Theoretical and conceptual approaches to the role of national and regional security on ensuring stability in Eastern Europe

Events in Europe in the last decades of the twentieth century (the fall of the Berlin Wall, the unification of Germany, the abolition of the Warsaw Pact, the collapse of the communist bloc and the USSR) led to a reconsideration of Eastern European security. After the abolition of the Warsaw Pact, the ,,balance of power" strategy in achieving security no longer works and, as such, the Eastern European security system must be rebuilt in accordance with the new realities. The tendencies regarding the reorganization of the European security system are diverse and contradictory, each actor (state, group of states, organization) wanting to occupy a more advantageous place in order to be able to promote and, if necessary, to defend its own interests. This article aims to determine the main definitions and theories of national and regional security in the context of Eastern European stability. Also the authors are willing to identify some problems and trends in the region and to list the main actors who are responsible for dealing with challenging issues and how to avoid them.

Counterterrorism and the risk of over-classification of situations of violence

Richard Baxter famously stated that “the first line of defence against international humanitarian law is to deny that it applies at all”. While “under-classification” remains an issue today, a parallel trend needs to be acknowledged. This is the tendency to over-classify situations of violence, especially in relation to transnational terrorist organizations such as the so-called Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda. This tendency stems from practical difficulties inherent in the changing operational environment. The last few years have witnessed a proliferation of armed non-State actors that are labelled or designated as terrorists (e.g., in Iraq, Syria, Mali, Nigeria and Yemen). Terrorist groups are characterized by opaque, often volatile organizational structures and tend to operate in decentralized networks rather than clear hierarchies. The formation of splinter groups, changing alliances, temporary reunification and even open hostility among former allies are common phenomena. This complex factual situation has led to the proliferation of theories of conflict classification, many of them arguing in favour of more flexible classification via the loosening of existing standards. Because international humanitarian law is in many respects less protective than international human rights law, particularly regarding the rules on the use of force and detention, classifying a situation of violence as an armed conflict when the threshold has not been met is a problem that should not be underestimated. In this article, we revisit the criteria of intensity and organization, as well as the related matter of the role of motives in conflict classification, considering conflicts involving armed groups described as terrorists. Our goal is to identify minimum requirements that could diminish the risk of over-classification by various stakeholders.

253 Physiological Responses to Heat Stress of Holstein Heifers Carrying the SLICK1 Allele of the Prolactin Receptor (PRLR) Gene

The objectives of this study were to evaluate physiological responses to heat stress of Holstein heifers carrying the SLICK1 allele of the PRLR, i.e., the slick mutation. Slick and non-slick females were produced in central CA (n = 3 farms) and south FL (n = 3 farms) by inseminating cows with semen from two heterozygous slick Holstein sires. In July 2020, a subgroup of heifers of both genotypes (slick=93; non-slick=110) and two age groups (Group 1: 6–8 months old; n = 131; Group 2: 9–51 days old; n = 72) in both states were evaluated for rectal temperature (RT), surface temperature (ST) and sweating rate (SR). Dry bulb temperature, relative humidity and dew point were recorded every 15 min during testing for temperature humidity index (THI) calculation. Statistical models included the effects of genotype, state, farm within state, group, sire, THI, and interactions. Significant effects were considered as those with P < 0.05. Although the THI in CA was lower than FL (80 ± 0.1 vs 84 ± 0.2; P < 0.01), both were above 77 (estimated heat stress threshold for young animals). Slick heifers raised in FL had lower RT compared to non-slick siblings (39.6 ± 0.1 vs 40.1 ±0.1; genotype P < 0.01); this difference was not observed in CA (39.1 ± 0.04 vs 39.1 ± 0.05; genotype P = 0.5; state x genotype P < 0.01). In both states, slick heifers tended to have lower ST (34.7 ± 0.2 vs 35.1 ± 0.2; P = 0.07); CA heifers had lower RT and ST and higher SR (P < 0.01) regardless of genotype. Current results show that presence of the SLICK1 allele can improve the ability of Holstein heifers to regulate body temperature, particularly in high humidity conditions. Next steps will include analysis of performance as study animals enter the reproductive phase. Funding sources: Holstein Association USA and L.E. “Red” Larson Endowment.

Receipt of palliative care (PC) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) using data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB).

12087 Background: AML is an aggressive disease with high mortality and significant impact on quality of life. Palliative care (PC) services have become integral in managing patient’s symptoms during treatment as well as at the end of life. We hypothesize that socioeconomic factors such as achieving higher levels of education, and higher incomes, increases the odds of receiving PC. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis using NCDB data of 124,988 newly diagnosed non-M3 AML patients over 18 yrs from 2004-2016. Unadjusted and multivariate adjusted logistic regression analysis (MVA) evaluated the impact of socioeconomic variables on the receipt of PC. In the MVA, we adjusted for demographic variables and facility characteristics including facility type, facility volume, age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, income, education, urban/rural residence, Charlson-Deyo score, great circle distance, Medicaid expansion status state group, and insurance status. Patients with Medicaid expansion < 39yrs were excluded due to low patient numbers. Results: For the 124,988 patients, median age was 63 years (range 18-90) with 54% males and 86% White. 25% of patients lived in regions with the highest education level defined as < 6.3% of adults over 25 without a high school diploma. 35% of patients had a household income bracket of ≥ $63,333. A total of 3% of patients received PC. MVA showed that patients within the highest income bracket of ≥ $63,333 were less likely to have used PC services (OR 0.82, p < 0.01). More educated patients residing in regions with < 6.3% of adults without a high school diploma had higher odds of receiving PC treatment compared with patients with less education (OR 1.23, p < 0.01). Residence in states with Medicaid expansion in January 2014 or later was associated with greater utilization of PC services (Jan 2014 expansion states: OR 1.33 and late expansion states/after Jan 2014: OR 1.43, p < 0.01) compared to residence in non-expansion states. No difference was seen across races; except Hispanics with decreased use of PC services(OR 0.8, p = 0.022). Conclusions: In this large cohort, a small percentage of patients received PC. Higher education was associated with higher likelihood of using PC, while, surprisingly, higher income was associated with a lower likelihood of PC. Additionally, the higher use of PC services with Medicaid expansion suggests a broad impact of public health insurance in providing increased access to PC services.

The Re-emergence of the Indonesian Islamic State Groups: Their Survival and Modus Operandi

The Islamic State groups under the New Order in Indonesia were represented by various groups and factions, but they originated from the single movement called Darul Islam (DI) led by Kartosuwiryo in West Java. In 1949, Kartosuwiryo – the imam of Darul Islam – declared the establishment of the Indonesia Islamic State in the village of the Cisampah district of Tasikmalaya, West Java with the sole purpose of rejecting the policy of the Republic of Indonesia to withdraw their troops from West Java. DI itself operated in West Java and expanded its influences in South Sulawesi and Aceh. Even though the Darul Islam rebellion was already crushed totally by the state, many movements linked to DI are still apparent and have operated clandestinely. The groups currently associated with Darul Islam have been suspected of their involvements in terrorist activities in Indonesia. Even people who have joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) still have a connection with the Darul Islam’s past rebellion. This article tries to analyze the main factors that caused the re-emergence of Indonesian Islamic State group called Negara Islam Indonesia (NII) and how NII becomes the main entry toward terroristic activities.

Magnesium-containing composition influencing morphological parameters and gelatinase B activity in endometrial tissues in experimental chronic endometrial inflammation

Aim: to assess an effect of medicinal magnesium-containing composition on gelatinase B expression intensity and morphological parameters of chronic experimental endometrial inflammation.Materials and Methods. There were conducted experiments with 60 sexually mature female Wistar rats to determine an effect of medicinal magnesium-containing composition (contains magnesium chloride – a natural polymineral Bischofite) on gelatinase B activity in endometrial tissues (counting number of gelatinase-B-positive cells and intensity of gelatinase B expression), morphological parameters of cell infiltration, as well as amount of magnesium in red blood cell mass collected from the inferior vena cava and subclavian vein. All such parameters were assessed in experimental animals from 4 groups: group 1 – animals in baseline state, group 2 – control, group 3 – experimental chronic endometritis (CE), group 4 – experimental CE after treatment with medicinal magnesium-containing composition. Results. It was found that use of medicinal magnesium-containing composition increased amount of erythrocyte magnesium up to the baseline level and increased both number and expression intensity of stromal gelatinase B-positive cells. In addition, magnesium level in erythrocyte mass from the inferior vena cava was increased and accompanied with restored eosinophil-plasmacyte as well as significantly elevated macrophage-lymphocyte infiltration in endometrial tissues compared to CE animals lacking therapy. Conclusion. The results of this study allow us to conclude about importance of gelatinase B in pathogenesis of experimental chronic endometrial inflammation as well as an opportunity of regulating gelatinase B activity by applying medicinal magnesium containing drug in pathogenetic therapy of experimental CE.

New horizons in low oxidation state group 2 metal chemistry

Since the seminal report on Mg in the +I oxidation state in 2007, low-valent complexes featuring a MgI-MgI bond developed from trophy molecules to state-of-the-art reducing agents. Despite increasing interest...

The Future: synthesis of analysis

The article was prepared based on the materials of the meetings of the Sretensky club. The author uses the spheral approach as a theoretical and methodological basis for the article. The author offers his views on the prospects for human development, the evolution of the economy, and social relations. It is noted that at present, in the digital era, the development of society represents the transition of humanity to a qualitatively new formation, which, in turn, requires an active transformation of the goal-setting, taking into account the majority of opinions. The possibilities of digitalization confront humanity with a moral choice: the emergence of a “digital concentration camp” or digital social justice and the harmonious development of social relations when the idea of a fair society in its many forms will become decisive. The author believes that the goals for the development of all humanity should be of higher priority to any regional, state, group, or personal ambitions. It is required to ensure the social well-being and prosperity of all people, regardless of their race, nationality, confession, gender, age, and social status; also, the formation of a planetary civilization should take place when everyone is valuable and in demand for the creation of a long and happy life in harmony with nature and the universe. According to the author, a major anthropological transition should cause cardinal changes in all spheres of life, and the measure of these changes will be a person and his wellness. The economy should become “smart”, and the necessary governance will emerge over time; health care will be able to guarantee people decent health protection and strengthening of immunity; humanitarian and moral education will serve to foster dedication and responsibility, and science will become a powerful way of creative self-expression; the cultural preferences of people will also change. The author notes the special place for Russian people in the formation of a new stage for all humanity: the wisdom of Russian people historically and genetically embodies individual passionarity and patriotism not contradicting with the all-human principle.