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Won\u27t You Be My (AI) Neighbor? The Reconceptualization of Relationships in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
No full textAs artificial intelligence weaves itself into the fabric of our daily lives, it redefines what it means to be a neighbor—expanding, blurring, or even reinforcing the boundaries between us. This panel explores how AI challenges and reshapes what it means to be a neighbor, both in digital and public spaces. Are we building new bridges or new walls? How should we think about care, presence, and responsibility in AI-mediated communities? Panelists will discuss the promises and pitfalls of digital neighborliness and consider how we might build more inclusive, empathetic, and relationally rich neighborhoods in an increasingly automated world
An extended conceptualization of cultural intelligence
Get PDFCultural Intelligence (CQ) has gained prominence as a vital attribute for organizational managers, encompassing their ability to navigate diverse cultural contexts effectively. However, despite its acknowledged significance, the relationships among its dimensions need to be better understood. This paper contributes to the existing CQ literature in two ways. First, we propose a model of CQ that integrates elements from previous conceptualizations, separating the motivational component. Our proposed framework retains the metacognitive, cognitive, and behavioral CQ dimensions but does not assume predefined relationships among them. Instead, we demonstrate that metacognitive CQ positively influences cognitive and behavioral CQ. Second, this paper explores the culture-specificity of the applications of CQ dimensions. We challenge the prevailing notion that CQ applications are culture-neutral, offering initial evidence to the contrary. Our research contributes to refining CQ conceptualization and provides practical insights for recruiting and developing internationally oriented managers with a strong emphasis on their CQ enhancement. Ultimately, this study addresses the pressing need to unravel the intricate dynamics of CQ and its dimensions, enhancing our understanding of its role in international management effectiveness
Nonintuitive Immunogenicity and Plasticity of Alpha-Synuclein Conformers: A Paradigm for Smart Delivery of Neuro-Immunotherapeutics
Get PDFDespite the extensive research successes and continuous developments in modern medicine in terms of diagnosis, prevention, and treatment, the lack of clinically useful disease-modifying drugs or immunotherapeutic agents that can successfully treat or prevent neurodegenerative diseases is an ongoing challenge. To date, only one of the 244 drugs in clinical trials for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases has been approved in the past decade, indicating a failure rate of 99.6%. In corollary, the approved monoclonal antibody did not demonstrate significant cognitive benefits. Thus, the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases is increasing rapidly. Therefore, there is an urgent need for creative approaches to identifying and testing biomarkers for better diagnosis, prevention, and disease-modifying strategies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Overexpression of the endogenous α-synuclein has been identified as the driving force for the formation of the pathogenic α-synuclein (α-Syn) conformers, resulting in neuroinflammation, hypersensitivity, endogenous homeostatic responses, oxidative dysfunction, and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the conformational plasticity of α-Syn proffers that a certain level of α-Syn is essential for the survival of neurons. Thus, it exerts both neuroprotective and neurotoxic (regulatory) functions on neighboring neuronal cells. Furthermore, the aberrant metastable α-Syn conformers may be subtle and difficult to detect but may trigger cellular and molecular events including immune responses. It is well documented in literature that the misfolded α-Syn and its conformers that are released into the extracellular space from damaged or dead neurons trigger the innate and adaptive immune responses in PD. Thus, in this review, we discuss the nonintuitive plasticity and immunogenicity of the α-Syn conformers in the brain immune cells and their physiological and pathological consequences on the neuroimmune responses including neuroinflammation, homeostatic remodeling, and cell-specific interactions that promote neuroprotection in PD. We also critically reviewed the novel strategies for immunotherapeutic delivery interventions in PD pathogenesis including immunotherapeutic targets and potential nanoparticle-based smart drug delivery systems. It is envisioned that a greater understanding of the nonintuitive immunogenicity of aberrant α-Syn conformers in the brain’s microenvironment would provide a platform for identifying valid therapeutic targets and developing smart brain delivery systems for clinically effective disease-modifying immunotherapeutics that can aid in the prevention and treatment of PD in the future
A Multicenter Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial Using A Virtual Reality Application Of Pain Neuroscience Education For Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain
Get PDFBackground
Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a highly prevalent condition among adults and is correlated to high levels of pain, high disability, and lower quality of life. Pain neuroscience education (PNE) helps to explain the pain experience and can affect psychosocial factors, such as fear of movement, anxiety, socioeconomic status, work life satisfaction, etc. More recently, virtual reality (VR) programs have emerged allowing for immersive PNE experiences. Objective
The purpose of this randomized clinical trial is to determine the feasibility of using a VR application for the delivery of immersive PNE (VR-PNE) and other activity training for patients with CLBP presenting to outpatient physical therapy (PT) clinics. Methods
A two-arm, parallel group, randomized controlled feasibility trial of patients was conducted at 12 outpatient PT clinics from March 9, 2022, through September 9, 2022. The intervention group received PT as usual and VR-PNE while the control group received PT as usual. Between group feasibility, acceptability outcomes and other patient-reported outcomes were assessed at six weeks. Results:
A total of 595 individuals were evaluated for low back pain during the recruitment period. Seventy individuals were eligible and met definition for CLBP, 52 enrolled and 32 completed the trial. Participant adherence was 63.6% for VR-PNE and 63.2% for PT as usual. Participants found VR-PNE acceptable and reported satisfaction scores (0–100) of 87.37 ± 11.05 compared to 81.17 ± 23.72 in the PT as usual group. There were no significant differences between groups for the BBQ, BRS, FABQ-PA, FABQ-W, GROC, NPRS, NPQ, PCS, and PSEQ at 6 weeks. Conclusion
The results of the trial suggest that VR-PNE may be acceptable and feasible for patients with CLBP. Study procedures and PT delivery modifications should be considered for the next iteration of this study to improve follow-up assessment rates
A to Z: The First Alphabet Documentary Viewing followed by discussion
No full textAll too often, in discussing the development and importance of human language, only oral language is focused on. This 2020 Nova episode charts the evolution of alphabetic writing, demonstrating in the process that writing systems themselves evolve across languages whose spoken forms may have little to no relationship to each other. Today, as many schools elect to no longer teach handwriting, this documentary is a reminder of the beauty of the scripts that gave rise to the writing systems we all rely on every day. A brief discussion will follow
On the Individual and Historical Acquisition of Language
No full textHumans, unlike other animals with language, must acquire their language, each individually, although it must be waiting there for us as a historical product of other humans, and we alter it in history, making it (the most?) prominent aspect of what Heidegger terms our thrownness (Geworfenheit), that is, how human beings are thrown into existence without a sense of where we come from or why
Optimization of Honey-Synthesized Gold Nanoparticle Procedure
No full textColloidal metal nanoparticles (NPs) have historically been an important component of many technologies and applications from ancient Roman pottery to modern medicine. They can be synthesized from metal salt solutions by the reduction of the metal ion to induce the formation of particulates and a capping agent to limit the size of their growth. In recent years, with an increasing interest in green chemistry, there has been an effort to find and understand synthesis methods using biologically-produced reducing and capping agents. One such method reported in the literature synthesizes gold NPs using honey, often for medical applications. The monosaccharides glucose and fructose make up 70-75% of honey are believed to be the primary reducing agents for the reaction. This research aims to determine which components of honey are most effective at producing gold NPs and the effects of temperature and concentration on the synthesis. The NPs were reduced from an aqueous solution of gold chloroauric acid and mixed with a solution of either honey, glucose, fructose, or both glucose and fructose. Previous research was conducted by altering the concentration of the honey solution, as well as the temperature at which the reaction proceeded. Currently, corrective techniques are being put in place to optimize the procedure further by adjusting the stir speed and taking a more analytical approach to temperature adjustment. The formation of NPs were confirmed and analyzed using UV-Visible transmission spectroscopy to observe the formation of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) between 500-600 nm characteristic of Au NPs. Our results also indicate that an optimum concentration of honey and higher temperatures both lead to better NP formation, and furthermore that an optimal stir speed is present between 200-300 rpm, where nanoparticles are not only forming, but also presenting unique antifungal properties, a possible enhancement to its antimicrobial properties for medicinal use
Salir Adelante : Improving the Quality of School Physicals for MIgrant MInors
No full textThe purpose of this QI project was to improve the delivery of school physicals in the setting of an immigrant-friendly non-profit safety-net clinic by creating a patient-centered clinical pathway to improve focused screening and referrals for newly arrived migrant children and their families by routinely assessing and addressing behavioral health care (BHC) and social determinants of health needs (SDoH).
Using QI methodology and Donabedian’s Structure Process Outcomes framework, the project team implemented a clinical pathway that included an immigration-focused history of present illness, systematic behavioral health (BH), and social determinants of health (SDoH) screenings embedded within an electronic health record template. The pathway included referrals to community health workers (CHWs), social workers (SWs), and behavioral health consultants (BHC). The team reviewed chart data and CHW reports to analyze patient characteristics, utilization of the EHR template, and whether patients were appropriately referred to wrap-around providers.
SDoH screening rates improved from 10% to 72% and BH screening rates from 40% to 76% of patients screened during the project implementation period. The process captured behavioral health or social needs for 59 patients and generated 58 referrals to wrap-around providers. “Salir Adelante” demonstrates the feasibility of implementing a school physical clinical pathway tailored to the needs of a specific clinic structure and population and with the long-term goal of improving care delivery for multicultural, multilingual, newly arrived immigrant children in the context of a small, community-based nonprofit walk-in practice setting