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Background: Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) have the potential to evolve into pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). While main-duct IPMNs (MD-IPMNs), involving the main pancreatic duct (MPD), are less common than side-branch IPMNs (SB-IPMNs) or mixed-type IPMNs (mixed-IPMNs), their malignant transformation potential is far greater. Controversy exists between different guidelines in terms of recommended management strategies. This study was aimed at assessing the utility of the radiological follow up of MD-IPMNs and mixed-type IPMNs, including prevalence of worrisome radiological findings as well as clinical and laboratory parameters, and their correlation with the development of progression or pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods: Eighty-four patients with MD-IPMNs or mixed-type IPMNs who underwent at least one magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) were included. Clinical and laboratory data were obtained retrospectively. A cross-sectional analysis was carried out to establish clinical and laboratory parameters associated with development of PDAC. A retrospective cohort analysis was performed on 44 patients who had at least six months of follow up, trying to identify factors correlating with worrisome radiological features. Results: Nine cases (10.7%) of PDAC were recorded in this cohort. The laboratory and imaging factors associated with cyst size progression greater than 5 mm during follow up were elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, the maximal cyst size, and the MPD diameter. Cross-sectional analysis indicated that PDAC was associated with nausea (p = 0.01), as well as increased levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (p = 0.05), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) (p = 0.01), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (p = 0.01). Conclusions: Elevated levels of liver enzymes were associated with IPMN progression and, subsequently, the development of PDAC. ALT levels, maximal cyst size, and MPD diameter are associated with the progression of cyst size. These data may aid in risk-stratifying patients when determining the follow up approach for IPMNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peace is usually studied by looking at nation-states. Recently, peace scholars have become interested in peace found in the everyday lives of ordinary people. Focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I argue that media scholars can contribute to this effort because they are well-equipped to capture fleeting manifestations of everyday peace. However, the problematic legacy of peace in Israel/Palestine necessitates a different conceptual framework. I highlight encounters in and through media between Israeli Jews and Palestinians and contend that they present opportunities for constructive dialogue. I demonstrate this point by analyzing the Israeli television show Arab Labor, focusing on its production process, and the plight of Jewish and Palestinian characters on the show. By fusing text and context, I suggest that media do not persuade people to believe in peace; instead, media encounters, both on and off the screen, function as cultural forums for discussing complex issues undergirding violent conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media events celebrate and re-legitimate core values of national societies. While scholars have focused on analyzing how and why media events come to matter, this article inspects how the symbolic failures of some media events reveal broader shifts in national and political cultures. After investigating the funeral of Shimon Peres, a symbol of the Israeli peace movement, I argue that while the funeral adhered to the structural criteria of a media event, it did not resonate with Israelis. Its failure results from a disinterest among Israelis in peace as a political outcome; Instead, peace was used in the funeral to brand Israel as a respectable nation. Nevertheless, the way ordinary Palestinian and Palestinian leaders responded to the funeral reveals new opportunities to reimagine peace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]