779 research outputs found
Democratising migration governance : temporary labour migration and the responsibility to represent
Defence date: 20 January 2020Examining Board: Professor Rainer Bauböck, European University Institute (Supervisor); Professor Richard Bellamy, European University Institute Professor; Iseult Honohan, University College Dublin; Professor Valeria Ottonelli, Università degli Studi di GenovaThis thesis explores the possibility of democratic citizenship of temporary migrants. The main problem I investigate is the persistent and systemic vulnerability of temporary migrants to domination. I argue temporary migrants’ vulnerability to domination stems primarily from the fact that responsibilities towards them and their political membership are divided between their country of residence and of origin. While their lives are conditioned by both countries, they are democratically isolated from both. Are they merely partial citizens detached from any democratic politics? If not, what responsibility should each country bear towards temporary migrants within and beyond their jurisdictions? Should our commitments to democracy lead us to endorse a radical conception of migrant citizenship through which migrants represent their interests and perspectives in-between their country of residence and origin? This thesis addresses these normative issues surrounding temporary labour migration. It develops a democratic theory applicable to this phenomenon, explores the moral and political basis of migrants’ freedom, and explains how the current arrangements might be changed to produce a more democratically just outcome. Its main contribution lies in establishing a new account of democratic citizenship and responsibility that coherently accommodates the political agencies of temporary migrants. The thesis introduces, in particular, a new normative concept and political agenda – the Responsibility to Represent (R2R). Under a system of R2R, both sending and receiving countries bear a shared obligation to stage migrants’ contestatory voices in their public policy-making process for creating a society where everyone is free from domination. In summary, I argue that temporary migration programmes are just and legitimate, if and only if both sending and receiving states (1) recognise temporary migrants as bearers of a distinct life plan deserving equal treatment and non-domination, (2) provide them with necessary protections and sufficient resources for carrying out their plans while accommodating their possible changes, and (3) institutionalise contestatory channels for them to (de)legitimise the current structure of responsibility in-between two states
Plant-derived bioactive compounds for inflammatory diseases
Tese de doutoramento em Engenharia de Tecidos, Medicina Regenerativa e Células EstaminaisA Organização Mundial da Saúde qualifica as doenças inflamatórias crónicas como a principal causa de
morbilidade e mortalidade no mundo. A inflamação crónica é caracterizada por uma resposta inflamatória
anormal e persistente que conduz à disfunção de tecidos e órgãos (p. ex. artrite). Nas últimas décadas,
foram observadas melhorias significativas no tratamento destas doenças. No entanto, a contínua
administração de fármacos anti-inflamatórios é limitada devido à sua associação com efeitos secundários
graves. Assim, terapias mais seguras e eficazes devem ser exploradas. As plantas, sendo a base da
medicina tradicional em muitas culturas por milhares de anos, são uma excelente fonte de moléculas
bioativas, tornando-se algumas delas marcos na indústria farmacêutica (p. ex. morfina). Duas plantas
tradicionalmente utilizadas no tratamento de doenças imunológicas são a Salvia officinalis e a Echinacea
purpurea. Todavia, a sua atividade imunomoduladora ainda não foi amplamente estudada de forma a
fornecer evidências científicas sólidas acerca da sua eficácia. Neste trabalho foram preparados extratos
de diferentes órgãos dessas plantas (flores, folhas e raízes) para explorar o seu potencial como
formulações pró- ou anti-inflamatórias. Diferentes solventes e métodos de extração foram usados para
preparar extratos com diferentes características. Em particular, os extratos da E. purpurea foram
separados em duas frações (fenóis/ácidos carboxílicos e alquilamidas) para permitir identificar a classe
de compostos responsável pela maior bioatividade. A composição química dos extratos e das frações foi
caracterizada por diferentes técnicas cromatográficas. A atividade antioxidante das diferentes
formulações foi avaliada na presença de espécies reativas relevantes. Os efeitos pró- e anti-inflamatórios
dos diferentes extratos e frações foram investigados, respetivamente, em macrófagos não estimulados e
estimulados com lipopolissacarídeos. Relativamente às propriedades pró-inflamatórias, somente os
extratos aquosos de E. purpurea demonstraram bioatividade ao induzir as principais vias de sinalização
inflamatória e os mediadores pró-inflamatórios. Considerando as atividades antioxidantes e anti inflamatórias, todos os extratos e frações preparados apresentaram grande eficácia, a qual foi
influenciada pelo método de extração, solvente utilizado e órgão da planta selecionado. Posteriormente,
o extrato mais promissor foi encapsulado em vesículas unilamelares grandes, funcionalizadas com ácido
fólico, com o objetivo de melhorar a sua biodistribuição. Por fim, demonstrou-se a segurança e a eficácia
terapêutica desta formulação num modelo experimental de inflamação em ratos. Assim, concluiu-se que
os extratos de plantas são formulações com grande potencial para serem posteriormente utilizadas como
base no tratamento eficaz de doenças que afetam o sistema imunológico, seja quando este está
comprometido ou hiper-reativo.Chronic inflammation-related diseases are ranked by the World Health Organization as the major cause
of morbidity and mortality in the world. Chronic inflammation is characterized by a persistent and
abnormal inflammatory response that leads to tissue damage and/or dysfunction (e.g., arthritis). There
were remarkable improvements in the last decades in the management of chronic inflammatory diseases.
However, the constant administration of the clinically available anti-inflammatory drugs is limited due to
their association with serious side effects. Therefore, alternative, safer and more effective therapies must
be investigated. Plants, being the basis of traditional medicine in many cultures for thousands of years,
are a rich source of bioactive molecules. Some of them became landmarks in the pharmaceutical field
(e.g., morphine). Two plants traditionally used in the treatment of immune-related diseases are Salvia
officinalis and Echinacea purpurea. However, their immunomodulatory activity has not been extensively
studied in a scientifically soundness. Therefore, in this work, we obtained extracts from different organs
of those plants (flowers, leaves, and roots) to explore their potential as pro- or anti-inflammatory
formulations. Different solvents and extraction methods were used to prepare a variety of extracts.
Particularly for E. purpurea extracts were fractionated into phenolic/carboxylic acids and alkylamide
fractions to identify the class of compounds responsible for the strongest bioactivity. Then, the chemical
fingerprint in the extracts and fractions was evaluated by different chromatographic techniques. The
antioxidant activity of the different formulations was evaluated against relevant reactive species. The proand anti-inflammatory effects of the different extracts and fractions were evaluated using non-stimulated
and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages, respectively. Regarding pro-inflammatory properties,
aqueous E. purpurea extracts were the most promising by the induction of main inflammatory signaling
pathways and pro-inflammatory mediators. Considering antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, all
the developed extracts displayed strong efficacy that was influenced by the extraction method, solvent
used, and source organ of the plant. Afterward, the most promising extract was loaded in folic acidfunctionalized large unilamellar vesicles (FLUVs) to improve its therapeutic biodistribution. Finally, it was
demonstrated in an experimental rat model of inflammation the safety and enhanced therapeutic efficacy
of the most powerful extracts loaded in FLUVs. Therefore, we showed that the plant extracts are promising
natural formulations that can be further used as a basis for the effective treatment for disorders in which
the immune system is either overactive or impaired.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) for my Ph.D. scholarships (PD/BD/135246/2017 and COVID/BD/152012/2021) and the Ph.D. programme in Advanced Therapies for Health (PATH, PD/00169/2013)
Toward the Interested Investigator: Examining the Epistemic Dimensions of Relational Theory in Zoology
I argue in this thesis that a research approach that is based on a meaningful relationship between a zoologist and their study subject holds unique epistemic value. It has been well established by feminist and social epistemologists that the identity and interests of the knower significantly influence the way knowledge can be created. This has been applied in philosophy of science to recognize that the identity of the scientist significantly influences the way they create scientific knowledge. Relational theorists draw our attention to the uniqueness of relationships themselves. I seek in this thesis to draw our attention to the potential epistemic influence of relationships themselves in the creation of scientific knowledge in biology. I do this by bringing together relational theory and epistemologies of ignorance to understand how scientists might influence knowledge creation in biology. I do this with a specific focus on zoology.
In Chapter 1, I perform a literature review of relational theory and its applications in the philosophy of biology. I argue here that relationality presents a fruitful axis for analyzing research and knowledge creation in zoology. Next, in Chapter 2, I present what I call a researcher’s “state of interest toward relationality”. I argue here that relational theory can be used to differentiate research approaches used by zoologists. I do this using two case studies: that of Jane Goodall’s research program with chimpanzees and Eugenie Clark’s research program with sharks. Finally, in Chapter 3, I use relational theory to analyze the creation of ignorance in zoology. I argue here that a research approach where a zoologist has a high state of interest toward relationality offers unique epistemic benefits by allowing zoologists to circumvent and/or respond to the creation of some forms of ignorance. I hope that by connecting relational theory with the epistemology of ignorance in biology, we may see ways that relationships can strengthen scientific research
Chinese strategic partnerships: A new form of alliance politics
During the 14th National Party Congress in 1992, Jiang Zemin declared that China would never seek alliances nor pursue hegemony. Indeed, since 1961, China has formed formal alliances with mutual defense clauses with only two countries: North Korea and the Soviet Union. Given the US’ alliance network, which extends deep into East Asia and Oceania, many scholars predict that China would seek similar security arrangements to deter potential aggression. However, very little research has been conducted to answer the question of why China has remained persistent in rejecting alliance formation as a viable strategy despite popular notions of increasing Chinese nationalism and assertiveness. As a first cut into this question, I argue through a qualitative case study of Chinese foreign relations that China\u27s stratagem of using less formal partnerships to fulfill the role of formal alliances is driven by three motivations: 1) the structural conditions for alliance formation have not been met, 2) China prioritizes the strategic flexibility which partnerships provide over deeper commitments that would equalize its dyadic relationships, and 3) China is viewed as an undesirable ally among other states. As such, China’s partnerships function as a means of forming linkages with other states, exerting a limited degree of leverage, and imposing potential costs on states considering opposing core Chinese interests while maintaining a high degree of flexibility in their policy options
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Alternative Power: The Politics of Denmark\u27s Renewable Energy Transition
Global climate change is one of the defining political challenges and opportunities of the current era. Experts widely agree that technical means already exist for making the necessary transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy; the obstacles to doing so are primarily political. Careful observers also recognize that this period of transition creates an opening for political innovation and development. How can the political will be generated to take action to prevent climate catastrophe? And what will the process of transitioning mean for the political systems that have been built on cheap and abundant oil? Political scientists have largely ignored technological development as a lever for political development, or feared that technology could only be a force of domination. Yet renewable energy enthusiasts have often seen democratizing potential in these technologies. What can be accomplished politically by building a wind turbine? As countries like Denmark accumulate decades of experience with renewable energy, it is becoming possible to give such questions close empirical consideration. Denmark generates more of its electricity from renewable sources, and has been doing so longer, than any other industrialized nation, making it a uniquely valuable case for studying an advanced renewable energy transition in progress. This dissertation draws on novel qualitative and quantitative data to present the first comprehensive history of Denmark’s energy transition from its roots in the 1970s until the present, aiming to explain how this tiny nation emerged as the world’s leading wind power producer, and assess whether this process has yielded any democratic dividends. The multi-method analysis sheds new light on internal dynamics of Denmark’s energy transition, and, more generally, on late-stage evolutionary processes in mature technological systems. Many studies have shown an interest in the Danish case, which is usually presented as a relatively unqualified success story, but few have provided the empirical resolution to identify these complicating factors. This dissertation employs an explanatory strategy adapted from the ecological sciences to construct a more holistic and integrative portrait, resulting in a more thorough and accurate account of how Denmark jumped out to such a significant lead in the energy transition, and why that momentum might be flagging today, with implications for other countries hoping to chart a path toward a sustainable future
Logics and Algorithms for Hyperproperties
System requirements related to concepts like information flow, knowledge, and robustness cannot be judged in terms of individual system executions, but rather require an analysis of the relationship between multiple executions. Such requirements belong to the class of hyperproperties, which generalize classic trace properties to properties of sets of traces. During the past decade, a range of new specification logics has been introduced with the goal of providing a unified theory for reasoning about hyperproperties. This paper gives an overview on the current landscape of logics for the specification of hyperproperties and on algorithms for satisfiability checking, model checking, monitoring, and synthesis
Twilight of the American State
The sudden emergence of the Trump nation surprised nearly everyone, including journalists, pundits, political consultants, and academics. When Trump won in 2016, his ascendancy was widely viewed as a fluke. Yet time showed it was instead the rise of a movement—angry, militant, revanchist, and unabashedly authoritarian.
How did this happen? Twilight of the American State offers a sweeping exploration of how law and legal institutions helped prepare the grounds for this rebellious movement. The controversial argument is that, viewed as a legal matter, the American state is not just a liberal democracy, as most Americans believe. Rather, the American state is composed of an uneasy and unstable combination of different versions of the state—liberal democratic, administered, neoliberal, and dissociative. Each of these versions arose through its own law and legal institutions. Each emerged at different times historically. Each was prompted by deficits in the prior versions. Each has survived displacement by succeeding versions. All remain active in the contemporary moment—creating the political-legal dysfunction America confronts today.
Pierre Schlag maps out a big picture view of the tribulations of the American state. The book abjures conventional academic frameworks, sets aside prescriptions for quick fixes, dispenses with lamentations about polarization, and bypasses historical celebrations of the American Spirit
Iterative Circuit Repair Against Formal Specifications
We present a deep learning approach for repairing sequential circuits against formal specifications given in linear-time temporal logic (LTL). Given a defective circuit and its formal specification, we train Transformer models to output circuits that satisfy the corresponding specification. We propose a separated hierarchical Transformer for multimodal representation learning of the formal specification and the circuit. We introduce a data generation algorithm that enables generalization to more complex specifications and out-of-distribution datasets. In addition, our proposed repair mechanism significantly improves the automated synthesis of circuits from LTL specifications with Transformers. It improves the state-of-the-art by 6.8 percentage points on held-out instances and 11.8 percentage points on an out-of-distribution dataset from the annual reactive synthesis competition
A Calvinistic Divine Glory Defense
Calvinists, because they embrace the view that God ordains whatsoever comes to pass, cannot appeal to libertarian free will while trying to defend theism against the problem of evil. However, they can appeal – and, in fact, some have appealed – to God’s desire to be glorified to account for why He has ordained the evils of our world. This is the divine glory defense, and my dissertation aims to develop a version of it. After spending some time framing my defense in the context of the rest of the literature on the problem of evil, an account is provided of what divine glory is. Next, an examination is made of various moral views that will undergird the rest of my dissertation. Then, with the material in the previous chapters in mind, I argue that it is plausible that God, if He exists, will pursue His own glory. Finally, in light of this conclusion, a story is presented in which God, if He exists, ordains the evils that we see in our world
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