every day for 40 days for 30–40 min. FBG, PPG, serum MDA and HbA₁ were estimated before and after 40 days of yoga asanas regimen. Significant reduction was seen in FBG from 220 mg/dl to 162 mg/dl, PPG from 311 mg/dl to 255 mg/dl, MDA from 6 nmol/l to 3 nmol/l and HbA₁, from 8.8% to 6.4%. Subjects felt better and were relieved of their stresses and had an improvement in their day to day performance. The decrease was statistically significant (p<0.0001 for FBG and PPG, p<0.001 for MDA and for HbA₁).     

公益型科技企业孵化器的盈利渠道研究

本文对公益型科技企业孵化器的运行宗旨进行了分析,指出坚持社会效益优先、追求适度盈利是公益型科技企业孵化器的重要发展趋势,并从开发路径、组织平台创新、孵化业务开发和孵化基金角度进行策略研究。     

Circulating Thrombotic Risk Factors in Young Patients with Coronary Artery Disease Who Are on Statins and Anti-platelet Drugs

Thrombotic risk factors may contribute to premature coronary artery disease (CAD), in addition to the conventional risk factors. There is paucity of data on studies evaluating the role of thrombotic factors in premature CAD in Indian patients. Thus a case–control study was performed to evaluate the role of thrombotic and atherogenic factors in young patients with angiographically proven CAD who are on treatment with statins and anti-platelet drugs. 152 patients (≤55 years) with angiographically proven CAD and 102 asymptomatic controls were recruited. Clinical and biochemical data were obtained in both groups. Blood levels of thrombotic factors-fibrinogen, antithrombin-III, tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), von-Willebrand factor (v-WF), lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and homocysteine were analyzed. Patients had high levels of conventional CAD risk factors (diabetes mellitus, smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia and positive family history) compared to controls. Logistic regression analysis revealed that low antithrombin-III (odds ratio/OR 11.2; 95 % confidence interval/CI 2.29–54.01), high fibrinogen (OR 6.04; 95 % CI 1.09–33.21) and high Lp(a) (OR 4.54; 95 % CI 0.92–22.56), as important, independent risk factors in patients. PAI-1(OR 0.15; 95 % CI 0.03–0.69) levels were significantly lower in patients. But other thrombotic risk factors studied (t-PA, v-WF and homocysteine) were comparable among patients and controls. The treatment using statins and anti-platelet drugs might be contributing to the control of some of the thrombotic risk factors. The strategies aiming at lowering the levels of thrombotic risk factors along with conventional risk factors may be useful in primary and secondary prevention of CAD.     

Dietary restriction (DR) and its advantages

Dietary restriction (DR) also called dietary control or calorie restriction is reported to have many advantages with regard to human health. It leads to suppression of obesity, mitigates free radicals and increases available antioxidants which are accounted for extending the life span of individuals. DR is also reported to induce synthesis of heat shock proteins in animals as a control mechanism against stress. Further, it is known to play a significant role in decreasing toxicity and lethality due to a variety of toxic chemicals and drugs by stimulating tissue repair damaged by the toxicants leading to restoration of intact organ and its functions. Moreover, extensive work done on animals indicate DR has an important role in suppressing certain types of cancer. In this review an effort is made to highlight the various advantages of DR from the point of human health perspective.     

知识型组织智力资源管理新论

本文针对智力资源管理问题,基于CAS与ICAS理论,导出知识型组织智力资源的“有控自组”管理理念,并提出了组织智力资源管理的环境创设机制、资源共享机制与智力涌现调控机制。此项研究,对知识型组织实施知识创新管理具有重要现实意义。     

情报学科体系主体构筑和前沿领域研究

本文着重探讨情报学科体系建设中的主要研究对象和前沿领域两个基本理论问题。文中指出，加强情报学科体系基础理论建设，对于指导情报社会实践活动，加速情报事业的发展具有重大而深远的意义。