Book review: African intelligence services: early postcolonial and contemporary challenges edited by Ryan Shaffer

In African Intelligence Services: Early Postcolonial and Contemporary Challenges, Ryan Shaffer brings together contributors to explore the histories and transformations of African intelligence services. The book offers an impressive introduction to the role of intelligence services in Africa and will give a strong incentive to researchers to further explore the emerging intelligence literature in African Studies, writes Francois Sennesael. African Intelligence Services: Early Postcolonial and Contemporary Challenges. Ryan Shaffer (eds). Rowman & Littlefield. 2021

Diversity and Engagement in Supplemental Elementary Art Education

In this project, I identified two main issues in standard elementary level art education through consultation with a teacher (second grade, public school), and research. These issues are the apparent lack of diversity in the selection of artists that are included in lessons, as well as a tendency for children’s art activities to be oversimplified or limited in regard to their potential for creative expression and overall engagement. In an effort to address these two issues, I designed and assembled an educational resource (digital lesson/activity book) that would include a diverse range of artists for students to learn about as well as activities constructed for creative freedom, personal expression, and thoughtful execution. A trial of this resource’s content was executed in a second-grade classroom, including a lesson and an activity. Feedback from both the students and the teacher were overall very positive

M & L Jaargang 14/6

GeneriekGodelieve Van Hemeldonck Henry Redig (1817-1896), een veelzijdig architect. [Henry Redig (1817-1896), and all-round architect.]Te weinig nog wordt aandacht geschonken aan de weinig opvallende maar niet zelden beeldbepalende productie van de eigen stadsbouwmeesters.Nog geen jaar geleden werd hier tol veler aangename verrassing de figuur van Joseph Schadde (1818-1894) kleurrijk gehuldigd. Nauwelijks minder verdienstelijk was diens stads- en leeftijdsgenoot Henry Redig (1817-1896) wiens oeuvre in Lier en omstreken vooreerst, in Antwerpen nadien met de meesterwoning Arens een zeldzaam hoogtepunt zou bereiken. Een ten geleide door Godelieve van Hemeldonck.Veronique Sennesael Italiaanse inspiratie: het campo santo van Mariakerke. [The campo santo in Mariakerke.]In alle opzichten belichaamt het parochiekerkhof van het Gentse Mariakerke het verhitte laat-19de-eeuwse kerkhovendispuut tussen jonge liberale gemeentebesturen en weerwerk biedende ultramontaanse kringen, traditionele bedienaars van de dodenakkers.Door de eigen kerkelijke leiders afgehouden van het nieuwste stedelijke Geuzenkerkhof, zouden de katholieke overledenen voortaan een toevlucht vinden in dit naar ontwerp van Jean-Baptiste Bethune met een omringende galerij verfraaid kader. De precedenten én de stille dood van het project weet Véronique Sennesael deskundig te onthullen.Hedwig Van Den Bossche Restauratie, van conflictmodel tot veelzijdige discipline: twintig jaar omgaan met het charter van Venetië. [Restoration, from a confrontation strategy to an all-round descipline: 20 years after the Venice charter.]Vrijwel onopgemerkt bleef in 1995 de 20ste verjaardag van de moeder van alle thema-jaren: het monumentenjaar 1975. Toch lag ginds de toen nog onvermoede kiem van een sindsdien wijdvertakte, nauwelijks nog weg te denken en alsmaar met nieuwe disciplines en initiatieven verjongende sector.Hedwig van den Bossche kwam als quasi-nestor van de Vlaamse monumentenzorgers de plichtmatige terugblik toe op evenzovele jaren activiteit van de toenmalige Rijksdienst voor Monumenten- en Landschapszorg.Zijn Oostvlaamse praktijkervaring toetsen aan het nog steeds actuele Charter van Venetië, en dit stofferen met over de provinciegrenzen verspreide voorbeelden, vormt hierbij een op zijn minst spitsvondige invalshoek.SummaryM&L Binnenkran

Pharmacogenetics of Bleeding and Thromboembolic Events in Direct Oral Anticoagulant Users

Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and TherapeuticsThis study aimed to analyze associations between genetic variants and the occurrence of clinical outcomes in dabigatran, apixaban, and rivaroxaban users. This was a retrospective real-world study linking genotype data of three Finnish biobanks with national register data on drug dispensations and healthcare encounters. We investigated several single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in the ABCG2, ABCB1, CES1, and CYP3A5 genes potentially associated with bleeding or thromboembolic events in direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) users based on earlier research. We used Cox regression models to compare the incidence of clinical outcomes between carriers and noncarriers of the SNVs or haplotypes. In total, 1,806 patients on apixaban, dabigatran, or rivaroxaban were studied. The ABCB1 c.3435C>T (p.Ile1145=, rs1045642) SNV (hazard ratio (HR) 0.42, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.18-0.98, P = 0.044) and 1236T-2677T-3435T (rs1128503-rs2032582-rs1045642) haplotype (HR 0.44, 95% CI, 0.20-0.95, P = 0.036) were associated with a reduced risk for thromboembolic outcomes, and the 1236C-2677G-3435C (HR 2.55, 95% CI, 1.03-6.36, P = 0.044) and 1236T-2677G-3435C (HR 5.88, 95% CI, 2.35-14.72, P A (rs4148738) SNV associated with a lower risk for bleeding events (HR 0.37, 95% CI, 0.16-0.89, P = 0.025) in apixaban users. ABCB1 variants are potential factors affecting thromboembolic events in rivaroxaban users and bleeding events in apixaban users. Studies with larger numbers of patients are warranted for comprehensive assessment of the pharmacogenetic associations of DOACs and their relevance for clinical practice.Peer reviewe

Exploring adverse drug reactions associated with the use of direct oral anticoagulants : from greater fundamental knowledge to better clinical prevention

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are increasingly used in clinical practice, partly due to their higher convenience. However, serious adverse drug reactions (ADR) have been frequently described in DOAC patients, including thrombotic and bleeding events. This interdisciplinary project first demonstrated that prescribing and adherence issues were involved in a significant part of DOAC-related ADR. Contributing factors were explored through qualitative research methods. Then, highly variable DOAC plasma levels were observed in bleeding patients, underlining the usefulness of DOAC measurement for managing reversal or urgent procedures. The performance of an original laboratory assay was evaluated in that context. Finally, several genetic polymorphisms were investigated in vitro, but did not appear to contribute to the inter-individual variability in DOAC levels. These findings pave the way for designing and implementing risk-minimization strategies in order to prevent DOAC-related ADR. Evidence about computerized decision supports for DOAC prescribing was reviewed to this end.(BIFA - Sciences biomédicales et pharmaceutiques) -- UCL, 201

Quel risque d'hémorragie intracrânienne avec l'aspirine en prévention primaire ?

Nous avons déjà analysé à plusieurs reprises dans Minerva la place de l’aspirine en prévention cardiovasculaire primaire (1-6). Ces 3 analyses les plus récentes font état d’un manque d’arguments (balance bénéfice-risque non favorable) pour accorder une place à l’aspirine en prévention primaire. Ces analyses se basaient sur 2 méta-analyses récentes (6,7). Une autre étude réalisée en Nouvelle-Zélande a cherché à déterminer quels patients resteraient malgré tout bénéficiaires de l’aspirine en prévention primaire (c'est-à-dire les patients à haut risque cardiovasculaire et faible risque de saignements) (8). Le risque d’hémorragie intracrânienne (HI) est le plus redouté avec l’aspirine. Les nouvelles données disponibles (trois larges études randomisées contrôlées (9-11)), le manque de consistance des données sur le risque d’HI ainsi que le manque de détails sur les sous-types de saignements les plus fréquents ont mené à la réalisation d’une revue systématique et méta-analyse

Long-term evolution of the mineral metabolism after renal transplantation : a prospective, single-center cohort study

Background. Abnormalities in bone and mineral metabolism are common after renal transplantation (RT) but information on their long-term time course is scarce. Objectives. (1) Evaluate the time course of biochemical parameters of bone and mineral metabolism over 60 months after RT; (2) identify predictors for persistent hyperparathyroidism (HPT). Design. Prospective, longitudinal, single-center cohort study. Methods. We determined serum levels (mean values +/- standard deviations) of intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), alkaline phosphatase (APh), calcitriol, and creatinine (Cr) preoperatively as well as 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months after cadaveric RT in 49 patients. We in addition recorded demographic, clinical, and therapeutic data. Results. Pretransplantation iPTH stabilized from 194.2 +/- 273.5 to 71.5 +/- 50.7 ng/L at 6 months. Serum Ca (9.5 +/- 1.1 mg/dL) and APh (81.9 +/- 42.1 U/L) did not change. Baseline serum P (5.7 +/- 1.8 mg/dL) and serum Mg (2.4 +/- 0.4 mg/dL) decreased to normal ranges from month 6 onward. Low baseline calcitriol (22.4 +/- 21.8 pmol/L) normalized slowly by 12 months (95.4 +/- 46.7 pmol/L). Stable graft function (53.2 +/- 15.8 mL/min) was achieved from 6 months onward. By 60 months, 26.5% of patients had a serum Ca above 9.8 mg/dL and serum P below 2.7 mg/dL; 22.4%, an Mg below 1.7 mg/dL and 8.2%, a serum iPTH more than 2.5-fold the upper limit of normal. Upon multiple regression analyses the iPTH at 60 months was influenced by a dialysis duration >= 2 years (beta = 0.259, P = .003), body mass index > 25 kg/m(2) (beta = 0.257, P = .006), baseline iPTH (beta = 0.182, P = .036), serum Cr (beta = 0.268, P = .002) and Mg (beta = -0.242, P = .006). Conclusions. Hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, hypomagnesemia, and elevated iPTH persist in a subset of post-RT patients. Pretransplantation iPTH and obesity, dialysis duration, and posttransplant serum creatininemia and hypomagnesemia independently contribute to persistent HPT

Glucose-regulated protein of 94 kDa contributes to the development of an aggressive phenotype in breast cancer cells.

Grp94 plays an essential role in protein assembly. We previously suggested that Grp94 overexpression is involved in tumor aggressiveness. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Since many tumors display high Grp94 levels, we investigated the effects of tumor microenvironment on the regulation of this chaperone expression. First, we found out that hypoxia did not change Grp94 expression in the human tumor cell lines MCF-7 (breast cancer) and HepG2 (liver cancer). Second, glucose deprivation significantly increased Grp94 protein levels. Subsequently, we focused in the putative role of Grp94 in the acquisition of an aggressive phenotype by cancer cells. Using a more aggressive cancer cell model (MDA-MB-231 breast tumor cells), we found out that Grp94 knockdown using siRNA decreased the invasive capacity of cancer cells. Moreover, cells with decreased Grp94 levels displayed an enhanced sensitivity of tumor cells to doxorubicin, a standard drug in the treatment of breast cancer. Taken together, our results suggest that the expression of Grp94 is linked to tumor aggressiveness. Therefore, targeting Grp94 could be an effective way to inhibit tumor growth improving chemotherapy outcome