GARCÍA ALBERTE, Román. Líbano: El conflicto hecho nación. Madrid: Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales, 2018, 286 páginas

La singularidad del Líbano lo ha llevado a ser objeto de interés de las ciencias políticas por la diversidad confesional que habita dentro de ese pequeño territorio, y, sobre todo, por el modelo institucional conformado en comunidades religiosas diferenciadas —consociacionismo— heredero de su pasado otomano-colonial. Esta singularidad también estriba en que ha sido modelo tanto de éxito y estabilidad (la Suiza de Oriente Medio) como de su contrario: fragilidad y conflictos (guerra civil). También es popular su capacidad sorprendente de reconstrucción, no solamente de sus infraestructuras básicas sino de sus identidades. Unas identidades que resurgen una y otra vez a través de los conflictos. Lo que habla, y de ello trata este libro, de la extraordinaria resistencia del Estado como generador inicial, y el que encauza ulteriormente las resoluciones, de los conflictos libaneses. De hecho, no es un trabajo que se centra meramente en la naturaleza del conflicto o en las causas que lo rigen, sino en el tránsito entre conflicto y estabilidad

Representación de la mujer iraquí a través del contrato colonial y los nacionalismos anticoloniales

El presente artículo pretende describir la representación de las mujeres iraquíes a través de su historia moderna hasta la ocupación de Iraq en 2003 mediante el análisis del “contrato colonial”, la modernidad y los nacionalismos anticoloniales, lo cual puede servir para un mayor entendimiento de la dimensión de los cambios negativos sufridos por las mujeres iraquíes a raíz del contrato neocolonial a partir de 2003Describes the representation of Iraqi women across their modern history up to the occupation of 2003 through the analysis of the “colonial contract”, modernity and the anticolonial nationalisms, which can help to a better understanding of the dimension of the negative changes that the Iraqi women suffered since the neocolonial contract of 2003

Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in alveolar soft-part sarcoma: results from a retrospective worldwide registry

Alveolar soft-part sarcoma; Immune checkpoint; ImmunotherapySarcoma alveolar de partes blandas; Puntos de control inmunológico; InmunoterapiaSarcoma alveolar de parts toves; Punts de control immunològic; ImmunoteràpiaBackground Conventional cytotoxic drugs are not effective in alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS). Immune checkpoint (programmed cell death protein 1/programmed death-ligand 1) inhibitors (ICIs) are promising drugs in ASPS. A worldwide registry explored the efficacy of ICI in ASPS. Materials and methods Data from adult patients diagnosed with ASPS and treated with ICI for advanced disease in expert sarcoma centers from Europe, Australia and North America were retrospectively collected, including demographics and data related to treatments and outcome. Results Seventy-six ASPS patients, with a median age at diagnosis of 25 years (range 3-61 years), were registered. All patients received ICI for metastatic disease. Immunotherapy regimens consisted of monotherapy in 38 patients (50%) and combination in 38 (50%) (23 with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor). Among the 68 assessable patients, there were 3 complete responses and 34 partial responses, translating into an overall response rate of 54.4%. After a median follow-up of 36 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 32-40 months] since the start of immunotherapy, 45 (59%) patients have progressed on ICI, with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 16.3 months (95% CI 8-25 months). Receiving ICI in first line (P = 0.042) and achieving an objective response (P = 0.043) correlated with a better PFS. Median estimated overall survival (OS) from ICI initiation has not been reached. The 12-month and 24-month OS rates were 94% and 81%, respectively. Conclusions This registry constitutes the largest available series of ASPS treated with ICI. Our results suggest that the ICI treatment provides long-lasting disease control and prolonged OS in patients with advanced ASPS, an ultra-rare entity with limited active therapeutic options.DSM is a recipient of a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship funded by the National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII) (CD20/00155). The authors thank SELNET project. SELNET has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 825806

REGISTRI: Regorafenib in first-line of KIT/PDGFRA wild type metastatic GIST: a collaborative Spanish (GEIS), Italian (ISG) and French Sarcoma Group (FSG) phase II trial

Wild type GIST; Biomarker; Clinical trialGIST de tipo salvaje; Biomarcador; Ensayo clínicoGIST de tipus salvatge, Biomarcador; Assaig clínicBackground Approximately 15% of adult GIST patients harbor tumors that are wild-type for KIT and PDGFRα genes (KP-wtGIST). These tumors usually have SDH deficiencies, exhibit a more indolent behavior and are resistant to imatinib. Underlying oncogenic mechanisms in KP-wtGIST include overexpression of HIF1α high IGFR signaling through the MAPK pathway or BRAF activating mutation, among others. As regorafenib inhibits these signaling pathways, it was hypothesized that it could be more active as upfront therapy in advanced KP-wtGIST. Methods Adult patients with advanced KP-wtGIST after central confirmation by NGS, naïve of systemic treatment for advanced disease, were included in this international phase II trial. Eligible patients received regorafenib 160 mg per day for 21 days every 28 days. The primary endpoint was disease control rate (DCR), according to RECIST 1.1 at 12 weeks by central radiological assessment. Results From May 2016 to October 2020, 30 patients were identified as KP-wtGIST by Sanger sequencing and 16 were confirmed by central molecular screening with NGS. Finally, 15 were enrolled and received regorafenib. The study was prematurely closed due to the low accrual worsened by COVID outbreak. The DCR at 12 weeks was 86.7% by central assessment. A subset of 60% experienced some tumor shrinkage, with partial responses and stabilization observed in 13% and 87% respectively, by central assessment. SDH-deficient GIST showed better clinical outcome than other KP-wtGIST. Conclusions Regorafenib activity in KP-wtGIST compares favorably with other tyrosine kinase inhibitors, especially in the SDH-deficient GIST subset and it should be taken into consideration as upfront therapy of advanced KP-wtGIST.GEIS, Bayer and SELNET. SELNET has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement Nº. 825806

In vitro, Alternative Methods to the Biological Control of the Aphids by Entomopathogenic Fungi Beauveria bassiana Isolates from Gaza Strip

Sustainable vegetable production it depends mainly on yield and quality, if not properly managed, pests and diseases can dramatically reduce crop yield, quality and subsequent returns. Plant diseases need to be controlled to maintain the quality and abundance of food, feed, and fiber produced by growers around the world (Pal and Gardener, 2006). Disease control is an essential component of crop management for increase yield potential. A low disease loss in your fields in the recent past does not ensure disease losses will remain low (Tobacco disease management (2015). Every year gardeners confront many insect pests feasting on fruits and vegetables (Jackman, 1998). Plants have many pests, such as aphids and mites. Aphids are important herbivores of both wild and cultivated plants that feed on the phloem of vascular plants (Züst and Agrawal, 2016). Most vegetables crops attached by this pest and also it can stunt and distort the growth of plants and cause wilting and bud drop, resulting in poor flowering and fruit set. Synthetic pesticides have played a central role for control plant pathogen (Chandler et al., 2011; El-Wakeil, 2013). In the recent years, the negative effects on health and the environment as a result of the indiscriminate use of pesticides have led the EU to the prohibition of many synthetic pesticides (D'Addabbo et al., 2014). Consequently

Trabectedin plus radiotherapy for advanced soft-tissue sarcoma: experience in forty patients treated at a sarcoma reference center

Symptomatic control and tumoral shrinkage is an unmet need in advanced soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) patients beyond first-line. The combination of trabectedin and radiotherapy showed activity in a recently reported clinical trial in this setting. This retrospective series aims to analyze our experience with the same regimen in the real-life setting. We retrospectively reviewed advanced sarcoma patients treated with trabectedin concomitantly with radiotherapy with palliative intent. Growth-modulation index (GMI) was calculated as a surrogate of efficacy. Forty metastatic patients were analyzed. According to RECIST, there was one (2.5%) complete response, 12 (30%) partial responses, 18 (45%) disease stabilizations, and nine (22.5%) progressions. After a median follow-up of 15 months (range 2–38), median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 7.5 months (95% CI 2.8–12.2) and 23.5 months (95% CI 1.1–45.8), respectively. Median GMI was 1.42 (range 0.19–23.76), and in 16 (53%) patients, it was >1.33. In patients with GMI >1.33, median OS was significantly longer than in those with GMI 0–1.33 (median OS 52.1 months (95% CI not reached) vs. 8.9 months (95% CI 6.3–11.6), p = 0.028). The combination of trabectedin plus radiotherapy is an active therapeutic option in patients with advanced STS, especially when tumor shrinkage for symptomatic relief is neede

Kan yamakan/Érase una vez: el podcast como herramienta docente

“Kan yamakan” es un proyecto de innovación docente aplicado a la enseñanza de la literatura árabe en el Grado de Estudios Árabes e Islámicos de la Universidad de Granada. Su objetivo principal es el diseño y grabación, por parte de los estudiantes, de podcasts de literatura árabe a partir de la lectura de textos/obras literarias, tanto clásicas como contemporáneas, en relación al temario de las asignaturas de literatura del citado Grado implicadas en el Proyecto.“Kan yamakan” is a Teaching Innovation Project for teaching Arab Literature in the Degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Granada. Its main goal is to enable students to design and to elaborate bilingual Arab Literature podcasts from the previous reading of literary classical texts/works, as well as contemporary ones, related to the programs of Literature subjects involved in the project.Plan FIDO UGR 2020-2022, Unidad de Calidad, Innovación Docente y Prospectiv

A Novel NFIX-STAT6 Gene Fusion in Solitary Fibrous Tumor: A Case Report

Solitary fibrous tumor is a rare subtype of soft-tissue sarcoma with a wide spectrum of histopathological features and clinical behaviors, ranging from mildly to highly aggressive tumors. The defining genetic driver alteration is the gene fusion NAB2–STAT6, resulting from a paracentric inversion within chromosome 12q, and involving several different exons in each gene. STAT6 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 6) nuclear immunostaining and/or the identification of NAB2–STAT6 gene fusion is required for the diagnostic confirmation of solitary fibrous tumor. In the present study, a new gene fusion consisting of Nuclear Factor I X (NFIX), mapping to 19p13.2 and STAT6, mapping to 12q13.3 was identified by targeted RNA-Seq in a 74-year-old female patient diagnosed with a deep-seated solitary fibrous tumor in the pelvis. Histopathologically, the neoplasm did not display nuclear pleomorphism or tumor necrosis and had a low proliferative index. A total of 378 unique reads spanning the NFIXexon8–STAT6exon2 breakpoint with 55 different start sites were detected in the bioinformatic analysis, which represented 59.5% of the reads intersecting the genomic location on either side of the breakpoint. Targeted RNA-Seq results were validated by RT-PCR/ Sanger sequencing. The identification of a new gene fusion partner for STAT6 in solitary fibrous tumor opens intriguing new hypotheses to refine the role of STAT6 in the sarcomatogenesis of this entity

Familial adenomatosis polyposis–related desmoid tumours treated with low-dose chemotherapy: results from an international, multi-institutional, retrospective analysis

[Introduction] Desmoid tumour (DT) is a locally aggressive fibroblastic proliferative disease representing the most common extraintestinal manifestation of familial adenomatosis polyposis (FAP). As data on the activity of chemotherapy in these patients are limited, we examined the outcomes of patients treated with low-dose methotrexate (MTX)+vinca alkaloids (vinorelbine or vinblastine).[Patients and methods] We retrospectively reviewed clinical and outcome data from all patients with confirmed FAP-associated DTs treated with weekly MTX+vinca alkaloids in seven European sarcoma reference centres between January 2000 and December 2018. Radiological responses were assessed using RECIST V.1.0 and V.1.1. The Kaplan-Meier method associated to the log-rank test was used to estimate and compare survival curves.[Results] We identified 37 patients (median age 29 years, range 7–44). According to RECIST, 20/37 (54.1%) patients achieved partial response (PR), 15/37 (40.5%) patients had stable disease and 2/37 (5.4%) had progressive disease as best response. Overall, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.5 years (range, 0.3–12.1 years). In the subset of patients achieving PR as best response, the median PFS was not reached. In a subset of 11 patients with progressive disease offered MTX+vinca alkaloids rechallenge (after chemotherapy withdrawal following prolonged disease control), the disease control rate was 100%, resulting in a median PFS after rechallenge of 5.8 years.[Conclusions] This is the largest series on the activity of low-dose chemotherapy in patients with FAP-related DT. In this population, MTX+vinca alkaloids is an active combination, as already reported in patients with sporadic DT