The Drėlingas case, the limits of law, and new avenues for repair of and resistance to genocide

The Drėlingas decision corrected the failure of the Vasiliauskas case to establish that the Soviet Union committed genocide through its targeting of Lithuanian resisters to a campaign of denationalization. This approach was required because of the UN Genocide Convention’s limitations, but the cost of success was ignoring the political aspect of this genocide, which is inseparable from its national aspect. The decision also reinforced the Convention’s flawed focus on individuals rather than the social formations that actually commit genocide – in this case, the Soviet Union. The most significant implication of Drėlingas, however, is its determination that those who engaged in armed resistance to a process less than genocidal could themselves be victims of genocide. The Drėlingas decision thus provides a profoundly important counterbalance to the prevailing tendency to treat resistance to oppression as participation in a mutual conflict disallowing genocidal victimization and the pervasive prejudicial preference for helpless victims

A contrapelo: reflexiones críticas sobre el presente y el futuro de los estudios sobre genocidio

Este artículo propone una crítica a ciertas tendencias dentro de los estudios sobre genocidio, entre las que aparecen el abuso del prestigio y de la obra de Lemkin, el alejamiento frente a las posturas del activismo académico contra el genocidio, el tono displicente con el que se aborda la agencia política de los grupos de víctimas, las tendencias relativistas del concepto de “políticas de la memoria” y su implementación, la creciente institucionalización del campo, el concepto de “generocidio” y la imagen opaca que supone la violencia genocida dirigida contra mujeres y niñas, el foco en la deshumanización como condición para el genocidio y el énfasis en las advertencias tempranas. El artículo también discute una nueva estrategia negacionista del genocidio. A la luz de ello, las advertencias tempranas sobre el genocidio son, en gran medida, inoperantes. Más allá de la indiferencia política que explica la existencia de genocidios perpetrados incluso en la actualidad, la preeminencia de este delito se debe al hecho de que el orden mundial del presente y muchas sociedades específicas fueron moldeados por el genocidio y la violación en masa y la opresión vinculadas con ese primer crimen. El artículo sostiene que un proceso global de reparación podría ayudar a encauzar el mundo y alejarlo de los fundamentos y tendencias genocidas

Investigations into Asymmetric Post-Metallocene Group 4 Complexes for the Synthesis of Highly Regioirregular Polypropylene

A series of asymmetric post-metallocene group 4 complexes based on a modular anilide(pyridine)phenoxide framework have been synthesized and tested for propylene polymerization activity. These complexes, upon activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO), produce highly regioirregular and stereoirregular polypropylene with moderate to good activities. Surprisingly, modification of the anilide R-group substituent from 1-phenethyl to benzyl or adamantyl did not significantly change the polymer microstructure as determined by ^(13)C NMR spectroscopy. Although polymer molecular weights and polydispersities vary with propylene pressure, temperature, and activator, regio- and stereoirregularity were also found to be relatively insensitive to these variables. When the polymerization is conducted at 70 °C under dihydrogen, partial decomposition to a highly active catalyst that produces an isotactic microstructure occurs; the undecomposed catalyst continues to produce highly regioirregular and stereoirregular polypropylene under these conditions

Stellar Collisions and Ultracompact X-ray Binary Formation

(abridged) We report the results of SPH calculations of parabolic collisions between a subgiant or slightly evolved red-giant star and a neutron star (NS). Such collisions are likely to form ultracompact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) observed today in old globular clusters. In particular, we compute collisions of a 1.4 Msun NS with realistically modelled parent stars of initial masses 0.8 and 0.9 Msun, each at three different evolutionary stages (corresponding to three different radii R). The distance of closest approach for the initial orbit varies from 0.04 R (nearly head-on) to 1.3 R (grazing). These collisions lead to the formation of a tight binary, composed of the NS and the subgiant or red-giant core, embedded in an extremely diffuse common envelope (CE) typically of mass ~0.1 to 0.3 Msun. Our calculations follow the binary for many hundreds of orbits, ensuring that the orbital parameters we determine at the end of the calculations are close to final. Some of the fluid initially in the envelope of the (sub)giant, from 0.003 to 0.023 Msun in the cases we considered, is left bound to the NS. The eccentricities of the resulting binaries range from about 0.2 for our most grazing collision to about 0.9 for the nearly head-on cases. In almost all the cases we consider, gravitational radiation alone will cause sufficiently fast orbital decay to form a UCXB within a Hubble time, and often on a much shorter timescale. Our hydrodynamics code implements the recent SPH equations of motion derived with a variational approach by Springel & Hernquist and by Monaghan. Numerical noise is reduced by enforcing an analytic constraint equation that relates the smoothing lengths and densities of SPH particles. We present tests of these new methods to help demonstrate their improved accuracy.Comment: 41 pages, 17 figures, accepted by Ap

The Utilization of Video-Conference Shared Medical Appointments in Rural Diabetes Care

Aim To explore whether Video-Shared Medical Appointments (video-SMA), where group education and medication titration were provided remotely through video-conferencing technology would improve diabetes outcomes in remote rural settings. Methods We conducted a pilot where a team of a clinical pharmacist and a nurse practitioner from Honolulu VA hospital remotely delivered video-SMA in diabetes to Guam. Patients with diabetes and HbA1c ≥7% were enrolled into the study during 2013–2014. Six groups of 4–6 subjects attended 4 weekly sessions, followed by 2 bi-monthly booster video-SMA sessions for 5 months. Patients with HbA1c ≥7% that had primary care visits during the study period but not referred/recruited for video-SMA were selected as usual-care comparators. We compared changes from baseline in HbA1c, blood-pressure, and lipid levels using mixed-effect modeling between video-SMA and usual care groups. We also analyzed emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Focus groups were conducted to understand patient’s perceptions. Results Thirty-one patients received video-SMA and charts of 69 subjects were abstracted as usual-care. After 5 months, there was a significant decline in HbA1c in video-SMA vs. usual-care (9.1 ± 1.9 to 8.3 ± 1.8 vs. 8.6 ± 1.4 to 8.7 ± 1.6, P = 0.03). No significant change in blood-pressure or lipid levels was found between the groups. Patients in the video-SMA group had significantly lower rates of ED visits (3.2% vs. 17.4%, P = 0.01) than usual-care but similar hospitalization rates. Focus groups suggested patient satisfaction with video-SMA and increase in self-efficacy in diabetes self-care. Conclusion Video-SMA is feasible, well-perceived and has the potential to improve diabetes outcomes in a rural setting. Abbreviations ACE-inhibitor, angiotensin converting enzyme-inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; CBOC, community-based outpatient clinic; DM, diabetes mellitus; ED, emergency department; PACIC, patient assessment of care in chronic conditions; VAMC, Veterans Affairs Medical Center; VHA, Veterans Health Administration; video-SMA, video-shared medical appointment

Pain outcomes in patients with bone metastases from advanced cancer: assessment and management with bone-targeting agents

Bone metastases in advanced cancer frequently cause painful complications that impair patient physical activity and negatively affect quality of life. Pain is often underreported and poorly managed in these patients. The most commonly used pain assessment instruments are visual analogue scales, a single-item measure, and the Brief Pain Inventory Questionnaire-Short Form. The World Health Organization analgesic ladder and the Analgesic Quantification Algorithm are used to evaluate analgesic use. Bone-targeting agents, such as denosumab or bisphosphonates, prevent skeletal complications (i.e., radiation to bone, pathologic fractures, surgery to bone, and spinal cord compression) and can also improve pain outcomes in patients with metastatic bone disease. We have reviewed pain outcomes and analgesic use and reported pain data from an integrated analysis of randomized controlled studies of denosumab versus the bisphosphonate zoledronic acid (ZA) in patients with bone metastases from advanced solid tumors. Intravenous bisphosphonates improved pain outcomes in patients with bone metastases from solid tumors. Compared with ZA, denosumab further prevented pain worsening and delayed the need for treatment with strong opioids. In patients with no or mild pain at baseline, denosumab reduced the risk of increasing pain severity and delayed pain worsening along with the time to increased pain interference compared with ZA, suggesting that use of denosumab (with appropriate calcium and vitamin D supplementation) before patients develop bone pain may improve outcomes. These data also support the use of validated pain assessments to optimize treatment and reduce the burden of pain associated with metastatic bone disease

Current management of treatment-induced bone loss in women with breast cancer treated in the United Kingdom

New therapeutic options in breast cancer have improved survival but consequently increase the relevance of late complications. Ovarian suppression/ablation and aromatase inhibitors (AI) in the adjuvant setting have improved outcome, but have clinically important adverse effects on bone health. However, investigation and management of cancer treatment-induced bone loss (CTIBL) is poorly defined with no national guidance. In 2004, a questionnaire was sent to over 500 breast surgeons and oncologists who treat breast cancer within the United Kingdom. The questionnaire evaluated access to bone densitometry and specialist expertise as well as attitudes to investigation of CTIBL and anticipated changes in the use of AI for postmenopausal early breast cancer. A total of 354 completed questionnaires were received, 47 from clinicians not currently treating breast cancer. Of the 307 evaluable questionnaires, 164 (53%) were from breast surgeons, 112 (36%) from clinical oncologists and 31 (10%) from medical oncologists. Although most respondents recognised that CTIBL was the responsibility of the treating breast team, investigations for CTIBL are limited even though most had adequate access to bone densitometry; 98 (32%) had not requested a DXA scan in the last 6 months and 224 (73%) had requested fewer than five scans. In all, 235 (76%) were not routinely investigating patients on AI for bone loss. A total of 277 (90%) felt that their practice would benefit from national guidelines to manage these patients, and the majority (59%) had little or no confidence in interpreting DXA results and advising on treatment. This questionnaire has highlighted clear deficiencies in management of CTIBL in early breast cancer. The development of national guidelines for the management of these patients and educational initiatives for breast teams are urgently required

Apodised in-fibre Bragg grating reflectors photoimprinted using a phase mask

An apodized in-fibre Bragg grating reflector is fabricated using the phase mask photoimprinting technique. The reflector has a centre wavelength of 1550 nm, a bandwidth of 0.22 nm and a peak reflectivity of 90%. At 0.4 nm (50 GHz) from the centre wavelength the reflectivity is 40 dB lower than the peak reflectivity; this is an improvement of more than 20 dB over an unapodized Bragg grating reflector with similar bandwidth and peak reflectivity