Rights in the Balance

Professor Walen’s book rejects the familiar argument of “double effect,” namely the doctrine that an action that knowingly causes the death of another person cannot be justified merely by its good consequences but only by its good intentions. Professor Walen offers a rival argument. He proposes that we rethink the killing of non-combatants in war on the basis of a theory of “the mechanics of claims” so that the intentional killing of civilians may be occasionally permissible. Such targeting of civilians may be justified, according to the book’s argument, by the aim of eliminating the threat that these civilians may pose—innocently or not—to other persons. In these circumstances, it will not only be permissible, but it would also be a matter of right to kill civilians, which would be derived from a balancing of “claims.” The argument is impressively made but is ultimately unconvincing. All the decisive questions appear to be matters of a balance of “goodness.” The “mechanics of claims” organizes a structure of welfare values that ultimately work as a proxy for act-utilitarianism. As a result, the argument is open to well-known objections regarding justice and the separateness of persons.

Second-Law Analysis of a Double-Effect Evaporator with Thermal Vapor Compression

In this paper, we present a steady-state analysis of a double-effect evaporator with thermal vapor compression (MED-TVC) installed in the Tunisian Chemical Group (GCT) factory. A thermodynamic model including mass and energy balances of the system is developed and integrated in a Matlab program. The model resolution yields to the determination of the operating parameters of the plant and the Gain Output Rate (GOR) was found to be roughly equal to 5. In a second step, the simulation results served to conduct a second law analysis of the unit. The performance criterion used in this analysis is the second law efficiency, i.e., the ratio of the least theoretical work of separation to the actual work input to the plant. The second law efficiency was found to be 2.4%. The distribution of the irreversibility between the different components of the plant was, in addition, assessed. As a conclusion, it was established that the most irreversibility occurs in the thermo-compressor which contributes with more than 50% to the global imperfection and which presents an exergy efficiency of less than 77%. The remaining irreversibility comes from the three exchangers (the two evaporators and the condenser) with an average contribution of 16%. As it is very difficult to introduce modifications into an existing unit, we assume that the importance of the results is not limited to the studied unit. They serve, rather, as an aid to the future design of a MED-TVC plant.

Magnetic Nanomaterials for Arterial Embolization and Hyperthermia of Parenchymal Organs Tumors: A Review

Magnetic hyperthermia (MH), proposed by R. K. Gilchrist in the middle of the last century as local hyperthermia, has nowadays become a recognized method for minimally invasive treatment of oncological diseases in combination with chemotherapy (ChT) and radiotherapy (RT). One type of MH is arterial embolization hyperthermia (AEH), intended for the presurgical treatment of primary inoperable and metastasized solid tumors of parenchymal organs. This method is based on hyperthermia after transcatheter arterial embolization of the tumor's vascular system with a mixture of magnetic particles and embolic agents. An important advantage of AEH lies in the double effect of embolotherapy, which blocks blood flow in the tumor, and MH, which eradicates cancer cells. Consequently, only the tumor undergoes thermal destruction. This review introduces the progress in the development of polymeric magnetic materials for application in AEH.

Sol-gel Method Sulphamethaxazole Nanoparticle Synthesis and Antimicrobial Action

Sulphamethaxazole is antibiotic used to treat several types of bacterial infections and gives double effect when used with trimethoprim by 1 to 5 of sulphamethaxazole. It has a broad spectrum effect on the positive and negative bacteria of Gram and fungi. The objective of this research is to convert sulfamethasazole to nano sulfamethasazole by Sol-gel method by using additive material like acetic acid, distilled water and ethanol with temperature 80°C and probe sonicator machine as catalyst and hydrolysis factor. Nano sulphamethoxazole solution analyzed by atomic force microscope (AFM) was show average of nano particles at size (50±10) nm. Scanned by TEM and SEM shows nano particles as a band of hollow tubes with a diameter less than 100 nm., beside the EDS pattern show high peaks of sodium, carbon and oxygen along with some other constituents. The antibacterial activity of nano solution shows respectable inhibition activity compared to slandered solution.

Resolution of Ethical Dilemmas Using Basic Ethical Principles in Cases of Pregnancy with Severe Symptoms of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Complications

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can attack the entire population, but is more aggressive in vulnerable populations such as the elderly, patients with chronic diseases, and pregnant women. For pregnant women, the management of COVID-19 treatment provided must be in line with efforts to reduce maternal mortality. The method of this study was a case report. A pregnant woman aged 40 years who was confirmed with severe COVID-19 symptoms. This patient had severe symptomatic hypoxemia and had a hypercoagulable state. Termination of pregnancy in patients is considered for the sake of fetomaternal safety so that an ethical dilemma arises. For this reason, a joint conference was held to get the best solution for the patient and the fetus. CASE REPORT: Using several basic ethical principles such as beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and autonomy, which are supported by the principles of minus malum, double effect, and prima facie, it was decided for the patient to terminate pregnancy to reduce severe symptoms of COVID-19. Termination of pregnancy in pregnant women with confirmed COVID-19 with severe symptoms is still an ethical dilemma that needs to be discussed further. Therefore, ethical considerations in this patient were carried out by reviewing obstetric, pediatric, pulmonology, anesthesia, and internal medicine indications. CONCLUSION: Termination of pregnancy in this patient with confirmed COVID-19 with severe symptoms can be done. Although termination of pregnancy has not completely saved the mother’s condition, this decision has the potential to provide benefits and safety for the patient and the fetus.