Hunger & Fury: The Political in Bosnia and Herzegovina

This text is an attempt to (re)approach the process of political and social transfor-mation in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) over the past century and a half through the prism of popular agency. The primary research question of this dissertation asks why given nearly uniformly catastrophic social indicators across virtually all socio-economic categories there are so few instances of overt popular dissatisfaction (e.g. protests and/or energetic voter turnout) with the prevailing political order in BiH? In addressing this question through an analysis that straddles political theory, international relations, and political economy literatures I focus on the role played by the specific local variant(s) of the nation-state form in essentially depoliticizing the majority of the population in this polity. My central argument is that rather than creating the conditions for rational-legal public administration and multi-party competition, the state in BiH has historically served to deny political agency to would-be citizens. The state in BiH has actively sought to eliminate civil society, in other words, and that therefore the defining political and social crises in contemporary BiH must be understood in the context of nearly two centuries of this particular and peculiar state (and nation) formation process. I argue that the historic evolution of the BiH polity has been characterized by a form of elastic authoritarianism; the process of seemingly persistent ideological mutation contrasted by static political and economic patterns. Uniquely persistent patterns marked in BiH primarily by oligarchic political and parasitic economic practices. Thus despite decades of international democracy promotion efforts in BiH since the conclusion of the war in the 1990s, it is these broader patterns of state formation (and perpetuation) that have suffocated attempts at genuine popular participation in the countrys politics

Providing Integrated Peer-support Assistance to Landmine Survivors

Landmine Survivors Initiatives implemented a three-pronged, peer-support assistance system to meet landmine survivors’ needs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This practice is the combination of an approach and methodology to provide integrated assistance to landmine survivors

Bridging intravenous thrombolysis in patients with atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation; Intravenous thrombolysis; Oral anticoagulationFibrilación auricular; Trombólisis intravenosa; Anticoagulación oralFibril·lació auricular; Trombolisi intravenosa; Anticoagulació oralBackground and purpose: 40% of acute ischemic stroke patients treated by mechanical thrombectomy (MT) have a clinical history of atrial fibrillation (AF). The safety of bridging intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) (MT + IVT) is currently being discussed. We aimed to analyze the interaction between oral anticoagulation (OAC) status or AF with bridging IVT, regarding the occurrence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and functional outcome. Materials and Methods: Multicentric observational cohort study (BEYOND-SWIFT registry) of consecutive patients undergoing MT between 2010 and 2018 (n = 2,941). Multinomial regression models were adjusted for prespecified baseline and plausible pathophysiological covariates identified on a univariate analysis to assess the association of AF and OAC status with sICH and good outcomes (90-day modified Rankin Scale score 0–2). Results: In the total cohort (median age 74, 50.6% women), 1,347 (45.8%) patients had AF. Higher admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (aOR 1.04 [95% 1.02–1.06], per point of increase) and prior medication with Vitamin K antagonists (VKA) (aOR 2.19 [95% 1.27–3.66]) were associated with sICH. Neither AF itself (aOR 0.71 [95% 0.41–1.24]) nor bridging IVT (aOR 1.08 [0.67–1.75]) were significantly associated with increased sICH. Receiving bridging IVT (aOR 1.61 [95% 1.24–2.11]) was associated with good 90-day outcome, with no interaction between AF and IVT (p = 0.92). Conclusion: Bridging IVT appears to be a reasonable clinical option in selected patients with AF. Given the increased sICH risk in patients with VKA, subgroup analysis of the randomized controlled trials should analyze whether patients with VKA might benefit from withholding bridging IVT.This study was funded by the Bangerter-Rhyner Foundation and the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences. Open access funding provided by University of Bern

Safety and Efficacy of Carotid Artery Stenting with the CGuard Double-layer Stent in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND Double-layer stents show promising results in preventing periinterventional and postinterventional embolic events in elective settings of carotid artery stenting (CAS). We report a single-center experience with the CGuard stent in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to symptomatic internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis or occlusion with or without intracranial occlusion. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed all patients who received a CGuard stent in the setting of AIS at our institution. Neuroimaging and clinical data were analyzed with the following primary endpoints: technical feasibility, acute and delayed stent occlusion or thrombosis, distal embolism, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and functional outcome at 3 months. RESULTS In 33 patients, stenting with the CGuard was performed. Stent deployment was successful in all patients (28 with tandem occlusions, 5 with isolated ICA occlusion). Transient acute in-stent thrombus formation occurred in three patients (9%) without early stent occlusion. Delayed, asymptomatic stent occlusion was seen in 1 patient (3%) after 49 days. Asymptomatic periinterventional distal emboli occurred in 2 patients (6%), 1 patient experienced a transient ischemic attack 79 days after the procedure and 1 patient (3%) developed sICH. Favorable clinical outcome (mRS 0-2) at 3 months was achieved in 12 patients (36%) and the mortality rate was 24%. CONCLUSION The CGuard use in emergencies was technically feasible, the safety has to be confirmed by further multicentric studies

The IJMS World Conference of Medical Student Research and an Overview of the IJMS Volume 10 Issue 2

We introduce the first IJMS World Conference of Medical Student Research as a unique opportunity for medical students and early-career scientists around the globe to share the results of their research in an online worldwide platform, aimed at increasing accessibility to research for medical students and creating bonds of collaborations between participants and future scientists and leaders of medical research education. This is also the second issue of the 10-year anniversary of the Journal, and we describe in summary the published research and experiences of this issue.&nbsp