bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nahtoderfahrungen als Zugänge zum Platonismus und zum frühen Christentum
Authors: Popkes Enno Edzard
Published: September 2022

Jene Erfahrungsmuster, die heute als ›Nahtoderfahrungen‹ (NTE) bezeichnet werden, begegnen in unterschiedlichsten Kulturen und Epochen. In dem vorliegenden Beitrag werden zwei kulturgeschichtlichen
Vergleichsgrößen betrachtet, deren Affinität zu NTE seit den Anfängen einer modernen Auseinandersetzung mit diesen Phänomenen diskutiert werden. Einerseits wird erörtert, inwiefern zentrale Aspekte der
platonischen Philosophie als eine Verarbeitung von NTE gedeutet werden können, andererseits wird zur Geltung gebracht, in welcher Weise die Lebenswende des Paulus – die sogenannte Damaskuserfahrung –
mit solchen Phänomenen verglichen werden kann.

Those patterns of experience that are now referred to as ›Near-Death Experiences‹ (NDE) occur in a wide variety of cultures and epochs. In the present article, two cultural-historical parallels are considered,
whose affinity to NDE has been discussed since the beginning of a modern examination of these phenomena. On the one hand, the extent to which central aspects of Platonic philosophy can be interpreted as a
processing of NDE is discussed, and on the other hand, the way in which Paul's turning point in life – the so-called Damascus experience – can be compared with such phenomena is discussed.
Nahtoderfahrungen – Near-Death Experiences
Authors: Schlieter Jens
Published: September 2022

Der Begriff ›Near-Death Experience‹ bzw. ›Nahtoderfahrung‹, wurde als generischer Begriff von Raymond A. Moody 1975 geprägt. er sollte jene Erfahrungen zusammenfassen, die Menschen aus Zuständen der Todesnähe berichten.
Ein genauerer Blick auf die Ideen- und Ereignisgeschichte der frühen 1970er Jahre zeigt allerdings, wie verschiedene Ströme der Konzeptualisierung von religiösen Erfahrungen – Erfahrungen in Grenzsituationen,
mystische, außer- und übersinnliche Erfahrungen, aber auch psychedelische Drogenerfahrungen – in Moodys Begriffsprägung einflossen. Damit im Zusammenhang steht die These, die der Aufsatz plausibel machen will:
Der durch Moodys außerordentlich erfolgreiche Publikationen popularisierte Diskurs über Nahtoderfahrungen ist im Kern ein Diskurs über die Möglichkeit und Realität religiöser Erfahrung im Kontext gesellschaftlicher
Umbrüche, die in den 1960er und 1970er Jahren eine besondere Tragweite erhielten.

The concept of ›Near-Death Experience‹ has been popularized by Raymond A. Moody in 1975. At first sight, Moody merely intended to describe typical elements of those experiences that were made near death.
Looking at the history – and history of ideas – of the 1960s and early 1970s more closely, one becomes aware that Moody is looking for a more encompassing model of experiences made supposedly beyond death.
Significantly, the model includes elements that were also reported from mystic experiences, psychedelic trips, ›paranormal‹ experiences, or altered states of consciousness. This observation will be discussed
in light of Moody’s popular thesis, which construed a broadly uniform ›Near-Death Experience‹, because it was received as evidence for the resilience of religious experiences in late modernity.
»Der Tod, mein schönstes Erlebnis«
Authors: Schmied-Knittel Ina
Published: September 2022

Lange Zeit lag der Schwerpunkt bei ›Nahtoderfahrungen‹ (NTE) auf den langfristigen Auswirkungen dieser einschneidenden Erlebnisse, meist im Hinblick auf radikale Veränderungen der persönlichen
Gewohnheiten und tiefgreifende spirituelle Einstellungen. Sowohl in populärwissenschaftlichen als auch in wissenschaftlichen Veröffentlichungen besteht ein relativer Konsens darüber, dass es nicht
nur ähnliche Beschreibungen von außergewöhnlichen Erfahrungen in Todesnähe gibt, sondern auch ähnliche Geschichten darüber, was die Erfahrung mit einem ›gemacht‹ hat. Vor allem wird der transformative
Charakter von Nahtoderfahrungen hervorgehoben: von einer völlig neuen Einstellung zum Leben über die Neuausrichtung früherer Interessen und religiöser Werte bis hin zu paranormaler Sensibilität.
Dieses Kapitel betrachtet das Thema ›Nahtoderfahrung und die Folgen‹ aus soziologischer Sicht und rekonstruiert ein aufschlussreiches Spannungsfeld zwischen subjektiven Erfahrungen, wissenschaftlichen
Interpretationen und einer sogenannten Volksreligion.

For a long time, the focus of ›Near-Death Experiences‹ (NDE) has been on the long-term effects of those drastic experiences, mostly with regard to radical changes in personal habits and deep spiritual attitudes.
In popular as well as scientific publications, there is a relative consensus that there are not only similar descriptions of extraordinary experiences near death, but also similar stories about what the
experience has ›done to you‹. Above all, the transformative character of NDE is stressed: from a completely new attitude to life, to the reorientation of previous interests and religious values, and even
paranormal sensitivity. This chapter looks from a sociological perspective at the topic ›Near-Death Experience and the consequences‹ and reconstructs an enlightening field of tension between subjective
experiences, scientific interpretations, and a so-called popular religion.
Strategies to Improve Teacher Professionalism Through The Implementation of Knowledge Management
Authors: ABDUROKHIM Abdurokhim , LN Syamsu Yusuf
Published: September 2022

Teacher professionalism is closely related to those who have special skills and abilities in the field of education to optimize their duties and functions as teachers to meet the needs of the profession. This research method uses a qualitative description. The subject of this study is a certified teacher, and improves the skills of teachers by implementing knowledge management. This study focuses on teacher certification in private high schools in Cirebon Regency from 91 private high schools in Cirebon whose teachers are certified with a sample of 33 schools randomly but proportionally by region. The application of knowledge management to improve the professionalism of private teachers with madrasa certification in Cirebon Regency can be done by managing certified teacher staff through education and training. In addition, it is necessary to form a separate community to bring together certification teachers at certain times to discuss or share information and knowledge related to becoming professional teachers. The ability to use information technology is also needed to improve the pedagogic skills of certified teachers, especially in private madrasah in Cirebon Regency. The knowledge management skills of every certified teacher in private madrasas in Cirebon Regency must also be utilized in the form of sharing applications with other certified teachers. The aim is to provide insight for teachers of private Madrasah Law certification in Cirebon Regency.
Influence Of Hr Competence, Utilization Of Information Technology And Understanding Of Accounting Standards On The Quality Of LPD Financial Statements In UBUD District
Authors: OKTAPIYANTI Ni Kadek Selvi Dwi , SASTRI Ida Idam Manik , SARI AA Putu Agung Mirah Purnama
Published: September 2022

This study aims to empirically test the Influence of Human Resource Competence, Utilization of Information Technology and Understanding of Accounting Standards on the Quality of Financial Reports. Sample selection was taken by using the purposive sampling method. The data used is secondary data. The population in this study were employees in the finance department in all LPDs in Ubud sub-district, with a total of 32 LPDs. Determining the sample adopted the purposive sampling technique, namely selecting samples based on criteria so that the research sample was 96 samples obtained from the total population multiplied by the year of observation. The data analysis used in this study was a multiple linear regression analysis with a significance level of 5%. The results show that the tax audit has a positive and significant effect on individual tax revenues. Tax collection has a positive and significant effect on individual tax revenues. Tax socialization has a positive and significant effect on individual tax revenues. Suggestions for companies are expected to continue to improve the implementation of audits, tax collection and socialization of taxation. For further research, it is expected to use other variables such as ownership of NPWP.
The Effect Of Tax Audit, Tax Collection And Tax Socialization On Revenue Tax Personnel At The Service Office Tax Primary Denpasar East
Authors: WIDIGINANTRI Ni Nyoman Ayu , TRISNADEWI AA Ayu Erna , WULANDARI I Gusti Ayu Athina
Published: September 2022

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of tax audits, tax collection and tax socialization on individual tax receipts at the East Denpasar Pratama Tax Service Office. This study uses primary data in the form of a questionnaire, the data is obtained directly from the source through respondents' answers at the East Denpasar Pratama Tax Service Office. The population in this study includes individual taxpayers who are registered at the East Denpasar Pratama Tax Service Office, amounting to 129,542 people. The research sample amounted to 100 respondents with a sampling technique that is purposive sampling method which has the following criteria: 1) Individual taxpayers who already have a Taxpayer Identification Number (NPWP) as their identity. 2) Individual taxpayers who are registered and active in the East Denpasar KPP Pratama office and have carried out tax payment activities. This study uses three independent variables, namely tax audit, tax collection, and tax socialization. Furthermore, individual tax receipts are used as the dependent variable. This research uses multiple linear regression analysis technique with SPSS software. The results of this study indicate that the tax audit has a positive and significant effect on individual tax revenues. Tax collection has a positive and significant effect on individual tax receipts. Tax socialization has a positive and significant effect on individual tax revenues.
The Business of Poetry
Authors: Lee A. Robert
Published: September 2022

How best to “see” and “hear” Norse’s poetry? Reading across the work brought together in In the Hub of the Fiery Force: Collected Poems 1934-2003, and the collections that feed into it, this chapter seeks to establish the unique pitch of Norse’s verse from the more formal early writing to the freer later compositions. Taking a point of departure from the poem “The Business of Poetry” with its celebration of “music and love” as against the ravage of “savage and brutal men,” it so addresses four main arenas: love(s) and sex, geographies, pieces given over to other poets and to visual artists, and those reflexively taken up with poetry about itself. To this end emphasis is centred on issues of fashioning, measure, rhythm, spacing, the due recognition of Norse’s command of voice. Poems like “Paper Bodies,” “I See America Daily,” “Walt Whitman Called Today” and “Why I Am a Poet” supply bearings in this respect. Much as Norse rightly commands notice for his boldness as an out gay poet, a traveller and autobiographer, a key postwar countercultural presence, he left no doubt in design and practice of his commitment to working craftsmanship. The reading at hand explores that forte.
Finding Hermes in the Oil Stain
Authors: Belletto Steven
Published: September 2022

This chapter examines Norse’s early published works, including The Undersea Mountain (1953) The Dancing Beasts (1962), his translations of G.G. Belli’s sonnets, and shows how over the course of the 1950s, he moved from poetry marked by what he called “constriction” to poetry marked by a freer, vernacular expression. Norse achieved this move, in part, by continually reworking what he called his “basic theme: the interrelationship of the past with the modern, as seen through experiences with time and place.”
Burying the Dead, Saving the Community Jewish Burial Societies as Informal Centres of Jewish Self-Government
Authors: Aust Cornelia
Published: September 2022

This chapter briefly describes the emergence of the ḥevrah kadisha in eastern Europe within the general development of Jewish autonomy in early modern Europe and then shows how and why burial societies preserved their autonomy and their key position in the Jewish community far into the nineteenth century. To discuss this development, the chapter examines the case of the burial society in Praga, opposite Warsaw, on the eastern bank of the river Vistula. Unlike many other ḥevrot kadisha, this society was only founded in the last quarter of the eighteenth century. Though the original pinkas of the burial society, which was kept from 1785 to 1870, has not survived. It was copied and provided with a Polish translation by H. Kirszenbaum and A. Fajner in 1911 and is kept today in the Central Archives of the History of the Jewish People in Jerusalem, together with the much shorter pinkas from Warsaw from 1875 to 1905.
Macklin in the Theatre, the Courts, and the News
Authors: Powell Manushag
Published: September 2022

In an age that is justifiably notorious for its colourful approaches to journalism and theatrical criticism alike, Charles Macklin was frequently the subject of newswriting and reviewing due to his innovative acting, his querulousness, and finally for the simple fact of his extraordinarily long public life. From his 1735 murder trial for killing another actor and his consequential taste for litigiousness to his famous portrayal of Shylock (1741 onwards), to the surprising number of biographies that followed his death in 1797, Macklin was often, and often intentionally, the subject of newswriting. His quarrels with powerful theatre managers like David Garrick and Charles Fleetwood were personal, but also understood in print as emblematic of broad, high-stakes cultural battles. Macklin’s experience with periodical writing underscores the similarly performative and combative—and hence, mutually instructive—tendencies of actors and periodicals in the eighteenth century.
Love à la Mode in Performance A Dialogue
Authors: Summers Colm , Johnson Nicholas
Published: September 2022

This chapter consists of a dialogue between Colm Summers, the director of the 2017 and 2018 adaptations of Charles Macklin's Love á la Mode at Smock Alley, and academic Nicholas Johnson. Summers and Johnson previously collaborated on similar projects with Wyndham Lewis's Enemy of the Stars and Bertholt Brecht's fragments of the biblical David story. Their discussion is centred on the idea of 'practice-as-research/research-as-practice' and considers the attraction and challenges of staging eighteenth-century theatre for a modern audience. They explore the particularities of making theatre in a university context, the latent binary of art and scholarship, the intricacies of the rehearsal process, and audience reaction. A set of values is proposed as a road-map for similar projects in the future: ensemble, exigence, and essence.
Introduction to Part II
Authors: Polizzi Goffredo
Published: September 2022

The introduction to the second part of the book, dedicated to literary representations of the Italian south, connects questions on borders, access and mobility posed in the field of political theory to the ways in which similar concerns can and have been addressed in the realm of textual and literary analysis. For this reason it turns to translation and cultural translation studies as they offer extremely useful methodologies to investigate how cultural transfer, in its social and textual dimension, happens in the field of literature. It then discusses briefly the traditional literary representation of the italian south as the forever “backward” part of the country in order to see how the texts analyzed in later chapters alter and challenge this representation.
First Detection of Transverse Vertical Oscillation during the Expansion of Coronal Loops
Authors: Zhang Qingmin , Li Chuan , Li Dong , Qiu Ye , Zhang Yanjie , Ni Yiwei
Published: September 2022

In this Letter, we perform a detailed analysis of the M5.5 class eruptive flare occurring in active region 12,929 on 2022 January 20. The eruption of a hot channel generates a fast coronal mass ejection (CME) and a dome-shaped extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave at speeds of 740–860 km s−1. The CME is associated with a type II radio burst, implying that the EUV wave is a fast-mode shock wave. During the impulsive phase, the flare shows quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) in EUV, hard X-ray, and radio wavelengths. The periods of QPPs range from 18 to 113 s, indicating that flare energy is released and nonthermal electrons are accelerated intermittently with multiple timescales. The interaction between the EUV wave and low-lying adjacent coronal loops (ACLs) results in contraction, expansion, and transverse vertical oscillation of ACLs. The speed of contraction in 171, 193, and 211 Å is higher than that in 304 Å. The periods of oscillation are 253 s and 275 s in 304 Å and 171 Å, respectively. A new scenario is proposed to explain the interaction. The equation that interprets the contraction and oscillation of the overlying coronal loops above a flare core can also interpret the expansion and oscillation of ACLs, suggesting that the two phenomena are the same in essence.
Sodium Distribution on the Moon
Authors: Narendranath S. , Pillai Netra S. , Tadepalli Srikar P. , Sarantos Menelaos , Vadodariya K. , Sarwade A. , V Radhakrishna , Tyagi A.
Published: September 2022

The Moon is significantly depleted in volatile elements when compared to Earth, an observation that has resulted in various formation scenarios leading to the loss of volatiles. Sodium is a moderately volatile element that is a lithophile, which can be utilized as a tracer of the volatile history in planetary bodies. It is also well observed in the exosphere of several bodies in our solar system and exoplanetary systems. But lunar surface sodium abundances have so far been measured only in samples brought back to Earth. We report on results from the first effort to provide a global-scale measurement of sodium on the lunar surface using X-ray fluorescent spectra from Chandrayaan-2. A global average of 1.33 ± 0.03 wt% derived here is higher than previously known. Trends in the sodium abundance indicate a long-lived adsorbate component that could explain the higher abundances reported here, which would act as a reservoir that sustains the lunar sodium exosphere.
L’âge de la polémique
Authors: Bertin Éric , Granier Jean-Maxence
Published: September 2022

La dérégulation de l’espace médiatique par les plateformes numériques promeut la confrontation des opinions au détriment de la délibération démocratique. Il faut donc favoriser de nouvelles collaborations entre médias classiques et réseaux sociaux.
L’ordre et le chaos
Authors: Jehel Sophie
Published: September 2022

Les réseaux sociaux numériques, qui ont inversé le rapport de force avec les médias traditionnels, confondent l’information avec d’autres formes de publication (personnelle, publicitaire ou de propagande). Cela exige de mettre la société, en particulier les journalistes et les enseignants, à la tâche d’une éducation aux médias.
Médiologie de la vanité en ligne
Authors: Boullier Dominique
Published: September 2022

Sur les réseaux sociaux, nous devenons les éditeurs de notre réputation. Sa mesure, permanente, individuelle et publique, nourrit notre quête de visibilité et de reconnaissance.
Penser les variances de genre à l’épreuve des modèles de violence intersubjective
Authors: Mathieu Lionel
Published: September 2022

L’accueil des personnes transgenres au sein des dispositifs de soins dédiés à l’accompagnement des parcours de transition permet la rencontre d’une pluralité de trajectoires qui remettent en question les procédures médicales d’accompagnement et les pré-pensés sur lesquels elles s’établissent. En appui des évolutions socio-culturelles et de l’évolution des expressions de genre, l’émergence de la non-binarité vient renverser les stéréotypes de genre dans l’espace public. Il s’agit dans cette réflexion de proposer une relecture du conflit originaire des consciences développé chez Sartre en résonnance avec les mouvements de l’expression de soi dans le champ des transidentités, et penser la souffrance clinique à l’épreuve des modèles de violence intersubjective. Du vécu intime à la demande de transition, il s’agit alors de confronter le concept de projet chez le philosophe existentialiste à celui d’identité.
Étudier des parlements sous contrainte
Authors: Duchesne Franck , Tardits Nicolas
Published: September 2022

L’introduction de ce numéro permet de réfléchir à la relation improbable entre « Parlement » et « autoritarisme ». Dans ces contextes, les Parlements sont considérés comme peu dignes d’intérêt car sans pouvoir ou trop assujettis à un exécutif omnipotent. à l’aide du concept de domination, la place des Parlements dans ces configurations prend un nouveau sens : ni soumis ni libres, ces institutions et leurs agents participent à leur façon à l’ordre politique de ces états.
Les assemblées impériales, hétéronomie et logiques parlementaires
Authors: Le Digol Christophe
Published: September 2022

Spontanément, on tend à associer l’institution parlementaire au régime démocratique. Or, les régimes impériaux ont maintenu cette institution tout en la transformant du point de vue des conditions de recrutement de ses membres, de son organisation du travail et du type de biens politiques qu’elle fabrique et distribue. Les formes plus ou moins communes qu’elles adoptent constituent un type d’assemblées que l’on peut qualifier d’hétéronomes.
« Le Parlement n’est pas un lieu de discussion ! »
Authors: Fauconnier Clémentine
Published: September 2022

En trente ans d’existence, après sa création au moment de la chute de l’URSS, le Parlement russe a accompagné la trajectoire du pays depuis le mouvement de libéralisation politique des années 1990 au tournant autoritaire des années Poutine. Mis sous contrôle à plusieurs égards – par la prééminence constitutionnelle du pouvoir exécutif, par la domination d’un parti pro-présidentiel et une politique de cooptation sélective de l’opposition –, il demeure cependant un lieu de cristallisation du pluralisme contraint dans la Russie postsoviétique.
Inventer la civilisation du travail
Authors: Bachman Pierre
Published: September 2022

Le travail est presque systématiquement enfermé dans l’emploi. Cette prison est probablement significative des difficultés à tracer la voie d’alternatives politiques et sociales. Réduit à un rapport économique et juridique dans l’emploi, le travail perd de sa signification anthropologique et donc de sa légitimité dans nos sociétés. L’article analyse cette situation et réfléchit à des pistes pour la dépasser en libérant le travail pour une nouvelle civilisation.
L’injonction à la « pédagogie du supérieur » : un cadrage étroit des enseignants-chercheurs ?
Authors: Tralongo Stéphanie , Noûs Camille
Published: September 2022

Présentée comme une solution au « problème » de l’université par les pouvoirs publics, la thématique de la « pédagogie du supérieur » porte depuis une vingtaine d’années un appel à un changement radical des pratiques. Par son adhésion à une vision néolibérale de la société qu’instrumente le nouveau management public, elle constitue une boîte à outils discursive, cognitive et pratique. L’intention est ici de résister à l’injonction de bâtir une réflexion visant à dire comment changer, pour se demander pourquoi et par quels moyens l’attente de transformations est aussi vive et orchestrée.
Recherches en éducation et science ouverte : un oxymore inattendu ?
Authors: Bruillard Éric
Published: September 2022

Si la notion de science ouverte est fortement portée et sa pratique peut conduire à des améliorations importantes, les multiples discours qui s’y rapportent ne sont pas sans contradictions ni zones d’ombre. Derrière l’idée d’une science « plus transparente, plus rapide et d’accès universel » risque de se développer une conception étroite et réductrice autour de la preuve et du contrôle, incluant la nécessité de reproductibilité ou de réplicabilité, en tension avec des visions plus ouvertes et participatives des recherches en éducation.
2022, la présidentielle des « blocs » ?
Authors: Le Digol Christophe
Published: September 2022

À l’occasion de l’élection présidentielle de 2022, une interprétation politique semble dominer les échanges entre élus et experts du commentaire politique : l’opposition de « blocs » politiques. Loin d’être une catégorie inventée et diffusée pour l’occasion, cette catégorie est le résultat d’un travail éminemment symbolique de production et de diffusion de catégories, dont la fonction consiste notamment à se substituer au clivage gauche-droite, apparemment moins pertinent pour interpréter les enjeux politiques depuis 2017.
Proving prediction prudence
Authors: Tasche Dirk
Published: September 2022

We study how to perform tests on samples of pairs of observations and predictions in order to assess whether or not the predictions are prudent. Prudence requires that the mean of the difference of the observation-prediction pairs can be shown to be significantly negative. For safe conclusions,we suggest testing both unweighted (or equally weighted) and weighted means and explicitly taking into account the randomness of individual pairs. The test methods presented are mainly specified as bootstrap and normal approximation algorithms. The tests are general but can be applied in particular in the area of credit risk,both for regulatory and accounting purposes.
An efficient numerical approach for stochastic evolution PDEs driven by random diffusion coefficients and multiplicative noise
Authors: Qi Xiao , Azaiez Mejdi , Huang Can , Xu Chuanju
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we investigate the stochastic evolution equations (SEEs) driven by a bounded $ \log $-Whittle-Mat$ \acute{{\mathrm{e}}} $rn (W-M) random diffusion coefficient field and $ Q $-Wiener multiplicative force noise. First, the well-posedness of the underlying equations is established by proving the existence, uniqueness, and stability of the mild solution. A sampling approach called approximation circulant embedding with padding is proposed to sample the random coefficient field. Then a spatio-temporal discretization method based on semi-implicit Euler-Maruyama scheme and finite element method is constructed and analyzed. An estimate for the strong convergence rate is derived. Numerical experiments are finally reported to confirm the theoretical result.
A Comprehensive Study of Various Fuzzy C-Means Clustering Algorithms
Authors: Sangwan Pooja , Kumar Rakesh , Kaur Amandeep , Dhiman Gaurav
Published: September 2022

Digital image processing is becoming another ever-growing yet popular field of demands for daily life, ranging from medicine, room evaluation, security, support, and security of the automotive community, among many others. The proposed framework focuses mostly on fuzzy logic structures somewhere in optical image processing. The main goal of most of this work is to demonstrate how fuzzy logic is implemented in image processing with little more than a quick introduction of fuzzy logic and optical image processing. Fuzzy logic, one of those artificial intelligence decision-making approaches, provides even greater room for use. When everything that would also have been allowed access to declarations at all since birth, particularly concerning in popularity in recent years, fuzzy logic as a whole has been proven to be true in virtually all systemic fields. Furthermore, the implications continue to suggest that the previously presented technique is worthy of attention in image processing software systems with the appropriate expansion.
Voice, Silence, and Diversity
Authors: Rajendran Diana , Bardoel Anne
Published: September 2022

Since the 1990s, the scale and speed of cross-border academic mobility has notably increased. Universities around the world are recruiting across national boundaries and increasingly employ a diverse and transnational academic workforce. Ferdman argues that working toward inclusion in diverse organizations (such as universities) can present many challenges and tensions and is complex and multifaceted, because of issues concerning safety, voice, authenticity, equity, and equality for people across multiple identity groups. This chapter draws on 17 semi-structured interviews with transnational academics from 11 countries employed by eight different universities across Australia to explore the workplace experiences of diversity and inclusion in terms of their voice and/or silence. The findings indicate that although the respondents believe in having constructive forms of voice in their workplace, they often reported that they were reluctant to speak up.
Computational Intelligence and Blockchain-Based Security for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Mishra Renu , Kaur Inderpreet , Sharma Vishnu , Bharti Ajeet
Published: September 2022

A wireless sensor network (WSN) provides the base architecture to all popular technologies like internet of things (IoT), unmanned arial vehicle (UAV), etc. Recently, a push came to make the information available to humans from the real-time environmental data collected through small sensing devices. WSN is self-organized wireless ad hoc networks to facilitate the interaction between the human and physical worlds. Rapid growth in sensing devices connected to the internet with intelligence and capabilities also opens the door because more devices connected devices means more chances of security vulnerabilities. Blockchain (BC) technology is introduced to address authentication and other security-related challanges by eliminating the role of central authority. This chapter starts with unique characteristics and security challenges in WSN and further identified different ways to apply blockchain with its potential benefits. The chapter presented the integration of blockchain in CI-enabled WSN with respect to focused sectors.
Targeted prostate biopsy: 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT vs. mpMRI in the diagnosis of prostate cancer
Authors: Pepe Pietro , Pepe Ludovica , Tamburo Maria , Marletta Giulia , Pennisi Michele , Fraggetta Filippo
Published: September 2022

Introduction: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of 68Ga-prostate-speciﬁc membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomog-raphy (PET/CT) vs. multiparametric magnetic resonance imag-ing (mpMRI) targeted biopsy (TPBx) in the diagnosis of clinical-ly signiﬁcant prostate cancer (csPCa: Grade Group ≥ 2).

Materials and methods: From January 2021 to June 2022, 100 patients (median age: 66 years) with negative digital rectal examination underwent transperineal prostate biopsy for abnor-mal PSA values (median 7.5 ng/ml). Before prostate biopsy, all patients underwent mpMRI and 68Ga-PET/CT examinations and mpMRI (PI-RADS version 2 ≥ 3) or 68Ga-PET/CT index lesions suspicious for cancer (SUVmax > 5 g/ml) underwent cognitive targeted cores (mpMRI-TPBx and PSMA-TPBx: four cores) com-bined with extended systematic prostate biopsy (eSPBx: median 18 cores). The procedure was performed transperineally using a tru-cut 18-gauge needle under sedation and antibiotic prophy-laxis. Results: PCa was found in 58/100 (58.0%) men; in detail, 44/58 (75.9%) were csPCa; mpMRI and 68Ga-PSMA showed 66/100 (66%) and 62/100 (60%) lesions suspicious for PCa, respective-ly. 68Ga-PSMA-TPBx vs. mpMRI-TPBx vs. eSPBx diagnosed 42 (95.4%) vs. 36 (81.8%) vs. 30 (68.2%) csPCa, respectively; mpMRI-TPBx vs. 68Ga-PSMA-TPBx showed a diagnostic accuracy of 76.9% vs. 84.9% in diagnosing csPCa.

Conclusions: 68GaPSMA PET/CT TPBx demonstrated good accuracy in the diagnosis of csPCa, which was not inferior to mpMRI TPBx (84.9% vs. 76.9%) improving the detection rate for cancer of systematic biopsy.
Management of encrusted ureteral stents: Two center experience
Authors: Thangavelu Mohanarangam , Abdallah Mohamed Yehia , Isola Olubenga John , Kotb Ahmed
Published: September 2022

Introduction: We present our experience of the endourological management of encrusted ureteral stents (EUS) and a literature review on forgotten encrusted ureteral stents. Methods: A total of 13 encrusted ureteral stents from 12 patients were removed in two hospitals. The medical records were retrospectively analyzed for stent indication, indwelling time, clinical presentation, investigations, type and the number of surgical procedures, operative time, complications, duration of hospital stay, and the follow-up. Results: Five ureteral stents (US) inserted before ESWL(extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy) for renal stones, seven US for ureteric stones with ureteric colic, and one ureteral stent for post ureteroscopy procedure. The mean indwelling time was 15.07 ± 7.34 months with a range from 6 to 24 months. The mean Kidney,Ureter and Bladder (KUB) score of encrusta-tion grading was 11.84 ± 2.07 with a range from 9 to 15. The encrusted stents were removed by a combination of cystolithotripsy, semi-rigid ureteroscopy (URS), retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS), percutaneous nephrolithotomy(PCNL), and ESWL. The average total number of procedures to remove one EUS was 3 ± 1.08 with a range of 2 to 5 proce-dures. Six encrusted stents were removed in one, ﬁve stents required two, one stent required three and one stent required four hospital admissions. The median operative time was 210 minutes with a range of 60 to 660 minutes per EUS removal and the mean hospital stay was 2.69 ± 1.43 days with a range of 1 to 6 days. All patients had successful removal of encrusted stent and complete stone clearance with no major complica-tions. In the follow-up, one patient had recurrent ureteric stone, one patient on regular stent exchange due to poor renal function and one patient developed signiﬁcant ureteric stricture referred for reconstruction. Conclusions: Removal of forgotten encrusted impacted ureteral stents is challenging and requires a multimodal surgical approach. It adds signiﬁcant costs to the health care system and in addition it affects patient safety and quality of life. Patient education, avoiding unnecessary ureteral stent place-ment and a computerized stent monitoring system reduces the incidence of forgotten ureteral stents and their complications.
Is there an Influence of Match and Mismatch of Venous Drainage Pattern on AVM Hemorrhagic Presentation?
Authors: Lv Xianli , Yu Jianjun , Zhao Xuelian , Zhang Huifang , Zhang Xinyan
Published: September 2022

Objective:

To analyze whether there is an influence of match and mismatch of venous drainage patterns on arteriovenous malformation (AVM) hemorrhagic presentation.

Methods:

Consecutive 161 patients of AVM between 2014 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Venous drainage was considered deep or superficial. Match of venous drainage pattern was defined as a superficial AVM with only superficial venous drainage or a deep AVM with deep venous drainage. Mismatch of venous drainage pattern was defined as a superficial AVM involving a deep venous drainage. Univariate analysis was used to assess the influence of match and mismatch of venous drainage pattern on AVM hemorrhagic presentation.

Results:

AVM location and venous drainage were matched in 116 patients, including superficial location with superficial venous drainage or deep location with deep venous drainage, and were mismatched in 45 patients, including superficial location with deep venous drainage. The rupture proportion of mismatch venous drainage pattern was statistically comparable to that of deep location with deep drainage (P = 0.819). However, superficial location with deep venous drainage was statistically associated with a higher rupture percentage than that of superficial location with superficial venous drainage (P = 0.003).

Conclusions:

Mismatch venous drainage pattern or an exclusively deep venous drainage is associated with an initial clinical presentation with an AVM hemorrhage.
An Ergonomic Neuroendoscopic Instrument Handle Design using 3D Printing
Authors: Singh Ramandeep , Suri Ashish
Published: September 2022

Background:

Minimally invasive neurosurgery poses several challenges to surgeons due to constrained working environment, and its implications on the surgical outcome are an area of growing concern. The instrument handle design directly affects surgeon's performance, and the conventional ring handle causes ergonomic discomfort.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to design and validate a palm grasping-based ergonomic handle for skull-base neuroendoscopic instruments.

Materials and Methods:

The handle was designed based on the palm grasping technique and to naturally match the contours of hand. The ergonomic handle was fabricated and assembled with the end-effector of biopsy forceps. Fifteen participants with no experience of neuroendoscopic procedures validated the ergonomic handle. During data collection, participants performed the ring transfer task on straight, right tilt (+30°) and left tilt (-30°) of activity plates of neuro-endo-trainer (NET) with 0° and 30° endoscopes.

Results:

Feedback from participants indicated that there was significant improvement in degree of discomfort in performing the task on straight (P = 0.006) and tilted plate (P = 0.001) and degree of pain (0.0001) using the ergonomic handle. Furthermore, video analysis of the performed task shows that there was statistical improvement in hitting events (P = 0.001, P = 0.04), tugging events (P = 0.00001, P = 0.00001,) and picking attempts (P = 0.04, P = 0.0004) on straight and tilted plates, respectively. There was reduction in ring drop, jerk, and average moving time, but results were not significant.

Conclusion:

The subjective validation of ergonomic handle by neurosurgeons shows that the designed handle offers ergonomic advantages. Objective validation by video analysis shows that the ergonomic handle results in better task performance on NET surgical trainer.
Evaluation of Single Exon Deletions in DMD/BMD
Authors: Dama Tavisha , Chheda Pratiksha , Limaye Shweta , Pande Shailesh , Vinarkar Sushant
Published: September 2022

Background:

Oftentimes, a variation at the multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) probe binding site leads to improper hybridrization/ligation of the probe showing up as a deletion of an exon leading to false positive results for the detection of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)/Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD).

Objective:

Investigating cases with single exon deletion using an alternate method [polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or sequencing] for confirmation of the deletion.

Methods:

We evaluated males with single exon deletion (n = 49) in our study population (2015-2019). Forty-six were confirmed by an alternate method (conventional PCR/Sanger's sequencing) to confirm the deletion.

Results:

We observed 25.12% single exon deletions in our study cohort. Further evaluation determined a false positive rate of 6.12%. Three out of 49 single exon deletions had a point mutation near the probe-binding site, indicating a false positive result. Single exon deletions, thus, need to be evaluated with extreme caution, and point mutations, if any, need to be characterized to determine the nature of their pathogenicity.
An Institutional Experience and Literature Review on Iatrogenic Major Vascular Injury in Neurosurgery
Authors: Nangarwal Bhawan , Bhaisora Kamlesh Singh , Khatri Deepak , Sharma Ashish , Singh Vivek , Maurya Vedprakash , Verma Pawan , Sardhara Jayesh , Das Kuntal Kanti , Mehrotra Anant , Srivastava Arun Kumar , Jaiswal Awadhesh Kumar , Behari Sanjay
Published: September 2022

Background:

Major vessel injury is among the most dreaded complications of any neurosurgical procedure. Once intraoperatively tamponaded, it can present in the form of pseudoaneurysm, dissecting aneurysm or complete occlusion of vessel. These injuries are often associated with very high morbidity and mortality. The literature available on this topic is limited and our understanding remains limited.

Objective:

In this article, we present our surgical experience with iatrogenic aneurysms and present a review of literature.

Methods and Material:

We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients with major vessel injury during surgery from a prospectively maintained database from January 2012 to February 2020.

Results:

A total of 15 patients developed iatrogenic aneurysms following a major vessel injury during various neurosurgical procedures. The most common vessel injured was vertebral artery (n = 9) in craniovertebral junction (CVJ) anomalies and ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) followed by internal carotid artery injury (n = 5) in sellar and parasellar pathologies. One patient developed basilar artery injury during endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV). Eight patients had pseudoaneurysm and seven had dissecting aneurysm with or without complete thrombosis of the involved artery. A total of two patients died after vascular injury and remaining thirteen patients survived and discharged.

Conclusions:

The adage “prevention is better than cure” applies most aptly in such cases. Any major vessel injury should be followed by immediate angiography and subsequent early management. The endovascular management is more favorable as these aneurysms are difficult to clip due to the absence of a neck and fragile wall.
Women in Neurosurgery – The Road Less Traveled
Authors: Shah Abhidha
Published: September 2022

Neurosurgery is one of the most challenging branches in medicine. Apart from rigorous training, it demands precision, perfection, and excellence. It calls for a kind of stubborn confidence in self and the will to go well beyond. It has always been a male-dominated speciality, and the path for women in neurosurgery was paved by a handful of female surgeons who took “the road less traveled.” These pioneering few had to face a number of obstacles to attain their dreams, but their persistence prevailed and has set the route for future. This article highlights the progress of women in neurosurgery in India.
Perioperative Variation in Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter – A Prospective Observational Study of Traumatic Brain Injury Patients Undergoing Decompressive Craniectomy
Authors: Suresh Varun , Ushakumari P R , Aggarwal Anurag , Kumar Arun , Kutty Raja K , Prabhakar Rajmohan B , Peethambaran Anilkumar
Published: September 2022

Background:

Measuring optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) by transbulbar ultrasonography (TBUS) can suffice non-invasive ICP measurement with considerable accuracy.

Objective:

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the perioperative variation in ONSD by TBUS in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients undergoing emergency craniectomy.

Methods:

We prospectively compared bilateral ONSD measurements in 45 consecutive TBI cases undergoing decompressive craniectomy under general anesthesia; before and after surgery. A total of 180 ONSD images were obtained and measurements were done by the same investigator blinded to the pre/postoperative nature of the image.

Results:

Based on preoperative Glasgow Coma Scores, 34 cases (75.5%) had severe TBI; 10 cases (22.2%) moderate TBI; and 1 case (2.2%) mild TBI. Preoperative ONSD in the study population were as 6.625 ± 0.414mm. Average ONSD reduced significantly by 0.249 ± 0.148 mm (P < 0.001) after craniectomy. On pooled analysis of cases undergoing right versus left sided craniectomy average ONSD reduced significantly by 0.252 ± 0.173 mm (P < 0.001) and 0.259 ± 0.139 mm (P < 0.001), respectively. ONSD of right eye with left eye and vice-versa were strongly correlated both pre/postoperatively with Pearson correlation coefficients (r)=0.879 (P < 0.001) and r = 0.827 (P < 0.001), respectively.

Conclusions:

In TBI cases undergoing decompressive craniectomy ONSD is bilaterally increased preoperatively. ONSD reduces significantly immediately after craniectomy; however, the diameters did not near the normal range. There hold a strong correlation between right/left ONSD measurements irrespective of the laterality of injury or side of surgery. Variable elastic properties of ONS in an injured brain can possibly explain our findings.
Intraventricular Pilocytic Astrocytoma
Authors: Dash Chinmaya , Moorthy Skanda , Garg Kanwaljeet , Sawarkar Dattaraj , Singh Pankaj K , Kaur Kavneet , Suri Vaishali , Kumar Amandeep , Gurjar Hitesh , Borkar Sachin , Chandra P Sarat , Kale Sasank Sarad
Published: September 2022

Background :

Intraventricular pilocytic astrocytomas are a rare occurrence, accounting for approximately 4% -15.6% of all pilocytic astrocytomas . The aim of the study was to describe the radiology, surgical management and outcome in 15 patients with histopathologically proven intraventricular pilocytic astrocytoma(IVPA).

Objective :

To study the clinical presentation radiology and operative challenges in rare intra ventricular pilocytic astrocytomas.

Materials and Methods:

Between January 2010 and August 2018, 15 patients with histopathologically proven IVPA were identified. The radiological images were obtained from PACS. Patient and surgical details were obtained from the computerized discharge summary, OT records and operative notes, whereas follow up was obtained from the record section.

Results:

Headache with progressive loss of vision was the most common presentation. Duration of symptoms varied from 4 months to 2 years (mean 9. 88 months). Except one patient, all patients with preoperative CT scan revealed calcifications in the lesion, with extensive calcification in 3 patients. All the tumors were predominantly hypointense on T1WI and iso to hyperintense on T2WI. Lesion in all patients showed heterogenous contrast enhancement on post gadolinium images. Mean blood loss in the series was 1969 ml (range 250 ml- 4500 ml). There was one death in this series due to meningitis and septic shock.

Conclusion:

IVPAs are rare tumors and are difficult to diagnose in the preoperative period based on the radiologic profile alone. These tumors can be extremely vascular with potential for massive blood loss. These tumors can be associated with extensive calcification and the calcified tumors have less bleeding as expected.
Effects of Combination Therapy with Bunium persicum and Foeniculum vulgare Extracts on Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Aliakbari Fatemeh , Naghdipour Mirsadeghi Misa , Hashemi Elmira , Rahimi-Madiseh Mohammad , Mohammadi Belgheis
Published: September 2022

Background:

Considering the side effects of common drugs used to treat polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), researchers have turned their attention to natural compounds, including medicinal plants. Foeniculum vulgare has estrogenic properties and has been traditionally used to treat gynecological disorders. Bunium persicum has medical aspects that have not yet been evaluated, so the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of combination therapy with these extracts on clinical symptoms of women with PCOS.

Materials and Methods:

In this double-blind clinical trial study, 70 women with PCOS referred to infertility clinics, were selected and randomly divided into two groups. The intervention group received B. persicum capsule 60 mg plus F. vulgare capsule 25 mg) twice daily for 4 months and the control groups received routine intervention. Before and after the intervention, levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone, progesterone, prolactin, testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels, hirsutism score, and menstrual pattern were recorded and endometrial thickness and follicle count were determined by ultrasound. Data were analyzed by the SPSS21 software.

Results:

Treatment with B. persicum and F. vulgare extracts significantly decreased LH and DHEAS levels, hirsutism score, and significantly increased menstrual duration compared to the control group. Before the intervention, 5.7% of the intervention and control groups had the normal menstrual pattern, while after the intervention 31.4% of the intervention group and 25.7% of the control group had the normal pattern.

Conclusion:

Regarding the effect of these extracts combination and because they have no side-effects, which is a great advantage over chemical drugs, using of these plants recommend.