Higher Functions Research Articles

Evaluation of an In-Hospital Recreation Room for Hospitalised Children and Their Families

ObjectiveMany children's hospitals have established ‘recreation rooms’ to help reduce distress among hospitalised children and families. We investigated recreation rooms in two Australian children's hospitals to determine: 1) families' first use of the room (including discovery and delays); 2) characteristics of families accessing the room; 3) parents' positive and negative associations with the room; and 4) parents' most and least valued aspects of the room. MethodUsing a concurrent mixed methods design, parents completed questionnaires (Restorative Experiences Tool, Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory) and an optional interview. We analysed data using t-tests and multiple regressions (questionnaires) and content analysis (interviews). ResultsParents (n = 123) commonly reported delays in accessing the recreation room (n = 74, 60.2%). Parents' distress was positively related to their frequency of room use (r = 0.28, p = .001). Families of hospitalised children with lower physical (r = −0.36, p < .001) and psychosocial (r = −0.31, p = .001) functioning used the room more frequently than families of children with higher functioning. Parents reported more positive than negative associations with the rooms for themselves (t(121) = 20.92, 95% CI = 4.34–5.25), their hospitalised child (t(117) = 23.91, 95% CI = 5.00–5.90), and any siblings (t(79) = 15.76, 95% CI = 4.28–5.52). Thirteen parents completed the interviews. We identified three themes: 1) respite; 2) social support and reduced isolation; and 3) need for greater accessibility (particularly for infants/toddlers). ConclusionsRespite and social support provided within the recreation rooms may be particularly important for highly distressed parents and families of children with lower psychosocial and physical functioning. Dedicated areas for different age groups may help to improve accessibility of the recreation rooms.

Evaluation of the Antioxidant Activity, Deodorizing Effect, and Antibacterial Activity of 'Porotan' Chestnut By-Products and Establishment of a Compound Paper.

Chestnuts are widely cultivated for their edible portion (kernel), whereas the non-edible parts are discarded. To enable the utilization of the by-products of processed chestnuts, we separated them into green and brown burs, shells, inner skin, and leaves, and analyzed the bioactive properties of the ground components. We also created a composite paper, comprising the inner skin, and examined its deodorant properties. It was revealed that the inner skin had the highest functionality and showed potent antioxidant, antibacterial, and deodorant properties. Furthermore, when we produced a paper, containing 60% inner skin, and examined its deodorant properties, we found that it was highly effective in deodorizing ammonia and acetic acid gases. These results show that the inner skin of chestnuts is a promising material for developing hygiene and other products.

Band shaping and emission control via waveguide plasmon polaritons

Photonic nanostructures can improve the efficiency and functionality of optoelectronic devices by controlling propagation and extraction of light in waveguides. The paradigmatic example is the extraction of light by matching the grating and waveguide mode momenta. A higher functionality can be achieved, however, via strong coupling between waveguide and plasmon modes. Here, we show that such hybridized systems provide a convenient strategy to tailor the dispersion band of the waveguide. By controlling the metallic grating height, the bands evolve from a Dirac cone to a flatband and a parabolic profile. We show an application of this system to light emitting waveguides, where a flatband leads to a sharply defined emission cone, with a 1.8 fold gain in emission efficiency and a Purcell factor of 2.4. We show that 72.2% of all radiated power is contained within the flatband region and is eight times larger than the total emission by the dipole in a homogenous medium. The system thus combines efficiency gain with the opportunity of beam shaping.

INFLECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF MORPHOLOGICAL PROCESS IN TEACHING MORPHOSYNTAX THROUGH ONLINE LEARNING

Inflectional is the smallest part of morphosyntax but it becomes important because it is the basic knowledge that students have to comprehend in learning and producing correct sentence. To understand them, the students have to learn it through virtual learning in COVID-19 pandemic era which has changed the way of teaching and learning process especially in Morphosyntax. This research aimed to explore the types and the students’ difficulties in understanding inflectional process of morphology. This research used descriptive qualitative method to describe and to analyze the data. To collect the data, the researchers used two kinds of instruments namely pre-test, post-test, and interview. The population in this research consist of two classes from English Education Study Program at the fifth semester at IKIP Siliwangi.The result showed that the student mostly found the types of inflectional process namely plural form, 3rd singular person, past tense, progressive, comparative and superlative correctly while participle both in present and past tense form are mostly found incorrectly for they are having the higher function which are having similarity as verb progressive and as adjective at the same time. To understand the difference of the both function, the students are demanded to recognize well the structure of both. Keywords: Inflectional Process, Morphosyntax, Online Learning

Computer Aided Generic Disease Prediction System developed using a Multiple Model Machine Learning Technique

Health Information needs are changing the information seeking behavior drastically and can be observed around the globe. Many challenges are faced by people when looking online for health information around diseases, different treatments and diagnosis. People face many problems in understanding the heterogeneous medical vocabulary. People are confused because a huge amount of medical information is available on various mediums. If a prediction system can be made for laymen, doctors and the medicine industry using Review Mining will be very useful and save a lot of time. The idea behind the Disease Prediction System is to adapt to cope up with the special requirements of the health domain. In the present paper we have explained how we have developed a prediction model which is trained using four machine learning algorithms in the same model and achieved accuracy greater than 94%. User interface will help to connect to a machine learning model which gets easier for lay public and connection of machine learning model to user interface will be useful for making interactive programming interfaces with higher functionality.

Increased self-reported reward responsiveness predicts better response to cognitive behavioral therapy for youth with anxiety

Few consistent predictors of differential cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) outcome for anxious youth have been identified, although emerging literature points to youth reward responsiveness as a potential predictor. In a sample of youth ages 7–17 with a primary anxiety disorder (N = 136; Mage = 12.18 years, SDage = 3.12; 70 females; Caucasian n = 108, Black n = 12, Asian n = 4, Hispanic n = 5, other n = 7), the current study examined whether youth reward responsiveness assessed via the Behavioral Inhibition and Behavioral Activation System Scales for children, reward responsiveness subscale, predicted post-treatment (a) anxiety symptom severity, (b) depressive symptom severity, (c) functioning, (d) responder status and (e) number of homework/exposure tasks completed following 16-weeks of CBT, controlling for pre-treatment age, sex, anxiety/depressive symptom severity, and functioning. Moderation analyses examined whether relationships differed by age. Increased reward responsiveness was associated with lower anxiety and depressive symptom severity, higher functioning, and increased likelihood of being a responder, but not homework or exposure completion. Moderation analyses showed that younger, but not older, youth who were more reward responsive completed more exposures. Findings indicate that increased reward responsiveness is a predictor of better CBT outcomes for anxious youth, particularly functional outcomes, and that reward responsiveness may play a different role in exposure completion across development.

Clinical Application of the Vestibular Stimulation Effect on Balance Disorders with Dementia.

In a previous study on Alzheimer's disease (AD), we showed that vestibular dysfunction derived from cerebral disorders contributes to balance disorders. No previous clinical study has attempted to prevent the progression of balance disorders in dementia patients through vestibular stimulation using an air caloric device. The purpose of this pilot study was to delay the progression of balance disorders by inducing vestibular compensation, specifically by utilizing the effect of vestibular stimulation to activate the cerebrum. Fifteen individuals were randomized and classified into a stimulation group or a nonstimulation group. Eight AD patients underwent vestibular stimulation every 2 weeks for 6 months in the stimulation group. Seven AD patients participated in the nonstimulation group (the control group). Both groups were subsequently evaluated using a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), stepping test, caloric test, and smooth pursuit eye movement test just before starting the study and 6 months later. For balance parameters, the various tests did not show any significant differences between the two groups. However, in the stepping test, the decline rate tended to be higher in the nonstimulation group than in the stimulation group. The stimulation group's rate of decline in MMSE scores was lower than that of the nonstimulation group (p=0.015). No adverse events were tracked during the present study. Repeated vestibular stimulation might help patients retain greater balance and higher function. To prove these effects, the future clinical application will require an increased number of cases and longer periods of vestibular stimulation. This study showed that vestibular stimulation by air caloric device is safe and tolerable in patients with AD.

Comorbidities Increase Suicide Risk in People With Autism

Comorbidities Increase Suicide Risk in People With Autism

Comprehensive assessment of alterations in hand deformities over 11\xa0years in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using cluster analysis and analysis of covariance

BackgroundAlthough drug therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has recently improved, treating patients with established disease, whose hands have three major deformities (thumb deformity, finger deformities, and ulnar drift), remains a challenge. The underlying complex pathophysiology makes understanding these deformities difficult, and comprehensive assessment methods require accumulated skill with long learning curves. We aimed to establish a simpler composite method to understand the pathophysiology of and alterations in the hand deformities of patients with RA.MethodsWe established a rheumatoid hand cohort in 2004 and clinically evaluated 134 hands (67 patients). We repeated the evaluations in 2009 (100 hands of 52 patients) and 2015 (63 hands of 37 patients) after case exclusion. Thumb deformities, finger deformities (swan-neck and boutonnière deformity), and ulnar drift were semi-quantitated and entered as parameters into a two-step cross-sectional cluster analysis for the data in 2004. The parameters in each cluster were plotted at each evaluation point. Two-way analysis of covariance was used to examine whether differences existed between evaluation points and clusters of deformity parameters.ResultsFive clusters most appropriately described hand deformity: (i) cluster 1, minimal deformity; (ii) cluster 2, type 1 thumb deformity; (iii) cluster 3, thumb deformity and severe boutonnière deformity; (iv) cluster 4, type 2 or 3 thumb deformity and severe ulnar drift; and (v) cluster 5, thumb deformity and severe swan-neck deformity. Clusters 1 and 2 had higher function than cluster 5, and cluster 3 had moderate function. Clusters 1–4 had similar disease duration but showed different paths of deformity progression from disease onset. Clusters 1 and 2 represented conservative deformity parameters and clusters 3, 4, and 5 represented progressive deformity parameters. Over time, thumb deformity evolved into other types of deformities and swan-neck deformity worsened significantly.ConclusionsOur comprehensive analysis identified five deformity patterns and a progressive course in the rheumatoid hand. Knowledge of the characteristics of progressive deformity parameters may allow rheumatologists to more easily implement practical interventions and determine functional prognosis.

Physical Fitness and Health-related Quality of Life in Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer is now a frequently treatable illness for most and a chronic disease for many. The number of people living with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer is thus expected to rise. Yet even after successful treatment, colorectal cancer survivors, mostly the elderly, frequently experience health problems and impaired health-related quality of life. We investigated the cross-sectional association between physical fitness, measured with the 6-min walk test, 30-second chair-stand test, and isometric handgrip strength, as well as health-related quality of life, in a cohort of colorectal cancer patients (n=71, mean [SD] age 67±10 years, 63% men; 35, 39 and 25% in stages I, II and III, respectively). Greater performance in the 6-minute walk test and 30-second chair-stand test was associated with higher levels of global health status (p<0.001, p=0.001 respectively), higher functioning (p<0.001) and lower levels of symptomatology (p<0.001; pain and fatigue). Additionally, greater 6-min walk test performance was associated with a better cognitive function (p=0.005). Our results suggest that greater aerobic fitness and lower-extremity muscle strength are cross-sectionally associated with higher levels of global health status, higher functioning and lower levels of symptomatology such as pain and fatigue in colorectal cancer patients.

Consideration of equality, diversity, and inclusivity as a higher function

Equality, inclusivity, and diversity remain pertinent topics in healthcare not only for the benefit of patients but also for the workforce. Schemes have existed for many years, but in spite of the progress being made, it remains necessary to reiterate the importance of these terms and to make a conscious effort to enforce them. This paper describes prejudices and stereotypes as a function of the Bayesian brain, beyond human control, and suggests that a higher function is needed to recognise and over-ride these innate thought processes.

Identifying Subgroups of Toddlers with DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder Based on Core Symptoms.

The objective of this study was to identify subgroups of toddlers with DSM-5 ASD based on core ASD symptoms using a person-based analytical framework. This is a retrospective study of 500 toddlers (mean age 26months, 79% male) with DSM-5 ASD. Data were analyzed using latent class analyses in which profiles were formed based on ASD symptomatology. Social communication (SC) symptoms favored a three-class solution, while restricted/repetitive behaviors (RRBs) favored a two-class solution. Classes with higher consistency of SC deficits were younger, with lower developmental functioning. The class with more RRBs was older, with higher functioning. If confirmed in other populations, these classes may more precisely characterize subgroups within the heterogeneous group of toddlers at time of ASD diagnosis.

Use of Backward Walking Speed to Screen Dynamic Balance and Mobility Deficits in Older Adults Living Independently in the Community.

Older adults who live independently in the community are higher functioning and routinely ambulate in the community. Unrestricted community ambulation increases the likelihood of encountering precarious situations challenging balance. Sufficient dynamic balance is necessary to avoid falls. Currently used balance and mobility assessments may not sufficiently challenge dynamic balance to uncover mobility deficits in independent community-dwelling older adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether backward walking speed (BWS) can serve as an outcome measure to screen dynamic balance and mobility deficits in independent community-dwelling older adults. A convenience sample of 30 older adults (73.68 ± 6.54 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants walked backward on an instrumented walkway to record BWS. Other outcomes included forward walking speed (FWS), Community Balance and Mobility (CB&M) Scale, Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and 7-day average step count (ASC). A multivariate analysis of variance investigated the overall group differences between older adults at fall risk and those not at risk and was followed up by univariate tests. Pearson and spearman coefficients investigated associations between study outcomes. Youden's index assessed diagnostic accuracy. Backward walking speed, CB&M, FES-I, ASC discriminated older adults at fall risk from those not at risk (P < .01) whereas FWS and TUG did not. Backward walking speed strongly correlated with challenging assessments of balance and mobility (CB&M, FES-I, and ASC) but only moderately correlated with the TUG. The CB&M Scale independently explained 53% variance in the BWS performance (P < .01). Youden's index was highest (Y = 0.6, sensitivity = 93%, and specificity = 67%) for BWS (0.73 m/s) compared with other study outcomes. Preliminary results suggest that BWS can screen for dynamic balance and mobility deficits in independent community-dwelling older adults. Accurate screening is the first step to capture early decline in function for independent community-dwelling older adults. Longitudinal follow-up studies are warranted to validate BWS as a screening tool.

Cognitive Impairment and Its Impact on Quality of Life in Rural Indian Female after Stroke: A Cross Sectional Study Protocol

Introduction: Stroke represented growing social, health care and economic problems. in 2005 vascularcognitive impairment a condition that can be found in 20-30% of stroke patient. Now in 2018-19 over 50percent of stroke survivors have reported cognitive impairment 6 months after stroke and are associated withpoorer quality of life which increase disability. Cognitive functions is identified as a top priority for strokeresearch. Cognitive impairment affects inadequate ability to focus on the job, recall, understand, prepare, useknowledge, initiate and stop the operation and solve problem. a stroke impaired cognitive function includingfocus, memory, vocabulary, executive function, perception and orientation of space. Because of abnormalityin functional independence and other abnormalities in higher function, cognitive impairment may lead toaffect independence. it increases the death ratio, abnormality. Stroke impacts wellbeing dramatically onhealth system resulting in high costs, and is also considered a global public health problem due to severedisabilities, functional deficiencies and reduced quality of life.Method: The corrective study is assessing the cognitive impairment and the quality of life. The cognitiveimpairment will be measured with the use of the MoCA and QoL will be measured by stroke specific qualityof life questionnaire. Female stroke patient with age in between 45-65 year who was diagnosed by thephysician is included in the study.Discussion: Stroke is a prevalent condition which affects most of the Indian population. Most studies aredone on stroke including male and females both. Many studies have concentrated on cognitive disabilityafter stroke and quality of life in males but no research is available in rural Indian females.The need for theresearch is therefore to establish the prevalence of cognitive disability in females and their effect on qualityof life after stroke.

Comparing outcome measures of persons with severe mental illness in vocational rehabilitation programs: a dual perspective of consumers and providers.

Vocational rehabilitation for people with severe mental illness (SMI) has many benefits. Among the existing models, supported employment has consistently shown to have better impact on vocational outcomes while the findings on non-vocational outcomes are inconsistent. One source of variation with regard to non-vocational outcomes could be related to differences between consumers' self-reports and the providers' point of view. A cross-sectional study of people with SMI consuming three different vocational services and their service providers. Data were collected as part of the Israeli Psychiatric Rehabilitation Patient Reported Outcome Measurement project. The current data is based on 3666 pairs of people with SMI consuming vocational services and their service providers. Vocational services included supported employment, sheltered workshops and vocational support centers. The consumers-filled self-report questionnaires, which consisted of the following patient-reported outcome measurements (PROMs): quality of life, functioning and illness management. Primary professional providers were given instruments that mirrored the ones designed for self-report. According to providers' ratings, supported employment was associated with higher functioning (F=78.6, P<0.001) and illness management (F=33.0, P<0.001) compared to other vocational services. PROMs revealed that supported employment was associated with higher functioning only (F=31.5, P<0.001). Consumers rated themselves higher compared to providers on all measures. This study provides a deeper insight into non-vocational outcomes of people with SMI participating in vocational services and suggests differences in perspectives between consumers and providers with regard to outcome measures.

Comparison between the Classical Symphony and Self Selected Music on Muscle Endurance in Young Obese Males

Introduction: Music captures attention, triggers a wide range of emotions, regulates mood and arousal,increases work output, induces states of higher functioning, reduces inhibitions and encourages rhythmicmovement. Music has ergo-genic effect as well.Aim: To evaluate the comparison between classical symphony music and self selected music on muscularendurance levels in young obese males.Materials and Method: BMI assessment was performed for all participants and the 30 individuals fallingunder obese category were recruited in the study (BMI ›30 Kg/m2). The participants were asked to listen toclassical symphony music 15 min for 20 days, the muscle endurance test was done by Mosso’s ergographyand hand dynamometry. After a month the same participants were recalled. The participants were asked tolisten to any music of their choice and were grouped under self-selected music. Muscle endurance test wasdone by hand dynamometry and Mosso’s ergography method. Both the values of muscle endurance werecompared by using independent paired t test and SPSS software statistical assessment tools were used.Result: After using self-selected music the muscle endurance significantly increased using hand dynamometry(p<0.005) and Mosso’s ergography (p<0.05).Conclusion: There may be an improved functioning of neural system due to the influence music. Therefore,music may be used as an additional aid for obese individuals to maintain their skeletal muscle enduranceduring any physical activity and aerobic exercise

Mentalization-based therapy for a patient suffering from panic disorder: a systematic single case study

This single-case study describes the mentalization-based therapy (MBT) for a woman diagnosed with severe panic disorder with agoraphobia. The aim of the study is to illustrate how MBT contributes to reducing anxiety symptoms and to strengthening the capacity for reflecting in relation to both self and others as part of developing a more coherent sense of self-identity. The findings indicate a significant therapeutic progress including reduction in anxiety symptoms and a higher function in the patient’s everyday life after MBT. Based on the results of this systematic single-case study, we hypothesize that MBT is a promising therapeutic approach for patients suffering from panic disorder who have not responded to previous treatment. We trace the efficacy of MBT to the therapy’s focus on attachment relationships, affect recognition and management, and working with the patient’s mentalizing capacity.

Standing, Walking, and Sitting Support Robot Based on User State Estimation Using a Small Number of Sensors

With the aging of the population and the consequent severe shortage of caregivers, the demand for care robots to assist the elderly is increasing. However, care robots have yet to be widely adopted owing to cost constraints and anxiety issues due to several factors. For instance, care robots are required to have higher functionality than general care devices. It is important to provide both massive power and the appropriate support for the user’s state. However, this requires more sensors to obtain detailed information for user-state estimation and more actuators for physical support, increasing the cost and risk of failure. In a system that has many sensors and operates based on detailed data, the problem of user privacy also emerges. The risk of personal information leakage and the feeling of being monitored increase user discomfort. To support standing up and prevent falling during walking, care robots are required to apply power to the user according to the user state. The position of the center of gravity (CoG) has been used for such state estimation; however, many sensors are required to determine the accurate CoG position. To reduce the number of sensors required for user state estimation, we proposed a method for calculating CoG candidates, and validated the proposed method via experiments. Previous studies have focused solely on normal standing-up motion. However, in daily activities, standing up, walking, and sitting down are a set of motions. In addition, it is not always true that the care robot user can move normally; hence, anomaly detection is beneficial in care robots. Therefore, it is important to estimate the user state considering not only standing-up motion, but also walking and sitting down, as well as any anomaly that may occur during these motions. In this study, we develop an elderly support system that can assist in standing, walking, and sitting based on user state estimation. The CoG candidate calculation method is improved for walking and stand-to-sit movements, and an anomaly detection method using CoG candidates is also proposed. The care robot is designed to be user-driven and provide support for persons with insufficient strength based on state estimation. The experiments verify that the developed system can constantly monitor the user’s state and support a series of movements, such as standing up, walking, and sitting down, with a single robot.

CFPU: A Cell-Free Processing Unit for High-Throughput, Automated In Vitro Circuit Characterization in Steady-State Conditions.

Forward engineering synthetic circuits are at the core of synthetic biology. Automated solutions will be required to facilitate circuit design and implementation. Circuit design is increasingly being automated with design software, but innovations in experimental automation are lagging behind. Microfluidic technologies made it possible to perform in vitro transcription-translation (tx-tl) reactions with increasing throughput and sophistication, enabling screening and characterization of individual circuit elements and complete circuit designs. Here, we developed an automated microfluidic cell-free processing unit (CFPU) that extends high-throughput screening capabilities to a steady-state reaction environment, which is essential for the implementation and analysis of more complex and dynamic circuits. The CFPU contains 280 chemostats that can be individually programmed with DNA circuits. Each chemostat is periodically supplied with tx-tl reagents, giving rise to sustained, long-term steady-state conditions. Using microfluidic pulse width modulation (PWM), the device is able to generate tx-tl reagent compositions in real time. The device has higher throughput, lower reagent consumption, and overall higher functionality than current chemostat devices. We applied this technology to map transcription factor-based repression under equilibrium conditions and implemented dynamic gene circuits switchable by small molecules. We expect the CFPU to help bridge the gap between circuit design and experimental automation for in vitro development of synthetic gene circuits.

Еще раз о мозге и семиозисе: можно ли найти точку в нейросетях?

The paper discusses semiotic aspects of higher human functions and a possibility and relevance of traditional search for their neurophysiological basis. The state of the art on the subject is reviewed and the lack of data on anthropological specificity for reasoning, thinking, language and its AI modeling is highlighted. Experimental neuroscience presumes that if we know the characteristics of neu­rons and their connections, we automatically understand what mind and con­sciousness are. However, it is evident that such a paradigm does not allow us to get relevant answers to the main questions. I argue that the problem should be dealt with not only within the field of neurophysiology proper. Rather, such re­search should involve exploring the 'archeology' of mental processes as they are revealed in arts as well as in other symbolic spaces. The paper discusses the ade­quacy of physiological methodology when it is employed to demonstrate brain mechanisms of higher functions. Besides, I explore the relevance of juxta­posing similar data from other biological and artificial intelligent systems. I view language processing, mind and reasoning and 1st person experience (qualia) as human specific features, and questions the possibility of direct testing these phenomena. The paper links genetic, anthropological and neurophysio­logical data to semiotic activity and semiosphere formation as the basis for com­munication. The paper discusses the place of humans in the changing world in the context of new cognitive dimensions.