Common Aspects Research Articles

Euthanasia and the rehabilitation of wildlife casualties in Finland: decision-making varies depending on the background education of the caregivers.

Caring for wildlife casualties is a common aspect of animal-protection work. The range of care options of wildlife in Finland vary from professional zoos to voluntary members of the public. There are complex ethical concerns to be considered in deciding whether an injured animal should be treated or euthanized. Differing opinions and poor communication may lead to unnecessary conflicts among caregivers. We investigated opinions behind the decision-making of caregivers related to wildlife casualties using a web-based questionnaire. We asked the respondents to rate their level of agreement with 27 statements on a seven-point Likert scale. Seventy-eight respondents were included in our analysis. Animal-related education was classified as veterinarian (n = 14), other (n = 18), and none (n = 49). The median (IQR) levels of age and work experience were 43 (17) and 5 (9) years, respectively, regardless of educational level. The groups were tested for differences level of agreement with the statements in Kruskall-Wallis tests (with Bonferroni-corrected pair-wise tests). Overall, the strongest disagreement was with statements proposing euthanasia on the grounds that the species was common [1 (2)], the treatment would be costly [1 (4)] or long-term [1 (4)], or there was no end-of-life-solution immediately available [1 (2)]. The highest agreement was with the statement advocating not euthanizing the animal if it could easily be returned to its natural habitat [7 (0)]. The respondents differed in their perceptions depending on their animal-related education. The cost and length of treatment, the prevalence of the species, and a known end-of-life solution influenced the euthanasia-related decisions of veterinarians more than of respondents in the other educational groups. Those with no animal-related education expressed the least willingness to euthanize an injured wild animal, even if it would be partly dependent on humans for the rest of its life or even if the treatment would be very stressful. We concluded that attitudes and practices related to euthanasia differ depending on the respondents' education, and that more discussion is needed on the ethical aspects behind the decision-making. This would help to increase mutual understanding among caregivers and facilitate the development of uniform standards that would potentially benefit animal welfare.

Taxonomic approach and potential anthropic indices to understanding cross-sectional morphology and landscape modification of a tropical river Basin, India

ABSTRACT During the Anthropocene, human modifications to fluvial landscapes have become a common aspect of their progress and development. The primary objective of this research is to delve into the human-induced alterations on fluvial landscapes at both the channel and basin scales. For channel scale investigation, we classify the channel cross-sections in terms of human interventions and relate them with the potential anthropic (or anthropogenic) geomorphology in the Kopai River basin (KRB) in India. A total of 35 cross-sections (CS) were surveyed at an interval of ~ 3 km from source to mouth, and a perceptional survey was executed among randomly selected 960 respondents in the seven community development blocks. The CS are classified into natural (alluvial and bedrock) and anthropogenic (monatogenic – mining-influenced, traffic- road-stream crossings, hydrogenic-influenced by hydrological projects like dams, and agrogenic- agriculture-influenced) categories following Sźabo’s (1971) taxonomic approach. The statistical difference between natural and anthropic cross-sections is measured using seven hydromorphological characteristics. Basin scale investigation adopting Nir’s index (1983) of potential anthropic geomorphology (IPAG) from 1961 to 2021 depicts that the IPAG is progressively decreasing with time, although the reality is different. We propose to extend the basic notion of the IPAG by incorporating more relevant parameters.

Surgery for Velopharyngeal Insufficiency Following Cleft Palate Repair: An Audit of Contemporary Practice and Proposed Schema of Techniques and Variations.

Surgical treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) includes a wide array of procedures. The purpose of this study was to develop a classification for VPI procedures and to describe variations in how they are performed.Design/participants/setting/outcomes: We completed an in-depth review of the literature to develop a preliminary schema that encompassed existing VPI procedures. Forty-one cleft surgeons from twelve hospitals across the USA and Canada reviewed the schema and either confirmed that it encompassed all VPI procedures they performed or requested additions. Two surgeons then observed the conduct of the procedures by surgeons at each hospital. Standardized reports were completed with each visit to further explore the literature, refine the schema, and delineate the common and unique aspects of each surgeon's technique. Procedures were divided into three groups: palate-based surgery; pharynx-based surgery; and augmentation. Palate-based operations included straight line mucosal incision with intravelar veloplasty, double-opposing Z-plasty, and palate lengthening with buccal myomucosal flaps. Many surgeons blended maneuvers from these three techniques, so a more descriptive schema was developed classifying the maneuvers employed on the oral mucosa, nasal mucosa, and muscle. Pharynx-based surgery included pharyngeal flap and sphincter pharyngoplasty, with variations in design for each. Augmentation procedures included palate and posterior wall augmentation. A comprehensive schema for VPI procedures was developed incorporating intentional adaptations in technique. There was substantial variation amongst surgeons in how each procedure was performed. The schema may enable more specific evaluations of surgical outcomes and exploration of the mechanisms through which these procedures improve speech.

Pathological Heart Rate Regulation in Apparently Healthy Individuals.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in adults worldwide. There is one common pathophysiological aspect present in all cardiovascular diseases-dysfunctional heart rhythm regulation. Taking this aspect into consideration for cardiovascular risk predictions opens important research perspectives, allowing for the development of preventive treatment techniques. The aim of this study was to find out whether certain pathologically appearing signs in the heart rate variability (HRV) of an apparently healthy person, even with high HRV, can be defined as biomarkers for a disturbed cardiac regulation and whether this can be treated preventively by a drug-free method. This multi-phase study included 218 healthy subjects of either sex, who consecutively visited the physician at Gesundheit clinic because of arterial hypertension, depression, headache, psycho-emotional stress, extreme weakness, disturbed night sleep, heart palpitations, or chest pain. In study phase A, baseline measurement to identify individuals with cardiovascular risks was done. Therefore, standard HRV, as well as the new cardiorhythmogram (CRG) method, were applied to all subjects. The new CRG analysis used here is based on the recently introduced LF drops and HF counter-regulation. Regarding the mechanisms of why these appear in a steady-state cardiorhythmmogram, they represent non-linear event-based dynamical HRV biomarkers. The next phase of the study, phase B, tested whether the pathologically appearing signs identified via CRG in phase A could be clinically influenced by drug-free treatment. In order to validate the new CRG method, it was supported by non-linear HRV analysis in both phase A and in phase B. Out of 218 subjects, the pathologically appearing signs could be detected in 130 cases (60%), p < 0.01, by the new CRG method, and by the standard HRV analysis in 40 cases (18%), p < 0.05. Thus, the CRG method was able to detect 42% more cases with pathologically appearing cardiac regulation. In addition, the comparative CRG analysis before and after treatment showed that the pathologically appearing signs could be clinically influenced without the use of medication. After treatment, the risk group decreased eight-fold-from 130 people to 16 (p < 0.01). Therefore, progression of the detected pathological signs to structural cardiac pathology or arrhythmia could be prevented in most of the cases. However, in the remaining risk group of 16 apparently healthy subjects, 8 people died due to all-cause mortality. In contrast, no other subject in this study has died so far. The non-linear parameter which is able to quantify the changes in CRGs before versus after treatment is FWRENYI4 (symbolic dynamic feature); it decreased from 2.85 to 2.53 (p < 0.001). In summary, signs of pathological cardiac regulation can be identified by the CRG analysis of apparently healthy subjects in the early stages of development of cardiac pathology. Thus, our method offers a sensitive biomarker for cardiovascular risks. The latter can be influenced by non-drug treatments (acupuncture) to stop the progression into structural cardiac pathologies or arrhythmias in most but not all of the patients. Therefore, this could be a real and easy-to-use supplemental method, contributing to primary prevention in cardiology.

Fictionalizing the Language of Power: A Comparative Study of Pakistani and Latin American Novels

Latin American dictator fiction has a long tradition and is widely acclaimed in critical studies, while Pakistani dictator fiction began to emerge in recent years. The study is analytical and comparative research based on the contents of two culturally, historically, and geographically diverse novels—Mario Vargas Llosa’s The Feast of the Goat and Mohammad Hanif’s A Case of Exploding Mangoes so as to locate their common and contrasting aspects. It is a qualitative study and through content analysis, it finds convergences and divergences between a Latin American and a Pakistani dictator novel. A special emphasis of the study is on power, dictator portrayal, torture, resistance, retelling/rewriting history, and representation. The study concludes that where Llosa presents the detailed description of events related to the atrocious regime of Trujillo, Hanif presents a partial and not the whole view of Zia’s dictatorship. Llosa misses no opportunity to create the sentiments of detestation and wrath against the despotic rule and his language throbs with bitterness and becomes satiric while unveiling the dark aspects of the Trujillo regime. However, Hanif, instead of giving a detailed and direct portrayal of certain dark aspects and brutalities, gives just oblique references to them and even the events which he brings to the forefront are presented in a very light and humorous vein which fail to arouse the emotions of abhorrence and denouncement against the despotic rule.

Review and comparative analysis of energy security concepts of the European Union and Ukraine

The article is devoted to research and comparison of approaches to ensuring energy security in the European Union (EU) and Ukraine. The article analyzes the main aspects of energy security, such as ensuring energy independence, stability and sustainability of the supply of energy resources, the development of energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources, integration into a single energy space, as well as the challenges faced by both sides. The article highlights similarities and differences in approaches to ensuring energy security. Among the common aspects is the recognition of the importance of energy security and the significant attention paid to it by both parties. Both sides are also working on diversifying supply sources and improving energy efficiency. At the same time, there are differences in the development of energy infrastructure and access to resources, where the EU has a developed and diversified system, and Ukraine faces challenges and limitations. The article examines the prospects for the development of the energy sector in both contexts. The EU aims to ensure a stable, stable and sustainable supply of energy resources through the development of a single energy market and cooperation with other countries. Ukraine also has the potential to develop its energy sector, particularly in the field of renewable energy, which can contribute to reducing dependence on imports and ensure a stable and sustainable energy supply. Ukraine's integration into the single energy space of the EU and support and investment from the EU for the development of Ukraine's energy sector are considered important. The article also provides the necessary steps to ensure energy security in Ukraine. Among them, it is worth highlighting the modernization of the energy system, cooperation with the EU and other countries, diversification of supply, improvement of energy infrastructure, increasing energy awareness of the population and harmonization of legislation with European standards. Different research methods were used to obtain reasonable results. The article analyzed the official documents and strategies of the EU and Ukraine related to energy security. This analysis made it possible to identify the main principles and approaches used in each of the concepts. The article is supported by a review of current scientific research and publications on energy security that relate to the EU and Ukraine. This literature review identified key aspects and trends in the field. Deduction and induction methods were used for comparative analysis. The application of the deduction method made it possible to proceed from the general provisions and principles formulated in official documents to derive specific conclusions regarding energy security. With the help of the induction method, an analysis of specific facts and data was carried out, from which generalizations and the formulation of general conclusions were made. The general conclusion of the article is that both the European Union and Ukraine strive to ensure energy security, but their approaches and priorities may differ. The challenges facing both sides require continued effort and cooperation to achieve a sustainable and sustainable energy future.

Southeast Asian States’ Approaches to Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution

This paper conducts a comparative analysis of three cases - Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam - to examine the distinctive features of Southeast Asian states’ involvement in peacekeeping. These cases provide representative insights into the motivations and experiences of regional states that joined UN peacekeeping operations at different historical junctures: Indonesia in the 1950s, Thailand in the 1990s, and Vietnam in the 2000s. By identifying the common and unique aspects of this engagement, the authors argue that Southeast Asian nations’ approaches to peacekeeping are deeply rooted in the values that underpin their foreign and domestic policies. Appealing to these values, Southeast Asian states contribute conceptual innovations to existing peacekeeping models, which are predominantly based on Western perspectives. By generalizing the peacekeeping experiences of Southeast Asian states, this paper fills a gap between broader publications that focus on Asian peacekeeping practices and single-country studies. The research underscores that Southeast Asian states, following a challenging period of decolonization and nation-building in the framework imposed by the Westphalian international relations system, have been trying to infuse their own approaches into the Westernized realm of international interaction. Since the 1950s, several regional states have participated in UN peacekeeping operations. The involvement of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in resolving the Cambodian conflict in the late 1980s and the Thailand - Cambodia settlement in 2008-2011 has stimulated the development of regional peacekeeping practices. By contributing to peacekeeping operations, Southeast Asian states aspire to enhance their regional and even global influence. In certain instances, their engagement in peacekeeping has ideological, cultural or religious motivations, or stems from specific foreign and domestic policy considerations.

Genomic analysis of multiplex consanguineous families reveals causes of neurodevelopmental disorders with epilepsy

IntroductionNeurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are a diverse group of disorders that affect the development of the nervous system. Epilepsy is a common phenotypic aspect of NDD. MethodsWe recruited eight consanguineous families from Pakistan which segregated recessively inherited NDD with epilepsy. Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI) and Electroencephalogram (EEG) were completed. Exome sequencing was carried out for selected participants from each family. The exome data were analyzed for exonic and splice-site variants that had allele frequencies of less than 0.01 in public databases. ResultsClinical investigations determined that developmental delay, intellectual disability and seizures were manifested by most patients in early childhood. EEG findings were abnormal in the participants of four families. MRI revealed demyelination orcerebral atrophic changes in multiple participants. We identified four novel homozygous variants including nonsense andmissense variants in OCLN, ALDH7A1, IQSEC2 and COL3A1, segregating with the phenotypes in the participants of four families. Previously reported homozygous variants of CNTNAP2, TRIT1 and NARS1 were found in individuals from three families. Clinical utility was observed in directing treatment in case of patients with an ALDH7A1 variant which included pyridoxine administration and enabling accurate counseling about the natural history and recurrence risk. ConclusionOur results add to the clinical and molecular delineation of very rare NDD with epilepsy. The high success rate of exome sequencing is likely attributable to the expectation of homozygous variants in patients of consanguineous families, and in one case, the availability of positional mapping data that greatly aided the variant prioritization.

Reflection Practice in Microteaching: Evidence from Prospective Science Teachers

Professional education courses such as microteaching are currently placing greater emphasis on reflective activities, particularly in the context of the new paradigm curriculum in Indonesia. The aim of this study is to investigate the ability of prospective teachers to reflect on their microteaching experiences, the common aspects discussed during reflection activities, and the peer feedback provided regarding lesson plan design and implementation within a microteaching setting. The study employs a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design and spans 13 weeks with 122 teacher candidates who participated in a flipped learning setting. Flipped learning was chosen as the instructional model to potentially enhance the level of collaboration in learning activities. Results revealed that flipped learning can indeed foster a collaborative environment among prospective teachers. Further, the most commonly identified aspect appearing in the reflections was the modeling of teaching techniques, outweighing other aspects such as classroom management, learning tools, lesson duration, pedagogical strategies, and student learning processes. These findings offer valuable insights for prospective teachers, particularly regarding feedback and reinforcement practices in microteaching. Moreover, this research suggests that flipped learning could be a promising approach to cultivating these practices. Future studies are recommended to further investigate the potential of different instructional models in enhancing reflection and collaboration among teacher candidates.

(Re)Visiting Private Television Research in Bangladesh: Call for New Research Agenda in News Media Study

Private television is the most popular mass media in Bangladesh with a vast audience of both news and programs. However, research on private television and its news media has not advanced sufficiently. Analysing available research on different databases this study identifies general trends in Bangladesh’s private television and its news media research which shows that in addition to low volume of research, most of the study focused on some common aspects resulting in many significant areas unexamined. Finally, this article suggests new agendas in news media research with particular focus on the role of the state, ownership and news labour—three key stakeholders of the private television news media. This investigation will contribute to the scholars and industry insiders to identify the gap in private television research, especially in relation to the news media, and take necessary initiatives. Social Science Review, Vol. 39(2), June 2022 [Special Issue] Page 79-98

Stranger to Herself’: The Pedagogical Presence of the Other in Paula Meehan’s Poetry

In this age of globalization, interracial and cross-cultural encounters have become common aspects of everyday life. This paper aims to examine how Irish writer Paula Meehan engages in this global discourse of interculturality by articulating aspects of cross-cultural and inter-ethnical exchange. I subsequently link Meehan’s openness to cultural diversity and her alertness to the voices of the marginalised to the context of 21st century Ireland. The first section discusses Meehan’s subversive representations of the ‘internal’ Others of Irish society. Her depictions of otherness challenge the often rigid boundaries which define national and ethnic identities and open a liberating place which successfully accommodates diversity. The second section focuses on Meehan’s attempt to move away from the ethos of individual egotism which marks contemporary life. In particular, she advocates a model to confront the experiences of ‘foreigners’ based on the self-exploration of one’s own subconscious. In line with Kristeva’s argument, Meehan implies that discovering the ‘stranger’ hidden in oneself is an essential prerequisite to accept, in an unconditional and genuine way, the presence of external ‘Others’ in Irish society. While this can easily be dismissed as an abstract utopia, Meehan’s ideal becomes ethically and politically relevant in the contemporary context of a multi-cultural society open to large-scale immigration.

Aspect-based classification of vaccine misinformation: a spatiotemporal analysis using Twitter chatter

BackgroundThe spread of misinformation of all types threatens people’s safety and interrupts resolutions. COVID-19 vaccination has been a widely discussed topic on social media platforms with numerous misleading and fallacious information. This false information has a critical impact on the safety of society as it prevents many people from taking the vaccine, decelerating the world’s ability to go back to normal. Therefore, it is vital to analyze the content shared on social media platforms, detect misinformation, identify aspects of misinformation, and efficiently represent related statistics to combat the spread of misleading information about the vaccine. This paper aims to support stakeholders in decision-making by providing solid and current insights into the spatiotemporal progression of the common misinformation aspects of the various available vaccines.MethodsApproximately 3800 tweets were annotated into four expert-verified aspects of vaccine misinformation obtained from reliable medical resources. Next, an Aspect-based Misinformation Analysis Framework was designed using the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) model, which is one of the most advanced, fast, and efficient machine learning models to date. Based on this dataset, spatiotemporal statistical analysis was performed to infer insights into the progression of aspects of vaccine misinformation among the public. Finally, the Pearson correlation coefficient and p-values are calculated for the global misinformation count against the vaccination counts of 43 countries from December 2020 until July 2021.ResultsThe optimized classification per class (i.e., per an aspect of misinformation) accuracy was 87.4%, 92.7%, 80.1%, and 82.5% for the “Vaccine Constituent,” “Adverse Effects,” “Agenda,” “Efficacy and Clinical Trials” aspects, respectively. The model achieved an Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) of 90.3% and 89.6% for validation and testing, respectively, which indicates the reliability of the proposed framework in detecting aspects of vaccine misinformation on Twitter. The correlation analysis shows that 37% of the countries addressed in this study were negatively affected by the spread of misinformation on Twitter resulting in reduced number of administered vaccines during the same timeframe.ConclusionsTwitter is a rich source of insight on the progression of vaccine misinformation among the public. Machine Learning models, such as LightGBM, are efficient for multi-class classification and proved reliable in classifying vaccine misinformation aspects even with limited samples in social media datasets.

From Ritual Scapegoats to Actual Scapegoats

Abstract The following article conducts two case studies into the premodern caste societies of medieval Bengal and early modern Japan. The Pirali Brahmins in Bengal and eta-hinin castes of Japan—both became scapegoats during these periods and were subject to popular disgust and stigma. The common aspects are that they were both close to the centres of power, and that these castes were feared in the ancient period for their supernatural prowess and they served as ritual scapegoats in pollution cleaning rituals. How they both became actual scapegoats from being ritual scapegoats is explored in this article using the framework popularized by the works of René Girard.

Strategizing: The state of the art in the Milan School.

It is important to understand the need to have directions and goals in order to organize a therapeutic path. After having considered the common aspects of strategic therapies, the authors-both representing the Milan School of Boscolo and Cecchin-explain the unavoidable use of a strategic attitude and its evolution, from the adherence to the Palo Alto model, to Tomm's (1987) proposal, to considering strategizing the fourth guideline of the Milan Approach. We then discuss the utilization of strategizing in the present times. Does it make sense to speak of directive or nondirective psychotherapists now a days? The answer is that if we take a second-order positioning-which is the attitude that distinguishes therapy from a common chat among friends-we are inevitably and contemporarily both directive and nondirective. An example from the botanical field is offered.

Analytical methods for evaluating the state of preservation of a historical manuscript dating back to the 15th century AD in Al-Azhar Library – Egypt

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the state of preservation of one of the most famous manuscripts dated back to the 15th century using some analytical techniques to identify the manuscript components, explain its deterioration mechanisms and produce some solutions for conservation processes in future studies. Design/methodology/approach The analytical techniques used were visual assessment, digital microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) with EDX, pH measurement, attenuated total reflection – Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR/FTIR) and cellulose crystallinity. Findings Stains, missed parts and scratching were the most common aspects of deterioration. Some insects were observed by digital microscope. The SEM showed that linen fibers and goat skin were used to manufacture paper sheets and leather binding. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis proved that niobium and tantalum were added during the manufacture of paper sheets. Carbon black ink was the main writing material. The other pigments used were cinnabar in red ink, gold color from brass and blue color from lapis lazuli. FTIR analysis proved that some chemical changes were noticed. Low crystallinity of the historical paper was obtained. There was a reduction in the pH value of the historical bookbinding. Originality/value The importance of the analytical techniques used to detect the main components, forms and mechanism of deterioration of the studied manuscript. The elements of niobium and tantalum were added to paper sheets, which protected them from deterioration. The insects such as house flies and Sitophilus granarius were found in the manuscripts.

Mentoring Seafarers for Understanding Maritime Risks and Safety Culture on Board

For seafaring personnel, who are at the beginning of their maritime career on board ships, maritime companies provide informal guidance, which is part of the maritime tradition, within practical training courses/cadetship courses. Starting from the existing realities in the structure of seafaring personnel in the merchant marine, this paper presents the particularities of mentoring for a career in the maritime field. Among the aspects identified and highlighted in the mentoring process, the research focuses on the process of understanding maritime risks and the importance of safety culture on board ships, both by cadets and junior officers, who are at the beginning of their careers at sea. The investigation is based on a survey conducted on a significant number of subjects between 2018-2023. The developed research methodology was used to underlie the items in the questionnaires, on the basis of which the survey was carried out. The questionnaires were established by the data triangulation method and by consulting maritime stakeholders. Considering both the common aspects, specific to life at sea, but also the particular elements, which relate to the responsibilities on board the ship, the proposals received from all departments on board the ship were centralized. The questionnaires were developed based on the contributions received from: representatives of companies in the maritime industry, seafaring personnel at managerial and operational level (from the deck, engine and electrical departments), responsible in the field of risk and safety in the maritime industry, cadets and junior officers, at the beginning of their career at sea. The results of the survey were centralized, analyzed and interpreted to establish the level of understanding and perception of maritime risk and safety issues. The resulting conclusions can be used by the interested factors for the development and consolidation of appropriate, adapted and customized projects in the field of maritime safety and risk management on board ships, dedicated to cadets/ junior officers.

Measuring school social climate in Latin America: the need for multidimensional and multi-informant tests - A systematic review.

School social climate is central to understanding learning experiences in education environments. Previous studies describe various conceptual and operational definitions around the construct; however, there are no records of reviews focused on Latin America. This study sought to analyze the available evidence and the quality of school social climate measures in Latin America through a systematic review of the literature based on the PRISMA methodology and the COSMIN checklist to assess the psychometric properties of the instruments. The Web of Science, Scopus, Psycinfo, and SciELO databases were consulted. A total of 582 records was identified, of which 27 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and methodological quality to be included in the systematization. The results show that the country with the greatest scientific production on the topic is Chile, the measures are centered mainly on the students' perspective and the most used instrument is the CECSCE. In addition, a common aspect to all the records is that they were not sufficient to capture the complexity of school social climate. Multidimensional and multi-informant measures are needed to adequately assess the construct.

Similarities and Differences between Vestibular Migraine and Recurrent Vestibular Symptoms-Not Otherwise Specified (RVS-NOS).

Menière's disease and vestibular migraine (VM) are two common inner ear disorders whose diagnoses are based on clinical history and audiometric exams. In some cases, patients have been reporting different episodes of vertigo for years but not fulfilling the Bárány Society criteria for either. These are called Recurrent Vestibular Symptoms-Not Otherwise Specified (RVS-NOS). It is still under debate if this is a single disease entity or a part of the spectrum of already established disorders. The purpose of our work was to establish similarities and differences with VM in terms of clinical history, bedside examination, and family history. We enrolled 28 patients with RVS-NOS who were followed for at least 3 years with stable diagnosis; results were compared with those of 34 subjects having a diagnosis of definite VM. The age of onset of vertigo was lower in VM than in RVS-NOS (31.2 vs. 38.4 years). As for the duration of attacks and symptoms, we detected no differences other than subjects with RVS-NOS reporting milder attacks. Cochlear accompanying symptoms were more frequently reported by VM subjects (one subject reporting tinnitus and another one reported tinnitus and fullness). Motion sickness was equally reported by subjects across two samples (around 50% for both). Bipositional long-lasting, non-paroxysmal nystagmus was the most common finding in the two groups, with no significant difference. Finally, the percentage of familial cases of migrainous headache and episodic vertigo did not differ between the two samples. In conclusion, RVS-NOS shares some common aspects with VM, including the temporal profile of attacks, motion sickness (commonly considered a migraine precursor), bedside examination, and family history. Our results are not inconsistent with the possibility that RVS-NOS may be a heterogeneous disorder, even if some of these subjects may share common pathophysiological mechanisms with VM.

The evolution of masturbation is associated with postcopulatory selection and pathogen avoidance in primates.

Masturbation occurs throughout the animal kingdom. At first glance, however, the fitness benefits of this self-directed behaviour are unclear. Regardless, several drivers have been proposed. Non-functional hypotheses posit that masturbation is either a pathology, or a byproduct of high underlying sexual arousal, whereas functional hypotheses argue an adaptive benefit. The Postcopulatory Selection Hypothesis states that masturbation aids the chances of fertilization, while the Pathogen Avoidance Hypothesis states that masturbation helps reduce host infection by flushing pathogens from the genital tract. Here, we present comprehensive new data documenting masturbation across the primate order and use these, in conjunction with phylogenetic comparative methods, to reconstruct the evolutionary pathways and correlates of masturbation. We find that masturbation is an ancient trait within the primate order, becoming a more common aspect of the haplorrhine behavioural repertoire after the split from tarsiers. Our analyses provide support for both the Postcopulatory Selection and Pathogen Avoidance Hypotheses in male primates, suggesting that masturbation may be an adaptive trait, functioning at a macroevolutionary scale.

A privacy threat model for identity verification based on facial recognition

The proliferation of different types of photographic and video cameras makes it relatively simple and non-intrusive to acquire facial fingerprints with sufficient quality to perform individuals’ identity verification. In most democratic societies, a debate has been occurring regarding using such techniques in different application domains. Discussions usually revolve around the tradeoffs between utility (security in access control, mobile phone unlocking, payment processing, etc.), usability or economic gain and risks to citizens’ rights and freedoms (privacy) or ethics. This paper identifies the common aspects of different solutions for identity verification based on facial recognition techniques within different application domains. It then performs a privacy threat modelling based on these common aspects to identify the most critical risk factors and a minimum set of safeguards to be considered for their management.