scholarly journals From Maggots to Millions: Biomimicking the Fly to Feed Humanity from its Waste in the 21st Century

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-18
Author(s):  
Charlie Drew
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Nutrient Recycling ◽  
Waste Product ◽  
Important Food ◽  
Waste Products ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Violent Acts ◽  
Important Food Source ◽  
Ecologically Sustainable

‘QUIET PLEASE: Flies are breeding’… reads the sign displayed on the factory breeding room. A female black soldier fly (BSF) is laying around 1500 tiny white eggs onto an industrially designed grid. Over 21 days, one kilogram of her eggs will hatch into eight tonnes of larvae, which will initiate a natural process of waste nutrient recycling as they feed on containers of organic consumer waste that would otherwise go to landfill. In a factory in one of Cape Town’s rapidly developing post-apartheid townships, larvae are thus recycling some 250 tonnes of ‘pre’ and ‘post’ consumer waste every day, transforming negative value waste products into highly valuable insect protein, an alternative to fishmeal – an unsustainably ocean sourced protein. Ethnographic research in this factory explored this biomimically inspired innovation, which uses nature’s purification agents – fly larvae – to revalorise a potentially harmful waste product into a critically important food source for the 21st Century. This paper argues that these industrially designed insect farms produce specific technologies and violent acts of reproductive enclosure. By incorporating debates about the role of naturally inspired solutions that use biological labour to accumulate value, it makes plain the ethical implications that emerge from mimicking and enclosing nature in this way. It contends that the ambition of the discipline of biomimicry to reunite human economies with natural ecologies is overshadowed by the logics of capitalism. While the outcomes of biomimicry may indeed be ecologically sustainable, capitalism’s drive to privatise and profit from the knowledge and labour of nonhuman life means not only controlling animals and their products, but also controlling the processes of life through a constellation of scientific, bureaucratic and legal techniques.

scholarly journals Reform and Research: Re-connecting Prison and Society in the 21st Century

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Scharff Smith
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Knowledge Production ◽  
Project Work ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Current Role ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
What Works ◽  
Prison Populations

IIn this contribution I briefly outline some of the historical and current trends in prison research and question how a prison researcher can work towards influencing policy and practice. I discuss the current role of ‘what works’ research and the way it is sometimes utilized in a time of penal populism and rising prison populations. I argue in favour of a broader approach which recognizes the wider societal effects of imprisonment and I provide a concrete example of how one can attempt to plan research and project work in order to facilitate progression from research and knowledge production to action and implementation. Finally I discuss some of the scientific and ethical implications which can arise when working with reform and implementation projects.

Desecularization as Phenomenon at the Turn of 21st Century

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 49-57
Author(s):  
Sergey V.  Lebedev ◽  
Galina N.  Lebedeva
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Islamic Revolution ◽  
Islamic Movement ◽  
The World ◽  
Rational Alternative ◽  
Role Of Religion

In the article the authors note that since the 1970s, with the rise of the Islamic movement and the Islamic revolution in Iran, philosophers and political scientists started to talk about religious renaissance in many regions of the world. In addition, the point at issue is the growing role of religion in society, including European countries that have long ago gone through the process of secularization. The reasons for this phenomenon, regardless of its name, are diverse, but understandable: secular ideologies of the last century failed to explain the existing social problems and give them a rational alternative.

Liquid-liquid extraction of succinate using a dicopper cryptate

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riccardo Mobili ◽  
Sonia La Cognata ◽  
Francesca Merlo ◽  
Andrea Speltini ◽  
Massimo Boiocchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aqueous Phase ◽  
Visible Spectrum ◽  
Tca Cycle ◽  
Residual Concentration ◽  
Waste Products ◽  
Liquid Liquid Extraction ◽  
The Tca Cycle ◽  
Quantitative Extraction ◽  
Uv Visible

<div> <p>The extraction of the succinate dianion from a neutral aqueous solution into dichloromethane is obtained using a lipophilic cage-like dicopper(II) complex as the extractant. The quantitative extraction exploits the high affinity of the succinate anion for the cavity of the azacryptate. The anion is effectively transferred from the aqueous phase, buffered at pH 7 with HEPES, into dichloromethane. A 1:1 extractant:anion adduct is obtained. Extraction can be easily monitored by following changes in the UV-visible spectrum of the dicopper complex in dichloromethane, and by measuring the residual concentration of succinate in the aqueous phase by HPLC−UV. Considering i) the relevance of polycarboxylates in biochemistry, as e.g. normal intermediates of the TCA cycle, ii) the relevance of dicarboxylates in the environmental field, as e.g. waste products of industrial processes, and iii) the recently discovered role of succinate and other dicarboxylates in pathophysiological processes including cancer, our results open new perspectives for research in all contexts where selective recognition, trapping and extraction of polycarboxylates is required. </p> </div>

Student Learning and the Role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in 21st Century: A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
pp. 181-185
Author(s):  
Jaspreet Singh ◽  
Amir Shamim Shiekh ◽  
Manmeet Kour ◽  
Pankaj Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Information And Communication Technology ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Secondary Information

In the last few decades, Information Technology has transformed the entire world into a village, known as Global Village, as proposed by Marshal McLuhan. ICT has increased its influence in every field like the education sector, defense sector, technology etc. In the 21st century, information and communication technology (ICT) has become an important and integral part of most educational organizations throughout the world.. The use of ICT in classroom teaching and learning processes has become indispensable as it gives teachers and learners the opportunity to operate, store, control and retrieve data in addition to promoting self-regulated and active learning. (Ali, Haolader & Muhammad, 2013) Today we are dependent on technology and the role of ICT is increasing day by day and is believed to be a new normal. Keeping that in view, the present paper attempts to examine the relationship between information and communication technologies (ICT) and student learning. This conceptual paper  is based on secondary information collected from different sources such as books, journal articles, newspapers, reports of various government organizations, non-governmental organizations and soon.

The role of science in the study of and response to space threats

2019 ◽  
Vol 89 (8) ◽  
pp. 777-799
Author(s):  
B. M. Shustov
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Space Debris ◽  
The Sun ◽  
National Program ◽  
Biological Hazard ◽  
Academy Of Sciences ◽  
Space Activities

During the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, space hazards multiplied, the most urgent of which is space debris. Professionals working in space are exposed to this hazard daily and are aware of it as a problem. Furthermore, increasing attention is being paid to the unpredictable behavior of the Sun, which produces the so-called space weather. The asteroid-comet hazard is considered as potentially having the most catastrophic consequences. No manifestations of biological hazard have yet been observed, although as space activities develop, it is becoming increasingly important. The appropriate time scale for astrophysical hazards is many millions of years, so from a practical perspective, they have no importance. This article briefly describes the main types of space hazards. The author analyzes the results of research and practical work in the field, both worldwide and specifically in Russia. Comparative analysis leads to the clear conclusion that a national program must be developed for the study of space hazards and to respond to space threats. This article is based on a report made by the author at the meeting of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) on January 15, 2019.

THEORIES OF THE MISSIONARY VOCATION OF THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION IN POST-SOVIET PROTESTANTISM

2020 ◽  
pp. 78-92
Author(s):  
Valentyn Syniy
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Theological Education ◽  
Educational Activity ◽  
Spiritual Education ◽  
General Recognition ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Trinity ◽  
Formal Construction

It is emphasized that the involvement of missionary theology in the discussion of ways to develop spiritual education allowed post-soviet Protestantism to successfully overcome differences in the vision of the formal construction of education, and then move on to discussions about its content. There was a gradual overcoming of modern individualism, the growing role of communities, the replacement of monologue models of mission with dialogical ones. The idea of the seminary as a community that is not self-sufficient, but serves the church as a community, has gained general recognition. The church also came to be understood as serving an eschatological ideal community similar to the Trinity community. The formation of community and dialogical models of missionary and educational activity allows Ukrainian Protestantism to effectively adapt to the realities of the beginning of the 21st century and to be proactive in today's society.

Recent Advances in Obesity: The Role of Turmeric Tuber and Its Metabolites in the Prophylaxis and Therapeutical Strategies

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (37) ◽  
pp. 4837-4853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Jarząb ◽  
Wirginia Kukula-Koch
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
21St Century ◽  
The Body ◽  
Excess Body Weight ◽  
Inflammatory Reactions ◽  
Drug Candidates ◽  
Scientific Papers ◽  
Important Health ◽  
High Concern

Background: Obesity in the 21st century society became an important health problem, alarming both the scientists and medicine doctors around the world. That is why, the search for new drug candidates capable to reduce the body weight is of high concern. Objective: This contribution tends to collect current findings on the biochemistry of obesity and on the application of plants and in particular turmeric tuber – a commonly used spice - as an anti-obesity agent. Methods: Following an introduction on the biochemical characteristics of obesity, the description of Curcuma secondary metabolites, their pharmacological applications and a study on the plants’ regulatory properties in obesity was summarized. Particular attention was paid to curcumin – the major metabolite present in the extracts of Curcuma spp., which is known to exhibit a variety of pharmacological actions. Also, the characteristics of some semisynthetic analogues of this ferulic acid derivative, characterized by a higher polarity and better bioavailability will be discussed. Results: Numerous scientific papers treat on the influence of turmeric on weight loss. Additionally, some of them describe its anti-inflammatory properties. Conclusions: This important spice tends to fight the 21st century plague, which is an excessive weight gain, related to the development of metabolic syndrome, to the occurrence of cardiovascular problems and diabetes, and, in consequence, leading to a significant shortening of life span. As herein proven, the extracts of turmeric play an important role in the regulation of inflammatory reactions which are evoked in the overweight patients, helping them reduce the excess body weight.

The Land Question in India

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Moral Economy ◽  
The State ◽  
Land Acquisition ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Tribal Communities ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Acquisition Processes ◽  
Land Question

This book takes a fresh look at the land question in India. It goes beyond re-engagement in the rich transition debate by critically examining both theoretically and empirically the role of land in contemporary India. Springing from the political economy discourse surrounding the classic capitalist transition issue in agriculture in India, the book gravitates toward the development discourse that inevitably veers toward land and the role of the state in pushing a process of dispossession of peasants through direct expropriation for developmental purposes. Contemporary dispossession may look similar to the historical process of primitive accumulation that makes room for capitalist agriculture and expanded accumulation. But this volume shows that land in India is sought increasingly for non-agricultural purposes as well. These include risk mitigation by farmers, real estate development, infrastructure development by states often on behalf of business, and special economic zones. Tribal communities (advasis), who depend on land for their livelihoods and a moral economy that is independent of any price-driven markets, hold on to land for collective security. Thus land acquisition continues to be a turbulent arena in which classes, castes, and communities are in conflict with the state and capital, each jockeying to determine the terms and conditions of land transactions or their prevention, through both market and non-market mechanisms. The volume collectively addresses the role of the state involved in the process of dispossession of peasants and tribal communities. It provides new analytical insights into the land acquisition processes, their legal-institutional and ethical implications, and captures empirically the multifaceted regional diversity of the contestations surrounding the acquisition experiences in India.

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