bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Better semantic embeddings lead to better ZSL performance
Authors: Zhang Zhihui
Published: August 2022

Zero-Shot Action Recognition (ZSAR) is a thriving field as a result of the increasing diversity ofaction classes that have presented new difficulties for video comprehension. By using semanticrepresentations to connect observed and unseen events, the ZSAR challenge tries to recognise target(unseen) activities without training examples. It is still difficult to semantically characterise actionclasses and transmit knowledge from observed data due to the complexity and diversity ofactivities. Initially, semantic embeddings used were word2vec embeddings of each class label. Ithas been seen using better embeddings such as sen2vec or more recently elaborate class definitionsleads to best results. Using current action recognition datasets (like UCF101), the conventionalevaluation technique randomly divides the classes into seen and unseen. The majority of recentresearch, however, builds on pre-trained representations from the Kinetics dataset, whose classessubstantially overlap with classes from the zero-shot dataset assessment datasets. Consequently,classes that are meant to remain hidden, are present, negating the need of the premise for zero shotlearning.
Ý định tiếp tục sử dụng dịch vụ và giải pháp phát triển dịch vụ mobile data cho mạng di động MobiFone tại thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
Authors: Huan Cao Quang , Giao Ha Nam Khanh
Published: August 2022

Đề tài nhằm xác định và đo lường các yếu tố ảnh hưởng đến ý định tiếp tục sử dụng dịch vụ và giải pháp phát triển dịch vụ Mobile data cho mạng di động MobiFone tại thành phố Hồ Chí Minh (TPHCM), bằng việc khảo sát 445 người tiêu dùng (NTD) đang sử dụng dịch vụ mobile data của nhà cung cấp dịch vụ MobiFone tại TPHCM. Nghiên cứu sử dụng công cụ SPSS 20 để phân tích độ tin cậy thang đo qua hệ số Cronbach’s Alpha, phân tích EFA, phần mềm AMOS 22 để phân tích CFA, kiểm định mô hình bằng phân tích cấu trúc tuyến tính SEM. Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy các nhân tố tác động đến ý định tiếp tục sử dụng dịch vụ mobile data của Mobifone là sự hài lòng, mức độ khả dụng và giá cả. Mức độ kỳ vọng có tác động trực tiếp và thuận chiều lên độ hữu dụng. Mức độ kỳ vọng có tác động trực tiếp và thuận chiều lên sự hài lòng. Độ hữu dụng có tác động trực tiếp và cùng chiều lên sự hài lòng. Kết quả cũng giúp cho các nhà quản trị có những điều chỉnh chiến lược và hành động phù hợp trong quá trình cạnh tranh khốc liệt hiện nay đối với thị trường viễn thông.
A Machine Learning Approach to Finding Factors that Lead to Environmental Friendliness
Authors: Maddury Sucheer
Published: August 2022

To maintain a sustainable society, environmental friendliness is necessary, an effort that all countries must take part in. The effort must be pioneered by developed nations with the resources to enact sustainable policies, reduce emissions and conserve energy, from which developing nations will follow the eroded path. Recognizing the factors that promote environmental friendliness is necessary for researchers, policymakers, and activists alike. Several past studies have examined the relationship between environmental performance and various nationwide factors such as economic strength, education, and corruption. In this paper, however, we introduce the machine learning approach Multiple-Linear Regression, allowing several variables to be used in tandem. We constructed a dataset using a variety of variables from a variety of sources, either examined in past literature or justified logically. We measured environmental friendliness through the Environmental Performance Index (EPI), and chose feature variables of Women in Parliament (%), Internet users (%), Freedom Index, Ethnic fractionalization, Technological development, Press Freedom Index, Corruption Perceptions Index, GDP per capita ($), and Education Index, and Population. We found that Multiple-Linear Regression is an effective way of measuring EPI, where several metrics indicate that EPI is almost completely determined by the feature variables. We end the study by presenting the correlations of each of the variables with EPI, and find that almost all exhibit strong linear relationships. These correlations should bring light to the characteristics of environmentally friendly countries, mainly Nordic nations.
Low-Intensity Unfocused Ultrasound Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Increase Heart Rate Variability and Reduce Anxiety
Authors: Gupta Pia , Maxfield Kate Elizabeth , Sanguinetti Joseph Lacoste
Published: August 2022

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health concerns in the United States, yet current treatments are often time-consuming, costly, or ineffective. Electrical vagus nerve stimulation has been approved as a treatment for epilepsy and depression, and some studies show it has reduced anxiety as well, but there are limitations to electrical stimulation. It isn’t widely accessible and can have side effects such as neck pain, dizziness, headache, nasopharyngitis, and oropharyngeal pain (Farmer et al., 2021). Ultrasound stimulation of the vagus nerve could develop as a fast-acting, easily accessible, and safer treatment for anxiety. In this study, we tested whether low-intensity unfocused ultrasound stimulation could modulate heart rate variability and anxiety scores in a healthy group of participants. There were three between-subjects conditions: two minutes of interval simulation (30s on, 30s off), no-interval simulation (continuous), and placebo. Participants were split into anxious and non-anxious subgroups based on scores on the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results for the group as a whole showed no significant change in heart rate variability or anxiety scores. However, when participants were split into anxious and non-anxious subgroups, the anxiety scores were significantly reduced relative to the placebo group in the Interval condition for the anxious participants only. These results, while preliminary, suggest that low-intensity unfocused ultrasound stimulation of the vagus nerve could be a treatment for anxiety. Future studies should focus on anxious people and study the mechanism of the reduced anxiety in more depth to confirm these results.
Scrolling through Fake News: The Effect of Presentation Order on Misinformation Retention
Authors: Edelijn Yashi , Øvreeide Vilde Dille , Verheyen Steven
Published: August 2022

Sharing information in real time leaves little room for double-checking. This leads to an abundance of low-quality information which might later need to be corrected, and provides a foundation on which false beliefs can arise. Today, the general population often consults digital media platforms for news content. Because of the sheer amount of news articles and the various ways digital media platforms organize material,readers may encounter news articles with faulty content and their subsequent corrections in various orders. They might read the misinformation before the correctedversion, or vice versa. We conducted two studies in which participants were presented with two reports of a news event: one report that included a piece of misinformationand one report in which that misinformation was retracted. The order in which the two reports were encountered was manipulated. In Study 1, the retraction contained an explicit reminder of the misinformation; in Study 2 it did not. Neither Study 1 nor Study 2 found an effect of presentation order on misinformation reliance. These findings run counter to predictions by those accounts of the continued influence effect that suggesta better encoding of retractions and subsequent lesser reliance on misinformation when retractions are encountered first.
Examining Consistency in Intervention Response With Multiple-Groups Latent Curve Models: A Tutorial
Authors: Fishbein Joel Nathan , Arch Joanna
Published: August 2022

The question of whether some interventions lead to more consistent (i.e., similar) degrees of change across treated individuals than others remains a critical overlooked question in psychology, education, and related fields. Questions of consistency are becoming increasingly important as researchers develop adaptations, such as digital or peer-led versions, of evidence-based interventions, because some interventions may be more consistent than others. Standard analytic methods that are commonly used to analyze randomized controlled trial data are not well-suited to probing questions about consistency in intervention response. This tutorial explores how multiple-groups latent curve models can be used to probe questions about intervention consistency using randomized trial data. In demonstrating this novel approach, we apply multiple-groups latent curve models to three outcome variables that showed no intervention effect in a trial of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intervention versus minimally-enhanced usual care for anxious cancer survivors. We found that response consistency was higher in the intervention condition on two out of three outcomes, even though average amount of change did not differ between conditions. The provided R code can be readily adapted by readers for application in their datasets. Overall, the aim of this tutorial is to describe when and how to analyze consistency in intervention response using randomized trial data.
Unaccompanied migrant children in the United States: Implementation and effectiveness of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Authors: Patel Syed Zabin , Casline Elizabeth , Vera Cedrin , Ramirez Vanessa , Jensen-Doss Amanda
Published: August 2022

Objective: The number of unaccompanied children (UC) arriving in the United States (U.S.) from other countries has increased significantly over the past decade. UC report high trauma exposure and greater posttraumatic stress symptoms compared to youth who immigrate with caregivers. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) has demonstrated preliminary effectiveness with UC. However, few studies have treated U.S.-based samples of UC, who emigrate primarily from Central America. Method: One hundred and thirty eight UC were referred for treatment and 129 completed a pre-treatment assessment including the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Most UC were from Central America (n = 109; 79.0%) and resided in government facilities (n = 76; 55.1%). One hundred and twenty two youth began TF-CBT, had an average of 9.71 sessions (SD = 9.3, range: 1-48), and 41.8% (n = 51) completed treatment. One hundred and four youth completed a brief, 6-item progress monitoring measure of trauma symptoms, for which 84 had at least two observations during treatment.Results: UC endorsed 3.80 traumatic events on average (SD = 2.38). High rates of violence, physical and sexual abuse, and serious injury were reported. There were significant improvements on most self-report rating scales (p < .05); within-subjects Cohen’s d’s ranged from .07 to 1.03 for pre to post-treatment assessments and was d = .44 for the progress monitoring measure. Therapists reported on TF-CBT modifications for UC, including discussing mental health beliefs, navigating roles and relationships, tailoring treatment examples, exploring coping strategies, and addressing immigration factors.Conclusion: Preliminary findings support the utility of TF-CBT with UC. Implications for implementation and cultural modifications are discussed.
Shareholder engagement for climate change: Lessons from the ExxonMobil vs Engine No.1 proxy battle
Authors: Naef Alain
Published: August 2022

This paper offers a case study of how a small shareholder managed to impose three more climate-conscious directors on the board of ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest scope 3 CO2 emitters. This concrete approach to fossil fuel companies’ transition might prove useful for climate change mitigation. The policy has the advantage to work in a vacuum. It has positive impacts on emissions regardless of what other actors do, unlike policies such as global carbon taxes or large-scale divestment, which need more coordination. But it comes with limitations. I find that the proxy campaign led to more attention for the hedge fund running the campaign. It was used as a marketing tool. Despite the limitations, proxy battles could prove a useful approach to pragmatic climate change approaches.
Pandemic rendering the transgender people more vulnerable, as if it was not already enough: A qualitative exploration from Odisha, India
Authors: Rout Prachi Parimita , Mathur Ajitesh , Swain Pranaya
Published: August 2022

The impact of COVID -19 on people's livelihood worldwide has been of unprecedented magnitude, and the most affected have been the socially and economically disadvantaged and marginalized communities. Transgender people, being one of the most vulnerable sections of India, are often discriminated against on several counts, including education, health, housing, and livelihood opportunities. The present study attempts to offer insights into the impact of this pandemic on the livelihood of this marginalized section of people. The pandemic has adversely affected their primary sources of livelihood, such as begging, prostitution, singing, and dancing, due mainly to the restrictive measures imposed by the Governmental authorities to curb the spread of the virus. The imposition of the lock-down, shut-down, social/physical distancing, etc., has deprived transgender people of their livelihood choices and rendered them even more vulnerable. During the crisis, the state Government of Odisha and some non-state actors took various steps and offered to help hands to the transgender people. However, those temporary livelihood options and monetary support provided to transgender people have not been enough to be sustainable alternate sources of income. Approaches to make them self-sufficient over a longer term and empower them financially would have been of more significant impact. Besides, the associated social stigma also hindered in many cases. With qualitative data obtained through telephonic interviews, this paper discusses the pandemic-induced livelihood predicaments of transgender people and presents a few case studies in order to dig deeper into the lives and livelihood of transgender people during this time of crisis.
Biological and psychosocial risk perception in Medical Students of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana: A cross Sectional study
Authors: Otálora-Esteban Juan Felipe , Rojas Juanita , Rosero-Silva Antonia , Rincón-Abreo Laura Juliana Teresa , Palencia-Sánchez Francisco
Published: August 2022

Occupation exposure is defined as the presence of a substance or risk factor in the work environment, there are several types of them such as physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial. Health workers are exposed in their daily labor to similar occupational risks, World Health Organization recognizes sharp injuries, chemicals, radiation, stress, and violence as the most common hazards in health care, the incidence of occupational accidents varies among regions and hospitals, physicians and nurses are the ones at higher risk, some reports show and incidence of accidents of 34,1 per 1.000 health workers. Risk perception has a key role in how people act and take precautions to minimize risk. This study´s objective was to characterize risk perception in medical students at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, according to their time of exposition in practice. Two questionnaires were adapted to describe risk perception in medical students, the first one was “Escala Diagnóstica de Riesgos Laborales (EDRIL)” which was used to describe occupational risk with variables like depression, burnout, and mobbing, and the second one was Biological Risk Perception questionnaire from Cabos Valdez. The final questionnaire included fifty-one questions and took an approximated time of 5 minutes to complete. Through this questionnaire, we were able to categorize the main risks recognized by students and their management of them.
ECEC as a potential equaliser for achievement gaps by migration background: Evidence from a quasi-experimental population-level study in Ireland
Authors: Sprong Stefanie L. , Skopek Jan
Published: August 2022

Children of migrant origin often face inequalities in academic opportunities, with research suggesting that achievement gaps are present even early in the life course. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is often put forward as a possible equaliser. However, there is a need for more population-level studies as well as more research in the European context, especially in more recent countries of immigration. In this research article, we draw on data from a nationally representative Irish cohort study (N =7,781) and use propensity score methods to account for differential selection into ECEC. We estimate the causal effect of ECEC attendance on later English language achievement and gauge the equalisation power and potential of the system. The findings indicate that the Irish ECEC system helped to reduce achievement gaps by migration background for children from non-English speaking homes, despite it not promoting English language achievement amongst other groups.
Dillenia pentagyna Roxb.: A Review on Phytochemistry and Pharmacology
Authors: Saxena Hari Om , Das Asima , Parihar Samiksha
Published: August 2022

Dillenia pentagyna often known as ‘Karmal’ is a member of Dilleniaceae. Different parts of the plant have been used by tribal communities to treat a broad spectrum of ailments. The plant reports the presence of some vital therapeutic compounds such as botulin, botulinic acid, botulinic acid, morolic acid, lupeol, diploic acid, etc. Some of the major pharmaceutical properties of the plant are anticancerous, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-diabetic. This plant has been recently classified as a critically endangered species in Madhya Pradesh state. Low germination rates are one of the major factors of being a critically endangered species. Despite being a potent curative plant species, it is yet to be fully explored. The objective of the present review to highlight the phytochemical investigations and pharmacology applications for several purposes like anti-diabetic, anti-cancerous, anti-microbial, antioxidant, etc of this plant species. In future studies, this knowledge can be applied to the safe and evidence-based use of traditional Indian medicinal plants in global Phyto pharmacotherapy and to the discovery of novel leads for the development of herbal formulations.
Factors Affecting Purchase Intention of Laptop in Nepal
Authors: Rai Bharat , Rai Bhula Nath
Published: August 2022

The main objective of the study was to explore the factors affecting purchase intention in the buying of laptops in the Nepalese market. Product quality, product price, and brand image are taken as independent variables to examine the impact on purchase intention. Primary data has been used in the study. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire in the six-point Likert scale from laptop users in the Nepalese market. Convenient sampling was used for the study and Kathmandu was the sampling location. A total of 385 respondents were the sample size of the study. SPSS software has been used to process and analyze the primary data. Mean Standard Deviation, Correlation, and Regression analysis techniques have been used to analyze the collected data.
The research found that there is a significant positive relationship of all three independent variables like product quality, product price, and brand image with the dependent variable purchase intention. Moreover, it is found that there is a significant and positive influence of product price and brand image on purchase intention towards the laptop in the Nepalese market. But, it is found that the product quality has no significant influence on the purchase intention towards the laptop in the Nepalese market.
Representation of a Rebellious Woman of Nepali Society in Sheeba Shah’s Facing My Phantoms
Authors: Karki Data Ram
Published: August 2022

A normalized female self is predefined in society and the society has preconceived image which defines role and position in general. The study outlines a female picture which is beyond unlike societal explanation in Sheeba Shah's Facing My Phantoms in which a female character embodies and represents an image of Nepali woman in Nepalese society. The bold, fearless and daring character is beyond from patriarchal imagination. The portrayed woman character, Sanjeevani is symbolic and representative of rebellious self. Her struggle is for sake of individuality and self in male oriented society. Her voice is strong enough to create and establish own female self-identity in society. The novel advocates a voice of daring woman within a short time frame of Nepali history during civil war. The rebellious picture of Sanjeevani is a futuristic in the contemporary society.
Teachers’ Perception of English as Medium of Instruction in Nepalese Community Schools
Authors: Panthee Dinesh
Published: August 2022

English as Medium of Instruction (EMI) has been a burning issue of the pedagogical field among the concerned stakeholders including teachers. The objective of this study was to find out the perception of the community schools' teachers in shifting the medium of instruction to English in the multilingual classroom contexts. It also aimed to explore the opportunities and challenges of shifting the medium of instruction Nepali to English in community schools. It is a qualitative design with a phenomenological study. The participants of the study were two teachers of a community school of Sainamaina Municipality of Rupandehi who are teaching other than English subjects in English medium. A semi-structured interview technique was used to gather information from the participants. The main finding of the study was that the use of EMI in community schools is beneficial. It is also found that teachers of community schools were positive in implementing EMI in conducting their daily teaching and learning activities even though there are certain challenges like linguistic difficulties, inadequate language abilities of teachers, cultural diversity, less effective pedagogy, limited resources, etc.
Code Mixing in Folk Songs: A Journey towards Linguistic Creativity
Authors: Bhetuwal Kamali Kanta
Published: August 2022

Folk song is a true gift of culture. It is one of the traditional, intangible and indigenous pieces of the art of performing the melodious expression with the help of soft pipes that are forever invaluable cultural assets and musical property as well. In view of making a brief survey of the use of multiple languages in folk songs, different folk melodies have been selected randomly from seven provinces of Nepal where the folk melodies are more fertile. This paper aims at exploring the use of multiple languages in folk songs I, myself as a researcher in the field, encountered with in written and audio- or video-recorded form. Therefore, the main source of relevant data includes me and other written and audio or video documents of folk songs I found. As a multicultural country, Nepal is rich in terms of its folk songs. In this paper, I analyze how folk song can be a creative space where linguistic boundaries are challenged and new language practices are invented. Taking of folk songs as a social and cultural identity, I examine how folk song embraces local diversity and redefines the use of language a creative tool for public.
Projection of Body as Repulsion to Subjugated Female Identity in Mahasweta Devi’s Breast Giver and Parijat’s The Raped Tears of Salgi
Authors: Nepal Khagendra Prasad
Published: August 2022

This paper seeks to analyze how the projection of female body stands as a great repulsion to the female identity that is defined by the male chuavinism with particular reference to the two stories of two prominent writers Mahasweta Devi of India and Parijat of Nepal. One story, Breast Giver, of Mahasweta Devi and a story, The Raped Tears of Salgi, of Parijat have got a keen observation dealing with the female body alienation. This study shows how female bodies have been alienated from their selves; how these female characters Jashoda and Salgi do not have the sense of being distanced from their own selves.
The study adopts qualitative methodology and takes Marxist feminism as a theoretical tool to interpret and analyze the primary text. Instead of focusing on the analysis of the theme of the text, the study focuses on analysis of the text in concern with female body portrays in the stories. The female characters are physically assaulted, raped, and coerced time and again. Their bodies become the site where men enact violence. The study argues that these female characters become the victim of violence just because they are women. The study makes an attempt to make people understand how women suffer from gender-based violence in patriarchy.
An Outline of Feminism Jurisprudence: Phases and Approaches from Nepalese Perspectives
Authors: Bhattarai Lokendra Hari
Published: August 2022

Jurisprudence is a science of law. Whereas feminism jurisprudence is a philosophy of law based on political, economic and social equality of sexes. It began in 1960s and feminists believe that law is not neutral or impartial. They blame male written history which has created in a bias way it is an off-shoot of critical legal studies. There are some of the schools of feminist jurisprudence. They are as liberal feminism, radical feminism, postmodern feminism, black feminism, lesbian feminism, queer feminism, Marxist feminism. All of the feminists have the same agenda of establishing equal opportunitiesand equal rights for women in all sectors. After the promulgation of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990, judicial body played vital role to eliminate gender discrimination. The Interim Constitution of Nepal 2063 was more progressive than the constitution of Nepal 1990s in the issues of women’s empowerment, reproductive freedom, equality and property entitlement. The Constitution of Nepal 2015 enlarges women’s issues and has guaranteed several rights than the previous constitutions. The judicial bodies with constitutional mechanism are playing an effective role for the protection, promotion of women's rights in Nepal.
Leaders’ Narratives on Enhancing Academic Results through Soft Skills
Authors: Subedi Netra Bahadur
Published: August 2022

Although the term “soft skill” is new in our context, it has got lots of momentum very recently. Many research works on soft skills have been made worldwide and one important finding says that soft skills are important employability skills (Vasanthakumari, 2019.) Unfortunately, no substantial study has been made on whether soft skills help retain hard skills or not. Therefore, I have attempted to research this less travelled area and the finding is that soft skills help retaining hard skills and strengthening academic results. In the course of my research, I applied narrative inquiry as a research methodology selecting three research participants purposively. After data presentation, as I analyzed the patterns and themes, I got the finding that soft skills are supportive to enhance hard skills.
Postmodern Perspective towards Human Health and Illness
Authors: Karki Binod Kumar
Published: August 2022

Health and illness, as widely used terms in postmodern society leave a wide scope as to their definition and conceptual interpretation. The medico-technical perspective refers to health and illness as objective changes in the structure and functioning of the human body and mind, as a result of which the bodily and mental integrity of the human organism is affected detrimentally. On the contrary, the social sciences, and especially medical sociology, define health and illness essentially in terms of the social system within which they occur. The main task of medical sociology is to pay attention to those social systemic and sociocultural aspects of health and illness which are sometimes grossly neglected or insufficiently understood by the medical sciences, thereby to contribute to a comprehensive approach to these phenomena.This study is based on review of the related literature to postmodern perspective towards health and illness. The aim of this study is to explore the postmodernist perspective towards health and illness. Thus, I will be exploring the various concepts of health and illness and also explain the postmodern perspectives of health and illness in different ways.
Equity Practices of Teaching Science at Secondary Level
Authors: Gautam Tikaram
Published: August 2022

The main objectives of this study is to explore the equity practices in science classroom. Implementation of equity provision in science classroom is very important. Equity means ensuring the needs of the students according to their necessities. It focuses on individual teaching. All students are different and having the specific capacity and capacity of learning and teacher should facilitate them all according to their ability and they should have rights to equal access in resources and other extra supports for their improvement and also should have the equality in achievement.  To reveal such practices in learning science researcher used phenomenological study. Two secondary science teachers were selected using purposive and convenient sampling method. The in-depth interview was taken for data collection two times to saturate the data. Collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Practices of equity provision were found weaker. Teacher were found little bit concerned about the equity in pedagogy but it was limited only to sitting arrangement and group division. They could not provide the adequate concern on homework checkup, and individual teaching. And they were found less concerned about the equity in achievement. Hence, it is necessary to organize workshops and training on professional development issues to implementation of equity provision; equity in access, equity in process as well as equity achievement in the science classroom.
Patterns of Disease Presentations in an Adult Outpatient Neurology Clinic of a Neurologist
Authors: Gajurel Bikram Prasad , Karn Ragesh , Rajbhandari Reema , Ojha Rajeev
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Neurological disorders are very common all over the world. The most common neurological disorders causing maximum disability in Nepal are migraine and tetanus whereas the most common neurological causes of death are ischemic strokes and primary intracerebral hemorrhage. This small-scale study has been carried out to find out the frequency and types of disorders presenting in adult outpatient neurology clinic in a tertiary care hospital in Nepal.

Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study carried out in the outpatient department of the department of neurology at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. The diseases were classified based on the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases. Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used to calculate the significance of the different types of variables when applicable.

Results: Of 1939 patients seen over a period of 12 months, diseases of the musculoskeletal system were the commonest (28.7%) followed by headache disorders (18.4%). Diseases of the musculoskeletal system, ischemic stroke, primary intracerebral hemorrhage, movement disorders, diseases of the inner ear were more common in patients more than 50 years and headache disorders; mental, behavioral or neurodevelopmental disorders; seizures and multiple sclerosis or other white matter disorders were more common patients aged 50 years or less. These differences were statistically significant.

Conclusion: Almost all types of neurological disorders were seen in the adult outpatient neurology clinic providing the opportunity to carry out research and to uplift academic activities in a tertiary care hospital.
Evaluation of Tear Secretion and Tear Film Stability in Patients with Pterygium and Normal Individuals
Authors: Mishra Surendra , Bista Bipin , Basnet Prawjal , Chaudhary Preety , Chaudhary Sushma , Gupta Sharad , Bista Padam Raj
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Abnormalities of any of the components of lacrimal function unit can lead to dysfunctional tear film and development of dry eye. Dry eye is a commonly encountered problem in general population.

Materials and Methods: A hospital-based, case-control study was conducted at National Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Nepal from 1st August 2018 to 30th July 2019.  A total of 279 participants: 93 cases of pterygium (Group A: case) and186 (Group B: control) normal individuals with no ocular surface disorder were enrolled. Objective analysis was done by Schirmer’s (SCH) without and with anesthesia and Tear Break up Time (TBUT). Dependent t test was used to analyze the data. P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 47.82 ±11.09 years (range 26-71) with male being 48 (51.6%) in Group A and in Group B, 101 (54.3%) were male with mean age being 42.16 ±13.13 years (range 32-75). The mean SCH without and with anesthesia and TBUT values were 16.94±5.61mm, 13.81±5.06mm, 10.14± 4.06 sec in Group A whereas in Group B, 20.39 ±6.08mm, 16.74 ±5.25mm and 13.05 ±4.32 sec respectively which was statistically significant (p < 0.05).  Patients with pterygium had higher risk of having dry eye than normal individuals (Odd ratios: 2.69, 2.44 and 2.27 respectively).

Conclusion: Pterygium is a common ocular surface disorder which could result in instability of tear film indices, dysfunctional tear film and thus dry eye.
A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study on the Incidence, Risk Factor and Outcome of Delirium in Surgical Patients in the Semi-Closed Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Keyal Niraj Kumar , Singh Sashi Ram , Sarraf Pramod Kumar , Yadav Umesh Kumar
Published: August 2022

Introduction: There is a variation in risk factors and outcome of delirium in surgical patients in different studies. This study was conducted to determine the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of delirium in the surgical semiclosed intensive care unit in a developing country.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was done in 82 patients of age≥18 years that underwent non-neurological surgery and admitted for more than 24 hours in a level three intensive care unit of medical college from January 10, 2021 to January 9, 2022. The whole sampling method was used in our study. The Confusion Assessment Method-ICU and Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale were used to diagnose delirium and sedation, respectively, along with a checklist to assess risk factors. All data was transferred to the excel sheet and transferred to a statistical package for the social sciences-16. Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact probability test were used to detect the difference between groups in the univariate analysis, as appropriate. The risk factors were analysed using binary logistic regression.
Result: Of the 82 ICU admissions 28(34.1%) developed delirium. Hyperactive delirium was the most common motor subtype 12(42.8%). The mean duration of delirium was 4.69±5.06 days. Hypertension and alcohol were identified as risk factors for delirium. Delirious patients had a longer length of stay in the ICU (10.1 ±12.7 vs 5.1 ±4.2 days) with no impact on the duration of mechanical ventilation, mortality, reintubation, and unplanned extubation.
Conclusion: Early recognition of risk factors for delirium in surgical patients can decrease the mortality and morbidity of surgical patients.
Corona Discharges on von Reichenbach’s Terrellae?
Authors: Van der Sluijs Marinus
Published: August 2022

In the 1840s, extensive experimentation led von Reichenbach to postulate an ‘Odic force’ associated with ‘Odic light’ or ‘magnet light’, of which the polar aurora would be an example in space. The physical nature of the visible phenomena reported by his assistants during the experiments has never been satisfactorily identified. It is argued that ‘Od’ compares to plasma or ionised gas, while at least a subset of the investigations, conducted on terrellae, represented the first experimental work on corona discharges. Accordingly, the glows on the terrellae cannot be directly compared to the aurora.
The Revival of Structuralism: The Periodic Table of Mental Science
Authors: Dolsenhe Orogee
Published: August 2022

Physical science solved an age-old problem in the 19th century:  what makes elements similar or dissimilar?  Mendeleev generally is given credit for the discovery of the underlying structure of chemical elements, known as the periodic table.  Like chemicals, qualia seem to share different relationships within a modality and between modalities. Wundt’s structuralism represents an early effort to build the structure of mind through data obtained by introspection.  Unfortunately, as have many other subjects, structuralism has been victimized by behaviorism’s domination.  And the cognitive revolution did not completely eliminate the unfavorable status of consciousness, thus hampering the revival of structuralism unlike many other topics in psychology.  With the subject of consciousness having been just about fully sanctioned by science beginning in the early 1990s, the time has come to build the periodic table of mental science by uncovering the hidden patterns of qualia.  This paper proposes four different scales of intrinsic patterns: the notion of bipolar dimension, the three complementaries, the principle of square of opposition, and the double-cone system.  They are able to accommodate 15 different modalities in a systematic and unified way:  chromatic, acoustic, tactile, olfactory, gustatory, exteroceptive motion, exteroceptive orientative, exteroceptive locus, proprioceptive motion, proprioceptive orientative, proprioceptive locus, magnitude, emotive, hedonistic, and predicative.
Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover: A Case Study and Comparative Analysis of Popular vs. Academic Psychology Books
Authors: Katz Debra Lynne
Published: August 2022

Many academic psychologists hold negative and stereotypical views about popular psychology books, even though there have been few formal investigations into these materials to understand their content, construction, purposes, or orientations, or their author’s credentials. This paper explores the origins of these views both within the Sociology of Scientific knowledge literature, and psychological literature. Through formal case study methodology, an extensive review and comparative analysis of books with the psychological construct of “Attention” in their title was undertaken to determine whether the current delineations between scholarly and popular materials and those who write them are as clear cut as those making such delineations seem to suggest, or if an alternative model of the relationship between academic and popular psychology literature could be offered. A bibliography of 145 books was compiled, followed by what turned out to be an arduous and at times impossible task of sorting these books into either popular vs. scholarly categories, revealing flaws in the dualistic nature of this activity that is often required of university students, instructors, and scholars alike. Six popular and six scholarly books (Table #3) revealed that while some of the popular books were less rigorous in referencing and representation of experimental or original findings, that they offered bibliotherapeutic benefits and were cited as often as scholarly materials in journal articles, books, and dissertations across multiple disciplines, thus suggesting that popularization is not simply a trickling down of knowledge from the scientific arenas to the public, but that science can be informed by professionals with expertise in applied areas. Meanwhile six books designated as scholarly only had a collective of 14 Amazon reader reviews. This project’s findings have implications for educators, researchers, librarians, and journal editors who may presently disqualify useful materials without fully understanding them, and for writers who could improve in their research and writing skills.
The Supernatural after the Neuro-Turn edited by Pieter F. Craffert, John R. Baker, Michael J. Winkelman
Authors: Mayer Gerhard A.
Published: August 2022

In the book chapter "Neurocognitive processes and supernatural beliefs," Andrew Newberg and David Yaden describe a basic cognitive process they call the "binary process." According to their model, this should contribute to the development of supernatural beliefs in addition to other processes. They understand this to be a general structuring process that organizes objects and abstract ideas into into dyads; that is, into relations of two, e.g., good and bad, happy and sad, natural and supernatural, right and wrong. The latter dyad points precisely to a problem I have with large parts of the book. The texts of the authors involved—all of whom are men—are almost universally characterized by such a binary thought structure. One of the editors, Pieter Craffert, a neuroanthropologist who teaches in South Africa, puts it succinctly in Chapter, “The supernatural: A range of neurocultural phenomena,” when he writes:

If transcendental theorists are correct, there is not only a whole range of entities and phenomena with powerful influences on the world that beg explanation, but the scientific enterprise as we know it needs radical transformation. If non-transcendental theorists are correct, their theories pose a challenge to nearly all religions as well as local and cultural explanations of the phenomena. (p. 24)

All authors of the book represent non-transcendental positions and attribute the category of the supernatural to “this-worldly” causes. It is not clear to me whether Craffert is aware that he leaves the area of scientific argumentation with the statement quoted above. With this escalation, there is only an either-or: Either they or we are right. It does not seem to occur to the authors that many of the non-transcendental explanations for supernatural interpretations of events and the arising of corresponding beliefs may be plausible and, in many cases, sufficient, but still do not capture the full picture. At least a more modest and reflective attitude that allows for this possibility is not reflected in the texts—with few exceptions.
Atlas of Dark Destinations—Explore the World of Dark Tourism by Peter Hohenhaus
Authors: Stone Philip R.
Published: August 2022

Dark tourism is an appellation defining travel to a diverse array of tourist sites that portray death, disasters, or calamities. For over 25 years, dark tourism as an international subject of scholarly interest has drawn together multidisciplinary discourse, where the dominion of the dead collides with contemporary touristic consumption. In turn, dark tourism has opened scholarly scrutiny of our significant Other dead and how societies deal with difficult heritage. Consequently, dark tourism is about polysemic touristic encounters with our memorialized dead, where a fine line exists between commemoration and commercialism. Dark tourism is inherently political and dissonant, as (re)presentations of our dead are imbued with sociopolitical bias and where remembrance is politically engineered and hegemonically orchestrated. Whereas heritage may produce narratives for dark tourism, it is the tourist experience that consumes such messages and co-constructs meaning making. Indeed, dark tourism displays our fights, follies, failures, and misfortunes, and subsequent tourist experiences of our ‘heritage that hurts’ mediates a sense of mortality at places of fatality.
Reply to Bauer
Authors: Bobrow Robert
Published: August 2022

“I don’t care if it’s horse piss. It works!”

 

President John F. Kennedy

 

                  I don’t know whom or what Dr. Bauer consults for his own medical care, but most of us rely on well-intentioned individuals, doing the best they can, with the tools they have on hand. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which can identify viruses and bacteria by their DNA or RNA within a few hours using a multiplication (amplification) technique, is such a tool. Identifying bacteria by culture takes several days, and viruses, which require living cells to reproduce, are difficult to culture at all. We use PCR to diagnose respiratory viruses such as influenza and Covid, as well as herpes viruses, bacteria that cause meningitis, sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis B and C, and HIV. In the case of hepatitis and HIV, we measure “viral loads”—a quantification of virus particles using PCR. We can watch viral loads rise or fall as people become infected and then respond to treatment. This always correlates clinically: On becoming infected with HIV, the viral load rises rapidly coincident with flu or mononucleosis-like symptoms in at least 40% of people. The load reaches a peak at 6 months and plateaus (this is called the viral set point, and varies with individuals). HIV’s target, the CD4 immunoactive cell, starts to decrease in number as soon as infection begins, and continues to decline as long as the viral loads are high. The higher the viral set point, the faster the decline. It may take 8–10 years until the CD4 count is low enough to cause symptoms, and then people become quite ill. Before antiviral therapy, more than 90% died. When I did hospital rotations in the late 1980s, an adult medical service of 12–15 patients always included at least one dying of AIDS, and usually younger than myself.
*Not* So Fast: A Response to Augustine’s Critique of the BICS Contest
Authors: Braude Stephen , Barušs Imants , Delorme Arnaud , Radin Dean , Wahbeh Helané
Published: August 2022

Keith Augustine’s critical evaluation of the essay contest sponsored by the Bigelow Institute of Consciousness Studies (BICS) is an interesting but problematic review. It mixes reasonable and detailed criticisms of the contest and many of the winning essays with a disappointing reliance on some of the most trite and superficial criticisms of parapsychological research. Ironically, Augustine criticizes the winning essays for using straw-man arguments and cherry-picked evidence even though many of his own arguments commit these same errors.