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Freedom under Laws:Essays on Kant's Moral and Political Philosophy
No full textThis thesis consists of four chapters, each addressing a distinct foundational issue in Kant’s moral and political philosophy. The first chapter is concerned with Kant’s philosophy of action and its implications for his account of moral evil. I argue that Kant’s account of the structure of agency, together with his account of immoral action, show that he endorses a strong reading of the classical principle that all actions are willed under the guise of the good. I then explore Kant’s metaethical position in light of recent constitutivist interpretations of his moral theory. While contemporary constitutivists aim at justifying moral norms by grounding their validity in the constitutive features of agents, Kant adopts this strategy with the goal of explaining how moral obligation is possible. In the third chapter, I further argue that Kant’s explanation for the bindingness of moral principles in his seminal Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals relies on the often-neglected concept of the proper self.Finally, I turn to the foundation of Kant’s theory of rights and his political philosophy: the innate right to freedom. I show that instead of being grounded in the value of our capacity to set and pursue ends, Kant regards this right as the very condition of possibility of a system of rights – as he calls it, it is the axiom of right. This bears profound implications for how we understand the nature and justification of the state in Kant’s political philosophy
Political polarization and corporate political advocacy
No full textThis paper examines the motivations and financial consequences of corporate political advocacy by examining the pause and subsequent resumption of corporate political donations following the US Capitol riots. Firms operating in a politically polarized environment were more likely to make these announcements, regardless of firm-level political risks. The announcement returns are negative (positive) for firms exposed to high polarization and political risks (high polarization and low political risks). Store footfalls, sales, gross margins, and profitability increase for both these groups. However, firms facing high polarization and political risks are more likely to resume PAC donations within a year of the Capitol riots
Repurposing anti-CMV T cells to eliminate cancer cells; an alternate form of cancer immunotherapy
No full textImmunotherapy, which harnesses the body's own immune system to fight cancer, has greatly improved treatment options in recent years, but often causes serious side effects. This thesis describes the development and testing of a new approach that redirects immune cells against the common cytomegalovirus (CMV) to attack cancer cells instead. Because these immune cells are already present in the body, this approach is much simpler and less costly than existing methods like CAR-T therapy.The key idea is that by directing existing anti-CMV immune cells toward cancer cells, we may be able to fight cancer effectively with much less side effects. Laboratory experiments and animal studies show that this strategy produces promising results against both solid tumors and blood cancers. Initial safety tests indicate that this approach appears to cause much less side effects than existing immunotherapies, likely because it harnesses a natural immune response.The results demonstrate that this method has potential for future clinical application. Follow-up studies to investigate safety and effectiveness in patients are currently being prepared
Gevangen tussen levenslang en tbs:een empirische verkenning naar de verschillen tussen levenslanggestraften en tbs-gestelden
No full textDit artikel, gebaseerd op drie scripties, gaat in op de levenslange gevangenisstraf en overeenkomsten en verschillen tussen levenslanggestraften en tbs-gestelden. Het Europees Hof voor de Rechten van de Mens (EHRM) heeft in het verleden tweemaal geoordeeld dat Nederland bij de tenuitvoerlegging van de levenslange gevangenisstraf artikel 3 van het Europees Verdrag voor de Rechten van de Mens (EVRM) schond, c.q. schendt: in 2013 vanwege het ontbreken van een effectieve gratieprocedure en in 2016 door de beperkte behandelrechten en -mogelijkheden ten behoeve van een mogelijke re-integratie. Sindsdien is een procedure opgezet waarbij levenslanggestraften na 25 jaar detentie én na positieve advisering door het Adviescollege Levenslanggestraften (ACL) mogelijkheden worden geboden om onder andere via behandeling te werken aan een verlaging van het recidiverisico. Hierin ligt de veronderstelling besloten dat er voor levenslanggestraften, althans voor een deel van hen, net als voor tbs-gestelden, interventies denkbaar zijn die het gevaar dat ze in de toekomst nieuwe delicten plegen kunnen terugdringen. Dat roept de vraag op in hoeverre de populaties levenslanggestraften en tbs-gestelden significant van elkaar verschillen, nu in beide sancties aandacht is voor de gedragskundige aspecten samenhangend met gevaar en de mogelijkheid tot resocialisatie is ingebouwd. Dit onderzoek vergelijkt persoons- en delictkenmerken van groepen levenslanggestraften en tbs-gestelden om verschillen te identificeren
The Validity and Reliability of Patient-provided Photographs for Diagnosing and Assessing the Severity of Hand Eczema
No full textHand eczema (HE) is a common skin disease, diagnosed through clinical evaluation. However, the increasing need to deliver healthcare remotely, along with the demand for valid and reliable evaluations of HE in research, prompts exploration of the potential benefits of remote assessment. This study assessed the criterion validity and inter- and intra-rater reliability of patient-provided photographs to diagnose and assess the severity of HE. The presence and severity of HE were assessed by 1 of the 2 clinical raters. Following instructions, patients took 4 photographs of their hands. All photographs were assessed twice by the clinical raters and 2 additional raters. In total, 98 patients were included. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value were respectively 85.1%, 79.2%, 92.6%, and 63.3%. Kappa values of 0.35 and 0.66 were found for inter- and intra-rater reliability. The intraclass correlation coefficients based on the Hand Eczema Severity Index (HECSI) were > 0.90. Kappa values for the criterion validity and inter- and intra-rater reliability using the photographic guide were respectively 0.71, 0.58-0.77, and 0.77. The findings indicate that patient-provided photographs are valid and reliable for remote assessment of HE and could be of benefit in healthcare and research by reducing in-person visits and enabling continuous monitoring.</p
Stable isotope evidence of anthropocene disruption in African softshell turtle foraging
No full textWe examined the dietary habits of contemporary and Middle to Late Holocene (ancient) populations of African softshell turtles (Trionyx triunguis) from the northern Levant using stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S) and ZooMS biomarker identification. Our study presents the first application of ZooMS to this taxon, facilitating species-level identification. Stable isotope values point to potential variation in T. triunguis diets, possibly reflecting changing ecosystem conditions. Modern turtles from the south-western Turkish coast exhibit relatively high δ15N values, but low δ13C values, likely influenced by human-provided carrion and agriculture-driven inputs. Ancient turtles (n = 4) from the Levant exhibit more diverse diets, with two individuals indicating a more pronounced marine foraging signature. These preliminary findings are consistent with increased anthropogenic influence on T. triunguis foraging in some regions. This study provides new biomolecular insights into the ecological history of T. triunguis, increasing our understanding of its (long-term) dietary plasticity and potential response to anthropogenic pressures.</p
Physical activity is associated with positive patient and clinical outcomes following dysvascular major lower limb amputation
No full textObjective: To determine the association between physical activity (PA; duration and intensity) and patient and clinical outcomes at various measurement occasions post dysvascular major lower limb amputation (LLA).Methods: In this multicenter longitudinal observational study, the PA levels of adults who underwent dysvascular major LLA (n = 81) were assessed using the adapted Short Questionnaire to Assess Health-enhancing Physical Activity questionnaire (total hours, hours of moderate/vigorous, and metabolic equivalent of task-hours/week), at <12 days, 5 weeks, 6 months, and 9 months post-LLA. (Reamputation-free) Survival and quality of life (Brief Version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire) were assessed at 5 weeks, 6 months, and 9 months, wound healing at 5 weeks, mobility (K-level) at 6 and 9 months, and work status at 9 months post LLA.Results: Total PA was positively associated with survival (P =. 034), but not after adjusting for covariates (hazard ratio, 0.84 per hour/week; P =. 075). PA levels were positively associated with physical and psychological quality of life (QoL) domains, and with overall QoL and health (P =<.001-.022), but not with social or environmental domains (P =. 118-.517). Total PA was also positively associated with wound healing (odds ratio, 1.06 per hour/week; P =. 044). No significant associations were found between PA levels and reamputation-free survival (P =. 272-.321), mobility (P =. 671-.994), or work status (P =. 682-.908).Conclusions: PA is positively associated with survival, QoL, and wound healing. These findings underscore the relevance of PA and the need for PA interventions for individuals post LLA to potentially optimize health, patient, and clinical outcomes.</p
