74 research outputs found
Intensifying Insecurities: The impact of climate change on vulnerability to human trafficking in the Indian Sundarbans
Despite an enormous amount of attention paid to the factors that shape vulnerability to human trafficking, such as poverty and a lack of economic opportunity, the debate of evidence for what enables these factors to exist in the first place is relatively less explored. Presently, discussions of the relationship between climate change and human insecurity have been marginal to broader debates about vulnerability to trafficking. This paper argues that this signifies a gap in our understanding of the underlying drivers that push individuals and communities into situations where vulnerability to trafficking amplifies, but also that increase the pull of risky migration pathways and exploitative work situations. This paper proceeds by examining and problematising dominant conceptualisations of vulnerability in human trafficking and climate change discourses. Next, it presents a case study of the Sundarbans region of India to highlight how climate change impacts compound and exacerbate the same factors that shape vulnerability to human trafficking—including environmental degradation, loss of livelihood, destitution, and forced migration. Lastly, it argues for enhanced attention to climate change-related insecurity as evidence of vulnerability to trafficking and outlines what such insights can bring to anti-trafficking efforts
Comparison of 3 Infrared Thermal Detection Systems and Self-Report for Mass Fever Screening
In a hospital setting, the systems had reasonable utility for fever detection
Cluster-Cluster Lensing and the Case of Abell 383
Extensive surveys of galaxy clusters motivate us to assess the likelihood of
cluster-cluster lensing (CCL), namely, gravitational-lensing of a background
cluster by a foreground cluster. We briefly describe the characteristics of
CCLs in optical, X-ray and SZ measurements, and calculate their predicted
numbers for CDM parameters and a viable range of cluster mass
functions and their uncertainties. The predicted number of CCLs in the
strong-lensing regime varies from several () to as high as a few dozen,
depending mainly on whether lensing triaxiality bias is accounted for, through
the c-M relation. A much larger number is predicted when taking into account
also CCL in the weak-lensing regime. In addition to few previously suggested
CCLs, we report a detection of a possible CCL in A383, where background
candidate high- structures are magnified, as seen in deep Subaru
observations.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, submitted to MNRA
The Versatility of the Helicobacter pylori Vacuolating Cytotoxin VacA in Signal Transduction and Molecular Crosstalk
By modulating important properties of eukaryotic cells, many bacterial protein toxins highjack host signalling pathways to create a suitable niche for the pathogen to colonize and persist. Helicobacter pylori VacA is paradigm of pore-forming toxins which contributes to the pathogenesis of peptic ulceration. Several cellular receptors have been described for VacA, which exert different effects on epithelial and immune cells. The crystal structure of VacA p55 subunit might be important for elucidating details of receptor interaction and pore formation. Here we discuss the multiple signalling activities of this important toxin and the molecular crosstalk between VacA and other virulence factors
Relevamiento y sistematización de experiencias territoriales y de investigación en el periurbano platense
Se plantea relevar y sistematizar las experiencias de trabajo territorial y de investigación efectuados por actores tales como Secretaría de Agricultura Familiar ,INTA, UNLP a través de sus 17 Unidades Académicas, en la zona en cuestión desde diferentes líneas de trabajo (Agroecología), fortalecimiento de organizaciones, en vinculación a la actividad hortícola en la Zona Oeste del Periurbano Platense en los últimos cinco años, teniendo en cuenta para establecer dicho recorte temporal, la intensificación que sufrió esta actividad, vinculado a particulares procesos sociales, políticos, económicos y tecnológicos.Facultad de Ciencias Económica
Multiphoton microscopy and ultrafast spectroscopy: Imaging meets quantum (MUSIQ) roadmap
In April 2019 the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Innovative Training
Networks (ITN) MUSIQ officially started. The network brought together a unique
team of world-leading academics and industrial partners at the forefront of optical
micro-spectroscopy and ultrafast laser technology developments merged with
fundamental studies of coherent light-matter interaction phenomena, development
of quantitative image analysis tools beyond state-of-the-art, and
biomedical/pharmaceutical real-world applications. The unique vision of MUSIQ has
been to develop and apply the next-generation optical microscopy technologies
exploiting quantum coherent nonlinear phenomena. This Roadmap has been written
collectively by the MUSIQ early-stage researchers and their supervisors. It provides a
summary of the achievements within MUSIQ to date, with an outlook towards future
directions
Potential for a Circular Autopoietic Economy on Canavese Territory
The aim of this gigamap is to describe and summarize a student work carried out during the semester course Open Systems Design at Politecnico Torino. The map is one of the outputs from an analysis of the Canavese, Piedmont region and subsequently an in-depth study of the relationships and “flows” with certain “currencies” between some selected economic and public actors.
Canavese is a historical-geographical area located in the province of Turin, Italy; it’s full of great natural and geological spots, with a strong enogastronomic identity, historical re-enactments, a well-known manufacture sector like the ceramic of Castellamonte, as well as the leading high-tech branch like Arduino.
Through the approach deriving from systemic design, it was possible to identify some strategies for the creation of new networks aimed at transforming the economy and production processes from linear to circular approach. Five types of “circular flows” were assessed and “designed into” the current linear system, thus proposing an improved economy based on circularity: flows of matter (energy/CO2, water, materials), economic flows, and social flows. The Gigamap will be presented to stakeholders in a public hearing and supposedly be used to illustrate and incubate a circular economy that is more resilient and more regenerative.
Reading the map
The reading should start at the top left, where the abstract is located, next, there is an outline that shows the connections between the five topics investigated. Subsequently, there is a timeline with some fundamental events in the history of the Canavese. In the center there is the circularity map with the main cities, focusing on new opportunities of circular flows between the 15 analysed economic actors. At the bottom, some general data and on the right a brief description of the role and territorial qualities of the companies. Lastly, there is a summary of the emerging properties
Correlated Evolution of Defensive and Nutritional Traits in Native and Non-Native Plants
We performed a comparative analysis of defensive and nutritional plant traits responsible for differential herbivory in a series of experimental feeding trials with generalist herbivores. We measured three defensive traits (leaf strength, leaf mass per unit area and endophytic fungal infection) and two nutritional traits (foliar nitrogen and water) for 26 native and eight non-native plant species from coastal California shrublands. Our feeding trials involved three species of generalist herbivore (beet armyworm, cabbage looper and the garden snail) in two types of laboratory feeding trial (single plant species and preference tests). All traits were significantly related to the amount of leaf area consumed, with foliar nitrogen followed by leaf strength explaining most of the variation in herbivore damage. Defensive and nutritional traits were tightly correlated with one another. These correlations were still apparent after incorporation of the phylogenetic relationships of species using independent contrasts, suggesting that there has been repeated selection for certain trait combinations. Non-native species had lower defensive traits and greater nutrient content and therefore experienced greater herbivory damage than natives. Poorly defended, nutrient-rich species (like most of the non-natives in our study) may be better suited for rapid growth and nutrient acquisition, thus reducing the cost of replenishing leaf material lost to herbivores
European Solidarity among the Italian Diaspora
European solidarity as a fundamental value of the EU assumed even more relevance in the last decades in the context of the various crises that hit the European continent. The impact of these crises affected public opinion on European solidarity and led to increased politicisation of the issue in national political arenas. The influence of EU issues on national politics has been explored concerning different aspects, especially their role in determining citizens' voting behaviour. Nevertheless, despite its relevance, European solidarity has been disregarded as a voting factor in national elections. This research aims to fill this gap by exploring how people's perceptions of European solidarity might affect their national vote. It focuses on the last 2022 Italian national elections and investigates the Italian diaspora's voting behaviour. It relies on brand-new data collected through a post-electoral survey designed to capture the attitudes towards European solidarity of Italians living in France, Belgium, and Germany. The survey results are put in relation to the parties' stances on European solidarity emerging from their electoral manifestos. The findings show that European solidarity plays a role in shaping the sample's voting behaviour. In particular, they indicate that showing high support for the issue..
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