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A Systematic and Meta-Analytical Review of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for PTSD
No full textApproximately 14% of individuals develop PTSD symptoms in
response to trauma. Existing literature provides substantial evidence supporting Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
in enhancing psychological flexibility and reducing PTSD symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of ACT in managing PTSD symptoms. The PRISMA flowchart was used to guide the selection of relevant studies. A comprehensive
meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect size of
ACT’s efficacy. A total of 25 studies were included in the systematic review, while 20 studies were included in meta-analysis. The quality of the selected studies was independently assessed by two reviewers using a quality rating scale (Yates et al., 2005). Meta-analytic findings indicated a mean effect size of 1.274 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.906 to 1.643, reflecting a large treatment effect. However, the narrative synthesis revealed
that results across studies were not directly comparable due to heterogeneous study characteristics. This study highlights the strong potential of ACT as an effective intervention for PTSD, particularly in the context of natural and human-made disasters or traumatic incidents. Despite variability across studies, the overall evidence supports ACT’s use in trauma-informed care, warranting further investigation through high-quality, standardized trials
Between Conventional Narrative and Artistic Experimentation: An Autoethnographic Reflection at the Bandung Festival
No full textThis article presents an autoethnographic reflection on the creative process and performance experience of a Malaysian theatre production staged at an experimental arts festival in Bandung, Indonesia. The work was rooted in a conventional narrative structure, contrasting with the prevailing performances at the festival, which were predominantly experimental and abstract. This divergence created a space for both tension and learning, as the artist negotiated
the intersection between narrative clarity and avant-garde artistic approaches
Enhanced Performance of Millimetre-Wave DualPolarized Antennas Through Reduced Element Spacing
No full textThe increasing demand for higher data rates and better signal quality in 5G wireless networks has driven the advancement of dual-polarized antennas, which offer improved channel capacity and enhanced MIMO capabilities. Nevertheless, challenges such as achieving sufficient isolation, compact form factors, and effective beamforming remain, especially in millimeter-wave (mmWave) applications. This study introduces an enhanced single-layer, dual-polarized patch antenna with slant ±45° polarization, operating at 28 GHz. Designed to optimize performance while maintaining a compact structure, the antenna significantly reduces inter-element spacing — from approximately 57 mm to 15 mm. It is built on a Rogers RT5880 substrate and incorporates a T-power divider for efficient signal distribution. Both simulation and experimental results confirm improvements in reflection coefficient, radiation patterns, and gain compared to earlier designs. The antenna achieves a reflection coefficient of less than -10 dB, indicating strong performance, with measured gains ranging from 3.7 to 7.8 dBi. The revised radiation patterns display reduced sidelobe levels and a more directional main beam in the co-elevation azimuth plane, highlighting the effectiveness of the reduced spacing. These enhancements make the proposed design well-suited for 5G mmWave applications, particularly for beam-steering systems. Future developments can build on this work to further optimize performance in high-frequency wireless networks
The Hasapi of the Batak Toba from Sumatra Indonesia
Get PDFThe hasapi of the Batak Toba from Sumatra, Indonesia is a plucked bowl-lute chordophone. Hasapi is a fretless chordophone with two strings. The tuning for the hasapi used in this study is based on the transcription of the song ‘Horbo Paung’ played in F major by Sam Sitio. The tuning used for the 2nd string is C4 (Do for open string) followed by D4, E4, and F4 for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd finger, respectively. The 1st string was tuned to G4 (So for open string), followed by A4, B4, and C5 for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd finger, respectively. At higher notes (1st string) the spectra did not display many harmonics, i.e., less partials compared to the lower note (2nd string). Both strings showed a regular signal, whereas the highest note C5 (the highest fundamental frequency from the 1st string) showed an irregular pattern with no significant overtone frequency. The intensity of the partials in both strings displayed the reduction in amplitudes i.e. not proportional to increasing harmonic frequency. The timbre from Adobe Audition showed that the time frequency analysis (TFA) was in accordance with the Picoscope spectra. Only TFA from C5 showed irregular pattern with respect to the Picoscope output
A comparative exploration of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing versus cognitive behavioural therapy for post- traumatic stress disorder in Pakistan: Insights from a full- fledged randomised controlled trial
No full textBackground and Aim: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)is a psychiatric disorder, triggered by traumatic events. Modern evidence-based psychotherapies,such as eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), have been widely used for the treatment of PTSD. However, limited evidence is available regarding their comparative efficacy, especially in the context of Pakistan. Given this context, a single-blinded, two-group randomised controlled trial was conducted to compare the efficacy of EMDR and CBT in treating patients with PTSD in Pakistan.
Methods: A consecutive sample of 80 patients was selected. Patients were randomly allocated to EMDR and CBT in accordance with covariate-adaptive stratified randomisation. This study was carried out at two mental health rehabilitation centres in the capital city of Peshawar, Pakistan. Data on PTSD symptoms and other related aspects were collected through the Clinician- Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, non-inferiority analysis and a general linear model repeated measures ANOVA.
Results: Results regarding treatment fidelity revealed that both therapies were carried out in adherence to treatment protocols. Treatment efficacy results showed that PTSD symptoms were high during the baseline stage of therapy (CAPS-5 mean score of 98.80 for EMDR and 100.50 for CBT) but decreased to low in the follow-up stage (CAPS-5 mean score of 30.20 for EMDR and 34.20 for CBT); however, overall, EMDR therapy was found to be non-inferior and more efficacious than CBT.
Conclusion: The findings of this study hold significant implications at both individual and policy levels. EMDR therapy emerges as a viable alternative to CBT for the treatment of PTSD in Pakistan. Therefore, the study recommends the adoption of EMDR therapy as an effective treatment option for PTSD in Pakistan
Topological radiogenomics based on persistent lifetime images for identification of epidermal growth factor receptor mutation in patients with non-small cell lung tumors
Get PDFWe hypothesized that persistent lifetime (PLT) images could represent tumor imaging traits, locations, and persistent contrasts of topological components (connected and hole components) corresponding to gene mutations such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant signs. We aimed to develop a topological radiogenomic approach using PLT images to identify EGFR mutation-positive patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The PLT image was newly proposed to visualize the locations and persistent contrasts of the topological components for a sequence of binary images with consecutive thresholding of an original computed tomography (CT) image. This study employed 226 NSCLC patients (94 mutant and 132 wildtype patients) with pretreatment contrast-enhanced CT images obtained from four datasets from different countries for training and testing prediction models. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) PLT images were assumed to characterize specific imaging traits (e.g., air bronchogram sign, cavitation, and ground glass nodule) of EGFR-mutant tumors. Seven types of machine learning classification models were constructed to predict EGFR mutations with significant features selected from 2D-PLT, 3D-PLT, and conventional radiogenomic features. Among the means and standard deviations of the test areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of all radiogenomic approaches in a four-fold cross-validation test, the 2D-PLT features showed the highest AUC with the lowest standard deviation of 0.927
0.08. The best radiogenomic approaches with the highest AUC were the random forest model trained with the Betti number (BN) map features (AUC = 0.984) in the internal test and the adapting boosting model trained with the BN map features (AUC = 0.717) in the external test. PLT features can be used as radiogenomic imaging biomarkers for the identification of EGFR mutation status in patients with NSCLC
Fungal infections and control strategies in cultured marine finfish : a minireview
No full textMarine fish farming served as a sustainable alternative to capture fisheries. However, it faced challenges such as disease management, water quality maintenance, and minimizing environmental impacts. Among these challenges, fungal infections are particularly concerning. Traditionally, chemical treatments raise concerns about potential toxicity to fish and humans, environmental impact, and resistance development. In response to these issues, there is growing interest in sustainable biocontrol strategies, including the use of probiotics, phytobiotics, postbiotics, microalgae, and fungal parasites as antifungal agents. This mini-review provides a brief overview of fungal infections in marine fish and discusses current fungal biocontrol strategies in aquaculture. By adopting these sustainable control methods, the aquaculture industry can improve fish health and productivity while reducing its reliance on harmful chemicals
Effect of Waste Tire Reinforcement with and without Cement Additives on Peat Strength Improvement
Get PDFPeat is generally characterized by its low shear strength, high compressibility, and moisture
content. It is subjected to problem of instability and large primary and long-term settlement.
This research study aims to investigate the effect on strength enhancement of fiber reinforced
peat by using rubber tyre chips with addition of cement to improve the mechanical properties
of the untreated peat. Two sizes of rubber tyre chips were chosen in the study, which are
0.05mm and 1-3mm, respectively. The peat samples are taken from Kampung Endap, Kota
Samarahan. Both physical and mechanical properties of untreated and treated samples were
determined in the study. The peat samples collected have a high moisture content of 400%.
As for mechanical properties, Standard Compaction Test were conducted to obtain the
optimum moisture content (OMC) and the maximum dry density (MDD) for all the design
mix. The optimum dry density value for design mix obtained is used as reference in
preparing Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) samples. The fiber reinforced peat is
treated with a constant 5% of cement, and various percentages ranging from 5%, 10% and
15% of rubber tyre crumbs. The samples were left to air- cured for 7, 28, 56, and 90 days.
With the addition of rubber crumbs, the strength of the samples increased as the percentage
increases. The highest UCS value recorded is 327.96 kN/m2 for peat with 10% rubber size
of 0.05mm and 369.87 kN/m2 for peat with 15% rubber size of 1-3 mm after 90 days of
curing with targeted threshold of 345kPa. In conclusion, the addition of rubber crumbs,
significantly improved the strength of the treated peat samples when compared to untreated
peat