The end of the curator: on curatorial acts as collective production of knowledge

'The End of The Curator: On Curatorial Acts as Collective Production of Knowledge' explores the convoluted liaison between knowledge production, collectivity and curating, through practices that have been neglected by mainstream curatorial platforms and art history. Bearing in mind the extensive usage of the notion knowledge production , my practice based research is guided by the question what forms of collective knowledge can curatorial practice produce

The role of the clinical pharmacist in the management of hypertension

Universitatea de Stat de Medicină şi Farmacie „Nicolae Testemiţanu”, Chişinău, Republica MoldovaIntroducere. Hipertensiunea arterială (HTA) reprezintă una dintre cele mai răspândite afecțiuni cronice, cu impact semnificativ asupra sănătății publice. Farmacistul clinician are un rol crucial în gestionarea HTA, atât în mediul de spitalizare, cât și în ambulatoriu. Cu toate acestea, în Republica Moldova, există puține informații referitoare la implicarea farmacistului clinician în managementul HTA. Scopul lucrării. Analiza rolului farmacistului clinician în managementul HTA, atât în condiții de staționar, cât și în ambulatoriu. Material și metode. Revizuirea literaturii a fost efectuată utilizând baze de date științifice, cum ar fi PubMed, Scopus și Web of Science. Criteriile de selecție au inclus studii relevante privind rolul farmacistului clinician în managementul HTA. Informațiile colectate au fost analizate și sintetizate pentru a evidenția principalele constatări. Rezultate. Farmacistul clinician joacă un rol esențial în managementul HTA. În cadrul spitalului, farmacistul are responsabilitatea de a asigura administrarea corectă a medicamentelor antihipertensive, de a monitoriza efectele adverse și de a educa pacienții cu privire la utilizarea acestor medicamente. În mediul ambulatoriu, farmacistul poate efectua măsurători regulate ale TA, poate oferi consiliere privind stilul de viață și poate susține pacienții în respectarea recomandărilor medicale. Concluzii. Farmacistul clinician are un rol crucial în managementul HTA, atât în mediul spitalicesc, cât și în cel ambulatoriu. Cu toate acestea, în Republica Moldova, implicarea farmacistului clinician în gestionarea pacienților cu HTA este încă limitată. Este necesară o mai mare integrare a farmacistului clinician în echipele de îngrijire a pacienților cu HTA, precum și dezvoltarea unor programe educaționale pentru a îmbunătăți managementul acestei afecțiuni.Introduction. Hypertension (HT) represents one of the most widespread chronic conditions, with a significant impact on public health. The clinical pharmacist has a crucial role in the management of hypertension, both in the inpatient and outpatient setting. However, in the Republic of Moldova, there is little information regarding the involvement of the clinical pharmacist in the management of HT. The purpose of the work. The aim of this study is to analyze the role of the clinical pharmacist in the management of HT, both in inpatient and outpatient settings. Material and methods. The literature review was performed using scientific databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The selection criteria included relevant studies on the role of the clinical pharmacist in the management of hypertension. The information collected was analyzed and synthesized to highlight the main findings. Results. The clinical pharmacist plays an essential role in the management of HT. In the hospital, the pharmacist has the responsibility to ensure the correct administration of antihypertensive drugs, to monitor adverse effects and to educate patients about the use of these drugs. In the outpatient setting, the pharmacist can perform regular BP measurements, provide lifestyle advice and support patients in following medical recommendations. Conclusions. The clinical pharmacist has a crucial role in the management of hypertension, both in the hospital and ambulatory settings. However, in the Republic of Moldova, the clinical pharmacist’s involvement in the management of patients with HT is still limited. Greater integration of the clinical pharmacist in HT patient care teams is needed, as well as the development of educational programs to improve the management of this condition

Insightful imaging: CT or MRI in accurately diagnosing acute appendicitis in children

Departement of Mother and Child Medicine, Grigore T.Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania, The 8th International Medical Congress for Students and Young Doctors, September 24-26, 2020Introduction. Appendicitis is the most common condition requiring acute abdominal surgery in children. Clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA) is not always straightforward, and abdominal ultrasound is specific but insufficiently sensitive. Computed tomography (CT) has become favored but its use in children is discouraged due to ionizing radiation exposure. Therefore, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered an alternative. Aim of the study. This study aims to compare the accuracy of MRI with that of CT for the diagnosis of AA in pediatric patients. Materials and methods. For this systematic review, a search of the PubMed database was conducted to select studies that used MRI for diagnosing pediatric patients with suspected appendicitis. Studies that focused on evaluating the accuracy of MRI to diagnose appendicitis were included. Studies with insufficient data to calculate the outcomes were excluded, as well as those older than ten years. Data for sensitivity and specificity of MRI were extracted from the studies, then, using Barnard’s exact test, tested for significance compared to sensitivity and specificity of CT. Results. Eleven studies met eligibility criteria and were relevant to the question of this systematic review. Sensitivity and specificity were 0.96 (0.95–0.97) and 0.96 (0.94–0.98) for MRI, as compared to 0.94 (0.92-0.97) and 0.95 (0.94-0.97) for CT (with 95% CI). Conclusions. The authors concluded that the accuracies of MRI and CT for the diagnosis of AA in pediatric patients are very similar, without any statistically significant difference in accuracy. Therefore, MRI constitutes a viable and safer approach to diagnosing AA due to its sensitivity, specificity and lack of exposure to radiation

Nasal polyps with atypical stromal cells – a histopathological diagnostic dilemma

Department of Morphofunctional Sciences I-Histology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania, The 8th International Medical Congress for Students and Young Doctors, September 24-26, 2020Background. Nasal polyps represent inflammatory non-neoplastic masses of the nasal mucosa that affect 1% to 4% of the general population. They typically occur in individuals older than 20 years, having a higher incidence in males and frequently accompany rhinosinusitis. Case report. We report a case of a 67-year-old woman with a known sleep apnea syndrome, persistent right nasal obstruction, seromucous rhinorrhea, symptomatology with an insidious evolution of about 6 months before the examination. The clinical exam showed a translucent, polypoid appearance, which extended from the level of the right to the left choanal orifice. Gross examination of the surgical specimen revealed a large, firm, white, polypoid mass. Microscopic examination showed large stromal bizarre appearing cells with elongated, hyperchromatic nuclei, surrounded by apparently normal epithelium. In this case, atypical stellate cells scattered throughout myxomatous or edematous stroma can be easily mistaken for a malignant process. Histological changes of spindle shape fibroblasts might be erroneously interpreted as certain pseudosarcomatous changes, low-grade sarcomas, rhabdomyosarcoma, sinonasal myxomas, neurofibroma, and nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. We want to emphasize that the major diagnostic problem could derive from the difficulty of differentiating an allergic or infectious reactive process from mesenchymal or neural origin lesions, due to an extensive proliferation of histiocytes, fibroblasts or irregular myofibroblasts. Another differential diagnosis that could have been considered is a long history of a previously biopsied mass with reactive proliferative stromal cells that can mimic malignancy, represented in our case by the reactive nature of the identified fibroblasts and histiocytes atypia. Conclusions. Although the need for histopathological examination of nasal polyps is controversial, this diagnosis is encouraged, given that there are entities more severe than polyps, requiring examination to avoid a misdiagnosis of mesenchymal malignancy. Rigorous medical history associated with clinical data is important for appropriate patient management

Improving public sector performance: the power of implementing corporate governance

The concept of corporate governance of public entities is evolving. Corporate governance in public institutions, as a method of management and control, requires clear rules and principles of integrity, transparency and accountability, well-defined risk management and control mechanisms, elements that are essential for achieving public entities’ goal, which means meeting public needs. Corporate governance is a process through which management monitors and maintains a corporation’s compliance with laws and regulations. Is it necessary to use corporate governance in public entities? Can it reduce expenditure or budget deficits, ensuring an efficient use of public funds? Can it eliminate corruption and improve the performance of public entities? The purpose of this study is to carry out an academic analysis of the evolution of the corporate governance in public entities and to highlight its effectiveness, through principles that encourage better decision-making and resource efficiency. The applied methodology involves focusing on the in-depth study of the subject using the analytical method. Moreover, the study draws comparisons of different models on the aspects researched, using comparative analysis. In conclusion, good corporate governance is essential for any organization to ensure the sustainability of its resources and operations, with a direct effect on the entity’s performance

Isatuximab monotherapy in patients with refractory T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia or T-lymphoblastic lymphoma : Phase 2 study

The poor prognosis of acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) in older adults and patients with relapsed/refractory illness is an unmet clinical need, as there is no defined standard of care and there are few treatment options. Abnormally elevated CD38 expression in T-ALL and T-LBL is associated with tumor expansion and disease development, making CD38 a potential target for anti-T-ALL and T-LBL treatment. Isatuximab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to a specific epitope on CD38. The purpose of the study was to assess the efficacy and safety of isatuximab monotherapy in a phase 2, multicenter, one-arm, open-label study in patients with relapsed or refractory T-ALL or T-LBL (Clinical Trials.gov identifier NCT02999633). The primary endpoint was to assess the efficacy of isatuximab by overall response rate (ORR). An interim analysis based on the efficacy and safety of isatuximab in the first 19 patients enrolled was scheduled, however only 14 patients were enrolled in the study. No patient achieved complete response (CR) or CR with incomplete peripheral recovery. Most patients (11 [78.6%]) developed progressive disease and had progressive disease as their best response. A total of 10 (71.4%) patients had treatment emergent adverse events considered treatment-related, with infusion reactions as the most frequent drug-related TEAE, occurring in 8 (57.1%) patients. Despite the low efficacy of isatuximab in the current study, it is likely that the use of immunotherapy medication in T-ALL will be expanded through logically targeted approaches, together with advances in the design of T-cell therapy and clinical experience and will provide restorative options beyond chemotherapy and targeted treatments.Peer reviewe

Optimized synthesis of new N-mustards based on 2-mercaptobenzoxazole derivatives with antitumor activity

New di-( -chloroethyl)-amides of some acids derived from 2-mercaptobenzoxazole were prepared by reaction of the corresponding pivalic mixed anhydrides with di-( -chloroethyl)-amine. A study regarding the optimization of the chemical reactions was made for the case of di-( -chloroethyl)- amines. The quantum chemical analysis by Spartan’14 was made in order to establish the most stable configuration of the ground electronic states for the obtained chemical structures and some physicochemical parameters of N-mustards reported in this paper. Mercaptobenzoxazoles substituted in the side chain with the cytotoxic group show antitumor activity and they inhibit Ehrlich Ascites in an appreciable proportion compared to the drug I.O.B.-82, as our studies evidenced

A Phase 2 Study of Coltuximab Ravtansine (SAR3419) Monotherapy in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

International audienceBackground Long-term disease-free survival in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remains unsatisfactory, and treatment options are limited for those patients who relapse or fail to respond following initial therapy. We conducted a dose-escalation/expansion phase 2, multicenter, single-arm study to determine the optimal dose of coltuximab ravtansine (SAR3419), an anti-CD19 antibody-drug conjugate, in this setting. Patients and Methods The dose-escalation part of the study determined the selected dose of coltuximab ravtansine for evaluation of efficacy and safety in the dose-expansion phase. Patients received coltuximab ravtansine induction therapy (up to 8 weekly doses); responding patients were eligible for maintenance therapy (biweekly administrations for up to 24 weeks). Three dose levels of coltuximab ravtansine were examined: 55, 70, and 90 mg/m2. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included duration of response (DOR) and safety. Results A total of 36 patients were treated: 19 during dose escalation; 17 during dose expansion. One dose-limiting toxicity was observed at 90 mg/m2 (grade 3 peripheral motor neuropathy), and therefore 70 mg/m2 was selected for the dose-expansion phase. Five patients discontinued therapy due to adverse events (AEs). The most common AEs were pyrexia, diarrhea, and nausea. Of 17 evaluable patients treated at the selected dose, 4 responded (estimated ORR using Bayesian methodology: 25.47% [80% confidence interval: 14.18-39.6%]); DOR was 1.94 (range: 1-5.6) months. Based on these results, the study was prematurely discontinued. Conclusions Coltuximab ravtansine is well tolerated but is associated with a low clinical response rate in patients with relapsed/refractory AL

Market Entry in CEE countries by SMEs and MNCs

Diese Studie veranschaulicht und analysiert die Beziehung zwischen den Markteintrittsdeterminanten und Markteintrittsentscheidungen Europäischer Unternehmen im CEE Bereich, sowie die Übertragbarkeit von Erkenntnissen aus dem Produktionssektor in den Dienstleistungssektor. Durch die Analyse des Internationalisierungsverhaltens von sechs Unternehmen, von denen drei im Produktionssektor tätig sind, während die restlichen im Dienstleistungssektor aktiv sind, versucht der Autor die Lücke innerhalb der Literatur in Bezug auf das Internationalisierungsverhalten von “harten” Service Unternehmen zu füllen. Die Daten bestätigten, dass unter den gegebenen Umständen (1) hohe Erfahrung seitens des internationalisierenden Unternehmers, (2) geringe Markteintrittsbarrieren im Gastland (3) ein geringer Grad an wahrgenommenen Risiko im Gastland oder (4) ein hohes Maß an institutioneller Unterstützung im Auslandsmarkt, Produktions- sowie Dienstleistungsunternehmen dazu verleitet in ähnlicher Weise mit Hinblick auf Markteintrittsentscheidungen zu agieren. Darüber hinaus untersucht die Thesis die Beziehung zwischen Faktoren wie: Größe, Produktivität, internationale Geschäftserfahrung, Marktattraktivität, Länderrisiko, Wettbewerbsintensität, Markteintrittsbarrieren, institutionelle Unterstützung, kultureller Organisationsschock, Schutz des Gesellschaftswissens, sowie Zugehörigkeit zu einer Industriegruppe und den Erfolg von Markteintrittsentscheidungen in CEE-Ländern. Die Ergebnisse der vergleichenden Fallstudienanalyse bestätigen eine negative Beziehung zwischen (1) niedrigen Markteintrittsbarrieren und dem hohen Grad an Kontrolle der von der Gesellschaft gewählt wird, sowie (2) der Höhe des wahrgenommenen Risikos und der gewählten Markteintrittsmethode. Des weiteren unterstützten die Daten den positiven Zusammenhang zwischen (3) hoher institutioneller Unterstützung und der Tendenz zu Markteintrittsmethoden mit einem hohen Kontrollgrad. Die Erkenntnisse dieser Studie können in der Theorie teilweise bestätigt werden, jedoch mit dem Hinweis, dass die Netzwerkbeziehungen des einzelnen Unternehmens sowie die Produkte oder Dienstleistungen und Unternehmensressourcen eine entscheidende Rolle im Internationalisierungsprozess beibehalten.This study illustrates and analyzes the relationships between market entry determinants and market entry decisions for European manufacturing firms in the CEE and to which extent these are applicable to hard-service firms. Through the analysis of the internationalization behavior of six companies, of which three are active in the manufacturing sector, while the remaining three are engaged in the service sector, the author seeks to fill the literature gap regarding hard-service firms’ internationalization behavior. The data confirmed that under the circumstances of (1) high experience on the part of the internationalizing firm, (2) the host market presenting low market entry barriers, (3) the host market presenting a low degree of perceived risk or (4) high institutional support in the foreign market, manufacturing and hard-service companies will behave similarly with regard to entry mode decisions. In addition, the thesis investigates the relationship between independent factors such as: size, productivity, firm internationalization experience, market attractiveness, perceived country risk, competition, market entry barriers, institutional support, cultural organizational shock, protection of company tacit know-how, belongingness to an industrial district and the success of employing hierarchical modes in CEE countries as a dependent factor. The results of the comparative case study analysis confirmed a negative relationship between (1) low market entry barriers and the degree of control chosen by the company, as well as (2) the level of perceived risk and the chosen control mode. The data further supported the notion of a positive relation between (3) high institutional support and the tendency to adopt high control modes. Therefore, the propositions made in theory up to this point can partially be confirmed by this study’s findings, with the note that the individual firm’s network relations, product- or service characteristics, as well as company resources, hold a crucial role in the internationalization process

Sicherheit / Curious in Brown

The film "Sicherheit" takes the temperature of a number of current issues linked to the changing self-image of Sweden. The film considers an inherent contradiction in the liberal West, and Sweden more specifically, in relation to its policies toward conflict in the outside world. Sweden has one of the largest weapons industries in the world when measured per capita, and under the nonalignment principle is able to sell weapons to cover the national defense budget. The sociologist Zygmunt Bauman uses the term “sicherheit”—the German word for “safety”—when describing how safety solutions build false trust, which paradoxically leads to an increased need for safety, and thus creates constant conflict escalation. In the film Sicherheit, the camera moves across a specific geography of places and voices that map out how the quest for safety is an underlying driving force in society. It creates a circular movement between one’s own safety, involuntary migration and weapon export. Directors: Saskia Holmkvist, Ellen Nyman and Corina Oprea. Vimeolink: https://vimeo.com/233565095 password: security The film is part of the artistic research project "I am Curious - Brown", supported by Oslo National Academy of the Arts