Current Issue : April-June Volume : 2026 Issue Number : 2 Articles : 5 Articles
Background and Aims: Inclusive research ethics ensure that people with disabilities are recognised as equal partners in research. Frameworks like the CRPD and BERA highlight accessibility, autonomy, and participation, yet little is known about how these values are reflected in national ethics codes, especially in non‐Western contexts. In Saudi Arabia, where universities regulate academic research, this study examines how ethics codes from 22 public universities address disability inclusion and align with CRPD and BERA standards. Methods: A qualitative document analysis was conducted, assessing ethics policies against seven deductive indicators derived from the CRPD and BERA, including the recognition of disability, adapted consent procedures, support for communication and inclusive participation. Thematic analysis was also used to identify patterns of medicalised language, paternalism and procedural ambiguity. Findings: Most ethics codes used vague categories such as ‘vulnerable groups’ without offering practical guidance on accessibility, supported decision‐making or participatory research. None of the reviewed codes referenced the CRPD, and alignment with BERA standards was limited. These findings reveal a discursive and structural disconnect between international disability rights principles and local research governance. Conclusion: Inclusive ethics require more than general values. They demand concrete mechanisms for accessibility, participation and coproduction. The study recommends embedding CRPD‐aligned practices into university ethics policies, strengthening ethics committee training and involving people with disabilities in ethical review processes....
The European Union (EU) has consistently advanced sustainability goals, with the 2019 European Green Deal (EGD) serving as a cornerstone initiative aligned with global sustainability frameworks. Yet, the combined impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic, energy market volatility, and supply chain disruptions has amplified the urgency of evaluating corporate sustainability, particularly, within the technology sector, where rapid growth and resource intensity attract heightened scrutiny. Although several sustainability performance scales exist, none have been specifically designed for high- tech companies, a sector underrepresented in sustainability research despite its growing significance and unique challenges such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and platform governance. This study develops and validates two stakeholder- driven scales to measure the sustainability performance of tech companies, integrating the perspectives of both internal and external actors across economic, sociocultural, environmental, and governance dimensions. Governance is given particular emphasis, reflecting its central role in ESG frameworks such as GRI, SASB, and the EU CSRD. Using partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS- SEM) and confirmatory composite analysis (CCA), the study introduces the first measurement tool designed specifically for high- tech firms. The findings advance sustainability scholarship by filling a critical methodological gap and offer regulators and practitioners a robust framework for evaluating sustainability in a sector that is both innovation- driven and sustainability- challenged....
On- orbit rendezvous and docking constitute one of the most technically challenging activities in the history of space activities. As space endeavours mature to crewed missions, space rendezous and docking technologies (RDT) emerge as an area of technological innovation critical to advances in future crewed space exploration. Anchored around technical and diplomatic exchanges in relation to RDT standards in crewed space exploration, this article seeks to understand the evolution of tech diplomacy through comparing and contrasting developments in establishing the International Docking System (IDS) (2010s to Present) with those of the Apollo- Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) (1970s)—widely considered to be the first major international collbaoration in the history of crewed space exploration....
The limitations of field testing capabilities present a significant challenge in evaluating the performance level of autonomous vehicle (AV) functionalities. Mixed reality (MR) with digital twin can facilitate performing tests because of reduction in costs and safety issues. However, one of the recent problems in the application of MR for evaluation purposes is the achievable low immersion level. This paper proposes a solution to the problem, and presents a use case through the implementation of a speed planner. The speed planner is implemented in a real test AV, together with an MR-based environment, and field tests are performed in urban context. This paper presents the effectiveness of the speed planner through simulations and AV tests, specifically in regard to the safe adaptation of the AV motion to the surrounding vehicles. Moreover, the test environment and the implementation process are presented in details, such as the test AV setup, the software structure, and the prediction process for achieving immersive MR visualization....
In recent years, the development of stretchable electronic devices with mechanical properties similar to those of human tissues has attracted increasing research interest in biomedical engineering, wearables, and other fields. These devices have demonstrated, and some other researchers have already shown, promising advancements towards applications that span from measurements of the disruption of model barrier tissues to wearable or implantable devices, soft robotics, and the development of flexible and stretchable batteries. For example, models of barrier tissues, consisting of two compartments separated by a porous membrane, have been used to measure their integrity as well as to investigate the passage of drugs, toxins, and cancer cells through these tissues. Some of these models include an elastomeric membrane which can be stretched to model processes such as breathing and gut peristalsis, while others include electrodes for real-time measurement of barrier tissue integrity. However, to date, microelectrodes have not been fabricated directly on a porous elastomeric membrane. Here, we present lithographically patterned gold electrodes on porous PDMS membranes that enable electronic sensing capabilities in addition to mechanical manipulation. These membranes are incorporated into vacuum-actuated devices which impart cyclic mechanical strain, and their suitability for electrical impedance measurements, even after 1000 stretching cycles under fluids similar to cell culture media, is demonstrated. In the future, we expect to use these electrodes to measure the disruption in model cell barriers as well as to dielectrophoretically trap cells in a region of interest for more rapid assembly of a model tissue. Other areas like wearables, robotics, and power sources will greatly benefit from the further development of this technology....
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