Kant's pragmatic anthropology: an investigation into what the human being can make of themselves

The purpose of this thesis is to articulate the tension between reading Kant's Anthropology from a pragmatic point of view as either intrinsic or extrinsic to his critical work. Kant characterizes the opposition of physical and pragmatic anthropology, respectively, as the difference between "what nature makes of the human being", and what "he as a free-acting being makes of himself, or can and should make of himself."¹ In his Logic, he lays out his four questions: 1) What can I know? [Was kann ich wissen?] 2) What should I do? [Was soll ich tun?] 3) What may I hope for? [Was darf ich hoffen?] 4) What is the human being? [Was ist der Mensch?] Kant tells us the first is addressed by metaphysics, the second by morals, the third by religion, and the fourth by pragmatic anthropology, however, he adds at the end of this section in the Logic, that "Foundationally, all of these questions come to anthropology, becasue the first three questions must define it."² Kant's anthropological works, both the published work of 1798 and the lecture notes, enables a vantage point with the potential to determine how the anthropology fits into his corpus and future it enables the possibility of evaluating whether it places plays the pivotal role, Kant purports it does, in uniting his philosophical system and in the attainment of Science, because it is through anthropology that science is reached.³ ¹Immanuel Kant, Anthropology from a pragmatic point of view, trans. Robert B. Louden and Manfred Kuehn (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 7:119. ²Immanuel Kant, Kant's gesammelte schriften, 29 vols., Deutsche Akademie Der Wissenschaften Zu Berlin (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1902), 9:25. ³Immanuel Kant, Kant's Gesammelte Schriften Abt. 4, Vorlesungen; Bd. 2. Vorlesungen Ueber Anthropologie. (Berlin: Reimer,1997), 25:1435

Que há de tão queer na teoria queer por-vir?

O artigo propõe-se desembrulhar uma série de termos-chave que preocuparam Jacques Derrida após a chamada viragem político-ético-religiosa deste autor, desde um texto como Force of Law (1989) até Voyous (2004): termos como “auto-imunidade”, “messianicidade sem messianismo”, a “chegança” e a “democracia por-vir”, entre outros. Irei debruçar-me sobre os últimos textos de Derrida, em particular sobre a obra Voyous – em minha opinião, uma importante carta fundadora de uma teoria queer a considerar para o futuro –, bem como sobre o recente número da revista Social Text intitulado “Que há de queer nos estudos queer hoje?” e ainda sobre os trabalhos mais recentes de Judith Butler (sobretudo a obra de 2005 Giving an Account of Oneself – “Prestando contas de si”). Proponho, assim, que a palavra “auto-imunização”, um termo do léxico derridiano que se reveste de alguma novidade e ambiguidade (e muitas vezes é entendido negativamente) constitui um útil ponto de partida para se falar do indeterminável, monstruoso e até vadio futuro dos estudos queer, ou daquilo a que chamo a teoria queer por-vir.This paper unpacks a number of the key terms which have preoccupied Jacques Derrida, after his so-called religio-ethico-political turn, from Force of Law (1989) to Voyous (2004): ‘autoimmunity’, ‘messianicity without messianism’, ‘arrivance’ and ‘democracy to-come’ among others. I will be discussing Derrida’s later texts especially Voyous/Rogues, which I will argue ought to become an important charter for a queer theory futurally envisaged, alongside the recent Social Text issue ‘What’s Queer about Queer Studies Now?’ (edited by David L. Eng, Judith Halberstam and José E. Muñoz, 2005) and Judith Butler’s more recent work (especially Giving an Account of Oneself, 2005). I suggest that autoimmunization, a somewhat new and ambiguous (and often negatively understood) term in the Derridean lexicon, offers a useful starting point for thinking about the undeterminable, monstrous, even roguish future of queer studies or what I call the queer theory to-come.Le présent article propose d’éclairer une série de termes-clé qui préoccupait Jacques Derrida après ce qui a été appelé le virage politico-éthico-religieux de cet auteur, à partir d’un texte comme La force de la Loi (1989) jusqu’à Voyous (2004): entre autres, des termes comme “auto-immunité”, “messianicité sans messianisme”, “arrivage” et “démocratie à-venir”. Je vais me pencher sur les derniers textes de Derrida, en particulier sur Voyous, qui, à mon avis, constitue une importante charte fondatrice d’une théorie queer à considérer pour le futur, je vais aussi examiner le numéro récent de la revue Social Text, intitulé “Qu’y a-t-il de queer dans les études queer, aujourd’hui?” (2005) et les travaux de Judith Butler. Je propose, ainsi, que le mot “auto-immunisation”, un terme du lexique derridien, apportant une nouveauté et une ambiguïté (et bien des fois compris négativement), puisse constituer un point de départ utile pour parler du futur indéterminable, monstrueux, voire voyou, des études queer, ou de ce que j’appelle la théorie queer à-venir

MANAGEMENT TRAINING AND EDUCATION TO STRENGTHEN THE NURSING PROFESSION IN SERBIA

Preambul. Rolul asistentilor medicali in Serbia este subdimensionat. Acest articol descrie situatia asistentilor medicali din sistemul sarb de sanatate, contureaza activitati de intarire a managementului si identifica politici pentru consolidarea profesiei de asistent medical in Serbia. Metode. Au fost intreprinse activitati de instruire in management pentru dezvoltarea cunostintelor si abilitatilor asistentilor medicali si pentru introducerea celor mai bune practici internationale in managementul si gestionarea activitatii asistentilor medicali. Datele obtinute din evaluari au stabilit eficacitatea instruirii si au identificat prioritati viitoare de pregatire.Rezultate. Rezultatele indica niveluri ridicate de satisfactie in privinta abordarii educatiei si instruirii in management, precum si introducerea de noi idei si concepte de management. Instruirea a conferit oportunitati pentru intarirea rolului managementului de zi cu zi la locul de munca si pentru formularea prioritatilor viitoare de pregatire a asistentilor medicali sarbi.Concluzie. Educatia si formarea in managementul de profil confera o platforma pentru dezvoltarea viitoare a directorilor de ingrijiri si profesionalizarea asistentilor medicali din Serbia. Sunt necesare alte politici si strategii pentru: imbunatatirea rolului managementului si a functiilor asistentilor medicali sarbi, inclusiv oportunitati de evolutie in cariera; sprijin legal imbunatatit; oportunitati de instruire in-service; si foarte important, o singura organizatie profesionala nationala de reprezentare a intereselor asistentilor medicali si de promovare a standardelor si a competentelor profesionale. Cuvinte cheie: Educatia asistentilor medicali sarbi, formare in management, profesionalizare, intarirea rolului asistentilor medicali.AbstractBackground: The role of nurses is underdeveloped in Serbia. This paper describes the situation of nurses in the Serbian health system; outlines activities to enhance nursing management; and identifies policies to strengthen the Serbian nursing profession. Methods: Management training activities was undertaken to develop nursing knowledge and skills and to introduce international best practice in nursing management and governance. Data based on evaluations assessed effectiveness of the training and identified future education. priorities.Results: Results indicate high levels of satisfaction with the management education and training approach, as well as the new ideas and concepts of management introduced. The training provided opportunities for enhancing the nurse management role in the everyday work setting and for articulating future education priorities for Serbian nurses.Conclusion: Management education and training of this type provides a platform for further development of nurse managers and professionalization of nurses in Serbia. Other policies and strategies are needed to improve the management role and functions of Serbian nurses, including increased career opportunities; strengthened legal support; in-service training opportunities; and importantly, a single national professional organization to represent nurses’ interests and to promote standards and competencies. Keywords: Serbian nurse education, management training, professionalization, strengthening nurse rol

Two contemporaneous mitogenomes from terminal Pleistocene burials in eastern Beringia

Pleistocene residential sites with multiple contemporaneous human burials are extremely rare in the Americas. We report mitochondrial genomic variation in the first multiple mitochondrial genomes from a single prehistoric population: two infant burials (USR1 and USR2) from a common interment at the Upward Sun River Site in central Alaska dating to ~11,500 calendar years before present (cal B.P.). Using a targeted capture method and next-generation sequencing we determined that the USR1 infant possessed variants that define mitochondrial lineage C1b, while the USR2 genome falls at the root of lineage B2, allowing us to refine younger coalescence age estimates for these two clades. C1b and B2 are rare to absent in modern populations of Northern North America. Documentation of these lineages at this location in the Late Pleistocene provides evidence for the extent of mitochondrial diversity in early Beringian populations, which supports the expectations of the Beringian Standstill Model

Glycosylation of Trypanosoma cruzi TcI antigen reveals recognition by chagasic sera

Chagas disease is considered the most important parasitic disease in Latin America. The protozoan agent, Trypanosoma cruzi, comprises six genetic lineages, TcI-TcVI. Genotyping to link lineage(s) to severity of cardiomyopathy and gastrointestinal pathology is impeded by the sequestration and replication of T. cruzi in host tissues. We describe serology specific for TcI, the predominant lineage north of the Amazon, based on expression of recombinant trypomastigote small surface antigen (gTSSA-I) in the eukaryote Leishmania tarentolae, to allow realistic glycosylation and structure of the antigen. Sera from TcI-endemic regions recognised gTSSA-I (74/146; 50.7%), with no cross reaction with common components of gTSSA-II/V/VI recombinant antigen. Antigenicity was abolished by chemical (periodate) oxidation of gTSSA-I glycosylation but retained after heat-denaturation of conformation. Conversely, non-specific recognition of gTSSA-I by non-endemic malaria sera was abolished by heat-denaturation. TcI-specific serology facilitates investigation between lineage and diverse clinical presentations. Glycosylation cannot be ignored in the search for immunogenic antigens

Implementation of the Making Safeguarding Personal Approach to Strengths-based Adult Social Care: Systematic Review of Qualitative Research Evidence

Since the Care Act (2014), there is fresh impetus for social workers to apply strengths-based approaches (SBAs) when working with adults. However, implementation challenges remain. This article presents our synthesis of seven studies that examined Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP). It was conducted as part of a systematic review that aimed to summarise research evidence on the implementation of different SBAs within adult social work in the UK. Qualitative studies were analysed using a framework synthesis approach. Four themes were identified: (1) MSP as an intervention: seen as initially demanding but with long-term advantages; (2) Culture and settings: required broad cultural changes; ‘outward facing’ and smaller/specialist councils tended to find this easier; (3) Individual characteristics: related to enhancing the knowledge, skills and confidence of practitioner and stakeholders in MSP; and service user willingness to engage; and (4) Embedding and sustaining MSP: depended on strong leadership and active engagement at all levels. We found a wide range of factors affecting the implementation of MSP. These may have broader relevance for other strengths-based models of social work practice

Mitochondrial sequence data reveal population structure within Pustulosa pustulosa

Unionid mussels are among the most imperiled group of organisms in North America, and Pustulosa pustulosa is a freshwater species with a relatively wide latitudinal distribution that extends from southern Ontario, Canada, to Texas, USA. Considerable morphological and geographic variation in the genus Pustulosa (formerly Cyclonaias) has led to uncertainty over species boundaries, and recent studies have suggested revisions to species-level classifications by synonymizing C. aurea, C. houstonensis, C. mortoni, and C. refulgens with C. pustulosa (currently P. pustulosa). Owing to its wide range and shallow phylogenetic differentiation, we analyzed individuals of P. pustulosa using mitochondrial DNA sequence data under a population genetics framework. We included 496 individuals, which were comprised of 166 samples collected during this study and 330 additional sequences retrieved from GenBank. Pairwise ΦST measures based on ND1 data suggested there may be up to five major geographic groups present within P. pustulosa. Genetic differentiation between regions within Texas was higher compared to populations from the Mississippi and Great Lakes populations, which may reflect differences in historical connectivity. Mitochondrial sequence data also revealed varying demographic histories for each major group suggesting each geographic region has also experienced differential population dynamics in the past. Future surveys should consider exploring variation within species after phylogeographic delimitation has been performed. In this study, we begin to address this need for freshwater mussels via the P. pustulosa system

Mitochondrial redox and pH signaling occurs in axonal and synaptic organelle clusters

Redox switches are important mediators in neoplastic, cardiovascular and neurological disorders. We recently identified spontaneous redox signals in neurons at the single mitochondrion level where transients of glutathione oxidation go along with shortening and re-elongation of the organelle. We now have developed advanced image and signal-processing methods to re-assess and extend previously obtained data. Here we analyze redox and pH signals of entire mitochondrial populations. In total, we quantified the effects of 628 redox and pH events in 1797 mitochondria from intercostal axons and neuromuscular synapses using optical sensors (mito-Grx1-roGFP2; mito-SypHer). We show that neuronal mitochondria can undergo multiple redox cycles exhibiting markedly different signal characteristics compared to single redox events. Redox and pH events occur more often in mitochondrial clusters (medium cluster size: 34.1 ± 4.8 μm2). Local clusters possess higher mitochondrial densities than the rest of the axon, suggesting morphological and functional inter-mitochondrial coupling. We find that cluster formation is redox sensitive and can be blocked by the antioxidant MitoQ. In a nerve crush paradigm, mitochondrial clusters form sequentially adjacent to the lesion site and oxidation spreads between mitochondria. Our methodology combines optical bioenergetics and advanced signal processing and allows quantitative assessment of entire mitochondrial populations