Real-life Events Research Articles

Teaching intellectual property law today: testing the relevance of the “problem-based learning” method

ABSTRACT How should intellectual property (IP) law be taught today? This is an important question due to the growth of IP as an academic subject over the past decades, reflecting its increasingly interdisciplinary reach and need to deal with novel questions of law. It will be argued that, while always applicable, the skills of interdisciplinarity, creative thinking, ethical awareness and ability to deal with uncertainty in law have become even more relevant for current students of IP. This article draws on pedagogical literature from law and other disciplines to argue that problem-based learning (PBL) is theoretically an effective method of teaching that can develop these skills. It concludes with a case study of a PBL session during a Master’s course to identify some of the challenges of PBL in practice and how these can be addressed in the future. This case study contributes to existing literature on PBL in law by focusing on postgraduate study and using a problem drawn from real-life current events.

English

Objectives: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) share pharmacokinetic pathways with many comedications commonly administered to patients living with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (PLWHCV). International guidelines recommend a thorough drug-drug interaction (DDI) risk assessment prior to starting DAA therapy and before starting comedications. This study aims to evaluate the impact of potential multiple DDIs in the real-life adverse event (AE) profile of PLWHCV treated with DAAs. Material and method: This is a retrospective, observational study using electronic medical records. Patients included were PLWHCV and were treated with either the protease inhibitor (PI) free DAA sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) or glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) between 2017 and 2020. Potential (single and multiple) DDIs were identified using the Liverpool HEP Interaction Checker. AEs potentially associated to DDIs were identified during DAA treatment period. Results: 1620 patients with DAA prescriptions (SOF/VEL or GLE/PIB) were included. Of these, 123 were predicted to have multiple DDIs (multi-DDI). About 10% (123/1256) of the patients receiving ≥2 comedications were at risk of multi-DDI with DAA. Most comedication-associated AEs were recorded in this multi-DDI population (88.9%, 16/18), meaning that 13% (16/123) of the multi-DDI population suffered AEs. According to DAA regimen, more comedication-associated AEs were reported in GLE/PIB-treated as compared with SOF/VEL-treated patients (18.3% [13/71] vs 5.8% [3/52] p<0.05). These AEs were mainly reported by primary care physicians (62.5%). Discussion: PLWHCV predicted to have multiple DDIs are at high risk of AEs. Moreover, fewer comedication-associated AEs were identified with the PI-free DAA SOF/VEL as compared with GLE/PIB.

Classification of EEG evoked in 2D and 3D virtual reality: traditional machine learning versus deep learning

Backgrounds. Virtual reality (VR) simulates real-life events and scenarios and is widely utilized in education, entertainment, and medicine. VR can be presented in two dimensions (2D) or three dimensions (3D), with 3D VR offering a more realistic and immersive experience. Previous research has shown that electroencephalogram (EEG) profiles induced by 3D VR differ from those of 2D VR in various aspects, including brain rhythm power, activation, and functional connectivity. However, studies focused on classifying EEG in 2D and 3D VR contexts remain limited.Methods. A 56-channel EEG was recorded while visual stimuli were presented in 2D and 3D VR. The recorded EEG signals were classified using two machine learning approaches: traditional machine learning and deep learning. In the traditional approach, features such as power spectral density (PSD) and common spatial patterns (CSP) were extracted, and three classifiers-support vector machines (SVM), K-nearest neighbors (KNN), and random forests (RF)-were used. For the deep learning approach, a specialized convolutional neural network, EEGNet, was employed. The classification performance of these methods was then compared.Results. In terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score, the deep learning method outperformed traditional machine learning approaches. Specifically, the classification accuracy using the EEGNet deep learning model reached up to 97.86%.Conclusions. EEGNet-based deep learning significantly outperforms conventional machine learning methods in classifying EEG signals induced by 2D and 3D VR. Given EEGNet's design for EEG-based brain-computer interfaces (BCI), this superior classification performance suggests that it can enhance the application of 3D VR in BCI systems.

Combining storytelling and a scenario re-enactment of Mt. Everest expeditions to practice cognitive and social skills

BackgroundHealthcare teams need cognitive skills and social skills in acute care and routine situations. This article describes the use of storytelling and the re-enactment of a real-life event to teach such skills. MethodWe describe the preparation, conduct, and debriefing of the simulation. ResultsIn our conducts of the simulation most participants found it valuable, but we also saw a low number of participants, who did not engage a lot in simulation. ConclusionThis concept and the principle of combining story-telling with re-enactment can provide valuable learning opportunities for different target groups in healthcare settings.

FEAR OF INCESTUOUS OIDA-POUS: UNEQUAL DISCOURSES AND TRAGEDY IN OEDIPUS THE KING

This research aims to explain the enigmatic fact in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, where the discovery of regicide and origin coincides with the tragedy of patricide and incest in Oedipus. To achieve this, the research explores the unequal discourses of language and knowledge that result from the new awareness of the contingency of language. This research concludes with three discoveries through a forensic study of the discrepancies between the syntax in the text and the épistémè of the dramatic character. First, the tension between the fate of the dramatic character (Oedipus) and the domination of the author of the text (Sophocles) is the symptomatic appearance of the unequal discourses between language as correspondence and language as a tool. Second, Oedipus’ tragedy of patricide and incest was a semantic reality rather than a real-life event representing a divine register. Third, as seen in the interplay between the oracle, fate, and the tragic self-knowledge in Oedipus the King, this drama explicates the incestuous origin of knowledge and its tragic impact on the body. This study contributes to the many-have-done discussions and critics of Oedipus the King. This research demonstrates that a lack of awareness regarding unequal discourses can lead to tragic consequences.

Real collapse responses of an RC flat plate structure under extreme overloading condition: Reversing load redistribution

Progressive collapse research of concrete flat plate structures, typically investigated through the alternate path (AP) method with a focus on column failure (removal), has often neglected the facts of real-life collapse events which are caused by slab overloading, leading to initial punching shear failure at slab-column joints. Progressive collapse of the structural systems triggered by slab-column joint failures exhibits distinct failure modes and resistance mechanisms from those triggered by column failures. Building upon our initial tests on the overloaded slab specimen under quasi-static loading regimes, this paper presents an innovative experimental study that closely mirrors the load-resistant mechanisms of the most common collapse incidents in flat plate structure systems in the real world. By successively stacking up gravity loads without additional interventions, the test accurately simulates the spontaneous failure conditions typical of flat plate structures. A key discovery of this research is the identification of a unique reversing load redistribution mechanism, a phenomenon not previously observed in our slab overloading tests or in studies focused on column removal scenarios. This discovery highlights the necessity of enhancing the post-punching capacity at the slab-column joints as a critical factor in preventing collapses due to slab overloading. In addition, this study provides an in-depth examination of the dynamic effects inherent in the progressive collapse of flat plate structures. Evaluating the dynamic increase factor and load amplification factor offers supplementary data pertinent to real-world collapses, providing essential insights for improving the resilience of flat plate structures against initial joint failure due to slab overloading.

An Overview of Non-fictional Literature in English About Partition of Indian Subcontinent

It is said that literature is the mirror of the society. The reflection of the partition of India can be seen in the partition literature. Partition literature has mainly been divided into two types. First is fictional partition literature and second is non-fictional partition literature. Fictional partition literature sheds light on the partition of India through a fictionalised manner and is seen more as an art. Non-fictional partition literature talks about real life events and happenings that took place during the partition. They are presented by real life people such as eye-witnesses, survivors and their descendants and are penned and documented by writers from both India and Pakistan based on true events, stories that have been passed down from generations to generations. Fictional partition literature revolves around the partition with an essence of love stories and artistic expressions where as non-fictional partition literature is made of the actual experiences and does not contain artistic expressions.

Innovative Digital Phenotyping Method to Assess Body Representations in Autistic Adults: A Perspective on Multisensor Evaluation.

In this perspective paper, we propose a novel tech-driven method to evaluate body representations (BRs) in autistic individuals. Our goal is to deepen understanding of this complex condition by gaining continuous and real-time insights through digital phenotyping into the behavior of autistic adults. Our innovative method combines cross-sectional and longitudinal data gathering techniques to investigate and identify digital phenotypes related to BRs in autistic adults, diverging from traditional approaches. We incorporate ecological momentary assessment and time series data to capture the dynamic nature of real-life events for these individuals. Statistical techniques, including multivariate regression, time series analysis, and machine learning algorithms, offer a detailed comprehension of the complex elements that influence BRs. Ethical considerations and participant involvement in the development of this method are emphasized, while challenges, such as varying technological adoption rates and usability concerns, are acknowledged. This innovative method not only introduces a novel vision for evaluating BRs but also shows promise in integrating traditional and dynamic assessment approaches, fostering a more supportive atmosphere for autistic individuals during assessments compared to conventional methods.

Rapid assessment of cardiac autonomic modulation and adaptive stress responses: Automatic calculation of time-varying parasympathetic, sympathetic, and Baevsky stress indexes

Cardiac autonomic modulation (CAM), which is regulated by the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, is involved in various physiological and pathological conditions. Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis has been used to explore the complex relationship between the brain and heart, as described by Porges’ polyvagal theory and Thayer’s neurovisceral integration model. Recently, an automated calculation of new parasympathetic, sympathetic, and Baevsky stress indexes based on HRV parameters has been introduced for faster and more comprehensive CAM assessment, though their normal ranges remain undefined. This study aimed to determine the average values of these indexes in a healthy population of different ages during rest, daily activities, non-rapid eye movement sleep, graded physical effort, and acute psychophysiological stress. At rest, the parasympathetic and sympathetic indexes were consistently within the proposed normal range and inversely related. However, Baevsky stress index values from Kubios were higher than expected, conflicting with the assumption that they are simply the square root of those calculated using the original formula. Despite this, time-varying assessment of all indexes can provide valuable insights into CAM adaptation during physical effort and acute psychophysiological stress in real-world critical situations. Notably, our novel finding shows that the inverse correlation between parasympathetic and sympathetic/stress indexes under stress is better explained by non-linear functions, offering a potential new measure of brain–heart interaction during real-life critical events.

Distinct effects of slow and fast theta tACS in enhancing temporal memory

Abstract Temporal memory plays a crucial role in organizing real-life events into meaningful segments. Previous research suggests that the clustering of temporally related information builds on the neural correlates of associative memory, including theta oscillations. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) provides a means of modulating theta oscillations within associative memory networks, possibly including hippocampal modulation when targeting parietal cortex. Theta oscillations are not limited to a single frequency range, but instead, exhibit functional specialization, with slow theta (3 Hz) implicated in short-term episodic memory formation and fast theta (8 Hz) involved in spatial navigation. This study aimed to investigate the distinct effects of slow and fast theta stimulation on temporal memory. Participants encoded visual objects paired with frame color while receiving tACS stimulation at 8 Hz, 3 Hz, or sham targeting the left parietal cortex. The frame color would change for every eight objects, establishing a context boundary with each color change. Subsequently, participants performed a timeline task to assess temporal memory performance. Results showed that slow, but not fast, theta stimulation led to an enhancement in temporal accuracy (absolute temporal error) compared to sham tACS, in support of our main hypothesis. Under sham stimulation, participants consistently underestimated the temporal position of items presented further away from boundary, compared to those presented at boundary. This finding resembled temporal compression observed during event segmentation. Interestingly, fast, but not slow, theta stimulation reduced this temporal bias (rated position— actual position). This study represents the first tACS evidence for differential contributions of slow versus fast theta to temporal memory formation in humans. We speculate that parietal theta tACS may modulate the hippocampus and facilitate temporal memory formation.

Hot Versus Cold Debriefing in a Nursing Context: An Integrative Review.

Hot debriefing occurs shortly after simulations or real-life events, whereas cold debriefings occur after 24 hours. This integrative review examined the effects of hot versus cold debriefing after simulation on prelicensure students. Whittemore and Knafl's five-stage method was followed. Databases searched included PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and PsycINFO. The inclusion criteria were studies published in English that involved prelicensure nursing students and measured the effect of hot or cold debriefing. Themes emerged from 10 studies and included clinical judgment and decision making, knowledge and skills, participant experiences, reflection, and psychological safety and self-efficacy. Hot debriefing was preferred by participants, but cold debriefing resulted in higher knowledge and skills scores. In addition, students in the cold debriefing group were more conformable and in a safe environment compared with the hot debriefing group. Drawing a strong conclusion was difficult due to heterogeneity in study designs and methods. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(10):653-658.].

The Art of Prediction in Dean Koontiz’s the Eyes of Darkness

Dean Koontz's book The Eyes of Darkness discusses themes like secret government activities, biological warfare, and people fighting against evil. This paper examines how the story predicts future events and deals with uncertainty using Rescher's ideas on forecasting. It looks at how characters handle unexpected situations caused by the Wuhan-400 virus. It draws comparisons to real-life events like the COVID-19 pandemic. The study uses close reading to explore important themes and how characters react. It shows how the novel warns about biological weapons' moral issues and societal impacts. This research shows how literature can predict real events and start conversations about scientific progress and crisis management.

Gamification as an Educational Tool for Retirement Planning

Many individuals worldwide retire financially unprepared. The most evident factor for low retirement savings is due to a lack of retirement planning, especially from an early age. Financial literacy is a key element in navigating the current complex financial landscape, as it enables the individual to effectively manage personal finances and make sound financial decisions regarding earning, consuming, saving, investing, debt management, insurance, mitigating risk, identifying suitable financial sources when needed, and also ultimately saving enough for retirement. Financial education provided by employers is usually voluntary and generally designed as a one-size-fits-all solution. The current methods used to teach financial literacy are effective in accessing financial education, but whether they change financial behaviour that results in leaving individuals better prepared for retirement is not evident. Millennials thrive in a digital environment and prefer a trial-and-error approach when learning takes place. To make financial education more practical and appealing to millennials, programme developers should consider the use of gamified applications portraying real-life events where problems need to be solved and active engagement and immediate feedback, which can promote financial literacy and might change the saving behaviour of the younger generations. Gamification is explored as a potential educational tool that can be used in teaching retirement preparedness and financial literacy in the workplace.

MantaRay-ProM: An efficient process model discovery algorithm

Discovering the business process model from an organisation’s records of its operational processes is an active area of research in process mining. The discovered model may be used either during a new system rollout or to improve an existing system. In this paper, we present a process model discovery approach based on the recently proposed bio-inspired Manta Ray Foraging Optimization algorithm (MRFO). Since MRFO is designed to solve real-valued optimization problems, we adapted a binary version of MRFO to suit the domain of process mining. The proposed approach is compared with state-of-the-art process discovery algorithms on several synthetic and real-life event logs. The results show that compared to other algorithms, the proposed approach exhibits faster convergence and yields superior quality process models.

Driving engagement in metaverse-mediated tourism environments: exploring the role of perceived realism

PurposeDespite the promising development and marketing potential of the metaverse, our understanding of how realistic metaverse environments impact user engagement and behaviours remains limited. This study investigates the role of perceived realism in influencing user engagement, thereby affecting external search behaviour and visit intentions.Design/methodology/approachWe surveyed 270 active metaverse users to test the research model. The data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results of our study show that three dimensions of realism – avatar involvement, perceptual pervasiveness and social realism – significantly enhance user engagement, which in turn influences external search behaviour and visit intention. In contrast, simulation realism and freedom of choice have minimal effects on absorption and dedication.Research limitations/implicationsThis study highlights the role of perceived realism in enhancing user engagement with the metaverse and its impact on physical world behaviours. It contributes to metaverse literature by demonstrating that engagement within the metaverse significantly influences physical world behaviours, including visit intentions and external search behaviours.Practical implicationsThis study offers practical guidance for developers to enhance user engagement in metaverse environments. Specifically, our findings advocate for visual and audio quality enhancements, greater persuasiveness of virtual spaces, improved avatar representativeness and a closer alignment of metaverse activities with real-life events.Originality/valueThis study advances the theoretical understanding of perceived realism by examining how its dimensions – such as visual and audio quality, avatar representativeness and alignment with real-life events – impact user engagement in the metaverse. It also explores how this engagement influences offline behaviours, thus bridging the gap between virtual and real-world interactions.

Crisis checklist for critical event debriefings: Findings from a mixed-methods study

BackgroundPerioperative critical events (e.g., anaphylaxis, cardiac arrest) are common life-threatening emergencies across health systems but may be infrequent at the level of the individual clinician. Proximal debriefing shortly after such events has been promoted in the medical literature and via simulation, however the gap between principle and practice is poorly understood. We sought to study the patterns and components of these debriefs based on real-life events. MethodsIn this observational mixed-methods study, anesthesia providers in perioperative care areas and intensive care units from an academic medical center who recently experienced a perioperative critical event were queried regarding patterns of critical event debriefing and invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. We measured the types and location of critical events, rate of debriefing, and supporting themes surrounding the event. ResultsOver a six-month period, 81 critical events were queried, of which 28 (35 %) were debriefed. Common events included significant/prolonged hypotension and/or hypoxemia (33 %), cardiac arrest (27 %), and massive hemorrhage (21 %). Common event locations included operating room (70 %), nonoperating room anesthesia (10 %), and intensive care unit (7 %). Of the events queried, 51 events had a semi-structured interview. The themes for an ideal debriefing aligned with the themes of performing a Welfare check, assessing Acute corrections, soliciting Team reactions, allowing for medical Education, and providing supportive Resources. ConclusionOne-third of perioperative critical events were proximally debriefed. Themes from involved anesthesiology personnel revealed desirable components of a practical and brief real-time proximal debriefing. A checklist encompassing a review of the literature, multidisciplinary expertise, and lessons from this mixed-methods work has the potential to improve the quantity and quality of debriefing that is often absent in the aftermath of a perioperative critical event.

Captivating Verbatim Account of Historical Events in Ana Deaver Smith’s Fires in The Mirror

Fires in the Mirror is a play by Anna Deavere Smith that uses verbatim theatre to explore the 1991 Crown Heights riot in Brooklyn, New York. The play consists of a series of monologues in which she embodies the personas of various people involved in or impacted by the riot. Each monologue is a verbatim transcript of what the interviewee said during an interview with her. By performing these verbatim monologues, Smith authentically portrays the voices and emotions of the people she interviewed. It offers her a multi-faceted and profoundly human perspective on the Crown Heights riot. It highlights the underlying issues of racial and religious divisions while underscoring the importance of empathy and understanding in times of crisis. Fires in The Mirror as verbatim theatre shows how authentic storytelling can deeply connect us to real-life events. It reminds us that theatre can be a powerful tool for understanding others' experiences and raising awareness about important issues.

Detecting Process Duration Drift Using Gamma Mixture Models in a Left-Truncated and Right-Censored Environment

Within the realm of business context, process duration signifies time spent by customers between successive activities. This temporal perspective offers important insight to customer behavior, highlighting potential bottlenecks, and influencing business management decisions. The distribution of these process duration often changes over time due to factors such as seasonality, emerging legislation, changes to supply chains, and customer demand. Referred to as concept drift, these variations pose challenges for robust process modeling, understanding, and refinement. Subsequently, gamma mixture models are widely employed to model durations. These source data can, however, become left-truncated and right-censored within any specific observation window thereby necessitating a (well-known) modification to the likelihood function. The approach reported in this article leveraged this adapted likelihood across a series of observation windows, applying the likelihood ratio test to identify duration changes/concept drift. Due to its flexibility in modelling any duration distribution, the gamma mixture model was used with Nelder–Mead optimized likelihood for the left-truncated and right-censored data. The number of gamma components was determined by the Bayesian information criterion. The proposed framework underwent validation through simulated exponential samples, leading to recommendations for its practical application. Subsequently, we applied the methodology to three real-life event logs exhibiting diverse characteristics. Experimental results showcase the effectiveness of our approach in terms of data fitting, as compared to Kaplan–Meier curves, and in detecting instances of drift. This comprehensive validation underscores the practical utility and reliability of our framework for dynamic business scenarios.

In Search of Treasure in Šalek: Creating Local Identity through Narrative Ostension

People transform concrete real-life events into narratives, but the reverse is also true; folklore and narratives in general can also provoke a creative or active response in people and significantly shape their worldview and way of life. The cases in which this happens (through processes of narrative ostension) are also of interest to folklorists, as they provide crucial contextual information about how (folk) narratives function, spread and acquire meaning. Stories about hidden or buried treasure are among the most important narratives that provoke such ostensive (re)actions. People who live with them sometimes venture out into the symbolically significant but very real elements of local space (e.g. castles) and actively search for the treasure mentioned in a legend. Such is the case of Šalek Castle (in Velenje), where local folklore about buried treasure has prompted several generations of locals to head up to the castle and start digging.

Gamification Attributes to Enhance Socio-Vocational Readiness Among People with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Developmental Disabilities: A Conceptual Paper

People with disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD) may experience obstacles in social, communication, vocational, and behavioral skills that limit their participation. Video modeling (VM) entails demonstrating desired behaviors through video simulation. Its effectiveness in encouraging adaptive behaviors in work-related social activities has been demonstrated for ASD and IDD. Gamification is the application of game attributes to nongame situations. Within health care, education, and rehabilitation, gamification has included simulations of real-life events to engage clients and improve function. In this conceptual paper, we examined the link between gamification’s intrinsic attributes and the VM paradigm through examples of our evolving VM studies for individuals with ASD and IDD. The discussed interfaces demonstrate gamification attributes that likely contributed to their usability and effectiveness. This conceptual framework illustrated a new perspective concerning the effectiveness of VM paradigms. We encourage clinicians and technology developers to consider the value of incorporating gamification when designing VM interventions to enhance independence in the daily lives of vulnerable populations. Embracing gamified VM can promote engaging interventions, enhancing skill acquisition across diverse populations.