El Islam europeo: entre la integración y la radicalización

Documento procedente de la colección Fundación FAESEl concepto de Islam europeo es un término más geográfico que político o religioso. Se trata de construir un espacio público común para diferentes comunidades musulmanas que están viviendo en Europa y que buscan mejorar su integración en las secularizadas sociedades no-musulmanas. La idea de la creación de un Islam europeo procede de algunos intelectuales musulmanes como Tariq Ramadan, Jusuf al-Qaradiwi y Bassam Tibi, y algunos líderes religiosos como el reis-ul-ulema de Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mustafa Ceric, autor de la Declaración de los Musulmanes Europeos.The concept of European Islam is a more geographical than political or religious term. It is about building a common public space for different Muslim communities that are living in Europe and that seek to improve their integration in the secularized non-Muslim societies. The idea of the creation of a European Islam comes from some Muslim intellectuals such as Tariq Ramadan, Jusuf al-Qaradiwi and Bassam Tibi, and some religious leaders such as the reis-ul-ulema of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mustafa Ceric, author of the Declaration of the European Muslims

In vitro determination of hemoglobin A1c for diabetes diagnosis and management: technology update

It is fascinating to consider the analytical improvements that have occurred since glycated hemoglobin was first used in routine clinical laboratories for diabetes monitoring around 1977; at that time methods displayed poor precision, there were no calibrators or material with assayed values for quality control purposes. This review outlines the major improvements in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) measurement that have occurred since its introduction, and reflects on the increased importance of this hemoglobin fraction in the monitoring of glycemic control. The use of HbA1c as a diagnostic tool is discussed in addition to its use in monitoring the patient with diabetes; the biochemistry of HbA1c formation is described, and how these changes to the hemoglobin molecule have been used to develop methods to measure this fraction. Standardization of HbA1c is described in detail; the development of the IFCC Reference Measurement Procedure for HbA1c has enabled global standardization to be achieved which has allowed global targets to be set for glycemic control and diagnosis. The importance of factors that may interfere in the measurement of HbA1c are highlighted

Las guerras napoleónicas en los Balcanes

In order to understand the pan-European scope of Napoleon’s campaigns it is necessary to study the political context and strategic location of the Balkans in the early 19th century from an international relations perspective: rivalry between Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires, the First Serbian Uprising in 1804, along with the creation of the Third Coalition against France, which was defeated at the Battle of Austerlitz (1805). The consequences of the Napoleonic Wars on three different Balkan territories are examined. The territories are the Illyrian Provinces, where the French grip on the Balkans was affirmed for a brief time, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The purpose of this essay is to show that the rise of nationalist ideology in the Balkans was the result not of Napoleon’s campaigns but of the particularities of the imperial political systems of the Ottomans and the Austro-Hungarians.Para comprender la dimensión paneuropea de las campañas napoleónicas es necesario analizar el contexto político y geoestratégico de los Balcanes a comienzos del siglo XIX, en la perspectiva de las relaciones internacionales: tensiones entre los tres grandes imperios —otomano, austrohúngaro y ruso—, la Primera Revuelta Campesina serbia en 1804, así como el surgimiento, un año después, de la tercera coalición contra Francia, que fue derrotada en la batalla de Austerlitz (1805). Las consecuencias de las guerras napoleónicas se examinan en tres territorios diferentes de los Balcanes: Provincias Ilirias, donde se afirmó, por un breve período, el dominio francés en los Balcanes (1809-1815), Serbia y Bosnia y Herzegovina, para demostrar que el surgimiento de la ideología nacionalista en los Balcanes debe mucho más a las características de los sistemas políticos imperiales de los otomanos y austrohúngaros que a las campañas napoleónicas

Investigating the relationship between personality dimensions, level of self-efficacy and perceived performance appraisal satisfaction: a case for individualised performance appraisals

Orientation: For decades, organisations have implemented performance management systems in order to promote an environment focused on performance enhancement and employee development. Performance appraisals have consistently been at the centre of performance management systems. However, they are often perceived as being ineffective or unsatisfactory, resulting in dissatisfaction and contributing to financial and time losses. Performance Appraisal Satisfaction (PAS) amongst employees is, therefore, vital if organisations want to achieve desired outcomes. Limited research was found that explained or described methods which organisations can utilise to increase PAS amongst employees. Research rationale and objectives: As organisations become more global, innovative and employee-focused, the need to cater to individual needs and desires has significantly increased. This study aimed to investigate ways in which PAS can be increased through the individualisation of three performance appraisal aspects namely; number of raters; method of feedback and frequency of feedback. In terms of the individualisation factors, this study has focused on; level of perceived self-efficacy and the Big Five personality dimensions. Research approach: Given the limited pre-existing literature on this topic, the present study used an exploratory research approach to engage with the results in an in-depth manner. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from employees and Human Resource practitioners in order to establish performance appraisal preferences and the viability of implementing individualised performance appraisals. Composite questionnaires consisting of Likert-type questions, choice-based conjoint tasks and open-ended questions, were distributed utilising a convenient and snowball methodology. Completed questionnaires were analysed by means of descriptive and inferential and statistics, conjoint analysis, as well as by means of a thematic analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Human Resource practitioners and analysed using a thematic analysis. Main findings: Results from the descriptive and inferential statistics indicate that the level of self-efficacy and personality-type are significant in predicting certain performance appraisal preferences. For example, respondents with increased levels of perceived self-efficacy significantly preferred face-to-face feedback from a manager (p < .05) while respondents with low levels of perceived self-efficacy significantly preferred impersonal feedback (p < .05). Results from the composite questionnaire’s open-ended items indicated that employees prefer performance appraisals which considered their personality type and level of self-efficacy. However, the thematic analysis conducted on the HR practitioner interviews revealed that HR practitioners are hesitant to implement a novel performance appraisal system for reasons including; gaining top-management support and the additional time and administrative burden it would likely impose on the HR practitioners themselves

Infection, inflammation, and poststroke cognitive impairment

Background: Infection and inflammation are dementia risk factors in population‐based cohorts; however, studies in stroke are scarce. We determined the prevalence of infection after stroke and routinely measured inflammatory biomarkers during hospitalization and their associations with acute and 6‐month cognitive impairment. Methods and Results: A prospective stroke cohort completed the Oxford Cognitive Screen at ≤2 weeks and 6 months after stroke. Infection, inflammatory markers (C‐reactive protein, white cell count, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio), and systemic inflammatory response syndrome were ascertained throughout admission with electronic patient records supplemented by hand searches. Associations with acute and 6‐month global and domain‐specific cognitive impairment were analyzed using multivariable regression, adjusting for demographic/vascular factors and stroke severity. Among 255 patients (mean age, 73.9 [SD, 12.6] years; 46.3% women; mean education, 12.6 [SD, 3.7] years; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 5 [range, minimum‐maximum, 0–30]), infection was present in 90 patients (35.3%) at mean 4.4 (SD, 6.9) days after stroke, consisting predominantly of pneumonia (47/90; 52%) and urinary tract infection (39/90; 43%). Admission white cell count was elevated in 25.1% (n=64; mean, 9.5×109/L [SD, 3.2×109/L]), C‐reactive protein in 41.2% (n=105; mean, 27.5 [SD, 50.9 mg/L]), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in 55.7% (n=97; mean, 5.5 [SD, 4.5]), and systemic inflammatory response syndrome in 26.6% (n=53 [45.2%] positive during hospitalization). Infection was associated with acute and 6‐month poststroke cognitive impairment (P<0.05adj) with stronger associations acutely for severe infection (infection+systemic inflammatory response syndrome; P=0.03adj). Acute language, executive function and attention domain impairments, and 6‐month number processing impairment were associated with infection (P<0.05adj). No significant relationships were found for any biomarker and cognitive impairment. Conclusions: Infection and elevations in routinely measured inflammatory biomarkers are common following stroke; however, only infection is associated with poststroke cognitive impairment, suggesting that increases in these biomarkers may be nonspecific. Infection may present a tractable target for reducing poststroke cognitive impairment

Domain-specific cognitive impairment 6 months after stroke: The value of early cognitive screening

Background:: Cognitive screening following stroke is widely recommended, yet few studies have considered the prognostic value of acute domain-specific function for longer-term cognitive outcome. Identifying which post-stroke cognitive impairments more commonly occur, recover, and persist, and which impairments hold prognostic value, could inform care planning, and resource allocation. Aims:: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of domain-specific impairment acutely and at 6 months, assess the proportion of change in cognitive performance, and examine the prognostic value of acute domain-specific cognitive screening. Methods:: A prospective stroke cohort completed the Oxford Cognitive Screen acutely (⩽2 weeks) and 6 months post-stroke. We determined the prevalence of acute and 6-month domain-specific impairment and proportion of change in performance from acute to 6 months. Hierarchical multivariable regression was used to predict global and domain-specific cognitive impairment at 6 months adjusted for demographic/vascular factors, stroke severity, and lesion volume. Results:: A total of 430 stroke survivors (mean/SD age 73.9/12.5 years, 46.5% female, median/interquartile range (IQR) National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) 5/2–10) completed 6-month follow-up. Acutely, domain-specific impairments were highly prevalent ranging from 26.7% (n = 112) in praxis to 46.8% (n = 183) in attention. At 6 months, the proportion of domain-specific recovery was highest in praxis (n = 73, 71%) and lowest in language (n = 89, 46%) and memory (n = 82, 48%). Severity of 6-month cognitive impairment was best predicted by the addition of acute cognitive impairment (adj R2 = 0.298, p < 0.0001) over demographic and clinical factors alone (adj R2 = 0.105, p < 0.0001). Acute cognitive function was the strongest predictor of 6-month cognitive performance (p < 0.0001). Acute domain-specific impairments in memory (p < 0.0001), language (p < 0.0001), and praxis (p < 0.0001) significantly predicted overall severity of cognitive impairment at 6 months. Conclusion:: Post-stroke cognitive impairment is highly prevalent across all domains acutely, while impairments in language, memory, and attention predominate at 6 months. Early domain-specific screening can provide valuable prognostic information for longer-term cognitive outcomes

Proposed expansion: South Fork Nooksack gravel mine: environmental impact assessment

The purpose of this Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is to evaluate the potential impacts of future mineral extraction for the 280 acre expansion of MRL designation and zoning overlay, proposed for amendment within the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map. If the amendments were to be accepted, the 280 acre expansion will be mined for gravel and aggregate by Burlington based company, Concrete Nor\u27West. This EIA investigates the environmental impacts associated with the proposed action, an alternative action and again for a no action alternative. Impact analysis has been performed in accordance with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The applicant is proposing the amendment to the WCCP and Zoning Map to change an existing 280 acre Commercial Forestry zone with a Commercial Forestry designation to an MRL designation and zoning overlay. The proposed 280 acre expansion is adjacent to an inactive gravel pit and is located off of Doran and Bowman roads just South of Acme. The amendment to the WCCP and Zoning Map would result in the 280 acres being mined for gravel and other aggregates. The alternative proposal is to not mine the entire 280 acres but to protect Habitat Conservation Areas (HCA\u27s) and wetland as well as reclaiming already exhausted sites and sections of the expanded site as they become exhausted. This would minimize disturbance and impacts of mining processes on the natural and built environments as well as provide some mitigation to those impacts that remain unavoidable. The last option would be to not go through with the proposed amendments, leaving all existing conditions in place. This would mean that the proposed 280 acre expansion would not be actively mined and instead left as Commercial Forestry area. The impacts of the proposed South Fork Nooksack Gravel Mine are assessed by impact category in the following report. The categories of significant environmental impacts are organized by sections of Natural Environment, Built Environment, and Environmental Health. Impacts we have determined to be most significant fall under the Natural Environment heading, due mostly in part by the general stress on the land mining operations entail. The proposed development would require removal of topsoil and existing vegetation on mining sites as well as the disturbance of topsoil and existing vegetation on sites not being actively mined. During the construction of the mine and the process of actively mining for gravel and other aggregates an increase in on-site transportation will occur in the area, which will cause loosening and compaction of soils as well as a reduction in air quality. Water quality is another factor that may be impacted by mining practices, this includes surface water, wetland habitat, flooding regimes, and groundwater. The proposed mine expansion will have detrimental effects to wildlife and habitat which is intrinsically valuable as well as being a cultural resource to the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe. The Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe also consider this area an archeological site which makes an archeological survey necessary prior to the mining of the site. At the end of this document you will find a summary of our findings and the recommendation we have developed for the proposal, which is first highlighted in the Decision Matrix found at the end of Section 1

Introducing the tablet-based Oxford Cognitive Screen-Plus (OCS-Plus) as an assessment tool for subtle cognitive impairments

Here, we present the Oxford Cognitive Screen-Plus, a computerised tablet-based screen designed to briefly assess domain-general cognition and provide more fine-grained measures of memory and executive function. The OCS-Plus was designed to sensitively screen for cognitive impairments and provide a differentiation between memory and executive deficits. The OCS-Plus contains 10 subtasks and requires on average 24&#xA0;min to complete. In this study, 320 neurologically healthy ageing participants (age M&#x2009;=&#x2009;62.66, SD&#x2009;=&#x2009;13.75) from three sites completed the OCS-Plus. The convergent validity of this assessment was established in comparison to the ACE-R, CERAD and Rey-Osterrieth. Divergent validity was established through comparison with the BDI and tests measuring divergent cognitive domains. Internal consistency of each subtask was evaluated, and test-retest reliability was determined. We established the normative impairment cut-offs for each of the subtasks. Predicted convergent and divergent validity was found, high internal consistency for most measures was also found with the exception of restricted range tasks, as well as strong test-retest reliability, which provided evidence of test stability. Further research demonstrating the use and validity of the OCS-Plus in various clinical populations is required. The OCS-Plus is presented as a standardised cognitive assessment tool, normed and validated in a sample of neurologically healthy participants. The OCS-Plus will be available as an Android App and provides an automated report of domain-general cognitive impairments in executive attention and memory

Long-term psychological outcomes following stroke: the OX-CHRONIC study

Background: Stroke survivors rate longer-term (> 2 years) psychological recovery as their top priority, but data on how frequently psychological consequences occur is lacking. Prevalence of cognitive impairment, depression/anxiety, fatigue, apathy and related psychological outcomes, and whether rates are stable in long-term stroke, is unknown. Methods: N = 105 long-term stroke survivors (M [SD] age = 72.92 [13.01]; M [SD] acute NIH Stroke Severity Score = 7.39 [6.25]; 59.0% Male; M [SD] years post-stroke = 4.57 [2.12]) were recruited (potential N = 208). Participants completed 3 remote assessments, including a comprehensive set of standardized cognitive neuropsychological tests comprising domains of memory, attention, language, and executive function, and questionnaires on emotional distress, fatigue, apathy and other psychological outcomes. Ninety participants were re-assessed one year later. Stability of outcomes was assessed by Cohen’s d effect size estimates and percent Minimal Clinically Important Difference changes between time points. Results: On the Montreal Cognitive Assessment 65.3% scored  Conclusion: Nearly half of participants > 2 years post-event exhibited psychological difficulties including domains of cognition, mood, and fatigue, which impact long-term quality of life. Stroke is a chronic condition with highly prevalent psychological needs, which require monitoring and intervention development