An Organizational Analysis of Foreign National Prisoners’ Participation Possibilities in Flanders (Belgium)

This mixed-method study first provides insight into the Belgian prison population — particularly foreign national prisoners — based on an analysis of the penal database SIDIS Suite (N = 10,356). Second, qualitative telephone interviews have been conducted with the activity coordinators of all Flemish and Brussels prisons (N = 17) to investigate which prison activities (e.g., cultural, educational, and health-related activities, sports, vocational training, and forensic welfare services) are available to, and accessible by foreign national prisoners. This article demonstrates several initiatives that have been taken to enhance foreign nationals’ participation in prison activities and highlights the struggles that activity coordinators face in offering activities that are suitable for this population

The Role of IGF-1 for Fracture Risk in Men

Growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) are essential for the achievement of normal longitudinal bone growth and bone mass. Preclinical studies using various knockout models have shown that both endocrine (mostly liver-derived) IGF-1 and bone-derived IGF-1 contribute to normal longitudinal skeletal growth and cortical bone size. Since bone size is an important determinant of bone strength, and hence fracture risk, we evaluated the predictive role of serum IGF-1 for fracture risk. The population-based Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Sweden cohort recently showed for the first time that older men with low serum IGF-1 levels have an increased fracture risk, especially for the two most important fracture types, hip and vertebral fractures. This association between serum IGF-1 and incident fracture risk is partly mediated via bone mineral density. Future studies are required to identify the mechanisms by which endocrine and local IGF-1 regulate skeletal growth and bone size. In addition, possible mediators affecting the impact of IGF-1 on fractures in men remain to be elucidated

Exit Gordianus, but how? Shapur’s trilingual inscription revisited

This article aims at re-evaluating the Classical (Eutropius, Historia Augusta, Ammianus), Byzantine (Orosius, Zosimus, Zonaras) and Iranian (the trilingual Kaʿba-ye Zardošt inscription) sources on the death of the Roman emperor Gordian III during his campaign against the Sasanid king Shapur I in AD 244. In the current scholarly debate, two groups of scholars can be distinguished: the first group, following the Classical and Byzantine sources, argues that Gordian III was killed by his own peers, attributing a vicious role to his imperial successor Philip the Arab. Basing themselves on the Iranian sources, the second group believes that Shapur I claimed to have killed Gordian III in a military confrontation. The study will use historical and linguistic arguments, focussing on the trilingual Kaʿba-ye Zardošt inscription, to come to a new historical interpretation about the end of the life of Gordian III.Dans la discussion académique actuelle sur les circonstances précises de la mort de l’empereur romain Gordien III, on peut apercevoir deux groupes. Le premier groupe, suivant les sources classiques, croit que Gordien III fut tué par ses propres troupes. Se basant sur les sources iraniennes, l’autre groupe croit que c’est Shapur I qui tua Gordien III dans une confrontation militaire. Cet article propose une nouvelle étude des sources gréco-romaines (Eutrope, Histoire Auguste, Ammien), byzantines (Orose, Zosime, Zonaras) et iraniennes (l’inscription trilingue du Kaʿba-ye Zardošt) qui nous racontent cet épisode. Se concentrant sur l’inscription du Kaʿba-ye Zardošt, il utilise des arguments historiques et linguistiques pour aboutir à une nouvelle interprétation historique de la fin de la vie de Gordien III.خلاصة = نلمح في النقاش الأكاديمي الحالي حول الظروف الدقيقة لوفاة الإمبراطور الروماني جورديان الثالث فئتين: تعتقد الأولى، متبعة المصادر الكلاسيكية، أن جورديان الثالث قتل على يد قواته؛ وتعتقد الأخرى، مستندة إلى مصادر إيرانية، أن شابور (أو سابور) قتل جورديان الثالث في مواجهة عسكرية. يقترح هذا المقال دراسة جديدة للمصادر اليونانية الرومانية (يوتروبيوس، التاريخ الأغسطي، أميانوس)، والبيزنطية (أوروسيوس، زوسيموس، زوناراس)، والإيرانية حول هذه الواقعة. ويستخدم حججاً تاريخية ولغوية، بالتركيز على نقش كعبة زرادشت الإيراني، للوصول إلى تفسير تاريخي جديد لوفاة جورديان الثال

An appreciative inquiry into foreign national prisoners’ participation in prison activities : the role of language

This article presents the findings of 51 interviews with foreign national prisoners in Flanders (Belgium). Following an appreciative inquiry stance, the aim is to understand how foreign nationals experience (accessibility to) prison activities (for example, education, work, sports activities and worship) and to investigate if and how this differs between foreign-speaking and Dutch-speaking foreign nationals. A thematic analysis of the interviews revealed several components of the activities offered that were perceived by the foreign nationals to be 'working well' and revealed several dreams concerning the activities for foreign nationals. Within each theme considered, similarities and dissimilarities among foreign-speaking and Dutch-speaking foreign nationals are described. This article argues that foreign nationals are confronted with a new pain of imprisonment, namely 'the pain of (non-)participation'. The findings could enable a shift from supply-driven to tailor-made activities for foreign national prisoners

An organizational analysis of foreign national prisoners’ participation possibilities in Flanders (Belgium)

This mixed-method study first provides insight into the Belgian prison population - particularly foreign national prisoners - based on an analysis of the penal database SIDIS Suite (N = 10,356). Second, qualitative telephone interviews have been conducted with the activity coordinators ofall Flemish and Brussels prisons (N = 17) to investigate which prison activities (e.g., cultural, educational, and health-related activities, sports, vocational training, andforensic welfare services) are available to, and accessible by, foreign national prisoners. This article demonstrates several initiatives that have been taken to enhance foreign nationals 'participation in prison activities and highlights the struggles that activity coordinators face in offering activities that are suitable for this population

A probiotic mix partially protects against castration-induced bone loss in male mice

Studies in postmenopausal women and ovariectomized mice show that the probiotic mix Lacticaseibacillus paracasei DSM13434, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DSM 15312 and DSM 15313 (L. Mix) can protect from bone loss caused by sex steroid deficiency. Whether probiotic bacteria can protect bone also in sex steroid-deficient males is less studied. We used the orchiectomized mouse as a model for age-dependent bone loss caused by decreasing sex hormone levels in males. We treated 10-week-old male mice with either vehicle (veh) or L. Mix for 6 weeks, starting 2 weeks before orchiectomy (orx) or sham surgery. Importantly, mice treated with L. Mix had a general increase in total body bone mineral density (BMD) and lean mass (P ≤ 0.05) compared with veh-treated mice. Detailed computer tomography analysis of dissected bones showed increased trabecular BMD of the distal metaphyseal region of the femur in L. Mix compared to veh-treated orx mice (+8.0%, P ≤ 0.05). In the vertebra, L. Mix treatment increased trabecular bone volume fraction BV/TV (+11.5%, P ≤ 0.05) compared to veh in orx mice. Also, L. Mix increased the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as propionate and acetate and important intermediates in SCFA synthesis such as succinate and lactate in the cecal content of male mice. In conclusion, L. Mix treatment resulted in a general increase in BMD in adult male mice and prevented trabecular bone loss in femur and vertebra of orx mice. These bone protective effects of L. Mix were associated with increased levels of SCFAs in the cecal content of male mice

Focus on 16p13.3 Locus in colon cancer

Background : With one million new cases of colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosed annually in the world, CRC is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the Western world. Patients with stage I-III CRC can be cured with surgery but are at risk for recurrence. Colorectal cancer is characterized by the presence of chromosomal deletions and gains. Large genomic profiling studies have however not been conducted in this disease. The number of a specific genetic aberration in a tumour sample could correlate with recurrence-free survival or overall survival, possibly leading to its use as biomarker for therapeutic decisions. At this point there are not sufficient markers for prediction of disease recurrence in colorectal cancer, which can be used in the clinic to discriminate between stage II patients who will benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. For instance, the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy has been most clearly demonstrated in stage III disease with an approximately 30 percent relative reduction in the risk of disease recurrence. The benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage II disease are less certain, the risk for relapse is much smaller in the overall group and the specific patients at risk are hard to identify. Materials and Methods : In this study, array-comparative genomic hybridization analysis (array-CGH) was applied to study high-resolution DNA copy number alterations in 93 colon carcinoma samples. These genomic data were combined with parameters like KRAS mutation status, microsatellite status and clinicopathological characteristics. Results : Both large and small chromosomal losses and gains were identified in our sample cohort. Recurrent gains were found for chromosome 1q, 7, 8q, 13 and 20 and losses were mostly found for 1p, 4, 8p, 14, 15, 17p, 18, 21 and 22. Data analysis demonstrated that loss of chromosome 4 is linked to a worse prognosis in our patients series. Besides these alterations, two interesting small regions of overlap were identified, which could be associated with disease recurrence. Gain of the 16p13.3 locus (including the RNA binding protein, fox-1 homolog gene, RBFOX1) was linked with a worse recurrence-free survival in our patient cohort. On the other hand, loss of RBFOX1 was only found in patients without disease recurrence. Most interestingly, above mentioned characteristics were also found in stage II patients, for whom there is a high medical need for the identification of new prognostic biomarkers. Conclusions : In conclusion, copy number variation of the 16p13.3 locus seems to be an important parameter for prediction of disease recurrence in colon cancer