Articles de revues sur le sujet « 901-1000 »

e19010 Background: Allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy faces challenges like limited persistence and host rejection. Current research has improved its viability by modifying genes like B2M, despite new challenges like NK cell targeting have emerged. Through CRISPR screening, we discovered a novel gene, named GeneX, and its role in enhancing T cell persistence against allogeneic attacks and AICD. GeneX influences glycan composition, affecting immune responses and AICD initiation. Engineered GeneXKO/TCRKO/anti-CD19 CAR T cells (ET-901) resisted allogeneic killing and maintained anti-tumor effects without causing GvHD, marking a significant advancement in CAR T-cell therapy. Methods: ET-901 is being tested in a phase 1 trial for r/r B-NHL at a single center, utilizing a 3+3 dose escalation scheme and planning for expansion at the recommended Phase 2 dose. Participants must have an ECOG status of 0–2, without a history of allo-HSCT or CAR-T therapy. The study's main goals are to assess ET-901's safety and establish the optimal Phase 2 dosage. Patients undergo a 3-day lymphodepletion with fludarabine (30-50 mg/m2/d) and cyclophosphamide (500-1000 mg/m2/d), followed by a single-dose infusion of ET-901 at escalating doses (DL1:1*10e6/kg, DL2:3*10e6/kg, and DL3:10*10e6/kg). Pharmacokinetic monitoring occurs during follow-up. Results: From September 2023, a total of six patients were enrolled in the escalation cohort, including 4 patients with LBCL and 2 with FL. In these patients (3 males), the median age was 53 years (range: 46–55 years), and the median number of prior treatment lines was 5. The median SPD was 7,650 mm2 (range: 2,700-43,400 mm2). Notably, two cases in DL2 exhibited unusual lymphoma infiltration sites: patient No.4 in the forearm muscle and patient No.5 in the spleen. Update to February 2024, we have completed the safety evaluation of Dose Level (DL) 1 and DL2. No DLTs were observed. The most common TRAEs of any grade included leukopenia (6/6), granulocytopenia (6/6), anemia (6/6), thrombocytopenia (6/6), CRS (6/6), infection (2/6), ICANS (2/6), and GvH like reaction (1/6). All patients achieved objective responses, with 2 cases of PR and 4 cases of CR (1 in DL1, 3 in DL2). The peak values of CAR+ cells count and VCN in peripheral blood were 36.0/μl (range: 14.0-48.0/μl, median: day 7), and 9.6e4 copies/μg (range: 7.7e4-1.2e5 copies/μg, median: day 7), respectively. In all patients, a second expansion of CAR-T cells was observed alongside B cell recovery. This confirms that GeneX knockout enables allo CAR-T cells to maintain long-term immune privilege while preserving their biological function. Conclusions: The study demonstrated the safety and feasibility of ET-901 in patients with r/r B-NHL. These findings highlight the potential of ET-901 as an effective therapeutic approach for improving outcomes for these patients. Clinical trial information: NCT06014073 .

AbstractTwenty-five banana varieties of section Eumusa (AA-group) and seven of the section Australimusa (Fe'i-group) from Papua New Guinea were evaluated for resistance to Radopholus similis, Pratylenchus coffeae and Meloidogyne spp. The host plant responses were compared with the susceptible reference cvs Grande Naine and Cavendish 901. In vitro propagated plants were transferred to the glasshouse in loamy sand and inoculated with approximately 1000 migratory endoparasitic nematodes at 4 weeks after planting. Reproduction of R. similis and P.coffeae in the roots was determined at 8 or 10 weeks, respectively, after inoculation. Reproduction of Meloidogyne spp. was determined 8 weeks after inoculation with 3300 to 5000 eggs. No resistance to R. similis was found in the diploid varieties. The Fe'i variety Rimina and possibly Menei were resistant to R. similis. All varieties tested were susceptible to P.coffeae and Meloidogyne spp. Tests de résistance de bananiers Eumusa et Australimusa (Musa spp.) envers les nématodes endoparasites migrateurs et galligènes - Vingt-cinq variétés de bananier de la section Eumusa (groupe AA) et sept de la section Australimusa (group Fe'i) provenant de Papouasie-Nouvelle Guinée ont été testées pour leur résistance envers Radopholus similis, Pratylenchus coffeae et Meloidogyne spp. Les résponses de ces variétés ont été comparées à celles des cultivars sensibles de référence Grande Naine et Cavendish 901. Des vitroplants ont été mis en place en serre sur un sol argilo-sableux et inoculés 4 semaines après plantation avec environ 1000 R. similis ou P.coffeae dont la reproduction a été déterminée 8 et 10 semaines, respectivement, après inoculation. La reproduction de Meloidogyne spp. l'a été 8 semaines après inoculation avec 3300 à 5000 oeufs. Aucune résistance à R. similis n'a été observée chez les variétés diploïdes. Les variétés du groupe Fe'i Rimina et Menei se sont montrées résistantes à R. similis, avec un certain doute dans le cas de la dernière. Toutes les variétés testées sont sensibles à P.coffeae et Meloidogyne spp.

ImportanceUniversal ultrasonographic screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) has gained increasing popularity despite the lack of benefit in terms of reducing the rates of late-detected cases (age ≥12 weeks) in randomized clinical trials.ObjectiveTo report the reported incidence of DDH in the English scientific literature and compare rates of late-detected cases in settings with different DDH screening strategies.Data SourcesPubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched on November 25 and 27, 2021. No time filters were used in the search.Study SelectionAll observational studies reporting the incidence of early-detected or late-detected (age ≥12 weeks) DDH were included. Non-English reports were excluded if the abstract did not include enough information to be included for analysis.Data Extraction and SynthesisThe number of newborns screened and the detection rates were extracted. Meta-analysis calculated the pooled incidence of DDH per 1000 newborns with 95% CIs using a random- or fixed-effects model. This study is reported according to the PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe main outcome measures were early detection, early treatment, late detection, and operative treatment incidences.ResultsA total of 1899 studies were identified, 203 full texts were assessed, and 76 studies with 16 901 079 infants were included in final analyses. The early detection rate was 8.4 (95% CI, 4.8-14.8) infants with DDH per 1000 newborns with clinical screening, 4.4 (95% CI, 2.4-8.0) infants with DDH per 1000 newborns with selective ultrasonographic screening, and 23.0 (95% CI, 15.7-33.4) infants with DDH per 1000 newborns with universal ultrasonographic screening. Rates for nonoperative treatment were 5.5 (95% CI, 2.1-14) treatments per 1000 newborns with clinical screening, 3.1 (95% CI, 2.0-4.8) treatments per 1000 newborns with selective ultrasonographic screening, and 9.8 (95% CI, 6.7-14.4) treatments per 1000 newborns with universal ultrasonographic screening. The incidence of late-detected DDH was 0.5 (95% CI, 0.2-1.5) infants with DDH per 1000 newborns with clinical screening, 0.6 (95% CI, 0.3-1.3) infants with DDH per 1000 newborns with selective ultrasonographic screening, and 0.2 (95% CI, 0.0-0.8) infants with DDH per 1000 newborns with universal ultrasonographic screening. The corresponding incidences of operative treatment were 0.2 (95% CI, 0.0-0.9) operations per 1000 newborns with clinical screening, 0.5 (95% CI, 0.4-0.7) operations per 1000 newborns with selective ultrasonographic screening, and 0.4 (95% CI, 0.2-0.7) operations per 1000 newborns with universal ultrasonographic screening.Conclusions and RelevanceThis meta-analysis found that early detection rates and nonoperative treatments were higher with universal screening. The late detection and operative treatment rates with universal screening were similar to those among selectively and clinically screened newborns. Based on these results, universal screening may cause initial overtreatment without reducing the rates of late detection and operative treatment.

In the article, based on summarising the data of the Shanghai rating for 2004-2022, other ratings, the law of increasing steepness of the university's ascent to the top of excellence is formulated. The law determines that the university's approach to the state of highest perfection is accompanied by an increase in the rating steepness (as the difference in scores of neighbouring places) of the upward trajectory. In particular, the average rating steepness for the first ten places of the institutional version of the 2022 Shanghai rating is almost 1000 times higher than this characteristic for the last 100 positions (901-1000) of the rating distribution. The law applies both to institutions as a whole and to individual academic subjects. Empirical and theoretical justifications of the law are provided. The law has a statistical and probabilistic nature, it makes it possible to theoretically predict and practically design the behaviour of both the population and individual universities in their advancement to leadership. Among the consequences of the law is the need for a progressive, exponentially growing concentration of resources (human, organisational, informational, infrastructural, and financial) to generate the university's capacity to achieve the highest mission-appropriate levels of complexity of educational, research, and innovative activities. The law expands the framework of the university science (university studies), is important for the development of a strategy for the development of leading universities of the highest excellence (strategy-2), the implementation of the second dimension of the Bologna process and the European Higher Education Area (competitiveness and attractiveness), is relevant for the post-war recovery of Ukraine from the consequences of the war on an innovative, highly intelligent and high-tech basis.

Croton ferrugineus Kunth is an endemic species of Ecuador used in traditional medicine both for wound healing and as an antiseptic. In this study, fresh Croton ferrugineus leaves were collected and subjected to hydrodistillation for extraction of the essential oil. The chemical composition of the essential oil was determined by gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector and gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer using a non-polar and a polar chromatographic column. The antibacterial activity was assayed against three Gram-positive bacteria, one Gram-negative bacterium and one dermatophyte fungus. The radical scavenging properties of the essential oil was evaluated by means of DPPH and ABTS assays. The chemical analysis allowed us to identify thirty-five compounds representing more than 99.95% of the total composition. Aliphatic sesquiterpene hydrocarbon trans-caryophyllene was the main constituent with 20.47 ± 1.25%. Other main compounds were myrcene (11.47 ± 1.56%), β-phellandrene (10.55 ± 0.02%), germacrene D (7.60 ± 0.60%), and α-humulene (5.49 ± 0.38%). The essential oil from Croton ferrugineus presented moderate activity against Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) with an MIC of 1000 μg/mL, a scavenging capacity SC50 of 901 ± 20 µg/mL with the ABTS method, and very strong antiglucosidase activity with an IC50 of 146 ± 20 µg/mL.

In present research assessment of disease incidence was made between Bt and Non-Bt cotton against bacterial blight disease. Experiment was carried out in natural environmental conditions on twenty eight varieties/advance lines. Findings of the experiments depicted more disease incidence on Non-Bt varieties viz., Non Bt-FH 901 (41.7-43.4%), Non Bt-MNH 496 (47.6-49.5%), Non Bt-FH 1000 (48.6-51.2%), Non Bt-FH 207 (54.5-57.5%), Non BT-N 112 (54.7-56.3%), Non BT-FH 942 (55.7-59.5%), Non BT-MNH 6070 (61.5-64.7%), Non Bt-FH 941 (63.4-61.6%), Non BT-N 814 (70.4-71.3%), Non Bt-FH 900 (74.7-77.4%), Non Bt-ANMOL (74.8-76.8%), Non Bt-FH 2015 (78.5-80.6%), Non BT REDACOLA (81.5-79.6%) and Non BT-C 26 (83.3-85.6%) while BT varieties BT-S-78 (25.8-26.7%), BT-Z-33 (26.7-22.2%), BT-786 (28.6-31.5%), BT-A-ONE (28.8-26.5%), BT-282 (30.5-27.6%), BT-886 (33.5-35.3%), BT-3701 (38.3-36. %), BT-SPECIAL (38.4-34.6%), BT-802 (41.3-43.4%), BT-92 (41.4-44.4%), BT-131 (43.8-41.7%), BT-905 (44.6-42.3%), BT-SUPPER (45.6-46.8%) and BT-121 (48.6-52.4%) showed decreased response respectively. Hence, concluded that difference/variability in the resistant sources is present in Pakistan against the disease among BT varieties as compared to Non-Bt.

نفذت تجربتان حقليتان لموسمين لكل منهما الأولى في مسة لتقدير السلوك الوراثي لبعض أصناف القمح الصلب والخبز (BJy، كاسي، كفرة1، كفرة 2، Vee، كريم، صلامبو80، كساد 901، جيزة 168، بني سويف1، مرجاوي وسخا 69) تحت نظامي الزراعة البعلية والري التكميلي، والثانية في قندولة جنوب الجبل الأخضر لدراسة السلوك الوراثي لقمح الخبز (صلامبو 80، شام 10 وأبوالخير) لاختلاف المستويات المضافة ثنائي أمونيوم الفوسفات 18 DAP : 46 (0، 70، 140 و210 كجم / هـ) تمثلت دراسة السلوك الوراثي في تقدير معامل الاختلاف الوراثي (GCV)، معامل الاختلاف المظهري (PCV)، معامل التحسين الوراثي المتوقع (GA) ومعامل التوريث بالمعنى الواسع (H2) خلال موسمي الدراسة 2013 – 2014لا والثاني 2014 – 2015. صممت التجربة الأولى بالشرائح المنشقة ووزعت نظم الزراعة على الشرائح والأصناف في القطع الثانوية مساحتها 3x 3 (9 م2) بينما الثانية بالقطع المنشقة لمرة واحدة وفي 4 مكررات لكلتا التجربتين. سجلت النتائج تقارب الأصناف في الخصائص : ارتفاع النبات، عدد الأشطاء الفاعلة، طول السنبلة، وزن حبوب السنبلة، المحصول البيولوجي، محصول الحبوب، محصول القش، دليل الحصاد، وزن 1000 حبة ومحتوى الحبوب من البروتين نتيجة انخفاض قيم GCVوPCV مع وجود ميل للتحسين الوراثي لتلك الخصائص في بعض الأصناف باختلاف نظم الزراعة او مستويات التسميد دلت هذه الاستجابات لثبوت الخصائص الوراثية عند إدخالها لبرامج التربية وأشارت تلك المؤشرات لتضاعف استجابتها تحت الري التكميلي مقارنة بالزراعة البعلية أو نتيجة التسميد مقارنة بعدمه وبتأكد ذلك لارتفاع قيم H2 لمعظم الخصائص المشار إليها لكلتا التجربتين في كلا الموسمين

Background Inversion ankle trauma is disabling, yet little is known regarding the incidence rate of first-time ankle sprains and how it is influenced by factors including sex, level of competition, and sport. Hypothesis The incidence rates of first-time ankle ligament sprains are influenced by sex, level of competition (high school vs college), and type of sports participation (basketball, soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey). Study Design Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods Between 1999 and 2003, high school and college athletes were evaluated before participation in their sports. Subjects were included in the study if they had not experienced a prior ankle or lower extremity injury and were then followed during participation in soccer, basketball, lacrosse, or field hockey to document their days of exposure to sport and injuries sustained. The relative risk associated with sex, level of competition, and sport was estimated by Cox regression. Results A total of 901 athletes had 50 680 person-days of exposure to sports, and 43 (4.8%) had an inversion injury that produced an ankle ligament sprain. Overall, the injury incidence rate was 0.85 sprains per 1000 person-days of exposure to sport. There were 0.68 and 0.97 ankle sprains per 1000 person-days of exposure to sport for the men and women, respectively. Although the risk of suffering an ankle sprain was higher for women than for men (relative risk, 1.51), the difference was not statistically significant (P=. 21) and was owing to the increased risk in female basketball athletes compared to male basketball athletes (relative risk, 4.11; P=. 045). Risk of injury was similar for the high school athletes in comparison to the college athletes (relative risk, 1.16). For the men, there was no difference in the risk of suffering an ankle sprain between the sports of basketball, soccer, and lacrosse, whereas for the women, the risk of suffering an ankle sprain was significantly greater during participation in basketball compared to lacrosse. Conclusion In this study of first-time ankle sprains, for most sports, the incidence rate of inversion injury is less than 1 per 1000 days of exposure to sport, a value lower than previously reported. Among female athletes, ankle injury is associated with type of sport. Risk is highest for female basketball athletes, who are at significantly greater risk than male basketball athletes and female lacrosse athletes. The risk of first-time ankle injury is similar for high school and college-level athletes.

Bacterial leaf Blight of cotton a major seed borne foliar disease that attacks the crop at all growth stages leading to cause severe losses in conducive environment. To find out best source of resistance against pathogen this research was conducted in the field area Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad. Incidence of bacterial blight of cotton was determined on twenty eight varieties/advanced lines sown in field to determine the resistance resource against the disease. Two years data showed that seventeen varieties (BT-Z-33, BT-S-78, BT-786, BT-A-ONE, BT -282, BT-886, BT-3701, BT-SPECIAL, BT-802, Non Bt-FH 901, BT-92, BT-131, BT-905, BT-SUPPER, Non Bt-MNH 496, Non Bt-FH 1000, and BT-121) expressed moderately resistant response with 21-50 % disease incidence (rating 4). Five varieties viz. Non Bt-FH 207, Non BT-N 112, Non BT-FH 942, Non BT-MNH 6070 and Non Bt-FH 941exhibited moderately susceptible response with 51-70% disease incidence under rating 5. Four varieties namely Non BT-N 814, Non Bt-FH 900, Non BT-ANMOL and Non Bt-FH 2015 showed susceptible response with 71-80% disease incidence (rating 6) while Non BT-REDACOLA and Non BT-C 26 expressed highly susceptible response with disease incidence 81-100% rating 7 against bacterial blight disease of cotton. Results indicate that a wide range of resistant resource is present in Pakistan against the disease. The selection of diverse germplasm/resistant varieties through screening is the most efficient, environment friendly and economical management strategy for farmers against this disease.

ObjectiveIn MOBILITY (NCT01061736), sarilumab significantly reduced disease activity, improved physical function and inhibited radiographic progression at week 52 versus placebo in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and an inadequate response to methotrexate. We report 5-year safety, efficacy and radiographic outcomes of sarilumab from NCT01061736 and the open-label extension (EXTEND; NCT01146652), in which patients received sarilumab 200 mg every 2 weeks (q2w) + methotrexate.MethodsPatients (n=1197) with moderately to severely active RA were initially randomised to placebo, sarilumab 150 mg or sarilumab 200 mg subcutaneously q2w plus weekly methotrexate for 52 weeks. Completers were eligible to enrol in the open-label extension and receive sarilumab 200 mg q2w + methotrexate.ResultsOverall, 901 patients entered the open-label extension. The safety profile remained stable over 5-year follow-up and consistent with interleukin-6 receptor blockade. Absolute neutrophil count <1000 cells/mm3 was observed but not associated with increased infection rate. Initial treatment with sarilumab 200 mg + methotrexate was associated with reduced radiographic progression over 5 years versus sarilumab 150 mg + methotrexate or placebo + methotrexate (mean±SE change from baseline in van der Heijde-modified Total Sharp Score: 1.46±0.27, 2.35±0.28 and 3.68±0.27, respectively (p<0.001 for each sarilumab dose versus placebo)). Clinical efficacy was sustained through 5 years according to Disease Activity Score (28-joint count) using C reactive protein, Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index. The number of patients achieving CDAI ≤2.8 at 5 years was similar among initial randomisation groups (placebo, 76/398 (19%); sarilumab 150 mg, 68/400 (17%); sarilumab 200 mg, 84/399 (21%)).ConclusionClinical efficacy, including inhibition of radiographic progression, reduction in disease activity and improvement in physical function, was sustained with sarilumab + methotrexate over 5 years. Safety appeared stable over the 5-year period.

Abstract A field experiment was carried out in the second agricultural station of the College of Agriculture - University of Al-Muthanna in the Al Bandar area (2 km from the city center), during the season (2020-2021) to know the effect of different levels of potassium fertilizer coated and are K0 (without addition), K1 (30 kg.K.H−1), K2 (60 kg.K.H−1), K3 (90 kg.K.H−1) and K4 (120 kg.K.H−1 without coated) On the vesponse of the genotypes of the wheat (Iksad 59, Iranian, Iksad 901, Iksad 133 and Boohooth 22), According to what the process requires of printing to arrange the splinter panels using a design R.C.B.D and three repetitions, As the potash fertilizer treatments were placed in the main panels (Main-plots) While the genotypes were placed in the secondary plates (Sub-plot). The results showed a significant difference between the genotypes in the traits studied as the Iksad 133 genotype superior in the biological yield, while the Iranian genotype was superior in the weight of 1,000 seeds and the harvest index, and as response to potassium fertilizer, The coated treatment has outperformed 30 kg.K.H− 1 The No. grains spike−1 and the weight 1000 seeds. It also excelled in the seed yield, vital yield and harvest index, which averaged reached 8.03 tons H−1 and 18.33 tons H−1 and 43.98 % respectively, while the coated treatment supertor 90 kg.K.H− 1 significantly in the No. of fertile spikes. M2. As for the interaction between the two factors, the combination (Iksad 133 x K3) was superior in the No. of fertile spikes, and the combination (Iksad 59 x K4) in the No. of spike grains, while the two combinations superior (Boohooth 22 x K1) and (Iksad 133 x K1) in grain yield, which averaged 9.11 and 9.06 tons ha−1 respectively, and the combination (Iksad 133 x K1) was superior in bio-it give high mea reached 21.27 tons.ha−1, The combination (Iranian × K2) was superior in the harvest index, It reached 48.75%.

Background: The aim of the present study was to see the prevalence of allergic comorbidities among the country’s population and to increase impression of cost savings in the management of allergic comorbidities. Methods: The study was done in the ENT outpatient department (OPD) of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, from January 2011 to January 2012 and 125 patients with allergic rhinitis with or without other allergies were selected over the period of study. Results: Among the patients affected by allergic rhinitis along with other allergies 64% patients were male and 36% were female. Maximum patients for both male and female were of the age group of 21-30 years (46%). From the occupational point of view, students were mostly affected (34% of the total patients). Maximum patients were suffering from allergic rhinitis along with atopic asthma and allergic conjunctivitis (22%) and atopic asthma patients were about 55% of the total patients of allergic rhinitis. Maximum patients of atopic asthma were of the age group of 21-30 years (48%) for both male and female. 100% asthmatic patients were suffering from chest tightness, 90% from cough, 87% from respiratory distress, 22% from wheeze 85% patients got positive stair test. 82% of the total patients of allergic rhinitis got eosinophilia, 68% got hyperimmunoglobulinemia IgE and 25% got eosinophil in their nasal smear. 87% patients with atopic asthma got eosinophilia, 83% got hyperimmunoglobulinemia IgE and 45% got eosinophil in their nasal smear- maximum patients (17%) got the total circulatory eosinophil level from 901 to 1000 per cubic milimeter and maximum patients (32%) got the IgE level from 100-300 per international unit. A good number of patients with atopic asthma selected randomly underwent spirometry test after having proper and adequate treatment of allergic rhinitis for few months along with bronchodilator for few weeks and they got no pulmonary obstruction. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jdmc.v22i2.21524 J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 22, No.2, October, 2013, Page 144-150

182 Background: Apatinib is a small molecule TKI inhibitor, which had been approved in China for treatment of advanced gastric cancer refractory to two or more lines of prior chemotherapy. Its efficacy and safety have been demonstrated in previous randomized controlled clinical studies. However, the efficacy and safety of apatinib in real world is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-tumor activity and toxicity of apatinib in real world. Methods: Patients older than 18 years with histologically diagnosed with gastric cancer were enrolled and treated with either apatinib alone or in combination with other drugs. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), and secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR). The adverse events were also recorded. Results: From March 2018 to March 2019, a total of 1000 patients were enrolled. Among them, 48(0.48%), 13(0.13%), 225 (22.5%), 389 (38.9%), and 325 (32.5%) patients received apatinib as postoperative auxiliary-, neoadjuvant-, first-, second-, and third- or higher line therapy, respectively. Efficacy evaluation was performed in 901 patients. Thirty-five patients achieved complete response (CR), 116 patients achieved partial response (PR), 596 patients achieved stable disease (SD), and 154 patients had progressive disease (PD), illustrating an ORR of 16.76% and a DCR of 82.91%. The mPFS was 5.32 months (95% CI, 4.93-5.75), and mOS was 9.76 months (95% CI, 8.97-10.81). In addition, the mOS of apatinib in first-line, second-line, and third-line treatments were 12.68 months, 9.49 months, and 7.62 months, respectively. Patients received apatinib in combination with other drugs had longer survival than apatinib alone, with mPFS 5.62 months vs 4.47 months and mOS 10.81 months vs 7.95 months. Such phenomenon was also observed in ORR (18.21% vs 13.04%, P< 0.001) and DCR (84.88% vs 77.87%, P< 0.001). The main adverse events (AE) were anemia (67.2%), thrombocytopenia (36.2%), leukopenia (34.5%)and anorexia (37.6%). The most common grade 3-4 adverse events included neutropenia, anemia and thrombocytopenia. Conclusions: In the real world, apatinib showed promising efficacy and manageable toxicities in patients with gastric cancer. Patients benefit more when received apatinib combination therapy. Clinical trial information: NCT03478943.

Abstract Background Treatment of GvHD with steroids increases the risk of infection in HSCT patients due to additive immunosuppression and may delay the diagnosis of infection due to lack of symptoms. Outpatient surveillance blood cultures in HSCT with GvHD being treated with HD steroids has demonstrated a blood culture positivity rate of 3.5%. Currently, the utility of surveillance cultures in patients receiving LD steroid therapy is unknown. Our practice includes weekly outpatient surveillance cultures for all GvHD patients treated with steroids regardless of the dose. The primary endpoint of this study was to assess the incidence of positive surveillance blood cultures in GvHD patients receiving HD or LD steroids. Secondary endpoints included number of patients treated, hospitalization, 30 day mortality due to infection, and organisms isolated. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective review of GvHD patients at Yale New Haven Hospital between January 2013 and May 2019. Patients were excluded if: lack of signs or symptoms of GvHD, treatment with steroids for any indication other than GvHD, and active GvHD without central line. Cultures from patients receiving antibiotics for concurrent infection were also excluded. Results A total of 71 patients met criteria with 901 blood cultures. On HD, eight patients (14%) had 12 positive cultures (4%), and on LD, 16 patients (25%) had 22 positive cultures (4%) (p=0.15). Treatment occurred in six patients (75%) with four (24%) requiring hospitalization on HD, and 12 patients (75%) with 10 (83%) requiring hospitalization on LD (p=0.45). The median duration of steroid therapy was 93 and 236 days with a median dose of steroids of 1mg/kg/day and 0.15mg/kg/day, respectively. The number of positive cultures/1000 steroid days was 1.2 on HD and 0.5 on LD (RR 2.2). 30 day mortality was only noted in one patient (8%) on LD. The most common organism in both groups was Coagulase-negative staphylococci with all six cultures on HD classified as contaminants and 6/10 cultures requiring treatment on LD. Conclusion Although the relative risk of positive surveillance blood cultures in HD patients compared to LD was twofold higher, there were clinically significant infections identified in the LD group. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Abstract Objectives Suboptimal diet contributes to substantial health disparities among low-income and racial and ethnic minorities, but influences on cancer disparities are not well established. We quantified the health and economic burdens of cancer attributable to suboptimal diet among US adults overall and in key demographic subgroups. Methods Using a probabilistic cohort state transition model, we incorporated national representative demographics and dietary data, national cancer incidence and cancer survival, diet-cancer etiologic associations, and cancer-related healthcare costs to estimate new cancer cases, cancer deaths, and cancer costs attributable to suboptimal intakes of 7 dietary factors (fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, processed meats, red meats, sugar sweetened beverages) among US adults aged 20 + years over their lifetime. Uncertainties in inputs were incorporated using probabilistic sensitivity analyses in 1000 simulations. Results Suboptimal intakes of these 7 dietary factors were estimated to jointly cause 1.76 (95% UI: 1.69–1.81) million new cancer cases, representing 4.6% (4.5–4.8%) of total cases of these cancers, 1.04 (1.00–1.08) million cancer death, and $215B (206–223) cancer-related healthcare costs in US adults over their lifetime. The top 3 diet-attributable cancers were colorectal (n = 824,000 new cases, 17% of the total), oral cavity and pharynx (n = 204,000, 8.4%), and endometrial cancer (n = 175,000, 5.8%). Among subgroups, diet-attributable new cancer cases per 100,000 population were 16% higher for men (805 [777–843]) than women, 20% higher for non-Hispanic blacks (939 [901–954]) than non-Hispanic white, 12% higher for below college educated (771[727–817]) than college graduates, 14% higher for lower income individuals (income-to-poverty ratio &lt; 1.3: 810 [771–839]) and 21% higher for SNAP participants (872 [830–920]) compared to high income individuals. Similar patterns were observed for diet-associated cancer death and cancer costs. Conclusions Our novel findings suggest that suboptimal intakes of 7 dietary factors are contributing to substantial cancer burdens and healthcare costs in the US, with major additional disparities among key population subgroups. These results help inform dietary and policy priorities to reduce diet-related cancer and disparities in the US. Funding Sources NIH/NIMHD.

ImportancePatients using assisted reproductive technology (ART) may need additional counseling about the increased risks of placental abruption and preterm delivery. Further investigation into the potential additive risk of ART and placental abruption is needed.ObjectiveTo ascertain the risk of placental abruption in patients who conceived with ART and to evaluate if placental abruption and ART conception are associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery (&amp;lt;37 weeks’ gestation) over and above the risks conferred by each factor alone.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cross-sectional study used data from the National Inpatient Sample, which includes data from all-payer hospital inpatient discharges from 48 states across the US. Participants included women aged 15 to 54 years who delivered from 2000 through 2019. Data were analyzed from January 17 to April 18, 2024.ExposuresPregnancies conceived with ART.Main Outcomes and MeasuresRisks of placental abruption and preterm delivery in ART conception compared with spontaneous conceptions. Associations were expressed as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs derived from weighted logistic regression models before and after adjusting for confounders. The relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) of the risk of preterm delivery based on ART conception and placental abruption was also assessed.ResultsOf 78 901 058 deliveries, the mean (SD) maternal age was 27.9 (6.0) years, and 9 212 117 patients (11.7%) were Black individuals, 14 878 539 (18.9%) were Hispanic individuals, 34 899 594 (44.2%) were White individuals, and 19 910 807 (25.2%) were individuals of other races and ethnicities. Of the total hospital deliveries, 98.2% were singleton pregnancies, 68.8% were vaginal deliveries, and 52.1% were covered by private insurance. The risks of placental abruption among spontaneous and ART conceptions were 11 and 17 per 1000 hospital discharges, respectively. After adjusting for confounders, the adjusted OR (AOR) of placental abruption was 1.42 (95% CI, 1.34-1.51) in ART pregnancies compared with spontaneous conceptions, with increased odds in White women (AOR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.31-1.53) compared with Black women (AOR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.93-1.44). The odds of preterm delivery were significantly higher in pregnancies conceived by ART compared with spontaneous conceptions (AOR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.42-1.51). The risk of preterm delivery increased when patients had both ART conception and placental abruption (RERI, 2.0; 95% CI, 0.5-3.5).Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cross-sectional study, patients who conceived using ART and developed placental abruption had a greater risk of preterm delivery compared with spontaneous conception without placental abruption. These findings have implications for counseling patients who seek infertility treatment and obstetrical management of ART pregnancies.

Background: Hyperbilirubinemia occurs frequently in the early phase after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT). In the present study we analysed whether high bilirubin levels until day +28 after alloSCT are associated with clinical outcome independent of liver toxicity and clinically defined diseases, such as sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS/VOD), transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TAM) or steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (refrGVHD). Methods: Serum bilirubin levels from 901 patients (training cohort) and from 399 patients transplanted in an independent institution (validation cohort), obtained over the first 4 weeks following alloSCT, were analyzed along with routine serum markers for liver cell and cholangiocyte damage (alanine transaminase, ALT, gamma-glutamyltransferase, gGT), and with markers of endothelial dysfunction, such as Angiopoietin-2 serum levels and the endothelial activation and stress index before conditioning therapy (EASIX-pre) and on the day of transplantation (EASIX-d0). Finally, we analysed the impact of prophylaxis with the endothelium-protective agents pravastatin and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDA) on early bilirubinaemia. Results: Maximum bilirubin levels (days 0-28) were associated with increased risk of overall mortality (OM) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) in patients without SOS/VOD. The optimal bilirubin cut-off for prediction of NRM was found at 3.6 mg/dl (61.6 mM), so that any event of bilirubin≧3.6 mg/dl between days 0 and 28 was defined as early hyperbilirubinemia (EABI). Independent of SOS/VOD, refrGVHD or TAM, EABI predicted OM and NRM in the training and the validation cohort. Although EABI occurred more frequently after anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) treatment and in patients with myelofibrosis, the effect of EABI on NRM remained stable irrespective of these conditions. EABI was not associated with markers of liver cell and cholangiocyte damage. In contrast, EABI was significantly correlated with pre-transplant serum levels of Angiopoietin-2 as well as increased EASIX-pre and EASIX-d0. Patients receiving prophylaxis with pravastatin and UDA had a reduced risk of death after EABI. Conclusion: EABI is a predictor of NRM and OM independent from SOS/VOD, refrGVHD and TAM. The association of EABI with EASIX, Angiopoietin-2 and statin/UDCA prophylaxis, but not with liver enzymes, suggests a mechanistic role of the endothelium for the pathophysiology of EABI. Table 1: Multivariable Cox-Regression with endpoint non-relapse mortality after d+28. VOD patients were excluded from this analysis. p-values of the training cohort were corrected by bootstrap 1000. Table 1 Disclosures Luft: Neovii: Research Funding; JAZZ: Research Funding. Bullinger:Bayer: Other: Financing of scientific research; Amgen: Honoraria; Astellas: Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Hexal: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria; Menarini: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria; Abbvie: Honoraria. Dreger:Neovii, Riemser: Research Funding; MSD: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Sponsoring of Symposia; AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Gilead, Janssen, Novartis, Riemser, Roche: Consultancy; AbbVie, Gilead, Novartis, Riemser, Roche: Speakers Bureau.

Abstract Background: Deferasirox is a once-daily oral iron chelator with established dose-dependent efficacy for treating transfusional iron overload. In registration trials, the starting dose was based on baseline liver iron concentration (LIC). The prospective multicenter EPIC trial, the largest ever conducted for an iron chelator, included patients (pts) with a variety of transfusion-dependent anemias and was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fixed starting doses of deferasirox based on transfusion history, with subsequent dose titration based on serum ferritin (SF) trends. One-year results are presented. Methods: Pts (aged ≥2 yrs) had transfusion-dependent anemia and SF levels ≥1000 ng/mL, or <1000 ng/mL with a history of multiple transfusions (>20 transfusions or >100 mL/kg of RBCs) and R2 MRI-confirmed LIC of >2 mg Fe/g dry weight (dw). Deferasirox starting dose was 20 mg/kg/d for pts receiving 2–4 blood units/mth. An initial dose of 10 or 30mg/kg/d was considered for pts receiving less or more frequent blood transfusions, respectively. Protocol-specified dose adjustments of 5–10 mg/kg/d (range 0–40 mg/kg/d) were done every 3 months based on SF trends and safety markers. Primary efficacy endpoint was SF change from baseline (BL) at 1 year. Results: 1744 pts (901 M, 843 F; mean age 30.6±23.3 yrs) were enrolled; 33.1% (n=577) aged <16 yrs. Underlying anemias were: β-thalassemia (n=1115), myelodysplastic syndromes (n=341), sickle cell disease (n=80), aplastic anemia (n=116) and other conditions associated with anemia (n=92). Pts received a mean of 17.8 transfusions and 159 mL/kg of blood in the previous year. 77% had received prior chelation therapy: deferoxamine (DFO; 58.6%), deferiprone (1.6%), DFO/deferiprone combination (16.7%) or other (0.3%). 1555 pts (89%) started on ≤20 mg/kg/d and 187 (11%) on >20 mg/kg/d. 39% of pts had dose increases at a median of 24 weeks after treatment initiation (range 2–53). Overall, median SF was significantly decreased from BL by 264 ng/mL after 1 year (P<0.0001) at an average actual received dose of 22.2±5.9 mg/kg/d. SF changes based on average dose the pts received throughout the course of the study are presented in Table 1. The extent of reduction in SF was reflective of dosage adjustments over the study. Table 1. Median change from BL in SF (ng/mL) and mean iron intake (mg/kg/day) by average actual dose BL End of study Over the study Average actual dose categories N Median SF (ng/mL) N Median change from BL in SF (ng/mL) P -value vs BL N Mean iron intake (mg/kg/day) <20 mg/kg/d 610 2608 586 −279 <0.0001 329 0.35 ≥20 – <30 mg/kg/d 984 3165 972 −198 0.0130 1141 0.43 ≥30 mg/kg/d 150 5048 149 −882 <0.0001 175 0.37 All pts 1744 3135 1707 −264 <0.0001 1645 0.41 1389 pts (79.6%) completed 1 year; reasons for discontinuation were adverse events (AEs; n=153; 8.8%), consent withdrawal (n=77; 4.4%), unsatisfactory therapeutic effect (n=20; 1.1%) and various other reasons (n=62; 3.6%); there were 31 (1.8%) drug related SAEs and 42 deaths, none assessed by investigators as treatment related. The most common drug-related (investigator-assessed) AEs were diarrhea (n=251; 14.4%), rash (n=174; 10.0%), nausea (n=135; 7.7%) and abdominal pain (n=97; 5.6%). 175 pts (10.0%) had serum creatinine value >33% above BL and the upper limit of normal (ULN) on two consecutive visits; there were no progressive increases. 13 (0.7%) had an increase in alanine aminotransferase >10×ULN on two consecutive visits; levels were already elevated in 11 pts. Conclusions: This large study confirms deferasirox efficacy in achieving a reduction of iron load across a wide range of pts with transfusion-related iron overload. It also supports the clinical approach to fixed starting dose of deferasirox based on iron intake from ongoing blood transfusions and current iron burden with subsequent individual dose titration every 3 months according to SF trends and safety markers. Deferasirox was generally well tolerated with a safety profile consistent with data from previous clinical trials.

Abstract Background: The prospective, 1-yr multicenter EPIC trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of once-daily oral deferasirox (Exjade®) in more than 1700 patients (pts) with transfusion-dependent anemias. Data were collected from each patient at enrollment, providing an insight into transfusion history, body iron burden, and the nature and success of previous chelation therapy in a large group of pts with iron overload previously treated with chelation therapy. Methods: Enrolled pts were aged ≥2 yrs, had transfusion-dependent anemia and serum ferritin (SF) levels of ≥1000 ng/mL, or <1000 ng/mL with a history of multiple transfusions (>20 transfusions or >100 mL/kg of RBCs) and MRI-assessed liver iron concentration (LIC) >2 mg Fe/g dry weight (dw). Baseline assessments included transfusion history, previous chelation therapy, SF levels and LIC (if carried out) in the previous yr. Results: 1744 pts (901 M, 843 F) were enrolled. Underlying anemias were: thalassemia major (TM; n=937), thalassemia intermedia (TI; n=84), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS; n=341), aplastic anemia (AA; n=116), sickle cell disease (SCD; n=80), rare anemias (red cell aplasia and anemias mostly hemolytic in nature; n=43), Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA; n=14), and various other conditions associated with anemias requiring transfusion (n=129). Baseline characteristics for key underlying anemias are presented in Table 1. Median SF levels were >2500 ng/mL and mean LIC in the previous yr was >7 mg Fe/g dw in all groups (except DBA for SF levels). MDS pts had received the most transfusions in the previous yr, although they had also spent a smaller proportion of their lifetime, and less total time, receiving transfusions than any other cohort. Together with AA pts, the MDS cohort also contained the highest proportion of pts who were chelation-naïve (68% and 48%). SCD pts were the least-transfused group in terms of amount of blood given, but had been receiving transfusions for more than 13 yrs. As expected, TM pts had spent the greatest proportion of their lifetime on transfusions and received the greatest volume of blood per kg in the previous yr. The group labeled by investigators as TI were relatively heavily transfused for this patient population. Table 1. Baseline characteristics for key underlying anemias All (n=1744) TM (n=937) TI (n=84) MDS (n=341) AA (n=116) SCD (n=80) Rare (n=43) DBA (n=14) *Mean ± SD; **Median Age, yrs* 30.6±23.3 18.4±10.8 19.2±14.4 67.9±11.4 33.3±17.1 23.9±13.2 39.5±22.7 17.3±13.2 Transfusions in last yr* 17.8±12.5 17.5±8.8 13.5±7.1 24.3±17.7 12.5±13.0 10.7±8.2 21.0±18.7 19.0±18.7 Total transfused in last yr, mL/kg* 159±136 190±139 155±87 116±123 116±179 84±57 153±142 185±148 Total yrs on transfusions* 12.3±10.4 16.8±10.4 10.2±7.8 3.6±4.6 6.1±5.7 13.0±9.6 10.9±11.8 13.3±10.0 % of lifetime on transfusions* 62.9±39.4 89.8±15.2 61.2±28.8 5.7±8.4 27.1±29.3 59.5±30.1 44.3±41.5 87.5±23.2 LIC in last yr, mg Fe/g dw* 10.7±9.0 9.5±7.8 9.7±5.5 14.4±8.5 12.0±4.3 11.8±8.4 – 8.8±4.2 SF, ng/mL** 3135 3157 3493 2730 3254 3163 3161 2289 Prior chelation, % DFO 58.6 66.7 78.6 40.2 26.7 62.5 55.8 71.4 Deferiprone 1.6 1.3 – 4.1 – 1.3 2.3 – DFO/deferiprone 16.7 25.0 4.8 7.0 5.2 12.5 11.6 14.3 Other 0.3 0.4 – 0.3 – – – – None 23.0 7.0 16.7 48.4 68.1 23.8 30.2 14.3 Conclusions: Data from this study population show that, although most pts with thalassemia, SCD, DBA and rare anemias had received previous chelation therapy, LIC and SF levels were above levels associated with significant negative outcomes (>7 mg Fe/g dw and >2500 ng/mL, respectively), which suggests that previous chelation practices were sub-optimal. Many pts with MDS and AA were chelation-naïve despite being heavily iron overloaded, highlighting that the risks of iron overload are still underestimated. These data highlight the need to carefully monitor iron levels in pts at risk of iron overload and initiate chelation therapy to avoid serious clinical sequelae.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) commonly have delayed or impaired growth. There are no clear guidelines as how to manage these patients. Current evidence suggests that children who are treated long term with red blood cell (RBC) transfusions (simple red cell or exchange transfusions) for different SCD related complications, achieve better height and growth, although, it is not clear when to start such treatment for the maximum benefit. Timing of such treatment(s) may be critical as to achieve optimum height and growth. Children with SCD who are started transfusion therapy before the age of 14 years, may achieve better height velocity. However, some children may present late during adolescence and whether to adopt measures like regular blood transfusions to improve their growth, remains challenging. We treated adolescents with SCD and delayed growth with regular RBC transfusions and observed the effect on their growth. The major concern of the parents was short stature, and our aim was achievement of better height. Methods : Adolescent patients with SCD being followed at our department, who were observed to have short stature or were referred to us for this problem and received RBC transfusion therapy to improve their growth, were included in this study. They were started on regular RBC transfusions after thorough counseling (parents and patients). They were informed of the likely benefits and possible side effects including usual transfusion related adverse events and particularly the likelihood of iron overload and possible need for iron chelation therapy in future. A chart review was performed recording weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) measurements, timing and length of transfusion therapy along with laboratory parameters. When iron overload (defined as a serum ferritin ≥ 1000 µgm/l) developed, it was treated with deferasirox at an average dose of 20-30mg/kg body weight. RBC transfusions were continued for 3-6 months after achieving the maximum height (plateau phase). Patients were either already receiving hydroxyurea (HU) or were started at the beginning of transfusion therapy. The average dose of HU was 500 mg daily (20mg/kg body weight) at the start of transfusion therapy in all patients and was increased according to the weight gain. Two patients also received growth hormone for a short period. RESULTS: Six patients received RBC transfusion therapy for short stature (5 males). Median age at start of therapy was 15.5 years (range 13.9 -17.4). Patients were treated for a median duration of 32 months (range 23-53). One (female) patient continues to have ongoing transfusions as she has not achieved the maximum height. Median height at start of therapy was 137.25 cm and 152.25 cm at the end of therapy. Pre-therapy median weight was 28 kg and post therapy 38.2 kg. Median increase in height was 16.25 cm (p < 0.025) and median increase in weight 10.15 kg (p=0.007). BMI measurements showed improvement in 5 patients but the increase was modest, likely due to better height gain as compared to weight gain. Five patients received regular RBC transfusions while one patient received exchange transfusions after one year of simple transfusions because of high base line Hb. Four patients were already receiving HU for one year or more, while 2 patients started HU shortly after commencing transfusion therapy. There were no significant SCD related or transfusion related complications during transfusion therapy but all patients developed iron overload and received chelation therapy. However, 3 patients had s/ferritin around or above 1000 µgm/l at the base line. Mean pre-transfusion s/ferritin was 901 µgm/l and 2304 µgm/l at the end of transfusion therapy. CONCLUSIONS: RBC transfusion therapy improved height of all patients with SCD & short stature, even if started during late adolescence. However, the improvement was variable. There were no significant adverse events except iron overload, which developed in all patients and required chelation therapy. RBC Transfusion therapy should be considered in adolescent children with SCD and short stature, even if they present during late adolescence. RBC exchange therapy may be an alternative option to reduce the complication of iron overload and should be explored in further studies. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

This paper presents the preliminary results of whole genome resequencing of the Holstein cow using the SOLiD 4 System. The aim of this study was to obtain a high-quality Holstein cow genome reference sequence, which could be used as a reference for genomic studies on the Estonian Holstein cattle. Furthermore, the new reference sequence would be made available for other research groups. We generated one mate-paired library and one fragment library from 30 μg of genomic DNA. Libraries were sequenced in 4 flow cells. Colour space fasta files (.csfasta) and appropriate quality files (.qual) were mapped and paired to the reference cow (Bos taurus) genome assembly from Oct. 2007 (Baylor 4.0/bosTau4). Mapping and pairing was performed using the Max Mapper algorithm implemented in the Bioscope Software (version 1.3). Initial sequencing resulted in the 2 842 744 008 fifty-basepair reads. Average mapping efficiency with mismatch penalty –2.00 and clearzone 5 was 73.3%. Altogether 2 065 066 215 reads and 92 778 710 937 bp were successfully mapped, resulting in 35.2 coverage. Pairing indicated that the insert range was 665 to 2195 bp and mean insert size was 1363 bp. Tertiary analysis found 5 472 870 SNP in the cow genome; 3 517 351 were heterozygous and 1 955 519 were homozygous variants. Also, 3 747 199 were transition SNP and 1 093 307 were transversion SNP, with a transition-transversion ratio of 2.17:1.00. Annotation revealed that only 889 901 of all discovered SNP were annotated in the SNP database dbSNP. This means that around 4 582 969 SNP were novel. The number of large indels was 144 035, out of which 68 817 were heterozygous and 75 218 were homozygous variants. The longest deletion was 15 089 bp and there were 18 deletions between 10 000 and 20 000 bp. The largest insertion range was 1000 to 5000 bp and there were 358 insertions falling into this span. Interestingly, the most numerous group of deletions was between 200 and 500 bp and between 100 and 200 bp. Altogether, in these size groups there were 114 578 deletions. Large indels variations accounted for 48 582 675 bp of the entire genome. Analysis of the small indel polymorphisms identified 452 113 small indels, out of which 287 491 were heterozygous and 164 622 were homozygous. Only 1197 small indels were listed in the dbSNP. Most of the small indels were single nucleotide insertions/deletions (261 897). Small indels accounted for the total variation of 1 722 303 nucleotides in the genome. Finally, we identified 287 inversions (largest 151 000 bp) in the genome of the cow. In conclusion, the genome of the cow contains huge amounts of still unknown variations. Better knowledge of these variations could explain significant phenotypic differences (e.g. reproduction) between different breeds. The European Regional Development Fund together with the Archimedes Foundation, target finance grant from the Ministry of Education and Science SF1080045s07, grant from the Estonian University of Life Sciences P8001 and Estonian Science Foundation grant GARFS7479 supported this study.

Abstract In the system of soil-saving technologies, comparative tests of the effectiveness of the use of various biological products based on consortia of microorganisms, fungal cultures in the field were conducted, and their effectiveness was evaluated. We used the preparations “Nurse Mycorrhiza” (Russia), MycoCrop ® (Germany), a new drug of the “Biogor” series developed by the Scientific and Technical Center for Biological Technologies in Agriculture (NTC“BIO”) (Russia). The effectiveness of seed treatment with biological preparations is shown. Plants of spring wheat of the Darya variety, the seeds of which were treated with the preparation “Biogor”, had friendly aligned shoots, formed a better-developed root system, which later resulted in a significant increase in yield. The results of the dispersion analysis showed that the difference between the processing options is significant, and the processing by the “Biogor” consortium has a positive effect on the formation of grains in the ear, their mass, the mass of 1000 seeds, as well as on the yield of spring wheat in general. The use of a new preparation of the “Biogor” series, developed in LLC “STC “BIO” and containing a consortium of beneficial microorganisms, is promising for spring wheat: the weight of 1000 seeds increases by 13.5 %, the yield significantly increases by 12.5 %.

Abstract Narrow-leaved lupine (Lupinus angustifolius L.) is a valuable leguminous fodder crop adapted to a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. Modern fodder varieties of narrow-leaved lupine have a low content of alkaloids in the grain of 0.02-0.10%, a high protein content of 32.0-38.0% and a number of other nutrients valuable for fodder production. In the collection nursery 2018-2020 Under the conditions of a changed climate, forage varieties and specimens of two morphological groups were studied: branched with different degrees of blocking of lateral branching and spike-like. The results of the structural analysis of the gene pool for the main elements of productivity and its morphobiological features are presented. According to the productivity of plants in the indeterminate group, the varieties USN 53-236, Narrow-leaved 53-02 and Hybrid 1215 (7.7-6.1 g / plant) were distinguished; by weight 1000 pcs. seeds - varieties Belorozovy 144 and Crystal (136.4-120 g); by the number of seeds in a bean - Belorozovy 144 and Narrow-leaved 53-02 and the Belarusian cultivar Alliance (4.1-4.2 pcs.). In the group of spike-like forms, the cultivar Epigonal 1215 (3.2 g / plant) was distinguished by grain productivity, by the weight of 1000 seeds - the Belarusian cultivar Talent (102.2 g). As a result of the assessment of the collection material in terms of the height and weight of plants, a variety meter was identified that exceeded the control, variety Vityaz, by 15.0-27.7 cm: Belorozovy 144, SN 78-07 and Hybrid 1215. The growing season of the studied numbers varies in a wide range of 80- 101 days. The group of spike-shaped numbers is characterized by ultra-early maturity (71-75) days.

Abstract Collected specimens of Festuca arundinaceae Sherb. (2014-2018). Source material for breeding was obtained as a result of expeditionary studies in the Belgorod region in different ecotopes of ravine and ravine complexes, floodplains of rivers, and technogenic-disturbed lands. Tests of breeding value of selected forms were carried out in comparison with released varieties of Russian (‘Olshanka’, ‘Ivitsa’, ‘Darina’) and foreign breeding (‘Finelawn’, ‘Meandre’). It has been established that the forms selected in natural habitats had wide limits of variation in all basic selection traits - Cv varied from 11.4% for traits ‘number of shoots on 1 plant’ and ‘number of productive shoots on 1 plant’ to 65.4% for the trait ‘color of knots’. Wild populations provide opportunities for selection of such important for selection on seed productivity traits as “number of seeds in one panicle” and “weight of 1000 seeds” - Cv = 12.1 % and 16.1 % accordingly. The results indicate the possibility of using the source material available in the collection to produce new lawn varieties with high seed productivity and ornamental value.

Abstract UNITEMP 901, a nickel/iron/chromium base austenitic, precipitation-hardenable alloy has high tensile, stress-rupture and creep strengths in the range 1000 to 1400 F. This datasheet provides information on composition, physical properties, elasticity, and tensile properties as well as fracture toughness, creep, and fatigue. It also includes information on low and high temperature performance, and corrosion resistance as well as forming, heat treating, machining, joining, and surface treatment. Filing Code: Ni-177. Producer or source: Cytemp Cyclops. Originally published August 1972, revised June 1991.

Abstract Nimonic alloy 901 is a nickel-base alloy strengthened by additions of molybdenum, titanium, and aluminum. It possesses high creep and rupture strength from 1000 to 1400 deg F. Applications include components for gas turbines, bolting, and valve stems for power applications. This datasheet provides information on composition, physical properties, elasticity, and tensile properties as well as fracture toughness and creep. It also includes information on high temperature performance as well as heat treating. Filing Code: Ni-339. Producer or source: Inco Alloys International Inc. Originally published September 1986, revised April 1996.

The alignment between the inertialess spheroids and the directions of the fluid Lagrangian stretching or compression is sensitive to the particles shape near the wall but not near the centre of channel (Cui et al. J. Fluid Mech., vol. 901, 2020, pp. A16). This observation is further investigated in the current study to uncover the mechanism of particle alignment behavior in different regions of channel flows at Reτ≈180 and 1000. Meanwhile, by using the probability distributions of the sign of the discriminant of the linear term in Jeffery equation, we find that the turbulent channel flow can be distinctly divided into strong and weak shape-dependent regions. In the weak shape-dependent region, the slender (flat) particles have extraordinarily similar alignments with the directions of fluid Lagrangian stretching (compression). However, in the strong shape-dependent region, the alignments of these inertialess particles are sensitive to the particles shape, especially, with the particle positions approaching the wall. The ranges of these shape-dependent regions rely on the Reynolds number, but the probability distributions of the sign of the discriminant of the linear term in the Jeffery equation is a useful tool to distinguish these shape-dependent regions in the wall turbulence regardless of the Reynolds number.

Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, various non-pharmaceutical interventions such as individual hygiene practices like hand washing, social distancing, and mandates for the use of masks in public spaces were implemented to reduce the spread of the disease. Otitis media (OM) is a common infectious disease. How the changed environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the prevalence of infectious diseases like OM is not known. This study aimed to investigate how OM prevalence and trends changed during COVID-19 in Korea. Methods: OM patient data from 2017 to 2021 were extracted from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. Patients diagnosed with disease code H66 (suppurative and unspecified otitis media) were selected for analysis. Data on OM prevalence, gender, region, medical institution, and number of ventilating-tube prescriptions were analyzed. All age groups were included, and ages were categorized into 5-year ranges Results: The number of patients diagnosed with the OM disease code decreased continuously from 2017 to 2021 (1 598 205, 1 560 178, 1 520 948, 983 701, and 734 901). The average OM prevalence per 1000 persons decreased by 45.0% from 30.2 in 2017 to 2019 to 16.6 in 2020 to 2021. The change of OM prevalence was greater for the 0 to 5 age group than other age groups. The decrease in average prevalence per 1000 persons was greatest in the 0 to 5 age group (48.6% decrease from 358.2 in 2017-2019 to 184.1 in 2020-2021). The impact of environmental changes on ventilation-tube insertion was smaller than on OM prevalence. The average number of ventilating-tube insertions decreased by 28.1% from 27 311 in 2017 to 2019 to 19 650 in 2020 to 2021. Conclusions: OM prevalence decreased by 45.0%, and the number of ventilating-tube insertions decreased by 28.1% in Korea during COVID-19.

Abstract Aim/Introduction This study was designed as the second phase of a prospective cohort study to evaluate the incidence and risk factors of diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). Materials and methods The study was conducted in a university hospital in Iran. Each participant was checked and followed up for two years in terms of developing newfound DFU as ultimate outcome. We investigated the variables using univariate analysis and then by backward elimination multiple logistic regression. Results We followed up 901 eligible patients with diabetes for two years. The mean age of the participants was 53.24 ± 11.46 years, and 58.53% of them were female. The two-year cumulative incidence of diabetic foot ulcer was 8% (95% CI 0.071, 0.089) [Incidence rate: 49.9 /1000 person-years]. However, the second-year incidence which was coincident with the COVID-19 pandemic was higher than the first-year incidence (4.18% and 1.8%, respectively). Based on our analysis, the following variables were the main risk factors for DFU incidence: former history of DFU or amputation [OR = 76.5, 95% CI(33.45,174.97), P value < 0.001], ill-fitting foot-wear [OR = 10.38, 95% CI(4.47,24.12), P value < 0.001], smoking [OR = 3.87,95%CI(1.28, 11.71),P value = 0.016], lack of preventive foot care [OR = 2.91%CI(1.02,8.29),P value = 0.045], and insufficient physical activity[OR = 2.25,95% CI(0.95,5.35),P value = 0.066]. Conclusion Overall, the two-year cumulative incidence of diabetic foot ulcer was 8% [Incidence rate: 49.9 /1000 person-years]; however, the second-year incidence was higher than the first-year incidence which was coincident with the COVID-19 pandemic (4.18% and 1.8%, respectively). Independent risk factors of DFU occurrence were prior history of DFU or amputation, ill-fitting footwear, smoking, lack of preventive foot care, and insufficient physical activity.

Abstract Background Despite their spread in daily practice, few data is available on clinical factors associated with peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC)-related bloodstream infections (PR-BSI). We aimed to assess the PR-BSI incidence, microbiology, and factors associated with PR-BSI with a focus on clinical symptoms. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study in a French university hospital. We screened all PICC insertions performed from April 1st, 2018, to April 1st, 2019, and included PICC insertions in adult patients. We assessed the PR-BSI incidence, the factors associated with PR-BSI using a Cox model, and negative and positive predictive values (NPVs and PPVs) of each clinical sign for PR-BSI. Results Of the 901 PICCs inserted in 783 patients (38,320 catheters days), 214 PICCs (24%) presented with a complication. The most prevalent complication was PR-BSI (1.9 per 1000 catheter days; 8.1% of inserted PICCs ). Enterobacterales (N = 27, 37%) and coagulase negative Staphylococci (N = 24, 33%), were the main microorganisms responsible for PR-BSI. Factors independently associated with occurrence of PR-BSI were fever (hazard ratio 13.21, 95% confidence interval 6.00–29.11, p < 0.001) and chills (HR 3.66, 95%CI 1.92–6.99, p < 0.001). All clinical signs and a duration of PICC maintenance ≥ 28 days, had a low PPVs (≤ 67.1%) but high NPVs (≥ 92.5%) for PR-BSI. Conclusions Monitoring of clinical signs, especially fever and chills, with caution and limitation of device maintenance duration, could improve PICC management.

Abstract Background The posterior cruciate ligament is crucial for posterior stability of the knee joint, and, as well as anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (PCLR) has attracted interest in orthopedic literature. A few studies have investigated epidemiologic data of PCLR in Western countries. However, there has been no report on the epidemiological pattern of PCLR in the Asian population, including South Korea. Therefore, this study investigated the incidence and trends of PCLR in South Korea using the Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) System Database. Methods The data was collected by the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) from 2008 to 2016 in South Korea. Patients with a record of cruciate ligament reconstruction and PCLR were allocated from the database. An analysis of the total number and incidence per 100,000 people/year of PCLR procedures and other epidemiologic parameters was conducted according to sex and age. Results The incidence of PCLR procedures rose from 2.3 to 2.6 per 100,000 people (from 1101 to 1299 total cases; 13% increase) between 2008 and 2016: from 3.8 to 4.0 (from 901 to 1000) in males, and from 0.8 to 1.2 (from 200 to 299) in females. PCLR was performed more frequently in males than in females, however, the rate of increase was higher in females than males. The incidence of PCLR over 9 years was highest in patients in their 20s, followed by patients in their 40s and 30s. Conclusion The incidence of PCLR procedures increased by 13% over 9 years in South Korea. PCLR was performed approximately three times more in men than in women. The incidence of PCLR was highest in patients in their 20s, followed by those in their 40s. The current study will enhance our understanding of the epidemiology of PCLR. Study design Descriptive Epidemiology Study.

Background: Detection of Hepatitis B surface antibodies (anti-HBs) in the serum implies that an individual is immune to HBV infection either from vaccination or past infection, which usually persists for life. Aim: This study was aimed to determine the seropositivity of anti-HBs among HIV-seropositive patients and further appraise the effect of co-infection on their immunological status in Ojo, Lagos. Materials and Methods: A total of 74 blood samples collected from HIV positive patients were analysed for anti-HBs (HBsAb) by Immunochromatographic assay (Biotec, UK). CD4+ count was determined using BD FACS Count Automated analyser. Results: Out of the 74 HIV infected patients screened, 12 (16.2 %) males and 62 (83.8 %) females, 2 patients (2.7 %) were positive for anti-HBs, with no prevalence among the males and 2.7 % among the females. Anti-HBs was only recorded in HIV positive patients in the 21-30 years age group (8.7 %). The result showed anti-HBs lifelong protection to HBV among HIV patients with CD4+ Count ranging from 601-700 and 901-1000 to be 1.7 % and 1.7 % respectively. Protection of 3.5 % was reported among antiretroviral therapy (ART) naïve patients and 0 % protection among ART patients. Conclusions: Our findings showed prevalence of 2.7% HBsAb in the studied HIV positive patients with a protection of 3.5 % anti-HBs to HBV among antiretroviral therapy (ART) naïve patients in Ojo, Lagos. The low prevalence of HBsAb in HIV positive patients may be attributed to suppression of immune responses leading to the loss of previously developed protective antibody against HBV infection. We hereby suggest anti-HBs screening for all HIV positive patients and that those negative should be vaccinated to help them develop protective immunity to HBV infection.

Diplotaenia turcica is widely utilized in conventional treatment in the east of Turkey. Due to the insufficient data on the safety profile, the acute and sub acute toxicity of Diplotaenia turcica was determined. Furthermore, total phenolic content, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of the extract were determined. The acute toxicity of hydroalcoholic root extract of Diplotaenia turcica (HREDT) was evaluated in mice after administration of single oral dose at the 5000 mg/kg (acute model) and rat after 28 days orally administration at the dose range of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg (subacute model). According to result, the LD50 value of HREDT was found to be greater than 5000 mg/kg. In sub acute toxicity study, no statistically significant differences were observed in the values of hematological and pathological parameters in comparison with control group. It was determined that the glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol and LDL levels exerted a significant effect depending on the HREDT doses. The results from the present study found out that HREDT did not produce any toxic effects or deaths in animals for both single and chronic administration. Additionally, HREDT showed moderate antioxidant activities and exhibited relatively notable total phenolic content.

Abstract Background Influenza point of care (POC) testing can support rapid influenza detection and outbreak management in nursing homes (NHs). We hypothesize cost-free on-site access to influenza POC tests increases POC test use and influenza detection. A current study positions us to evaluate this hypothesis. Methods A prospective cohort of U.S. NHs enrolled in a comparative effectiveness trial of baloxavir versus oseltamivir for outbreak management through 2 influenza seasons, 2020-2022 (NCT05012189). We compared study NHs provided with influenza POC tests for use when clinically indicated to non-study facilities participating in weekly National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) reporting for occurrence of influenza outbreaks. For study facilities, we received reports upon influenza detection and directly surveyed them for POC use and influenza incidence. We compared study NHs and other NHSN NHs for reported influenza case rates. Results We recruited 586 facilities with an average of 89 long-stay residents and 120 Medicare certified beds which reported 185 new influenza activity in 159 facilities. Study test use frequency was reported (N=250), mean use was 28 tests per facility whether or not influenza was detected. Upon influenza detection, 52% of NHs initiated antiviral treatment or chemoprophylaxis on 1 or more residents. Study NHs reported 201 cases with a cumulative incidence of 3.7 cases per 1000 resident days versus 2,124 cases (1.7 per 1000) in non-participating NHs in the same period. Non-participating U.S. NHs had fewer beds (76 long-stay residents), 106 Medicare certified beds and less than half the rate of outbreak detection from study facilities. Conclusion NHs that participated in our prospective study reported influenza disproportionately more than other NHs reporting to NHSN. We interpret that the availability of easy-to-use and freely accessible rapid POC influenza tests positions NHs to detect better and manage influenza outbreaks. The ease of access to POC on-site tests may play a significant role and become a best practice approach in this positive outcome to improve influenza detection and support early intervention. Disclosures Yasin Abdul, MD, Genentech: Grant/Research Support Ed Davidson, PharmD, MPH, Genentech: Grant/Research Support Kevin McConeghy, PharmD, Genentech: Grant/Research Support|Pfizer: Grant/Research Support|Sanofi-Pasteur: Grant/Research Support|Seqirus: Grant/Research Support Kaley Hayes, PharmD, PhD, Sanofi Aventis: Grant/Research Support Lisa Han, MPH, Genentech: Grant/Research Support Melissa LaMantia, MA, Genentech: Grant/Research Support Elie Saade, MD, Envision Pharma: Speaker, Presenter|Johnson and Johnson: Speaker, Travel, Lodging|Protein Sciences Corp: Grant/Research Support|Sanofi Pasteur: Speaker, Travel, Lodging David Canaday, MD, Pfizer: Grant/Research Support Stefan Gravenstein, MD, MPH, CDC: Grant/Research Support|Genentech: Advisor/Consultant|Genentech: Grant/Research Support|GSK: Advisor/Consultant|GSK: Honoraria|Janssen: Advisor/Consultant|Janssen: Honoraria|NIH: Grant/Research Support|Pfizer: Grant/Research Support|Pfizer: Honoraria|Sanofi: Advisor/Consultant|Sanofi: Grant/Research Support|Sanofi: Honoraria|Seqirus: Grant/Research Support|Seqirus: Honoraria

This article will look at the use of personal photographs that attempt to convey a sense of social activism as a reaction against global terrorism. Moreover, I argue that the photographs uploaded to the site “We’re Not Afraid”, which began after the London bombings in 2005, presents a forum to promote the pleasures of western cultural values as a defence against the anxiety of terror. What is compelling are the ways in which the Website promotes, seemingly, everyday modalities through what may be deemed as the domestic snapshot. Nevertheless, the aura from the context of these images operates to arouse the collective memory of terrorism and violence. It promotes photography’s spectacular power. To begin it is worthwhile considering the ways in which the spectacle of terrorism is mediated. For example, the bombs activated on the London Underground and at Tavistock Square on the 7th of July 2005 marked the day that London became a victim of ‘global’ terrorism, re-instilling the fear projected by the media to be alarmed and to be suspicious. In the shadow of the terrorist events of September 11, as well as the Madrid Bombings in 2004, the incidents once again drew attention to the point that in the Western world ‘we’ again can be under attack. Furthermore, the news media plays a vital role in mediating the reality and the spectacle of terrorist attacks in the display of visual ‘proof’. After the London bombings of 7 July 2005, the BBC Website encouraged photo submissions of the incidents, under the heading “London Explosions: Your Photos”, thus promoting citizen journalism. Within six hours the BBC site received more that 1000 photographs. According to Richard Sambrook, director of the BBC’s World Service and Global News division, “people were participating in our coverage in way we had never seen before” (13). Other news Websites, such as Reuters and MSNBC also set up a similar call and display of the incidents. The images taken by everyday people and survivors‚ suggest a visceral response to the trauma of terrorism in which they became active participants in the reportage. Leading British newspapers further evoked the sensational terror of the incidents through the captioning of horrific images of destruction. It contextualised them within the realm of fascination and fear with headlines such as “London’s Day of Terror” from the Guardian, “Terror Comes to London” from the Independent and “Al-Qa’eda Brings Terror to the Heart of London” from the Daily Telegraph (“What the Papers Say”). Roland Barthes notes that “even from the perspective of a purely immanent analysis, the structure of the photograph is not an isolated structure; it is in communication with at least one other structure, namely the text – title, caption or article – accompanying every press photograph” (16). He suggested that, with the rise to prominence of ‘the press photograph’ as a mode of visual communication, the traditional relationship between image and text was inverted: “it is not the image which comes to elucidate or ‘realize’ the text, but the latter which comes to sublimate, patheticize or rationalize the image” (25). Frederic Jameson raises a very important point in regards to the role the media plays in terror. He suggests that the Western media is not only affected by a permanent condition of amnesia, but that this has become its primary ‘informational function’ (20). Hence, terror images are constantly repeated for their affect. “When combined with the media, terrorism’s reality-making power is astounding: its capacity to blend the media’s sensational stories, old mythical stereotypes, and a burning sense of moral wrath” (Zulaika and Douglass ix). Susan Sontag, in her 2003 book Regarding the Pain of Others, also discusses the assault of images (116). She argues that “the iconography of suffering has a long pedigree. The sufferings most often deemed worthy of representation are those understood to be the product of wrath, divine or human” (40). Furthermore, globalisation has profoundly changed the rhetoric of terrorism in which the uses of photographs for political means are ubiquitous. Sontag argues that “it seems as if there is a greater quantity of such news than before” (116). Nevertheless, she stresses, “it seems normal to turn away from images that simply make us feel bad” (116). Rather, than the focus on images of despair, the “We’re Not Afraid” Website provides a reaction against visual assaults. The images suggest a turning away from the iconography of terror and suffering to a focus on everyday western middle-class modalities. The images on the site consist of domestic ritual photographic practices, such as family snapshots. The images were disseminated following what has been referred to as the ‘incidents’ by the British press of the attacks on 7 July on the London transport system. Significantly, rather than being described as an event, such as the September 11 terrorist assaults were, the term ‘incidents’ suggests that everyday modalities, the everyday ways of being, may not be affected despite the terror of the attacks. It is, perhaps, a very British approach to the idea of ‘moving on’ despite adversity, which the Website advocates. The Website invites the general public to upload personal photographs captioned with the phrase “We’re not afraid” to “show that terrorists would not change the way people lived their lives” (Clarke).The Website began on 7 July 2005 and during the first week the site received, at times, up to 15 images a minute from across the world (Nikkah). Notably, within days of the Website’s launch it received over 3500 images and 11 million hits (Clarke).The images taken by everyday people and survivors‚ suggest a visceral response to the incidents. These images seem to support Susan Sontag’s argument from On Photography, in which she argues that photography is mainly a social rite, a defence against anxiety, and a tool of power (8). The images present a social activism for the predominantly white middle-class online participants and, as such, is subversive in its move away from the contextualised sensational images of violence that abound in the mainstream press. According to the site’s creator, London Web designer, Alfie Dennen “the idea for this site came from a picture of one of the bombed trains sent from a mobile phone to Dennen’s own weblog. Someone else added the words ‘We’re Not Afraid’ alongside the image” (“‘Not Afraid’ Website Overwhelmed”). Hence, in Dennen’s Weblog the terror and trauma of the train images of the London underground, that were circulated in the main stream press, have been recontextualised by the caption to present defiance and survival. The images uploaded onto the Website range from personal snapshots to manipulated photographs which all bear the declaration: ‘We are not afraid’. Currently, there are 770 galleries with 24 images per gallery amounting to around 18500 images that have been sent to the site. The photographs provide a crack in the projected reality of terrorism and the iconography of suffering as espoused by the mainstream media. The Website claims: We’re not afraid is an outlet for the global community to speak out against the acts of terror that have struck London, Madrid, New York, Baghdad, Basra, Tikrit, Gaza, Tel-Aviv, Afghanistan, Bali, and against the atrocities occurring in cities around the world each and every day. It is a worldwide action for people not willing to be cowed by terrorism and fear mongering. It suggests that: The historical response to these types of attacks has been a show of deadly force; we believe that there is a better way. We refuse to respond to aggression and hatred in kind. Instead, we who are not afraid will continue to live our lives the best way we know how. We will work, we will play, we will laugh, we will live. We will not waste one moment, nor sacrifice one bit of our freedom, because of fear. We are not afraid. (“we’re not afraid.com: Citizens for a secure world, united against terror.”) The images evoke the social memory of our era of global terrorism. Arguably, the events since September 11 have placed the individual in a protection mode. The photographs represent, as Sontag espouses, a tool against the anxiety of our time. This is a turn away from the visual iconography of despair. As such, rather than images of suffering they are images of survival, or life carrying on as usual. Or, more precisely, the images represent depictions of everyday western middle-class existence. The images range from family snaps, touristic photographs, pictures of the London underground and some manipulated images all containing the words ‘We’re Not Afraid’. Dennen “said the site had become a symbol for people to show solidarity with London and say they will not be cowed by the bombings” (“‘Not Afraid’ Website Overwhelmed”). The photographs also serve as a form of protection of western middle-class values and lifestyle that may be threatened by terrorist acts. Of consideration is that “personal photographs not only bind us to our own pasts – they bind us to the pasts of the social groups to which we belong” (Gye 280). The images on the site may be described as a “revocation of social power through visibility” and as such photography is considered a “performance of power” (Frosh 46). Barthes asserts that “formerly, the image illustrated the text (made it clearer); today, the text loads the image, burdening it with a culture, a moral, an imagination” (25). The images loaded onto the Website “We’re Not Afraid’ assumes notions of resilience and defiance which can be closely linked to Anglo-American cultural memory and imagination. Significantly, efforts to influence ‘heart and minds’ through support of touring exhibitions were common in the earlier days of the Cold War. Sontag argues that “photographic collections can be used to substitute a world” (162). The images exalted a universal humanism, similarly to the images on the “We’re Not Afraid” site. Many exhibits were supported throughout the 1950s, often under the auspices of the USIA (United States Information Agency). A famous example is the photography exhibit ‘The Family of Man’ which travelled to 28 countries between 1955-59 and was seen by 9 million people (Kennedy 316). It contained 503 images, 273 photographers from 68 nations “it posited humanity as a universal ideal and human empathy as a compensatory response to the threat of nuclear annihilation” (Kennedy 322). Significantly, Liam Kennedy asserts that, the Cold War rhetoric surrounding the exhibition blurred the boundaries between art, information and propaganda. The exhibition has been critiqued ideologically as an imperialist project, most notably by Allan Sekula in which he states “the worldliness of photography is the outcome, not of any immanent universality of meaning, but of a project of global domination” (96). In more recent times an exhibition, backed by the US State Department titled ‘After September 11: Images from Ground Zero’, by photojournalist/art photographer Joel Meyorowitz travelled to more than 60 countries and assisted in shaping and maintaining a public memory of the attacks of the World Trade Centre and its aftermath (Kennedy 315). Similar, to ‘The Family of Man’, it adds an epic quality to the images. As Kennedy points out that: To be sure this latter exhibit has been more overtly designed as propaganda, yet it also carries the cachet of ‘culture’ (most obviously, via the signature of a renowned photographer) and is intended to transmit a universal message that transcends the politics of difference. (Kennedy 323) The Website “We’re Not Afraid’ maintains the public memory of terrorism, without the horror of suffering. With a ‘universal message’ similar to the aforementioned exhibitions, it attempts to transcends the politics of difference by addressing the ‘we’ as the ‘everyday’ citizen. It serves as a gallery space and similarly evokes western romantic universal ideals conveyed in the exhibition ‘The Family of Man’, whilst its aesthetic forms avoid the stylististically captured scenes of ‘After September 11’. As stated earlier, the site had over 11 million hits in the first few weeks; as such the sheer number of viewers exceeds that of any formal photographic exhibition. Moreover, unlike these highly constructed art exhibitions from leading professional photographers, the Website significantly presents a democratic form of participation in which the ‘personal is political’. It is the citizen journalist. It is the ‘everyday’ person, as evidenced in the predominant snapshot aesthetics and the ordinariness in the images that are employed. Kris Cohen, in his analysis of photoblogging suggests that this aesthetic emphasises the importance in “photoblogging of not thinking too much, of the role that instinct plays in the making of photographs and the photoblog” (890). As discussed, previously, the overwhelming response and contributions to the Website within days of its launch seems to suggest this. The submission of photographs suggests a visceral response to the incidents from the ‘people’ in the celebration of the ‘everyday’ and the mundane. It also should be noted that “there are now well over a million documented blogs and photoblogs in the world”, with most appearing since 2003 (Cohen 886). As Cohen suggests “their newfound popularity has provoked a gentle storm of press, along with a significant number of utopic scenarios in which blogs feature as the next emancipatory mass media product”(886). The world-wide press coverage for the “We’re Not Afraid’ site is one key example that promotes this “utopian vision of transfigured citizens and in Benedict Anderson’s well used term an ‘imagined community” (Goggin xx). Nevertheless, the defiant captioning of the images also returns us historically to the social memory of the London Blitz 1940-41 in which the theme of a transfigured community was employed and in which the London underground and shelters became a signifier for the momentum of “We’re Not Afraid’. Barthes explained in Mythologies about the “the sight of the ‘naturalness’ with which newspapers, art and common sense constantly dress up a reality which, even though it is the one we live in, is undoubtedly determined by history” (11). What I want to argue is that the mythology surrounding the London bombings articulated in the Website “We’re Not Afraid’ is determined by 20th Century history of the media and the cultural imaginary surrounding predominantly British values*.** *The British Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, asserted that “qualities of creativity built on tolerance, openness and adaptability, work and self improvement, strong communities and families and fair play, rights and responsibilities and an outward looking approach to the world that all flow from our unique island geography and history.” (“Blair Defines British Values”). These values are suggested in the types of photographs uploaded onto the activist Website, as such notions of the British Empire are evoked. Moreover, in his address following the incident, “Blair harkened back to the ‘Blitz spirit’ that saw Londoners through the dark days of Nazi bombing during World War II — and, by association, to Winston Churchill, the wartime leader whose determined, moving speeches helped steel the national resolve” (“Blair Delivers”). In his Churchillian cadence he paid “tribute to the stoicism and resilience of the people of London who have responded in a way typical of them”. He said Britain would show “by our spirit and dignity” that “our values will long outlast” the terrorists. He further declared that “the purpose of terrorism is just that. It is to terrorize people and we will not be terrorized” (“Blair Delivers”). The mythology of the Blitz and “the interpretive context at the time (and for some years thereafter) can be summarized by the phrase ‘the People’s War’—a populist patriotism that combined criticism of the past with expectations of social change and inclusive messages of shared heritage and values” (Field 31). The image conveyed is of a renewed sense of community. The language of triumph against adversity and the endurance of ordinary citizens are also evoked in the popular press of the London incidents. The Times announced: Revulsion and resolve: Despite the shock, horror and outrage, the calm shown in London was exemplary. Ordinary life may be inconvenienced by the spectre of terror, yet terrorism will not force free societies to abandon their fundamental features. An attack was inevitable. The casualties were dreadful. The terrorists have only strengthened the resolve of Britain and its people. (“What the Papers Say”) Similarly the Daily Express headline was “We Britons Will Never Be Defeated” (“What the Papers Say”). The declaration of “We’re not afraid” alongside images on the Website follows on from this trajectory. The BBC reported that the Website “‘We’re not afraid’ gives Londoners a voice” (“Not Afraid Website Overwhelmed”). The BBC has also made a documentary concerning the mission and the somewhat utopian principles presented. Similarly discussion of the site has been evoked in other Weblogs that overwhelmingly praise it and very rarely question its role. One example is from a discussion of “We’re Not Afraid” on another activist site titled “World Changing: Change Your Thinking”. The contributor states: Well, I live in the UK and I am afraid. I’m also scared that sites like We’re Not Afraid encourage an unhealthy solidarity of superiority, nationalism and xenophobia – perpetuating a “we’re good” and “they’re evil” mentality that avoids the big picture questions of how we got here. Posted by: John Norris at July 8, 2005 03:45 AM Notably, this statement also reiterates the previous argument on cultural diplomacy presented by theorists in regards to the exhibitions of ‘The Family of Man’ and ‘After September 11’ in which the images are viewed as propaganda, promoting western cultural values. This is also supported by the mood of commentary in the British press since the London bombings, in which it is argued that “Britain and the British way of life are under threat, the implication being that the threat is so serious that it may ultimately destroy the nation and its values” (King). The significance of the Website is that it represents a somewhat democratic medium in its call for engagement and self-expression. Furthermore, the emancipatory photography of self and space, presented in the “We’re Not Afraid” site, echoes Blair’s declaration of “we will not be terrorized”. However, it follows similar politically conservative themes that were evoked in the Blitz, such as community, family and social stability, with tacit reference to social fragmentation and multi-ethnicity (Field 41-42). In general, as befitted the theme of “a People’s War,” the Blitz imagery was positive and sympathetic in the way it promoted the endurance of the ordinary citizen. Geoffrey Field suggests “it offered an implicit rejoinder to the earlier furor—focusing especially on brave, caring mothers who made efforts to retain some semblance of family under the most difficult circumstances and fathers who turned up for work no matter how heavy the bombing had been the night before” (24). Images on the Website consist of snapshots of babies, families, pets, sporting groups, people on holiday and at celebrations. It represents a, somewhat, global perspective of middle-class values. The snapshot aesthetic presents, what Liz Kotz refers to as, the “aesthetics of intimacy”. It is a certain kind of photographic work which is quasi-documentary and consists of “colour images of individuals, families, or groupings, presented in an apparently intimate, unposed manner, shot in an off-kilter, snapshot style, often a bit grainy, unfocused, off-colour” (204). These are the types of images that provide the visual gratification of solidarity amongst its contributors and viewers, as it seemingly appears more ‘real’. Yet, Kotz asserts that these type of photographs also involve a structure of power relations “that cannot be easily evaded by the spontaneous performance before the lens” (210). For example, Sarah Boxer importantly points out that “We’re Not Afraid”, set up to show solidarity with London, seems to be turning into a place where the haves of the world can show that they’re not afraid of the have-nots” (1). She argues that “there’s a brutish flaunting of wealth and leisure” (1). The iconography in the images of “We’re not Afraid” certainly promotes a ‘memorialisation’ of the middle-class sphere. The site draws attention to the values of the global neoliberal order in which capital accumulation is paramount. It, nevertheless, also attempts to challenge “the true victory of terrorism”, which Jean Baudrillard circumspectly remarks is in “the regression of the value system, of all the ideology of freedom and free movement etc… that the Western world is so proud of, and that legitimates in its eyes its power over the rest of the world”. Self-confidence is conveyed in the images. Moreover, with the subjects welcoming gaze to the camera there may be a sense of narcissism in publicising what could be considered mundane. However, visibility is power. For example, one of the contributors, Maryland USA resident Darcy Nair, said “she felt a sense of helplessness in the days after 9/11. Posting on the We’re Not Afraid may be a small act, but it does give people like her a sense that they’re doing something” (cited in Weir). Nair states that: It seems that it is the only good answer from someone like me who’s not in the government or military…There are so many other people who are joining in. When bunches of individuals get together – it does make me feel hopeful – there are so many other people who feel the same way. (cited in Weir) Participation in the Website conveys a power which consists of defiantly celebrating western middle-class aesthetics in the form of personal photography. As such, the personal becomes political and the private becomes public. The site offers an opportunity for a shared experience and a sense of community that perhaps is needed in the era of global terrorism. It could be seen as a celebration of survival (Weir). The Website seems inspirational with its defiant message. Moreover, it also has postings from various parts of the world that convey a message of triumph in the ‘everyday’. The site also presents the ubiquitous use of photography in a western cultural tradition in which idealised constructions are manifested in ‘Kodak’ moments and in which the domestic space and leisure times are immortalised and become, significantly, the arena of activism. As previously discussed Sontag argues that photography is mainly a social rite, a defence against anxiety, and a tool of power (8). The Website offers the sense of a global connection. It promotes itself as “citizens for a secure world, united against terror”. It attempts to provide a universal solidarity, which appears uplifting. It is a defence against anxiety in which, in the act of using personal photographs, it becomes part of the collective memory and assists in easing the frustration of not being able to do anything. As Sontag argues “often something looks, or is felt to look ‘better’ in a photograph. Indeed, it is one of the functions of photography to improve the normal appearance of things” (81). Rather than focus on the tragic victim of traditional photojournalism, in which the camera is directed towards the other, the site promotes the sharing and triumph of personal moments. In the spotlight are ‘everyday’ modalities from ‘everyday people’ attempting to confront the rhetoric of terrorism. In their welcoming gaze to the camera the photographic subjects challenge the notion of the sensational image, the spectacle that is on show is that of middle-class modalities and a performance of collective power. Note Themes from this article have been presented at the 2005 Cultural Studies Association of Australasia Conference in Sydney, Australia and at the 2006 Association for Cultural Studies Crossroads Conference in Istanbul, Turkey. References Barthes, Roland. “The Photographic Message.” Image-Music-Text. Trans. Stephen Heath. New York: Noonday Press, 1977 [1961]. 15-31. Barthes, Roland. Mythologies. Trans. Annette Lavers. London: Vintage, 1993 [1972]. Baudrillard, Jean. “The Spirit of Terrorism.” Trans. Rachel Bloul. La Monde 2 (2001). < http://www.egs.edu/faculty/baudrillard/baudrillard-the-spirit-of-terrorism.html >. “Blair Defines British Values.” BBC News 28 Mar. 2000. < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/693591.stm >. “Blair Delivers a Classically British Rallying Cry.” Associated Press 7 July 2005. < http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8502984/ >. Boxter, Sarah. “On the Web, Fearlessness Meets Frivolousness.” The York Times 12 July 2005. < http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/12/arts/design/12boxe.html?ex= 1278820800&en=e3b207245991aea8&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss >. Clarke, R. “Web Site Shows Defiance to Bombers: Thousands Send Images to Say ‘We Are Not Afraid.’” CNN International 12 July 2005. < http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/07/11/london.website/ >. “CJ Bombings in London.” MSNBC TV Citizen Journalist. < http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8499792/ >. Cohen, Kris R. “What Does the Photoblog Want?” Media, Culture & Society 27.6 (2005): 883-901. Dennen, Alfie. “We’renotafraid.com: Citizens for a Secure World, United Against Terror.” < http://www.werenotafraid.com/ >. Field, Geoffrey. “Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940–1941.” International Labor and Working-Class History 62 (2002): 11-49. Frosh, Paul. “The Public Eye and the Citizen-Voyeur: Photography as a Performance of Power.” Social Semiotics 11.1 (2001): 43-59. Gye, Lisa. “Picture This: The Impact of Mobile Camera Phones on Personal Photographic Practices.” Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies 22.2 (2007): 279-288. Jameson, Fredric. “Postmodernism and Consumer Society.” The Cultural Turn: Selected Writings on the Postmodern. New York: Verso, 1998. 1-20. Kennedy, Liam. “Remembering September 11: Photography as Cultural Diplomacy.” International Affairs 79.2 (2003): 315-326. King, Anthony. “What Does It Mean to Be British?” Telegraph 27 May 2005. < http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/27/ nbrit27.xml >. Kotz, Liz. “The Aesthetics of Intimacy.” In D. Bright (ed.), The Passionate Camera: Photography and Bodies of Desire. London: Routledge, 1998. 204-215. “London Explosions: Your Photos.” BBC News 8 July 2005 < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4660563.stm >. Nikkhah, Roya. “We’restillnotafraid.com.” Telegraph co.uk 23 July 2005. < http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/24/ nseven224.xml >. “‘Not Afraid’ Website Overwhelmed.” BBC News 12 July 2005. < http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/4674425.stm >. Norris, John. “We’re Not Afraid”. World Changing: Change Your Thinking. < http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/003069.html >. “Reuters: You Witness News.” < http://www.reuters.com/youwitness >. Sambrook, Richard. “Citizen Journalism and the BBC.” Nieman Reports (Winter 2005): 13-16. Sekula, Allan. “The Traffic in Photographs.” In Photography against the Grain: Essays and Photoworks 1973-1983. Halifax Nova Scotia: Nova Scotia College Press, 1984. Sontag, Susan. Regarding the Pain of Others. New York: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 2003. Sontag. Susan. On Photography. New York: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 1977. Weir, William. “The Global Community Support and Sends a Defiant Message to Terrorists.” Hartford Courant 14 July 2005. < http://www.uchc.edu/ocomm/newsarchive/news05/jul05/notafraid.html >. We’renot afraid.com: Citizens for a Secure World, United against Terror. < http://www.werenotafraid.com >. “What the Papers Say.” Media Guardian 8 July 2005. < http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2005/jul/08/pressandpublishing.terrorism1 >. Zulaika, Joseba, and William A. Douglass. Terror and Taboo: The Follies, Fables, and Faces of Terrorism. New York: Routledge, 1996.

This article will look at the use of personal photographs that attempt to convey a sense of social activism as a reaction against global terrorism. Moreover, I argue that the photographs uploaded to the site “We’re Not Afraid”, which began after the London bombings in 2005, presents a forum to promote the pleasures of western cultural values as a defence against the anxiety of terror. What is compelling are the ways in which the Website promotes, seemingly, everyday modalities through what may be deemed as the domestic snapshot. Nevertheless, the aura from the context of these images operates to arouse the collective memory of terrorism and violence. It promotes photography’s spectacular power. To begin it is worthwhile considering the ways in which the spectacle of terrorism is mediated. For example, the bombs activated on the London Underground and at Tavistock Square on the 7th of July 2005 marked the day that London became a victim of ‘global’ terrorism, re-instilling the fear projected by the media to be alarmed and to be suspicious. In the shadow of the terrorist events of September 11, as well as the Madrid Bombings in 2004, the incidents once again drew attention to the point that in the Western world ‘we’ again can be under attack. Furthermore, the news media plays a vital role in mediating the reality and the spectacle of terrorist attacks in the display of visual ‘proof’. After the London bombings of 7 July 2005, the BBC Website encouraged photo submissions of the incidents, under the heading “London Explosions: Your Photos”, thus promoting citizen journalism. Within six hours the BBC site received more that 1000 photographs. According to Richard Sambrook, director of the BBC’s World Service and Global News division, “people were participating in our coverage in way we had never seen before” (13). Other news Websites, such as Reuters and MSNBC also set up a similar call and display of the incidents. The images taken by everyday people and survivors‚ suggest a visceral response to the trauma of terrorism in which they became active participants in the reportage. Leading British newspapers further evoked the sensational terror of the incidents through the captioning of horrific images of destruction. It contextualised them within the realm of fascination and fear with headlines such as “London’s Day of Terror” from the Guardian, “Terror Comes to London” from the Independent and “Al-Qa’eda Brings Terror to the Heart of London” from the Daily Telegraph (“What the Papers Say”). Roland Barthes notes that “even from the perspective of a purely immanent analysis, the structure of the photograph is not an isolated structure; it is in communication with at least one other structure, namely the text – title, caption or article – accompanying every press photograph” (16). He suggested that, with the rise to prominence of ‘the press photograph’ as a mode of visual communication, the traditional relationship between image and text was inverted: “it is not the image which comes to elucidate or ‘realize’ the text, but the latter which comes to sublimate, patheticize or rationalize the image” (25). Frederic Jameson raises a very important point in regards to the role the media plays in terror. He suggests that the Western media is not only affected by a permanent condition of amnesia, but that this has become its primary ‘informational function’ (20). Hence, terror images are constantly repeated for their affect. “When combined with the media, terrorism’s reality-making power is astounding: its capacity to blend the media’s sensational stories, old mythical stereotypes, and a burning sense of moral wrath” (Zulaika and Douglass ix). Susan Sontag, in her 2003 book Regarding the Pain of Others, also discusses the assault of images (116). She argues that “the iconography of suffering has a long pedigree. The sufferings most often deemed worthy of representation are those understood to be the product of wrath, divine or human” (40). Furthermore, globalisation has profoundly changed the rhetoric of terrorism in which the uses of photographs for political means are ubiquitous. Sontag argues that “it seems as if there is a greater quantity of such news than before” (116). Nevertheless, she stresses, “it seems normal to turn away from images that simply make us feel bad” (116). Rather, than the focus on images of despair, the “We’re Not Afraid” Website provides a reaction against visual assaults. The images suggest a turning away from the iconography of terror and suffering to a focus on everyday western middle-class modalities. The images on the site consist of domestic ritual photographic practices, such as family snapshots. The images were disseminated following what has been referred to as the ‘incidents’ by the British press of the attacks on 7 July on the London transport system. Significantly, rather than being described as an event, such as the September 11 terrorist assaults were, the term ‘incidents’ suggests that everyday modalities, the everyday ways of being, may not be affected despite the terror of the attacks. It is, perhaps, a very British approach to the idea of ‘moving on’ despite adversity, which the Website advocates. The Website invites the general public to upload personal photographs captioned with the phrase “We’re not afraid” to “show that terrorists would not change the way people lived their lives” (Clarke).The Website began on 7 July 2005 and during the first week the site received, at times, up to 15 images a minute from across the world (Nikkah). Notably, within days of the Website’s launch it received over 3500 images and 11 million hits (Clarke).The images taken by everyday people and survivors‚ suggest a visceral response to the incidents. These images seem to support Susan Sontag’s argument from On Photography, in which she argues that photography is mainly a social rite, a defence against anxiety, and a tool of power (8). The images present a social activism for the predominantly white middle-class online participants and, as such, is subversive in its move away from the contextualised sensational images of violence that abound in the mainstream press. According to the site’s creator, London Web designer, Alfie Dennen “the idea for this site came from a picture of one of the bombed trains sent from a mobile phone to Dennen’s own weblog. Someone else added the words ‘We’re Not Afraid’ alongside the image” (“‘Not Afraid’ Website Overwhelmed”). Hence, in Dennen’s Weblog the terror and trauma of the train images of the London underground, that were circulated in the main stream press, have been recontextualised by the caption to present defiance and survival. The images uploaded onto the Website range from personal snapshots to manipulated photographs which all bear the declaration: ‘We are not afraid’. Currently, there are 770 galleries with 24 images per gallery amounting to around 18500 images that have been sent to the site. The photographs provide a crack in the projected reality of terrorism and the iconography of suffering as espoused by the mainstream media. The Website claims: We’re not afraid is an outlet for the global community to speak out against the acts of terror that have struck London, Madrid, New York, Baghdad, Basra, Tikrit, Gaza, Tel-Aviv, Afghanistan, Bali, and against the atrocities occurring in cities around the world each and every day. It is a worldwide action for people not willing to be cowed by terrorism and fear mongering. It suggests that: The historical response to these types of attacks has been a show of deadly force; we believe that there is a better way. We refuse to respond to aggression and hatred in kind. Instead, we who are not afraid will continue to live our lives the best way we know how. We will work, we will play, we will laugh, we will live. We will not waste one moment, nor sacrifice one bit of our freedom, because of fear. We are not afraid. (“we’re not afraid.com: Citizens for a secure world, united against terror.”) The images evoke the social memory of our era of global terrorism. Arguably, the events since September 11 have placed the individual in a protection mode. The photographs represent, as Sontag espouses, a tool against the anxiety of our time. This is a turn away from the visual iconography of despair. As such, rather than images of suffering they are images of survival, or life carrying on as usual. Or, more precisely, the images represent depictions of everyday western middle-class existence. The images range from family snaps, touristic photographs, pictures of the London underground and some manipulated images all containing the words ‘We’re Not Afraid’. Dennen “said the site had become a symbol for people to show solidarity with London and say they will not be cowed by the bombings” (“‘Not Afraid’ Website Overwhelmed”). The photographs also serve as a form of protection of western middle-class values and lifestyle that may be threatened by terrorist acts. Of consideration is that “personal photographs not only bind us to our own pasts – they bind us to the pasts of the social groups to which we belong” (Gye 280). The images on the site may be described as a “revocation of social power through visibility” and as such photography is considered a “performance of power” (Frosh 46). Barthes asserts that “formerly, the image illustrated the text (made it clearer); today, the text loads the image, burdening it with a culture, a moral, an imagination” (25). The images loaded onto the Website “We’re Not Afraid’ assumes notions of resilience and defiance which can be closely linked to Anglo-American cultural memory and imagination. Significantly, efforts to influence ‘heart and minds’ through support of touring exhibitions were common in the earlier days of the Cold War. Sontag argues that “photographic collections can be used to substitute a world” (162). The images exalted a universal humanism, similarly to the images on the “We’re Not Afraid” site. Many exhibits were supported throughout the 1950s, often under the auspices of the USIA (United States Information Agency). A famous example is the photography exhibit ‘The Family of Man’ which travelled to 28 countries between 1955-59 and was seen by 9 million people (Kennedy 316). It contained 503 images, 273 photographers from 68 nations “it posited humanity as a universal ideal and human empathy as a compensatory response to the threat of nuclear annihilation” (Kennedy 322). Significantly, Liam Kennedy asserts that, the Cold War rhetoric surrounding the exhibition blurred the boundaries between art, information and propaganda. The exhibition has been critiqued ideologically as an imperialist project, most notably by Allan Sekula in which he states “the worldliness of photography is the outcome, not of any immanent universality of meaning, but of a project of global domination” (96). In more recent times an exhibition, backed by the US State Department titled ‘After September 11: Images from Ground Zero’, by photojournalist/art photographer Joel Meyorowitz travelled to more than 60 countries and assisted in shaping and maintaining a public memory of the attacks of the World Trade Centre and its aftermath (Kennedy 315). Similar, to ‘The Family of Man’, it adds an epic quality to the images. As Kennedy points out that: To be sure this latter exhibit has been more overtly designed as propaganda, yet it also carries the cachet of ‘culture’ (most obviously, via the signature of a renowned photographer) and is intended to transmit a universal message that transcends the politics of difference. (Kennedy 323) The Website “We’re Not Afraid’ maintains the public memory of terrorism, without the horror of suffering. With a ‘universal message’ similar to the aforementioned exhibitions, it attempts to transcends the politics of difference by addressing the ‘we’ as the ‘everyday’ citizen. It serves as a gallery space and similarly evokes western romantic universal ideals conveyed in the exhibition ‘The Family of Man’, whilst its aesthetic forms avoid the stylististically captured scenes of ‘After September 11’. As stated earlier, the site had over 11 million hits in the first few weeks; as such the sheer number of viewers exceeds that of any formal photographic exhibition. Moreover, unlike these highly constructed art exhibitions from leading professional photographers, the Website significantly presents a democratic form of participation in which the ‘personal is political’. It is the citizen journalist. It is the ‘everyday’ person, as evidenced in the predominant snapshot aesthetics and the ordinariness in the images that are employed. Kris Cohen, in his analysis of photoblogging suggests that this aesthetic emphasises the importance in “photoblogging of not thinking too much, of the role that instinct plays in the making of photographs and the photoblog” (890). As discussed, previously, the overwhelming response and contributions to the Website within days of its launch seems to suggest this. The submission of photographs suggests a visceral response to the incidents from the ‘people’ in the celebration of the ‘everyday’ and the mundane. It also should be noted that “there are now well over a million documented blogs and photoblogs in the world”, with most appearing since 2003 (Cohen 886). As Cohen suggests “their newfound popularity has provoked a gentle storm of press, along with a significant number of utopic scenarios in which blogs feature as the next emancipatory mass media product”(886). The world-wide press coverage for the “We’re Not Afraid’ site is one key example that promotes this “utopian vision of transfigured citizens and in Benedict Anderson’s well used term an ‘imagined community” (Goggin xx). Nevertheless, the defiant captioning of the images also returns us historically to the social memory of the London Blitz 1940-41 in which the theme of a transfigured community was employed and in which the London underground and shelters became a signifier for the momentum of “We’re Not Afraid’. Barthes explained in Mythologies about the “the sight of the ‘naturalness’ with which newspapers, art and common sense constantly dress up a reality which, even though it is the one we live in, is undoubtedly determined by history” (11). What I want to argue is that the mythology surrounding the London bombings articulated in the Website “We’re Not Afraid’ is determined by 20th Century history of the media and the cultural imaginary surrounding predominantly British values*.** *The British Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, asserted that “qualities of creativity built on tolerance, openness and adaptability, work and self improvement, strong communities and families and fair play, rights and responsibilities and an outward looking approach to the world that all flow from our unique island geography and history.” (“Blair Defines British Values”). These values are suggested in the types of photographs uploaded onto the activist Website, as such notions of the British Empire are evoked. Moreover, in his address following the incident, “Blair harkened back to the ‘Blitz spirit’ that saw Londoners through the dark days of Nazi bombing during World War II — and, by association, to Winston Churchill, the wartime leader whose determined, moving speeches helped steel the national resolve” (“Blair Delivers”). In his Churchillian cadence he paid “tribute to the stoicism and resilience of the people of London who have responded in a way typical of them”. He said Britain would show “by our spirit and dignity” that “our values will long outlast” the terrorists. He further declared that “the purpose of terrorism is just that. It is to terrorize people and we will not be terrorized” (“Blair Delivers”). The mythology of the Blitz and “the interpretive context at the time (and for some years thereafter) can be summarized by the phrase ‘the People’s War’—a populist patriotism that combined criticism of the past with expectations of social change and inclusive messages of shared heritage and values” (Field 31). The image conveyed is of a renewed sense of community. The language of triumph against adversity and the endurance of ordinary citizens are also evoked in the popular press of the London incidents. The Times announced: Revulsion and resolve: Despite the shock, horror and outrage, the calm shown in London was exemplary. Ordinary life may be inconvenienced by the spectre of terror, yet terrorism will not force free societies to abandon their fundamental features. An attack was inevitable. The casualties were dreadful. The terrorists have only strengthened the resolve of Britain and its people. (“What the Papers Say”) Similarly the Daily Express headline was “We Britons Will Never Be Defeated” (“What the Papers Say”). The declaration of “We’re not afraid” alongside images on the Website follows on from this trajectory. The BBC reported that the Website “‘We’re not afraid’ gives Londoners a voice” (“Not Afraid Website Overwhelmed”). The BBC has also made a documentary concerning the mission and the somewhat utopian principles presented. Similarly discussion of the site has been evoked in other Weblogs that overwhelmingly praise it and very rarely question its role. One example is from a discussion of “We’re Not Afraid” on another activist site titled “World Changing: Change Your Thinking”. The contributor states: Well, I live in the UK and I am afraid. I’m also scared that sites like We’re Not Afraid encourage an unhealthy solidarity of superiority, nationalism and xenophobia – perpetuating a “we’re good” and “they’re evil” mentality that avoids the big picture questions of how we got here. Posted by: John Norris at July 8, 2005 03:45 AM Notably, this statement also reiterates the previous argument on cultural diplomacy presented by theorists in regards to the exhibitions of ‘The Family of Man’ and ‘After September 11’ in which the images are viewed as propaganda, promoting western cultural values. This is also supported by the mood of commentary in the British press since the London bombings, in which it is argued that “Britain and the British way of life are under threat, the implication being that the threat is so serious that it may ultimately destroy the nation and its values” (King). The significance of the Website is that it represents a somewhat democratic medium in its call for engagement and self-expression. Furthermore, the emancipatory photography of self and space, presented in the “We’re Not Afraid” site, echoes Blair’s declaration of “we will not be terrorized”. However, it follows similar politically conservative themes that were evoked in the Blitz, such as community, family and social stability, with tacit reference to social fragmentation and multi-ethnicity (Field 41-42). In general, as befitted the theme of “a People’s War,” the Blitz imagery was positive and sympathetic in the way it promoted the endurance of the ordinary citizen. Geoffrey Field suggests “it offered an implicit rejoinder to the earlier furor—focusing especially on brave, caring mothers who made efforts to retain some semblance of family under the most difficult circumstances and fathers who turned up for work no matter how heavy the bombing had been the night before” (24). Images on the Website consist of snapshots of babies, families, pets, sporting groups, people on holiday and at celebrations. It represents a, somewhat, global perspective of middle-class values. The snapshot aesthetic presents, what Liz Kotz refers to as, the “aesthetics of intimacy”. It is a certain kind of photographic work which is quasi-documentary and consists of “colour images of individuals, families, or groupings, presented in an apparently intimate, unposed manner, shot in an off-kilter, snapshot style, often a bit grainy, unfocused, off-colour” (204). These are the types of images that provide the visual gratification of solidarity amongst its contributors and viewers, as it seemingly appears more ‘real’. Yet, Kotz asserts that these type of photographs also involve a structure of power relations “that cannot be easily evaded by the spontaneous performance before the lens” (210). For example, Sarah Boxer importantly points out that “We’re Not Afraid”, set up to show solidarity with London, seems to be turning into a place where the haves of the world can show that they’re not afraid of the have-nots” (1). She argues that “there’s a brutish flaunting of wealth and leisure” (1). The iconography in the images of “We’re not Afraid” certainly promotes a ‘memorialisation’ of the middle-class sphere. The site draws attention to the values of the global neoliberal order in which capital accumulation is paramount. It, nevertheless, also attempts to challenge “the true victory of terrorism”, which Jean Baudrillard circumspectly remarks is in “the regression of the value system, of all the ideology of freedom and free movement etc… that the Western world is so proud of, and that legitimates in its eyes its power over the rest of the world”. Self-confidence is conveyed in the images. Moreover, with the subjects welcoming gaze to the camera there may be a sense of narcissism in publicising what could be considered mundane. However, visibility is power. For example, one of the contributors, Maryland USA resident Darcy Nair, said “she felt a sense of helplessness in the days after 9/11. Posting on the We’re Not Afraid may be a small act, but it does give people like her a sense that they’re doing something” (cited in Weir). Nair states that: It seems that it is the only good answer from someone like me who’s not in the government or military…There are so many other people who are joining in. When bunches of individuals get together – it does make me feel hopeful – there are so many other people who feel the same way. (cited in Weir) Participation in the Website conveys a power which consists of defiantly celebrating western middle-class aesthetics in the form of personal photography. As such, the personal becomes political and the private becomes public. The site offers an opportunity for a shared experience and a sense of community that perhaps is needed in the era of global terrorism. It could be seen as a celebration of survival (Weir). The Website seems inspirational with its defiant message. Moreover, it also has postings from various parts of the world that convey a message of triumph in the ‘everyday’. The site also presents the ubiquitous use of photography in a western cultural tradition in which idealised constructions are manifested in ‘Kodak’ moments and in which the domestic space and leisure times are immortalised and become, significantly, the arena of activism. As previously discussed Sontag argues that photography is mainly a social rite, a defence against anxiety, and a tool of power (8). The Website offers the sense of a global connection. It promotes itself as “citizens for a secure world, united against terror”. It attempts to provide a universal solidarity, which appears uplifting. It is a defence against anxiety in which, in the act of using personal photographs, it becomes part of the collective memory and assists in easing the frustration of not being able to do anything. As Sontag argues “often something looks, or is felt to look ‘better’ in a photograph. Indeed, it is one of the functions of photography to improve the normal appearance of things” (81). Rather than focus on the tragic victim of traditional photojournalism, in which the camera is directed towards the other, the site promotes the sharing and triumph of personal moments. In the spotlight are ‘everyday’ modalities from ‘everyday people’ attempting to confront the rhetoric of terrorism. In their welcoming gaze to the camera the photographic subjects challenge the notion of the sensational image, the spectacle that is on show is that of middle-class modalities and a performance of collective power. Note Themes from this article have been presented at the 2005 Cultural Studies Association of Australasia Conference in Sydney, Australia and at the 2006 Association for Cultural Studies Crossroads Conference in Istanbul, Turkey. References Barthes, Roland. “The Photographic Message.” Image-Music-Text. Trans. Stephen Heath. New York: Noonday Press, 1977 [1961]. 15-31. Barthes, Roland. Mythologies. Trans. Annette Lavers. London: Vintage, 1993 [1972]. Baudrillard, Jean. “The Spirit of Terrorism.” Trans. Rachel Bloul. La Monde 2 (2001). http://www.egs.edu/faculty/baudrillard/baudrillard-the-spirit-of-terrorism.html>. “Blair Defines British Values.” BBC News 28 Mar. 2000. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/693591.stm>. “Blair Delivers a Classically British Rallying Cry.” Associated Press 7 July 2005. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8502984/>. Boxter, Sarah. “On the Web, Fearlessness Meets Frivolousness.” The York Times 12 July 2005. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/12/arts/design/12boxe.html?ex= 1278820800&en=e3b207245991aea8&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>. Clarke, R. “Web Site Shows Defiance to Bombers: Thousands Send Images to Say ‘We Are Not Afraid.’” CNN International 12 July 2005. http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/07/11/london.website/>. “CJ Bombings in London.” MSNBC TV Citizen Journalist. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8499792/>. Cohen, Kris R. “What Does the Photoblog Want?” Media, Culture & Society 27.6 (2005): 883-901. Dennen, Alfie. “We’renotafraid.com: Citizens for a Secure World, United Against Terror.” http://www.werenotafraid.com/>. Field, Geoffrey. “Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940–1941.” International Labor and Working-Class History 62 (2002): 11-49. Frosh, Paul. “The Public Eye and the Citizen-Voyeur: Photography as a Performance of Power.” Social Semiotics 11.1 (2001): 43-59. Gye, Lisa. “Picture This: The Impact of Mobile Camera Phones on Personal Photographic Practices.” Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies 22.2 (2007): 279-288. Jameson, Fredric. “Postmodernism and Consumer Society.” The Cultural Turn: Selected Writings on the Postmodern. New York: Verso, 1998. 1-20. Kennedy, Liam. “Remembering September 11: Photography as Cultural Diplomacy.” International Affairs 79.2 (2003): 315-326. King, Anthony. “What Does It Mean to Be British?” Telegraph 27 May 2005. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/27/ nbrit27.xml>. Kotz, Liz. “The Aesthetics of Intimacy.” In D. Bright (ed.), The Passionate Camera: Photography and Bodies of Desire. London: Routledge, 1998. 204-215. “London Explosions: Your Photos.” BBC News 8 July 2005 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4660563.stm>. Nikkhah, Roya. “We’restillnotafraid.com.” Telegraph co.uk 23 July 2005. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/24/ nseven224.xml>. “‘Not Afraid’ Website Overwhelmed.” BBC News 12 July 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/4674425.stm>. Norris, John. “We’re Not Afraid”. World Changing: Change Your Thinking. http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/003069.html>. “Reuters: You Witness News.” http://www.reuters.com/youwitness>. Sambrook, Richard. “Citizen Journalism and the BBC.” Nieman Reports (Winter 2005): 13-16. Sekula, Allan. “The Traffic in Photographs.” In Photography against the Grain: Essays and Photoworks 1973-1983. Halifax Nova Scotia: Nova Scotia College Press, 1984. Sontag, Susan. Regarding the Pain of Others. New York: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 2003. Sontag. Susan. On Photography. New York: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 1977. Weir, William. “The Global Community Support and Sends a Defiant Message to Terrorists.” Hartford Courant 14 July 2005. http://www.uchc.edu/ocomm/newsarchive/news05/jul05/notafraid.html>. We’renot afraid.com: Citizens for a Secure World, United against Terror. http://www.werenotafraid.com>. “What the Papers Say.” Media Guardian 8 July 2005. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2005/jul/08/pressandpublishing.terrorism1>. Zulaika, Joseba, and William A. Douglass. Terror and Taboo: The Follies, Fables, and Faces of Terrorism. New York: Routledge, 1996. Citation reference for this article MLA Style Allmark, Panizza. "Photography after the Incidents: We’re Not Afraid!." M/C Journal 10.6/11.1 (2008). echo date('d M. Y'); ?> <http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0804/06-allmark.php>. APA Style Allmark, P. (Apr. 2008) "Photography after the Incidents: We’re Not Afraid!," M/C Journal, 10(6)/11(1). Retrieved echo date('d M. Y'); ?> from <http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0804/06-allmark.php>.