Search

Snipers have gained increasing prominence in modern warfare and insurgencies, both in actual combat and in military propaganda. Research on snipers, however, has remained largely limited to their strategic role in Western professional armed forces. This article provides the first in-depth analysis of the strategic and cultural dimensions of sniper propaganda of non-state armed groups. Focusing on the prominent case of the Islamic State (IS), this study draws from military and cultural-historical research and a wide range of primary sources to examine how IS used the figure of the sniper in its audiovisual propaganda. The findings indicate that snipers, as represented by IS, combined the roles of heroic mujahidin, authentically Islamic warriors, and appealing game heroes. As such, they embodied some of IS's core beliefs and values and served as a strategic propaganda asset during the period of the group's decline in Syria and Iraq (2015–2017). The article concludes that through the figure of the sniper, IS attempted to present itself as an enduring power in a potentially enticing and empowering manner. These findings complement existing research on sniping and IS, while opening new avenues for investigating insurgency warfare and propaganda representations more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoplastic cells are characterized by uncontrolled cell divisions caused by cell cycle dysregulation. Key regulatory proteins governing the transition from the G1 to the S phase are the CDK4 and CDK6 kinases, which are controlled by D-type cyclins. The CDK4/6 kinases enable the use of these proteins as targets for anticancer therapy because they prevent the growth and the development of malignant cells by inhibiting their activity. This paper surveys the clinical trial results concerning palbociclib, the first in-class FDA-approved anticancer drug for hormone-dependent breast cancer. It discusses the therapeutic applications in breast cancer as well as in solid tumors and hematopoietic malignancies. Additionally, the paper presents an analysis of palbociclib resistance acquired during therapy and explores new approaches, such as modifications to palbociclib that enhance its desired activity or open up new therapeutic possibilities (PROTACs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance to cancer drugs is a complex phenomenon that poses a significant challenge in the treatment of various malignancies. This review comprehensively explores cancer resistance mechanisms and discusses emerging strategies and modalities to overcome this obstacle. Many factors contribute to cancer resistance, including genetic mutations, activation of alternative signaling pathways, and alterations in the tumor microenvironment. Innovative approaches, such as targeted protein degradation, immunotherapy combinations, precision medicine, and novel drug delivery systems, hold promise for improving treatment outcomes. Understanding the intricacies of cancer resistance and leveraging innovative modalities are essential for advancing cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clint Eastwood's American Sniper (2014) and Alba Sotorra's Game Over (2015) explore the inculcating pull of pop myths on soldiers. Eastwood's biopic focuses on Chris Kyle, American military history's most lethal sniper. Sotorra's documentary Game Over considers Djalal, an Iranian Catalan youth who moves from being an America-idolizing gamer to a sniper in Afghanistan. Initially, they see themselves as Western cowboys and perfect soldiers. War, however, leaves them disillusioned and traumatized. Via distinct generic formats (documentary v. feature film) and nationally determined political frameworks (US v. Spain), they ask: can mythologies fueling the post-9/11 war machine empty it of its force? Mobilizing postcolonial, disability, and trauma studies, this comparative analysis theorizes how objects of soft power can both harden a soldier's mind and liberate it from the battlefield's thrall. Ultimately, the article reveals contrasting, potentially limited strategies subjects across cultures deploy to break the hold of American visions of power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ignoring the historical context of the events in a city that had been under siege for nearly a month, the debates surrounding May 2nd and 3rd, 1992, which exclusively focus on the deaths of members of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) at various locations in the city, including Dobrovoljacka Street, continue without interruption. The citizens of Sarajevo killed during those two days are nowhere mentioned, and their memory is not included in the official memorialization of the city's siege. Furthermore, within the interpretation of the events on Dobrovoljacka Street, there is a noticeable continuous strategy aimed at connecting all the deceased JNA members at the end of April and the beginning of May with the events on Dobrovoljacka Street, effectively camouflaging the previous attacks on the city and the involvement of the JNA in them. Therefore, it was important for us in the first part of our work to point to documents from the Command of the 2nd Military District related to the participation of the JNA in digging artillery positions around the city, their role in the division of Sarajevo's districts along national lines, the relocation of weaponry to „safer areas“ where the Serbian population constituted an absolute ethnic majority, the initiation of the attack on the city, the first casualties in April, as well as the shelling and the burning of residential, cultural-historical, religious, economic, and other facilities in the city. All events that preceded the actual siege of Sarajevo, starting from the autumn of 1991, including the war in Croatia and the subsequent occupation of Bosnian cities, contributed to the perception of the JNA as an enemy force by the citizens of Sarajevo and all pro-Bosnian forces. The shelling of Sarajevo with weaponry and armaments previously positioned on the hills and mountains around the city, in particular, intensified the animosity towards the JNA from the citizens of Sarajevo. The main part of the work will address the chronological sequence of events in the city during May 2nd and 3rd, 1992, street battles in multiple locations in the city, including sites such as the JNA House, Marin Dvor, Skenderija, in front of the National Theater, UPI building, Workers' University Djuro Đakovic (now: Bosnian Cultural Center - BKC), Estrada café, in front of the Command of the 2nd Military District, and ultimately Dobrovoljacka Street. This section will also discuss all other locations where battles took place, as well as the shelling, infantry and sniper activities directed towards civilian objects in the city, which resulted in casualties among the civilian population. Numerous internet sources contain information about 42 JNA members who perished on Dobrovoljacka Street, and this number is always mentioned on the anniversary of the event. However, through a comparison with official sources, we have analyzed how many JNA members genuinely died on Dobrovoljacka Street, how many died at other locations where street battles took place during the city's attack, and how many names on the mentioned list have incomplete identities with unknown locations and times of death. Additionally, based on multiple primary historical sources and relying on the previously interpreted context of events in the city, the work will present the locations and identities of the killed members of the Territorial Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as civilians who were killed in the city during May 2nd and 3rd, 1992. Various scientific methods were employed for this purpose, with an emphasis on analytical-documentary and comparative processing of primary and secondary sources of diverse origin, statistical data analysis, interview methods, particularly focusing on several target groups of interviewees crucial for the reconstruction and contextualization of these events. In the final chapter, we will address the (non-)prosecution of crimes, including the most serious crimes committed against the civilian population and civilian facilities in Sarajevo from April 5th to the beginning of May 1992.