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In the beginning was the work : Donald MacKinnon's metaphysics after Lenin
Delport, Khegan M.; Demjaha, Dritero (Wiley, 2026-01)
Donald MacKinnon expressed a distinctly realist and actualist metaphysic. One aspect of his metaphysics that is less frequently commented upon, however, is his reception of Vladimir Lenin. While not an unqualified admirer of Bolshevism, it is readily apparent that MacKinnon incorporated elements of Lenin’s philosophy and theories regarding practice into his critique of idealism and his Christology also. Beginning with the writings of Lenin himself, and tracing this influence throughout MacKinnon’s oeuvre, we give the most expansive treatment to date of MacKinnon’s reception of Lenin, showing that there is a coherency in his reception of Lenin with his philosophical realism and actualist metaphysics more generally. This can be seen especially in the way that he reads Leninist philosophical tactics as a variety of metaphysical actualism, insofar as revolutionary agency and freedom may exceed reductionist accounts of historical causality or spiritual idealisation. The burgeoning forth of new options and circumstances as a result of revolutionary action, coupled with his belief in the primacy of resurrection, hereby undermines any pseudo-tragic or culturally pessimistic reading of MacKinnon’s trajectory.
Breaking the informal cycle : integrating artisanal and small-scale mining into the formal economy
Tingini, Tinotenda Lionel; Eniowo, Olushola Daniel (Springer, 2026)
Illegality and informality persist in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, despite the increasing drive by various stakeholders on the African continent to formalise the sector. This paper applies five categories of barriers to formalisation, identified in the literature, to analyse the factors hindering the formalisation of the sector, namely: absence of formalisation frameworks, inappropriate frameworks, weak enforcement, exclusionary policies, and broader structural challenges. A narrative literature review reveals that the absence of tailored frameworks leaves ASM operations criminalised and unsupported, while poorly designed or overly rigid regulations fail to align with the sector’s diverse socio-economic realities. Weak enforcement, compounded by corruption and limited institutional capacity, sustains illicit practices and undermines regulatory effectiveness. Exclusionary policies, characterised by costly and complex licensing requirements, marginalise ASM operators and drive them further into illegality. In addition, structural issues, including limited access to finance, technology, and markets, entrench reliance on informal networks and perpetuate cycles of poverty and environmental harm. The study found that successful governance of ASM requires context-sensitive policies that balance regulatory interventions with socio-economic realities. The study recommends enhancing institutional capacity and establishing inclusive pathways that enable ASM operators to integrate into the formal economy.
Gaussian process modelling of an industrial flotation bank
Lindqvist, Johan; Atta, Khalid; Le Roux, Johan Derik; Johansson, Andreas (Elsevier, 2026-05)
A control-oriented Gaussian process regression (GPR) model of froth flotation is developed and compared to a previously developed parametric model. The model aims to predict the behaviour of froth flotation, taking into consideration which state variables are available from measurements: air recovery, top of froth bubble size, and pulp level. The framework encodes prior knowledge of a published flotation model. Each state is modelled using a separate GP, with a custom covariance function whose form is given by the flotation model. These kernels capture the interaction between the relevant state variables and manipulated variables. The model aims to balance the complexity required to explain such a complex process with the uncertainty of its instrumentation. To evaluate the ability of the GPR model to capture the process dynamics, the GP model is assessed using an industrial data set, demonstrating its capacity to improve the performance of state prediction. The purpose of the GPR model is to enable supervisory and advanced model-based control. HIGHLIGHTS • A Gaussian process regression (GPR) model is developed using industrial online froth flotation data. • The kernels for the GPR model are based on modelling insights. • The predictive capacity of the GPR model is better than that of a dynamic semi-mechanistic model. • The GPR model shows potential for use in model predictive process control.
Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii at a hospital in Botswana: detecting a protracted outbreak using whole genome sequencing
Strysko, Jonathan; Thela, Tefelo; Feder, Andries; Thubuka, Janet; Machiya, Tichaona; Mkubwa, Jack; Mochankana, Kagiso; Tiroyakgosi, Celda; Kgomanyane, Kgomotso; Ntereke, Tlhalefo Dudu; Zankere, Tshiamo; Lechiile, Kwana; Gatonye, Teresia; Tembo, Chimwemwe Viola; Vurayai, Moses; Mannathoko, Naledi; Mokomane, Margaret; Moustafa, Ahmed M.; Goldfarb, David M.; Richard-Greenblatt, Melissa; Mcgann, Carolyn; Coffin, Susan E.; Nakstad, Britt; Cancedda, Corrado; Lautenbach, Ebbing; Bogoshi, Dineo; Smith, Anthony Marius; Planet, Paul J. (American Society for Microbiology, 2026-01)
Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAb) has emerged as a major and often fatal cause of bloodstream infections among hospitalized patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). CRAb outbreaks are hypothesized to arise from reservoirs in the hospital environment, but outbreak investigations in LMICs are often limited in scope due to lack of access to whole genome sequencing (WGS). We performed WGS on 43 stored isolates (blood cultures [n = 23] and environmental swabs [n = 20]) presumptively identified as A. baumannii collected during 2021–2022 from a 530-bed referral hospital in Gaborone, Botswana, where CRAb infection incidence was rising. Taxonomic assignment, multilocus sequence typing, antimicrobial resistance gene identification, K and O locus typing, and phylogenetic analyses were performed using publicly accessible analysis pipelines. All 23 blood and 25% (5/20) of environmental isolates were confirmed as A. baumannii, 79% (n = 22) of which were sequence type 1 (ST1). All ST1 isolates harbored genes encoding carbapenemases (blaNDM-1, blaOXA-23). Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that nearly identical ST1 isolates spanned wide ranges in time (>1 year), suggesting ongoing transmission from environmental sources. One highly similar clade (average difference of 2.3 single nucleotide polymorphisms) contained all eight neonatal blood isolates and three environmental isolates from the neonatal unit. Environmental isolates included a sample from a sink drain, which is likely a major reservoir in this setting and highlights the need for targeted environmental remediation. Using a phylogenetically informed approach, we also identified diagnostic genes that distinguish this outbreak clone. These markers hold the potential to provide a low-cost method for tracking future CRAb isolates related to this outbreak. IMPORTANCE : Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is an increasingly significant cause of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where limited resources often prevent the use of advanced outbreak investigation methods. This study leveraged whole genome sequencing to uncover transmission patterns of these antibiotic-resistant infections which were occurring more frequently in a referral hospital in Botswana. By linking clinical and environmental samples collected over an 18-month period, we identified a cluster of infections genetically linked to samples collected from the environment, including a sample taken from a sink drain in the neonatal unit. Furthermore, the study identified key genes specific to outbreak strains that could be used as diagnostic markers to track future outbreaks, even in the absence of genomic sequencing. These findings demonstrate how combining genomic sequencing with targeted gene identification can guide infection prevention and control efforts, helping to curb the spread of antibiotic resistance in resource-limited settings.
Measurement approaches for corporate impacts on ecosystem condition : current landscape and future priorities
Bedford, Jacob; Houdet, Joel Robert Auguste; Berger, Joshua; Grigg, Annelisa; Harrison, Michelle; Calhoun, Emma; Brooks, Sharon (Wiley, 2026)
1. Ecosystem condition is an important concept for understanding the impacts and dependencies of business on biodiversity and consideration of it is recommended by assessment and disclosure frameworks, including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). 2. Approaches for measuring corporate impacts on ecosystem condition vary in their underlying methods and metrics. This creates uncertainty in their use by business. Here, we discuss the appropriateness of different approaches in different decision-making contexts, including the selection of appropriate reference conditions and granularity of metrics. 3. The assessment of company impacts on ecosystem condition should be seen as an iterative process with flexibility to continually improve approaches over time as new methods and data emerge to fill key knowledge gaps.