Exploring the Boundaries of Conditionality in the EU. Egmont European Policy Brief No. 51 June 2018

Conditionality in the EU comes in many forms: legally codified and enforced by the Court of Justice, or reliant on intergovernmental bargaining and expressed by means of political or economic (dis)incentives. This European Policy Brief explores the boundaries of the conditionality debate, and assesses what varying degrees of conditionality can and cannot achieve. The overarching objective of conditionality is to foster integration and cohesion amongst the peoples of Europe and their Member States. A sound logic of conditionality must therefore set incentives in such a way that their application contributes to this intended outcome. A balanced combination of political, legal and budgetary instruments can help remedy a major lacuna in the Treaties: the effective protection of the rule of law and democracy

Lipoprotein lipase SNPs rs13702 and rs301 correlate with clinical outcome in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in the Western world and is characterized by a heterogeneous clinical course. This variability in clinical course has spiked the search for prognostic markers able to predict patient evolution at the moment of diagnosis. Markers demonstrated to be of value are the mutation status of the immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region genes (IGHV) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) expression. High LPL mRNA expression has been associated with short treatment free (TFS) and decreased overall survival (OS) in CLL. The LPL SNPs rs301 (T<C), rs328 (C<G) and rs13702 (T<C) have been associated with various metabolic disorders, but the association with CLL evolution is unknown. Here, in a cohort of 248 patients, we show that patients with the LPL SNP rs13702 wild-type T/T genotype had significantly shorter OS than patients with C/C and T/C genotypes (median time until CLL related death: 90 and 156 months respectively, p=0.008). The same was observed for LPL SNP rs301 (median time until CLL related death T/T: 102 and C/C, T/C: 144 months, p=0.03). Both SNPs rs301 and rs13702 were significantly associated with each other and notably, no association was found between IGHV status and presence of the SNP genotypes, indicating that these LPL SNPs are reliable prognostic markers that could add extra prognostic and predictive information to classical markers and help to improve the management of CLL

The knowledge transfer from science to practice – a survey with EU researchers

Group members came from 12 European countries, six from new (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia) and six from old EU member states (Germany, Spain, Finland, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal). The aim of the work was to analyze the role of the scientists in a dialogue between them and the practitioners within the organic production sector. Another important aim was to find the best practice models of such dialogue as the examples to be followed by others. In order to reach this aim the survey with the scientists has been conducted by all project partners; every partner has conducted the survey with 10 selected scientists from own country. Only the scientists possessing PhD level and actively working in the organic sector could be selected. Key areas of the questionnaire were directed to the (A) person (gender, age, years of activity in teaching and/or researching), (B) number of projects, papers, trainings and interviews, (C) Examples of best practice models, (D) Estimations of potential collaboration and dialog between scientists and stakeholders, (E) Estimations about the success of personal activities with regard to the improvement of the four fields (farming, processing, trading & marketing), (F) Estimates of the improvement of communication and knowledge transfer from science to practice, (G) Estimates of potential threats for good communication and knowledge transfer among scientists and practitioners. Interviewees were finally asked for general remarks and comments. The results indicate that there is not a big difference between the scientists from the old EU member states and new EU member states in most of the analyzed areas. The main difference is that the scientists from the new EU member states provide more training sessions for practitioners outside their institutions compared to the researchers from the old EU member states. The results reveal also a relatively low level of the researchers’ activity in conducting the implementation projects and writing the popular papers, both in the old and new EU member states

Increased Calcium Intake Does Not Suppress Circulating 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D in Normocalcemic Patients with Sarcoidosis

Ca absorption is regulated by 1,25(OH)2D, and serum values vary inversely with Ca intake. In sarcoidosis, 1,25(OH)2D is produced by alveolar macrophages in response to y-interferon, and patients may develop hypercalcemia after prolonged exposure to sunlight and increased dermal production of vitamin D3. To determine if increased Ca intake suppresses serum 1,25(OH)2D in normocalcemic patients and to identify those at risk, 17 normal subjects and 11 patients were studied on a metabolic ward for two and one-half days while receiving first 400 and then 1,000 mg/d of Ca. On the low Ca intake, serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), an index of disease activity, was higher in only three of the patients than in the controls, mean serum 1,25(OH)2D was higher in the patients, and mean serum total Ca, serum Ca , and urinary Ca were not different in the two groups. On the higher Ca intake, mean urinary Ca increased in both groups, but mean serum 1,25(OH)2D was suppressed only in the normal subjects. Thus, 1,25(OH)2D production is abnormally regulated, indicating that (a) normocalcemic patients with sarcoidosis are at risk for developing abnormal Ca metabolism, and (b) a better index of disease activity is provided by the oral Ca suppression test than by serum ACE. (J. Clin. Invest. 1993. 91:1396- 1398.

Design and Baseline Characteristics of Participants in the Researching cardiovascular Events with a Weekly INcretin in Diabetes (REWIND) Trial of Dulaglutide's Cardiovascular Effects

DigitalThe aim was to determine the effects of dulaglutide, a synthetic once-weekly, injectable human glucagon-like peptide 1 analogue that lowers blood glucose, body weight, appetite and blood pressure, on cardiovascular outcomes. People with type 2 diabetes, aged ≥50 years, with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ≤9.5%, and either a previous cardiovascular event, evidence of cardiovascular disease or ≥2 cardiovascular risk factors were randomly allocated to a weekly subcutaneous injection of either dulaglutide (1.5 mg) or placebo and followed within the ongoing Researching cardiovascular Events with a Weekly INcretin in Diabetes (REWIND) trial every 3 to 6 months. The primary cardiovascular outcome is the first occurrence of the composite of cardiovascular death or non-fatal myocardial infarction or non-fatal stroke. Secondary outcomes include each component of the primary composite cardiovascular outcome, a composite clinical microvascular outcome comprising retinal or renal disease, hospitalization for unstable angina, heart failure requiring hospitalization or an urgent heart failure visit, and all-cause mortality. Follow-up will continue until the accrual of 1200 confirmed primary outcomes. Recruitment of 9901 participants (mean age 66 years, 46% women) occurred in 370 sites located in 24 countries over a period of 2 years. The mean duration of diabetes was 10 years, mean baseline HbA1c was 7.3%, and 31% had prior cardiovascular disease. The REWIND trial's international scope, high proportion of women, high proportion of people without prior cardiovascular disease and inclusion of participants whose mean baseline HbA1c was 7.3% suggests that its cardiovascular and safety findings will be directly relevant to the typical middle-aged patient seen in general practice throughout the world.Ciencias Médicas y de la Salu

A note on comonotonicity and positivity of the control components of decoupled quadratic FBSDE

In this small note we are concerned with the solution of Forward-Backward Stochastic Differential Equations (FBSDE) with drivers that grow quadratically in the control component (quadratic growth FBSDE or qgFBSDE). The main theorem is a comparison result that allows comparing componentwise the signs of the control processes of two different qgFBSDE. As a byproduct one obtains conditions that allow establishing the positivity of the control process.Comment: accepted for publicatio

Development of an International Odor Identification Test for Children: The Universal Sniff Test

Objective: To assess olfactory function in children and to create and validate an odor identification test to diagnose olfactory dysfunction in children, which we called the Universal Sniff (U-Sniff) test.  Study design: This is a multicenter study involving 19 countries. The U-Sniff test was developed in 3 phases including 1760 children age 5-7 years. Phase 1: identification of potentially recognizable odors; phase 2: selection of odorants for the odor identification test; and phase 3: evaluation of the test and acquisition of normative data. Test—retest reliability was evaluated in a subgroup of children (n = 27), and the test was validated using children with congenital anosmia (n = 14).  Results: Twelve odors were familiar to children and, therefore, included in the U-Sniff test. Children scored a mean ± SD of 9.88 ± 1.80 points out of 12. Normative data was obtained and reported for each country. The U-Sniff test demonstrated a high test—retest reliability (r27 = 0.83, P < .001) and enabled discrimination between normosmia and children with congenital anosmia with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 86%.  Conclusions: The U-Sniff is a valid and reliable method of testing olfaction in children and can be used internationally

Prospectus, October 18, 1978

PARKLAND\u27S BOOKSTORE-- IS IT RIPPING YOU OFF?; letters to the editor One student does not want gay bars to turn into \u27freak shows\u27; Give blood today; College Cuisine; Dec. 31 is EC fellowship application deadline; Advertising Policy; Instructors attend meeting next week; Electronics \u27bugs\u27 invited to Parkland; Gammon elected charter member; Riding club has contest; Raffle winners have last day to claim prizes; Language clubs will have dinner; Nov. 5 poetry review deadline; PC defines typical student; Taiwan students to give performance at U of I; SNAP to host guest speakers; Parkland is getting ready for hard winter; PC math contest to be Saturday, April 28; Mimes visit campus; Legal clinic is Oct. 19; Farm emergency workshop to be held on Nov. 4; Women\u27s creativity honored; Parkland\u27s nursing program is Gogol\u27s first full-time job; High cost of books is common problem; DeShong attacking PC apathy; PC health service sponsors lectures; WPCD\u27s Top 15 For The Week Of Oct. 9; Final Christmas bazaar meeting; \u27I Quit Smoking\u27 draws fifteen; PC events for the week; Battered women series part 2: Battered women face struggles; Craft media in art exhibit; Free Classifieds; Informants can profit; Family Service conducts workshop; Golf team places 20th; PC still looking for wrestlers; Paxton still undefeated; \u27Spikers\u27 ready for tourney; Intramural basketball team organizing now; B-ball meeting for girls to be tuesday; Fast Freddy Contest; Fast Freddy has a winner with three wrong answershttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1978/1007/thumbnail.jp