14 research outputs found
Russian foreign energy policy conduct in the oil and gas sectors: a case study of the Caspian region 1991-2008
No full textThis thesis explores the continuities and change in the conduct of Russian foreign policy in the Caspian region in the period 1991-2008 with the central focus set on the inclusion of energy both as a tool and one of the main targets of Russian foreign policy during the Putin administration. More specifically it looks at the impact that the choice to establish Russia as an energy superpower based mainly on its oil and gas sectors during this period had on the conduct of Russian foreign policy in the Caspian region. The central research question is how Russian oil and gas companies are used as foreign policy tools in the conduct of Russian foreign energy policy within the current foreign energy policy framework and to what end. The argument of this thesis is based on the hypothesis that the Russian state uses its oil and gas companies in order to infiltrate the Central Asian energy markets and assert its economic hegemony in the region through a web of legal and contractual monopolies aiming at maintaining Russia’s economic hegemony in the Caspian and contributing to one of Russia’s main energy policy priority of becoming an influential player in the global energy markets
Everyday politics of austerity: Infrastructure and vulnerability in times of crisis
No full textGrowing numbers of households in Greece are unable to secure adequate levels of energy services in the home – a condition generally known as energy poverty. This situation can largely be attributed to the imposition of an austerity regime following the post-2008 debt crisis. We scrutinize the everyday experiences of, and resistance to, austerity among the ‘new energy poor’ – an emergent socio-demographic group whose vulnerability is contingent upon decreasing incomes, high prices, new taxation and inadequate socio-technical infrastructures. Having undertaken ethnographic research with 25 households living in and around the Northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, we draw on theoretical insights from the domains of informal household practices and environmentality frameworks to highlight the manner in which the austerity regime simultaneously renders households vulnerable and governable. The geographies of the new energy poor include a variety of spatial settings – in urban and peri-urban locations alike – that are constitutive of multiple material sites while being dependent upon them. This points to the existence of an infrastructurally-embedded everyday landscape of austerity that amalgamates the state policies, corporate interests, household practices and material pathways through which energy is produced and consumed
The Emerging Role of Neutral Argon Plasma (PlasmaJet) in the Treatment of Advanced Stage Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review
No full textObjective. To evaluate the contribution of PlasmaJet application in achieving optimal cytoreduction in advanced ovarian cancer. Methods. We systematically searched for articles published up to June 2019 using MEDLINE, Scopus, Google Scholar databases and clinicaltrials.gov along with the references of the articles retrieved in full text. Observational studies and case reports addressing cases of women with peritoneal spread due to advanced stage ovarian cancer who were treated with application of PlasmaJet device were considered eligible for inclusion. Results. Three studies were excluded from further analysis when they were retrieved in full text. Five studies (2 retrospective, 1 prospective, and 2 case reports) that comprised 77 patients with age range from 38 to 85 years were included. Forty-three women underwent interval debulking surgery, 24 patients primary debulking surgery, and 6 had optimal debulking surgery, while in the remaining 4, a secondary debulking surgery was performed. Incidence of intraoperative complications was 32% (8/25), but none of them was due to the application of PlasmaJet. Complete macroscopic resection was achieved in 59 out of 70 (84.3%) women. Postoperatively, 17 out of 72 patients (23.6%) developed complications such as pneumothorax due to diaphragmatic resection, systemic infections, or wound-related complications. No postoperative mortality was recorded. Conclusions. Preliminary data on the use of PlasmaJet for ablation of ovarian cancer implants in the peritoneal cavity showed its safety and presented with promising outcomes in achieving complete cytoreduction. © The Author(s) 2020
The Emerging Role on the Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma Products in the Management of Urogynaecological Disorders
No full textBackground: The regenerative efficacy of platelet-derived products has been recently investigated in the treatment of pelvic floor disorders (PFDs). We aimed to synthesize the current evidence of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) products used in urogynaecological disorders including vaginal atrophy, pelvic organ prolapse (POP), urinary incontinence, vaginal fistulas and vaginal mesh exposure. Methods: A meticulous search of the currently available literature on the use of PRP for the management of PFDs was performed using 3 electronic databases. Results: PRP could be a feasible alternative modality for the management of vaginal atrophy with favourable outcomes in vaginal atrophy parameters and patients’ satisfaction, especially when hormone therapy is contraindicated. In patients with POP, an increase in collagen concentration after PRP application was observed while the use of PRP resulted in improvement of stress urinary incontinence symptoms. A considerable proportion of vesicovaginal fistulas were treated after application of PRP-based injections. Conclusions: There is only limited evidence of the use of PRP for PFDs. Platelet-rich plasma appears to be a promising, easy to apply, cost-effective and feasible alternative therapeutic modality for the management of various urogynaecological disorders. Future randomized trials are needed to confirm the efficacy of PRP in the treatment of urogynaecological disorders. © The Author(s) 2021
A large-scale dataset for analysing remote working in urban and rural areas across Europe
No full textThis Data Descriptor presents the collected data on remote work among urban and rural workers, emphasizing differences in perceived flexibility, adaptability, preferences, career impacts, well-being, and productivity. The survey, conducted via Prolific between July and August 2024, captured data from 20,013 participants globally with European nationality, offering insights into the benefits and challenges faced by remote workers. Beyond its initial scope, the dataset can be reused to support a wide range of future studies and policy development initiatives. For instance, researchers can utilize this dataset to explore trends in work-life balance, productivity, and urban policy and planning related to remote work. Additionally, urban planners and policymakers can leverage the data to inform strategies for urban and regional development, infrastructure forecasting, planning, and community support in diverse geographic areas. The dataset’s granularity on socio-economic factors makes it an invaluable resource for developing targeted policies that address urban-rural disparities and foster sustainable remote working arrangements across Europe
The Conundrum of Prematurity and Pregnancy Outcomes after Fertility Sparing Treatment Modalities for Early Stage Cervical Cancer: A Systematic Review of the Literature
No full textAdvances in modern medicine have allowed patients with early stage cervical cancer (stages Ia - IIai) to preserve their fertility with oncologic efficacy comparable to previous radical treatments. A variety of conservative-fertility sparing procedures, also known as Fertility Sparing Surgeries (FSS) have been proposed. The present review aimed to provide the current evidence on obstetric outcomes and the prematurity rates as well as to discuss the management modalities of these high-risk pregnancies. Our review of the literature included 3042 women with early cervical cancer, of whom 2838 underwent FSS (204 excluded for oncologic reasons). Almost half of these patients attempted to become pregnant and about two thirds of them achieved at least one pregnancy either spontaneously or with the help of Assisted Reproduction Technologies. Data revealed that 63.9% of these pregnancies resulted in live births, whereas 37.6% of them were preterm. The main cause of preterm births in this subpopulation is the postoperative cervical length restriction that consequently leads to cervical incompetence and ascending infections that eventually lead to (clinical or subclinical) chorioamnionitis. Radical operations such as ART, VRT and MIRT presented with higher prematurity rates. The lack of standardized protocols for the management of pregnancies after FSS precluded reaching to firm results with regards to the efficacy of them in achieving favourable obstetrical outcomes. Further large volume studies are warranted with the intent to acquire standardized guidelines for pregnancies achieved after FSS for early stage cervical cancer. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Comparison between liver transplantation and resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textBackground Hilar cholangiocarcinoma (hCCA) is a rare and aggressive malignancy with R0 resection being currently the only option for long-term survival. With the improvement in the outcomes of liver transplantation (LT), the indications for LT have expanded to include other malignant tumors, such as hCCA. The aim of the present analysis is to demonstrate and critically evaluate the outcomes of LT compared to resection with curative intent in patients with hCCA. Methods We systematically searched the literature for articles published up to May 2018. The following algorithm was applied ((hilar cholangiocarcinoma) OR (perihilar cholangiocarcinoma) OR klatskin OR graft $). Results Neoadjuvant treatment with chemotherapy and radiation therapy was far more common in the LT group, with very few patients having received preoperative therapy in the resection group (p = 0.0005). Moreover, length of hospital stay was shorter after LT than after resection (p<0.00001). In contrast, no difference was found between the two treatment methods concerning postoperative mortality (p = 0.57). There was a trend towards longer overall survival after LT in comparison with resection. This was not obvious in the first year postoperatively, however, the advantage of LT over resection became obvious at 3 years after the operation (p = 0.02). Conclusions In non-disseminated unresectable tumors, LT seems to have a non-inferior survival. In the same patients, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and/or strict selection criteria may contribute to superior survival outcomes compared to curative-intent resection. Due to the scarcity of level 1 evidence, it remains unclear whether LT should be increasingly considered for technically resectable early stage hCCA. © 2019 Moris et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
High content screening and proteomic analysis identify a kinase inhibitor that rescues pathological phenotypes in a patient-derived model of Parkinson’s disease
No full textCombining high throughput screening approaches with induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based disease modeling represents a promising unbiased strategy to identify therapies for neurodegenerative disorders. Here we applied high content imaging on iPSC-derived neurons from patients with familial Parkinson’s disease bearing the G209A (p.A53T) α-synuclein (αSyn) mutation and launched a screening campaign on a small kinase inhibitor library. We thus identified the multi-kinase inhibitor BX795 that at a single dose effectively restores disease-associated neurodegenerative phenotypes. Proteomics profiling mapped the molecular pathways underlying the protective effects of BX795, comprising a cohort of 118 protein-mediators of the core biological processes of RNA metabolism, protein synthesis, modification and clearance, and stress response, all linked to the mTORC1 signaling hub. In agreement, expression of human p.A53T-αSyn in neuronal cells affected key components of the mTORC1 pathway resulting in aberrant protein synthesis that was restored in the presence of BX795 with concurrent facilitation of autophagy. Taken together, we have identified a promising small molecule with neuroprotective actions as candidate therapeutic for PD and other protein conformational disorders. © 2022, The Author(s)
