bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What Is Immersion? Towards a Phenomenology of Virtual Reality
Authors: Geniusas Saulius
Published: July 2022

Although the importance of the concept of immersion in game studies is indisputable, its meaning remains imprecise and ambiguous. My goal here is to develop a phenomenological clarification of this concept. I begin by clarifying how immersion has been understood in game studies. I further contend that immersion in digital games should be recognized as one modality of immersion among others. This basic realization allows one to open a dialogue between game studies and phenomenology. I develop a phenomenological conception of immersion, which relies on Alfred Schutz’s phenomenology of multiple realities and Theodor Conrad’s phenomenology of immersion. Although such an approach provides us with a general conception of immersion, it does not clarify what specific features characterize immersion in digital games. I argue that this form of immersion is a hybrid phenomenon, which shares certain features with immersion in non-digital games and other features with immersion in other types of digital media. I further demonstrate that immersion in digital games is characterized by a specific function of embodiment. With this in mind, I conclude my analysis by introducing a phenomenologically grounded distinction between actual and virtual embodiment, thereby clarifying in which sense immersion in digital games is an embodied and a disembodied experience.
Aesthetic Empathy: An Investigation in Phenomenological Psychology of Visual Art Experiences
Authors: Hansen Jannik M. , Roald Tone
Published: July 2022

Empathy is a psychologically significant phenomenon. It plays a key role in the development of the self, sociality, and prosocial behaviour. The term empathy originated in 19th-century aesthetics, where the concept was seen as an explanation for aesthetic experience. Despite renewed interest in the relation between empathy and aesthetic experiences, investigations into how empathy shapes experiences of art are still scarce. Given this situation, we ask the following three questions: What does one experience when experiencing a work of art empathetically? What is given during such moments? How is consciousness structured in aesthetic empathetic experience? To answer these questions, we analysed five different experiences with visual art using a phenomenological psychological methodology. We found that a complexity of psychologically significant meaning arises from the empathic experience of art. The core aspects of this meaning are captured in a structure incorporating experience of a foreign subjective sense, reliving and affective adherence, interiorisation, pleasure in sharing, and affective understanding. Based on this structure, we argue that aesthetic empathy features a sense of otherness to a degree not previously recognised and that aesthetic empathy is an inherently intersubjective experience in which the spectator is invited to participate and share feelings expressed in the work of art in moments of aesthetic presence.
Into That Darkness: A Heideggerian Phenomenology of Pain and Suffering
Authors: Walsh Joseph M.
Published: July 2022

When I say ‘pain’, it is clearly a singular phenomenon. Yet if I ask for an example, you can provide many varying instances that confound the idea of its singularity. How can a pinprick be of the same thing as depression or grief? This study maintains the singularity of pain by exploring the process and structure of its experience to account for its variance and its subjectivity. Heidegger’s Being and Time provides the pathway to achieving this, where we comprehend how pain’s myriad manifestations, and their inherent subjectivity, relate to our way of Being – the meaningful horizon through which we encounter pain. The study comes to tie the process of encountering pain with a structure that suffering provides, which explains both the variance and the subjectivity of the pain experience. This can then be mapped onto individual experiences of a singular phenomenon to understand how they arose and what has conditioned them.
Epistemic Communities of Exile Lawyers at the UNWCC
Authors: Lingen Kerstin von
Published: July 2022

During the 1940s in London, exiled lawyers from Europe and Asia were among the main actors in coining one of the most known principles of international criminal law. The notion of ‘crimes against humanity’ emanated from their legal debates. This paper debates how the term surfaced in meetings of the United Nations War Crimes Commission (UNWCC) in 1944 and was taken up by the London Charter for the Nuremberg International Tribunal in 1945. Legal concepts, which previously needed to be discussed at conferences and via correspondence, developed much more quickly in the ‘breeding ground’ of the exile situation in London and were influenced by different legal traditions, here termed ‘legal flows’.
Preventative Plasticities: Legal Ambiguities in Jordanian Counterterrorism Legislation
Authors: Rubio Rosalie
Published: July 2022

Scholars studying counterterrorism laws internationally, particularly across the Arab world, often note the ambiguity of these laws. Few, however, have taken stock of the causes and consequences of these ambiguities. This article explores the questions: What makes counterterrorism laws distinctly amenable to autocratic instrumentalization? What are the mechanisms that allow counterterrorism laws to be used as a means to bolster authoritarian stability? Furthermore, what are the consequences of this instrumentalization on social and political life? This article seeks to answer these questions by focusing on the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s Anti-terrorism Law of 2006 and its 2014 Amendments. The author argues that counterterrorism laws are a unique tool due to their distinctive emphasis on prevention and pre-criminality. As a result, counterterrorism laws are often prone to ambiguities, which permit their expansion and instrumentalization. This article discusses how counterterrorism laws’ inherent ambiguity shape how these laws are articulated, enforced and experienced.
Who is representing the Palestinian People: The Palestine Liberation Organization or the State of Palestine? The Aftermath of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 67/19
Authors: Barakat May , Amouri Yasser
Published: July 2022

This article focuses on the representation of the Palestinian people eight years after the adoption of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 67/19 in 2012, which accorded Palestine observer State status at the United Nations. It addresses the representative role of the Palestine Liberation Organization as an entity with international legal personality recognized by the international community as the sole representative of the Palestinian people. It discusses the developments related to this representative role in light of the ambiguous relationship between the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the State of Palestine, which is merely a continuation of the organization’s relationship with the Palestinian National Authority.
Litigating Women’s Rights in Gulf Monarchial Systems: The Kuwait and Bahrain Constitutional Courts as Case Studies
Authors: Waheedi Salma
Published: July 2022

This article is an inquiry into the ability of the constitutional judiciary in Arab Gulf monarchial systems to act to protect women’s rights and the conditions that enable such autonomous exercise of judicial powers. Looking specifically at Kuwait and Bahrain, the empirical findings of this article demonstrate that one must look beyond constitutional or legal text in conducting this analysis. In these largely comparable political systems with very similar constitutions, subtle contextual political differences can lead to divergent outcomes when it comes to the practical exercise of constitutional judicial power. The experiences of Kuwait and Bahrain are insightful as they shed light on the different dynamics that may exist in similar monarchial systems and how even a limited divestment of political power, as in the case of Kuwait, can enable judicial institutions to carve a role for themselves in protecting citizens’ rights.
The Egyptian State as a Muǧtahid: Law and Religion in the Jurisprudence of the Egyptian Supreme Constitutional Court
Authors: Ayoub Samy
Published: July 2022

This article explores two recent decisions issued by the Egyptian Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) to demonstrate how the Court resolves conflicts involving Islamic and Christian law: (1) a decision to maintain the constitutionality of the wife’s obedience (ṭāʿat al-zawǧa) articles in the Personal Status Law for Christians, and (2) a decision to extend Muslim mothers’ exclusive custodial claims over children until they reach the age of 15. The article argues that the SCC takes upon itself to decide — based on its own internal logic — the normative legal positions for Christians and Muslims. The SCC rulings reinforce a vision of the Egyptian State as the exclusive holder of legal authority (walī al-amr) with the power to determine the meaning of Islamic/Christian legal norms in a court of law. In these judgments, the Egyptian State is personified as an independent jurist (muǧtahid) that can legislate on behalf of Egyptian Muslims and Christians.
Traded Without Restraint? Transfers of Small Arms and Light Weapons
Authors: Alley Roderic
Published: July 2022

Prescriptive analyses of small arms and light weapons (salw) transfer regimes have been advanced, but comparative assessment of the selling and importing of this weaponry is undeveloped. That includes examples of major arms sellers transferring this weaponry into locations embroiled in armed conflict. After surveying existing salw restraints and their shortcomings, the extent to which due diligence risk considerations shape relevant arms selling conduct is considered. Existing explanatory frameworks discussed are found incomplete. Accordingly a model is outlined addressing impediments to the due diligence risk assessments required to meet international humanitarian and human rights legal obligations. For salw sellers, they include executive dominance of sale purchase decisions; strategic imperatives; economic and commercial incentives; and capacity to conduct independent auditing of arms sales conduct. Within conflict afflicted recipient locations, they include defective public accountability; corruption; impunity; and inability to effect peaceful dispute settlement. Utilising these determinants, dyads embracing major salw sellers transferring this weaponry into locations of persisting armed conflict are considered.
Phylogeography of Pholidopterini: Revising molecular clock calibration by Mid-Aegean Trench
Authors: Çıplak Battal , Yahyaoğlu Özgül , Uluar Onur , Doğan Özgül , Başibüyük Hasan Hüseyın , Korkmaz Ertan Mahir
Published: July 2022

The present study examines the phylogeography of Pholidopterini (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae), a lineage distributed in the East Mediterranean and estimated substitution rates for the three mitochondrial and two nuclear gene segments. The last common ancestor of Pholidopterini was dated to 18 myr ago, in Early Miocene. Phylogeography of the lineage was marked with three waves of radiations, first during the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum, the second during the Serravallian, and third during the ending of Messinian. The substitution rate estimations were 0.0187/0.018/0.0141/0.0010207 s/s/myr for COI/ND2/12S-tRNAval-6S/ITS1-5.8S rRNA-ITS2. The following main conclusions were drawn; (i) Radiation of Pholidopterini directed by the climatic shifts, (ii) signs of vicariant speciation were poor, contrary to the active tectonic history, (iii) the ultimate generic ancestors were dated to the Langhian and Serravallian, and (vi) the Tortonian transgression of Mid-Aegean Trench appears to be a reliable geographic calibration point for lineage splitting between Crete and Anatolia.
How Does It Feel to Be a Migrant? Affective Governmentality and Lived Experiences of Filipinas and Filipinos in Mainland China
Authors: Kujawa Izabela
Published: July 2022

Based on twenty in-depth interviews conducted with Filipino migrants living and working in mainland China, I aim to shed light at their lived experiences. I primarily focus on the emotions that constitute their essential part, and the ways migrants choose to deal with them. As a result, I argue that migration systems – responsible either for emigration or immigration – by way of specific regulations, their implementation, as well as the culture surrounding mobility, utilise migrants’ emotions to manage and control this population. In order to better understand these measures and their consequences, I refer to the concept of ‘affective governmentality’. Furthermore, I show how migrants’ affective experiences become a source of hierarchies, but at the same time, a basis for the emergence of strong community ties and the establishment of ‘emotional community’. I argue that, despite the strict regulations and practices which aim at maintaining people’s relationship with the Philippines and discouraging them from settling down in China, migrants are still able to form a sense of rootedness. While experiencing vulnerability and being subjected to exploitation and discrimination, they still remain active agents who use emotions as their own resources.
Architectures and Experiences of Joie de vivre
Authors: Parreno Christian
Published: July 2022

As a semantic reaction against the miserabilism derived from the economic crisis and social instability of the first half of the nineteenth century, joie de vivre surfaced in France. It denotes enjoyment and the ability to recover from calamitous events. In The Insect (1857) by Jules Michelet, joie de vivre constitutes movement and architectural creation, epitomised in the beehive – ‘the veritable Athens of the Insect World’. Yet the sentiment turns ambiguous in La Joie de vivre (1883) by Émile Zola, for whom it is an attitude required not only to face the contradictions of modernity but also to succeed in the capitalist manipulation of nature through architecture. To explore how the built environment manifests emotional experience, this essay follows the trajectory of joie de vivre, from its appearance as an idiomatic amalgamation to other conceptual variations, including élan vital and jouissance.
Are You Experienced?
Authors: Power Timothy
Published: July 2022

This article provides a survey of recent scholarship on music and dance in the cults and rituals of ancient Greece and Rome, with a focus on work that explores the experiential aspects of worship music. I review research on cultic and ritual soundscapes; the materiality and phenomenality of ritual sound; special modes of visually and aurally perceiving cultic mousikē; the epiphanic potential of sacred music; ways of remembering, recording, reenacting, reperforming, and reexperiencing ritual musical performances within and beyond the parameters of cult. I also propose some further avenues of inquiry into each of these topics. Other approaches to religion and music are discussed as well, in particular the sociopolitical contextualization of cultic choreia that has remained a dominant interpretive paradigm over the past two decades.
Supplementing History: Xiyou bu as a 17th-Century Meta-Xiaoshuo
Authors: Huang Kangni
Published: July 2022

Xiaoshuo has long been considered supplementary to official historiography in the Chinese literary tradition. In this paper, I will rethink the supplementary nature of xiaoshuo as a conceptual issue. Specifically, I focus on the 17th-century novel Xiyou bu as a unique case in which the protagonist can be interpreted as a literary figuration of the creative agency of xiaoshuo. My close reading, in turn, takes into account that conventional discourses on xiaoshuo consider xiaoshuo a genre that is intended for supplementing, expanding, and explicating official historical sources.
Eighteen Days in Tahrir Protests: The Perfomatives of Civic Action in Egypt’s 2011 Revolution
Authors: Amin Dina
Published: July 2022

On January 25, 2011, a spontaneous mobilization of masses of Egyptian folks congregated in Tahrir Square calling for change in Egypt. ‘Bread, freedom and social justice’ is what Egyptian demonstrators chanted throughout their encampment in the Midan. Shortly after Tahrir Square had turned into a community of protestors congregating and setting up camp day and night in the large plaza, random protestors and performers started devising means of entertainment imbued with political satire with which to engage and incite the crowds. Songs and dances as well as lengthy dramatic monologues, verbatim testimonies, poetry recitations and various styles of storytelling emerged. Those performative acts of protest are similar in nature to renowned Egyptian dramatist Yusuf Idris’s recounting of the Egyptian village al-samir performance tradition, which was also performative and unruly in nature. This interdisciplinary study compares that indigenous dramatic art form, al-samir, with the revolutionary performatives of protest that sprang up extemporaneously in the Midan during the Egyptian revolution in 2011. The paper raises questions about the nature of protest and community formation, democracy, performativity and focuses only on the first 18 days of the January uprising, that specific historical moment only and its transformative effect on theatrical performances, performers and protestors at the time. The paper proposes that the Tahrir performatives of protest were an ephemeral phenomenon that appeared as embodiments and celebrations of political freedom in a specific time and place, and they ended when the call for democracy and the euphoria of the uprising of 2011 gradually faded away.
Allium goumenissanum a new autumnal species of Allium sect. Codonoprasum (Amaryllidaceae) from north Greece
Authors: IOANNIDIS VASILIS , TZANOUDAKIS DIMITRIS
Published: July 2022

Allium goumenisannum from the north continental Greece (NC) is described and illustrated as a species new to science. It is an autumn-flowering species classified to Allium sect. Codonoprasum and is characterized by a triploid chromosome number (2n = 3x = 24), unusual for this late-flowering species group. This paper focuses on the presentation of the main morphological and karyological characters of the new species and its possible relationships with other Greek and East Mediterranean autumnal species.
A new species of Fogedia (Bacillariophyceae) from tidal flats of Northeast Asia
Authors: KIM HYESUK , KHIM JONG SEONG , WITKOWSKI ANDRZEJ , PARK JINSOON
Published: July 2022

The genus Fogedia was first established in 1997 based on Navicula giffeniana as a type species. The important features of the genus were the presence of lateral area, the location of the internal raphe fissure, and the simple apical raphe endings. Later, the generic description of Fogedia has been emended with the reports of four new species to the science having the genus to include twelve members in total. A thirteenth member of the genus has been observed in tidal flats of the Yellow Sea, and here we describe the species as Fogedia orientalis sp. nov. based on observations with the light (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Regional distribution of the species in the Northeast Asia is also discussed. The new Fogedia species is morphologically similar to F. densa in terms of small cell size as wells as the absence of a lateral area, however, the density and pattern of striae are clearly different from each other. Morphological characteristics and global occurrences of the thirteen Fogedia species has been provided.
Conversion of the Knutson et al. Tropical Cyclone Frequency Projections to North Atlantic Landfall
Authors: Jewson Stephen
Published: July 2022

A 2020 metastudy by Knutson et al. gave distributions for possible changes in the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones under climate change. The results form a great resource for those who model the impacts of tropical cyclones. However, a number of steps of processing may be required to use the results in practice. These include interpolation in time, distribution fitting, and reverse engineering of correlations. In this paper we study another processing step that may be required, which is adjusting the frequency change results so that they apply to landfalling frequencies. An adjustment is required because the metastudy results give frequency adjustments as a function of storm lifetime maximum intensity rather than landfall intensity. Increases in the frequency of category-4 and category-5 storms, by lifetime maximum intensity, then contribute to increases in the frequencies of storms of all intensities at landfall. We consider North Atlantic Ocean storms and use historical storm information to quantify this effect as a function of landfall intensity and region. Whereas the original metastudy results suggest that the mean frequency of category-3 storms will decrease, our analysis suggests that the mean frequency of landfalling category-3 storms will increase. Our results are highly uncertain, particularly because we assume that tracks and genesis locations of storms will not change, even though some recent climate model results suggest otherwise. However, making the adjustments we describe is likely to be a better way to model future landfall risk than applying the original metastudy frequency changes directly at landfall.

Significance Statement

A recent metastudy gave distributions for possible changes in the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones under climate change. For the North Atlantic Ocean, we show how to convert these results to changes at landfall. This conversion increases the changes in the frequencies of storms in intensity categories 0–3, and, in particular, the mean frequency change of storms in category 3 flips from decreasing to increasing in most regions.
On the Detection of Externally Forced Decadal Modulations of the Sahel Rainfall over the Whole Twentieth Century in the CMIP6 Ensemble
Authors: Ndiaye Cassien D. , Mohino Elsa , Mignot Juliette , Sall Saidou M.
Published: July 2022

The Sahel semiarid region was marked during the twentieth century by significant modulations of its rainfall regime at the decadal time scale. Part of these modulations have been associated with the internal variability of the climate system, linked to changes in oceanic sea surface temperature. More recently, several studies have highlighted the influence of external forcings during the dry period in the 1980s and the recovery around the 2000s. In this work we evaluate the internally and externally driven decadal modulations of Sahel rainfall during the entire twentieth century using a set of 12 models from phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). We begin by proposing a physically based definition of Sahel rainfall that takes into account the southward bias in the location of the Sahelian ITCZ simulated by all the models. Our results show that the amplitude of the decadal variability, which is underestimated by most models, is mainly produced by the internally driven component. Conversely, the external forcing tends to enhance the synchrony of the simulated and observed decadal modulations in most models, providing statistically significant correlations of the historical ensemble mean with observations in 1/3 of the models, namely IPSL-CM6A-LR, INM-CM5-0, MRI-ESM2-0, and GISS-E2-1-G. Further analysis of the detection and attribution runs of the IPSL-CM6A-LR shows that anthropogenic aerosol dominate the decadal modulations of Sahel rainfall simulated by this model, suggesting that at least a part of the impact is ocean-mediated and operated through shifts in the ITCZ and the Saharan heat low.
Ultrasound-guided Transversus Abdominis Plane Block is Effective as Laparoscopic Trocar site infiltration in Postoperative Pain Management in Patients Undergoing Adrenal Surgery
Authors: Cavallaro Giuseppe , Gazzanelli Sergio , Iossa Angelo , De Angelis Francesco , Fassari Alessia , Micalizzi Alessandra , Petramala Luigi , Crocetti Daniele , Circosta Francesco , Concistrè Antonio , Letizia Claudio , De Toma Giorgio , Polistena Andrea
Published: July 2022

Background

Pain management in patients undergoing laparoscopy is still a matter of debate as several techniques have been proposed to reduce postoperative analgesic consumption and improve recovery. Among these, transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is considered as safe, effective, and easy to perform under ultrasound guidance; even so, recently laparoscopically guided trocar site anesthetic infiltration has been proposed as a “surgeon-dependent alternative to TAP block.” The aim of this evaluation is to compare these analgesic techniques in the setting of laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

Methods

This is a retrospective evaluation of a prospectively maintained database. Patients were divided into two groups: Group A patients received laparoscopic-assisted trocar site infiltration of ropivacaine; Group B patients received bilateral ultrasound-guided TAP block with ropivacaine. All patients received 24 h infusion of 20 mg morphine postoperatively; pain was checked at 6, 24 and 48 h after surgery. A rescue analgesia was given if numerical rating scale (NRS) score was > 4 or on patient request.

Results

One hundred and three patients were enrolled in the evaluation (57 in group A and 46 in group B). There were no differences in operative time, complications and postoperative stay, and no complications related to trocar site infiltration. There were no differences in NRS at 6, 24, and 48 hours as well as in patients requiring further analgesic administration.

Conclusions

Laparoscopic-guided trocar site ropivacaine infiltration has similar pain outcomes compared to ultrasound-guided TAP block in the management of postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Since there is no difference among these techniques, the decision can be based on surgeon or anesthesiologist preference.
Home-based Vestibular Rehabilitation: A Feasible and Effective Therapy for Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness (A Pilot Study)
Authors: Teh Carren Sui-Lin , Abdullah Nurul Ain , Kamaruddin Noor Rafidah , Mohd Judi Kamariah Binti , Fadzilah Ismail , Zainun Zuraida , Prepageran Narayanan
Published: July 2022

Introduction:

Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a chronic functional vestibular disorder where there is persistent dizziness or unsteadiness occurring on most days for more than 3 months duration. Treatment recommendations for PPPD include vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) with or without medications and/or cognitive behavioral therapy.

Objectives:

This paper is a pilot study designed to compare the effects of Bal Ex as a home-based VRT on the quality of life (EQ-5D), dizziness handicap (DHI) and mental health (DASS-21) against hospital-based VRT.

Design:

This was an assessor-blinded, randomized controlled pilot study where PPPD patients were randomly selected to undergo Bal Ex, the home-based VRT (intervention group) or hospital-based (control group) VRT. The participants were reviewed at 4 weeks and 12 weeks after the start of therapy to assess the primary endpoints using the subjective improvement in symptoms as reported by patients, changes in DHI scores, DASS-21 scores and EQ5D VAS scores.

Results:

Thirty PPPD patients successfully completed the study with 15 in each study group. Within 4 weeks, there were significant improvements in the total DHI scores as well as anxiety levels. By the end of 12 weeks, there were significant improvements in the DHI, DASS-21 and EQ5D. The degree of improvement between Bal Ex and the control was comparable.

Conclusion:

VRT is an effective modality in significantly improving quality of life, dizziness handicap, depression, and anxiety levels within 3 months in PPPD. Preliminary results show Bal Ex is as effective as hospital-based VRT and should be considered as a treatment option for PPPD.
Poverty Elimination in China by 2020: Bringing a Transformation
Authors: Dash Satya Prakash
Published: July 2022

Poverty is a challenge in the development and growth of a nation and hence a social and economic phenomenon. Elimination of poverty is a primary goal, and policies towards this are framed, but its success rate generally falls below the targeted goals. China is probably the only country that has eliminated ‘absolute poverty’ in 2020, by specifically implementing a targeted policy for elimination of poverty. The policy adopted by China may be replicated by other countries for similar positive results. The article analyses the specific policies for poverty elimination in China, giving some actual results from the field. It also makes a historical exploration of the poverty policies by China.
Research on degradation prediction of rolling bearing based on adaptive multi-GA-BP
Authors: Hou Lingyu , Li Yuanyuan , Yao Wei , Tang Ming , Sun Qichun , Chen Jiahang
Published: July 2022

Rolling bearings are widely used in industrial equipment. It is of great significance to study the degradation trend of rolling bearings. In this paper, an Adaptive Multi-population Genetic Algorithm (AMGA) is proposed. Firstly, Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA) method is used to fuse the vibration signal in both time domain and frequency domain, which uses kernel to map the sample space to higher dimensional space and uses the higher dimensional space for linear dimensionality reduction. It can effectively reduce the dimension of nonlinear correlation variables and obtain the trend signal representing the Remaining Useful Life (RUL) characteristics of rolling bearing. Moreover, AMGA is proposed to optimize the number of neurons, initial weight, and initial threshold of the Back Propagation (BP) neural network prediction model. AMGA applies chaos algorithm to Genetic Algorithm (GA) to improve the diversity of the initial population. Meanwhile, the communication frequency between different populations is controlled by judging the similarity of the optimal solution among different populations, so as to effectively jump out of the local optimum and obtain the global optimal solution. Finally, the whole life data of the spin-up process of the rolling bearing from University of Cincinnati is taken as an example to analyze the performance of the algorithm. Compared with the traditional BP, the R2-score performance and the MAPE performance of KPCA-AMGA-BP are improved by 0.297 and 2.46% respectively. Furthermore, compared with the optimized BP, this method obtains the improved R2-score performance and the MAPE performance by 0.218 and 0.46%.
‘I feel hopeless’: Exploring the psychosocial impacts of caring for mentally ill relatives in Cambodia
Authors: Phoeun Bunna , Chanthorn Leang , Schulhofer Lena , Khann Sareth , Soung Thea , Conroy Kevin , Nguyen Amanda J.
Published: July 2022

Background:

There is growing recognition of the psychosocial burden of caregiving on relative caregivers of the mentally ill in low-and middle-income countries. Yet there remains limited formal research examining the challenges and psychosocial support needs of these relative caregivers, particularly with sensitivity to understanding caregiver experiences across diverse cultures and contexts. The purpose of this study was to study caregiver burden to inform potential intervention approaches among relative caregivers of treatment-engaged mentally ill patients in Cambodia.

Methods:

Participants were all relative caregivers identified through their connection to a non-governmental organization providing psychiatric care. Five focus group discussions were held with 37 participants to explore challenges experienced by relative caregivers. A total of 115 caregivers then completed a mental health assessment consisting of the Patient Health Questionnaire – 9 item scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder – 7-item scale, and 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. Internal consistencies ranged from α = .81 to .87 across scales.

Results:

Five themes emerged from the focus group discussions: financial burden, erratic behavior of patients, social alienation, somatic and emotional symptoms, and barriers to help-seeking. Assessment data indicated the sample was highly symptomatic. Women and those with no employment appeared to be at higher risk of distress, as were those caregivers with a biological relationship to the patient (parents, children, and siblings; relative to spouses or other relationships).

Discussion:

Findings suggest a need for regular screening and greater psychosocial support for relative caregivers. It is notable that the needs identified within the current study remain prominent even as this is a treatment-engaged sample.
Recruiting and nurturing social workers in Hong Kong and Australia
Authors: Kwan Chi Kin , Cui Jialiang
Published: July 2022

We compare the systems of social work education and training in Hong Kong and Australia according to three aspects: (1) the admission criteria for candidates of social work training programmes, (2) the quality of social work training and (3) the induction of novice social workers into professional practice.
Bending and Bowing: How Teachers Adapt a Vocabulary-Based Reading Program to Their Students Needs
Authors: Kulmhofer-Bommer Andrea , Seifert Susanne , Paleczek Lisa , Gasteiger-Klicpera Barbara
Published: July 2022

This paper investigates the implementation of a reading program designed for third grade elementary school classrooms in Austria. Using a mixed-methods approach, lesson types were identified, respective class compositions analyzed, and the effects on students’ reading gains examined. The results show that the lesson types seem to reflect learner group needs as students in the different lesson types profited similarly from the reading program. This supports the hypothesis that reading is a highly individualized process and leads to the conclusion that the instructional approach of the reading program investigated supports teachers in conducting reading lessons tailored to their students’ needs.
Individual Differences in Teacher Research Involvement? Factoring in Language Teachers’ Big Five Personality Traits and Motivation to Conduct Research
Authors: Bahrami Vahid , Hosseini Mehrdad
Published: July 2022

The important role of individual differences in affecting teachers’ involvement in and professional development through research has received little systematic attention in theoretical discussions and empirical studies on teacher research. Therefore, relying on the available literature and our proposed theoretical models, we investigated the possible links among language teachers’ Big Five personality traits, motivation to conduct research (through self-determination theory’s intrinsic and extrinsic motivations alongside the avoidance motivation construct), and teacher research involvement (TRI). Using a survey method, data were gathered from 253 Iranian school English teachers (SETs) and subjected to correlational and structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses. Notably, SEM results demonstrated that Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism significantly predicted the motivational constructs which themselves predicted TRI. Moreover, the effects of these four traits on TRI were fully mediated through the motivational constructs. Implications for theory, policymaking, and professional development in the teacher research field are proposed.
Sequential use of drugs (prostaglandin e1 after failed trial of PGE2 gel) for induction of labour: Retrospective observational study
Authors: De Arpita , Nigam Aruna , Sharma Sumedha , Anwar Arifa , Gupta Nidhi , Gupta Neha
Published: July 2022

With advancements in medicine, the scope of pregnancies have increased. This has subsequently increased the number of inductions and therefore more caesarean sections. We looked at the efficacy and safety of sequential induction with PGE2 gel followed by PGE1 tablets after a period of rest in a retrospective observational study. Women with failed induction of labour with 3 PGE2 gel were re-induced with 25ug vaginal PGE1 tablets, with a maximum of five doses (sequential regimen). Fetomaternal outcome and vaginal delivery rates were compared between the only-PGE2 gel group and the sequential group.

There were 296 inductions of labour, of which 41 were included in the sequential group, amongst whom the vaginal delivery rate was 56%. Caesarean delivery rate with only PGE2 gel would have been 32%, but with the addition of PGE1 vaginal tablet (sequential induction), it reduced by >8% (p  =  0.02). Fetomaternal outcomes were comparable in the two groups. We thus conclude that sequential induction with PGE1 tablets is an effective option.
The Afghanistan War’s Legacy: The Reimagining of the Outsourcing of War and Security
Authors: Swed Ori
Published: July 2022

The two decades of war in Afghanistan left a mark on the American armed forces and redefined the American ways of war-making. One of this war’s legacies is the reimagining of the role of private military and security contractors in contemporary warfare. Due to the massive involvement of the private sector in the American war machine, this industry transformed from a marginal participant into a central partner. The privatization of military and security functions became a norm, an integral part of security architecture and military operation. In this study, I provide a brief review of this development and its implications.
Reflecting on America’s Withdrawal from Afghanistan: The View From Southeast Asia
Authors: Lee Terence
Published: July 2022

This essay reflects on the broad contours of the war in Afghanistan from Southeast Asia’s perspective. While the United States’ withdrawal from Kabul was calamitous, the pessimism about America’s role in Southeast Asia has been overstated. The United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan was largely inconsequential for the region. Southeast Asian states deftly mixed their support for America’s campaign in Afghanistan and the broader war on terror without being seen as too sympathetic, including, in some instances, condemnation of America’s attacks on Islam. Regional governments balanced their domestic political interests with their foreign policy objectives. The abrupt Afghan withdrawal may instead have positive outcomes, as the United States boosted its courtship with countries of Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region through new security arrangements such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) and the Australian, U.K., and U.S. trilateral pact (AUKUS).
Thyroid Dysfunction and Rheumatic Diseases
Authors: Delamere J P , Scott D L , Felix-Davies D D
Published: July 2022

Musculoskeletal symptoms developing during the treatment of thyroid disease were studied in 150 patients; 17 developed a symptom complex of early morning stiffness together with shoulder girdle pain and weakness; similar symptoms were seen in only 3 of 100 controls. A prospective study of 16 patients with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis followed during the first 6 months of penicillamine therapy showed no changes in thyroid function tests. It is suggested that changing or abnormal thyroid status may precipitate or exacerbate musculoskeletal disease. Finally, in a retrospective study of 26 patients with both thyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis, 4 patients had a simultaneous onset of both myxoedema and rheumatoid arthritis, the activity of which was greatly improved by correction of the hypothyroid state.
Effect of Combined Oral Contraceptives on Glycosylated Haemoglobin
Authors: Oakley Nigel , Rostron Wendy
Published: July 2022

Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1) was measured in 164 Caucasian women aged 20–40 years who were using: (1) barrier contraceptive methods; (2) contraceptive pills with 30 μg ethinyloestradiol and 150 μg laevo-norgestrel; (3) contraceptive pills with 30–35 μg ethinyloestradiol and 0.5–1 mg norethisterone. Mean ± 1 s.d. values for the three groups were 7.64 ± 0.69, 7.56 ± 0.56 and 7.27 ± 0.74 respectively. Groups (1) and (2) did not differ significantly from one another but the mean value for group (3) was significantly lower than for the other groups ( P < 0.01). Age, percentage ideal body weight and smoking did not influence HbA1 but the value was higher for parous than for nulliparous women ( P = 0.02). These findings can be explained in terms of the known effects of oestrogens and progestogens on fasting blood glucose.
Ranitidine and Duodenal Ulceration: A Short-Term and Maintenance Study
Authors: Sheers Roger , McKay John S , Hughes Stephen
Published: July 2022

Forty-eight patients successfully completed a six-week, double blind, placebo controlled trial of ranitidine hydrochloride 200 mg twice daily for active duodenal ulceration. Following endoscopy 68% of the patients taking ranitidine had healed, compared to 35% of those who were taking placebo. Nineteen of the patients who had not healed then took a further six weeks of open active treatment; of these, 14 were successfully treated. Thirty-one of the patients who had healed duodenal ulcers then took ranitidine hydrochloride 100 mg at night as a maintenance treatment for one year: 71% remained endoscopically and symptomatically in remission. No serious side effects were encountered.
Effects of High-Intensity Power-Frequency Electric Fields on Implanted Modern Multiprogrammable Cardiac Pacemakers
Authors: Butrous G S , Meldrum S J , Barton D G , Bonnell J A , Male J C , Camm A J
Published: July 2022

The effect on an implanted, multiprogrammable pacemaker of power-frequency (50 Hz) electric fields up to an intensity (unperturbed value measured at 1.7 m) of 20 kV/m were assessed in ten paced patients. Radiotelemetric monitoring of the electrocardiogram allowed supervision of the electrocardiogram throughout exposure to the alternating electric field. Displacement body currents of up to 300 μA were achieved depending on the position and height of the patient. None of the pacemakers was inhibited, triggered or reverted to fixed rate operation during the exposure. The programmable functions, programmability or output characteristics were not affected. Small changes in cardiac rate and rhythm elicited the correct pacemaker responses. Unlike earlier models of pacemaker, this modern implanted pacemaker, which represents ‘the state of the art’, is not affected by 50 Hz electric fields likely to be encountered when standing underneath power lines.
Use of Cytogenetic Analysis of Body Fluids in Cancer Diagnosis
Authors: Izadian Nejat
Published: July 2022

Direct chromosome preparations were made from 52 malignant and 21 non-malignant effusions. An effusion was classified as malignant if 2% of the counted cells showed abnormal karyotypes. There was a significant relationship between diversified karyotypes and the pathological nature of tumours: diversity of karyotypes was much higher in undifferentiated adenocarcinoma, anaplastic carcinoma and embryonal cell carcinoma cells than in well-differentiated cancer cells. Diagnosis was positive for 38 of the 52 malignant effusions by cytological examination (73% sensitivity), and positive for 41 of the 52 by cytogenetic analysis (78% sensitivity). There were no false positive results using both cytogenetic and cytologic examinations (92% sensitivity). Particularly in patients with equivocal cytology, cytogenetic analysis appears to be a useful tool in the diagnosis of malignant effusions.
Suggested Method for Closed Treatment of Fractures of the Carpal Scaphoid: Hypothesis Supported by Dissection and Clinical Practice
Authors: King Richard J , Mackenney Robert P , Elnur Salah
Published: July 2022

The anatomy and kinetics of the carpus with special reference to the fractured scaphoid are described. Clinical, radiological and post-mortem studies of the wrist show that the scaphoid can be immobilized and compressed in its long axis, with the wrist held in full supination, mid-dorsiflexion and full ulnar deviation. Immobilization of the upper limb in this position for four weeks has achieved union of those fractures of the scaphoid which are often problematical, i.e. the displaced fracture, fractures of the proximal pole, and those exhibiting delay in union of many months. The method of manipulation and immobilization in a plaster of Paris cast is described, and some clinical examples are presented. The indications for and the complications of the method of treatment are discussed and briefly compared with other methods of treatment.
Crohn's Disease with Fistulae Involving Joints
Authors: Shreeve D R , Ormerod L P , Dunbar E M
Published: July 2022

Two cases of Crohn's disease with unusual manifestations of fistulae involving joints are reported. One case with a fistula from the rectum through the pelvis presented with an abscess adjacent to the left hip joint. The second presented acutely with inflammation and swelling of the right thigh suggesting thrombophlebitis. This patient died from septicaemia and was found at postmortem to have ileal Crohn's disease with fistulae into the thigh, producing septic arthritis of the knee. The possibility of underlying Crohn's disease should be considered in patients who develop abscesses adjacent to the pelvis, or physical signs suggesting thrombophlebitis of the thigh.
Alopecia Areata Treated with Topical Minoxidil
Authors: Fenton David A , Wilkinson John D
Published: July 2022

Two cases of long-standing alopecia totalis treated with topical minoxidil are described. The mechanism of minoxidil hypertrichosis is discussed.
Diagnosis and Management of Psoas Abscess in Crohn's Disease
Authors: Durning Patricia , Schofield P F
Published: July 2022

Four patients with Crohn's disease complicated by psoas abscess are described. These patients did not have general or abdominal signs of sepsis but they all showed wasting of the right quadriceps femoris and hip flexion. It is important to examine the hip and thigh in patients with known Crohn's disease who are on medical treatment. Surgical treatment of a Crohn's psoas abscess should include resection of recurrent disease, fashioning of the anastomosis remote from the abscess cavity, and long-term (21 days) drainage of the abscess cavity to avoid the possibilities of faecal fistula or recurrent abscess.
Epidemiological Study of Psychiatric Disorder in Adolescent Girls: Preliminary Communication
Authors: Graham Philip , Monck Elizabeth , Dobbs Becky , Richman Naomi
Published: July 2022

A two-stage general population study of affective disorder and problems of eating control in 15–19-year-old girls is in progress, the sample being identified by the use of general practitioners' age-sex registers. So far, 244 girls and their mothers have been interviewed and have independently completed questionnaires relating to mood and appetite control. The girls completed questionnaires both on themselves and on their mothers, and their mothers on themselves and on their daughters. Significant correlations between self-rating and rating of the other person were obtained in all cases, with agreement on the daughters' mood being higher in non-manual couples.
Nutritional Status of Patients with Leg Ulcers
Authors: Schraibman I G , Stratton F J
Published: July 2022

A group of 30 consecutive patients from a leg ulcer clinic were compared with age- and sex-matched controls in respect of 11 indices which may reflect nutritional deficiency. Twenty-one controls and 23 patients showed a total of 92 abnormalities, of which 48 were classified as severe. Mean indices were not significantly different in the two groups apart from a lower haemoglobin in patients and raised serum ferritin in controls.