“Crisis Rhetoric” and Derogations from the AFSJ: Is EU Asylum Policy Discriminatory or does its Implementation Reflect the Rule of Law?

This paper analyses the language of EU leaders and its influence on the implementation of EU asylum law by triggering derogations, exceptions and amendments. It compares this process with regards to the 2015 refugee crisis, the Belarus border crisis and the current Ukrainian crisis to portray how the reaction to similar facts differs and, hence, to show how EU asylum policy suffers from a lack of rule of law. As the crisis in Ukraine unfolds, one can observe how strongly the narrative of EU leaders differs regarding these refugees compared to those from, e.g., Syria and Afghanistan in previous years. It shows a “U-turn” of the EU’s agenda since 2015. Hence, it has become clear that the problem lies less in sufficient contingencies for a sudden influx, but rather a feeling – or lack – of solidarity. From a legal perspective, there is no distinction between the responsibility for asylum applicants based on their nationality. To the contrary, refugee protection builds on the prohibition of discrimination. This has potentially negative implications for the rule of law in the EU. Hence, this paper investigates how EU leaders “talk” their way into applying or not applying EU law and even create EU law at their will simply by describing the arrivals as a security threat, a “hybrid attack” or instead as neighbors in need, as “family”. Received: 31 July 2022  Accepted: 13 October 202

Terrorism and Asylum (RLI Working Paper Series Mini-volume)

Contents 31. Introduction (page 1) Guest editor: James C. Simeon 32. Refugees, terrorism and Article 1 of the Refugee Convention (page 6) Patricia Tuitt 33. An introduction to the common security narrative of terrorism and asylum and its influence on Austrian migration law (page 17) Julia Kienast 34. The fight against terrorism and the need for international protection: the Hungarian solution (page 32) Barbara Kőhalmi and Anita Rozália Nagy-Nádasdi 35. Manufacturing fear: The social component of anti-immigration policies in the United States (page 46) Selina March 36. Terrorism and exclusion from asylum in international and national law (page 56) James C. Simeo

Invasion patterns in brain metastases of solid cancers

Background Brain metastases are generally considered to be well demarcated from the surrounding brain parenchyma, although infiltrative growth patterns have been observed. We systemically investigated infiltration patterns and expression of adhesion molecules in a large and well-defined series of autopsy cases of brain metastases. Methods Ninety-seven autopsy specimens from 57 brain metastasis patients (primary tumor: 27 lung cancer, 6 breast cancer, 8 melanoma, 2 colorectal cancer, 1 kidney cancer, and 13 other) were evaluated for patterns of invasion into surrounding brain parenchyma. Expression of integrins αv; cytoplasmic β3, αvβ3, αvβ5, αvβ6, and αvβ8; and of E and N cadherin were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Results Three main invasion patterns were seen: well-demarcated growth (29/57, 51%), vascular co-option (10/57, 18%), and diffuse infiltration (18/57, 32%). There was no statistically significant association of invasion pattern with primary tumor type, although vascular co-option was most common in melanoma brain metastases (4/10). Invasion patterns of different brain metastases of the same patient were highly concordant (P < .001, chi-square test). Distance of infiltration from the main tumor mass ranged from 12.5 µm to 450 µm (median 56.2 µm) and was not significantly different between the vascular co-option and the diffuse infiltration groups. Levels of αvβ6 were significantly higher in the well-demarcated group than in the vascular co-option and the diffuse infiltration groups (P = .033, Kruskal-Wallis test). Expression of αvβ5 in tumor cells was higher in brain metastasis lesions previously treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (P = .034, chi-square test). Conclusions Distinct invasion patterns of brain metastases into the brain parenchyma are not specific for primary tumor types, seem to be influenced by expression of αv integrin complexes, and may help to guide clinical decision-making

Platelet production and platelet destruction: assessing mechanisms of treatment effect in immune thrombocytopenia

This study investigated the immature platelet fraction (IPF) in assessing treatment effects in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). IPF was measured on the Sysmex XE2100 autoanalyzer. The mean absolute-IPF (A-IPF) was lower for ITP patients than for healthy controls (3.2 vs 7.8 × 109/L, P < .01), whereas IPF percentage was greater (29.2% vs 3.2%, P < .01). All 5 patients with a platelet response to Eltrombopag, a thrombopoietic agent, but none responding to an anti-FcγRIII antibody, had corresponding A-IPF responses. Seven of 7 patients responding to RhoD immuneglobulin (anti-D) and 6 of 8 responding to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) did not have corresponding increases in A-IPF, but 2 with IVIG and 1 with IVIG anti-D did. This supports inhibition of platelet destruction as the primary mechanism of intravenous anti-D and IVIG, although IVIG may also enhance thrombopoiesis. Plasma glycocalicin, released during platelet destruction, normalized as glycocalicin index, was higher in ITP patients than controls (31.36 vs 1.75, P = .001). There was an inverse correlation between glycocalicin index and A-IPF in ITP patients (r2 = −0.578, P = .015), demonstrating the relationship between platelet production and destruction. Nonresponders to thrombopoietic agents had increased megakaryocytes but not increased A-IPF, suggesting that antibodies blocked platelet release. In conclusion, A-IPF measures real-time thrombopoiesis, providing insight into mechanisms of treatment effect

Operationalizing ecosystem services for the mitigation of soil threats: A proposed framework

Despite numerous research efforts over the last decades, integrating the concept of ecosystem services into land management decision-making continues to pose considerable challenges. Researchers have developed many different frameworks to operationalize the concept, but these are often specific to a certain issue and each has their own definitions and understandings of particular terms. Based on a comprehensive review of the current scientific debate, the EU FP7 project RECARE proposes an adapted framework for soil-related ecosystem services that is suited for practical application in the prevention and remediation of soil degradation across Europe. We have adapted existing frameworks by integrating components from soil science while attempting to introduce a consistent terminology that is understandable to a variety of stakeholders. RECARE aims to assess how soil threats and prevention and remediation measures affect ecosystem services. Changes in the natural capital's properties influence soil processes, which support the provision of ecosystem services. The benefits produced by these ecosystem services are explicitly or implicitly valued by individuals and society. This can influence decision- and policymaking at different scales, potentially leading to a societal response, such as improved land management. The proposed ecosystem services framework will be applied by the RECARE project in a transdisciplinary process. It will assist in singling out the most beneficial land management measures and in identifying trade-offs and win–win situations resulting from and impacted by European policies. The framework thus reflects the specific contributions soils make to ecosystem services and helps reveal changes in ecosystem services caused by soil management and policies impacting on soil. At the same time, the framework is simple and robust enough for practical application in assessing soil threats and their management with stakeholders at various levels