265 research outputs found
A Genealogy of Neoliberal Communitarianism
This article investigates the power/knowledge relations between contemporary penal government and criminological theory. Based on an analysis of the strategic case of the Netherlands, the emergence of what can be called neoliberal communitarianism is discussed. In relation to the âpenal welfarismâ it succeeds, neoliberal communitarianism provides a rationale of governing that allows a greater amount of complexity precisely because it consists of a paradoxical set of doctrines, discourses and techniques. This involves an emphasis on both âindividual responsibilityâ and âcommunityâ, protecting market and community by tightening social control, law and order and the production of rational self-controlling individuals while excluding the cultural and biological ârisk citizenâ. The article illustrates the incorporation of criminological theories as policy underpinnings, and it explicates how criminological theories can be placed in the discursive space of neoliberal communitarianism
Het Nieuwe Contractualisme; Bestuursrationaliteiten op het gebied van criminaliteit aan het begin van de 21ste eeuw
__Abstract__
In deze bijdrage wordt de veranderde mentaliteit van bestuur geanalyseerd. Het
criminaliteitsbestuur wordt als âstrategische casusâ genomen. Op het spel staat het
begrijpen van de manieren waarop wij onszelf en anderen besturen (via welke
machtstechnologieën, welke waarheidsdiscoursen en welke subjectopvattingen) en
wat daarvan de gevolgen zijn. Op basis van een analyse van het criminaliteitsbeleid
van de afgelopen dertig jaar wordt beschreven hoe in Nederland twee bestuursratiâ
onaliteiten samengaan: communitarisme en neoliberalisme. Aan de hand van een
genealogische analyse wordt beschreven hoe het criminaliteitsbeleid (macht)
verweven is met criminologische theorieën (weten). Op deze manier worden de
belangrijkste criminologische theorieën in kaart gebracht en wordt beschreven hoe
hedendaagse preventie en bestraffing corresponderen met neoliberalisme en comâ
munitarisme. Neoliberaal communitarisme is een strategie van bestuur die ook in
andere bureaucratische velden zichtbaar is. Dat die combinatie tot nog toe weinig
wetenschappelijke en politieke aandacht heeft gehad in Nederland, ligt aan het
paradoxale karakter ervan. Aan precies die paradox ontleent zij niettemin haar
ordenende krach
Search for Rayleigh scattering in the atmosphere of GJ1214b
We investigate the atmosphere of GJ1214b, a transiting super-Earth planet
with a low mean density, by measuring its transit depth as a function of
wavelength in the blue optical portion of the spectrum. It is thought that this
planet is either a mini-Neptune, consisting of a rocky core with a thick,
hydrogen-rich atmosphere, or a planet with a composition dominated by water.
Most observations favor a water-dominated atmosphere with a small scale-height,
however, some observations indicate that GJ1214b could have an extended
atmosphere with a cloud layer muting the molecular features. In an atmosphere
with a large scale-height, Rayleigh scattering at blue wavelengths is likely to
cause a measurable increase in the apparent size of the planet towards the
blue. We observed the transit of GJ1214b in the B-band with the FOcal Reducing
Spectrograph (FORS) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and in the g-band with
both ACAM on the William Hershel Telescope (WHT) and the Wide Field Camera
(WFC) at the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT). We find a planet-to-star radius
ratio in the B-band of 0.1162+/-0.0017, and in the g-band 0.1180+/-0.0009 and
0.1174+/-0.0017 for the WHT & INT observations respectively. These optical data
do not show significant deviations from previous measurements at longer
wavelengths. In fact, a flat transmission spectrum across all wavelengths best
describes the combined observations. When atmospheric models are considered a
small scale-height water-dominated model fits the data best.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
Doped GeSe materials for selector applications
We report on the thermal and electrical performance of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) doped GeSe thin films for selector applications. Doping of GeSe successfully improved its thermal stability to 450 degrees C. N doping led to a decrease in the off-state leakage and an increase in threshold voltage (V-th), while C doping led to an increase in leakage and reduced V-th. Hence, we show an effective method to tune the electrical parameters of GeSe selectors by using N and C as dopants
The oncological outcomes of isolated limb perfusion and neo-adjuvant radiotherapy in soft tissue sarcoma patients:A nationwide multicenter study
Introduction: Patients with locally extensive high-grade extremity soft tissue sarcomas (eSTS) are often presented in multidisciplinary teams to decide between ablative surgery (amputation) or limb-salvage surgery supplemented with either neo-adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) or induction isolated limb perfusion (ILP). In The Netherlands, ILP typically aims to reduce the size of tumors that would otherwise be considered irresectable, whereas neo-adjuvant RT aims mainly at improving local control and reducing morbidity of required marginal margins. This study presents a 15-year nationwide cohort to describe the oncological outcomes of both pre-operative treatment strategies. Methods: All consecutive patients with locally extensive primary high-grade eSTS surgically treated between 2000 and 2015 at five tertiary sarcoma centers that received neo-adjuvant ILP or RT were included. 169 patients met the inclusion criteria (89 ILP, 80 RT). Median follow-up was 7.3 years. Results: Limb salvage was achieved in 84% of cases in the ILP group (80% for patients with amputation indication) and 96% of cases in the RT group. 5-Year overall survival was 47% in the ILP group, 69% in the RT group. 5-Year local recurrence rate was 14% in the ILP group, 10% in the RT group. Distant metastasis rate was 55% in the ILP group, 36% in the RT group. Conclusion: We find oncological outcomes and limb salvage rates in line with existing literature for both treatment modalities. Whether the tumor was locally advanced with an indication for induction therapy to prevent amputation or morbid surgery appeared to be the main determinant in choosing between neo-adjuvant ILP or RT
Self-Organization, Layered Structure, and Aggregation Enhance Persistence of a Synthetic Biofilm Consortium
Microbial consortia constitute a majority of the earthâs biomass, but little is known about how these cooperating
communities persist despite competition among community members. Theory suggests that non-random spatial structures
contribute to the persistence of mixed communities; when particular structures form, they may provide associated
community members with a growth advantage over unassociated members. If true, this has implications for the rise and
persistence of multi-cellular organisms. However, this theory is difficult to study because we rarely observe initial instances
of non-random physical structure in natural populations. Using two engineered strains of Escherichia coli that constitute a
synthetic symbiotic microbial consortium, we fortuitously observed such spatial self-organization. This consortium forms a
biofilm and, after several days, adopts a defined layered structure that is associated with two unexpected, measurable
growth advantages. First, the consortium cannot successfully colonize a new, downstream environment until it selforganizes
in the initial environment; in other words, the structure enhances the ability of the consortium to survive
environmental disruptions. Second, when the layered structure forms in downstream environments the consortium
accumulates significantly more biomass than it did in the initial environment; in other words, the structure enhances the
global productivity of the consortium. We also observed that the layered structure only assembles in downstream
environments that are colonized by aggregates from a previous, structured community. These results demonstrate roles for
self-organization and aggregation in persistence of multi-cellular communities, and also illustrate a role for the techniques
of synthetic biology in elucidating fundamental biological principles
Antibiotic resistance plasmids cointegrated into a megaplasmid harbouring the blaOXA-427 carbapenemase gene
OXA-427 is a new class-D carbapenemase encountered in different species of Enterobacteriaceae in a Belgian hospital. To study the dispersal of this gene, we describe the comparative analysis of two plasmids containing the blaOXA-427 gene isolated from a Klebsiella pneumoniae and an Enterobacter cloacae complex strain. The two IncA/C2 plasmids containing blaOXA-427 share the same backbone, however, in the K. pneumoniae this plasmid is cointegrated into an IncFIB plasmid forming a 321 kb megaplasmid with multiple multi-resistance regions
Sodium stibogluconate and CD47-SIRPa blockade overcome resistance of anti-CD20âopsonized B cells to neutrophil killing
Anti-CD20 antibodies such as rituximab are broadly used to treat B-cell malignancies. These antibodies can induce various effector functions, including immune cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Neutrophils can induce ADCC toward solid cancer cells by trogoptosis, a cytotoxic mechanism known to be dependent on trogocytosis. However, neutrophils seem to be incapable of killing rituximab-opsonized B-cell lymphoma cells. Nevertheless, neutrophils do trogocytose rituximab-opsonized B-cell lymphoma cells, but this only reduces CD20 surface expression and is thought to render tumor cells therapeutically resistant to further rituximab-dependent destruction. Here, we demonstrate that resistance of B-cell lymphoma cells toward neutrophil killing can be overcome by a combination of CD47-SIRPa checkpoint blockade and sodium stibogluconate (SSG), an anti-leishmaniasis drug and documented inhibitor of the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1. SSG enhanced neutrophil-mediated ADCC of solid tumor cells but enabled trogoptotic killing of B-cell lymphoma cells by turning trogocytosis from a mechanism that contributes to resistance into a cytotoxic anti-cancer mechanism. Tumor cell killing in the presence of SSG required both antibody opsonization of the target cells and disruption of CD47-SIRPa interactions. These results provide a more detailed understanding of the role of neutrophil trogocytosis in antibody-mediated destruction of B cells and clues on how to further optimize antibody therapy of B-cell malignancies
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