Essay on Internal Threats to Democracy

The article calls for a more crit­ical and also louder voice from contemporary political philosophy to respond to the major crises of the time. The argument is made that the most disconcerting and fundamental threat to de­mocracy is the inordinate amount of power held by big globalized capital, which deprives the peoples of modern states from any say in deciding economic policy in any meaningful way, and thus from a very important lever in steering our common life and controlling our common fortune. Political philosophy must rise to the task of reconnecting with current affairs and situations, of offering concrete solutions to concrete problems, of changing its outlook to in­clude interdisciplinarity and critique

The Need for a New Enlightenment

The title The Need for a New Enlightenment, enunciates the basic claim of Dimitrios Oikonomou essay, in which he explores the following questions: “how we are supposed to collectively and individually react to an uncertain future accompanied by the promise of a looming catastrophe? Are we allowed to espouse a sceptical optimism or are we doomed to keep going through the desperation routine?

Association of Body Condition Score with Ultrasound Measurements of Backfat and Longissimus Dorsi Muscle Thickness in Periparturient Holstein Cows

Most cows experience a period of nutrient deficit during the periparturient period. Body condition scoring (BCS) is widely used on farms to assess body nutrient reserves and mobilization. The aims of this study were to: (i) determine the association of BCS with ultrasound measurements of backfat (BFT) and longissimus dorsi muscle thickness (LDT) during the periparturient period of Holstein cows from different herds, accounting for potential sources of variation, such as herd, parity and period relative to calving and (ii) establish reference intervals (RIs) for BFT and LDT per BCS estimate. Two-hundred and fifty-two cows from six commercial farms were used. Body condition scores, BFT and LDT were assessed at seven time-points during the periparturient period. Assessments of BCS estimates as predictors of BFT and LDT and the contribution of BFT and LDT to BCS estimates were performed with the use of linear mixed models. Reference intervals for BFT and LDT per BCS estimate were established with the Reference Value Advisor. One unit of BCS change was associated with 8.2 mm of BFT and 10.9 mm of LDT pre- and postpartum. Range of BFT and LDT in established RIs per BCS was wide with significant overlap. Both subcutaneous fat and, to a lesser degree, skeletal muscle reserves contribute to BCS estimation. Repeated BCS estimations credibly predict energy balance status in periparturient dairy cows. The metabolic state of muscle tissue should be assessed by repeated ultrasound measurements.</jats:p

Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση και θεσμοί τοπικής και περιφερειακής διακυβέρνησης στην Ελλάδα

Η παρούσα διατριβή επιχειρεί να διαπραγματευθεί το θέμα της διττής επίδρασης της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης (ΕΕ) στους εγχώριους θεσμούς τοπικής και περιφερειακής διακυβέρνησης: αφ’ ενός ως παράγοντα πίεσης για προσαρμογές, αφ’ ετέρου ως πεδίο προσφοράς ευκαιριών υποεθνικής κινητοποίησης (subnational mobilization). Ειδικότερα, αναζητείται ο βαθμός στον οποίο αναπτύχθηκε η απευθείας (direct) και αδιαμεσολάβητη από εθνικές αρχές κινητοποίηση των εγχώριων θεσμών στην ΕΕ, ως αντανάκλαση διαδοχικών μεταρρυθμιστικών πρωτοβουλιών αποκέντρωσης που εκκίνησαν στο δεύτερο μισό της δεκαετίας του 1980. Η απευθείας δραστηριοποίηση των αυτοδιοικητικών και αποσυγκεντρωμένων αρχών της χώρας στην ΕΕ διερευνάται μέσω τριών τύπων κινητοποίησης που συνδέονται με προσπάθειες: α) άντλησης χρηματοδοτικών πόρων, β) άσκησης επιρροής σε θεσμικά όργανα της ΕΕ και, γ) ανάπτυξης οριζόντιων συνεργασιών. Η ανάλυση επιχειρεί να απαντήσει στο ερώτημα του κατά πόσο οι εξευρωπαϊστικές πιέσεις εκσυγχρονισμού των υποεθνικών θεσμών ευνόησαν την ανάπτυξη της απευθείας κινητοποίησής τους στο υπερεθνικό (ενωσιακό) επίπεδο εξουσίας. Η προσέγγιση του ιστορικού νεοθεσμισμού, ο εξευρωπαϊσμός και η πολυεπίπεδη διακυβέρνηση συγκροτούν το θεωρητικό πλαίσιο εντός του οποίου αναλύονται τα εμπειρικά δεδομένα που αντλούνται από διακριτές μελέτες περίπτωσης για κάθε τύπο κινητοποίησης, με σκοπό την εξαγωγή ευρύτερων συμπερασμάτων.The present thesis attempts to shed light on the issue of the twofold influence of the European Union on the domestic subnational institutions: as a factor that not only poses pressures for adaptation but offers opportunities for subnational mobilisation as well. The thesis focuses on the degree of direct and unmediated mobilisation of the domestic institutions in the EU arena, as a reflection of the successive waves of decentralization that began in the second half of the 1980s. The direct presence of the Greek subnational authorities in the EU is investigated through a threefold typology of mobilisation: a) financial, b) regulative, and c) co-operative. The analysis aims at providing answers to the question of the extend that the europeanization pressures favoured direct subnational mobilisation in the supranational (European) arena. Historical new institutionalism, Europeanization and multi-level governance constitute the theoretical framework, while empirical data are drawn from distinctive case studies for each type of mobilisation with a view to provide general conclusions (deductive approach)

Esophageal Crohn's Disease Treated “Topically” with Swallowed Aerosolized Budesonide

Proximal Crohn's disease, involving the esophagus, the stomach, the duodenum, and the proximal jejunum, is uncommon. Treatment for proximal Crohn's disease is based on data derived from case series than from controlled trials. We present a case of Crohn's colitis with concomitant proximal esophagogastroduodenal involvement treated with conventional treatment plus swallowed aerosolized budesonide as a novel adjuvant topical treatment for the esophageal disease, and we review the treatment options for proximal Crohn's disease

A prospective cohort study examining the association of claw anatomy and sole temperature with the development of claw horn disruption lesions in dairy cattle

Foot characteristics have been linked to the development of sole lesions (sole hemorrhage and sole ulcers) and white line lesions, also known as claw horn disruption lesions (CHDL). The objective of this study was to examine the association of claw anatomy and sole temperature, with the development of CHDL. A cohort of 2,352 cows was prospectively enrolled from 4 UK farms and assessed at 3 time points; before calving (T1-Precalving), immediately post-calving (T2-Calving), and in early lactation. At each time point body condition score was recorded, a thermography image of each foot was taken for sole temperature measurement, the presence of CHDL was assessed by veterinary surgeons, and an ultrasound image was taken to retrospectively measure the digital cushion and sole horn thickness. Additionally, at the post-calving time point, foot angle and heel depth were recorded. Four multivariable logistic regression models were fit to separately examine the relationship of pre-calving and post-calving explanatory variables with the development of either white line lesions or sole lesions. Explanatory variables tested included digital cushion thickness, sole horn thickness, sole temperature, foot angle, and heel depth. Farm, parity, body condition score, and the presence of a lesion at the time of measurement were also included in the models. A thicker digital cushion shortly after calving was associated with decreased odds of cows developing sole lesions during early lactation (OR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.65 – 0.84). No association was found between digital cushion thickness and the development of white line lesions. Sole temperature post-calving was associated with increased odds of the development of sole lesions (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.02 – 1.05), and sole temperature before and post-calving was associated with the development of white line lesions (T1-Precalving; OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01 – 1.07, T2-Calving; OR: 0.96 95% CI: 0.93 – 0.99). Neither foot angle nor heel depth was associated with the development of either lesion type. However, an increased sole horn thickness after calving reduced the odds of cows developing sole lesions during early lactation (OR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.83 – 0.93), highlighting the importance of maintaining adequate sole horn when foot trimming. Before calving, animals with a lesion at the time of measurement and a thicker sole were more likely to develop a sole lesion (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.09 – 1.40), compared with those without a sole lesion. The results presented here suggest that white line and sole lesions may have differing etiopathogenesis. Results also confirm the association between the thickness of the digital cushion and the development of sole lesions, highlight the association between sole horn thickness and sole lesions, and challenge the potential importance of foot angle and heel depth in the development of CHDL

Κοσμοπολιτικές πτυχές στην διεθνοπολιτική φιλοσοφία του Grotius : η ερμηνεία της Martha C. Nussbaum

O Hugo Grotius ήταν μεγάλος Ολλανδός διανοητής του 17ου αιώνα. Με το magnum opus του, το De Jure Belli ac Pacis (Περί του δικαίου του πολέμου και της ειρήνης) αποτέλεσε πηγή για μεγάλο τμήμα του σύγχρονου εθιμικού διεθνούς δικαίου, ιδίως του ανθρωπιστικού δικαίου του πολέμου. Αν και ιδιαίτερα επιδραστικός στους επιγόνους του ως και τις αρχές του 19ου αιώνα, κατόπιν πέρασε στην αφάνεια. Πρόσφατα όμως τον επανέφερε στην φιλοσοφική επικαιρότητα η σημαντική Αμερικανίδα πολιτική φιλόσοφος Martha C. Nussbaum με το εκδοθέν το 2019 βιβλίο της Cosmopolitanism: A Noble but Flawed Ideal, που δίνει το έναυσμα και το βασικό επιχείρημα για την παρούσα εργασία. Στο βιβλίο αυτό η Nussbaum αποδίδει στον Grotius τον χαρακτηρισμό του ήπιου ή μεικτού κοσμοπολίτη, αναγνωρίζοντάς τον ως τον πρώτο σε μια σειρά στοχαστών που εκφράζει αυτό το ρεύμα κοσμοπολιτισμού στο οποίο προσχωρεί και η ίδια. Οι πρώτες τρεις ενότητες της εργασίας παρουσιάζουν την γενικότερη σκέψη του Grotius (ενότητα ΙΙ), ερμηνεύουν τον κοσμοπολιτισμό και τις διακρίσεις του (ενότητα ΙΙΙ) και παρουσιάζουν την σκέψη του Κικέρωνα και των Στωικών φιλοσόφων που βρίσκονται στην ρίζα της κοσμοπολιτικής παράδοσης και θεσπίζουν την σημαντική διάκριση μεταξύ κοσμοπολιτικών καθηκόντων δικαιοσύνης και μη κοσμοπολιτικών καθηκόντων αρωγής (ενότητα IV). Οι τέσσερεις επόμενες ενότητες αναπτύσσουν το επιχείρημα της Nussbaum για τον ήπιο κοσμοπολιτισμό του Grotius (ενότητα V), και αντιπαραβάλλουν τα αναφερόμενα από τη Nussbaum χωρία από το De Jure Belli ac Pacis προς τις επιμέρους γραμμές του επιχειρήματος. Συγκεκριμένα, η Nussbaum ανιχνεύει κοσμοπολιτικές πτυχές στον Grotius στις αναπτύξεις του περί της δίκαιης διεξαγωγής του πολέμου (ενότητα VI), περί ανθρωπιστικής στρατιωτικής παρέμβασης (ενότητα VII) και περί καθηκόντων αρωγής προς μη συμπολίτες (ενότητα VIII). Στην καταληκτική ενότητα (ενότητα ΙΧ) συγκεντρώνονται όλες οι σκέψεις της εργασίας για να προκύψει το συμπέρασμα ότι ο Grotius ήταν επηρεασμένος μεν από τον κοσμοπολιτισμό του Κικέρωνα και των Στωικών, εντάσσοντας όμως και τα κράτη σε περίοπτη θέση στην εικόνα του της διεθνής κοινωνίας υπερβαίνει τον αμιγή κοσμοπολιτισμό των πρώτων και είναι μάλλον επικεφαλής ενός ρεύματος ήπιου ή μεικτού κοσμοπολιτισμού.Hugo Grotius is an important Dutch thinker of the 17th century. With his magnum opus, De Jure Belli ac Pacis (On the Rights of War and Peace), he became the source for a big part of modern customary international law, especially of the humanitarian law of war. Although especially influential until the beginning of the 19th century, his work was largely overlooked afterwards. Recently he was brought back into philosophical discussion by the important American political philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum in her 2019 book &quot;Cosmopolitanism: A Noble but Flawed Ideal&quot;, which provides the base and the main argument for this Master&apos;s thesis. In this book Nussbaum characterizes Grotius as a soft or mixed cosmopolitan, seeing in him the first in a series of thinkers who share in this version of cosmopolitanism, to which Nussbaum herself belongs. The first three sections of the thesis present the general lines of Grotius&apos; philosophical thought (section II), interpret cosmopolitanism and its most important distinctions (section III) and present the thought of Cicero and the Stoics, in which the roots of the cosmopolitan tradition are to be found and which posits the important distinction between cosmopolitan duties of justice and non-cosmopolitan duties of material aid (section IV). The next four sections develop Nussbaum&apos;s argument regarding Grotius&apos; soft cosmopolitanism (section V) and cross-reference this argument with the referenced loci of Grotius&apos; work. Specifically, Nussbaum locates cosmopolitan aspects in Grotius in his expositions on the just waging of war (section VI), on the humanitarian military intervention (section VII) and on the duties of material aid towards non-citizens (section VIII). In the concluding section (section IX) all the lines of argumentation are brought together and the conclusion is reached that Grotius was influenced by the cosmopolitanism of Cicero and the Stoics, but by integrating also the states in an important place in the picture of international society he composes, he manages to transcend the pure cosmopolitanism of the latter and is probably the head of a version of soft or mixed cosmopolitanism

Impact of Guard Time Length on IEEE 802.15.4e TSCH Energy Consumption

The IEEE 802.15.4-2015 standard defines a number of Medium Access Control (MAC) layer protocols for low- power wireless communications in the IoT. Originally defined in the IEEE 802.15.4e amendment, TSCH (Time Slotted Channel Hopping) is among the proposed mechanisms. TSCH is a scheme aiming to guarantee network reliability by keeping nodes time-synchronised at the MAC layer. In order to ensure successful communication between a sender and a receiver, the latter starts listening shortly before the expected time of a MAC layer frame’s arrival. The offset between the time a node starts listening and the estimated time of frame arrival is called guard time and it aims to reduce the probability of missed frames due to clock drift. In this poster, we investigate the effect of the guard time duration on energy consumption. We identify that, when using the 6tisch minimal schedule, the most significant cause of energy consumption is idle listening during guard time. Therefore, the energy-efficiency of TSCH can be significantly improved by guard time optimisation. Our performance evaluation results, conducted using the Contiki operating system, show that an efficient configuration of guard time may reduce energy consumption by up to 30%, without compromising network reliability