Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More Two additional suspects were arrested last week in the death of Sam Nordquist who New York State Police say was tortured and sexually assaulted for more than a month before his death in Ontario County Police say Thomas Eaves, 21, of Geneva, and Kimberly Sochia, 29, of Canandaigua, were taken into custody. They, along with five others, are charged with second-degree murder. Shannon Davenport says her autistic son, Caleb, was friends with Eaves for three days in 2022 when her son was 16 years old. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office arrested Eaves and three other individuals in connection with the incident. In an earlier news release, according to the office’s records, Eaves was charged with robbery in the second degree, conspiracy in the fourth degree, assault in the third degree, endangering the welfare of a child and petit larceny. However, the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office has since sealed this case. “What possessed them to want to do that? To inflict that type of harm onto somebody and then to be able to walk away from him while he's just lying there helpless?” asked Davenport. “And for their ages to be so young and to do something so brutal and to simply walk away from it just makes me wonder what they went through their whole lives.” The sheriff’s office has also confirmed that he was sentenced to six months in jail from June 7, 2023, until Oct. 5, 2023. However, months after serving that sentence, Eaves was charged again for violating his probation, according to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff says he was resentenced to another year behind bars but got out early for good time. “He was released on probation with all of these times. And then I got a call from the Victims Advocate saying that he was right back in, charged with some other assault. So it's like he's constantly out there committing these crimes and he was never getting any sort of actual punishment for it,” said Davenport. “Nothing to where it changed his mindset of how he should live his life. I do blame bail reform for Thomas being out and able to even participate in anything that happened.” The Ontario County district attorney confirmed in a press conference last week that Eaves is the son of another suspect in the Nordquist case, Precious Azuaga. “[The] apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Davenport said. “It set itself right at its root.” She sends her thoughts to the Nordquist family as they fight for justice for their son and brother, Sam. “That terrible stuff that happened to my child, he only went through one day of it and Sam suffered two months at their hands. So what Caleb went through is nothing compared to what Sam went through,” Davenport said. “The people are just evil.” This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Volume 10 - 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1240978 This article is part of the Research TopicPerspectives in The Biotechnology of Artificial Insemination in RuminantsView all 7 articles For a long time, animals have been viewed as indispensable to training technical competencies in veterinary medicine students, including in the field of theriogenology. A proper training program in bovine artificial insemination (AI) includes both the development of technical skills (such as the manipulation of frozen semen) and knowledge acquisition about bovine reproductive anatomy and physiology, preparation of material, handling of semen, and the AI procedure (3) this knowledge also encompasses breeding programs and genetic selection combined with the shift of learning paradigms toward competency-based education have impelled the industry to heighten standards for which models and other alternative resources are further developed altogether enabling students to practice and master the required skills these advancements have allowed for coping with the 3Rs' recommendations for animal use in research and education These humane concerns assume particular relevance in the training of theriogenology-related procedures. In this field, some procedures are particularly challenging because they are performed in body structures hidden from the eye, and, therefore, they cannot be directly observed by the trainee or the educator (5) This is the case with training transrectal palpation and AI in large animals Nowadays, models (i.e., a static representation of anatomical structures or physiological processes) (6) and simulators (defined as devices that imitate real patients, anatomic regions, or clinical tasks) (2, 7) are used for training transrectal palpation and artificial insemination in cattle These allow the trainee to replicate the procedures as many times as necessary for autonomy to be reached while also providing formative assessment of each trainee's skill and warranting the “never the first time on a live animal” approach This article intends to revise the available information regarding the effectiveness of using models or simulators in the practical training of bovine AI procedures and to explore the assessment of their contributions to students' capacitation in bovine AI as well as reporting on eventual gaps and providing insights on innovative features to be used in the conceptualization of future models or simulators A snap literature review in English retrieved a few reports on the use of models or simulators in the training of bovine AI technique the two critical steps in the training of bovine AI are the confirmation of estrus (an expected training outcome in transrectal palpation) and the cervix transposition with the insemination pipette we will focus on training cervix transposition a critical step aimed at simulated learning of bovine artificial insemination models (genital tracts recovered from slaughterhouses or rubber/silicone training cervix models that can be used alone or as part of a manikin) and simulators are the most frequently used approaches Despite these natural models being usually cheap and easily available they also present some important disadvantages they raise concerns regarding the sanitary status of the material and the possible risk of infection particularly regarding the transmission of zoonotic diseases postmortem specimens lose the normal tissue tension aggravated by the repetitive passage of the pipette across the cervical canal leading to a facilitated passage of the pipette into the uterus after a few trials which lowers the reliability of these models which increases the demand for plenty of biological material for all the training sessions Illustration of some models and simulators available for training bovine artificial insemination genital tract models are used over a table (A) at the beginning of the training of bovine AI procedures; they can also be hidden inside a tube (B) or displayed on a contraption (C) to mimic its anatomic disposition in the pelvis the physical simulators: the Breed'n Betsy (D) uses simulated genital tracts presented inside a box are displayed within a standing manikin resembling a cow' rear quarter or are collapsible and mounted over a table These simulators also comprehend a movable cervix that can be used alone for training the transcervical transposition The Haptic simulators on the right side rely on virtual reality to train transrectal palpation (G) or the artificial insemination technique (H) Synthetic models of the bovine cervix can be used for guided training at an initial hands-on stage or as a constituent of simulators (Figures 1D–F) but more recent models are produced in silicone aiming to replicate the differences between heifers and cows The main advantages of these models are their portability the fact that the student may observe the hand positioning and motions and the feeling of the pipette passing the cervix rings Most synthetic cervices can be mounted on a manikin to increase the training difficulty and to allow a closer to real-life situation including the fact that they provide experiences far from realistic due to differences in the tactile perception or elasticity of the structures mimicked which often impair the replication of the fine hand movements associated with pipette passage across the cervix needing replacement after a while (depending on the use and the blunt force used by the trainees) Compared with the available information on simulators for training transrectal palpation skills, far fewer outputs exist on models and simulators for training bovine AI. A key feature of simulation-based learning is ensuring that the proposed outcomes are met, skills acquisition is successful, and the trainee can transfer the new skills into practice (13) and improve their performance in the real-work task For transrectal palpation, simulators are considered practical and fit to effectively replace the conditions found in live animals (9, 10, 14, 15) even if their contribution to learning success remains poorly explored There is rather more advertisement information on simulators to train AI skills than sound information on the perception (trainee point of view) and usefulness of AI skills development and self-confidence to further work with living cows suggesting that there is a need to assess the advantages of each approach the validation of available commercial simulators to train AI remains insufficient as most results rely on the user's perception of the manikin/simulator fidelity and its utility for task learning the subjective face validity of the instrument these surveys also collect the opinion of experts It is commonly accepted that models and simulators may not fully replicate the complexities and variations encountered when working with live animals often after passing an initial period working with models and simulators trainees will spend a short period practicing AI in living cows in a herd or at abattoir facilities even considering the subjective validation of simulators we still have no answer to some questions: when are students apt to start working with living cows can students transfer the skills acquired into practice without harm to the cow What criteria should they meet to prove that the model or simulation training was successful Furthermore, simulators are seldom assessed for construction or concurrent validity (or transferability) (16) It is critical to determine if a given simulator can discriminate between novices and experts if it is sensitive enough to assess the trainee's progress and how much it contributes to a successful transition into performance of the real task It is our understanding that the models and simulators used should account for more than the ability to pass the cervix (yes vs no) in the model/simulator and living animals Considering that two key issues regarding the AI technique are the ability to pass the AI pipette throughout the cervix and the time spent in the process it would be desirable to include the second as a criterion in assessing the trainee's proficiency it may be necessary to add sensors (electronic or electromagnetic) to physical simulators that would signal pipette transposition at crucial points in the genital tract Virtual reality–based simulators might also benefit from the transition to a hybrid or mixed reality the incorporation of artificial intelligence methods to validate pipette transposition and the correctness and economy of motions could allow for determination of a task execution score There is no doubt that using models and simulators at the initial stages of bovine AI training potentially reduces the harmful effects of training the AI procedures directly in a living animal thereby contributing to the wellbeing of cows used for education rooted in the information provided by other fields of education using simulators and the sparse information available new studies are needed to correctly appraise the value and usefulness of simulators available to train bovine AI Information on efficacy models or simulators in training bovine AI skills remains insufficient to allow for careful selection of the available commercial models and simulators or to determine the most successful instructional approach Since using non-animal devices requires educators to design and implement effective strategies to enhance the success of competency acquisition while providing practical and safe hands-on training instructional design per se also affects the outcome this validation ought to address the entire intervention There are clear opportunities in this field; new developments the improvement of existing simulators with add-ons useful for skills assessment and the reduction of initial investment and maintenance costs should be considered to attain a broader implementation of the 3Rs All authors listed have made a substantial and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication This work was supported by the projects UIDP/00772/2020 (CECAV) and LA/P/0059/2020 (AL4AnimalS) and funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) The authors sincerely acknowledge Margarida Simões for her careful proofreading and language editing of the manuscript and Carolina Balão da Silva and Elvira Matilla Pinto for permission to use the images in Figure 1C The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher Beurteilung der Stressbelastung für Rinder im Rahmen praktischer Übungen zur Künstlichen Besamung und Evaluation der Einbindung von Simulatoren in den Ausbildungsprozess Hannover: Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover (2020) Google Scholar The use of simulators for teaching practical clinical skills to veterinary students - a review PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Artificial insemination of cattle: description and assessment of a training program for veterinary students Educational use of animals in Europe indicates a reluctance to implement alternatives Effect of foosball practice on veterinary students' bovine artificial insemination skills CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Effective use of simulations for the teaching and acquisition of veterinary professional and clinical skills Simulador de palpação retal In: Anais da XII Mostra Nacional de Iniciação Científica e Tecnológica Interdisciplinar (MICTI); Instituto Federal Catarinense/Campus Brusque: Instituto Federal Catarinense Google Scholar Efficacy validation of a low-cost handmade simulator (SIMCA-COW) in palpation Teaching transrectal palpation of the internal genital organs in cattle Google Scholar The use of virtual reality for simulation and training of bovine artificial insemination with haptic devices In: 14th Symposium on Virtual and Augmented Reality Google Scholar and hybrid approach in healthcare simulation: a systematic review Modern techniques of teaching bovine rectal palpation: opportunities benefits and disadvantages of new educational devices Integrating a bovine rectal palpation simulator into an undergraduate veterinary curriculum A framework for the testing and validation of simulated environments in experimentation and training Colaço B and Payan-Carreira R (2023) The usefulness of models and simulators for training practical bovine artificial insemination skills Received: 15 June 2023; Accepted: 04 August 2023; Published: 30 August 2023 Copyright © 2023 Azuaga Filho, Colaço and Payan-Carreira. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Rita Payan-Carreira, cnRwYXlhbkB1ZXZvcmEucHQ= Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish A Clínic-IDIBAPS research team is participating in the European Foreum-RA-Flare project which aims to predict relapses in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in remission through the use of explainable artificial intelligence.   The project involves Dr. Juan D. Cañete, from the Rheumatology Service at the Hospital Clínic and researcher in the IDIBAPS Inflammatory Joint Diseases (GRAI) group all of them belonging to the Arthritis Unit The Project is funded by the European Foundation for Research in Rheumatology (FOREUM) with €600,000 from the Gemelli University Polyclinic in Rome are the University of Glasgow and Newcastle University.  Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints and mainly affects the hands and feet remission of the disease is not always achieved and over 50% of patients experience a reactivation of symptoms after reducing or stopping medication there are no reliable biomarkers to identify in which patients it is possible to reduce or withdraw treatment without a risk of relapse” The Foreum-RA-Flare project aims to develop a method based on the multi-omics analysis of synovial tissue and blood cells using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics technologies Multi-omics analysis is an advanced technique that allows different types of genetic and molecular information on cells to be studied at the same time providing a complete picture of their status.   These analyses will be combined with an explainable artificial intelligence algorithm to predict which patients have a higher risk of relapse and should but also allows us to understand the factors behind those predictions providing greater confidence in clinical decisions.  The study will involve patients who are in sustained clinical remission and who show no signs of joint inflammation by ultrasound the researchers will create a molecular atlas that will allow them to identify the specific biomarkers of the patients who could safely reduce or stop their treatment.   This project will also conduct a clinical trial comparing the use of this artificial intelligence to guide clinical decisions with the current standard treatment.  “We hope that artificial intelligence will be able to predict more accurately which patients will maintain remission thereby reducing the risk of relapse” “This work could not only signify progress in the care of patients with rheumatoid arthritis but also lay the groundwork for the use of artificial intelligence in other chronic inflammatory diseases” Receive the latest news from our institution directly to your email in a few moments you will receive a confirmation email The abuse and murder of a transgender man in Ontario County is not believed to be a hate crime at this point according to Ontario County District Attorney James Ritts and New York State Police The agencies released a joint statement on Sunday detailing the ongoing investigation into 24-year-old Sam Nordquist's death The remains of the man from Minnesota were found in a field in Yates County earlier last week after he was reported missing on Feb five suspects are accused of killing Nordquist in Ontario County and then moving his body to help cover their tracks They also say evidence shows Nordquist had been subjected to physical and psychological abuse for more than a month before his death The DA's statement says there's no indication at this time that the killing was motivated by his gender identity State police say Nordquist and his assailants were known to each other and some of them also identified as members of the LGBTQ+ community State Police also say one of the suspects was staying with Nordquist at Patty's Lodge in Hopewell before his death have all been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Nordquist's death The medical examiner's office is still determining the exact cause of death calling those suspects "pure evil." the New York State Police and local law enforcement announced the arrest of five individuals in connection to the horrific and brutal killing of Sam Nordquist The charges against these individuals are sickening and all New Yorkers should join together to condemn this horrific act community and loved ones who are experiencing unimaginable grief.” “I have directed State Police to provide any and all support and resources to the District Attorney as they continue their investigation including into whether this was a hate crime the New York State Office of Victim Services at my direction has contacted local officials to connect the victim’s family with services and support I have also directed the New York State Division of Human Rights Hate and Bias Prevention Unit to offer assistance and support to all community members affected by this terrible act of violence From 13 November to 1 December 2019 Palazzo Strozzi hosts VISIO an exhibition dedicated to video works by 12 under-35 international artists taking part to VISIO – European Programme on Artists’ Moving Images a project promoted by Lo Schermo dell’arte Film Festival and curated by Leonardo Bigazzi The exhibition offers an insight into the practice of a generation of artists who witnessed the rise of the so-called “Post-Internet condition” This definition has been adopted since the end of the first decade of 2000 in order to describe art that could no longer avoid to confront the growing hyper-connectivity of the internet both in conceptual and in production and distribution terms the meaning of the term “Post-Internet” has changed as quickly as the technology it was associated with becoming obsolete and controversial and being mostly reduced to the often derogatory formal categorization of a vast number of artworks During the same years the digital revolution and the acceleration imposed by new media have deeply changed the language of moving images and their exhibition models The show therefore reflects on these transformations and on the influence they had on this generation of artists on the legacy of the Post-Internet phenomenon and on the possible reasons of its definitive overcoming The project returns to Palazzo Strozzi after the successful 2015 edition This witnesses the Foundation’s vocation for experimenting with contemporary artistic production and confirming its collaboration with Lo Schermo dell’arte for VISIO through the exhibition and a program of seminars the comparison and the mobility of the artists who use moving images in their artistic practice The eight edition of VISIO – European Programme on Artists’ Moving Images is promoted and organized by Lo schermo dell’arte Film Festival in collaboration with Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and FST-Mediateca Regionale Toscana La Compagnia / progetto realizzato nell’ambito del Programma Sensi Contemporanei Toscana per il Cinema and Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze Read more Be the first to receive news and specials about Palazzo Strozzi I declare to have examined this Privacy Policy. I give my consent for the subscription to the newsletter and other communications for marketing purposes. I give my consent for the analysis and profiling activities. Volume 8 - 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2021.742713 This article is part of the Research TopicComorbidities in Psoriatic Arthritis and their Impact on Therapeutic Strategies View all 10 articles PsA is characterized by a high prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) comorbidities Recognizing these comorbidities is critical due to their influence on the quality of life and the choice of therapy Imaging techniques also play an important role in the evaluation of the CV risk in psoriatic disease improving the prediction of CV events when combined with clinical scores as a predictive tool Meta-analyses point to a significant reduction in the incidence of CV events associated with the suppression of inflammatory activity when using systemic therapies the mortality rate in PsA patients has fallen in the last 40 years and is now similar to that of the general population Obesity is an especially relevant CV comorbidity in patients with psoriatic disease Body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for PsA and a causal relationship with psoriasis has been demonstrated by Mendelian randomized studies The study of fat distribution shows that patients with psoriasis are characterized by visceral fat accumulation which correlates with CV risk measurements These findings suggest that approaches to the prevention and treatment of psoriatic disease might come from targeting adiposity levels Weight loss treatment with low energy diets in patients with PsA has been associated with significant improvements in disease activity Novel strategies using a multimorbidity approach are necessary to better address comorbidities improve clinical outcomes and the quality of life of patients with psoriatic disease This new approach compels us to tackle with PsA patients from a multidisciplinary perspective demonstrating a higher CV risk also in Asian population A retrospective US-based claims study with nearly 15,000 PsA patients and 35,037 matched controls found that PsA patients had higher incidence rates of CV disorders (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease) and a higher rate of hospitalization due to CV disease than controls (general CV diagnosis: 14.4 vs. 9.4%, p < 0.05; coronary disease as primary diagnosis: 0.8 vs. 0.5%, p < 0.001) (16) although mortality rates were not analyzed A British population-based study of MACE in immune-mediated diseases identified psoriatic disease as an independent risk factor for MACE, including myocardial infarction and stroke, although this was only significant in psoriasis and PsA patients not prescribed a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD). The odds of MACE in RA patients were 39 and 58% higher than in the general population in DMARD and non-DMARD-treated RA patients, respectively (26) Taking all the evidence into account, RA should be included in the SCORE scale as an independent factor for CV events. Psoriatic disease should be considered as having the same risk as RA, especially psoriatic disease with severe skin involvement (26). PsA, mild skin psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease should be probably placed on a lower level, with a hypothetically-lower risk of CV events (24, 25) (Figure 2) although the evidence is not clear on this point Figure 2. Cardiovascular risk stratification in Immunomediated diseases. According to the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and the incidence of cardiovascular events, we should consider SLE as the IMID with highest cardiovascular risk burden, followed by RA, PsO, PsA, and IBD (20). The severity of skin involvement could be essential to classify the cardiovascular profile of psoriatic disease (21) Meta-analyses show a significant reduction in the incidence of CV events associated with suppression of inflammatory activity using conventional DMARDs (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.57–0.91 for methotrexate) or TNFi (RR 0.70, 95%CI 0.54–0.90) in PsA (27). The use of TNFi in RA was shown to reduce the risk of MACE over 8 years (28) Although there is increasing evidence that TNFi may be associated with a reduced risk of CV disease in patients with PsA data on other biologic treatments are largely lacking Whether this protective effect might also be seen in PsA remains unclear Obesity is an independent factor for not achieving a therapeutic response in patients with psoriasis and PsA. A reduction in the clinical response has been found, especially for TNFi therapy, as shown by several studies and a recent meta-analysis (39) which found the odds of failing with TNFi therapy were almost two-fold higher for both psoriasis and PsA patients with obesity Although further detailed study is required these findings suggest that approaches to the prevention and treatment of psoriasis might include targeting adiposity levels in addition to immune pathways in the skin Although these results imply that such interventions may be effective in the prevention of psoriasis it has not be determined whether would be effective in improving the disease course after onset These data support the need for a greater emphasis on weight loss in PsA management it seems that active weight loss strategies could be a choice in every PsA patient with overweight/obesity The reason why TNFi and JAK inhibitors have reduced effectiveness in patients with obesity compared with other drugs are unclear; however, pharmacokinetic properties, the volume of distribution and lipophilicity may be contributing factors (57) Accordingly, current guidelines for the treatment of PsA recommend weight loss in overweight and obese patients to potentially improve pharmacologic responses (58, 59) Psoriasis and PsA are strongly associated with obesity and CV risk factors Obesity increases the risk of psoriasis and PsA and is associated with greater disease activity poorer treatment response and a lower chance of achieving minimal disease activity Patients with PsA also have an increased risk of CV disease which accelerates the atherosclerotic process in combination with a higher prevalence of CV risk factors is believed to contribute to this increased risk Direct interventions with systemic therapies decrease inflammatory activity and potentially reduce the incidence of CV events There is an urgent need to improve the primary and secondary prevention of CV disease in patients with psoriasis and PsA Lifestyle changes should be actively encouraged; risk stratification should be adjusted in patients with psoriasis and PsA; and correct pharmaceutical interventions should be introduced Physicians caring for patients with psoriasis and/or PsA should play an active role in achieving these goals in collaboration with general practitioners and cardiologists direct and intellectual contribution to the work We thank David Buss for editorial assistance biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; BMI disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; DXA PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Prevalence of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational and clinical studies PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar psoriasis and healthy controls: a clinical cohort study Multimorbidity and comorbidity in psoriatic arthritis - a perspective Real-world burden of comorbidities in US patients with psoriatic arthritis Epidemiologic study of patients with psoriatic arthritis in a real-world analysis: a cohort study of the French health insurance database Psoriasis and increased risk of ischemic stroke in Taiwan: A nationwide study Methotrexate reduces the occurrence of cerebrovascular events among Taiwanese psoriatic patients: A nationwide population-based study Association between psoriasis vulgaris and coronary heart disease in a hospital-based population in Japan Psoriasis and cardiovascular comorbidities: focusing on severe vascular events cardiovascular risk factors and implications for treatment Cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with psoriatic arthritis: a systematic review Cause-specific mortality in patients with psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis Malignancy and mortality rates in patients with severe psoriatic arthritis requiring tumour-necrosis factor alpha inhibition: results from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register Higher incidence rates of comorbidities in patients with psoriatic arthritis compared with the general population using US administrative claims data Cardiovascular morbidity in psoriatic arthritis Neutrophil extracellular trap formation is increased in psoriasis and induces human β-defensin-2 production in epidermal keratinocytes Neutrophil-macrophage communication in inflammation and aterosclerosis Systematic review and meta-analysis of methotrexate use and risk of cardiovascular disease Cheng IT Shang Q Li EK Wong PC Kun EW Law MY Effect of achieving minimal disease activity on the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness: a prospective cohort study in psoriatic arthritis Higher coronary plaque burden in psoriatic arthritis is independent of metabolic syndrome and associated with underlying disease severity Value of carotid ultrasound in cardiovascular risk stratification in patients with psoriatic disease psoriatic arthritis and cardiovascular risk: are we closer to a clinical recommendation Cardiovascular disease in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases Risk of major cardiovascular events in patients with psoriatic arthritis psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis: a population-based cohort study The effects of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids on cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis Cardiovascular event risk assessment in psoriasis patients treated with tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors versus methotrexate Association of Ustekinumab vs TNF inhibitor therapy with risk of atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular events in patients with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis Ustekinumab treatment is associated with decreased systemic and vascular inflammation in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis: Feasibility study using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT Anti-interleukin-17A monoclonal antibody secukinumab in treatment of ankylosing spondylitis: a randomised Secukinumab in plaque psoriasis–results of two phase 3 trials a human anti-interleukin-17A monoclonal antibody in patients with psoriatic arthritis (FUTURE 2): a randomised Secukinumab is superior to ustekinumab in clearing skin of subjects with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: CLEAR Impact of Secukinumab on endothelial dysfunction and other cardiovascular disease parameters in psoriasis patients over 52 weeks and causes of a growing public health problem Obesity is associated with a lower probability of achieving sustained minimal disease activity state among patients with psoriatic arthritis Differences in body mass index among individuals with PsA Obesity and response to anti-tumor necrosis factor-α agents in patients with select immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis Biomarkers of inflammation in obesity-psoriatic patients Evidence of a causal relationship between body mass index and psoriasis: A mendelian randomization study Leptin deficiency in mice counteracts imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation while leptin stimulation induces inflammation in human keratinocytes Psoriasis and systemic inflammatory diseases: potential mechanistic links between skin disease and co-morbid conditions The influence of body mass index on skin susceptibility to sodium lauryl sulphate High fat diet exacerbates murine psoriatic dermatitis by increasing the number of IL-17-producing γδ T cells Obesity and the risk of psoriatic arthritis: a population-based study Obesity and risk of incident psoriatic arthritis in US women The link between obesity and psoriatic arthritis PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Visceral adiposity in patients with psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis alone and its relationship with metabolic and cardiovascular risk Psoriatic arthritis is associated with adverse body composition predictive of greater coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes propensity - a cross-sectional study Weight loss improves disease activity in patients with psoriatic arthritis and obesity: an interventional study Weight loss is associated with sustained improvement of disease activity and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with psoriatic arthritis and obesity: a prospective intervention study with two years of follow-up Weight loss and achievement of minimal disease activity in patients with psoriatic arthritis starting treatment with tumour necrosis factor α blockers Maintenance of clinical efficacy and radiographic benefit through two years of ustekinumab therapy in patients with active psoriatic arthritis: results from a randomized Secukinumab retreatment-as-needed versus fixed-interval maintenance regimen for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: A randomized Impact of baseline body mass index on the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib in patients with psoriatic arthritis The interrelations between biological and targeted synthetic agents used in inflammatory joint diseases Special article: 2018 American College of rheumatology/national psoriasis foundation guideline for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis EULAR recommendations for the management of psoriatic arthritis with pharmacological therapies: 2019 update Celis R and Cañete JD (2021) Update on Cardiovascular Risk and Obesity in Psoriatic Arthritis Received: 16 July 2021; Accepted: 13 September 2021; Published: 08 October 2021 Copyright © 2021 Ramírez, Azuaga-Piñango, Celis and Cañete. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) *Correspondence: Julio Ramírez, anVscmFtZ2FAZ21haWwuY29t New York State Police say a missing persons case out of Ontario County has turned into a homicide investigation a transgender man originally from Minnesota Investigators say from early January to February Nordquist was subjected to repeated violence and torture that ultimately led to his death His body was recovered in a field on Payne Road in Yates County of Lima have all been charged with murder in the second degree in connection with Nordquist's death this is one of the most horrific crimes I have ever investigated," said Capt Kelly Swift from the State Police's Bureau of Criminal Investigation Authorities say Nordquist was visiting New York in September but never returned home Loved ones say they lost contact with Norquist on Jan Investigators say they executed a search warrant of Room 22 at Patty's Lodge in the town of Hopewell Thursday where they learned the details of Nordquist's death "The facts and the circumstances of this crime are beyond depraved," Ontario County District Attorney Jim Ritts said during a news conference on Friday "This is by far the worst homicide investigation that our office has ever been a part of." I’m glad we were able to provide some closure and answers for the family No one should have to endure the pain that they’re experiencing," said Major Kevin Sucher “I want to take a moment to emphasize that the work being done here is not just about immediate action it’s about the well-being of the entire community The dedication and professionalism for our first responders are a testament to our shared commitment to safety and progress.” Details are limited as State Police say they are still early in the investigation they say more arrests could be made and they are not ruling out the possibility this case will be treated as a hate crime Ritts says he anticipates grand jury standing quickly.  All five suspects were arraigned on Friday morning and are being held at Ontario County Jail without bail Their next appearance is currently set for Wednesday Anyone with information connected to this incident is asked to contact the New York State Police by phone at (585) 398-4100 or by email at crimetip@troopers.ny.gov. This study aims to describe the clinical characteristics, disease activity, and structural damage in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) who receive chronic treatment with nonsteroideal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or advanced therapies in a clinical setting. Cross-sectional study on axSpA patients consecutively recruited from the outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital. We collected data on clinical and demographic characteristics, as well as treatment patterns involving NSAIDs and advanced therapies. Structural damage was assessed using mSASSS. This cross-sectional analysis of a real-world cohort of axSpA patients shows positive clinical and radiological outcomes for both NSAIDs and advanced therapies. Volume 11 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2024.1425449 Introduction: This study aims to describe the clinical characteristics and structural damage in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) who receive chronic treatment with nonsteroideal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or advanced therapies in a clinical setting Methods: Cross-sectional study on axSpA patients consecutively recruited from the outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital We collected data on clinical and demographic characteristics as well as treatment patterns involving NSAIDs and advanced therapies Structural damage was assessed using mSASSS data from 193 axSpA patients (83% ankylosing spondylitis) were gathered with a mean disease duration of 21.4 years 85 patients (44%) were exclusively taking NSAIDs while 108 (56%) were receiving advanced therapies with TNF inhibitors being the predominant choice (93 out of 108 64.7% followed an on-demand dosing regimen with a mean BASDAI of 3.1 and a mean ASDAS-CRP of 1.8 In comparison to patients under chronic NSAID treatment those taking advanced therapies were primarily male (69.4% versus 51.8% p = 0.025) and significantly younger (mean age of 49 versus 53.9 years patients on advanced therapies exhibited lower ASDAS-CRP (p = 0.046) although CRP serum levels and BASDAI scores did not differ between the two groups therapy (NSAID versus biological treatment) was not independently associated with ASDAS-CRP Conclusion: This cross-sectional analysis of a real-world cohort of axSpA patients shows positive clinical and radiological outcomes for both NSAIDs and advanced therapies If the target has not been achieved after a full course of NSAIDs at the maximum tolerated dose Clear data regarding the chronic use of NSAIDs in the clinical management of axSpA, including intake patterns and dosages, and whether these patients achieve therapeutic goals is currently lacking. While some observational studies have indicated that approximately 70% of AS patients adhere to regular NSAIDs usage, limited information is available on patients who rely solely on NSAIDs as an exclusive treatment for axSpA (8) The primary objective of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics and structural damage in axSpA patients undergoing chronic treatment with NSAIDs or advanced therapies Our working hypothesis is that the chronic use of both NSAIDs and advanced therapies following the rheumatologist’s decision in clinical practice is associated with long-term favorable clinical and radiological outcomes in axSpA patients We conducted a cross-sectional study involving patients diagnosed with axSpA based on the ASAS criteria (11, 12) These patients were consecutively recruited from the outpatient clinic of the Rheumatology Department at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona All analyzed radiographies were taken during the 12 months before the data collection To ensure the consistency and reliability of radiography scoring a small subset of the radiographs was independently scored twice by two readers (AM and CC) with a 48 to 72-h gap The intrareader agreement was 0.86 and 0.95 for AM and CC Categorical and quantitative variables were described as frequencies percentage and mean + standard deviation (SD) or median + range A comparison between treatment groups (NSAID monotherapy and advanced therapy) was performed The analysis involved the use of the Chi-square test for qualitative variables and either the T-test or U-test for quantitative variables we conducted several multivariable analyses (linear regression) with the objective of adjusting for potential confounding factors The 3 dependent variables used for the multivariable analysis were the structural damage as evaluated by mSASSS Variables that exhibited a p-value of less than 0.1 in the univariate analysis and those considered clinically relevant were included in each model as covariates These covariates aimed to account for any potential confounding factors that might influence structural damage or disease activity Therapy (NSAIDs versus advanced therapies) was one of the covariates included in all analysis in order to investigate if the treatment at the moment of the analysis was independently related to structural damage or disease activity Statistical analysis was carried out by SPSS Statistics 20.0 program (Chicago BASDAI subgroups according to disease activity ASDAS-CRP subgroups according to disease activity A small subset (3.1%) received conventional synthetic DMARDs due to additional peripheral symptoms Patients receiving advanced therapies were more likely to be diagnosed with AS (p = 0.012) were predominantly male (p = 0.025) and notably younger (p = 0.033) compared to those on NSAIDs monotherapy The mean duration since the initiation of advanced therapy was 5.4 years Out of the 108 patients on advanced therapies 35 (32.4%) were taking tapered doses: Ten out of 35 were receiving etanercept 50 mg sc/10 days 21 patients adalimumab 40 mg sc/3 weeks and 4 patients infliximab 5 mg/kg/10 weeks In this group of patients on advanced therapy with the majority (20 out of 22) using NSAIDs on-demand The univariate analysis revealed no significant differences between the NSAID monotherapy and advanced therapy groups concerning disease duration and the presence of extraarticular manifestations such as psoriasis and uveitis It is worth noting that patients with comorbid psoriasis exhibited significantly higher ASDAS-CRP levels (p = 0.028) and serum CRP levels (p = 0.019) patients with enthesitis had significantly higher ASDAS-CRP scores (p = 0.003) although the use of advanced therapies in this subgroup was not notably higher (p = 0.7) among the 6 patients diagnosed with concomitant IBD 5 were receiving biological therapy (golimumab and adalimumab) MSASSS values were numerically higher in patients on advanced therapy but no significant differences emerged in the univariate analysis (p = 0.585) we conducted several multivariable analyses to investigate the relevance of the therapy as a covariate in clinical (ASDAS-CRP and BASDAI) and structural (mSASSS) outcomes we performed a linear regression with mSASSS as dependent variable and age ASDAS-CRP and therapy (NSAID or Advanced therapy) as covariates confidence interval [CI] 95% 0.159–0.894 p = 0.006) was the only factor independently related to mSASSS taking BASDAI as dependent variable and age mSASSS and therapy (NSAID or Advanced therapy) as covariates no factors were found as independently related to BASDAI taking ASDAS-CRP as dependent variable and age mSASSS and therapy (NSAID or advanced therapy) as covariates age (β 0.421 CI 95% 0.005–0.057 p = 0.020) and disease duration (β −0.315 CI 95% -0.43-0.0001 p = 0.049) were significantly related to ASDAS-CRP Therapy (NSAID or advanced therapy) was not independently related (at the moment of the analysis) to neither mSASSS (p = 0.083) BASDAI (p = 0.836) nor ASDAS-CRP (p = 0.505) We conducted further analysis within the subgroup of 15 patients who required full doses of NSAIDs This subgroup was notably younger (44.2 versus 55.5 years old p = 0.006) and had a shorter disease duration (12.5 versus 22.7 years p = 0.021) compared to other NSAID patients All disease activity parameters were higher in this subgroup (mean BASDAI 4.6 versus 2.8 p = 0.049; mean ASDAS-CRP 2.4 versus 1.9 was also higher in patients requiring full doses of NSAIDs (median mSASSS 8.5 [range 29] versus 4 [range 26]) although these comparisons were exploratory due to the small number of patients in this subgroup The cornerstones of axSpA treatment encompass both non-pharmacological interventions, such as education and physical exercise, and pharmacological therapies. The overarching objectives of treatment involve symptom and inflammation control, prevention of structural damage, and mitigating long-term complications (15) Patients should also strive to maintain physical functionality and participation in social and occupational activities Our study provides valuable insights into real-world clinical practice revealing that most axSpA patients achieve favorable clinical and structural outcomes Clinical decision of the treating rheumatologist of maintaining chronic therapy with NSAIDs or advanced therapy leads to good control of the disease nearly half of axSpA patients receive chronic NSAID treatment with two thirds of them on an on-demand basis Patients for whom clinicians decided to continue NSAID therapy have achieved general treatment goals by effectively controlling disease signs and symptoms and averting structural damage Our data indicates that most patients taking NSAIDs exhibited effective disease control with 60.4 and 46.6% achieving BASDAI <4 and ASDAS-CRP <2.1 no significant differences were observed between patients receiving NSAIDs and those on advanced therapies in terms of CRP serum levels and BASDAI scores While patients on advanced therapy exhibited significantly lower ASDAS-CRP levels the significance disappeared in the multivariate analysis using NSAIDs as a regular treatment strategy for axSpA did not seem to result in undertreatment patients requiring full doses of NSAIDs in our study were generally younger and displayed higher disease activity and more structural damage than the rest of the NSAID group as patients requiring higher NSAID doses initially sought symptomatic relief as their first line of therapy Although prospective data were not analyzed it is plausible that patients requiring full NSAID doses may eventually transition to advanced therapies high NSAID doses are typically reserved for short-term use to induce remission with a subsequent reduction in NSAID dosage once disease activity is controlled likely due to the reduction in disease activity and systemic inflammation it is essential to acknowledge some limitations of this study as a descriptive analysis of a real-life cohort the results presented here cannot establish causation and the decision to initiate advanced therapy or continue with NSAIDs was made by clinicians where patients continuing with NSAIDs are probably less severe cases than those necessitating advanced therapy the results of this study should not be interpreted as evidence of similar efficacy between NSAIDs and advanced therapy the cross-sectional nature of the study meant that follow-up information and longitudinal data on mSASSS our study population was predominantly male and HLA-B27 positive which may not fully represent the diversity seen in clinical practice especially in populations with non-radiographic axSpA all the results presented must be interpreted with caution and further research is needed to address unanswered questions such as the future role of NSAIDs in treatment protocols in axSpA or the implications between using continuous versus on-demand intake of NSAIDs in clinical practice Our results suggest that good clinical and radiological outcomes can be achieved with both NSAID and advanced therapies in axSpA patients in a real-world setting The final decision of the rheumatologist in maintaining chronic therapy with either NSAID or advanced therapy is the essential point to achieve our goals NSAID administration represents an initial and reliable step in the treatment of axSpA in a clinical setting The fact that most of these patients achieved satisfactory outcomes in terms of clinical and radiographic results indicates that this approach is not associated with undertreatment as most of our patients exclusively used on-demand treatment during clinical flares continuous administration of NSAIDs was not necessary to achieve therapy goals which could potentially reduce the risk of long-term adverse effects associated with NSAID use The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors Ethical approval was not required for the studies involving humans because this was a retrospective revision of patients' clinical data The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements Written informed consent for participation was not required from the participants or the participants' legal guardians/next of kin in accordance with the national legislation and institutional requirements because this was a retrospective revision of patients' clinical data The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research We would like to express our gratitude to Raquel Celis for her valuable editorial assistance The term “non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis” is much more important to classify than to diagnose patients with axial spondyloarthritis Non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis: what are the similarities and differences Review: nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis: new definition of an old disease Rate and predisposing factors for sacroiliac joint radiographic progression after a two-year follow-up period in recent-onset Spondyloarthritis Rates and predictors of radiographic sacroiliitis progression over 2 years in patients with axial spondyloarthritis Progression of nonradiographic axial Spondyloarthritis to ankylosing spondylitis: a population-based cohort study ASAS-EULAR recommendations for the management of axial spondyloarthritis: 2022 update Opioid analgesic use in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: an analysis of the prospective study of outcomes in an ankylosing spondylitis cohort Efficacy and safety of infliximab plus naproxen versus naproxen alone in patients with early active axial spondyloarthritis: results from the double-blind Comparison of disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis under TNFi or NSAID treatment The development of assessment of SpondyloArthritis international society classification criteria for axial spondyloarthritis (part I): classification of paper patients by expert opinion including uncertainty appraisal The development of assessment of SpondyloArthritis international society classification criteria for axial spondyloarthritis (part II): validation and final selection Assessment of outcome in ankylosing spondylitis: an extended radiographic scoring system Recomendaciones de la Sociedad Española de Reumatología sobre el uso de terapias biológicas en espondiloartritis axial Treatment of axial spondyloarthritis: an update Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Etanercept/celecoxib on improving MRI inflammation of active ankylosing spondylitis: a multicenter Ankylosing spondylitis disease activity score is related to NSAID use especially in patients treated with TNF-α inhibitors Construct validity of the routine assessment of patient index data 3 (RAPID3) in the evaluation of axial Spondyloarthritis Therapeutic controversies in spondyloarthritis: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Comparative efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in ankylosing spondylitis: a Bayesian network meta-analysis of clinical trials Clinical relevance of C-reactive protein in ankylosing spondylitis and evaluation of the NSAIDs/coxibs’ treatment effect on C-reactive protein Brief report: six-week treatment of axial Spondyloarthritis patients with an optimal dose of nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory drugs: early response to treatment in signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging of the sacroiliac joints Effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on radiographic spinal progression in patients with axial spondyloarthritis: results from the German Spondyloarthritis inception cohort Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs reduce radiographic progression in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a randomized clinical trial Effect of continuous versus on-demand treatment of ankylosing spondylitis with diclofenac over 2 years on radiographic progression of the spine: results from a randomised multicentre trial (ENRADAS) Efficacy and safety of non-pharmacological and non-biological interventions: a systematic literature review informing the 2022 update of the ASAS/EULAR recommendations for the management of axial spondyloarthritis Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and organ damage: a current perspective Sulfasalazine might reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study Celecoxib and sulfasalazine had negative association with coronary artery diseases in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a nation-wide Cañete JD and Ramírez J (2024) Clinical and structural damage outcomes in axial spondyloarthritis patients receiving NSAIDs or advanced therapies: a description of a real-life cohort Received: 29 April 2024; Accepted: 10 June 2024; Published: 20 June 2024 Copyright © 2024 Mocritcaia, Chacur, Adao Abe, Azuaga-Piñango, Frade-Sosa, Sarmiento-Monroy, Alascio, Gómez-Puerta, Sanmartí, Cañete and Ramírez. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) The five suspects charged with murder in the death of Sam Nordquist a 24-year-old transgender man from Minnesota who was found dead last week in Yates County were initially set to go before a judge Wednesday the Ontario County District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday that a grand jury voted to indict those suspects on at least one felony charge each They will return to county court once the indictment is filed investigators are still working to determine the exact cause of Nordquist's death Investigators say they executed a search warrant of Room 22 at Patty's Lodge in the town of Hopewell A vigil was held at a church in Ontario County on Tuesday to support Nordquist's family New Yorkers shocked by his killing came together to honor his memory many ways to respond to this sort of tragedy and the energy it elicits in community," said Rev Colin Pritchard of the Presbyterian Church in Geneva It is a time to recognize the grief that is elicited There is a time to acknowledge the horror of what took his life from us And some of those pieces that exist in our society still." encouraging them to become part of a global community that is excited about chemistry When contestants successfully complete the Periodic Table Challenge with at least 60 % grade, they can advance to the Nobelium Contest for a chance to win a limited edition Periodic Table autographed by a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry participants are invited to share their passion and creativity about chemistry by highlighting the role of the Periodic Table in a creative manner All entries are shared online and up for vote for People’s Choice and also judged by the IUPAC panel of experts based on three broad categories: creativity Winners of the Nobelium contest will be announced throughout the year in four stages (spring The spring winners were announced on 1 April 2019 The summer winners were announced in sync with the actual 100th anniversary of IUPAC (28 July 2019) and the Fall winners of the Nobelium Contest are: – Mei-Hung Chiu, a Professor from the National Taiwan Normal University Graduate Institute of Science Education, for her efforts in promoting motivation and awareness of sustainability about chemistry in Taiwan (ROC) during the IYPT2019 IYPT in Taiwan – Arami Azuaga and Juan Martin, high school students from Florida, USA, for Recycled Periodic Table of Elements – Serena Cozzolino from Naples, Italy, for her story “Carbon Tale” – Irina Semenova from Moscow, Russia, for her project “Recycling T-shirts into Periodic Table bags and Russian shawls” – Alhassane Djamal Toure, a researcher from Conakry, Guinea, for his project Periodic Table from A to N – Rodrigo Wasmosy from Asuncion, Paraguay, for his project The Periodic Table Jeopardy Game one entry was selected for the People’s Choice Award: – Regional Science Centre and Planetarium Calicut, India, for their project titled Periodic Pookalam To be updated with the latest news and events from IUPAC Seville is shut down this week in historical crime drama The Plague when the illness forces the council to close its borders as La Peste rages through the city like a wildfire; amidst the dead and dying a serial killer is still on the loose and unlikely duo Mateo and Valerio must find the murderer before they strike too close to home Teresa’s obsession with Eugenia has disastrous consequences for the widower whilst Luis’s quest for power knows no bounds as he sinks ever lower to reach higher on the social ladder I made the assumption at the end of episode two that the body washed up on the shore was Azuaga’s lover It turns out this wasn’t the case – in fact it was the completely random (or so we think) body of Lucina Utrera Poor Lucina has gone the same way as Azuaga before her – impaled from groin to shoulder then drained of blood and dumped on the beach A very hungover Mateo is called to the scene directly from the tavern where he finds some non-human hair between her fingers leading Valerio to believe the ‘black beast’ is responsible for the crimes When Mateo digs a little deeper into her past it turns out Lucina was a bit of a charlatan – reading fortunes casting cards and shifting fake silver coins to clear her massive debts But her relation to Azuaga seems minimal at best – and so the former Inquisitor turns his attention back to the hunt for the printer of the documents found at Carmen’s house However there’s a twist – it turns out the reason Mateo was deemed a heretic in the first place was because he was helping protestants publish books banned by the Inquisition – and it’s his printer that’s being used again to produce blasphemous works A tip-off from the local child catcher leads Mateo and Valerio to the secret underground lair (aren’t they always?) of the printer an illiterate slave who works for a shadowy figure called Ledesma Mateo is called to meet with with Grand Inquisitor Celso de Guevara who fills him in on their mutual suspect in the church’s ‘chamber of secrets’ (Harry Potter this is not – unless that chamber was also full of wooden dildos ‘carved by prisoners’ and deformed fetuses in jars) Guevara explains Ledesma has never been caught by the Inquisition ‘despite how much we torture people’ – but the figure (or pseudonym) has been responsible for the publication of a huge number of blasphemous tracts Amongst that work is the printing of a work central to his beliefs – ‘The Four Truths’ depicted in four drawings that Mateo already has the first of – each depicting a violent death by different means – crucifixion Ledesma – or somebody beholden to his ideals – is killing in the manner of his scriptures and they are already halfway through their endeavour Teresa is trying to track down Eugenia who has given her the slip from their painting sessions to revert back to prostitution Teresa’s obsession with ‘upgrading’ Eugenia’s lifestyle is a bit perplexing – none more so than for Eugenia who mistakes Teresa’s kindness for sexual desire only to be physically rebuked Teresa marches up to her deceased husband’s factory to demand Eugenia work there – something which doesn’t exactly sit well with the all-male staff After the foreman and his staff try to rape Eugenia in the factory forcing Teresa to sack them all despite the protestations of her own counsel that it won’t end well – hiring in prostitutes to do the work instead It’s a brave thing to do in a frustratingly masculine world where even the higher social standing of an aristocratic woman means nothing in terms of control power or respect – something horrifically illustrated later on in her own brutal sexual assault at the hands of her former employees power and respect are three things that dominate Luis’s life as well – especially when his mentor on the council succumbs to the plague There are some unintentionally hilarious scenes where Luis forces Morata on his deathbed to sign his seat on the council over to him then happily chooses which furniture and ornaments he’ll have as soon as his friend dies – “take the bed but burn the clothes” Luis is clearly aiming to be the Frank Underwood of his time and actor Paco León seems to be having a blast in the role – a twinkle in his eye as he demolishes his opponents one by one He’s not above caring for his own though – as Mateo begins to physically fall apart from hallucinatory insomnia he wheels him over to Monardes who diagnoses a bad case of ‘melancholy’ and prescribes a hearty bowl of opium every day to ward off the visions of death (or “your sadness without a soul” as the good doctor puts it) you get the feeling Luis’s thirst for power will clash with Mateo’s quest for justice before the series ends With the hunt for Ledesma reaching a dead end Mateo and Valerio double down on trying to find the ‘black beast’ who seems to be at the epicentre of the killings Their investigation leads them to the slave quarters of Seville and their description of the alleged culprit matches that of a slave called Nubla who was bought by a sculptor called Martin del Valle del Valle was committed to the local sanatorium stricken with plague a few days ago and has subsequently died It’s here in the scenes of the rich having their huge beds moved into the upper floors of the hospital whilst the courtyard below is a fetid pit of poverty-stricken wretches that you truly get a sense of the all-consuming madness that afflicted the era – and the irony that despite clutching on to their expensive heirlooms the rich perish in as much ignominy as the poor An icon amongst del Valle’s belongings lead the pair to the Brotherhood of Slaves and from there to the location of Nubla’s house the instruments of his work definitely are – including his trusty impaling poles After a little digging around they also find Carmen Galvez – chained to the floor in an underground pit Carmen comes complete with a big bag of exposition – Nubla was acting on the orders of Ledesma and whilst he should have killed her along with Azuaga she could recognise his voice (something I suspect that will play into the final two episodes) She also reveals the connection between the killings – Azuaga was in a circle of friends with Lucina a German by the name of Alejandro de Dresdner – who also happens to be the treasurer of the mint – and finally Mateo’s recently deceased friend All four were secretly protestant and held clandestine meetings – but why would Ledesma With Dresdner clearly the next target on the list Mateo and Valerio hot foot it over to his house – only to find his head in a trunk and the rest of his body missing – fitting the decapitation theme of Ledesma’s scriptures Luis is informed of the same man’s death and it’s clear from his reaction that the investigation and his machinations are going to collide very soon Teresa faces danger head on to exact a terrible revenge on her assailants after bravely standing against them in a local tavern before both her attacker and the foreman who paid for it are both brutally murdered It was another involving two hours spent in this evocative era and again the murder case only made up a fraction of the drama – it’s the fascinating tapestry of secondary and tertiary characters that makes the narrative sing and draw you into a time expertly reconstructed With only two episodes to go it’s anybody’s guess where it will go – the sign of any good crime drama – and it was heartening to see this week the show is to be recommissioned for a second series FOR OUR REVIEW OF EPISODES 1 & 2 CLICK HERE Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email Carlos is serving a 25-year sentence for murder in the prison in Archidona "I lost my pawn; I should have thought about it more," he says Marwan is serving six years for two robberies "And this is my reward for making good decisions and not making mistakes again," he says before putting himself to the test on the 64 squares on the board halfway through his sentence for drug trafficking only thinks about getting out of there and teaching his son to play These men have all just lost a game of chess but they can't stop smiling because prisoners in Archidona escape mentally from their incarceration with a chess demonstration from grandmaster Ernesto Fernández Romero He competes simultaneously with 12 inmates in an activity organised by the Nelson Mandela education centre in collaboration with the Junta de Andalucía's AulaDjaque programme but something much more ambitious: to bring the tools that chess provides to unstructured lives and complex personalities The board helps them "to control impulsiveness" the behaviour which has resulted in many of them being behind bars "it's because you have made a mistake and you have to get better there is no room for excuses," says Fernández Every move you make "has consequences" and you can't go back but when you hear these arguments inside a prison The prisoners listen intently to Manuel Azuaga the founding partner of Ajedrez Social (Social Chess) in Andalucía who helps them to see that this sport opens a path to change for them "How many of you know the Shepherd's Mate?" he asks and a good number of them put their hand up knowing that it is one of the shortest checkmates that isn't knowing how to play chess," announces Azuaga To play a good game you have to think." And he warns them: "When you play Ernesto and they shake hands before and after each one a detail which may seem banal but has meaning in a conflictive environment the noise from more than 30 men turns into silence Their level of concentration is impressive They barely raise their heads from the board There is an occasional sigh from someone who can see the game becoming complicated in the background there is sound from the prison officers' walkie-talkies a constant reminder that this is not a conventional sports hall "I have played with a lot of enthusiasts who are not as good as these guys They have some very interesting basic knowledge," says Ernesto Fernández That's what happens when there are so many empty hours to fill There are two options in their module: parchís or chess he has become hooked again on a game he had given up during the years in which he was tempted by the money to be gained from drugs "It has made me realise that you always have to see the next move," he says Marwan discovered that chess helped him to make difficult decisions "And that is something I am going to keep with me all my life," he says He laughs when he admits that every night in his cell he mentally relives the game he lost earlier "There is no doubt that chess helps you cope with prison because you think about how you played," he says another prisoner is explaining his attitude: "If someone beats me because of my mistakes and not because of their skill at playing I can always say that I have played against the number 20 in Spain," he says Comentar es una ventaja exclusiva para registrados Sie haben erfolgreich Ihre Einwilligung in die Nutzung von Transfermarkt mit Tracking und Cookies widerrufen Sie können sich jetzt zwischen dem Contentpass-Abo und der Nutzung mit personalisierter Werbung This article was published more than 15 years ago Canadian Steve Molitor (R) lands a punch on Argentinian Dario Azuaga in the fifth round of their boxing featherweight bout at Casino Rama in Orillia REUTERS/Fred Thornhill (CANADA SPORT BOXING)Reuters It was just like old times for Canadian boxer Steve Molitor on Friday night native defeated Argentine Dario Azuaga by technical knockout in the co-feature of the Rumble at Rama IX event at Casino Rama The bout was Molitor's first since reuniting with trainer Chris Johnson with whom he won and defended the IBF 122-pound title four times between 2006 and 2008 "The greatest benefit to having Chris in your corner is the mental aspect (of preparing for a fight)," said Molitor as Molitor's superior hand speed and height advantage were noticeable from the opening bell The Argentine veteran held his hands low and retreated throughout the fight allowing the southpaw Molitor to connect with straight left hands and right hooks with relative ease Azuaga's reckless defence caught up with him The punishment did not continue much longer as Azuaga's corner threw in the towel less than two minutes into the fifth known as "The Canadian Kid," garnered plenty of fan support throughout the contest from the crowd at Casino Rama who earned a bronze medal in boxing for Canada in the 1992 Olympics "It is one of the greatest places in the world to fight and perform." as the former world champion traded his trunks for a suit and joined the television broadcast crew to provide colour commentary on the main event "It was a good fight to restart the relationship," said Alan Tremblay 12 KOs) captured the WBO 115-pound championship from Jose Lopez (39-8-2 The 19-year old Sonsona defeated Lopez in his first defence of the title The challenger nearly sent the champion through the ropes in the fourth round with a vicious right hook Lopez was docked two points for low blows in the eighth round forcing him to play catch-up on the scorecards all night long Both Sonsona and Molitor could appear on the next Casino Rama boxing card in November Tremblay noted that a title fight is also in the works for Molitor in the spring of 2010 barring the result of a rumoured bout between current IBF 122-pound champion Celestino Caballero and prospect Juan Manuel Lopez Molitor is currently ranked second in the IBF and seventh by the WBO in the super bantamweight division Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Editorial code of conduct Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. 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For more information on our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines and our Terms and Conditions In less than two weeks, the price of maize has increased from N34,000 to N57,000 per 100 kg bag. Prices of foodstuff are rising in Taraba State despite ongoing harvest across the state. Findings showed that the cost of fuel and high demand for farm produce were responsible for the rising prices. Traders complain that the rise in the prices of maize, groundnut, paddy rice, cassava, yam and sesame seed, was being recorded across grain markets in the state on a daily basis. This is the situation at Iware, Mutum Biyu, Garba Chede, Maihula, the top grain markets in the state. In less than two weeks, the price of maize has increased from N34,000 to N57,000 per 100 kg bag. Paddy rice is now being sold for N49,000 per 100 kg bag, as against N37,0000 some few weeks back. Similarly, between September and November, the price of cassava has increased astronomically because of the demand for the crop by some industries using cassava as their raw materials. A trader at Garba Chede grain market in the Bali Local Government Area of the state, Nuhu Maibuhu, claimed that “middlemen come from different parts of the country to make bulk purchases of farm produce on daily and weekly basis, that is why prices will continue to rise.” On his part, a trader at Iware market at Ardo Kola LGA, Hudu Isa, attributed the persistent increase in price of food commodities to the high cost of fuel. Mr Isa said that the high fuel price affected transportation, which in turn was affecting the landing cost of food commodities in the market. A farmer in Mallum, Ardo Kola LGA, James Bakop, said that high cost of farm inputs and insecurity were responsible for the increase in prices of food commodities. Mr Bako said that the high cost of fertilisers and herbicides would definitely reflect in the selling price of food commodities. Dr Chia Azuaga of Agricultural Science Department in the Taraba State University, Jalingo, called on the government to ensure stability in the cost of farm inputs. Mr Azuaga stated that the high cost of farm inputs had contributed significantly to the increasing cost of food products. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices “Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.” He mentioned that 10 kilometres of the Sokoto-Badagry road project would also be inaugurated before May 25. Since coming to power in January, Mr Trump has threatened certain unauthorised immigrants with prosecution. Twenty fellows will be selected—ten from the African continent and ten from the global African diaspora. Mr Bwala argued that another achievement of Mr Tinubu’s government is the increased monthly allocation to states.  Dangote expressed confidence that the new leadership of NNPC Limited will propel the country’s energy industry to new heights. According to him, liberty, due process, and respect for constitutional rights are foundational pillars of the Nigerian Republic. © 2025 Peoples Gazette™ Limited. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Man of The World - The Pageant (@manoftheworldpageant)