Fear, pathogens and political order

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Ned Lebow
Keyword(s):  
Political Ideology ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Political Order ◽  
Motivational Psychology

I distinguish fear from fright and explore the role of both in the COVID-19 pandemic. I argue that fear generates strong public demands for protection and that these pressures can constrain or enable leaders depending on the circumstances, capabilities, but above all, their framing of the problem. I focus more on countries that performed badly because their leaders failed to gather or evaluate relevant information. To explain this behaviour I draw on motivational psychology and political ideology. My accounts are merely suggestive as they are not the result of data gathered from carefully paired and exhaustively researched cases. I conclude by offering reflections on four of the six propositions offered by the editors in their introduction.

Pulvino-cortical interaction: an integrative role in the control of attention

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexia Bourgeois ◽  
Carole Guedj ◽  
Emmanuel Carrera ◽  
Patrik Vuilleumier
Keyword(s):  
Executive Control ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Cortical Circuits ◽  
Attention And Executive Control ◽  
Neural Communication ◽  
Subcortical Regions ◽  
Theoretical Proposal ◽  
Selection Of

Selective attention is a fundamental cognitive function that guides behavior by selecting and prioritizing salient or relevant sensory information of our environment. Despite early evidence and theoretical proposal pointing to an implication of thalamic control in attention, most studies in the past two decades focused on cortical substrates, largely ignoring the contribution of subcortical regions as well as cortico-subcortical interactions. Here, we suggest a key role of the pulvinar in the selection of salient and relevant information via its involvement in priority maps computation. Prioritization may be achieved through a pulvinar- mediated generation of alpha oscillations, which may then modulate neuronal gain in thalamo-cortical circuits. Such mechanism might orchestrate the synchrony of cortico-cortical interaction, by rendering neural communication more effective, precise and selective. We propose that this theoretical framework will support a timely shift from the prevailing cortico- centric view of cognition to a more integrative perspective of thalamic contributions to attention and executive control processes.

O̅TA GYU̅ICHI. «SHINCHŌ-KŌ KI», BOOK IX (COMMENTED TRANSLATION INTO RUSSIAN)

2020 ◽  
pp. 229-248
Author(s):  
S. A. Polkhov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Political Ideology ◽  
Russian Translation ◽  
Wall Paintings ◽  
Pure Land ◽  
Military Leaders ◽  
Unique Information

The article provides a Russian translation of the book IX of «Shincho̅-ko̅ ki». This part of the chronicle narrates the renewal of the war between Nobunaga and Honganji Temple. The followers of the True School of Pure Land besieged in Ozaka managed to inflict painful counterattacks against the forces of the “unifier of Japan”. Nobunaga detachments, trying to capture the Kizu fortress on the outskirts of Ozaka were surrounded and defeated. Ban Naomasa, one of his prominent military leaders, was killed, the army from Ozaka attacked the Tenno̅ji fortress, and only the help immediately rendered by Nobunaga saved the garrison from death. After that, Nobunaga blocked Ozakа on land and at sea. However, the fleet of the Mo̅ri house, which joined the ranks of Nobunaga opponents, and the allies of Mo̅ri were able to defeat the naval forces of Nobunaga and deliver provisions to Ozaka, which allowed Honganji to continue the struggle. Book IX also contains a description of the construction of Azuti Castle and its main tower (tenshu), Nobunaga’s residence. The unique information of the chronicle formed the basis for the further reconstruction of the tenshu’s appearance. The castle became the personification of the wealth and omnipotence of Nobunaga, a reflection of his claims to the role of supreme ruler of Japan. The wall paintings of the main tower halls manifest the influence of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. The key symbols of the images are taken from Chinese political ideology.

Importance of Oral Health in Pregnancy: A Mini-symposium

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 156-158
Author(s):  
Aditi Priyamvara ◽  
Amit K. Dey ◽  
Antara Bagchi ◽  
Raveena Kelkar ◽  
Rajaram Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Oral Health ◽  
Oral Cavity ◽  
Tooth Enamel ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
The Body ◽  
Systemic Impact ◽  
Low Birth Weight Babies ◽  
Adverse Pregnancy ◽  
In Pregnancy

Background: It is known that hormonal imbalances during pregnancy make women more susceptible to dental problems. High levels of progesterone and estrogen during pregnancy, lead to an increased inflammatory response to dental plaque thus causing predisposing to gum diseases such as gingivitis. If untreated, gingivitis leads to chronic periodontitis which may manifest systemically in form of cardiovascular, endocrine or even respiratory disorders. Also, hyperacidity in the oral cavity due to gastric reflux and vomiting leads to decreased pH thus damaging the tooth enamel making the oral cavity more prone to tooth decay and tooth loss. Studies also show that periodontal disease can also lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as pre-term and low birth weight babies. Objectives: We sought to understand the role of oral health in pregnancy. Methods: We identified major articles of interest in the field of oral health in pregnancy and drafted a mini-symposium based on relevant information. Conclusion: Regular dental visits and cognizant efforts to sustain a healthy oral environment can help women in the prevention and treatment of dental issues during pregnancy. The paper highlights the common oral manifestations during pregnancy and their local and systemic impact on the body during pregnancy. Furthermore, it also emphasizes the importance of good oral health practices to counteract the oral complications and the significance of oral health awareness in pregnant women.

The transformation of the Russian notary in the new economic realities

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-97
Author(s):  
KONSTANTIN A. KORSIK ◽  
◽  
ANASTASIYA A. PARFENCHIKOVA ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
The State ◽  
Technological Infrastructure ◽  
Social Sphere ◽  
The Social ◽  
Modern Economic ◽  
World Development

The article is devoted to the review of current changes in the legislation on notaries related to the development of electronic civil circulation, analysis of existing digital risks and assessment of the role of notaries in combating them. In modern economic realities, a significant expansion of the sphere of competence of the notary is carried out by introducing completely new notarial actions into the scope of the notary’s terms of reference. At the same time, the notary does not just follow the general ‘digital’ trend, but independently makes significant efforts to effectively perform the tasks of the social sphere regulator assigned to it by the state. The creation of the Unified Notary Information System as part of the formation of the technological infrastructure to ensure the security and stability of legal relations in the context of electronic civil circulation takes to a new level the quality of notarial services and the security of legally relevant information. The role of notaries significantly increases in conditions when the use of digital technologies in the economy, public administration, social sphere becomes one of the main vectors of world development, and society and the state inevitably face the flip side of this process – digital risks that jeopardize the safety of participants in civil turnover and their property. In 2020, as part of the implementation of the national program ‘Digital Economy’, it is planned to introduce a number of innovations that will create the basis for a stable and secure ‘digital’ turnover.

scholarly journals The Role of Global Appearance of Omnidirectional Images in Relative Distance and Orientation Retrieval

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 3327
Author(s):  
Vicente Román ◽  
Luis Payá ◽  
Adrián Peidró ◽  
Mónica Ballesta ◽  
Oscar Reinoso
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Robotics ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Local Features ◽  
New Family ◽  
Lighting Conditions ◽  
Omnidirectional Images ◽  
Great Development

Over the last few years, mobile robotics has experienced a great development thanks to the wide variety of problems that can be solved with this technology. An autonomous mobile robot must be able to operate in a priori unknown environments, planning its trajectory and navigating to the required target points. With this aim, it is crucial solving the mapping and localization problems with accuracy and acceptable computational cost. The use of omnidirectional vision systems has emerged as a robust choice thanks to the big quantity of information they can extract from the environment. The images must be processed to obtain relevant information that permits solving robustly the mapping and localization problems. The classical frameworks to address this problem are based on the extraction, description and tracking of local features or landmarks. However, more recently, a new family of methods has emerged as a robust alternative in mobile robotics. It consists of describing each image as a whole, what leads to conceptually simpler algorithms. While methods based on local features have been extensively studied and compared in the literature, those based on global appearance still merit a deep study to uncover their performance. In this work, a comparative evaluation of six global-appearance description techniques in localization tasks is carried out, both in terms of accuracy and computational cost. Some sets of images captured in a real environment are used with this aim, including some typical phenomena such as changes in lighting conditions, visual aliasing, partial occlusions and noise.

scholarly journals Diagnostic Role of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in Prostate Cancer Staging: A Systematic Review

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 552
Author(s):  
Salam Awenat ◽  
Arnoldo Piccardo ◽  
Patricia Carvoeiras ◽  
Giovanni Signore ◽  
Luca Giovanella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Metastatic Disease ◽  
Cancer Staging ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Pet Ct

Background: The use of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted agents for staging prostate cancer (PCa) patients using positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is increasing worldwide. We performed a systematic review on the role of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in PCa staging to provide evidence-based data in this setting. Methods: A comprehensive computer literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases for studies using 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in PCa staging was performed until 31 December 2020. Eligible articles were selected and relevant information was extracted from the original articles by two authors independently. Results: Eight articles (369 patients) evaluating the role of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in PCa staging were selected. These studies were quite heterogeneous, but, overall, they demonstrated a good diagnostic accuracy of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in detecting PCa lesions at staging. Overall, higher primary PCa aggressiveness was associated with higher 18F-PSMA-1007 uptake. When compared with other radiological and scintigraphic imaging methods, 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT had superior sensitivity in detecting metastatic disease and the highest inter-reader agreement. 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT showed similar results in terms of diagnostic accuracy for PCa staging compared with PET/CT with other PSMA-targeted tracers. Dual imaging with multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging and 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT may improve staging of primary PCa. Notably, 18F-PSMA-1007-PET/CT may detect metastatic disease in a significant number of patients with negative standard imaging. Conclusions: 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT demonstrated a good accuracy in PCa staging, with similar results compared with other PSMA-targeted radiopharmaceuticals. This method could substitute bone scintigraphy and conventional abdominal imaging for PCa staging. Prospective multicentric studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Public perceptions of who counts as a scientist for controversial science

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 797-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brianne Suldovsky ◽  
Asheley Landrum ◽  
Natalie Jomini Stroud
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Political Ideology ◽  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Us ◽  
Science Media

In an era where expertise is increasingly critiqued, this study draws from the research on expertise and scientist stereotyping to explore who the public considers to be a scientist in the context of media coverage about climate change and genetically modified organisms. Using survey data from the United States, we find that political ideology and science knowledge affect who the US public believes is a scientist in these domains. Our results suggest important differences in the role of science media attention and science media selection in the publics “scientist” labeling. In addition, we replicate previous work and find that compared to other people who work in science, those with PhDs in Biology and Chemistry are most commonly seen as scientists.

scholarly journals Concurrent neuroimaging and neurostimulation reveals a causal role for dlPFC in coding of task-relevant information

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jade B. Jackson ◽  
Eva Feredoes ◽  
Anina N. Rich ◽  
Michael Lindner ◽  
Alexandra Woolgar
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Irrelevant Information ◽  
Visual Object ◽  
Information Coding ◽  
Frontoparietal Cortex ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
The Impact

AbstractDorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) is proposed to drive brain-wide focus by biasing processing in favour of task-relevant information. A longstanding debate concerns whether this is achieved through enhancing processing of relevant information and/or by inhibiting irrelevant information. To address this, we applied transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) during fMRI, and tested for causal changes in information coding. Participants attended to one feature, whilst ignoring another feature, of a visual object. If dlPFC is necessary for facilitation, disruptive TMS should decrease coding of attended features. Conversely, if dlPFC is crucial for inhibition, TMS should increase coding of ignored features. Here, we show that TMS decreases coding of relevant information across frontoparietal cortex, and the impact is significantly stronger than any effect on irrelevant information, which is not statistically detectable. This provides causal evidence for a specific role of dlPFC in enhancing task-relevant representations and demonstrates the cognitive-neural insights possible with concurrent TMS-fMRI-MVPA.

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