25 research outputs found

    Biometric and behavioural mass surveillance in EU member states: report for the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament

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    The aim of this report is to establish a problematised overview of what we know about what is currently being done in Europe when it comes to remote biometric identification (RBI), and to assess in which cases we could potentially fall into forms of biometric mass surveillance.Institutions, Decisions and Collective Behaviou

    Obedience in times of COVID-19 pandemics: a renewed governmentality of unease?

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    This article transects and articulates different disciplines and lines of thought in order to understand the redefinitions of the boundaries of political power in times of COVID-19, and the practices which may outlive the potential normalisation of the crisis when an efficient vaccine is discovered. We claim that the COVID-19 pandemic is an original form of governmentality by unease articulating three dimensions. First, the basic reaction of modern states when faced with uncertainty is to apply national-territorial logics of controls. Second, bureaucracies consider the virus as a danger to security and organise public health emergencies according to the rules of the game of national security, creating tensions between internal security, public health and the economy because policymakers may be unsure about the priorities and may prioritise border controls. Third, resistance against the chosen national policies show that people are not led by a politics of fear and/or protection, but rather their own concerns about themselves with peer-to-peer surveillance as a key element of their compliance. Contact tracing technologies and strategies of border controls are key elements to analyse. We do so in different contexts: the UK, the EU and Turkey

    Obedience in times of COVID-19 pandemics: a renewed governmentality of unease?

    No full text
    This article transects and articulates different disciplines and lines of thought in order to understand the redefinitions of the boundaries of political power in times of COVID-19, and the practices which may outlive the potential normalisation of the crisis when an efficient vaccine is discovered. We claim that the COVID-19 pandemic is an original form of governmentality by unease articulating three dimensions. First, the basic reaction of modern states when faced with uncertainty is to apply national-territorial logics of controls. Second, bureaucracies consider the virus as a danger to security and organise public health emergencies according to the rules of the game of national security, creating tensions between internal security, public health and the economy because policymakers may be unsure about the priorities and may prioritise border controls. Third, resistance against the chosen national policies show that people are not led by a politics of fear and/or protection, but rather their own concerns about themselves with peer-to-peer surveillance as a key element of their compliance. Contact tracing technologies and strategies of border controls are key elements to analyse. We do so in different contexts: the UK, the EU and Turkey

    A retrospective analysis of blood gases with two different insulin infusion protocols in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery.

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    Intraoperative blood glucose concentration is known to be an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. Arterial blood gas analysis is an important investigation to monitor the acid-base balance and gas exchange in these patients. Hyperglycemia leads to a series of metabolic changes which affect acid-base balance and serum electrolytes. In this study, we aimed to look into the effect of glycemic control on arterial blood gas parameters, serum electrolytes, and hemoglobin (Hb)

    Cyclosporine Level at the Second Hour in Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients

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    In this retrospective study, cyclosporine levels at the second hour (C2 levels) were measured during oral cyclosporine intake in 28 pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients, and the relations between cyclosporine dosage and C0, C2 levels, C2/C0 ratio, and cyclosporine-related adverse effects were investigated. Cyclosporine levels at the second hour levels were found to be significantly lower in children younger than 7 years old, suggesting age-related differences in absorption and metabolism of the drug. There were statistically significant correlations of both C0 and C2 levels with blood creatinine values. In addition, a statistically significant negative relation was found between C0 and C2 levels and serum potassium levels; this unexpected finding was attributed to multiple drug effects in the early posttransplant period. The common adverse effects of cyclosporine (gingival overgrowth, gynecomastia, and hypertrichosis) were also evaluated in this study, and no correlation was found between those adverse effects and C0, C2 levels, C2/C0 ratio, and cyclosporine dosage. In the present study, despite the highly significant correlation of C2 levels with renal and metabolic effects, in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients, measurement of C2 levels as a standard practice did not provide an advantage over C0 monitoring. However, the preliminary results suggest that C2 level monitoring could be useful in selected patients with increased risk of renal toxicity or in states where a better estimation of gastrointestinal absorption is neede

    Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Secrete Endocannabinoids That Stimulate in Vitro Hematopoietic Stem Cell Migration Effectively Comparable To Beta-Adrenergic Stimulation

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    Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a well-known hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-mobilizing agent used in both allogeneic and autologous transplantation. However, a proportion of patients or healthy donors fail to mobilize a sufficient number of cells. New mobilization agents are therefore needed. Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are endogenous lipid mediators generated in the brain and peripheral tissues and activate the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. We suggest that eCBs may act as mobilizers of HSCs from the bone marrow (BM) under stress conditions as beta-adrenergic receptors (Adrβ). This study demonstrates that BM mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) secrete anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) and the peripheral blood (PB) and BM microenvironment contain AEA and 2-AG. 2-AG levels are significantly higher in PB of the G-CSF-treated group compared with BM plasma. BM mononuclear cells (MNCs) and CD34+ HSCs express CB1, CB2, and Adrβ subtypes. CD34+ HSCs had higher CB1 and CB2 receptor expression in G-CSF-untreated and G-CSF-treated groups compared with MSCs. MNCs but not MSCs expressed CB1 and CB2 receptors based on qRT-PCR and flow cytometry. AEA- and 2-AG-stimulated HSC migration was blocked by eCB receptor antagonists in an in vitro migration assay. In conclusion, components of the eCB system and their interaction with Adrβ subtypes were demonstrated on HSCs and MSCs of G-CSF-treated and G-CSF-untreated healthy donors in vitro, revealing that eCBs might be potential candidates to enhance or facilitate G-CSF-mediated HSC migration under stress conditions in a clinical setting.Wo

    Effects of Multimodal Exercise on Clinical Status and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Children Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

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    There are limited data available regarding effectiveness of exercise training in children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We aimed to investigate effects of multimodal exercise program on clinical status and patient-reported outcomes including pain, fatigue, depression, and quality of life (QOL) level of children and their parents' QOL level. Twenty-six children undergoing HSCT participated in this study. Clinical status, pain, fatigue, depression, and QOL level of children were assessed three times: before HSCT, at discharge, and one month later. For intervention group (IG, n = 15), multimodal exercise program was performed five days a week, throughout hospitalization and children were advised to continue exercise program at home. For control group (CG, n = 11), being active as much as possible was advised. The number of painful day and pain intensity was significantly lower in IG than in CG during hospitalization (p < .05). Depression level decreased in IG at the time points (p Ë‚ .05); however, there was no significantly difference between groups. The QOL level was higher in IG than CG only at control measurements (p Ë‚ .05). In addition, QOL level of the parents decreased in both groups (p Ë‚ .05). There was no statistically difference between groups in terms of other clinical variables. The multimodal supervised exercise program has positive effects on children's pain and QOL level. Exercise program was also well tolerated by children during hospitalization. In addition, QOL levels of the parents were also negatively affected during hospitalization, and interventions aiming to increase QOL level of the parents should be considered.Wo
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