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Illegal Logging Update and Stakeholder Consultation Meeting Number 26

Research Event

16 June 2016 - 8:30am to 17 June 2016 - 5:00pm

The Crystal, London

This event is part of a series of illegal logging update meetings that will bring together more than 250 participants from civil society, industry and governments from around the world. 

Download the presentations from the event on the Illegal Logging Portal.

Illegal Logging Project




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Head-to-Head Comparison of 68Ga-PSMA-11 with 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in Staging Prostate Cancer Using Histopathology and Immunohistochemical Analysis as a Reference Standard

18F-PSMA-1007 is a novel prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)–based radiopharmaceutical for imaging prostate cancer (PCa). The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-PSMA-1007 with 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in the same patients presenting with newly diagnosed intermediate- or high-risk PCa. Methods: Sixteen patients with intermediate- or high-risk PCa underwent 18F-PSMA-1007 and 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT within 15 d. PET findings were compared between the 2 radiotracers and with reference-standard pathologic specimens obtained from radical prostatectomy. The Cohen -coefficient was used to assess the concordance between 18F-PSMA-1007 and 68Ga-PSMA-11 for detection of intraprostatic lesions. The McNemar test was used to assess agreement between intraprostatic PET/CT findings and histopathologic findings. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were reported for each radiotracer. SUVmax was measured for all lesions, and tumor-to-background activity was calculated. Areas under receiver-operating-characteristic curves were calculated for discriminating diseased from nondiseased prostate segments, and optimal SUV cutoffs were calculated using the Youden index for each radiotracer. Results: PSMA-avid lesions in the prostate were identified in all 16 patients with an almost perfect concordance between the 2 tracers ( ranged from 0.871 to 1). Aside from the dominant intraprostatic lesion, similarly detected by both radiotracers, a second less intense positive focus was detected in 4 patients only with 18F-PSMA-1007. Three of these secondary foci were confirmed as Gleason grade 3 lesions, whereas the fourth was shown on pathologic examination to represent chronic prostatitis. Conclusion: This pilot study showed that both 18F-PSMA-1007 and 68Ga-PSMA-11 identify all dominant prostatic lesions in patients with intermediate- or high-risk PCa at staging. 18F-PSMA-1007, however, may detect additional low-grade lesions of limited clinical relevance.




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Occurrence, prevention, and management of the psychological effects of emerging virus outbreaks on healthcare workers: rapid review and meta-analysis




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Transatlantic Dialogue on China

A joint Chatham House-RUSI project that focuses on strengthening common understanding across the Atlantic and develop new ideas for how the US and Europe can better engage with and respond to China’s rise.

This will be done through examining transatlantic approaches and responses to China through the lens for four key themes (digital technology; trade and investment; governance of global commons; and climate change and the environment) that have been identified as crucial to developing effective policy responses and fostering collaboration.

The project will strengthen national, regional and international responses to the risks and opportunities posed by China’s changing role within the global economy and international rules-based order.

Department contact

Pepijn Bergsen

Research Fellow, Europe Programme
020 795 75748

More on Transatlantic Dialogue on China




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The Future of Democracy in Europe: Technology and the Evolution of Representation

3 March 2020

To the extent that perceptions of a crisis in liberal democracy in Europe can be confirmed, this paper investigates the nature of the problem and its causes, and asks what part, if any, digital technology plays in it.

Hans Kundnani

Senior Research Fellow, Europe Programme

2020-02-27-Irish-Referendum.jpg

A woman writes a note on the Savita Halappanavar mural in Dublin on 26 May 2018, following a referendum on the 36th amendment to Ireland’s constitution. The referendum result was overwhelmingly in favour of removing the country’s previous near-universal ban on abortion. Photo: Getty Images.

Summary

  • There is a widespread sense that liberal democracy is in crisis, but little consensus exists on the specific nature and causes of the crisis. In particular, there are three prisms through which the crisis is usually seen: the rise of ‘populism’, ‘democratic deconsolidation’, and a ‘hollowing out’ of democracy. Each reflects normative assumptions about democracy.
  • The exact role of digital technology in the crisis is disputed. Despite the widely held perception that social media is undermining democracy, the evidence for this is limited. Over the longer term, the further development of digital technology could undermine the fundamental preconditions for democracy – though the pace and breadth of technological change make predictions about its future impact difficult.
  • Democracy functions in different ways in different European countries, with political systems on the continent ranging from ‘majoritarian democracies’ such as the UK to ‘consensual democracies’ such as Belgium and Switzerland. However, no type seems to be immune from the crisis. The political systems of EU member states also interact in diverse ways with the EU’s own structure, which is problematic for representative democracy as conventionally understood, but difficult to reform.
  • Political parties, central to the model of representative democracy that emerged in the late 18th century, have long seemed to be in decline. Recently there have been some signs of a reversal of this trend, with the emergence of parties that have used digital technology in innovative ways to reconnect with citizens. Traditional parties can learn from these new ‘digital parties’.
  • Recent years have also seen a proliferation of experiments in direct and deliberative democracy. There is a need for more experimentation in these alternative forms of democracy, and for further evaluation of how they can be integrated into the existing institutions and processes of representative democracy at the local, regional, national and EU levels.
  • We should not think of democracy in a static way – that is, as a system that can be perfected once and for all and then simply maintained and defended against threats. Democracy has continually evolved and now needs to evolve further. The solution to the crisis will not be to attempt to limit democracy in response to pressure from ‘populism’ but to deepen it further as part of a ‘democratization of democracy’.




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Impact of 1,N6-ethenoadenosine, a damaged ribonucleotide in DNA, on translesion synthesis and repair [Enzymology]

Incorporation of ribonucleotides into DNA can severely diminish genome integrity. However, how ribonucleotides instigate DNA damage is poorly understood. In DNA, they can promote replication stress and genomic instability and have been implicated in several diseases. We report here the impact of the ribonucleotide rATP and of its naturally occurring damaged analog 1,N6-ethenoadenosine (1,N6-ϵrA) on translesion synthesis (TLS), mediated by human DNA polymerase η (hpol η), and on RNase H2–mediated incision. Mass spectral analysis revealed that 1,N6-ϵrA in DNA generates extensive frameshifts during TLS, which can lead to genomic instability. Moreover, steady-state kinetic analysis of the TLS process indicated that deoxypurines (i.e. dATP and dGTP) are inserted predominantly opposite 1,N6-ϵrA. We also show that hpol η acts as a reverse transcriptase in the presence of damaged ribonucleotide 1,N6-ϵrA but has poor RNA primer extension activities. Steady-state kinetic analysis of reverse transcription and RNA primer extension showed that hpol η favors the addition of dATP and dGTP opposite 1,N6-ϵrA. We also found that RNase H2 recognizes 1,N6-ϵrA but has limited incision activity across from this lesion, which can lead to the persistence of this detrimental DNA adduct. We conclude that the damaged and unrepaired ribonucleotide 1,N6-ϵrA in DNA exhibits mutagenic potential and can also alter the reading frame in an mRNA transcript because 1,N6-ϵrA is incompletely incised by RNase H2.




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Many Psychology Experiments Lack Evidence of Validity, Says Report

Source:

An examination of nearly 350 published psychological experiments found that nearly half failed to show that they were based on a valid foundation of empirical evidence, suggesting that a wide swath of psychological science may be based on an "untested foundation."






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The Psychology Behind Why Some People Won't Wear Masks

Source:

Most Americans have never had to wear a mask for their health before, let alone while they shop for groceries or go for a run. So, even as businesses or states increasingly require them, rebellion is natural, experts say. In response, they urge Americans to think of the mask guidance not as forced conformity, but as a necessary act of solidarity.






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Hypoglycemia in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes: Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Management

Vanessa J. Briscoe
Jul 1, 2006; 24:115-121
Feature Articles




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A Review of the Pathophysiology, Classification, and Treatment of Foot Ulcers in Diabetic Patients

Warren Clayton
Mar 1, 2009; 27:52-58
Features




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Democrats Under Pressure: Political Calendar Exposes Ideological Differences on Immigration

Ideological differences in the Democratic Party over immigration that were once masked by unity against President Trump’s border wall and immigration agenda are now being exposed as Democratic presidential candidates seek to stand out in a crowded field and amid controversy over an emergency border spending bill. As the 2020 electoral calendar accelerates, how the party navigates the gulf between its most liberal and conservative wings will become a greater challenge for its leaders.




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Crisis in the Courts: Is the Backlogged U.S. Immigration Court System at Its Breaking Point?

With a backlog of more than 1 million removal cases, the U.S. immigration court system is in crisis. Pressure from external forces, internal challenges, and lagging resources for the courts at a time of massive increases in spending on immigration enforcement have contributed to the backlog. This article explores how the system got to the breaking point, and what opportunities for reform exist.




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Kidney Disease and Related Findings in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Study

Ian H. de Boer
Jan 1, 2014; 37:24-30
DCCT/EDIC 30th Anniversary Summary Findings




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Update on Cardiovascular Outcomes at 30 Years of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Study

John M. Lachin
Jan 1, 2014; 37:39-43
DCCT/EDIC 30th Anniversary Summary Findings




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Neuropathy and Related Findings in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Study

Catherine L. Martin
Jan 1, 2014; 37:31-38
DCCT/EDIC 30th Anniversary Summary Findings




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Liraglutide, a Long-Acting Human Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Analog, Given as Monotherapy Significantly Improves Glycemic Control and Lowers Body Weight Without Risk of Hypoglycemia in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Tina Vilsbøll
Jun 1, 2007; 30:1608-1610
BR Emerging Treatments and Technologies




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Standardizing Clinically Meaningful Outcome Measures Beyond HbA1c for Type 1 Diabetes: A Consensus Report of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, the American Diabetes Association, the Endo

Gina Agiostratidou
Dec 1, 2017; 40:1622-1630
Continuous Glucose Monitoring and Risk of Hypoglycemia




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Lipoprotein Physiology in Nondiabetic and Diabetic States: Relationship to Atherogenesis

Henry N Ginsberg
Sep 1, 1991; 14:839-855
Diet and Diabetes




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Psychological Insulin Resistance in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: The scope of the problem

William H. Polonsky
Oct 1, 2005; 28:2543-2545
BR Epidemiology/Health Services/Psychosocial Research




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The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Study at 30 Years: Overview

David M. Nathan
Jan 1, 2014; 37:9-16
DCCT/EDIC 30th Anniversary Summary Findings




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The Pathophysiology of Hyperglycemia in Older Adults: Clinical Considerations

Pearl G. Lee
Apr 1, 2017; 40:444-452
Emerging Science and Concepts for Management of Diabetes and Aging




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The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Study at 30 Years: Overview

David M. Nathan
Jan 1, 2014; 37:9-16
DCCT/EDIC 30th Anniversary Summary Findings




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Diabetes Technology Update: Use of Insulin Pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitoring in the Hospital

Guillermo E. Umpierrez
Aug 1, 2018; 41:1579-1589
Diabetes Care Symposium




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Stony Brook University opens Center for Implant and Digital Technology

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine opened Dec. 5 its Center for Implant and Digital Technology, which will serve as a state-of-the-art space for digital dentistry-focused education, patient care and research.




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American Dental Board of Anesthesiology recognized as national certifying board for dental specialty

The National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards announced March 4 it recognizes the American Dental Board of Anesthesiology as the national certifying board for dental anesthesiology.




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The Blog is moving to School Psychologist Files

You can find all of the same articles in a more visually appealing Blog.  From now on use www.schoolpsychologistfiles.com/blog.  Thanks!




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DNA genealogy leads police to James E. Zastawnik in 1987 killing of Ohio teen Barbara Blatnik

Cleveland police say they have used DNA research to solve the 33-year-old strangling of a teenage girl, and arrest her killer.




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Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, microbiology question papers, January 2015

Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, microbiology question papers, January 2015




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Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, pathology question papers, January 2015

Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, pathology question papers, January 2015




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Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, pharmacology question papers (2010-2014)

Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, pharmacology question papers (2010-2014)




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Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, pharmacology question papers, January 2015

Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, pharmacology question papers, January 2015




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MD pharmacology examination, question papers, Gujarat university, April 2012

MD pharmacology examination, question papers, Gujarat university, April 2012




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MD pharmacology examination, question papers, Gujarat university, October 2012

MD pharmacology examination, question papers, Gujarat university, October 2012




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MD pharmacology examination, question papers, Gujarat university, April 2013

MD pharmacology examination, question papers, Gujarat university, April 2013




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Psychology Around the Net: May 9, 2020

From the benefits of living a joyful life alongside sadness and tips to practice letting go of unhelpful ideals to how employers can better support workers during COVID-19 and the...




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[ Earth Sciences & Geology ] Open Question : Are earthquakes necessary to release the earth's energy?





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Psychological Trauma Is the Next Crisis for Coronavirus Health Workers

Hero worship alone doesn’t protect frontline clinicians from distress

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com




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Apologies Accepted? It Depends on the Offense

When freedom fighters in India inspired by Mahatma Gandhi turned violent in a clash with police in 1922, the nonviolent leader took personal responsibility, called off nationwide protests and starved himself for five days in a penitential fast. Gandhi was nearly alone in thinking an apology of such...




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The Insurgency's Psychological Component

At the core of this fall's debate over Iraq lies one simple question: Can an increased number of U.S. troops subdue the Iraqi insurgency?





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Two- and three-color STORM analysis reveals higher-order assembly of leukotriene synthetic complexes on the nuclear envelope of murine neutrophils [Computational Biology]

Over the last several years it has become clear that higher order assemblies on membranes, exemplified by signalosomes, are a paradigm for the regulation of many membrane signaling processes. We have recently combined two-color direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) with the (Clus-DoC) algorithm that combines cluster detection and colocalization analysis to observe the organization of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) and 5-lipoxygenase–activating protein (FLAP) into higher order assemblies on the nuclear envelope of mast cells; these assemblies were linked to leukotriene (LT) C4 production. In this study we investigated whether higher order assemblies of 5-LO and FLAP included cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and were linked to LTB4 production in murine neutrophils. Using two- and three-color dSTORM supported by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy we identified higher order assemblies containing 40 molecules (median) (IQR: 23, 87) of 5-LO, and 53 molecules (62, 156) of FLAP monomer. 98 (18, 154) molecules of cPLA2 were clustered with 5-LO, and 77 (33, 114) molecules of cPLA2 were associated with FLAP. These assemblies were tightly linked to LTB4 formation. The activation-dependent close associations of cPLA2, FLAP, and 5-LO in higher order assemblies on the nuclear envelope support a model in which arachidonic acid is generated by cPLA2 in apposition to FLAP, facilitating its transfer to 5-LO to initiate LT synthesis.




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Specificity and affinity of the N-terminal residues in staphylocoagulase in binding to prothrombin [Computational Biology]

In Staphylococcus aureus–caused endocarditis, the pathogen secretes staphylocoagulase (SC), thereby activating human prothrombin (ProT) and evading immune clearance. A previous structural comparison of the SC(1–325) fragment bound to thrombin and its inactive precursor prethrombin 2 has indicated that SC activates ProT by inserting its N-terminal dipeptide Ile1-Val2 into the ProT Ile16 pocket, forming a salt bridge with ProT's Asp194, thereby stabilizing the active conformation. We hypothesized that these N-terminal SC residues modulate ProT binding and activation. Here, we generated labeled SC(1–246) as a probe for competitively defining the affinities of N-terminal SC(1–246) variants preselected by modeling. Using ProT(R155Q,R271Q,R284Q) (ProTQQQ), a variant refractory to prothrombinase- or thrombin-mediated cleavage, we observed variant affinities between ∼1 and 650 nm and activation potencies ranging from 1.8-fold that of WT SC(1–246) to complete loss of function. Substrate binding to ProTQQQ caused allosteric tightening of the affinity of most SC(1–246) variants, consistent with zymogen activation through occupation of the specificity pocket. Conservative changes at positions 1 and 2 were well-tolerated, with Val1-Val2, Ile1-Ala2, and Leu1-Val2 variants exhibiting ProTQQQ affinity and activation potency comparable with WT SC(1–246). Weaker binding variants typically had reduced activation rates, although at near-saturating ProTQQQ levels, several variants exhibited limiting rates similar to or higher than that of WT SC(1–246). The Ile16 pocket in ProTQQQ appears to favor nonpolar, nonaromatic residues at SC positions 1 and 2. Our results suggest that SC variants other than WT Ile1-Val2-Thr3 might emerge with similar ProT-activating efficiency.




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The Colombian Response to the Venezuelan Migration Crisis: A Dialogue with Colombia’s Migration Czar

Felipe Muñoz, Advisor to the President of Colombia for the Colombian-Venezuelan Border, discusses how Colombia is coping with the influx of Venezuelan migrants, plans for future policy decisions surrounding this migration, and developments in regional and international cooperation.




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Williams apologises to Tiger for slur

Tiger Woods says he was hurt by a racist slur from his former caddie Steve Williams, who referred to him as a "black arsehole".




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A fresh look for your Microblogs, Twitter and Facebook Feeds

If you’ve browsed your Twitter or Facebook page feeds in the last week, you have probably noticed that we changed…




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Inoreader mobile apps updated to support Automatic Night Mode, Microblogs, Sort by Magic and popularity indicators.

Hey, it’s been quite some time without updates on this front, but our latest updates to our Android and iOS…




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Autologous Umbilical Cord Blood Transfusion in Young Children With Type 1 Diabetes Fails to Preserve C-Peptide

OBJECTIVE

We conducted an open-label, phase I study using autologous umbilical cord blood (UCB) infusion to ameliorate type 1 diabetes (T1D). Having previously reported on the first 15 patients reaching 1 year of follow-up, herein we report on the complete cohort after 2 years of follow-up.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 24 T1D patients (median age 5.1 years) received a single intravenous infusion of autologous UCB cells and underwent metabolic and immunologic assessments.

RESULTS

No infusion-related adverse events were observed. β-Cell function declined after UCB infusion. Area under the curve C-peptide was 24.3% of baseline 1 year postinfusion (P < 0.001) and 2% of baseline 2 years after infusion (P < 0.001). Flow cytometry revealed increased regulatory T cells (Tregs) (P = 0.04) and naive Tregs (P = 0.001) 6 and 9 months after infusion, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Autologous UCB infusion in children with T1D is safe and induces changes in Treg frequency but fails to preserve C-peptide.




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The Colombian Response to the Venezuelan Migration Crisis: A Dialogue with Colombia’s Migration Czar

Felipe Muñoz, Advisor to the President of Colombia for the Colombian-Venezuelan Border, discusses how Colombia is coping with the influx of Venezuelan migrants, plans for future policy decisions surrounding this migration, and developments in regional and international cooperation.




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Integration of Clinical Psychology in the Comprehensive Diabetes Care Team

Steven B. Leichter
Jul 1, 2004; 22:129-131
The Business of Diabetes