How did the legal and political-administrative relationship between central and local governments of two decentralised states shape their response to COVID-19? Literature and theories on decentralisation argue that federal and decentralised states are less able to respond to crises in a coordinated manner due to their perceived greater susceptibility to political conflict. Situated within this theoretical debate and based on the analysis of legal acts, political decisions, and relevant national news media articles between March and August 2020 in Germany and Italy, this research note shows that, counterintuitively, more decentralisation does not necessarily translate into more legal and political stress during pandemic management. In responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Germany, a highly decentralised state, experienced less legal and political tensions than the less decentralised Italy. The key to understanding this variation lies in different institutional arrangements, complemented by the specific political cultures of both states.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/spsr.12482 | DOI Listing |
Biol Direct
December 2024
Urology Unit, Department of Surgery, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Background: Prostate cancer is the most common diagnosed tumor and the fifth cancer related death among men in Europe. Although several genetic alterations such as ERG-TMPRSS2 fusion, MYC amplification, PTEN deletion and mutations in p53 and BRCA2 genes play a key role in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer, specific gene alteration signature that could distinguish indolent from aggressive prostate cancer or may aid in patient stratification for prognosis and/or clinical management of patients with prostate cancer is still missing. Therefore, here, by a multi-omics approach we describe a prostate cancer carrying the fusion of TMPRSS2 with ERG gene and deletion of 16q chromosome arm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Med
December 2024
Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Centre, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Geert Grooteplein 10, Nijmegen, 6500HB, the Netherlands.
Background: Palliative sedation involves the intentional proportional lowering of the level of consciousness in patients with life-limiting disease who are experiencing refractory suffering. The efficacy of palliative sedation needs to be monitored to ensure patient comfort. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy using discomfort levels combined with sedation/agitation levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
December 2024
Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Waldeyerstrasse 15, D-48149, Münster, Germany.
The heparan sulfate (HS)-rich extracellular matrix (ECM) serves as an initial interaction site for the homotrimeric spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 to facilitate subsequent docking to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors and cellular infection. More recent variants, notably Omicron, have evolved by swapping several amino acids to positively charged residues to enhance the interaction of the S-protein trimer with the negatively charged HS. However, these enhanced interactions may reduce Omicron's ability to move through the HS-rich ECM to effectively find ACE2 receptors and infect cells, raising the question of how to mechanistically explain HS-associated viral movement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHPB (Oxford)
December 2024
Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK; Department of Surgery, Dr Gray's Hospital, Elgin, IV30 1SN, UK; HPB Surgery Unit, East Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, England, BB2 3HH, UK; Integrated Centre of HPB Care, Elite Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt.
Background: Splanchnic vein thrombosis (SpVT) occurs in 17%-23 % of acute pancreatitis cases. Serious sequelae include hepatic and bowel ischaemia. However, management with therapeutic anticoagulation remains controversial due to potential bleeding risk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Int
December 2024
Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità), Rome, Italy(2).
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