Experience in conducting a special tactical exercise of the forces and means of the Ministry of emergency situations of Russia with a massive influx of victims of an emergency of a biological and social nature (terrorist act)

Aim. To summarize the experience of conducting special tactical exercises of the forces and means of the EMERCOM of Russia in the event of a massive admission of victims of an emergency of a biological and social nature (terrorist act) to a multidisciplinary hospital and an airmobile hospital of the EMERCOM of Russia.Materials and methods. The normative documents and experience in response of the EMERCOM of Russia during the training period with a massive influx of victims were analyzed.Results and their analysis. The results of special tactical exercises, the experience of the deployment and actions of the forces and means of the EMERCOM of Russia during the mass admission of victims of a terrorist act to a multidisciplinary hospital and an airmobile hospital of the EMERCOM of Russia are presented. For evacuating 50 victims, ambulance aircraft (MI-8 helicopter), ambulances and cars were used. The exercise was attended by over 300 people, including observers and participants in the exercise, victims.Conclusion. The data obtained are an important basis for maintaining the readiness of the forces and means of the Russian Emergencies Ministry to respond to emergencies.

Current Challenges of European Integration - 12th Network Europe Conference, 9 – 10 November 2020

Crises are not a new phenomenon in the context of European integration. Additional integration steps could often only be achieved under the pressure of crises. At present, however, the EU is characterised by multiple crises, so that the integration process as a whole is sometimes being questioned. In 2015, the crisis in the eurozone had escalated to such an extent that for the first time a member state was threatened to leave the eurozone. Furthermore, the massive influx of refugees into the EU has revealed the shortcomings of the Schengen area and the common asylum policy. Finally, with the majority vote of the British in the referendum of 23 June 2016 in favour of the Brexit, the withdrawal of a member state became a reality for the first time. Even in the words of the European Commission, the EU has reached a crossroads. Against this background, the twelfth Network Europe conference included talks on the numerous challenges and future integration scenarios in Europe.

Towards a Kenotic Identity Politics: Migration, Transformation and the Eucharist

This paper will focus on one element of the pushback against the massive influx of immigrants taken in for humanitarian purposes, namely, an identity-based chauvinism which uses identity as the point of resistance to the perceived dilution of that identity, brought about by the transformation of culture induced by the incorporation of a foreign other. The solution to this perceived dilution is a simultaneous defence of that culture and a demand for a conformity to it. While those in the critical tradition have encouraged a counter-position of revolutionary transformation by the other through ethics, dialogue, or the multitude, such a transformation is arguably impeded by what is ultimately a repetition of the metaphysics of conformity. Drawing on the personalism of Emmanuel Mounier and the Eucharistic theology of Creston Davis and Aaron Riches, this paper submits an alternative identity politics position that completes the revolutionary impulse. Identity here is not the flashpoint of a self-serving conflict, but the launch-point of politics of self-emptying, whose hallmarks include, on the one hand, a never-ending reception of transformation by the other, and on the other hand, an anchoring in the Body of Christ that is at once ever-changing and never-changing.

Pericytes regulate vascular immune homeostasis in the CNS

Pericytes regulate the development of organ-specific characteristics of the brain vasculature such as the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and astrocytic end-feet. Whether pericytes are involved in the control of leukocyte trafficking in the adult central nervous system (CNS), a process tightly regulated by CNS vasculature, remains elusive. Using adult pericyte-deficient mice (Pdgfbret/ret), we show that pericytes limit leukocyte infiltration into the CNS during homeostasis and autoimmune neuroinflammation. The permissiveness of the vasculature toward leukocyte trafficking in Pdgfbret/ret mice inversely correlates with vessel pericyte coverage. Upon induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), pericyte-deficient mice die of severe atypical EAE, which can be reversed with fingolimod, indicating that the mortality is due to the massive influx of immune cells into the brain. Additionally, administration of anti-VCAM-1 and anti–ICAM-1 antibodies reduces leukocyte infiltration and diminishes the severity of atypical EAE symptoms of Pdgfbret/ret mice, indicating that the proinflammatory endothelium due to absence of pericytes facilitates exaggerated neuroinflammation. Furthermore, we show that the presence of myelin peptide-specific peripheral T cells in Pdgfbret/ret;2D2tg mice leads to the development of spontaneous neurological symptoms paralleled by the massive influx of leukocytes into the brain. These findings indicate that intrinsic changes within brain vasculature can promote the development of a neuroinflammatory disorder.

Contact-induced variation in Tetun Dili phonology

The paper analyzes the Portuguese influence on Tetun Dili phonology, which can be can be identified at different levels. The phonemic inventory of Tetun Dili has been enriched via borrowing of several consonantal phonemes, triggering an increase in the number of phonological contrasts. Portuguese influence also accounts for the phonetic realizations of a number of consonantal and vocalic phonemes, with some allophonic rules extended even to words belonging to the native stock. Furthermore, the massive influx of Portuguese loanwords has greatly increased the number of permissible onset clusters, and lexical borrowings from Portuguese have led to the occurrence of antepenultimate stress. Finally, Portuguese influence also accounts for the considerable inter-speaker variation. These contact-induced phenomena are shown to correlate with the following factors: knowledge of Portuguese; the exo-normative vs endo-normative orientation of speakers in the case of Portuguese, i.e. towards European or Brazilian Portuguese vs. the East Timorese variety of Portuguese.

COVID-19: What we’ve done well and what we could or should have done better—the 4 Ps

The current coronavirus pandemic has impacted heavily on ICUs worldwide. Although many hospitals and healthcare systems had plans in place to manage multiple casualties as a result of major natural disasters or accidents, there was insufficient preparation for the sudden, massive influx of severely ill patients with COVID-19. As a result, systems and staff were placed under immense pressure as everyone tried to optimize patient management. As the pandemic continues, we must apply what we have learned about our response, both good and bad, to improve organization and thus patient care in the future.

A Report on Statistics of an Online Self-screening Platform for COVID-19 and Its Effectiveness in Iran

Background: The most recent emerging infectious disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is pandemic now. Iran is a country with community transmission of the disease. Telehealth tools have been proved to be useful in controlling public health disasters. We developed an online self-screening platform to offer a population-wide strategy to control the massive influx to medical centers. Methods: We developed a platform operating based on given history by participants, including sex, age, weight, height, location, primary symptoms and signs, and high risk past medical histories. Based on a decision-making algorithm, participants were categorized into four levels of suspected cases, requiring diagnostic tests, supportive care, not suspected cases. We made comparisons with Iran STEPs (STEPwise approach to Surveillance) 2016 study and data from the Statistical Centre of Iran to assess population representativeness of data. Also, we made a comparison with officially confirmed cases to investigate the effectiveness of the platform. A multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regression was used to check the association of visiting platform and deaths caused by COVID-19. Results: About 310 000 individuals participated in the online self-screening platform in 33 days. The majority of participants were in younger age groups, and males involved more. A significant number of participants were screened not to be suspected or needing supportive care, and only 10.4% of males and 12.0% of females had suspected results of COVID-19. The penetration of the platform was assessed to be acceptable. A correlation coefficient of 0.51 was calculated between suspected results and confirmed cases of the disease, expressing the platform’s effectiveness. Conclusion: Implementation of a proper online self-screening tool can mitigate population panic during wide-spread epidemics and relieve massive influx to medical centers. Also, an evidence-based education platform can help fighting infodemic. Noticeable utilization and verified effectiveness of such platform validate the potency of telehealth tools in controlling epidemics and pandemics.

COMMON EUROPEAN ASYLUM SYSTEM: THE CAUSES OF THE CRISIS AND ITS CONSEQUENCES FOR EUROPEAN CONSTITUTIONALISM

The massive influx of refugees from the Middle East in 2015 caused a crisis in the Common European Asylum System, which provoked a European constitutional crisis. This review presents three articles that formulate the existing problems and the risks they cause for the EU, as well as analyzing their causes and prerequisites.

Introduction

Preaching with Their Lives covers an era of immense change and painstaking development for both the United States and the order. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, the nation was transformed from a rural, agricultural nation into an urban, industrial giant. It received a massive influx of immigrants as it emerged as the world’s leading economic power; it experienced two world wars, a great economic depression, postwar recovery and prosperity, and more than a decade of turbulent social and political change, culminating in its emergence as the world’s lone superpower. Throughout the century and a half that this volume covers, the Dominican family was present, doing its part, responding to the country’s needs, sharing its triumphs and challenges, and attempting to shape US culture according to the vision of St. Dominic, that is to say, the vision of the Gospel. Preaching with Their Lives seeks to explore the vast diversity of the Dominican family, the vast diversity of gifts, challenges, and ministries. It attempts to tell the story of those who have gone before. More important, it seeks to inspire future generations. Firmly grounded in the achievements of the past, the Dominican family can confront the challenges of the future with renewed vigor. But the essays are more than celebratory—the essays make a significant contribution to US Catholic historiography as well.