Normalising jurisdictional heterotopias through place branding : the cases of Christiania and Metelkova

This paper explores the political dimensions of place branding as a path to normalisation for areas where a paradoxical relationship with the law exists, places that we coin “jurisdictional heterotopias” borrowing from Foucauldian literature. We posit that place branding plays a fundamental role in facilitating scale jumping in the otherwise vertically aligned legal space, a hierarchy designed to exclude spatial multiplicity from its premise. By examining the role of place branding in such areas, we endeavour to understand and appreciate the selective application of the law, the perpetuation of unregulated and illegal activity, as well as the place – specificity of legal practice. Ultimately, we argue that strong place branding associations permit the engulfment of this type of heterotopias in the “mainstream” leading to their normalisation; such a normalisation results not only in the acceptance of their uniqueness by the institutional elements, but also in the potential nullification of the liberties their communities advocate

Sentinel node lymphocytes: tumour reactive lymphocytes identified intraoperatively for the use in immunotherapy of colon cancer

The sentinel node is the first lymph node to receive lymphatic drainage from a tumour and is usually the first site of metastases. Today, the sentinel node is used for tumour staging. Here, we focus on its immunological role and investigate lymphocytic function in sentinel nodes, identified intraoperatively by peritumoural dye injection, from 15 patients with colon cancer. Tumour infiltrating lymphocytes, sentinel and nonsentinel lymph node cells and peripheral blood leukocytes were studied by flow cytometry, proliferation assays and interferon-γ secretion after activation with autologous tumour homogenate. Whereas tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes were nonresponsive in the proliferation assays, lymphocytes from sentinel nodes proliferated dose dependently and secreted interferon-γ upon stimulation with tumour homogenate. The responses were of varying magnitude and tended to be weaker in metastatic sentinel nodes. Sentinel node lymphocytes represents an enriched source of tumour reactive lymphocytes, and may be useful in future trials of adoptive immunotherapy

Pneumonia and poverty: a prospective population-based study among children in Brazil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Children in developing country suffer the highest burden of pneumonia. However, few studies have evaluated associations between poverty and pneumonia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A prospective population-based study on pneumonia was carried out as part of the Latin America Epidemiological Assessment of Pneumococcus (LEAP study). Chest x-rays were obtained for children one to 35 months old with suspected pneumonia presenting to emergency care centers and hospital emergency rooms in Goiania, Brazil. Chest radiographs were evaluated according to WHO guidelines. Clustering of radiologically-confirmed pneumonia were evaluated using a Poisson-based spatial scan statistic. Associations between census socioeconomic indicators and pneumonia incidence rates were analyzed using generalized linear models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>From May, 2007 to May, 2009, chest radiographs were obtained from 11 521 children with clinical pneumonia; 3955 episodes were classified as radiologically-confirmed. Incidence rates were significantly higher in very low income areas (4825.2 per 10⁵) compared to high income areas (1637.3 per 10⁵). Spatial analysis identified clustering of confirmed pneumonia in Western (RR 1.78; p = 0.001) and Southeast (RR 1.46; p = 0.001) regions of the city, and clustering of hospitalized pneumonia in the Western region (RR 1.69; p = 0.001). Lower income households and illiteracy were associated with pneumonia incidence.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In infants the risk of developing pneumonia is inversely associated with the head of household income and with the woman educational level. Areas with deprived socioeconomic conditions had higher incidence of pneumonia and should be targeted for high vaccination coverage.</p

Long-Term Follow-Up of Newborns with 22q11 Deletion Syndrome and Low TRECs.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadBackground: Population-based neonatal screening using T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) identifies infants with profound T lymphopenia, as seen in cases of severe combined immunodeficiency, and in a subgroup of infants with 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). Purpose: To investigate the long-term prognostic value of low levels of TRECs in newborns with 22q11DS. Methods: Subjects with 22q11DS and low TRECs at birth (22q11Low, N=10), matched subjects with 22q11DS and normal TRECs (22q11Normal, N=10), and matched healthy controls (HC, N=10) were identified. At follow-up (median age 16 years), clinical and immunological characterizations, covering lymphocyte subsets, immunoglobulins, TRECs, T-cell receptor repertoires, and relative telomere length (RTL) measurements were performed. Results: At follow-up, the 22q11Low group had lower numbers of naïve T-helper cells, naïve T-regulatory cells, naïve cytotoxic T cells, and persistently lower TRECs compared to healthy controls. Receptor repertoires showed skewed V-gene usage for naïve T-helper cells, whereas for naïve cytotoxic T cells, shorter RTL and a trend towards higher clonality were found. Multivariate discriminant analysis revealed a clear distinction between the three groups and a skewing towards Th17 differentiation of T-helper cells, particularly in the 22q11Low individuals. Perturbations of B-cell subsets were found in both the 22q11Low and 22q11Normal group compared to the HC group, with larger proportions of naïve B cells and lower levels of memory B cells, including switched memory B cells. Conclusions: This long-term follow-up study shows that 22q11Low individuals have persistent immunologic aberrations and increased risk for immune dysregulation, indicating the necessity of lifelong monitoring. Clinical implications: This study elucidates the natural history of childhood immune function in newborns with 22q11DS and low TRECs, which may facilitate the development of programs for long-term monitoring and therapeutic choices. Keywords: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome; DiGeorge syndrome; T lymphopenia; TREC; long-term outcome; newborn screening; severe combined immunodeficiency.University of Gothenburg Regional research grant Region Halland Swedish Research Council European Commission Queen Silvia Jubilee Foundation Swedish Primary Immunodeficiency Organization Sparbanken Foundation Varberg Frimurare Barnhusdirektionen Foundation Gothenburg Medical Society Medical Faculty at Umea University Cancer Research Foundation in Northern Sweden Swedish government county councils, the ALF-agreement Umea University Vasterbottens County Counci