The Future of UN Development Assistance

Stephen BROWNE 연세대학교 빈곤문제국제개발연구원 2015 Journal of Poverty Alleviation and International D Vol.6 No.2

While the UN did not set out to be a development organization, this function now constitutes the fourth and largest pillar of the “second UN” of organizations, taking on the roles of norm-setter, dispenser of technical assistance, and source of ideas and research. The UN has adapted to change in its other main functions, but its development role has been disadvantaged by the parallel structures bequeathed to it. In this role, the UN has become less cohesive and more marginalized in spite of the fact that there are growing development challenges requiring urgent responses from the world organization. A new blueprint for reform in 2006 remains only partially implemented and provides an agenda for change which should be pursued. In 2015, the UN passed an important watershed with the expected agreement of a new set of development goals. “The UN we want” for “the world we want” thus becomes an urgent priority. In the future, the technical foundations of the present development UN need to be downplayed in favor of the normative. With the support of the “first” UN of member-state governments, successful change can come through new enlightened leadership within the “second” UN of organizations, able to respond to the messages and opinions emanating from the “third” UN: the global public in whose name the UN was originally conceived.

Endoscopic Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Brown Nolan J.,Pennington Zach,Kuo Cathleen C.,Lopez Alexander M.,Picton Bryce,Solomon Sean,Nguyen Oanh T.,Yang Chenyi,Tantry Evelyne K.,Shahin Hania,Gendreau Julian,Albano Stephen,Pham Martin H.,Oh M 대한척추외과학회 2023 Asian Spine Journal Vol.17 No.6

Laparoscopic anterior lumbar interbody fusion (L-ALIF), which employs laparoscopic cameras to facilitate a less invasive approach, originally gained traction during the 1990s but has subsequently fallen out of favor. As the envelope for endoscopic approaches continues to be pushed, a recurrence of interest in laparoscopic and/or endoscopic anterior approaches seems possible. Therefore, evaluating the current evidence base in regard to this approach is of much clinical relevance. To this end, a systematic literature search was performed according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines using the following keywords: “(laparoscopic OR endoscopic) AND (anterior AND lumbar).” Out of the 441 articles retrieved, 22 were selected for quantitative analysis. The primary outcome of interest was the radiographic fusion rate. The secondary outcome was the incidence of perioperative complications. Meta-analysis was performed using RStudio’s “metafor” package. Of the 1,079 included patients (mean age, 41.8±2.9 years), 481 were males (44.6%). The most common indication for L-ALIF surgery was degenerative disk disease (reported by 18 studies, 81.8%). The mean follow-up duration was 18.8±11.2 months (range, 6–43 months). The pooled fusion rate was 78.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 68.9–90.4). Complications occurred in 19.2% (95% CI, 13.4–27.4) of L-ALIF cases. Additionally, 7.2% (95% CI, 4.6–11.4) of patients required conversion from L-ALIF to open surgery. Although L-ALIF does not appear to be supported by studies available in the literature, it is important to consider the context from which these results have been obtained. Even if these results are taken at face value, the failure of endoscopy to have a role in the ALIF approach does not mean that it should not be incorporated in posterior approaches.

Rockets and Revolutions: Britain's Interest in Asia-Pacific Security

(Stephen Brown) 충남대학교 북미주연구소 1999 북미주학연구 Vol.8 No.-

A Statistical Approach to Machine Translation

Brown, Peter F.,Stephen, John Cocke,Pietra, A. Della,Della, Vincent J.,Jelinek, Pietra Fredrick,Lafferty, John D.,Mercer, Robert L.,Roossin, Paul S. 서울대학교 어학연구소 1991 語學硏究 Vol.27 No.1

In this paper, we present a statistical approach to machine translation. We describe the application of our approach to translation from French to English and give preliminary results.

Demographic data is more predictive of component size than digital radiographic templating in total knee arthroplasty

Wallace Stephen J.,Murphy Michael P.,Schiffman Corey J.,Hopkinson William J.,Brown Nicholas M. 대한슬관절학회 2020 대한슬관절학회지 Vol.32 No.-

Preoperative radiographic templating for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been shown to be inaccurate. Patient demographic data, such as gender, height, weight, age, and race, may be more predictive of implanted component size in TKA.A multivariate linear regression model was designed to predict implanted femoral and tibial component size using demographic data along a consecutive series of 201 patients undergoing index TKA. Traditional, two-dimensional, radiographic templating was compared to demographic-based regression predictions on a prospective 181 consecutive patients undergoing index TKA in their ability to accurately predict intraoperative implanted sizes. Surgeons were blinded of any predictions. Patient gender, height, weight, age, and ethnicity/race were predictive of implanted TKA component size. The regression model more accurately predicted implanted component size compared to radiographically templated sizes for both the femoral ( P = 0.04) and tibial ( P < 0.01) components. The regression model exactly predicted femoral and tibial component sizes in 43.7 and 43.7% of cases, was within one size 90.1 and 95.6% of the time, and was within two sizes in every case. Radiographic templating exactly predicted 35.4 and 36.5% of cases, was within one size 86.2 and 85.1% of the time, and varied up to four sizes for both the femoral and tibial components. The regression model averaged within 0.66 and 0.61 sizes, versus 0.81 and 0.81 sizes for radiographic templating for femoral and tibial components. A demographic-based regression model was created based on patient-specific demographic data to predict femoral and tibial TKA component sizes. In a prospective patient series, the regression model more accurately and precisely predicted implanted component sizes compared to radiographic templating.Prospective cohort, level II.

Nutritional Modulation of Resistance and Resilience to Gastrointestinal Nematode Infection - A Review

Walkden-Brown, Stephen W.,Kahn, Lewis P. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2002 Animal Bioscience Vol.15 No.6

Disease susceptibility is linked to nutritional status for a wide range of human and animal diseases. Nutritional status can influence both resistance (ability to resist the pathogen) and resilience (ability to tolerate or ameliorate the effects of the pathogen). This review focuses on the nutritional modulation of gastro-intestinal nematode infection in domestic ruminants, primarily sheep. It highlights the duality of the adverse consequences of infection on host nutritional status and the adverse consequences of poor host nutritional status on resistance to infection. Central to both phenomena is the complex, gut-based immune response to gastrointestinal nematode infection. The potential for strategic nutritional supplementation to enhance host resistance and resilience is reviewed together with recent findings on responses to increased ME supply, and long term effects on host immunity of short term protein supplementation.

Cortically projecting basal forebrain parvalbumin neurons regulate cortical gamma band oscillations

Kim, Tae,Thankachan, Stephen,McKenna, James T.,McNally, James M.,Yang, Chun,Choi, Jee Hyun,Chen, Lichao,Kocsis, Bernat,Deisseroth, Karl,Strecker, Robert E.,Basheer, Radhika,Brown, Ritchie E.,McCarley, National Academy of Sciences 2015 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF Vol.112 No.11

<P><B>Significance</B></P><P>When we are awake, purposeful thinking and behavior require the synchronization of brain cells involved in different aspects of the same task. Cerebral cortex electrical oscillations in the gamma (30–80 Hz) range are particularly important in such synchronization. In this report we identify a particular subcortical cell type which has increased activity during waking and is involved in activating the cerebral cortex and generating gamma oscillations, enabling active cortical processing. Abnormalities of the brain mechanisms controlling gamma oscillations are involved in the disordered thinking typical of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Thus, these findings may pave the way for targeted therapies to treat schizophrenia and other disorders involving abnormal cortical gamma oscillations.</P><P>Cortical gamma band oscillations (GBO, 30–80 Hz, typically ∼40 Hz) are involved in higher cognitive functions such as feature binding, attention, and working memory. GBO abnormalities are a feature of several neuropsychiatric disorders associated with dysfunction of cortical fast-spiking interneurons containing the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PV). GBO vary according to the state of arousal, are modulated by attention, and are correlated with conscious awareness. However, the subcortical cell types underlying the state-dependent control of GBO are not well understood. Here we tested the role of one cell type in the wakefulness-promoting basal forebrain (BF) region, cortically projecting GABAergic neurons containing PV, whose virally transduced fibers we found apposed cortical PV interneurons involved in generating GBO. Optogenetic stimulation of BF PV neurons in mice preferentially increased cortical GBO power by entraining a cortical oscillator with a resonant frequency of ∼40 Hz, as revealed by analysis of both rhythmic and nonrhythmic BF PV stimulation. Selective saporin lesions of BF cholinergic neurons did not alter the enhancement of cortical GBO power induced by BF PV stimulation. Importantly, bilateral optogenetic inhibition of BF PV neurons decreased the power of the 40-Hz auditory steady-state response, a read-out of the ability of the cortex to generate GBO used in clinical studies. Our results are surprising and novel in indicating that this presumptively inhibitory BF PV input controls cortical GBO, likely by synchronizing the activity of cortical PV interneurons. BF PV neurons may represent a previously unidentified therapeutic target to treat disorders involving abnormal GBO, such as schizophrenia.</P>

Novel biological strategies to enhance the radiation therapeutic ratio

김재호,Kenneth A. Jenrow,Stephen L. Brown 대한방사선종양학회 2018 Radiation Oncology Journal Vol.36 No.3

Successful anticancer strategies require a differential response between tumor and normal tissue (i.e., a therapeutic ratio). In fact, improving the effectiveness of a cancer therapeutic is of no clinical value in the absence of a significant increase in the differential response between tumor and normal tissue. Although radiation dose escalation with the use of intensity modulated radiation therapy has permitted the maximum tolerable dose for most locally advanced cancers, improvements in tumor control without damaging normal adjacent tissues are needed. As a means of increasing the therapeutic ratio, several new approaches are under development. Drugs targeting signal transduction pathways in cancer progression and more recently, immunotherapeutics targeting specific immune cell subsets have entered the clinic with promising early results. Radiobiological research is underway to address pressing questions as to the dose per fraction, irradiated tumor volume and time sequence of the drug administration. To exploit these exciting novel strategies, a better understanding is needed of the cellular and molecular pathways responsible for both cancer and normal tissue and organ response, including the role of radiation-induced accelerated senescence. This review will highlight the current understanding of promising biologically targeted therapies to enhance the radiation therapeutic ratio.

Novel biological strategies to enhance the radiation therapeutic ratio

Jae Ho Kim,Kenneth A. Jenrow,Stephen L. Brown 대한방사선종양학회 2018 Radiation Oncology Journal Vol.36 No.3

Successful anticancer strategies require a differential response between tumor and normal tissue (i.e., a therapeutic ratio). In fact, improving the effectiveness of a cancer therapeutic is of no clinical value in the absence of a significant increase in the differential response between tumor and normal tissue. Although radiation dose escalation with the use of intensity modulated radiation therapy has permitted the maximum tolerable dose for most locally advanced cancers, improvements in tumor control without damaging normal adjacent tissues are needed. As a means of increasing the therapeutic ratio, several new approaches are under development. Drugs targeting signal transduction pathways in cancer progression and more recently, immunotherapeutics targeting specific immune cell subsets have entered the clinic with promising early results. Radiobiological research is underway to address pressing questions as to the dose per fraction, irradiated tumor volume and time sequence of the drug administration. To exploit these exciting novel strategies, a better understanding is needed of the cellular and molecular pathways responsible for both cancer and normal tissue and organ response, including the role of radiation-induced accelerated senescence. This review will highlight the current understanding of promising biologically targeted therapies to enhance the radiation therapeutic ratio.

Novel biological strategies to enhance the radiation therapeutic ratio

Kim, Jae Ho,Jenrow, Kenneth A.,Brown, Stephen L. The Korean Society for Radiation Oncology 2018 Radiation Oncology Journal Vol.36 No.3

Successful anticancer strategies require a differential response between tumor and normal tissue (i.e., a therapeutic ratio). In fact, improving the effectiveness of a cancer therapeutic is of no clinical value in the absence of a significant increase in the differential response between tumor and normal tissue. Although radiation dose escalation with the use of intensity modulated radiation therapy has permitted the maximum tolerable dose for most locally advanced cancers, improvements in tumor control without damaging normal adjacent tissues are needed. As a means of increasing the therapeutic ratio, several new approaches are under development. Drugs targeting signal transduction pathways in cancer progression and more recently, immunotherapeutics targeting specific immune cell subsets have entered the clinic with promising early results. Radiobiological research is underway to address pressing questions as to the dose per fraction, irradiated tumor volume and time sequence of the drug administration. To exploit these exciting novel strategies, a better understanding is needed of the cellular and molecular pathways responsible for both cancer and normal tissue and organ response, including the role of radiation-induced accelerated senescence. This review will highlight the current understanding of promising biologically targeted therapies to enhance the radiation therapeutic ratio.