Rethinking Think Tanks in contemporary China: cases from Financial and Environmental Governance in East Asia

Setting the Puzzle. Think Tanks: A Literature Review. Think tanks in China. Think Tanks 4.0. Chinese Think tanks in East Asia: evidence from Financial Governance. Think Tanks and China’s Environmental Governance. Rethinking Think Tanks Functionality in Contemporary China.Setting the Puzzle. Think Tanks: A Literature Review. Think tanks in China. Think Tanks 4.0. Chinese Think tanks in East Asia: evidence from Financial Governance. Think Tanks and China’s Environmental Governance. Rethinking Think Tanks Functionality in Contemporary China.LUISS PhD Thesi

Helmuth Plessner: antropología y bio-filosofía a comienzos del siglo XX

En este trabajo nos proponemos despertar el interés por el planteamiento antropológico filosófico de Helmuth Plessner (1892-1985), filósofo alemán cuya obra se considera hoy en día decisiva con vistas a una posible autocomprensión del ser humano, en una época que se caracteriza por conectar cada vez más el discurso filosófico con el científico y en la que no podemos desconocer la importancia que el tema de la vida (bíos) viene cobrando en el ámbito ético y, sobre todo, en el político.The aim of this paper is to arouse interest in the anthropologicalphilosophical view of Helmuth Plessner (1892-1985), a german philosopher whose work is today considered as a masterpiece for self-comprehension of human being, in a cultural age in which philosophical and scientific approaches are strongly connected and in which we can recognize the outstanding role that life (bíos) is now playing in ethics and, especially, in politics

Biological activities of secretory RNases: focus on their oligomerization to design antitumor drugs

Ribonucleases (RNases) are a large number of enzymes gathered into different bacterial or eukaryotic superfamilies. Bovine pancreatic RNase A, bovine seminal BS-RNase, human pancreatic RNase 1, angiogenin (RNase 5), and amphibian onconase belong to the pancreatic type superfamily, while binase and barnase are in the bacterial RNase N1/T1 family. In physiological conditions, most RNases secreted in the extracellular space counteract the undesired effects of extracellular RNAs and become protective against infections. Instead, if they enter the cell, RNases can digest intracellular RNAs, becoming cytotoxic and having advantageous effects against malignant cells. Their biological activities have been investigated either in vitro, toward a number of different cancer cell lines, or in some cases in vivo to test their potential therapeutic use. However, immunogenicity or other undesired effects have sometimes been associated with their action. Nevertheless, the use of RNases in therapy remains an appealing strategy against some still incurable tumors, such as mesothelioma, melanoma, or pancreatic cancer. The RNase inhibitor (RI) present inside almost all cells is the most efficacious sentry to counteract the ribonucleolytic action against intracellular RNAs because it forms a tight, irreversible and enzymatically inactive complex with many monomeric RNases. Therefore, dimerization or multimerization could represent a useful strategy for RNases to exert a remarkable cytotoxic activity by evading the interaction with RI by steric hindrance. Indeed, the majority of the mentioned RNases can hetero-dimerize with antibody derivatives, or even homo-dimerize or multimerize, spontaneously or artificially. This can occur through weak interactions or upon introducing covalent bonds. Immuno-RNases, in particular, are fusion proteins representing promising drugs by combining high target specificity with easy delivery in tumors. The results concerning the biological features of many RNases reported in the literature are described and discussed in this review. Furthermore, the activities displayed by some RNases forming oligomeric complexes, the mechanisms driving toward these supramolecular structures, and the biological rebounds connected are analyzed. These aspects are offered with the perspective to suggest possible efficacious therapeutic applications for RNases oligomeric derivatives that could contemporarily lack, or strongly reduce, immunogenicity and other undesired side-effects

Role of the Ribonuclease ONCONASE in miRNA Biogenesis and tRNA Processing: Focus on Cancer and Viral Infections

The majority of transcribed RNAs do not codify for proteins, nevertheless they display crucial regulatory functions by affecting the cellular protein expression profile. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) are effectors of interfering mechanisms, so that their biogenesis is a tightly regulated process. Onconase (ONC) is an amphibian ribonuclease known for cytotoxicity against tumors and antiviral activity. Additionally, ONC administration in patients resulted in clinical effectiveness and in a well-tolerated feature, at least for lung carcinoma and malignant mesothelioma. Moreover, the ONC therapeutic effects are actually potentiated by cotreatment with many conventional antitumor drugs. This review not only aims to describe the ONC activity occurring either in different tumors or in viral infections but also to analyze the molecular mechanisms underlying ONC pleiotropic and cellular-specific effects. In cancer, data suggest that ONC affects malignant phenotypes by generating tRNA fragments and miRNAs able to downregulate oncogenes expression and upregulate tumor-suppressor proteins. In cells infected by viruses, ONC hampers viral spread by digesting the primer tRNAs necessary for viral DNA replication. In this scenario, new therapeutic tools might be developed by exploiting the action of ONC-elicited RNA derivatives

Post-Western World Orders and East Asian Future

The paper investigates the main macro-political trends at the international level. After reviewing the conceptual maps of international politics and the various future scenarios for globalisation, the paper examines the three main world order arrangements that could emerge in the coming decades. These are derived from the current distribution of power at the international level and from current trends, and are extrapolated as possible future developments. These eventualities involve the four major powers in the world to come: China, the European Union, Russia, and the US. The international system will most likely pivot on the interaction between the declining hegemon, the US, and the emerging power, China. It is with reference to such interaction that we need to envisage possible future world orders. It is clear that the other remaining powers, not to mention other countries, will have to strategically adapt to the behaviour of these two superpowers. Many see the relative decline of the US and the growth of China as setting the two on a collision course. It is difficult to predict whether a real armed conflict will occur between the two superpowers. There are significant 188 balancing dynamics between the two countries; first and foremost is their economic interdependence. What can be affirmed more easily is that there will be a continuous, if not growing, tension between the two. As outcomes of this tension, three main scenarios of world order can be drawn. World Order One: The West vs. the Rest. In this scenario, tension remains a central feature, which polarises the world in a new bipolar system. The EU is pulled towards, and even more greatly integrated within, the transatlantic community, while Russia follows a similar trajectory within a Sino-centric Asian community. World Order Two: Eurasian Integration and US Solitude. In this scenario, a process of inter-regional integration is promoted by China and accepted by both Russia and the EU. The Eurasian mass is progressively integrated within the largest economic area in the world. All other regional aggregations suffer a strong pull effect. The US and the American continent at large goes adrift in geopolitical solitude, generating inward-looking isolationist stances. World Order Three: Enlarged West vs. China. In this scenario, the West remains predominant, China is more and more isolated, and Russia is pulled back towards Europe and the larger transatlantic community. In the last part of the paper, the implications of the three scenarios drawn concern for East Asia

Race, gender and colony on the novel by Vicente Riva Palacio: an exclusionary strategy

El artículo analiza la contribución de la novela histórica Monja y casada, virgen y mártir de Vicente Riva Palacio en la construcción de un imaginario nacionalista liberal atravesado por amplias desigualdades sociales, étnicas y de género. Para ello, se aborda la estrategia narrativa desarrollada en la obra, centrando la atención en la verosimilitud pretendida y en los perfiles sociales dibujados en la misma, relacionando estos elementos literarios con el marco histórico contemporáneo en el que fueron producidos. Su selección responde a la extraordinaria influencia que tuvo en la creación de la identidad nacional mexicana, la regulación de la feminidad en la construcción liberal y el mito que convirtió a la Inquisición en sinónimo de intolerancia, crueldad y opresión.The article discusses the contribution of the historical novel Monja y casada, virgen y mártir of Vicente Riva Palacio in the building of a liberal nationalist imaginary crossed by social, ethnic and gender broad inequalities. To do this, the narrative strategy developed in the work is approached, focusing on the alleged credibility and social profiles drawn in it, relating these literary elements with contemporary historical context in which they were produced. This selection responds to the extraordinary influence that it had on the creation of Mexican national identity, the regulation of the femininity in the liberal construction and the myth that did the Inquisition became synonymous with intolerance, cruelty and oppression

Functional decline in residents living in nursing homes : a systematic review of the literature

Objectives To describe the functional dependence progression over time in older people living in nursing homes (NHs). Design A systematic review of the literature was performed. Studies involving individuals 65 years and older living in NHs, describing their functional decline, improvement or stability in activities of daily living (ADLs), were eligible. The search strategy was applied in MedLine, Cochrane, CINAHL, and SCOPUS databases; aimed at identifying an unbiased and complete list of studies, searching by hand was also performed. The methodological quality of the 27 studies included was assessed. Results Functional trajectories were documented mainly through multicenter study design including sample size ranging from 2 to 9336 NHs, from 1983 to 2011 throughout a single or multiple follow-ups (>20). The average rate of decline was expressed in different metrics and periods of time: from 3 months with a decline of −0.13 points of 28, to 6 months (−1.78 points of 2829) to 1.85 years (−0.5 points of 6). Eating and toileting were the most documented ADLs and the decline is approximately 0.4 points and 0.2 to 0.4 points of 5 a year, respectively. Among the covariates, individual factors, such as cognitive status, were mainly considered, whereas only 13 studies considered facility-level factors. Conclusions Findings report the slow functional decline mainly in women living in US NHs, in years when residents were admitted with a low or medium degree of functional dependence. Considering that in recent years residents have been admitted to NHs with higher-level functional dependence, studies measuring each single ADL, using standardized instruments capable of capturing the signs of decline, stability, or improvement are strongly recommended. Among the covariates, evaluation of both individual and facility-level factors, which may affect functional decline, is also suggested