Facing ethical concerns in the age of precise gene therapy:Outlook on inherited arrhythmias

This editorial,comments on the article by Spartalis et al published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Cardiology.We here provide an outlook on potential ethical concerns related to the future application of gene therapy in the field of inherited arrhythmias.As monogenic diseases with no or few therapeutic options available through standard care,inherited arrhythmias are ideal candidates to gene therapy in their treatment.Patients with inherited arrhythmias typically have a poor quality of life,especially young people engaged in agonistic sports.While genome editing for treatment of inherited arrhythmias still has theoretical application,advances in CRISPR/Cas9 technology now allows the generation of knock-in animal models of the disease.However,clinical translation is somehow expected soon and this make consistent discussing about ethical concerns related to gene editing in inherited arrhythmias.Genomic off-target activity is a known technical issue,but its relationship with ethnical and individual genetical diversity raises concerns about an equitable accessibility.Meanwhile,the costeffectiveness may further limit an equal distribution of gene therapies.The economic burden of gene therapies on healthcare systems is is increasingly recognized as a pressing concern.A growing body of studies are reporting uncertainty in payback periods with intuitive short-term effects for insurance-based healthcare systems,but potential concerns for universal healthcare systems in the long term as well.Altogether,those aspects strongly indicate a need of regulatory entities to manage those issues.

Universal Health Coverage in Somalia: Charting the Path to Equitable Healthcare Financing and Governance

Somalia is a country facing numerous challenges in achieving universal health coverage (UHC) and ensuring adequate healthcare financing, This article explores the complexities and obstacles that Somalia must overcome in its pursuit of UHC, the paper begins by providing an overview of the current healthcare landscape in Somalia, highlighting the lack of infrastructure, political instability, and limited financial resources that hinder the establishment of a comprehensive and equitable healthcare system. It then examines the role of international aid and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in filling the healthcare gap, while emphasizing the need for a more sustainable, domestically financed solution. Drawing on a range of data sources and case studies, the article proposes a multi-faceted approach to strengthen healthcare governance, improve resource allocation, and foster local capacity building, the study delves into the unique obstacles that Somalia faces, including a lack of infrastructure, political instability, and limited financial resources, which hinder the establishment of a comprehensive and equitable healthcare system. The paper also examines the role of international aid and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in filling the healthcare gap, while highlighting the need for a more sustainable, domestically financed solution. The findings underscore the importance of political commitment, international cooperation, and innovative financing mechanisms in advancing towards UHC in Somalia, providing valuable insights for other low resource, conflict affected settings.

Quantifying and Simplifying the 1997 UNWC’s Guidelines to Mitigate Hegemony in Transboundary Watercourse Negotiations

The 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses (UNWC) contains a negotiation framework for transboundary water rights. However, it is a subjective document open to a wide range of possibilities and interpretations. Water Rights Allocations (WRAs) as described by Dinar and Nigatu (2013) and Dinar and Tsur (2017) provide a limited number of quantifiable allocation possibilities based on the UNWC. It is suggested that this methodology streamlines the negotiation process and reduces the effects of hydro hegemony. These methodologies are explored and applied through a case study on the Orontes River Basin.

Plant community and ecological analysis of woodland vegetation in Metema Area,Amhara National Regional State,Northwestern Ethiopia

We studied woodland vegetation in broad-leaved deciduous woodlands of Metema in northwestern Amhara regional state, Ethiopia to determine plant community types and species distribution patterns and their relationships with environmental variables, including altitude, pH, cation exchange capacity, electrical conductivity （EC）, and moisture. We used a selective approach with a systematic sampling design. A total of 74 quadrats, each 25m × 25m at intervals of 150-200 m were sampled along the established transect lines. For herbaceous vegetation and soil data collection, five subquadrats each lm x lm were established at the four corners and the center of each quadrat. Three community types were identified using TWINSPAN analysis. All three community types showed high diversity （Shannon-Weiner index）, the highest in community type II at 3.55. The highest similarity coefficient was 0.49 （49%） between community types II and III, reflecting 0.51 （51%） dissimilarity in their species richness. The canonical correspondence ordination diagram revealed that the distribution pattern of community type I was explained by moisture while that of community types III and II was explained by EC and altitude and moisture, respectively. Altitude was the most statistically significant environmental variable, followed by moisture and EC in determining the total variation in species composition and distribution patterns while pH and cation exchange capacity were non significant. In conclusion, we recommend that any intervention should take into account these three discrete community types and their environmental settings to make the intervention more successful.

Floristic diversity, regeneration status, and vegetation structure of woodlands in Metema Area, Amhara National Regional State, North-western Ethiopia

We studied woodland vegetation in broad-leaved deciduous woodlands of Metema in northwestern Amhara regional state, Ethiopia Our objective was to describe plant species composition, diversity, re- generation status, and population structure by a selective approach with a systematic sampling design. A total of 74 quadrats （each for 25 m x 25 m, spaced at intervals of 150--200 m） were sampled along established tran- sect lines following the homogeneity of the vegetation. Vegetation data including cover-abundance, height, diameter at breast height （DBH）, and numbers of seedlings and saplings of woody species were analyzed using Excel spreadsheet, Shannon Weiner diversity index, and PAST version 1.62. A total of 87 vascular plant species of 74 genera and 36 families were recorded. The dominant family was Fabaceae represented by 16 （18.39 %） species of 13 genera. Shannon Weiner diversity and evenness were 3.67 and 0.82, respectively, which showed that the area was en- dowed with rich floral diversity evenly distributed. The vegetation structure, as quantified by cumulative diameter class frequency distribution, plotted as an interrupted inverted-J- shape pattern with a sharp decrease in the 2nd diameter class. This indicated poor vegetation structure. The diameter classes frequency distributions of selected species plotted in four general patterns i.e., interrupted Inverted-J-shape, J-shape, Bell-shape and Irregular-shape. In conclusion, although the area showed high floral diversity and evenness, woody species including Sterculea setigera, Boswellia papyrifera, and Pterocarpus lucens showed lowest recruitment of seedlings and saplings.

Study on the Concept of Per Capita Cumulative Emissions and Allocation Options

Global long-term emission reduction targets need well defined options for equitable allocation of greenhouse gas emissions. Scholars from developing countries put forward the concept of equitable per capita cumulative emission rights. There are four possible operational definitions resulting from this concept. These potential options for allocation of emission rights are expressed with mathematical equations. Through simple simulation, this paper reveals the advantages, disadvantages and characteristics of each option.

Graphs and Degree Equitability

Let?G=(V,E)? be a graph. If φ is a function from the vertex set V(G) to the set of positive integers. Then two vertices?u, v ∈ V(G)? are?φ -equitable if|φ(u)-φ(v)|≤1.By the degree, equitable adjacency between vertices can be redefine almost all of the variants of the graphs. In this paper we study the degree equitability of the graph by defining equitable connectivity, equitable regularity, equitable connected graph and equitable complete graph. Some new families of graphs and some interesting results are obtained.

Factors Influencing the Utilization of Postpartum Visits among Rural Women in China

Postpartum visits （PPVs） are still underutilized in rural China, and identification of factors that influence PPV use is important in ensuring the utilization of maternal health services and for well- being of women. A cross-section study was undertaken to collect related data from 347 rural women in- terviewed six weeks or more after delivery, and an ANOVA was performed to find whether there were significant differences in the number of PPVs among different rural areas in China. According to An- dersen＇s socio-behavioral model of health service use, factors were divided into equitable and inequita- ble ＂ones. Chi-squared test, univariate and multiple analyses were used to determine the equity of PPV use by identifying factors that were most strongly associated with the use of a PPV. The results showed that 20.2% of the respondents （n=70） did not receive any PPVs, and 62.5% （n=173） of those who had PPVs （n=277） did not receive standard PPVs （referring to at least 3 visits）. There was no significant difference among different rural areas in terms of the number of PPVs （F=1.514, P=-0.211）. Multiple re- gression analyses revealed that enabling factors such as compensation for delivery expense [OR （95% CI）=2.825 （1.331, 5.995）], village type [OR （95% CI）=1.802 （1.021, 3.182）] and service quality [OR （95% CI）=1.847 （1.074, 3.176）] were strongly associated with PPV use. Both enabling factors such as home visits [OR （95% CI）=1.855 （1.085, 3.174）], service quality [OR （95% CI）=1.993 （1.155, 3.439）] and need factors such as low birth weight [OR （95% CI）=4.424 （1.482, 13.203）] were significantly as- sociated with standard PPV use. Our results suggested that the equitable access to PPVs has been con- siderably improved in rural areas in China. The associations between inequitable factors and PPV use warrant further exploration, and policies aimed at improving quality and patterns of service supply are needed in order to ensure a full equitable access to maternal health services.

ON EQUITABLE VERTEX DISTINGUISHING EDGE COLORINGS OF TREES

It has been known that determining the exact value of vertex distinguishing edge index X ＇8（G） of a graph G is difficult, even for simple classes of graphs such as paths, cycles, bipartite complete graphs, complete, graphs, and graphs with maximum degree 2. Let rid（G） denote the number of vertices of degree d in G, and let X＇es（G） be the equitable vertex distinguishing edge index of G. We show that a tree T holds nl （T） ≤ X ＇s （T） ≤ n1 （T） ＋ 1 and X＇s（T） = X＇es（T） if T satisfies one of the following conditions （i） n2（T） ≤△（T） or （ii） there exists a constant c with respect to 0 〈 c 〈 1 such that n2（T） △ cn1（T） and ∑3 ≤d≤△（T）nd（T） ≤ （1 - c）n1（T） ＋ 1.

A Study on the Inj-Equitable Graph of a Graph

For any graph G, the Inj-equitable graph of a graph G, denoted by IE (G) , is the graph with the same vertices as G and for any two adjacent vertices u and v in IE (G), ≤ 1, where for any vertex w∈V (G) , degin (w)?= . In this paper, Inj-equitable graphs of some graphs are obtained, and some properties and results are established. Moreover, complete Inj-equitable graph and the Inj-equitable graph are defined.

A COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO KINDS OF BMS BASED ON DIFFERENT CREDIBILITY

The paper develops a design of optimal Bonus-Malus System （BMS） based on exact equitable credibility,in which the relative error function is taken as loss function. In BMS,both the frequency and the severity components are considered. This design is compared with traditional BMS derived from classical squared-error loss function.

The Middle Equitable Dominating Graphs

Let G= (V, E) be a graph and A(G) is the collection of all minimal equitable dominating set of G. The middle equitable dominating graph of G is the graph denoted by Med(G) with vertex set the disjoint union of V∪A(G) and (u, v) is an edge if and only if u ∩ v ≠ φ whenever u, v ∈ A(G) or u ∈ v whenever u ∈ v and v ∈ A(G) . In this paper, characterizations are given for graphs whose middle equitable dominating graph is connected and Kp∈Med(G) . Other properties of middle equitable dominating graphs are also obtained.

The Spectral Radii of Some Adhesive Graphs

The spectral radius of a graph is the maximum eigenvalues of its adjacency matrix. In this paper, using the property of quotient graph, the sharp upper bounds for the spectral radii of some adhesive graphs are determined.

Applying Sustainability and Ethics in Forest Management and Community Livelihoods: A Case Study from Arabuko Sokoke Forest, Kenya

Efforts to manage forests continue to be enhanced equally as emergence of investments in community livelihoods whose benefits are inequitable. Lit-erature review, focus group discussion and key informant interviews showed that Arabuko Sokoke Forest has been managed under different management regimes;stakeholders have increased from singular to multiple with each stakeholder’s interests hinged on different conservation theories and ethical principles, despite that well-meaning facilitation, laws and policies, unsustainable and un-ethical scenarios abound. Extreme scenarios of a poor mother being denied firewood for lighting, warming and cooking food in order to conserve biodiversity. These are both right and wrong, a fluidity requiring situation specific sustainability and ethical justification. A discourse guided by the sustainable development goals provides a mechanism for moderating the diverse interests and helps bring harmony and synergies among all stakeholders for the common good without compromising the ecological functions of the forests thus ensuring sustainability.

Some Results on Vertex Equitable Labeling

Let G be a graph with p vertices and q edges and let A= vertex labeling is said to be a vertex equitable labeling of G if it induces an edge labeling given by such that and , where is the number of vertices v with for A graph G is said to be a vertex equitable graph if it admits vertex equitable labeling. In this paper, we establish the vertex equitable labeling of a Tp-tree, where T is a Tp-tree with even number of vertices, bistar the caterpillar and

On the Injective Equitable Domination of Graphs

A dominating set D in a graph G is called an injective equitable dominating set (Inj-equitable dominating set) if for every , there exists such that u is adjacent to v and . The minimum cardinality of such a dominating set is denoted by and is called the Inj-equitable domination number of G. In this paper, we introduce the injective equitable domination of a graph and study its relation with other domination parameters. The minimal injective equitable dominating set, the injective equitable independence number , and the injective equitable domatic number are defined.

The Equitable Total Chromatic Number of Some Join graphs

A proper total-coloring of graph G is said to be?equitable if the number of elements (vertices and edges) in any?two color classes differ by at most one, which the required?minimum number of colors is called the equitable total chromatic?number. In this paper, we prove some theorems on equitable?total coloring and derive the equitable total chromatic numbers?of Pm V?Sn, Pm V?Fn and Pm V Wn.

Regulation of Private Security Companies and Equitable Policing in Nigeria

Private security companies through the services they provide complement the police in crime prevention, order maintenance, and general improvement of security in societies thereby contributing to sustainable national development In order to fully benefit from their contribution and prevent them from engaging in illegal activities, states formulate and enforce policies that seek to regulate their activities. This paper examines the regulation of private guards companies in Nigeria using Abuja as its empirical core. The main aim is to promote understanding of how the private security industry is regulated and evaluate the effectiveness of the existing regulatory policy. Data for the paper were generated from in-depth interviews with the NSCDC （Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps）, analysis of the policy for PSCs （private security companies）, and a review of the annual performance report of the regulatory agency. The results revealed that the current system of PSC regulation is characterized by a lack of specialty classification of private security licences, limited regulatory scope with a focus on licensing of companies, lack of uniform standards on training, and high cost/difficulties in obtaining operational license. The paper concludes that the current regulatory setup for PSCs in Nigeria is ineffective and unsustainable and recommends an urgent review of the legal framework to alien its provisions with global standards and practices in the private security industry.

Does the China Railway Express Promote Equitable Regional Development?Evidence from Manufacturing Relocation

The China Railway Express(CRE)has improved regional economic integration with external markets and has reshaped regional development by encouraging the relocation of manufacturing activities("manufacturing transfer").We analyzed data from 284 prefecture-level cities in China to evaluate the impact of the CRE on regional manufacturing relocation,using a staggered difference-in-diferences model with entropy balancing.We found that the launch of the CRE significantly stimulated the relocation of manufacturing industries to node cities-key hubs for transportation and logistics within the CRE network-especially in the central,western,and northeastern regions.Specifically,the CRE significantly increased manufacturing dynamism,firm profitability,openness,and foreign investment in node cities,which attracted more manufacturing industries to relocate in this area.Higher levels of infrastructure development moderated the CRE's effect.Further analysis showed that significant moderating effects of infrastructure development occurred only in the western region.Overall,our conclusions provide useful insights into how to promote equitable regional development through manufacturing development in China.

Quest for Equitable Education in Phases:Insights From an NGO in China

Highlights Among the East Asian nations,a recurring predicament faced by educational institutions is that of providing inclusive but high-quality education.Active involvement of non-governmental organizations(NGOs)in education is valuable in China.Adream was such an NGO on education in China,established in 2008 with a singular and noble objective:promotion of equitable access to quality education within the disadvantaged regions of China.