Japan and Foreign Territory Strike: Debate, Deterrence, and Defense Strength

The increased frequency of debate in Japan over foreign territory strike points to it being officially affirmed as a Japanese Self-Defense Force (SDF) mission in the near future. This article explores the foreign territory strike debate through the lens of the four key questions that have structured the post-war debate on all new overseas SDF operations: is it constitutional?; is it (militarily) plausible?; is it (strategically) wise?; and, is it (politically) acceptable? After discussing the contours of the Japanese post-war legal and policy debate on the use of force in foreign territory, the article describes contemporary doubts over the tactical effectiveness and strategic opportunity cost of configuring the SDF to conduct overseas strike operations—especially for missile defense purposes. Foreign territory strike would divert scarce fiscal resources and political attention from adaptations that enhance the US-Japan alliance’s posture resilience and enable it to sustainably generate force even after an initial attack, thereby augmenting regional deterrence. The article concludes by noting that political barriers could also still prevent the mission from being substantively and credibly implemented. Acrimonious domestic debate on foreign territory strike could also hamstring government attempts to attract public buy-in for future defense transformation in areas of greater priority and that add more to deterrence than the acquisition of modest strike capabilities.

Flushing Associated with Prolonged Mask Wearing During Covid-19 Pandemic Among the General Population

Wearing mask was encouraged to prevent dispersal of droplets and to reduce the risks of environmental contamination by COVID-19 during COVID-19 pandemic. However, we noticed a rise in the initial attack, relapse or exacerbation of flushing among general population due to long-time mask wearing. In this manuscript, we reported the characters of the mask-related flushing, and attempted to explain the reasons and put forward some precautions for that. We suggested that general public should be aware of proper and rational mask wearing to avoid inducing and aggravating flushing. We hope that our findings will contribute to increase the awareness about mask related flushing.

EFICIÊNCIA DE COMBATE AOS INCÊNDIOS FLORESTAIS EM UNIDADES DE CONSERVAÇÃO BRASILEIRAS

A precariedade dos planos de combate aos incêndios florestais, torna o fogo a principal ameaça às Unidades de Conservação. Os Registros de Ocorrência de Incêndios (ROIs) são estratégias para aumentar a eficiência no enfrentamento aos incêndios. Assim, com a presente pesquisa objetivou-se analisar a eficiência de combate aos incêndios florestais em Unidades de Conservação brasileiras. Foram utilizados os ROIs do Sistema Nacional de Informações sobre Fogo referentes ao intervalo de 2010 a 2020. Foram avaliados o número de ROIs completos e incompletos, tipos de detecção, quantidade de área queimada, tempo de detecção, de ataque e de combate. Os resultados evidenciaram que apenas 52,33% dos ROIs estavam completos e que 2019 foi o ano com mais ROIs completos. Os pontos de observação e a ronda foram os principais métodos de detecção. As unidades de conservação brasileiras sofreram com a destruição de 31.918.617,41 hectares no período analisado, que significa índice de severidade extremo. Conclui-se que as unidades de conservação brasileiras apresentam baixa eficiência de combate aos incêndios florestais, principalmente de ataque inicial e combate, sendo necessário melhorar a eficiência da detecção e combate, infraestrutura, realizar treinamentos e conscientização sobre a importância dos ROIs. Palavras-chave: proteção florestal; registro de ocorrência de incêndios; áreas protegidas. Firefighting efficiency in Brazilian Protected Areas ABSTRACT: The precariousness of plans to combat forest fires, makes fire the main threat to Protected areas. Fire Occurrence Records (ROIs) are strategies to increase efficiency in fighting fires. Thus, we aimed analyze the efficiency of fighting forest fires in Brazilian Protected Areas. ROIs by National Fire Information System for the period 2010 to 2020 were used. The number of complete and incomplete ROIs, types of detection, amount of area burned, time of detection, attack and combat were evaluated. The results showed that only 52.33% of the ROIs were complete and that 2019 was the year with the most complete ROIs. Observation points and patrol were the main detection methods. Brazilian protected areas suffered from the destruction of 31,918,617.41 hectares in the analyzed period, which means an extreme severity index. It is concluded that Brazilian protected areas have low efficiency in combating forest fires, mainly in initial attack and combat, and it is necessary to improve the efficiency of detection and combat, infrastructure, conduct training and awareness about the importance of ROIs. Keywords: forest protection; record of fire occurrences; protected areas.

Clinical Correlation of Multiple Sclerosis Immunopathologic Subtypes

Objective:To compare clinical characteristics across immunopathological subtypes of patients with multiple sclerosis.Methods:Immunopathological subtyping was performed on specimens from 547 patients with biopsy and/or autopsy confirmed CNS demyelination.Results:The frequency of immunopathological subtypes were pattern I (23%), II (56%), and III (22%). Immunopatterns were similar in terms of age at autopsy/biopsy (median age 41 years, range 4-83 years, p=0.16) and proportion female (54%, p=0.71). Median follow-up after symptom onset was 2.3 years (range 0-38y). In addition to being overrepresented among autopsy cases (45% vs. 19% in biopsy cohort, p<0.001), index attack-related disability was higher in pattern III vs. pattern II (median EDSS 4 vs. 3, p=0.02). Monophasic clinical course was more common in patients with pattern III than pattern I or II (59% vs. 33% vs. 32%, p<0.001). Similarly, patients with pattern III pathology were likely to have progressive disease compared to patients with patterns I or II, when followed for ≥5 years (24% overall, p=0.49), with no differences in long-term survival, despite a more fulminant attack presentation.Conclusion:All three immunopatterns can be detected in active lesions, although they are found less frequently later into the disease due to the lower number of active lesions. Pattern III is associated with a more fulminant initial attack than either pattern I or II. Biopsied patients appear to have similar long-term outcomes irrespective of their immunopatterns. Progressive disease is less associated with the initial immunopattern and suggests convergence into a final common pathway related to the chronically denuded axon.

Machine Learning Methods and Synthetic Data Generation to Predict Large Wildfires

Wildfires are becoming more frequent in different parts of the globe, and the ability to predict when and where they will occur is a complex process. Identifying wildfire events with high probability of becoming a large wildfire is an important task for supporting initial attack planning. Different methods, including those that are physics-based, statistical, and based on machine learning (ML) are used in wildfire analysis. Among the whole, those based on machine learning are relatively novel. In addition, because the number of wildfires is much greater than the number of large wildfires, the dataset to be used in a ML model is imbalanced, resulting in overfitting or underfitting the results. In this manuscript, we propose to generate synthetic data from variables of interest together with ML models for the prediction of large wildfires. Specifically, five synthetic data generation methods have been evaluated, and their results are analyzed with four ML methods. The results yield an improvement in the prediction power when synthetic data are used, offering a new method to be taken into account in Decision Support Systems (DSS) when managing wildfires.

Disclosing or Hiding Bullying Victimization: A Grounded Theory Study From Former Victims’ Point of View

This study aimed to investigate the process of disclosing bullying victimization from the former victims’ point of view. Twenty-three individuals with prior experience of victimization at school were interviewed. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze the data, which generated a grounded theory of help-seeking in victimization, comprising factors and conditions that influenced the willingness to ask for help when bullied. We concentrated on disclosure barriers and facilitators in a school context to identify important factors, which comprised type of peer harassment, type and form of initial attack, perception of available support at school, and perception of peer support. In terms of the practical implications of the present study, the identification of disclosure tendencies could provide a basis for developing school policies to facilitate disclosure.

Short-segment myelitis presenting as Brown-Séquard-plus syndrome as the initial attack of multiple sclerosis.

Brown-Séquard syndrome is an uncommon condition accounting incomplete spinal cord injury, manifesting as ipsilateral weakness and proprioception loss, associated with contralateral pain and temperature sensation loss. Brown-Séquard-plus syndrome (BSPS) has not quite a well-stablished definition, but usually is defined as a Brown-Séquard syndrome associated with clinical findings compatible with another spinal cord tract. We present a pearls & oysters article naming the most relevant findings and aspects to evaluate in this pathology, throughout a clinical case where a patient presents a Brown-Séquard-plus syndrome as the initial attack in multiple sclerosis.

Risk factors of recurrent acute pancreatitis after conservative treatment in pediatric population: a single-center study

BackgroundAlthough complete resolution and recovery occurs in most children with an initial attack of acute pancreatitis (AP), a subset of children may progress to recurrent AP (RAP). RAP has serious effects to the individual and the socioeconomic burden. The aim of this project was to identify the independent risk factors for pediatric RAP so as to provide evidence for its prevention, early diagnosis and treatment.MethodsA retrospective cohort study of children discharged from Tianjin Children’s Hospital from June 2017 to January 2020 was performed. Demographic and clinical variables, treatment strategies, clinical course and outcomes were collected. Independent risk factors of RAP were identified using the logistic regression model.ResultsOf the total 96 enrolled children, 30 (31.3%) developed RAP during the follow-up period. The majority (27/30, 90%) of the children with AP developed RAP within 6 months of their first AP attack. The presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) [odds ratio (OR)=6.652, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.989 to 22.247], fasting time (OR=1.267, 95% CI 1.104 to 1.583), whether meet all three AP diagnostic criteria (OR=7.438, 95% CI 1.346 to 41.103) and abnormal amylase/lipase value on the seventh day of hospitalization (OR=3.601, 95% CI 0.972 to 13.342) were independent risk factors of RAP in children.ConclusionsMost children who developed RAP had progressed within 6 months after their first episode of AP. RAP was more common in children who met all three AP diagnostic criteria at initial attack and in children with SIRS, long fasting time and abnormal amylase/lipase value on the seventh day of hospitalization.

Distributed Attack Modeling Approach Based on Process Mining and Graph Segmentation

Attack graph modeling aims to generate attack models by investigating attack behaviors recorded in intrusion alerts raised in network security devices. Attack models can help network security administrators discover an attack strategy that intruders use to compromise the network and implement a timely response to security threats. However, the state-of-the-art algorithms for attack graph modeling are unable to obtain a high-level or global-oriented view of the attack strategy. To address the aforementioned issue, considering the similarity between attack behavior and workflow, we employ a heuristic process mining algorithm to generate the initial attack graph. Although the initial attack graphs generated by the heuristic process mining algorithm are complete, they are extremely complex for manual analysis. To improve their readability, we propose a graph segmentation algorithm to split a complex attack graph into multiple subgraphs while preserving the original structure. Furthermore, to handle massive volume alert data, we propose a distributed attack graph generation algorithm based on Hadoop MapReduce and a distributed attack graph segmentation algorithm based on Spark GraphX. Additionally, we conduct comprehensive experiments to validate the performance of the proposed algorithms. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithms achieve considerable improvement over comparative algorithms in terms of accuracy and efficiency.

Effect of Steroid Therapy on Thyroid Function Status in Typically and Atypically Presented Nephrotic Syndrome

Background: Mild or subclinical hypothyroidism may coexist with NephroticSyndrome (NS). But persistence of this hypothyroidism is related with remission ofproteinuria. Objectives of the study is to compare thyroid function status (FT4 andTSH) in the atypical and typical NS before and 4 weeks after steroid therapy. Materials and methods: This was a hospital based comparative observational studywith prospective follow up of study subjects. It was carried out in the Department ofPediatrics and in the Department of Nephrology, Chattogram Medical CollegeHospital (CMCH) Chattogram, Bangladesh from January to December’ 2017. A total83 diagnosed admitted cases of initial attack idiopathic NS, aged 1-18 years ofeither sex divided into 2 groups were included. Typically presented NS were in groupA and atypically presented NS were in group B. FT4 and TSH were estimated in allpatients on 2 occasions before and 4 weeks after initiation of steroid therapy andcomparison was done between 2 groups. Results: FT4 level was normal before and after steroid therapy in both typically andatypically presented nephrotic syndrome. Before steroid therapy, mean TSH valuewas found significantly raised in both groups (9.28±5.17 vs 7.26±3.67 μIU/ml).Proportion of subclinical hypothyroidism was statistically similar. After treatmentwith steroid, number of subclinical hypothyroid cases reduced in both groups withreduction of TSH value (3.13±1.14 vs 5.38±2.52 μIU/ml). But significant difference inTSH value was observed in between two groups. There was persistence of subclinicalhypothyroidism after treatment with steroid among 16.6 % (14.2% grade II and2.3% grade I) children with atypically presented NS and which is statisticallysignificant (p=0.006). Conclusion: Subclinical hypothyroidism persists in atypically presented nephroticsyndrome even after treatment with steroid. Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.19 (1); January 2020; Page 28-32