mpa Performance of digital PET compared to high-resolution conventional PET in patients with cancer By jnm.snmjournals.org Published On :: 2020-02-14T14:01:21-08:00 Recently introduced PET systems using silicon photomultipliers with digital readout (dPET) have an improved timing and spatial resolution, aiming at a better image quality, over conventional PET (cPET) systems. We prospectively evaluated the performance of a dPET system in patients with cancer, as compared to high-resolution (HR) cPET imaging. Methods: After a single FDG-injection, 66 patients underwent dPET (Vereos, Philips Healthcare) and cPET (Ingenuity TF, Philips Healthcare) imaging in a randomized order. We used HR-reconstructions (2x2x2 mm3 voxels) for both scanners and determined SUVmax, SUVmean, lesion-to-background ratio (LBR), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and lesion diameter in up to 5 FDG-positive lesions per patient. Furthermore, we counted the number of visible and measurable lesions on each PET scan. Two nuclear medicine specialists blindly determined the Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) score from both image sets in 30 patients referred for initial staging. For all 66 patients, these specialists separately and blindly evaluated image quality (4-point scale) and determined the scan preference. Results: We included 238 lesions that were visible and measurable on both PET scans. We found 37 additional lesions on dPET in 27 patients (41%), which were unmeasurable (n = 14) or invisible (n = 23) on cPET. SUVmean, SUVmax, LBR and MTV on cPET were 5.2±3.9 (mean±SD), 6.9±5.6, 5.0±3.6 and 2991±13251 mm3, respectively. On dPET SUVmean, SUVmax and LBR increased 24%, 23% and 27%, respectively (p<0.001) while MTV decreased 13% (p<0.001) compared to cPET. Visual analysis showed TNM upstaging with dPET in 13% of the patients (4/30). dPET images also scored higher in image quality (P = 0.003) and were visually preferred in the majority of cases (65%). Conclusion: Digital PET improved the detection of small lesions, upstaged the disease and images were visually preferred as compared to high-resolution conventional PET. More studies are necessary to confirm the superior diagnostic performance of digital PET. Full Article
mpa A Prospective, Comparative Study of Planar and Single-photon Emission Computed Tomography Ventilation/Perfusion Imaging for Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension By jnm.snmjournals.org Published On :: 2020-03-20T13:59:23-07:00 Objectives: The study compared the diagnostic performance of Planar Ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) and V/Q Single-photon computed tomography (SPECT), and determined whether combining perfusion scanning with low-dose computed tomography (Q-LDCT) may be equally effective in a prospective study of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) patients. Background: V/Q scanning is recommended for excluding CTEPH during the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, Planar V/Q and V/Q SPECT techniques have yet to be compared in patients with CTEPH. Methods: Patients with suspected PH were eligible for the study. PH attributable to left heart disease or lung disease was excluded, and patients whose PH was confirmed by right heart catheterization and who completed Planar V/Q, V/Q-SPECT, Q-LDCT, and pulmonary angiography were included. V/Q images were interpreted and patients were diagnosed as instructed by the 2009 EANM guidelines, and pulmonary angiography analyses were used as a reference standard. Results: A total of 208 patients completed the study, including 69 with CTEPH confirmed by pulmonary angiography. Planar V/Q, V/Q-SPECT, and Q-LDCT were all highly effective for diagnosing CTEPH, with no significant differences in sensitivity or specificity observed among the three techniques (Planar V/Q [sensitivity/specificity]: 94.20%/92.81%; V/Q-SPECT: 97.10%/91.37%, Q-LCDT: 95.65%/90.65%). However, V/Q-SPECT was significantly more sensitive (V/Q-SPECT: 79.21%; Planar V/Q: 75.84%, P = 0.012; Q-LDCT: 74.91%, p<0.001), and Planar V/Q was significantly more specific (Planar V/Q: 54.14%; V/Q-SPECT 46.05%, p<0.001; Q-LDCT: 46.05%, P = 0.001) than the other two techniques for identifying perfusion defects in individual lung segments. Conclusion: Both Planar V/Q and V/Q-SPECT were highly effective for diagnosing CTEPH, and Q-LDCT may be a reliable alternative method for patients who are unsuitable for ventilation imaging. Full Article
mpa The Impact of Radiobiologically-Informed Dose Prescription on the Clinical Benefit of Yttrium-90 SIRT in Colorectal Cancer Patients By jnm.snmjournals.org Published On :: 2020-05-01T11:16:57-07:00 The purpose of this study was to establish the dose-response relationship of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), when informed by radiobiological sensitivity parameters derived from mCRC cell lines exposed to yttrium-90 (90Y). Methods: 23 mCRC patients with liver metastases refractory to chemotherapy were included. 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT images were transformed into dose maps assuming the local dose deposition method. Baseline and follow-up CT scans were segmented to derive liver and tumor volumes. Mean, median, and D70 (minimum dose to 70% of tumor volume) values determined from dose maps were correlated with change in tumor volume and vRECIST response using linear and logistic regression, respectively. Radiosensitivity parameters determined by clonogenic assays of mCRC cell lines HT-29 and DLD-1 after exposure to 90Y or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT; 6MV photons) were used in biological effective dose (BED) calculations. Results: Mean administered radioactivity was 1469±428 MBq (847-2185 MBq), achieving a mean radiation absorbed tumor dose of 35.5±9.4 Gy and mean normal liver dose of 26.4±6.8 Gy. A 1.0 Gy increase in mean, median, and D70 absorbed dose was associated with reduction in tumor volume of 1.8%, 1.8%, and 1.5%, respectively, and increased probability of vRECIST response (odds ratio: 1.09, 1.09, and 1.10 respectively). Threshold mean, median and D70 doses for response were 48.3, 48.8, and 41.8 Gy respectively. EBRT-equivalent BEDs for 90Y are up to 50% smaller than those calculated by applying protraction-corrected radiobiological parameters derived from EBRT alone. Conclusion: Dosimetric studies have assumed equivalence between 90Y SIRT and EBRT, leading to inflation of BED for SIRT and possible under-treatment. Radiobiological parameters for 90Y were applied to a BED model, providing a calculation method that has the potential to improve assessment of tumor control. Full Article
mpa Impact of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET on the Management of recurrent Prostate Cancer in a Prospective Single-Arm Clinical Trial By jnm.snmjournals.org Published On :: 2020-05-01T11:16:57-07:00 Introduction: Prostate-specific membrane antigen ligand positron emission tomography (PSMA PET) induces management changes in patients with prostate cancer. We aim to better characterize the impact of PSMA PET on management of recurrent prostate cancer in a large prospective cohort. Methods: We report management changes following PSMA PET, a secondary endpoint of a prospective multicenter trial in men with prostate cancer biochemical recurrence. Pre-PET (Q1), Post-PET (Q2) and Post-Treatment (Q3) questionnaires were sent to referring physicians recording site of recurrence, intended (Q1 to Q2 change) and implemented (Q3) therapeutic and diagnostic management. Results: Q1/Q2 response was collected for 382/635 (60%, intended cohort), Q1/Q2/Q3 for 206 patients (32%, implemented cohort). Intended management change (Q1/2) occurred in 260/382 (68%) patients. Intended change (Q1/2) was considered major in 176/382 (46%) patients. Major changes occurred most often for patients with PSA of 0.5 to <2.0 ng/mL (81/147, 55%). By analysis of stage-groups, management change was consistent with PET disease location, i.e. majority of major changes towards active surveillance (47%) for unknown disease site (103/382, 27%), towards local/focal therapy (56%) for locoregional disease (126/382, 33%), and towards systemic therapy (69% M1a; 43% M1b/c) for metastatic disease (153/382, 40%). According to Q3 responses, intended management was implemented in 160/206 (78%) patients. A total of 150 intended diagnostic tests, mostly CT (n = 43, 29%) and bone Scans/NaF-PET (n = 52, 35%), were prevented by PSMA PET; 73 tests, mostly biopsies (n = 44, 60%) as requested by the study protocol, were triggered (Q1/2). Conclusion: According to referring physicians, sites of recurrence were clarified by PSMA PET and disease localization translated into management changes in more than half of patients with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. Full Article
mpa Interim PET evaluation in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma employing published recommendations: Comparison of the Deauville 5-point scale and the {Delta}SUVmax method By jnm.snmjournals.org Published On :: 2020-05-08T13:18:58-07:00 The value of interim 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (iPET) guided treatment decisions in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has been the subject of much debate. This investigation focuses on a comparison of the Deauville score and the deltaSUVmax (SUVmax) approach – two methods to assess early metabolic response to standard chemotherapy in DLBCL. Methods: Of 609 DLBCL patients participating in the Positron Emission Tomography-guided Therapy of Aggressive non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (PETAL) trial, iPET scans of 596 patients originally evaluated using the SUVmax method were available for post-hoc assessment of the Deauville score. A commonly used definition of an unfavorable iPET result according to the Deauville score is an uptake greater than that of the liver, whereas an unfavorable iPET scan with regard to the SUVmax approach is characterized as a relative reduction of the maximum standardized uptake value between baseline and iPET staging of less than or equal to 66%. We investigated the two methods’ correlation and concordance by Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and the agreement in classification, respectively. We further used Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression to assess differences in survival between patient subgroups defined by the pre-specified cut-offs. Time-dependent receiver operating curve analysis provided information on the methods’ respective discrimination performance. Results: Deauville score and SUVmax approach differed in their iPET-based prognosis. The SUVmax approach outperformed the Deauville score in terms of discrimination performance – most likely due to a high number of false-positive decisions by the Deauville score. Cut-off-independent discrimination performance remained low for both methods, but cut-off-related analyses showed promising results. Both favored the SUVmax approach, e.g. for the segregation by iPET response, where the event-free survival hazard ratio was 3.14 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.22 – 4.46) for SUVmax and 1.70 (95% CI: 1.29 – 2.24) for the Deauville score. Conclusion: When considering treatment intensification, the currently used Deauville score cut-off of an uptake above that of the liver seems to be inappropriate and associated with potential harm for DLBCL patients. The SUVmax criterion of a relative reduction of the maximum standardized uptake value of less than or equal to 66% should be considered as an alternative. Full Article
mpa Innovative Funding for Humanitarian Impact in Africa By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 24 Jan 2020 11:00:02 +0000 Research Event 3 February 2020 - 5:00pm to 6:15pm Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE Event participants Helen Alderson, Head of Regional Delegation to UK and Ireland, International Committee of the Red CrossPaul van Zyl, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, The ConduitMaya Marissa Malek, Chief Executive Officer, Amanie Advisors Global OfficeChair: Maram Ahmed, Senior Teaching Fellow, SOAS, University of London The cost of humanitarian assistance is forecast to rise to $50 billion per year by 2030 as a result of long-running, complex conflicts as well as natural disasters. Requirements are particularly acute in fragile contexts in sub-Saharan Africa that have lacked the fiscal and technical capacity for crisis prevention and response. As a result, traditional humanitarian actors are increasingly collaborating with the private sector and utilizing tools such as impact bonds, faith-based finance and other innovative financial products and services to mobilize greater funding to address humanitarian needs.At this event, a panel of speakers will assess the challenges for sustainable financing in the humanitarian sector and prospects for multi-stakeholder collaboration and innovative funding tools to fill the widening deficit in assistance needs.THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL AND REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED. Department/project Africa Programme, African Peace and Security Sahar Eljack Programme Administrator, Africa Programme + 44 (0) 20 7314 3660 Email Full Article
mpa Combined EGFR and ROCK Inhibition in Triple-negative Breast Cancer Leads to Cell Death Via Impaired Autophagic Flux [Research] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-02-01T00:05:30-08:00 Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with very limited therapeutic options. We have recently shown that the combined inhibition of EGFR and ROCK in TNBC cells results in cell death, however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To investigate this, here we applied a mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach to identify proteins altered on single and combination treatments. Our proteomic data revealed autophagy as the major molecular mechanism implicated in the cells' response to combinatorial treatment. We here show that EGFR inhibition by gefitinib treatment alone induces autophagy, a cellular recycling process that acts as a cytoprotective response for TNBC cells. However, combined inhibition of EGFR and ROCK leads to autophagy blockade and accumulation of autophagic vacuoles. Our data show impaired autophagosome clearance as a likely cause of antitumor activity. We propose that the inhibition of the autophagic flux on combinatorial treatment is attributed to the major cytoskeletal changes induced on ROCK inhibition, given the essential role the cytoskeleton plays throughout the various steps of the autophagy process. Full Article
mpa A Compact Quadrupole-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer with FAIMS Interface Improves Proteome Coverage in Short LC Gradients [Technological Innovation and Resources] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-04-01T00:05:32-07:00 State-of-the-art proteomics-grade mass spectrometers can measure peptide precursors and their fragments with ppm mass accuracy at sequencing speeds of tens of peptides per second with attomolar sensitivity. Here we describe a compact and robust quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometer equipped with a front-end High Field Asymmetric Waveform Ion Mobility Spectrometry (FAIMS) Interface. The performance of the Orbitrap Exploris 480 mass spectrometer is evaluated in data-dependent acquisition (DDA) and data-independent acquisition (DIA) modes in combination with FAIMS. We demonstrate that different compensation voltages (CVs) for FAIMS are optimal for DDA and DIA, respectively. Combining DIA with FAIMS using single CVs, the instrument surpasses 2500 peptides identified per minute. This enables quantification of >5000 proteins with short online LC gradients delivered by the Evosep One LC system allowing acquisition of 60 samples per day. The raw sensitivity of the instrument is evaluated by analyzing 5 ng of a HeLa digest from which >1000 proteins were reproducibly identified with 5 min LC gradients using DIA-FAIMS. To demonstrate the versatility of the instrument, we recorded an organ-wide map of proteome expression across 12 rat tissues quantified by tandem mass tags and label-free quantification using DIA with FAIMS to a depth of >10,000 proteins. Full Article
mpa iiNet CEO David Buckingham leaves company By www.smh.com.au Published On :: Sun, 30 Aug 2015 23:59:15 GMT CEO of Perth-based internet service provider iiNet, David Buckingham, has left the company, according to multiple sources. Full Article
mpa Australian companies targeted by identity thieves for tax frauds By www.smh.com.au Published On :: Tue, 10 Nov 2015 02:08:52 GMT Australian companies are having their identities hijacked by international criminals who use them to try to defraud the Australian Taxation Office. Full Article
mpa Influencing the social impact of financial systems: alternative strategies By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 04 Mar 2020 13:35:39 +0000 4 March 2020 , Volume 96, Number 2 Lee-Anne Sim Read Online The social impact of the global financial crisis brought global and domestic financial systems into public focus. While over the last ten years governments have introduced a range of regulatory reforms, there are still low levels of public trust in financial sectors, and academics continue to express their concerns about financial systems and their desire for more influence. This is particularly the case for those framing their evaluation of the quality of financial systems in terms of social values. This article offers those seeking more influence over the social values of financial systems, a fresh perspective on their available strategic options for influencing outcomes. It argues that they should consider strategies aimed at making allies of financial sectors and regulators in influencing change. The main advantage of these alliance strategies is that they address key constraints to influence, as identified in existing scholarship, which are difficult to relax because they are tied to features inherent in financial systems. By addressing these constraints, alliance strategies could increase the likelihood that financial system outcomes align more closely with their preferred social values. Full Article
mpa Circulating oxidized LDL increased in patients with acute myocardial infarction is accompanied by heavily modified HDL. By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-04-14 Naoko SawadaApr 14, 2020; 0:jlr.RA119000312v1-jlr.RA119000312Research Articles Full Article
mpa Comparative profiling and comprehensive quantification of stratum corneum ceramides in humans and mice by LC-MS/MS By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-04-07 Momoko KawanaApr 7, 2020; 0:jlr.RA120000671v1-jlr.RA120000671Research Articles Full Article
mpa Episode 97 - The Internet of Big Companies (IoBC) Apple results, Amazon worker rights and Google Cloud Next By play.acast.com Published On :: Thu, 02 Aug 2018 14:59:41 GMT This week our host Scott Carey is joined by Macworld UK editor Karen Khan to chat about Apple's latest blockbuster results.Then group production editor Tamlin Magee jumps in to discuss Amazon's working practices following the collective action around Prime Day.Finally, Scott chats through his experience at the Google Cloud Next conference in San Francisco last week to see how it is trying to compete with the big boys at Amazon and Microsoft. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Full Article
mpa Comparative profiling and comprehensive quantification of stratum corneum ceramides in humans and mice by LC-MS/MS [Research Articles] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-04-07T07:33:32-07:00 Ceramides are the predominant lipids in the stratum corneum (SC) and are crucial components for normal skin barrier function. Although the composition of various ceramide classes in the human SC has been reported, that in mice is still unknown, despite mice being widely used as animal models of skin barrier function. Here, we performed LC–MS/MS analyses using recently available ceramide class standards to measure 25 classes of free ceramides and 5 classes of protein-bound ceramides from the human and mouse SC. Phytosphingosine-type ceramides (P-ceramides) and 6-hydroxy sphingosine-type ceramides (H-ceramides), which both contain an additional hydroxyl group, were abundant in human SC (35% and 45% of total ceramides, respectively). In contrast, in mice, P-ceramides and H-ceramides were present at ~1% and undetectable levels, respectively, and sphingosine-type ceramides accounted for ~90%. In humans, ceramides containing α-hydroxy FA were abundant, whereas ceramides containing β-hydroxy FA (B-ceramides) or -hydroxy FA were abundant in mice. The hydroxylated β-carbon in B-ceramides was in the (R)-configuration. Genetic knockout of β-hydroxy acyl-CoA dehydratases in HAP1 cells increased B-ceramide levels, suggesting that β-hydroxy acyl-CoA, an FA-elongation cycle intermediate in the endoplasmic reticulum, is a substrate for B-ceramide synthesis. We anticipate that our methods and findings will help to elucidate the role of each ceramide class in skin barrier formation and in the pathogenesis of skin disorders. Full Article
mpa Circulating oxidized LDL increased in patients with acute myocardial infarction is accompanied by heavily modified HDL. [Research Articles] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-04-14T05:33:23-07:00 Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is a known risk factor for atherogenesis. This study aimed to reveal structural features of oxLDL present in human circulation related to atherosclerosis. When LDL was fractionated on an anion-exchange column, in vivo-oxLDL, detected by the anti-oxidized phosphatidylcholine (oxPC) monoclonal antibody, was recovered in flow-through and electronegative LDL (LDL(-)) fractions. The amount of the electronegative in vivo-oxLDL, namely oxLDL in LDL(-) fraction, present in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was three-fold higher than that observed in healthy subjects. Surprisingly, LDL(-) fraction contained apoA1 in addition to apoB, and HDL-sized particles were observed with transmission electron microscopy. In LDL(-) fractions, acrolein adducts were identified at all lysine residues in apoA1, with only a small number of acrolein-modified residues were identified in apoB. The amount of oxPC adducts of apoB was higher in LDL(-) than in L1 fraction as determined using western blotting. The electronegative in vivo-oxLDL was immunologically purified from the LDL(-) fraction with an anti-oxPC monoclonal antibody. Majority of PC species was not oxidized, whereas oxPC and lysoPC did not accumulate. Here, we propose that there are two types of in vivo-oxLDL in human circulating plasma and the electronegative in vivo-oxLDL accompanies oxidized HDL. Full Article
mpa COVID-19 Impact on Refugees is Also Political By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 31 Mar 2020 10:53:27 +0000 31 March 2020 Dr Lina Khatib Director, Middle East and North Africa Programme @LinaKhatibUK The spread of coronavirus in the Levant puts Syrian as well as other refugees and internally displaced people at particular risk because of the policies and practices of the authorities. 2020-03-31-Covid19-lebanon The word Corona written in the sand on the beach in Lebanon's southern city of Saida. amid the spread of coronavirus in the country. Photo by MAHMOUD ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images. As Lebanon strains to contain COVID-19, it is not clear which governmental public health policies apply to refugees. The government announced free testing for coronavirus in the public Rafiq Hariri University Hospital in Beirut but has not mentioned if refugees are eligible.Lebanon’s coronavirus containment strategy is based on self-reporting and, given incidents of forced deportation and harassment of Syrian refugees from both the authorities and local communities, it is certainly less likely refugees would present themselves to the health authorities for fear of deportation.Despite agreeing a Lebanon Crisis Response Plan with the UN for refugees, different ministries were left to implement it without coordination, just as Lebanese politicians from all sides started trying to rally popular support for ridding Lebanon from refugees - in particular from Syria, who Lebanese leaders say are causing a strain on the country’s already weak infrastructure.This finger pointing is coupled with the leaders’ own complete disregard for the rampant corruption and lack of accountability within Lebanon’s political class, which contribute to the weakening of the country’s infrastructure.For refugees who do find themselves back in Syria, there are different challenges according to which area they are in. In the north-east, the WHO and international NGOs (INGOs) negotiate with both Kurdish authorities as well as the government - each presenting its own hurdles.Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria have closed the Semalka border with Iraqi Kurdistan, posing a serious dilemma for INGOs offering services in north-east Syria but concerned about their staff safety whose movement is now curtailed.The government of Syria has stipulated all emergency response must go through its ministries. But this limits what the WHO can do in the country and gives Syrian authorities the ability to block ‘cross-line aid’ which goes from government-controlled to non-government areas.Despite reports that doctors raised the alarm about suspected cases well before patient zero was confirmed, the government appears to be either covering up the actual extent of the spread of COVID-19 or failing to respond. Some limited testing kits have arrived but testing has barely started.The WHO’s Syria plan is divided into three regions (north-west, north-east, and areas under government control). But concerns remain as to how workable such a decentralized plan is because of the government’s practices. In January, the UN Security Council did not renew the cross-border response resolution for the Yaroubiye border crossing between Syria and Iraq that the WHO was using to send medical supplies into north-east Syria.Syrian authorities do not permit recently authorized ‘cross-line’ responders to engage with non-government authorities in areas outside regime control. This essentially voids the authorization to work cross-line as it is practically impossible to implement programs. The WHO has sought approval from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to move medical supplies by land to north-east Syria.While promising facilitation, the Ministry’s reply comes with conditions of seeking detailed approval for every shipment. When Eastern Ghouta was under siege, similar conditions led to certain supplies being removed from UN/ICRC convoys to Eastern Ghouta, and there is no guarantee this will not happen again.Due to lack of capacity in north-east Syria, coronavirus tests conducted by the WHO there must be processed through the Central Public Health Laboratory in Damascus. Samples are transported twice a week from Qamishli to Damascus but no results were ever received from Damascus for those tests.While the WHO is able to coordinate access to north-west Syria with the Turkish authorities, the prospective coronavirus testing capacity in the Idlib region is low – despite claims that thousands of kits are arriving, a lack of resource on the ground means potentially only 20 tests per day could be done in an area inhabited by an estimated three million people.Following the recently announced ceasefire in the area, many internally displaced people are returning from the Turkish border to their homes in the north-west, but such mass movement increases the risk of coronavirus spreading. People also continue to move between Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon, posing a challenge to the WHO’s COVID-19 response in the Levant, as the WHO has distinct response plans for each country in the region and it is difficult to coordinate across these plans.Challenges face refugees even if they head towards Europe due to the potential for conflation between migration control and coronavirus outbreak control. Aurelie Ponthieu, Coordinator for Forced Migration at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says there is a risk some countries could use COVID-19 to impose draconian measures towards asylum seekers.The crisis has also put a halt to search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean because European countries are not allowing boats carrying migrants to disembark under the pretext of limiting the spread of coronavirus. And for migrants who already made it - such as in Greece - they are now being put in collective quarantines in asylum centers, often with poor medical facilities.Ponthieu also reports that migrants being quarantined on overcrowded navy ships docked in Greek ports, making social distancing impossible. And she is concerned the Greek authorities are imposing a curfew on asylum seekers but not on the local population.UNHCR is stressing that people’s right of asylum must not be overruled by concerns about the spread of coronavirus, while local and international NGOs across the Levant are trying to coordinate their advocacy on lifting restrictions on freedom of movement for humanitarian workers and on other policies and practices by authorities in the region which are adversely affecting refugee and other vulnerable communities.The international community must not lose sight of the impact of the crisis on refugees and migrants. It is not enough simply to supply humanitarian and medical assistance without paying attention to the policies and practices of the different authorities who have direct control over the fate of vulnerable communities.The author would like to thank Aurelie Ponthieu and the two INGO field workers who all agreed to be interviewed to inform this analysis piece. Full Article
mpa COVID 19: Assessing Vulnerabilities and Impacts on Iraq By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 07 Apr 2020 14:33:01 +0000 7 April 2020 Dr Renad Mansour Senior Research Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme; Project Director, Iraq Initiative @renadmansour Dr Mac Skelton Director, Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS), American University of Iraq, Sulaimani; Visiting Fellow, Middle East Centre, London School of Economics Dr Abdulameer Mohsin Hussein President of the Iraq Medical Association Following 17 years of conflict and fragile state-society relations, the war-torn country is particularly vulnerable to the pandemic. 2020-04-07-Iraq-COVID-spray Disinfecting shops in Baghdad's Bayaa neighbourhood as a preventive measure against the spread of COVID-19. Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images. Iraq is a country already in turmoil, suffering fallout from the major military escalation between the US and Iran, mass protests calling for an end to the post-2003 political system, and a violent government crackdown killing more than 600 and wounding almost 30,000 - all presided over by a fragmented political elite unable to agree upon a new prime minister following Adil abd al-Mehdi’s resignation back in November.COVID-19 introduces yet another threat to the fragile political order, as the virus exposes Iraq’s ineffective public health system dismantled through decades of conflict, corruption and poor governance.Iraqi doctors are making every effort to prepare for the worst-case scenario, but they do so with huge structural challenges. The Ministry of Health lacks enough ICU beds, human resources, ventilators, and personal protective equipment (PPE). Bogged down in bureaucracy, the ministry is struggling to process procurements of equipment and medications, and some doctors have made purchases themselves.But individual efforts can only go so far as many Iraqi doctors are concerned the official numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases do not reflect the complexity of the situation on the ground.The ministry relies predominately upon patients self-presenting at designated public hospitals and has only just begun community-based testing in areas of suspected clusters. Reliance on self-presentation requires a level of trust between citizens and state institutions, which is at a historic low. This gap in trust – 17 years in the making – puts Iraq’s COVID-19 response particularly at risk.Iraq’s myriad vulnerabilitiesCertain social and political factors leave Iraq uniquely exposed to the coronavirus. The country’s vulnerability is tied directly to its social, religious and economic interconnections with Iran, an epicenter of the pandemic.Exchanges between Iran and Iraq are concentrated in two regions, with strong cross-border links between Iraqi and Iranian Kurds in the north-east, and Iraqi and Iranian Shia pilgrims in the south. Cross-border circulation of religious pilgrims is particularly concerning, as they can result in mass ritual gatherings.The high number of confirmed cases in the southern and northern peripheries of the country puts a spotlight on Iraq's failure in managing healthcare. The post-2003 government has failed to either rebuild a robust centralized healthcare system, or to pave the way for a federalized model.Caught in an ambiguous middle between a centralized and federalized model, coordination across provinces and hospitals during the coronavirus crisis has neither reflected strong management from Baghdad nor robust ownership at the governorate level.This problem is part of a wider challenge of managing centre-periphery relations and federalism, which since 2003 has not worked effectively. Baghdad has provided all 18 provinces with instructions on testing and treatment, but only a handful have enough resources to put them into practice. Advanced testing capacity is limited to the five provinces with WHO-approved centers, with the remaining 13 sending swabs to Baghdad.But the greatest challenge to Iraq’s COVID-19 response is the dramatic deterioration of state-society relations. Studies reveal a profound societal distrust of Iraq’s public healthcare institutions, due to corruption and militarization of medical institutions. Numerous videos have recently circulated of families refusing to turn over sick members - particularly women - to medical teams visiting households with confirmed or suspected cases.As medical anthropologist Omar Dewachi notes, the ‘moral economy of quarantine’ in Iraq is heavily shaped by a history of war and its impact on the relationship between people and the state. Although local and international media often interpret this reluctance to undergo quarantine as a matter of social or tribal norms, distrusting the state leads many families to refuse quarantine because they believe it resembles a form of arrest.The management of coronavirus relies upon an overt convergence between medical institutions and security forces as the federal police collaborate with the Ministry of Health to impose curfews and enforce quarantine. This means that, troublingly, the same security establishment which violently cracked down on protesters and civil society activists is now the teeth behind Iraq’s COVID-19 response.Without trust between society and the political class, civil society organizations and protest movements have directed their organizational structure towards awareness-raising across Iraq. Key religious authorities such as Grand Ayatollah Sistani have called for compliance to the curfew and mobilized charitable institutions.However, such efforts will not be enough to make up for the lack of governance at the level of the state. In the short-term, Iraq’s medical professionals and institutions are in dire need of technical and financial support. In the long-term, COVID-19 is a lesson that Iraq’s once robust public healthcare system needs serious investment and reform.COVID-19 may prove to be another catalyst challenging the ‘muddle through’ logic of the Iraqi political elite. International actors have largely been complicit in this logic, directing aid and technical support towards security forces and political allies in the interest of short-term stability, and neglecting institutions which Iraqis rely on for health, education, and well-being.The response to the crisis requires cooperation and buy-in of a population neglected by 17 years of failed governance. This is a seminal event that may push the country to the brink, exposing and stirring underlying tensions in state-society relations.This analysis was produced as part of the Iraq Initiative. Full Article
mpa Virtual Roundtable: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Wider FSU Region By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 13:40:02 +0000 Invitation Only Research Event 21 April 2020 - 10:00am to 11:30am Event participants Christopher Davis, Professorial Fellow, Institute of Population Ageing, University of OxfordNino Evgenidze, Executive Director, EPRCKatya Gorchinskaya, Journalist, former CEO of Hromadske.uaKonstantin Sokulskiy, Head of Governance, UNDP, KazakhstanChair: James Nixey, Programme Director, Russia and Eurasia, Chatham House COVID-19 has put a serious strain on healthcare and economic systems around the world. This virtual roundtable will explore its impact on Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Kazakhstan. Through a comparative examination of government and society responses, this event will show how COVID-19 has laid bare the region’s broader social, economic and political challenges. Department/project Russia and Eurasia Programme Anna Morgan Administrator, Ukraine Forum +44 (0)20 7389 3274 Email Full Article
mpa Excitotoxicity and Overnutrition Additively Impair Metabolic Function and Identity of Pancreatic {beta}-cells By diabetes.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-04-24T09:55:27-07:00 A sustained increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration (referred to herein as excitotoxicity), brought on by chronic metabolic stress, may contribute to pancreatic β-cell failure. To determine the additive effects of excitotoxicity and overnutrition on β-cell function and gene expression, we analyzed the impact of a high fat diet (HFD) on Abcc8 knock-out mice. Excitotoxicity caused β-cells to be more susceptible to HFD-induced impairment of glucose homeostasis, and these effects were mitigated by verapamil, a Ca2+ channel blocker. Excitotoxicity, overnutrition and the combination of both stresses caused similar but distinct alterations in the β-cell transcriptome, including additive increases in genes associated with mitochondrial energy metabolism, fatty acid β-oxidation and mitochondrial biogenesis, and their key regulator Ppargc1a. Overnutrition worsened excitotoxicity-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, increasing metabolic inflexibility and mitochondrial damage. In addition, excitotoxicity and overnutrition, individually and together, impaired both β-cell function and identity by reducing expression of genes important for insulin secretion, cell polarity, cell junction, cilia, cytoskeleton, vesicular trafficking, and regulation of β-cell epigenetic and transcriptional program. Sex had an impact on all β-cell responses, with male animals exhibiting greater metabolic stress-induced impairments than females. Together, these findings indicate that a sustained increase in intracellular Ca2+, by altering mitochondrial function and impairing β-cell identity, augments overnutrition-induced β-cell failure. Full Article
mpa Pathogenic Role of PPAR{alpha} Down-Regulation in Corneal Nerve Degeneration and Impaired Corneal Sensitivity in Diabetes By diabetes.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-04-24T13:05:31-07:00 The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective role of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-alpha (PPARα) against diabetic keratopathy and corneal neuropathy. Corneal samples were obtained from diabetic and non-diabetic human donors. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and mice were orally treated with PPARα agonist fenofibrate. As shown by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting, PPARα was down-regulated in the corneas of diabetic humans and rats. Immunostaining of β-III tubulin demonstrated that corneal nerve fiber metrics were decreased significantly in diabetic rats and mice, which was partially prevented by fenofibrate treatment. As evaluated using a Cochet-Bonnet aesthesiometer, corneal sensitivity was significantly decreased in diabetic mice, which was prevented by fenofibrate. PPARα-/- mice displayed progressive decreases in the corneal nerve fiber density. Consistently, corneal sensitivity was decreased in PPARα-/- mice relative to wild-type mice by nine months of age. Diabetic mice showed increased incidence of spontaneous corneal epithelial lesion, which was prevented by fenofibrate while exacerbated by PPARα knockout. Western blot analysis revealed significantly altered neurotrophic factor levels in diabetic rat corneas, which were partially restored by fenofibrate treatment. These results indicate that PPARα protects corneal nerve from degeneration induced by diabetes, and PPARα agonists have therapeutic potential in the treatment of diabetic keratopathy. Full Article
mpa Empagliflozin Ameliorates Obesity-Related Cardiac Dysfunction by Regulating Sestrin2-Mediated AMPK-mTOR Signaling and Redox Homeostasis in High-Fat Induced Obese Mice By diabetes.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-04-24T18:07:35-07:00 Sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have favorable cardiovascular outcomes in diabetic patients. However, whether SGLT2i can improve obesity-related cardiac dysfunction is unknown. Sestrin2 is a novel stress-inducible protein that regulates AMPK-mTOR and suppresses oxidative damage. The aim of this study was to determine whether empagliflozin (EMPA) improves obesity-related cardiac dysfunction via regulating Sestrin2-mediated pathways in diet-induced obesity. C57BL/6J mice and Sestrin2 knockout mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks and then treated with or without EMPA (10 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. Treating HFD-fed C57BL/6J mice with EMPA reduced body weight, whole-body fat, and improved metabolic disorders. Furthermore, EMPA improved myocardial hypertrophy/fibrosis and cardiac function, and reduced cardiac fat accumulation and mitochondria injury. Additionally, EMPA significantly augmented Sestrin2 levels, increased AMPK and eNOS phosphorylation, but inhibited Akt and mTOR phosphorylation. These beneficial effects were partially attenuated in HFD-fed Sestrin2 knockout mice. Intriguingly, EMPA treatment enhanced the Nrf2/HO-1-mediated oxidative stress response, suggesting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Thus, EMPA improved obesity-related cardiac dysfunction via regulating Sestrin2-mediated AMPK-mTOR signaling and maintaining redox homeostasis. These findings provide a novel mechanism for the cardiovascular protection of SGLT2i in obesity. Full Article
mpa The Metabolic Responses to 24-h Fasting and Mild Cold Exposure in Overweight Individuals are Correlated and Accompanied by Changes in FGF21 Concentration By diabetes.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-04-27T16:35:54-07:00 A greater decrease in 24-h energy expenditure (24EE) during 24h fasting defines a thriftier metabolic phenotype prone to weight gain during overfeeding and resistant to weight loss during caloric restriction. As the thermogenic response to mild cold exposure (COLD) may similarly characterize this human phenotype identified by acute fasting conditions, we analyzed changes in 24EE and sleeping metabolic rate (SLEEP) in a whole-room indirect calorimeter during 24h fasting at thermoneutrality (24°C) and during energy balance both at thermoneutrality (24°C) and mild cold (19°C) in 20 healthy volunteers (80% male, age: 36.6±11.4y, percentage body fat: 34.8±10.5%). Greater decrease in 24EE during fasting (thriftier phenotype) was associated with less increase in 24EE during COLD, i.e. less cold-induced thermogenesis. Greater decreases in plasma fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) after 24h fasting and after COLD were highly correlated and associated with greater decreases in SLEEP in both conditions. We conclude that the metabolic responses to short-term fasting and COLD are associated and mediated by the liver-derived hormone FGF21. Thus, the 24EE response to COLD further identifies the thrifty versus spendthrift phenotype, providing an additional setting to investigate the physiological mechanisms underlying the human metabolic phenotype and characterizing the individual susceptibility to weight change. Full Article
mpa Maternal Obesity and Western-Style Diet Impair Fetal and Juvenile Offspring Skeletal Muscle Insulin-Stimulated Glucose Transport in Nonhuman Primates By diabetes.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-04-30T07:18:52-07:00 Infants born to mothers with obesity have a greater risk for childhood obesity and metabolic diseases; however, the underlying biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. We used a Japanese macaque model to investigate whether maternal obesity combined with a western-style diet (WSD) impairs offspring muscle insulin action. Adult females were fed a control or WSD prior to and during pregnancy through lactation, and offspring subsequently weaned to a control or WSD. Muscle glucose uptake and signaling were measured ex vivo in fetal (n=5-8/group) and juvenile offspring (n=8/group). In vivo signaling was evaluated after an insulin bolus just prior to weaning (n=4-5/group). Maternal WSD reduced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and impaired insulin signaling at the level of Akt phosphorylation in fetal muscle. In juvenile offspring, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was similarly reduced by both maternal and post-weaning WSD and corresponded to modest reductions in insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation relative to controls. We conclude that maternal WSD leads to a persistent decrease in offspring muscle insulin-stimulated glucose uptake even in the absence of increased offspring adiposity or markers of systemic insulin resistance. Switching offspring to a healthy diet did not reverse the effects of maternal WSD on muscle insulin action suggesting earlier interventions may be warranted. Full Article
mpa Certain ortho-hydroxylated brominated ethers are promiscuous kinase inhibitors that impair neuronal signaling and neurodevelopmental processes [Cell Biology] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-05-01T00:06:09-07:00 The developing nervous system is remarkably sensitive to environmental signals, including disruptive toxins, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). PBDEs are an environmentally pervasive class of brominated flame retardants whose neurodevelopmental toxicity mechanisms remain largely unclear. Using dissociated cortical neurons from embryonic Rattus norvegicus, we found here that chronic exposure to 6-OH–BDE-47, one of the most prevalent hydroxylated PBDE metabolites, suppresses both spontaneous and evoked neuronal electrical activity. On the basis of our previous work on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) (MEK) biology and our observation that 6-OH–BDE-47 is structurally similar to kinase inhibitors, we hypothesized that certain hydroxylated PBDEs mediate neurotoxicity, at least in part, by impairing the MEK–ERK axis of MAPK signal transduction. We tested this hypothesis on three experimental platforms: 1) in silico, where modeling ligand–protein docking suggested that 6-OH–BDE-47 is a promiscuous ATP-competitive kinase inhibitor; 2) in vitro in dissociated neurons, where 6-OH–BDE-47 and another specific hydroxylated BDE metabolite similarly impaired phosphorylation of MEK/ERK1/2 and activity-induced transcription of a neuronal immediate early gene; and 3) in vivo in Drosophila melanogaster, where developmental exposures to 6-OH–BDE-47 and a MAPK inhibitor resulted in offspring displaying similarly increased frequency of mushroom-body β–lobe midline crossing, a metric of axonal guidance. Taken together, our results support that certain ortho-hydroxylated PBDE metabolites are promiscuous kinase inhibitors and can cause disruptions of critical neurodevelopmental processes, including neuronal electrical activity, pre-synaptic functions, MEK–ERK signaling, and axonal guidance. Full Article
mpa The High-Fat Diet-Fed Mouse: A Model for Studying Mechanisms and Treatment of Impaired Glucose Tolerance and Type 2 Diabetes By diabetes.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2004-12-01 Maria Sörhede WinzellDec 1, 2004; 53:S215-S219Section V: The Incretin Pathway Full Article
mpa Pancreas Pathology of Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) in Patients and in a LADA Rat Model Compared With Type 1 Diabetes By diabetes.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-04-01 Anne JörnsApr 1, 2020; 69:624-633Islet Studies Full Article
mpa Correction: Comparative structure-function analysis of bromodomain and extraterminal motif (BET) proteins in a gene-complementation system. [Additions and Corrections] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-05-01T00:06:09-07:00 VOLUME 295 (2020) PAGES 1898–1914Yichen Zhong's name was misspelled. The correct spelling is shown above. Full Article
mpa POSTPONED: Supporting Civic Space: The Role and Impact of the Private Sector By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 22 Jan 2020 17:05:01 +0000 Invitation Only Research Event 16 March 2020 - 11:00am to 5:00pm Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE A healthy civic space is vital for an enabling business environment. In recognition of this, a growing number of private sector actors are challenging, publicly or otherwise, the deteriorating environment for civic freedoms.However, this corporate activism is often limited and largely ad hoc. It remains confined to a small cluster of multinationals leaving potential routes for effective coordination and collaboration with other actors underexplored.This roundtable will bring together a diverse and international group of business actors, civil society actors and foreign policy experts to exchange perspectives and experiences on how the private sector can be involved in issues around civic space. The meeting will provide an opportunity to explore the drivers of – and barriers to – corporate activism, develop a better understanding of existing initiatives, identify good practice and discuss practical strategies for the business community.This meeting will be the first of a series of roundtables at Chatham House in support of initiatives to build broad alliances for the protection of civic space. Attendance at this event is by invitation only. PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT IS POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Department/project International Law Programme, Global Governance and the Rule of Law, Rights, Accountability and Justice Jacqueline Rowe Programme Assistant, International Law Programme 020 7389 3287 Email Full Article
mpa Virtual Roundtable: The Economic Impact of Coronavirus By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 16 Mar 2020 12:00:01 +0000 Invitation Only Research Event 23 March 2020 - 1:00pm to 2:00pm Event participants Megan Greene, Dame DeAnne Senior Academy Fellow in International Relations, Chatham House; Senior Fellow, Harvard Kennedy SchoolLord Jim O'Neill, Chairman, Chatham HouseChair: Creon Butler, Director, Global Economy and Finance, Chatham House This event is part of the Inaugural Virtual Roundtable Series on the US, Americas and the State of the World and will take place virtually only. Participants should not come to Chatham House for these events. Department/project US and the Americas Programme US and Americas Programme Email Full Article
mpa Webinar: COVID-19 and the Impact on Latin American Migration By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 15:45:01 +0000 Research Event 14 May 2020 - 3:00pm to 4:00pmAdd to CalendariCalendar Outlook Google Yahoo Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan, Associate Fellow, US and the Americas Programme, Chatham House; Mexican Ambassador to the US, 2007 - 13Professor Anita Isaacs, Benjamin R. Collins Professor of Social Sciences, Haverford CollegeChair: Dr Christopher Sabatini, Senior Research Fellow for Latin America, US and the Americas Programme, Chatham House The US government recently announced restrictions on immigration, stating the new measures were necessary due to COVID-19 and the effect the pandemic has had on the US economy. But what is the role of immigrants in the essential official and unofficial services in the COVID-19 stay-at-home era? How is COVID-19 affecting immigration from Central America and Mexico? Separately, there have also been instances of outbreaks among detainees in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement centers and claims that immigrants who are returning to Guatemala are spreading the virus. How have US immigration policies affected infection rates in Central America and Mexico and among its citizens?Arturo Sarukhan, Mexican Ambassador to the US from 2007 - 13, and Anita Isaacs, Benjamin R. Collins Professor of Social Sciences, Haverford College, will join us to discuss the impact COVID-19 is having on migrants.Chatham House would like to thank BTG Pactual, Cairn Energy plc, Diageo plc, Equinor, Fresnillo Management Services, HSBC Holdings plc and Wintershall Dea for their generous support of the Latin America Initiative.This event is scheduled to take place from 15:00 – 16:00 BST. US and Americas Programme Email Department/project US and the Americas Programme, Latin America Initiative Full Article
mpa Diabetes Core Update: COVID-19 – Impact on Youth and their Families, May 2019 By diabetescoreupdate.libsyn.com Published On :: Sun, 03 May 2020 20:31:09 +0000 This special issue focuses on the impact COVID-19 is having on youth with diabetes and their families. Recorded April 30, 2020. This is a part of the American Diabetes Associations ongoing project providing resources for practicing clinicians on the care of Diabetes during the Covid-19 pandemic. Today’s discussion is an audio version of a webinar recorded on April 30, 2020. Presented by: Barry Conrad, MPH, RD, CDE Stanford Children's Health Tamara S. Hannon, MD, MS Indiana University Marisa Hilliard, PhD Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital Cynthia Munoz, PhD, MPH President-Elect, Helath Care & Education, American Diabetes Association Jennifer Raymond, MD, MCR Children's Hospital Los Angelas Full Article
mpa IOS app Development Company in Gurgaon By investing.96.lt Published On :: Tue, 16 May 2017 13:00:08 UTC Appslure is the best iOS apps development company in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Mumbai, India. Our iOS app developers are expert in responsive iphone and iPad app development services. Full Article Computer and Technology
mpa Android app Development Company in Noida By investing.96.lt Published On :: Tue, 16 May 2017 13:02:04 UTC We are Award Winning Multinational Android app development Delhi based Company. Our Highly Expert team of Android Developers have 4+ Years of experience. Full Article Computer and Technology
mpa Covid-19: Campaigner calls for national guidance to stop DNR orders being made without discussion with patients and families By feeds.bmj.com Published On :: Thursday, May 7, 2020 - 12:31 Full Article
mpa Virtual Roundtable: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Wider FSU Region By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 13:40:02 +0000 Invitation Only Research Event 21 April 2020 - 10:00am to 11:30am Event participants Christopher Davis, Professorial Fellow, Institute of Population Ageing, University of OxfordNino Evgenidze, Executive Director, EPRCKatya Gorchinskaya, Journalist, former CEO of Hromadske.uaKonstantin Sokulskiy, Head of Governance, UNDP, KazakhstanChair: James Nixey, Programme Director, Russia and Eurasia, Chatham House COVID-19 has put a serious strain on healthcare and economic systems around the world. This virtual roundtable will explore its impact on Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Kazakhstan. Through a comparative examination of government and society responses, this event will show how COVID-19 has laid bare the region’s broader social, economic and political challenges. Department/project Russia and Eurasia Programme Anna Morgan Administrator, Ukraine Forum +44 (0)20 7389 3274 Email Full Article
mpa Top Mobile app Development Company in Noida By investing.96.lt Published On :: Sat, 04 Aug 2018 04:55:57 UTC We are leading Top mobile app development company in Mumbai, Delhi, Noida, India. We have award winning Android and iOS developers to build your mobile apps with long term support. Full Article News
mpa CRM Software Development Company By investing.96.lt Published On :: Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:12:55 UTC Sales Fundaa is a Dial N Search Pvt. Ltd. initiative, provides ERP software, CRM Software, Project Management Software, Manufacturing Software, AMC Software, Data Management Software, Real Estate CRM, Logistics Software and Human Resource Management Software. Full Article News
mpa UK Unplugged? The Impacts of Brexit on Energy and Climate Policy By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 25 May 2016 10:43:26 +0000 26 May 2016 In the field of energy and climate change policy, remaining in the EU offers the best balance of policy options for Britain’s national interests. Download PDF Antony Froggatt Senior Research Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme LinkedIn Thomas Raines Director, Europe Programme @TomHRaines Google Scholar Shane TomlinsonSenior Associate, E3G; Former Senior Research Fellow, Chatham House 2016-05-26-uk-unplugged-brexit-energy.jpg A line of electricity pylons stretches beyond fields of rapeseed near Hutton Rudby, North Yorkshire, on 27 April 2015. Photo: Getty Images. SummaryOver the last 30 years the EU has played a central role in addressing the competitiveness, security and climate dimensions of energy policy among its member states. The UK has been critical in driving forward integration of the European energy market, and has been a strong advocate of liberalized energy markets and some climate change mitigation policies.If, at the June 2016 referendum, the UK does vote to leave the EU, energy and climate policy will be part of the overall package of issues to be negotiated, as it is unlikely that each sector will be treated separately. The model of relations for energy and climate may well be determined by political and public sentiment on higher-profile issues such as freedom of movement, rather than by what is best for the UK in these policy areas.The UK is increasingly reliant on imports, including from and through continental Europe, and its energy market is deeply integrated with that of its European neighbours. As a growing share of the UK’s electricity is exchanged with EU partners, it would be neither possible nor desirable to ‘unplug’ the UK from Europe’s energy networks. A degree of continued adherence to EU market, environmental and governance rules would be inevitable.This paper reviews the risks and trade-offs associated with five possible options for a post-exit relationship. Of these, the Norway or the Energy Community models would be the least disruptive, enabling continuity in energy market access, regulatory frameworks and investment; however, both would come at the cost of accepting the vast majority of legislation while relinquishing any say in its creation. The UK would thus have less, rather than more, sovereignty over energy policy.The Switzerland, the Canada and the WTO models offer the possibility of greater sovereignty in a number of areas, such as buildings and infrastructure standards as well as state aid. None the less, each would entail higher risks, with greater uncertainty over market access, investment and electricity prices. These models would reduce or even eliminate the UK’s contribution to the EU budget, but would also limit or cut off access to EU funding mechanisms.All five Brexit models would undermine the UK’s influence in international energy and climate diplomacy. The UK would no longer play any direct role in shaping the climate and energy policies of its EU neighbours, at a time when the EU’s proposed Energy Union initiatives offer the prospect of a more integrated and effective European energy sector. A decision to leave the EU would make it easier for a future UK government to change direction on climate policy, since only a change in domestic legislation would be required.‘Brexit’ could affect the balance of energy policy among the remaining member states. In its absence, the centre of gravity for EU energy policy might shift away from market mechanisms and result in weaker collective action on greenhouse gas reduction targets.In the field of energy and climate change policy, remaining in the EU offers the best balance of policy options for Britain’s national interests: the UK would continue to benefit from the integrated energy market, while maintaining influence over its direction and minimizing uncertainty for crucial investment. Department/project Europe Programme, UK-EU27 Energy Cooperation, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme Full Article
mpa The Impacts of the Demand for Woody Biomass for Power and Heat on Climate and Forests By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 30 Jan 2017 10:52:15 +0000 23 February 2017 Although most renewable energy policy frameworks treat biomass as carbon-neutral at the point of combustion, biomass emits more carbon per unit of energy than most fossil fuels. Download PDF Duncan Brack Associate Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme @DuncanBrack Google Scholar 2017-02-15-woody-biomass-climate-forests-brack.jpg Fuel composed of wood chips to be used for the UEM (Usine d’Electricité de Metz) biomass plant in Metz, eastern France. Photo: Getty Images. SummaryThe use of wood for electricity generation and heat in modern (non-traditional) technologies has grown rapidly in recent years, and has the potential to continue to do so.The EU has been, and remains, the main global source of demand, as a result of its targets for renewable energy. This demand is largely met by its own forest resources and supplemented by imports from the US, Canada and Russia.Countries outside the EU, including the US, China, Japan and South Korea, have the potential to increase the use of biomass (including agricultural residues as well as wood), but so far this has not taken place at scale, partly because of the falling costs of competing renewables such as solar PV and wind. However, the role of biomass as a system balancer, and its supposed ability, in combination with carbon capture and storage technology, to generate negative emissions, seem likely to keep it in contention in the future.Although most renewable energy policy frameworks treat biomass as though it is carbon-neutral at the point of combustion, in reality this cannot be assumed, as biomass emits more carbon per unit of energy than most fossil fuels. Only residues that would otherwise have been burnt as waste or would have been left in the forest and decayed rapidly can be considered to be carbon-neutral over the short to medium term.One reason for the perception of biomass as carbon-neutral is the fact that, under IPCC greenhouse gas accounting rules, its associated emissions are recorded in the land use rather than the energy sector. However, the different ways in which land use emissions are accounted for means that a proportion of the emissions from biomass may never be accounted for.In principle, sustainability criteria can ensure that only biomass with the lowest impact on the climate are used; the current criteria in use in some EU member states and under development in the EU, however, do not achieve this as they do not account for changes in forest carbon stock.Also see Woody Biomass for Power and Heat: Impacts on the Global Climate, which assesses the impact of the use of biomass for energy on greenhouse gas emissions, how these are accounted for under international climate accounting rules, and analyses the sustainability criteria currently in use and under development to minimise negative impacts. Department/project Energy, Environment and Resources Programme, The Environmental Impact of the Use of Biomass for Power and Heat Full Article
mpa Pancreas Pathology of Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) in Patients and in a LADA Rat Model Compared With Type 1 Diabetes By diabetes.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-03-20T11:50:28-07:00 Approximately 10% of patients with type 2 diabetes suffer from latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). This study provides a systematic assessment of the pathology of the endocrine pancreas of patients with LADA and for comparison in a first rat model mimicking the characteristics of patients with LADA. Islets in human and rat pancreases were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for immune cell infiltrate composition, by in situ RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR of laser microdissected islets for gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines, the proliferation marker proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL) 10, and the apoptosis markers caspase 3 and TUNEL as well as insulin. Human and rat LADA pancreases showed differences in areas of the pancreas with respect to immune cell infiltration and a changed ratio between the number of macrophages and CD8 T cells toward macrophages in the islet infiltrate. Gene expression analyses revealed a changed ratio due to an increase of IL-1β and a decrease of tumor necrosis factor-α. IL-10, PCNA, and insulin expression were increased in the LADA situation, whereas caspase 3 gene expression was reduced. The analyses into the underlying pathology in human as well as rat LADA pancreases provided identical results, allowing the conclusion that LADA is a milder form of autoimmune diabetes in patients of an advanced age. Full Article
mpa Touissant among top 20 impact rookies for 2019 By mlb.mlb.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Feb 2019 14:30:40 EDT Here are the top players in each league who could get the opportunity to show what they can do at the highest level this year, perhaps even contending for Rookie of the Year honors Full Article
mpa Impaired Metabolic Flexibility to High-Fat Overfeeding Predicts Future Weight Gain in Healthy Adults By diabetes.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-01-20T12:00:26-08:00 The ability to switch fuels for oxidation in response to changes in macronutrient composition of diet (metabolic flexibility) may be informative of individuals’ susceptibility to weight gain. Seventy-nine healthy, weight-stable participants underwent 24-h assessments of energy expenditure and respiratory quotient (RQ) in a whole-room calorimeter during energy balance (EBL) (50% carbohydrate, 30% fat) and then during 24-h fasting and three 200% overfeeding diets in a crossover design. Metabolic flexibility was defined as the change in 24-h RQ from EBL during fasting and standard overfeeding (STOF) (50% carbohydrate, 30% fat), high-fat overfeeding (HFOF) (60% fat, 20% carbohydrate), and high-carbohydrate overfeeding (HCOF) (75% carbohydrate, 5% fat) diets. Free-living weight change was assessed after 6 and 12 months. Compared with EBL, RQ decreased on average by 9% during fasting and by 4% during HFOF but increased by 4% during STOF and by 8% during HCOF. A smaller decrease in RQ, reflecting a smaller increase in lipid oxidation rate, during HFOF but not during the other diets predicted greater weight gain at both 6 and 12 months. An impaired metabolic flexibility to acute HFOF can identify individuals prone to weight gain, indicating that an individual’s capacity to oxidize dietary fat is a metabolic determinant of weight change. Full Article
mpa Colombian company creates bed that can double as coffin By jamaica-gleaner.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:15:58 -0500 BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A Colombian advertising company is pitching a novel, if morbid, solution to shortages of hospital beds and coffins during the coronavirus pandemic: combine them. ABC Displays has created a cardboard bed with metal... Full Article
mpa "We don't really know the impact of these products on our health": Ultraprocessed food & cancer risk By feeds.bmj.com Published On :: Thu, 15 Feb 2018 10:47:09 +0000 A study published by The BMJ today reports a possible association between intake of highly processed (“ultra-processed”) food in the diet and cancer. Ultra-processed foods include packaged baked goods and snacks, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals, ready meals and reconstituted meat products - often containing high levels of sugar, fat, and salt, but... Full Article
mpa Unprofessionalism - "blaming other people, I put that at the top of the impact list" By feeds.bmj.com Published On :: Mon, 12 Mar 2018 12:16:34 +0000 That’s Jo Shapiro is a surgeon and manager in Brigham and Women’s hospital, she’s also director of the Center for Professionalism and Peer Support, and has written an editorial for The BMJ on tackling unprofessional behaviour. In this discussion, she and I talked about what she thinks (beyond the illegal) are the most damaging behaviours seen... Full Article
mpa Behind the campaign promises - GP numbers, and appointment slots By feeds.bmj.com Published On :: Fri, 15 Nov 2019 16:59:59 +0000 A UK general election has been called - polling day is on the 12th of December, and from now until then we’re going to be bringing you a weekly election-themed podcast. We want to help you make sense of the promises and pledges, claims and counter-claims, that are being made around healthcare and the NHS out on the campaign trail. This week has... Full Article
mpa Behind the campaign promises - Health and social care spending By feeds.bmj.com Published On :: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 16:21:30 +0000 A UK general election has been called - polling day is on the 12th of December, and from now until then we’re going to be bringing you a weekly election-themed podcast. We want to help you make sense of the promises and pledges, claims and counter-claims, that are being made around healthcare and the NHS out on the campaign trail. This week... Full Article
mpa Behind the campaign promises - Health beyond the NHS By feeds.bmj.com Published On :: Sat, 30 Nov 2019 09:10:48 +0000 A UK general election has been called - polling day is on the 12th of December, and from now until then we’re going to be bringing you a weekly election-themed podcast. We want to help you make sense of the promises and pledges, claims and counter-claims, that are being made around healthcare and the NHS out on the campaign trail. This week... Full Article
mpa Behind the campaign promises - what the NHS means for the election By feeds.bmj.com Published On :: Thu, 05 Dec 2019 19:09:30 +0000 UK general election has been called - polling day is on the 12th of December, and from now until then we’re going to be bringing you a weekly election-themed podcast. We want to help you make sense of the promises and pledges, claims and counter-claims, that are being made around healthcare and the NHS out on the campaign trail. This week we're... Full Article