Desirable Aspects Research Articles

Effectiveness of Biofeedback with Dilator Therapy for Sexual Function in Women with Primary Vaginismus: Randomized Controlled Trial Study.

Vaginismus is characterized by the involuntary spasm of the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) around the outer third of the vagina, leading to difficulties in vaginal penetration. Physical therapists often use biofeedback to help individuals to gain better control over their muscles. This study was aimed at assessing the impact of biofeedback with dilator therapy on sexual function in women with primary vaginismus. In this randomized controlled trial study, 32 women with primary vaginismus, aged 18 to 45, were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 16) or the control group (n = 16). The experimental group received both dilator therapy and biofeedback training, whereas the control group only received dilator therapy. Both groups followed a 6-week, twice-a-week session program. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire, which includes six dimensions (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain), was administered before and after the 6-week treatment, as well as 1month after completion. The analysis of variance test showed that the interaction effect of the group and time on the overall score of sexual function (p < 0.001) and the aspects of desire (p < 0.001), arousal (p < 0.001), orgasm (p = 0.028), satisfaction (p < 0.001), and pain (p = 0.003) were significant; however, the interaction between group and time (p = 0.182) was not observed for lubrication. Biofeedback therapy combined with dilator therapy and dilator therapy alone are both effective in improving sexual function in women with primary vaginismus. However, women undergoing biofeedback combined with dilator therapy seem to benefit more than those receiving dilators alone.

A Fabrication Method for Realizing Vertically Aligned Silicon Nanowires Featuring Precise Dimension Control.

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) have garnered considerable attention in the last few decades owing to their versatile applications. One extremely desirable aspect of fabricating SiNWs is controlling their dimensions and alignment. In addition, strict control of surface roughness or diameter modulation is another key parameter for enhanced performance in applications such as photovoltaics, thermoelectric devices, etc. This study investigates a method of fabricating silicon nanowires using electron beam lithography (EBL) and the deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) Bosch process to achieve precisely controlled fabrication. The fabricated nanowires had a pitch error within 2% of the pitch of the direct writing mask. The maximum error in the average diameter was close to 25%. The simplified two-step method with tight control of the dimensions and surface tunability presents a reliable technique to fabricate vertically aligned SiNWs for some targeted applications.

Optimisation of Additively Manufactured Coiled Flow Inverters for Continuous Viral Inactivation Processes

This article reports the development and utilisation of an adaptive design workflow methodology for use as a platform technology for the printing, testing, and optimisation of biopharmaceutical processing reactors. This design strategy was developed by application to the complex structure of the coiled flow inverter (CFI). In this way, the many possible physical parameters of the reactor were optimised, via a combination of experimental results, computational fluid dynamics and machine learning approaches, to find the CFI setups that provide the optimal flow properties for a particular application.Additively manufactured reactors are seeing increasing interest in the field of biopharmaceutical production. This is because the desired output volumes are typically small and there is an increasing move towards adopting continuous production, to replace traditional batch production. This approach allows for the tailoring of reactors for a specific reaction, i.e. attempting to maximise the desired aspects of the reaction through refinement of the physical parameters of the reactor, so creating a large possible parameter space to explore.Consequently, the holistic optimisation of CFI reactors and 3D printing is established as providing better plug flow mixing relative to traditional tube coiled reactors. In addition, a trained metamodel in combination with multilayer equations is demonstrated to predict reactor performance quickly and accurately.

El retorno del sofista: herramientas para una educación democrática en contexto de posmodernidad

Sophistry constitutes an intellectual movement, typical of the Greek democratic culture of the 5th century B.C. Among its most notable features, it is the vindication of the importance of education for public life. The text operates a counterpoint between the Platonic perspective and the sophist perspective of truth, politics, and education, and, at the same time, it postulates the possibility to rethink current education from a renewed perspective of the sophist movement.The expression "the return of the sophist" reflects the desired aspect in a Postmodern pedagogy with a democratic tone.

Developing Student Agency Towards Academic Integrity Through an Educative Approach: Exploring Students’ Experiences and Perspectives

AbstractThis research investigates whether academic integrity can be strengthened through a holistic educative approach that combines compulsory modules on academic integrity, pedagogy that challenges punitive approaches, and an embedded curriculum. We present quantitative and qualitative data from surveys and interview responses from students to investigate their experiences and perceptions of our approach. Qualitative data suggest students appreciate the educative approach and that it fosters agency in students. Most participants – even those who indicated they had been part of an academic integrity breach process and students who knew someone who had been involved in the process – expressed that the process itself led to a greater understanding of academic integrity generally and students felt they could address the issue for themselves and benefit into the future. Responses indicated students wanted to have a voice in the academic integrity process. This research indicates that a holistic educative approach promotes students’ agency in relation to their academic work and frames academic integrity as a positive and desirable aspect of students’ developing academic identities.

An in-vitro method for comparative analysis of aspiration catheter tracking performance.

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) relies on efficient tracking of aspiration catheters through complex vascular anatomies. Differences in catheter design lead to variation in tracking performance which may only become apparent after use in patients. We developed an in-vitro methodology for evaluating aspiration catheter performance under a variety of pre-defined circumstances, that can be used during catheter development for design optimization. Validation of the in-vitro methodology involved testing four large bore aspiration catheters on recreated challenging vascular access routes derived from patient angiograms. Two experienced neurointerventionalists conducted the tests under controlled physiological and procedural conditions. Each catheter design was evaluated across 30 unique anatomy-procedural set-up combinations. A fifth, prototype large bore catheter was evaluated by trained engineers to assess the applicability of the in-vitro test. Results from statistical analysis using a general linear model demonstrated the methodology's effectiveness in detecting significant tracking differences among catheter designs (p < 0.01). Minimal inter-operator variability was observed (p = 0.304), while procedural techniques significantly influenced tracking performance (p < 0.01). The tortuosity of the arterial access route notably impacted catheter performance (p < 0.01), with anatomical features revealing varying degrees of influence on desirable and undesirable catheter design aspects. We successfully developed a test methodology for evaluating the trackability of large bore aspiration catheters intended for treating acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusions. This methodology offers a robust approach to pre-clinical design assessment, utilizing anatomical models that simulate real-world vascular challenges to enhance catheter optimization.

Development of flour confectionery products using physiologically valuable beekeeping products

The current tasks facing specialists involved in the production and circulation of food products is the creation of products that are balanced in terms of physiologically valuable ingredients. The formation of cookies with a modified recipe composition can change the perception of cookie descriptors. So, a desirable aspect is the search for physiologically valuable ingredients that enrich the finished product and meet the requirements of consumers when assessing its consumer properties, characteristic of the geographical location of the regions of residence and familiar to consumers. The purpose of the research was to develop flour confectionery products using physiologically valuable beekeeping products – bee pollen pellet collected in various regions of the country, and to evaluate the consumer characteristics of the resulting products, taking into account the factors of traditional perception of organoleptic indicators. The objects of the research were samples of bee pollen collected in various regions of Russia. The quality of bee pollen pellet was assessed according to organoleptic indicators: appearance, color, consistency, smell, taste. The assessment of physicochemical quality indicators of bee pollen pellet was carried out using industry-accepted methods. The quality of sugar cookies was assessed using accepted methods for assessing the quality of flour confectionery products. The assessment of the organoleptic quality indicators of the cookies was also carried out hedonistically using the acceptability and preference method and the paired comparison method. The research has confirmed the feasibility of using bee products (bee pollen pellet) in the production of flour confectionery products. Hedonic tests of the perception of flour confectionery products with the addition of beekeeping products and bee pollen have confirmed the traditional perception of the finished products. In general, the proposed solutions for the development of flour confectionery products using physiologically valuable beekeeping products will expand the range of functional food products.

Differing bodyminds: Cripping choreography

This Special Issue originated from the symposium and doctoral seminar Differing Bodyminds – Choreographing New Pathways, held in Leuven (Belgium) a few years ago. Rather than merely documenting the event, our goal is to extend the discussions and practices initiated there into a broader debate on how crip theory can reshape choreographic discourses and practices. As we argue, ‘cripping choreography’ is more than identifying disability dance or critiquing ableist structures; it involves developing a theoretical, phenomenological and performative lens for creating and analysing dance. This lens is rooted in historical and contemporary practices of non-compliant and anti-assimilationist disability-making, doing and knowing, which explicitly position disability as a desirable aspect of our world. Our collection, while building on previous thinking about disability dance and art, aims to reorient the focus from mere representation and inclusion to transformation and creation. It seeks to explore the creative potential of crip choreography poietics, celebrating often ignored and suppressed methods for crip world-making, while also explicitly attending to hopelessness, failure, ‘unlearning’ (Dind, 89 in this issue), ‘non-docile dysdance’ (Watson, 133 in this issue) and ‘wimping out’ (Melkumova-Reynolds, 17 in this issue). All authors in this issue, therefore, engage with this non-utopian perspective: What if we were to cultivate crip’s complexity, carefully tending to the cracks endemic to crip theory, practice, identity and community? How can we hold space for the complexity of crip world-making – its tensions, its failures, its competing priorities, its joys – as it manifests in dance-making processes and aesthetics?

Synthesis, characterization and estimation of performance parameters of binary ZnO–SnO2/p-Si heterojunction solar cells

The present work demonstrates the successful synthesis of binary ZnO–SnO2 nanocomposite employing a simple and efficient sol-gel method. The XRD spectra confirmed the formation of a highly crystalline domain indexed to (100) planes of ZnO and (101) and (310) planes of SnO2. The UV–vis spectroscopy analysis revealed high transmittance over 85 % and good optical absorption, a desirable aspect for efficiency enhancement of the cell by heightened photo-excited charge carrier generation through an increased number of incident photons being striking at the junction. The optical band gap was determined using the Taucs formula and found to be 3.51 eV. To probe the possible application of ZnO–SnO2 in Heterojunction Solar Cells (HJSCs), we carried out a numerical simulation for the estimation of cell parameters using MATLAB. The result revealed that the work function (WF) does not have a significant effect on short circuit current density (Jsc), whereas the open-circuit voltage (Voc), fill factor (FF) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) significantly depend on the material work function. Typically VOC increased from 0.155 V to 0.665 V, FF increased from 0.586 to 0.838 and the PCE could be enhanced from 2.55 % to 15.74 %, with an estimated WF range of 4.5 eV–4.0 eV. The effect of substrate thickness was also studied, indicating increment in parameters in the range from 25 μm to 200 μm, however, no significant effect was noticed for thickness >200 μm. The simulation provides optimization of semiconductor properties through the estimation of cell parameters such as PCE, Voc, Jsc and FF for enhanced performance.

Real-Time Seamless Multi-Projector Displays on Deformable Surfaces.

Prior works on multi-projector displays have focused primarily on static rigid objects, some focusing on dynamic rigid objects. However, works on projection based displays on deformable dynamic objects have focused only on small scale single projector displays. Tracking a deformable dynamic surface and updating projections precisely in real time on it is a significantly challenging task, even for a single projector system. In this paper, we present the first end-to-end solution for achieving a real-time, seamless display on deformable surfaces using mutliple unsychronized projectors without requiring any prior knowledge of the surface or device parameters. The system first accurately calibrates multiple RGB-D cameras and projectors using the deformable display surface itself, and then using those calibrated devices, tracks the continuous changes in the surface shape. Based on the deformation and projector calibration, the system warps and blends the image content in real-time to create a seamless display on a surface that continuously changes shape. Using multiple projectors and RGB-D cameras, we provide the much desired aspect of scale to the displays on deformable surfaces. Most prior dynamic multi-projector systems assume rigid objects and depend critically on the constancy of surface normals and non-existence of local shape deformations. These assumptions break in deformable surfaces making prior techniques inapplicable. Point-based correspondences become inadequate for calibration, exacerbated with no synchronization between the projectors. A few works address non-rigid objects with several restrictions like targeting semi-deformable surfaces (e.g. human face), or using single coaxial (optically aligned) projector-camera pairs, or temporally synchronized cameras. We break loose from such restrictions and handle multiple projector systems for dynamic deformable fabric-like objects using temporally unsynchronized devices. We devise novel methods using ray and plane-based constraints imposed by the pinhole camera model to address these issues and design new blending methods dependent on 3D distances suitable for deformable surfaces. Finally, unlike all prior work with rigid dynamic surfaces that use a single RGB-D camera, we devise a method that involve all RGB-D cameras for tracking since the surface is not seen completely by a single camera. These methods enable a seamless display at scale in the presence of continuous movements and deformations. This work has tremendous applications on mobile and expeditionary systems where environmentals (e.g. wind, vibrations, suction) cannot be avoided. One can create large displays on tent walls in remote, austere military or emergency operations in minutes to support large scale command and control, mission rehearsal or training operations. It can be used to create displays on mobile and inflatable objects for tradeshows/events and touring edutainment applications.

Social perception of psychiatric treatment of adolescents in Poland and quality of hospital space from the perspective of potential patients

The social perception of psychiatric treatment and the quality of the treatment space is important in the field of prevention, given the increase in the number of diseases among children and adolescents, not only in Poland, but also worldwide. The peculiarities of the state of child psychiatry in Poland and the inadequacy of social provision in this area were the reason for taking up this research topic and conducting a two-stage authoritative qualitative study in an interdisciplinary approach. The aim of the study was to assess the perception of psychiatric treatment based on the designed architecture of the space supporting the treatment process of adolescents, using the example of selected psychiatric hospitals in Poland, based on a survey research.A total of 300 people participated in the study, of whom 54 (12%) were men and 246 (82%) were women (2% of respondents identified as non-binary). For both men and women, the most common age range was 18-25 years (62.4% for both groups combined), followed by 26-35 years (23% for both groups combined).The experiment was carried out in two stages: (1) stage one was an in situ study in three randomly selected psychiatric hospitals in Poland to verify the quality of the built environment of therapy and to clarify the architectural context of the study; (2) stage two was an online survey using a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 20 questions appropriately tailored to the purpose of the study.Answers were obtained from all respondents. The analysis of the obtained information shows that all respondents did not have negative social attitudes towards psychiatric therapy. The respondents emphasised that the designed architecture of the space supporting the therapy process in the example of the evaluated psychiatric hospitals in Poland encourages the use of therapy. At the same time, it was confirmed that the quality of the evaluated psychiatric hospitals in Poland, i.e. the desirable functional-spatial aspects of the treatment environment, is directly related to the accessibility of therapy and its social perception.Desirable functional-spatial aspects of the treatment environment influence the process of perception of psychiatric therapy and the absence of negative attitudes towards it. This topic is extremely important in the context of the global development of young generations and should be continuously reviewed from the perspective of interdisciplinary research.

Tax Instalment Plans: A Legal Instrument of Financial Sustainability in a Crisis

Abstract The Covid-19 pandemic as well as the war in Ukraine represent the biggest hit to the Czech economy since the Great Recession. In the Czech Republic, several tax measures are being used to help economic entities overcome the current crisis and keep their businesses running. One of them is the tax instalment plan. This article aims to identify why the tax instalment plan could be an appropriate fiscal measure in times of economic crisis. The author presents a classical legal instrument in the tax area – the tax instalment plan – and analyses it from an innovative point of view rather than the usual perspective, that is, from the macroeconomic point of view. The article analyses the legal conditions for the use of this instrument in the Czech Republic, points out the difficulties of interpretation in practice and evaluates it in the context of the theoretical background of desirable fiscal crisis measures. The conclusions of the research confirm the hypothesis that this legal instrument is an effective and used tool for facilitating the sustainability of private and public finances in times of crisis. It combines the desirable aspects of both automatic stabilisers and discretionary measures.

Doradztwo edukacyjno-zawodowe jako element zwiększania dostępności uczelni wyższych dla studentów z niepełnosprawnościami

Educational and career counselling as part of making universities more accessible to students with disabilities Every individual has a range of choices for their life path. It is largely dependent on family, environment, value system and a very important area for every individual - education. It is education that opens a window onto the world, helps us find our place, achieve success, but above all, education is an opportunity for an equal start in adult life for everyone, regardless of background, wealth or place of residence. This is particularly important in the case of people with disabilities who, as full members of society, constantly have to prove that they have the same rights, that they can and want to fulfil the same responsibilities. However, this is not always possible due to the full accessibility barriers that still exist. These also apply to public buildings and services, including education. Measures taken in recent years have significantly improved architectural and digital accessibility. This is also noticeable in higher education, which is increasingly inclusive. However, this support should be extended to assist students with disabilities in their transition to the labour market, so that the inclusion process also takes place after the end of education. It is the educational and career counselling process that responds to the needs of students with disabilities, where they not only receive support, but also have the opportunity to plan their individual career path according to their predispositions, abilities and limitations. The essence of everyone’s life is to flourish, to have new goals. A vocational counsellor focusing on the desirable aspects of the psychological and social functioning of a student with a disability not only participates in his/her vocational activation, but also levels the playing field on the open labour market.

Software Engineering for Developing a Cloud Computing Museum-Guide System

The aim of this article proposes an innovative solution for developing a museum-guide system, which employs a voice-activated assistant paired with 3-D hologram displays, that utilizes Amazon web services (AWS) to enhance the visitor experience at the Bahrain National Museum. The proposed system uses software engineering as a service (SaaS) and involves an agile development process model with microservice architecture that adapts cloud computing capabilities to provide scalability, reliability, and maintainability. The proposed system enhances the existing museum infrastructure and databases through a flexible, API-based architecture. The proposed system is highly adaptable and flexible in different desirable aspects of user experience goals. The implementation results proved that the system is highly reliable, adaptable, and efficient and has the potential to improve the user experience by transforming the way museum visitors explore and interact with user interfaces of the museum-guide system.

Synthesis and Reactivity of an Aluminium N-heterocyclic Aminal.

Tethered N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are an emerging class of ligand, as they feature all the desirable aspects of NHCs (ease of synthesis, high tunabilty) but also enable metal-ligand cooperativity when combined with Lewis acidic metal centres due to the donor-acceptor nature of the complexes formed. Herein we report a simple ethoxy-tethered NHC for the stabilisation of Al(III) hydrides, resulting in the unexpected formation of a bicyclic N-heterocyclic aminal (1). Compound 1 behaves as a metal hydride, capable of reducing benzophenone and carbodiimide to yield compounds 2 and 3, respectively. Furthermore, we show that 1 behaves as an efficient catalyst in the dehydrocoupling of amine-boranes due to the hemi-labile nature of the supporting ligand.

Effects of Laser Defocusing on Bead Geometry in Coaxial Titanium Wire-Based Laser Metal Deposition.

Coaxial wire-based laser metal deposition is a versatile and efficient additive process that can achieve a high deposition rate in the manufacturing of complex structures. In this paper, a three-beam coaxial wire system is studied, with particular attention to the effects of deposition height and laser defocusing on the resulting bead geometry. As the deposition standoff distance changes, so does the workpiece illumination proportion, which describes the ratio of energy going directly into the feedstock wire and into the substrate. Single titanium beads are deposited at varying defocus levels and deposition rates and the bead aspect ratio is measured and analyzed. Over the experimental settings, the defocusing level and deposition rate were found to have a significant effect on the resulting bead aspect ratio. As the defocusing level is increased away from the beam convergence plane, the spot size increases and the deposited track is wider and flatter. Process parameters can be used to tune the deposited material to a desired aspect ratio. In coaxial wire deposition, defocusing provides an adjustment mechanism to the distribution of heat between the wire and substrate and has an important impact on the resulting deposit.

Metafora i metonimija u eufemizmima u zvaničnim izjavama kraljice Elizabete II

Though well recognised as devices used in the formation of euphemisms, metaphor and metonymy as such remain under-researched in current literature. Our study examines the use of euphemistic language in the official speeches and statements of the former British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The goal is to identify euphemisms and explain the metaphors and metonymies used in their formation, drawing on the Conceptual Metaphor and Metonymy Theory and Critical Metaphor Analysis. Metaphor and metonymy account for the formation of most of the analysed euphemisms. We argue that the analysed metaphors are motivated by the ideological concepts of (a) the struggle for survival and (b) materialism, as well as by the intent to positively evaluate certain political and everyday endeavours. The analysed metonymies are motivated by the intent to highlight more desirable or less undesirable aspects of events and things.

Literature as Magic

Abstract Magic and literature are mostly understood as mutually exclusive domains. Magic is taken to be part of religious life, an aspect of the human desire to overcome the order of things and strive for the supernatural. Literature, on the other hand, is commonly described as an artistic endeavor and thus associated with secular art and culture. For this reason, it is possible to read about magic in literature, but it is very rare to read literature as magic. This article aims to reverse that trend. It entails a contextual and critical discussion of Carl Einstein’s 1912 novel Bebuquin oder die Dilettanten des Wunders, suggesting that this novel is best understood as magic, that is, as a sincere and radical attempt to reach the supernatural and transform the present. The article also suggests that the avant-garde is precisely the context for a renewed appreciation of literature and religion.

Development and Evaluation of a Novel Anti-Ageing Cream Based on Hyaluronic Acid and Other Innovative Cosmetic Actives.

The importance of incorporating hyaluronic acid (HA) as a cosmetic ingredient in skin care formulations emerged lately because the amount of HA naturally found in the epidermis decreases with age, and when applied to the skin through cosmetic products, it confers hydration and reduces the appearance of wrinkles. Currently, the diversity of cosmetic products for mature skin and the use of various and innovative active ingredients supporting their anti-ageing effect represent ample proof that the cosmetic industry is currently relying on these actives. The main objective of this study was the development of an anti-ageing formulation, incorporating HA and different other active ingredients. The developed formulation contains a novel complex of natural waxes, with an essential role in the restoration of the skin's hydro-lipid barrier, in combination with innovative active ingredients-like low-molecular hyaluronic acid (LMW-HA), sodium hyaluronate (NaHA), ectoin, gold, and an anti-ageing botanical complex-contributing to optimal skin hydration specifically designed to reduce the visible signs of ageing. An important objective was represented by the skin compatibility and topography assessment after 28 days (D28) of regular application of the developed cream. Stability testing, physicochemical characteristics, and microbiological control, including efficacy testing of the used preservative (challenge test) were performed for the cosmetic formulation. In silico approaches were applied to demonstrate the safety of cosmetic-related substances and the risk assessment of the cosmetic formulation. Safety and instrumental evaluation were performed to demonstrate the skin tolerance-the compatibility and the efficacy, respectively-of the developed anti-ageing cream. As result, quality control of the developed cosmetic formulation evidenced an appropriate cosmetic preparation with desirable aspect and adequate physicochemical characteristics. The concentrations of restricted ingredients like preservatives and UV filters were in accordance with those recommended by the Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 and so were considered to be safe. Additionally, according to the margin of safety (MoS) calculation, cosmetic ingredients incorporated in the developed formulation could be considered safe. The developed formulation was very well tolerated, and wrinkle depth and length in the periorbital area were significantly reduced after 28-day cosmetic treatment. Subjects' assessment questionnaires revealed self-perceived benefits referring to the cosmetic qualities and efficacy of the anti-ageing cream. This study confirmed the skin tolerance and efficacy of the new complex anti-ageing cream incorporating HA, microencapsulated sodium hyaluronate, ectoin, and a botanical extract. The formulated cosmetic product could serve as a daily care for mature skin to alleviate the effects of skin ageing.

Fully Distributed Event-Driven Adaptive Consensus of Unknown Linear Systems.

This article considers the consensus problem of unknown linear multiagent systems (MASs) through adaptive event-driven control in leader-follower and leaderless networks. The proposed event-driven algorithms do not involve any global information related to the network communication structure and rely only on local information exchange to achieve consensus on MASs and are therefore fully distributed. Furthermore, the constraint of continuous communication among the agents is eliminated in terms of control law updates and triggering state monitoring. Another desirable aspect of this article is that the design process of the control algorithms is independent of the parameters of each agent's dynamics and thus does not require precise information about the dynamics of MASs. We further exclude the Zeno behavior of each agent by proving the existence of a strict positive lower bound between any two adjacent events. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive event-driven algorithms is verified by a simulation example.