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In bed with Kierkegaard
Get PDFFor the creative part of this thesis, I have submitted a novel in the genre of autofiction, titled In Bed with Kierkegaard. It is a fictionalised account of my initiation in a BDSM community in Athens, Greece, between the years 2007 – 2009, and an account of a long-distance relationship I developed with a dominant man, with the nickname Morpheus. The themes of the novel are: domination/submission and sadism/masochism in our modern digital age, the quest for a female identity defined by sexuality, and writing erotic memoirs. The novel is based on detailed notes kept during the narrated events and follows closely on the advice on seduction offered by the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard in the text, The Seducer’s Diary.
The critical part of this thesis provides a background account of writing a novel of autofiction on sadomasochism and seeking its publication. It also provides a comparative analysis of two literary works on similar themes, Dominique Aury’s Story of O, and Garth Greenwell’s Cleanness, especially as they pertain to the way in which erotic fantasy encroaches on reality, as well as the quest for what Kierkegaard called a ‘God-relationship’: a love and devotion so deep it may offer one a sense of transcendence beyond the limitations of human existence as grounded on the quotidian
Advancing the concept of Democratic Public Ownership
Get PDFThis thesis examines and refines the concept of Democratic Public Ownership, which has emerged in both theory and practice in recent years as neoliberalism continues to mutate and falter. While increasingly referenced and discussed in academic, policy, and movement settings, Democratic Public Ownership currently lacks conceptual clarity, coherence, and distinctiveness, and could benefit from heightened scrutiny and development. This thesis reviews the modern literature on Democratic Public Ownership, investigating its connections to, and impact on, political economic shifts and theorizing since the turn of the 21st century (such as the global remunicipalization movement); identifies and analyzes numerous relevant historical and contemporary theories, experiments, and prototypes ranging from the early days of the industrial revolution to the Great Financial Crisis of the late 2000s; locates the concept of Democratic Public Ownership historically and ideologically as part of the broader effort to advance and implement systemically transformative visions of economic democracy, especially as it relates to moving beyond historical and contemporary versions of capitalism; and presents a refined and coherent concept consisting of a novel definition, numerous revised and new principles, and a suggested theory of change. This thesis significantly advances the literature and discourse on Democratic Public Ownership, economic democracy, and democratic participation in the economy more broadly, opening new research directions and serving as an important theoretical steppingstone
Investigating the associations between plasmodium infections and autoimmunity in sub-Saharan Africa
Get PDFAutoimmune diseases affect 5- 8% of the global population and are known to occur due to a misguided immune response towards the host, consequently affecting several organs. Importantly, infections are considered key environmental triggers of autoimmunity and contribute to the onset of autoimmune diseases, though this idea remains controversial. In this research, I focus on malaria, a disease caused by Plasmodium species, which has been linked to autoimmunity through the induction of anti-self-antibodies, with higher levels of autoantibodies associated with disease severity. By contrast, there is evidence suggesting that autoantibodies play a crucial role in anti-malarial protection, with increased autoantibodies shown to inhibit parasite growth. Thus, autoantibodies play a dual role in protection and pathology. However, this raises a crucial question on whether the induction of autoimmune antibodies during malaria increases predisposition to autoimmune disease later in life.
Herein, anti-citrullinated protein autoantibodies (ACPA) commonly associated with clinical diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and their corresponding native peptides were first screened using ELISA in mice infected with the model pathogen Plasmodium chabaudi. This approach was chosen to investigate whether Plasmodium triggers ACPA production, providing insights into the potential link between Plasmodium infections and autoimmunity. Subsequently, the impact of heightened antibody responses to both the native and citrullinated peptides on the development of a model of experimental arthritis in mice was assessed. Extending the findings to humans, serum samples obtained from individuals residing in areas with varying levels of malaria exposure were examined for the presence of autoimmune markers using ELISA and protein microarray assays. This was followed by assessing differential cellular immune phenotypes using flow cytometry.
Interestingly, increased levels of antibody responses to both the native and citrullinated peptides were observed in the P. chabaudi-infected mice with levels comparable to those observed in a chronic experimental arthritis model. However, despite the elevated autoantibodies, under the experimental conditions used in our study, infection-induced autoantibodies did not appear to influence the outcome of either acute or chronic experimental arthritis in mice.
Furthermore, expanding our findings to adults and children residing in malariaendemic areas, I observed that individuals living in high malaria transmission areas exhibited elevated antibody responses to both the native and citrullinated peptides compared to those in low transmission areas. Interestingly, a similar trend was observed in children, particularly children with uncomplicated and severe malaria who had increased levels of autoantibodies compared to healthy children. In addition, protein microarray data suggested that individuals from a high malaria transmission area had an overall increase in autoimmune reactivity. Notably, higher levels of antibodies against both the native and citrullinated peptides were also associated with increased frequency of atypical B cells (CD27⁻ CD21⁻CD11c⁺T-bet⁺) and a reduction in the levels of FOXP3 regulatory T cells.
My research indicates that Plasmodium infection leads to a broad spectrum of autoantibodies, including responses to both the native and citrullinated peptides as well as extracellular antigens, mirroring a profile of increased autoantibodies typically observed in autoimmune diseases. Moreover, in this study, I report the presence of elevated antibody responses to these peptides in both Plasmodium infected mice and humans residing in areas of high Plasmodium falciparum transmission. Notably, the pre-existing autoantibody response to these peptides from a single Plasmodium infection episode did not modulate susceptibility to experimental autoimmune arthritis. Thus, the effect and role of chronic exposures to P. falciparum infections on the risk of developing autoimmune diseases in people living in endemic areas cannot be ruled out and should be determined
Strengthening of concrete columns with pseudo-ductile hybrid FRP
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Youth building the future: The political economy of the adoption of a youth policy in Mexico
Get PDFThis thesis presents a single qualitative case study that examines the main material and ideational factors behind the adoption of the youth policy ‘Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro‘ (JCF) (Youth Building the Future) in Mexico in 2019. The JCF is an eclectic, broad-based youth policy that combines elements of conditional cash transfer, work-based training and social inclusion that, by 2023, had supported more than 2.3 million young people ‘not in education, employment or training’ (NEET) aged 18 to 29. Historically, most youth policies in Mexico and Latin America have been small-scale ‘upskilling’ interventions. Therefore, most research typically focuses on implementation or labour, social, or economic impacts, overlooking the adoption phase. For these reasons, both because of its scale and its underlying rationale, the JCF appears as a paradigmatic policy.
This thesis employs a combined analytical approach of Cultural Political Economy (CPE) and the Policy Cycle Model (PCM). Methodologically, the study is built on the triangulation of interviews with key informants from the public, private, and social sectors and the analysis of a variety of primary and secondary policy documents. The data was analysed using iterative coding within Thematic Analysis (TA). The findings reveal how several intertwined material and ideational factors explain the adoption of this youth policy. A stern anti-neoliberal stance provided the framework for the leftist MORENA government that won the presidency in 2018 to reinterpret the problems that plagued millions of NEET youth as a direct consequence of the neoliberal development model (1980s - 2018) portrayed as the cause of high levels of poverty, informal employment and lack of opportunities. This problematisation led to the design of an intervention with elements of universality and lax conditionality for the target population, which is uncommon in social policies in Mexico. Despite inevitable disagreements with the private sector in defining the rules of the programme, the overwhelming electoral legitimacy and political-administrative leverage resulted in an expeditious adoption of the JCF.
This thesis contributes various conceptual, empirical, and theoretical insights to current debates on the relationship between development models and the type of welfare institutions that can support the construction of new social bases in contexts of high labour informality, among others, all this amidst significant political-ideological shifts
Investigating the effect of HIV infection on TCR repertoire diversity and Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific T cell function in Malawian adults
Get PDFThe burden of tuberculosis (TB) is huge, posing a significant health threat worldwide, particularly in HIV-endemic regions such as sub-Saharan Africa. Coinfection with HIV is a major risk factor for development and progression to active Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) disease. People living with HIV (PLHIV) remain at more risk of developing lower respiratory tract infections including TB than HIVuninfected individuals, despite successful coverage of antiretroviral therapy (ART). HIV depletes and impairs the function of Mtb-specific T cells crucial in controlling Mtb infection. However, the impact of HIV on T cell receptor (TCR) usage in alveolar T cells is incompletely described. Characterisation of TCR repertoire is essential for understanding the mechanisms of recognition and control of Mtb infections by T cell adaptive immunity.
To investigate the Mtb antigen-specific TCR diversity and clonality in the airway and blood and assess the impact of HIV and ART on TCR diversity, peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples were collected from PLHIV ART–naïve, on ART (≥3 years) and HIV-uninfected adults recruited at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi. Alveolar and peripheral blood lymphocytes were stimulated with Mtb antigens and analysed using flow cytometry and TCR bulk sequencing.
Notably, Mtb-specific TCR repertoires from PLHIV displayed a reduced diversity and clonality compared to HIV-uninfected individuals in both the airway and blood. Moreover, ART was associated with the restoration of TCR clonotypes in PLHIV. Additionally, lower frequencies of Mtb-specific CD4 IFN-γ and TNF-α producing cells were observed in both blood and airway in PLHIV on ART and ART naïve compared to HIV-uninfected individuals. Significant alterations in TCR Vβ expression patterns were noted in CD4+ T cells in PLHIV compared to healthy controls. Vβ1, Vβ7.2, and Vβ23 were higher, while Vβ9 and Vβ18 were lower in blood and airway in PLHIV than in HIV uninfected individuals. In CD8 T cells, no significant differences were found in TCR Vβ expression in the PBMC compared to BAL. However, in the lung, Vβ5.1, Vβ16, and Vβ17 were increased, while Vβ14 was decreased in PLHIV. Furthermore, CDR3 length distribution analysis showed a higher and more diverse distribution of TCR amino acid lengths of Mtb-specific T cells in BAL and PBMCs in HIV-uninfected individuals compared to PLHIV. The elevated TCR Vβ in the lung and blood in PLHIV suggests their potential involvement in HIV immune response whilst depletion of certain TCR Vβ clones in Mtb-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells in the lung and blood may indicate HIV-induced alteration in the repertoire associated with increased TB risk.
These findings suggest a more restricted TCR repertoire in PLHIV compared to healthy controls, with alterations in the frequency of certain families that may impact antigen recognition and specificity. This could lead to a reduced ability to mount protective immune responses against infections, including Mtb, in PLHIV. Identifying highly used and expressed TCR Vβ segments provides insights into mechanisms of host protective immunity in HIV and TB and may offer crucial targets for vaccine development and preventive therapies
The effectiveness of simulation-based learning in nursing education
No full textAbstract not currently available
Towards sustainable and nature-based flood risk management in the Philippines
No full textAbstract not currently available
Examining refugee educational inclusion in the UK: opportunities and challenges for Syrian students in Greater Glasgow
Get PDFThis thesis examines the educational inclusion of Syrian students in mainstream schools within the Greater Glasgow area, focusing on two critical aspects: (1) understanding the opportunities and challenges related to Syrian students’ educational inclusion, and (2) examining their inclusion in terms of presence, participation, and achievement. Syrian families and school educators in Greater Glasgow were invited to participate, and data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 11 parents and 15 children, as well as an online survey completed by 6 school educators.
The Capability approach by Nussbaum, focusing on human development, provides the comprehensive philosophical framework for this study. Unterhalter’s concept of equity in education, which includes Equity from Below, Equity from the Middle, and Equity from Above, is also incorporated. In addition, this study utilizes the Index for Inclusion developed by Booth and Ainscow, alongside key documents from the UNESCO: ‘Reaching Out to All Learners: A Resource Pack for Supporting Inclusive Education’ and ‘A Guide for Ensuring Inclusion and Equity in Education’. Collectively, these concepts and documents form the framework for analysing the study's findings, demonstrating their relationship to or deviation from existing literature on inclusive education, the education of Syrian children, and refugee education. Qualitative data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis, guided by Braun and Clarke's methodology.
The study's findings reveal a positive outlook on the educational experiences of Syrian students in Scotland. Syrian students enjoyed attending school and also harboured a genuine liking for both their schools and teachers. Parents expressed contentment with school offerings, affirming that schools effectively fulfilled their responsibilities. However, the English language barrier and insufficient measures to mitigate it pose significant challenges to the educational inclusion of Syrian students. Furthermore, disparities between the education systems of Scotland and Syria, alongside evident cultural distinctions, are apparent in the data.
Analysis of the online survey data highlighted commendable efforts by educators to address diverse learner needs in classrooms, mitigating potential challenges. However, despite these positive efforts, significant barriers to inclusive education were identified, particularly for learners from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds. The lack of support and training for educators, coupled with insufficient resources and services in certain schools, emerged as significant obstacles to comprehensive educational inclusion
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