The European Union, borders and conflict transformation: the case of Cyprus

Much of the existing literature on the European Union (EU), conflict transformation and border dynamics has been premised on the assumption that the nature of the border determines EU intervention and the consequences that flow from this in terms of EU impact. The article aims to transcend this literature through assessing how domestic interpretations influence EU border transformation in conflict situations, taking Cyprus as a case study. Moreover, the objective is to fuse the literature on EU bordering impact and perceptions of the EU’s normative projection in conflict resolution. Pursuing this line of inquiry is an attempt to depart from the notion of borders being constructed solely by unidirectional EU logics of engagement or bordering practices to a conceptualization of the border as co-constituted space, where the interpretations of the EU’s normative projections by conflict parties, and the strategies that they pursue, can determine the relative openness of the EU border

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Solvent-Polymer Interdiffusion. I. Fickian diffusion

The interdiffusion of a solvent into a polymer melt has been studied using large scale molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulation techniques. The solvent concentration profile and weight gain by the polymer have been measured as a function of time. The weight gain is found to scale as t^{1/2}, which is expected for Fickian type of diffusion. The concentration profiles are fit very well assuming Fick's second law with a constant diffusivity. The diffusivity found from fitting Fick's second law is found to be independent of time and equal to the self diffusion constant in the dilute solvent limit. We separately calculated the diffusivity as a function of concentration using the Darken equation and found that the diffusivity is essentially constant for the concentration range relevant for interdiffusion.Comment: 17 pages and 7 figure

Calculation of atomic spontaneous emission rate in 1D finite photonic crystal with defects

We derive the expression for spontaneous emission rate in finite one-dimensional photonic crystal with arbitrary defects using the effective resonator model to describe electromagnetic field distributions in the structure. We obtain explicit formulas for contributions of different types of modes, i.e. radiation, substrate and guided modes. Formal calculations are illustrated with a few numerical examples, which demonstrate that the application of effective resonator model simplifies interpretation of results.Comment: Cent. Eur. J. Phys, in pres

Influence of FK 506 (tacrolimus) on circulating CD4 ⁺ t cells expressing cd25 and cd45ra antigens in 19 patients with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis participating in an open label drug safety trial

We have taken the opportunity of a clinical trial of the potential efficacy and safety of FK 506 (tacrolimus) in chronic progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) to examine the influence of this potent new immunosuppressant on circulating T-lymphocytes in an otherwise healthy non-transplant population. Peripheral blood levels of subsets of CD4+ T lymphocytes expressing the activation molecule interleukin-2 receptor (p55 α chain; CD25) or the CD45RA isoform were determined sequentially in 19 patients that were treated continuously with oral FK 506 (starting dose 0.15 mg/kg/day) for 12 months. No significant change in the proportion of circulating CD25 + CD4+ cells was observed over the study period in which the mean trough plasma FK 506 level rose from 0.3 ±0.2 to 0.5 ±0.4 ng/ml. There was also no significant effect of FK 506 on the percentage of CD45RA + CD4 + cells in the peripheral blood at 12 months compared with pretreatment values. Analysis of a subgroup of 7 patients, who showed a sustained reduction in CD25 + CD4+ cells and a reciprocal increase in CD45RA* CD4 * cells for at least 6 months after start of treatment, did not reveal any difference in disability at one year compared with the treatment group as a whole. The side effects of FK 506 were mild and the overall degree of disability estimated by the mean Kurtzke expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score or the ambulation index did not deteriorate significantly in the 19 patients studied over the 12 months of FK 506 administration. © 1994 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted

Domestic Politics and Conflict in the Cases of Israel, Palestine and Lebanon

When analysing conflicts from either academic or policy perspectives, conflict parties are often treated as monolithic 'black boxes'. Analysis tends to be centred on relations between principal parties and third party actors both in phases of conflict and of peace. In turn, attention is often focussed on the day to day evolution of relations between conflict parties, at the expense of the underlying long-term drivers of conflict and peace, which often lie within conflict parties themselves. This is particularly true in the Middle East, where the succession of crises in the region often leaves analysts and policy-makers little time to reflect upon the structural root drivers of conflict. Stemming from this premise, this report draws out some of the main structural, interestbased and ideational domestic drivers within three conflict parties in the Middle East: Israel, Palestine and Lebanon. On the basis of this analysis, this report examines the extent and manner in which these domestic drivers have impinged upon the ensuing inter-connected conflict hubs in the region; namely the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, between Israel and Lebanon and Syria, and between Syria and Lebanon. This report also discusses how external parties and most importantly EU actors have affected these conflicts by operating – deliberately or not – on their respective domestic drivers. In turn, we conclude by drawing out alternative policy approaches that could aid the EU pursue its oft-quoted objective to contribute and promote peace in the region

Spatial optical solitons in nonlinear photonic crystals

We study spatial optical solitons in a one-dimensional nonlinear photonic crystal created by an array of thin-film nonlinear waveguides, the so-called Dirac-comb nonlinear lattice. We analyze modulational instability of the extended Bloch-wave modes and also investigate the existence and stability of bright, dark, and ``twisted'' spatially localized modes in such periodic structures. Additionally, we discuss both similarities and differences of our general results with the simplified models of nonlinear periodic media described by the discrete nonlinear Schrodinger equation, derived in the tight-binding approximation, and the coupled-mode theory, valid for shallow periodic modulations of the optical refractive index.Comment: 15 pages, 21 figure

Hypericum hircinum L.: botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties

Hypericum hircinum L., commonly known as goat St. John’s wort or stinking tutsan, is a medicinal plant native to the Mediterranean basin and widespread across Europe and parts of the Middle East. It has a long history of traditional uses in folk medicine to treat respiratory diseases, wounds, and burns and to relieve migraine, rheumatism, and muscular pains. Despite numerous scientific studies shading light on the phytochemical profile and on the beneficial properties of the plant extracts, a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge is missing. In this paper, we summarized the available information on botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties of Hypericum hircinum from peer-reviewed articles published till March 2025 in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Wiley, Springer, ACS, Scielo, and Web of Science databases. The presence of numerous valuable compounds, including terpenes, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and phloroglucinols, is reported as well as the wide range of pharmacological properties, such as antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, antidepressant, anti-collagenase, anti-α-glucosidase, and antioxidant activities, together with non-pharmacological properties. The data reported in this review contribute to a deeper understanding of the biological properties of the species and pave the way for further investigation of its potential application

The European Union, Russia and the Eastern region: The analytics of government for sustainable cohabitation

This article applies the Foucauldian premise of governmentality and the analytics of government framework to demonstrate how exclusive modalities of power – of the European Union (EU) and Russia – and their competing rationalities relate, intersect and become, counter-intuitively, inextricable in their exercise of governance over the eastern neighbourhood. This particular approach focuses on power as a process to gauge the prospects for compatibility and cohabitation between the EU and Russia. Using original primary evidence, this article contends that cohabitation between these two exclusive power modalities is possible and even inevitable, if they were to legitimise their influence over the contested eastern region. It also exposes a fundamental flaw in the existing power systems, as demonstrated so vividly in the case of Ukraine – that is, a neglect for the essential value of freedom in fostering subjection to one’s authority, and the role of ‘the other’ in shaping the EU–Russian power relations in the contested regio

Efficacy and Safety of Low-Dose Bisoprolol/Hydrochlorothiazide Combination for the Treatment of Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect and the safety profile of low-dose bisoprolol/hydrochlorothiazide combination treatment in patients with hypertension. Methods: Multiple electronic databases were systematically searched, and five clinical studies were included in the meta-analysis. Results: Treatment with bisoprolol/hydrochlorothiazide significantly reduced systolic BP (SBP) [mean difference (MD): −8.35 mmHg, 95% confidence interval (CI): −11.44, −5.25 mmHg versus control; MD: −9.88 mmHg, 95%CI: −12.62, −7.14 mmHg versus placebo] and diastolic BP (DBP) [MD: −7.62 mmHg, 95%CI: −11.20, −4.04 mmHg, versus control; MD: −8.79 mmHg, 95%CI: −11.92, −5.67 mmHg versus placebo]. Moreover, BP response rate and BP control rate after low-dose bisoprolol/hydrochlorothiazide combination treatment were significantly greater compared to control [odd ratio (OR) for response rate: 4.86, 95%CI: 2.52, 9.37; OR for control rate: 1.67, 95%CI: 1.11, 2.51]. Finally, treatment with low-dose bisoprolol/hydrochlorothiazide was associated with a reduced risk of any adverse event (AE) and peripheral edema compared to control. Conclusions: Overall, our results reaffirm the safety and efficiency of prescribing bisoprolol/hydrochlorothiazide combination treatment in stage I and II hypertension

Myrtle Seeds (Myrtus communis L.) as a Rich Source of the Bioactive Ellagitannins Oenothein B and Eugeniflorin D2

The increasing popularity of "Mirto" liqueur, produced from Myrtus communis berries, has led to the planting of domesticated cultivars, expanding myrtle berry production. To promote the use of cultivated berries, the content in the nutraceutical compounds ellagitannins has been investigated both in spontaneous and cultivated fruits. Oenothein B and eugeniflorin D2, characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, were isolated and quantified using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-DAD-MS/MS). The antifungal and anti-inflammatory activities of oenothein B were assayed in vitro. Large amounts of oenothein B and eugeniflorin D2 were detected in seeds (12 \ub1 2.4 and 5.8 \ub1 1.2 mg/g). The oenothein B concentration in liqueurs was 194 \ub1 22 mg/L. This macrocyclic ellagitannin dimer showed anti-Candida (minimal inhibitory concentration <8-64 \u3bcg/mL) and anti-inflammatory properties. Cultivated myrtle berries are a source of nutraceutical compounds. The high concentration of oenothein B in liqueur suggests a possible contribution to the organoleptic and biological properties of the beverage