We are the Revolution? The 'creative social action' of La Fiambrera, Skart and Superflex and its contribution to sustainable social change

"WE ARE THE REVOLUTION?" begins by introducing the type of art practices being studied, collectively referred to here as 'creative social action,‘ and explaining the nature of their revolutionary intentions. It then shows that such art practices are in need of a critical framework; specifically, a means of examining their contribution to sustainable social changes. Having established that creative social action lacks an apposite or robust critical framework, and that such a framework is an essential tool, the study sets out to address this. Initially the study surveys a significant number of practices in order to identify core threads of creative social action. Through this, three threads of particular significance are identified; utopianism, participation and value-orientation. These threads are then examined in depth through recent critical writings on each, which takes the research into several different disciplinary territories and alternative concepts of revolution, as a slow, creative, permanent and almost imperceptible process. Subsequently, aspects of these writings and concepts are synthesised to provide an evaluative approach that is original in its transdisciplinarity and its depth of vision. The study uses its newly formed evaluative tools to unpack three carefully chosen cases of creative social action; Skart, Superflex and La Fiambrera. Accordingly, the utopianism, participatory strategies and value-orientation of these cases are explored in depth. Through this, and further development of an alternative concept of revolution, the study shows that in this sense the practices in question appear to be revolutionary. By developing a comprehensive critical understanding of creative social action, and its relationship with radical social change, the study makes a significant contribution to the field. By not providing definitive answers regarding creative social action‘s contribution to revolutionary changes, the study makes an equally significant contribution. In examining the transformative potential of these practices, the study draws attention to the need to value qualities such as complexity and flexibility, and shows that focusing on tendencies rather than absolutes, and generating further questions rather than arriving at neat answers, is not a weakness but a revolutionary force

Rare quantum metastable states in the strongly dispersive Jaynes-Cummings oscillator

We present evidence of metastable rare quantum-fluctuation switching for the driven dissipative Jaynes-Cummings oscillator coupled to a zero-temperature bath in the strongly dispersive regime. We show that single-atom complex amplitude bistability is accompanied by the appearance of a low-amplitude long-lived transient state, hereinafter called `dark state', having a distribution with quasi-Poissonian statistics both for the coupled qubit and cavity mode. We find that the dark state is linked to a spontaneous flipping of the qubit state, detuning the cavity to a low-photon response. The appearance of the dark state is correlated with the participation of the two metastable states in the dispersive bistability, as evidenced by the solution of the Master Equation and single quantum trajectories.Comment: Extensively revised text, 18 revised figures (16 in main and 2 in appendix), 38(+1) references, appendi

Do gender and year of study affect the ability of the theory of planned behaviour to predict binge-drinking intentions and episodes?

Background: The present study tested the utility of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), augmented with anticipated regret, as a model to predict binge-drinking intentions and episodes among female and male undergraduates and undergraduates in different years of study. Method: Undergraduate students (N = 180, 54 males, 126 females, 60 per year of study) completed baseline measures of demographic variables, binge-drinking episodes (BDE), TPB constructs and anticipated regret. BDE were assessed one-week later. Results: The TPB accounted for 60% of the variance in female undergraduates' intentions and 54% of the variance in male undergraduates' intentions. The TPB accounted for 57% of the variance in intentions in first-year undergraduates, 63% of the variance in intentions in second-year undergraduates and 68% of the variance in intentions in final-year undergraduates. Follow-up BDE was predicted by intentions and baseline BDE for female undergraduates as well as second- and final-year undergraduates. Baseline BDE predicted male undergraduates’ follow-up BDE and first-year undergraduates’ follow-up BDE. Conclusion: Results show that while the TPB constructs predict undergraduates’ binge-drinking intentions, intentions only predict BDE in female undergraduates, second- and final-year undergraduates. Implications of these findings for interventions to reduce binge drinking are outlined

What is overdiagnosis and why should we take it seriously in cancer screening?

Overdiagnosis occurs in a population when conditions are diagnosed correctly but the diagnosis produces an unfavourable balance between benefits and harms. In cancer screening, overdiagnosed cancers are those that did not need to be found because they would not have produced symptoms or led to premature death. These overdiagnosed cancers can be distinguished from false positives, which occur when an initial screening test suggests that a person is at high risk but follow-up testing shows them to be at normal risk. The cancers most likely to be overdiagnosed through screening are those of the prostate, thyroid, breast and lung. Overdiagnosis in cancer screening arises largely from the paradoxical problem that screening is most likely to find the slow-growing or dormant cancers that are least likely to harm us, and less likely to find the aggressive, fast-growing cancers that cause cancer mortality. This central paradox has become clearer over recent decades. The more overdiagnosis is produced by a screening program, the less likely the program is to serve its ultimate goal of reducing illness and premature death from cancer. Thus, it is vital that health professionals and researchers continue an open, scientific inquiry into the extent and consequences of overdiagnosis, and devise appropriate responses to it

A spontaneous increase in intracellular Ca2+ in metaphase II human oocytes in vitro can be prevented by drugs targeting ATP-sensitive K+ channels

STUDY QUESTION: Could drugs targeting ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels prevent any spontaneous increase in intracellular Ca2+ that may occur in human metaphase II (MII) oocytes under in vitro conditions? SUMMARY ANSWER: Pinacidil, a KATP channel opener, and glibenclamide, a KATP channel blocker, prevent a spontaneous increase in intracellular Ca2+ in human MII oocytes. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: The quality of the oocyte and maintenance of this quality during in vitro processing in the assisted reproductive technology (ART) laboratory is of critical importance to successful embryo development and a healthy live birth. Maintenance of Ca2+ homeostasis is crucial for cell wellbeing and increased intracellular Ca2+ levels is a well-established indicator of cell stress. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Supernumerary human oocytes (n = 102) collected during IVF/ICSI treatment that failed to fertilize were used from October 2013 to July 2015. All experiments were performed on mature (MII) oocytes. Dynamics of intracellular Ca2+ levels were monitored in oocytes in the following experimental groups: (i) Control, (ii) Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO; used to dissolve pinacidil, glibenclamide and 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP)), (iii) Pinacidil, (iv) Glibenclamide, (v) DNP: an inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation, (vi) Pinacidil and DNP and (vii) Glibenclamide and DNP. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS/SETTINGS/METHODS: Oocytes were collected under sedation as part of routine treatment at an assisted conception unit from healthy women (mean ± SD) age 34.1 ± 0.6 years, n = 41. Those surplus to clinical use were donated for research. Oocytes were loaded with Fluo-3 Ca2+-sensitive dye, and monitored by laser confocal microscopy for 2 h at 10 min intervals. Time between oocyte collection and start of Ca2+ monitoring was 80.4 ± 2.1 h. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Intracellular levels of Ca2+ increased under in vitro conditions with no deliberate challenge, as shown by Fluo-3 fluorescence increasing from 61.0 ± 11.8 AU (AU = arbitrary units; n = 23) to 91.8 ± 14.0 AU (n = 19; P <0.001) after 2 h of monitoring. Pinacidil (100 µM) inhibited this increase in Ca2+ (85.3 ± 12.3 AU at the beginning of the experiment, 81.7 ± 11.0 AU at the end of the experiment; n = 13; P = 0.616). Glibenclamide (100 µM) also inhibited the increase in Ca2+ (74.7 ± 10.6 AU at the beginning and 71.8 ± 10.9 AU at the end of the experiment; n = 13; P = 0.851. DNP (100 mM) induced an increase in intracellular Ca2+ that was inhibited by glibenclamide (100 µM; n = 9) but not by pinacidil (100 µM; n = 5). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Owing to clinical and ethical considerations, it was not possible to monitor Ca2+ in MII oocytes immediately after retrieval. MII oocytes were available for our experimentation only after unsuccessful IVF or ICSI, which was, on average, 80.4 ± 2.1 h (n = 102 oocytes) after the moment of retrieval. As the MII oocytes used here were those that were not successfully fertilized, it is possible that they may have been abnormal with impaired Ca2+ homeostasis and, furthermore, the altered Ca2+ homeostasis might have been associated solely with the protracted incubation. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: These results show that maintenance of oocytes under in vitro conditions is associated with intracellular increase in Ca2+, which can be counteracted by drugs targeting KATP channels. As Ca2+ homeostasis is crucial for contributing to a successful outcome of ART, these results suggest that KATP channel openers and blockers should be tested as drugs for improving success rates of ART

Internet content regulation, public drug websites and the growth in hidden Internet services

Governments have traditionally censored drug-related information, both in traditional media and, in recent years, in online media. We explore Internet content regulation from a drug-policy perspective by describing the likely impacts of censoring drug websites and the parallel growth in hidden Internet services. Australia proposes a compulsory Internet filtering regime that would block websites that ‘depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of… drug misuse or addiction’ and/or ‘promote, incite or instruct in matters of crime’. In this article, we present findings from a mixed-methods study of online drug discussion. Our research found that websites dealing with drugs, that would likely be blocked by the filter, in fact contributed positively to harm reduction. Such sites helped people access more comprehensive and relevant information than was available elsewhere. Blocking these websites would likely drive drug discussion underground at a time when corporate-controlled ‘walled gardens’ (e.g. Facebook) and proprietary operating systems on mobile devices may also limit open drug discussion. At the same time, hidden Internet services, such as Silk Road, have emerged that are not affected by Internet filtering. The inability for any government to regulate Tor websites and the crypto-currency Bitcoin poses a unique challenge to drug prohibition policies

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) utilizing Man-Tended Capability (MTC) hardware onboard Space Station Freedom

Because of the time and distance involved in returning a patient from space to a definitive medical care facility, the capability for Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) exists onboard Space Station Freedom. Methods: In order to evaluate the effectiveness of terrestrial ACLS protocols in microgravity, a medical team conducted simulations during parabolic flights onboard the KC-135 aircraft. The hardware planned for use during the MTC phase of the space station was utilized to increase the fidelity of the scenario and to evaluate the prototype equipment. Based on initial KC-135 testing of CPR and ACLS, changes were made to the ventricular fibrillation algorithm in order to accommodate the space environment. Other constraints to delivery of ACLS onboard the space station include crew size, minimum training, crew deconditioning, and limited supplies and equipment. Results: The delivery of ACLS in microgravity is hindered by the environment, but should be adequate. Factors specific to microgravity were identified for inclusion in the protocol including immediate restraint of the patient and early intubation to insure airway. External cardiac compressions of adequate force and frequency were administered using various methods. The more significant limiting factors appear to be crew training, crew size, and limited supplies. Conclusions: Although ACLS is possible in the microgravity environment, future evaluations are necessary to further refine the protocols. Proper patient and medical officer restraint is crucial prior to advanced procedures. Also emphasis should be placed on early intubation for airway management and drug administration. Preliminary results and further testing will be utilized in the design of medical hardware, determination of crew training, and medical operations for space station and beyond

Kinetic Models of the Prebiotic Replication of dsRNA under Thermal Cycling Conditions

We present computational models for the replication of double stranded RNA (dsRNA) or related macromolecules under thermal cycling conditions that would reflect prebiotic (i.e. non-enzymatic) environments. Two models of the replication of dsRNA are represented as multi-step chemical systems. The objective of this investigation was to better understand the kinetic features of such chemical systems. It is shown that thermal cycling in a chemical system is advantageous (relative to a fixed temperature) if there are two competing reactions, one favored at high temperature and one favored at low temperature. For the prebiotic replication of dsRNA, a high temperature favors formation of the two single stranded RNA (ssRNA) templates and a presumptive catalysis or catalytic surface is active at low temperature at which the ssRNA template is copied. Our models may facilitate understanding possible prebiotic conditions for the replication of dsRNA