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Navigating the labyrinthine text of Porete's Mirror
No full textThis is a study of the fourteenth-century mystical text The Mirror of Simple Souls. It argues that rather than looking for one hermeneutical key to unlock this work, it is more fruitful to think of it as containing different but related mystical pathways. The Mirror of Simple Souls has, since 1946, been attributed to Marguerite Porete, who was condemned and burnt as a heretic in Paris in 1310. Scholars have disputed whether the text that has come down to us was all composed by her; chapters 120ff in particular, are in a different style, such that Michael Sells, for example, does not consider it part of the original and excludes it from his analysis; a similar position is taken here. This study focuses on style and the linguistic pirouettes that are performed in The Mirror up until chapter 119. It finds three different spiritual pathways in three consecutive sections of the text. This is not to suggest that there is no overlap between these sections and their pathways, but to indicate that there may be alternative routes through it. This maybe also hint at more than one ‘Porete’ at work. This would not be out of keeping with the way women in communities wrote in this period; it is certainly true of Helfta. While identifying such hands is beyond the scope of the study, it seeks to give further grounds for their possibility.With this in mind, this study employs two structuring devices. It firstly suggests that the text is best understood as labyrinthine, a feature which has left its mark on the scholarly literature that has emerged in relation to it. Secondly, the study borrows Bruce Tuckman’s thinking on group dynamics and their management, using it as a heuristic tool. Tuckman sets out to outline the movements that groups go through, from their initial start-up until their eventual decline. He moots that they move from ‘forming’ to ‘storming’, through ‘norming’ and ‘performing’ and finally ‘adjourning’. The study suggests that in relation to its complex theological forming (discussed in chapter 2), three main key pathways can be identified (it does not deny the possibility of others), which provide evidence of such dynamics at play: storming in chapter 3-57 of the Mirror (discussed in chapter 3 of this study, which focuses on rhetoric and performative language), norming in chapters 58-91 of the Mirror (discussed in chapter 4 of this study, which focuses on allegory and allegoresis) and performing in chapters 92-119 of the Mirror (discussed in chapter 5 of this study, which focuses on a movement from noise into silence). The study turns finally to a kind of adjourning (discussed in the Epilogue) by offering some brief reflections on authorship, and the closing chapters of the Mirror. While this model might at first seem anachronistic, the Mirror is a communal work, at the very least written for a communal performance with reader and auditors (a point on which the study comments). This suggests that a lens that takes group dynamics and performativity into account is not wholly out of place. Throughout, this study emphasises that the Mirror is a performative text, one designed to be performed through and within the lives of its hearers, and that these pathways contribute to our sense of this performativity, culminating in a final movement in 92-119.</p
Associations between anemia and dependence on basic and instrumental activities of daily living in older women
No full textAim
The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between anemia and basic and instrumental activities of daily living in older female patients.
Methods
540 older female outpatients were included in this cross-sectional study. Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin below 12 g/dL. Patients’ demographic characteristics, comorbidities, Geriatric Depression Scale, Mini Nutritional Assessment, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were also recorded. Handgrip strength (HGS) was measured with a hand dynamometer to detect dynapenia. Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) questionnaires were used to evaluate functional capacity.
Results
The mean age of the participants was 77.42 ± 7.42 years. The prevalence of patients with anemia was 35%. A significant difference was observed between anemic and non-anemic groups in terms of age, presence of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), malnutrition, dynapenia, and MMSE, BADL and IADL scores (p p p
Conclusion
One out of every three older women presenting at one outpatient clinic were anemic. Anemia was observed to be associated with dependence in both BADL and IADL measures. Therefore, the presence of anemia in elderly women should be routinely checked, and possible causes should be investigated and treated to improve their functional capacity.</p
Thermally induced plasma as a biocidal agent to reduce the risk of nosocomial spread of pathogenic organisms and eliminate malodours in hospitals.
No full textThermally Induced Plasma as a Biocidal Agent to Reduce the Risk of Nosocomial Spread of Pathogenic Organisms and Eliminate Malodours in Hospitals. Authors Professor James D. Frame FRCS, FRCS(Plast) Claire A. Robinson BSc Introduction Nosocomial sepsis is a leading cause of death in Hospitals and has serious financial and medicolegal implications within healthcare. According to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee there are an estimated 100,000 cases of Hospital Acquired Infections per annum costing the NHS an estimated £1 Billion and killing approximately 5000 patients per year(1). Burn injured patients and the environment in which they are being cared, is a breeding ground for a vast range of organisms including viruses, fungi and antibiotic resistant organisms that are likely present on most long term survivors with open wounds(2). Ozone generated for a thermal plasma is both a known biocidal and removes malodour and has a hitherto underused role in helping combat both problems (3,4). Any improvement in the working environment will make it safer and more pleasant for both patients and all levels of staff. Burns patients are particularly vulnerable to sepsis and wound colonisation and so risk spreading antibiotic resistant pathogens during visits to operating theatre and other spaces for treatment or special investigations within Hospitals such as MRI units and Physiotherapy Departments. Staff are also likely responsible for some nosocomial transfer between patient and into the community. Burns Units and particularly patient rooms are deliberately kept warm and humid to satisfy patient needs, but so increase an environment conducive to bacterial growth. Fungal growth, including aspergillus sp, is always a risk to burn immunocompromised patients. Staff remain as known vectors of spread (5,6,7,8) despite hand washing and cleaning protocols. A literature review of microflora thriving in high footfall areas within society indicate origins from perineal or faecal source (9,10,11). Viruses and other organisms are not only spread by surface contact, but also by aerosol and droplets released during breathing and coughing. This study investigates the biocidal properties of thermally derived Plasma and its harness into equipment to produce clean air in working environments laden with organisms and/or unpleasant smells. Methodology Preliminary investigations were established to confirm the findings of a literature search. 1. Culture plates were positioned on the floor of a frequently used catering elevator at a Premiership football Club. The intention was to seek information on likely flora inhabiting frequently used spaces, at a time when Coronavirus transmission was of major concern in 2020. 2. Similar fungal and bacterial contamination studies were carried out on escalator handrails at a National Rail Station and at major Outlet Stores, including a well-known Supermarket. 3. We present unpublished data from these core investigations. 4.Test Custom designed devices a) A high quality, CE marked Plasma generating device ( Modunox D, Fourth State MedicineTM) was incorporated into a customised encasement that delivered ozone directly onto a moving escalator handrail (OXONOX Airstair) at a busy railway station. Culture swabs taken pre and post exposure to Plasma produced significant reduction in microbial flora without excess environmental emission of plasma or plasma degradation products. 2. Ozone cleaned air, generated by OXONOX Airlift™, was fanned into a working vertical elevator cabin. The hypothesis tested was that ozone treated air would reduce the risk of direct person to person droplet, or aerosol spread of organisms, including virus in the close contact environment of a busy lift unit. Any excess ozone is effectively removed by a customised Carulite filter (CE marked). The filtered air is then directed vertically downwards into the cabin as cleaned air, so allowing safe and continuous footfall within the elevator. Head-level culture plates were positioned to investigate the effectiveness of the system at reducing airborne microflora. 3. Investigating microbial flora in large closed spaces at risk of airborne and planktonic spread, malodour, and fungal growth in Hospitals and Universities. A device was constructed by OXONOX TM that exchanges air within a closed room for freshened air that has been ozone treated and ozone filtered. This has now been trialled at multiple sites within an Anatomy Department at a leading UK University Medical School and within Hospital Mortuaries in England and Scotland. Results 1. Contact surfaces on escalators and within elevators are contaminated with a host of organisms, mainly gram negative flora, and indicate a poor level of personal hygiene and handwashing. They also highlight ineffective standard cleaning protocols at most sites tested. These surfaces can be effectively and continuously treated with ozone as demonstrated in the results (Fig 1). 2. Air that has passage through an ozone containment device in an operating lift cabin is effective at reducing the microbial load being inhaled by incumbents of the lift. Results show a greater than 96% reduction in airborne bacteria (Fig 1) within an at-risk environment. 3. Malodour and fungal growth is significantly reduced and effectively removed by filtration using an ozonised air exchange device in Hospital and University mortuaries. Results show that the device created a more pleasant and safer environment with significant cost savings on cleaning with lower usage of potentially hazardous biocidal cleaning agents and embalming chemicals . Conclusion Ozone can effectively kill pathogenic bacteria and fungi in the working environment of a burns unit or in at risk closed space environments within a hospital setting including elevators, escalators, waiting areas, treatment areas, toilets and changing areas. Clean air technology utilising plasma in conjunction with existing air exchange practices is more effective at reducing malodour and microbial load than conventional methods alone. Further trials are needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the device in the clinical environment such as a burns operating theatre where conventional laminar flow and positive or negative pressure air exchange may not actually be as effective as thought in preventing microbial spread from the Operating Theatre into adjacent corridors and rooms especially when doors are opened (12,13,14,15,16). Airspace sited at the positive pressure exits from the operating theatre into the corridors should significantly reduce risk of transferring multi-resistant organisms to patients and staff and thus help reduce the considerable financial burdens created by hospital acquired infection. Applicabity to clinical practice At a time when the risk of contracting sepsis in hospitals is compounded by the emergence of antibiotic resistant organisms and novel highly pathogenic viruses, it is important that we advance our preventative capabilities. Ozone offers an alternative or adjunct to existing services. It is cheap to produce, sustainable and safe when utilised correctly. References 1) House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee. Antimicrobial resistance. Eleventh Report of Session 2017–19. 2018. HC962. 2) J. D. Frame, L. Kangesu, W. M. Malik, Changing Flora in Burn and Trauma Units: Experience in the United Kingdom. The Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation.1992; 13: 281–286. 3) Elvis AM, Ekta JS. Ozone Therapy – A Review. J Nat Sci Biol Med. 2011; 2(1): 66–70. 4) Sakudo A, Yagyu Y, Onodera T. Disinfection and Sterilization Using Plasma Technology: Fundamentals and Future Perspectives for Biological Applications. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019; 20 : 5216. 5) Casanova L, Alfano-Sobsey E, Rutala WA, Weber DJ, Sobsey M. Virus Transfer from Personal Protective Equipment to Healthcare Employees’ Skin and Clothing. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2008;14: 8. 6) Ye G, Lin H, Chen L, Wang S, Zeng Z, Wang W, Zhang S, Rebmann T, Li Y, Pan Z,Yang Z, Wang Y, Wang F, Qian Z, Wang. Environmental contamination of the SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare premises: An urgent call for protection for healthcare workers. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. J.Infect. 2020; 81; 2: E1-E5. 7) Jagger J. Caring for HCWs: a global perspective. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2007; 28:1e4. 8) Nurses’ uniforms: How many bacteria do they carry after one shift Sanon M-A, Watkins S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). J Public Health Epidemiol. 2012; 4: 311–315. 9) Knonen N, Savolainen-Kopra C, Enstone J E, Kulmala I, Pasanen P, Salmela A, Salo S, Nguyen-Van-Tam JS, Ruutu P. Deposition of respiratory virus pathogens on frequently touched surfaces at airports. BMC Infectious Disease. 2018; 18: 437. 10) Cave R, Misra R, Chen J, Wang S, Mkrtchyan H. Whole genome sequencing revealed new molecular characteristics in multi-drug resistant staphylococci recovered from high frequency touched surfaces in London. Scientific Reports Research Gate. 2019; 9: 9637. 11) Mind The Germs, Mapping Bacteria in the London Underground. 2020; Zava. 12) Rodgers B. Blowing against the wind: the case for shifting the current paradigm on theatre ventilation Journal of Trauma & Orthopaedics 2023: 113 :54-55. 13) McHugh SM, Hill ADK, Humphreys H. Laminar airflow and the prevention of surgical site infection. More harm than good? Surgeon. 2015 Feb 1;13(1):52–8. 14) Brandt C, Hott U, Sohr D, Daschner F, Gastmeier P, Rüden H. Operating room ventilation with laminar airflow shows no protective effect on the surgical site infection rate in orthopedic and abdominal surgery. Ann Surg [Internet]. 2008 Nov [cited 2023 Jun 23];248(5):695–700. 15) Hooper GJ, Rothwell AG, Frampton C, Wyatt MC. Does the use of laminar flow and space suits reduce early deep infection af</p
La complicidad de las empresas en la actual crisis de derechos humanos en Chile
No full textThis book presents the past and present of the accountability of companies complicit in serious human rights violations, and also considers what awaits us for the future.
In chapter 12, Karinna Fernández and Sebastian Smart address the role of the private sector in the violations of human rights that occurred during the 2019 social protests in Chile. The chapter analyses the degree of participation of economic actors in these violations, whether such participation can be sanctioned in the courts, what is the most effective legal framework to attribute legal responsibility, and what legal obstacles can be put in place by the actors with veto power. In this regard, the chapter contributes to the understanding of the legal opportunities and challenges that mobilized civil society and judicial innovators face to overcome the veto power in current corporate responsibility cases. First, the text sets out the human rights standards applicable to the private sector in Chile. It uses international human rights law, comparative law and Chilean legislation to establish the obligations of private human rights actors. The second part uses studies on transitional justice and business complicity in order to map the patterns of business participation in current human rights violations. This empirical section is based on qualitative research to study how economic actors from different sectors have participated in the human rights crisis. The third party applies the legal rules analysed in the first section to the behavioural patterns observed in the second section. The chapter concludes by analyzing innovative legal strategies to hold economic actors accountable for their participation in the human rights crisis</p
An investigation of the somatosensory engagement during Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response: an ERP study
No full textThe Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a sensory-emotional phenomenon characterized by tingling sensations, typically felt across the scalp and neck. Scepticism around this phenomenon is still widespread, keeping the question of whether it is genuine and not mere result of conditioning, still open. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to partially answer this question, by investigating the physiological correlates of the sensory feelings reported during ASMR. In this study, we investigated the time course of somatosensory activity during ASMR, by measuring somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in response to tactile stimuli delivered to 36 participants, while watching an ASMR and a control video. Cluster-based permutation test results revealed a significant difference in SEPs between the two conditions within the time window of mid-latency components (117–151 ms) and over medial and ipsilateral centro-parietal regions, with larger amplitude while engaging with the ASMR triggers as compared to the non-ASMR eliciting video. These findings provide electrophysiological evidence of enhanced somatosensory engagement during ASMR, contributing to the growing body of research supporting the authenticity of ASMR as a genuine sensory experience.</p
Neurochemistry and functional connectivity in the brain of people with Charles Bonnet syndrome
No full textBackground: Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) is a condition in which people with vision loss experience complex visual hallucinations. These complex visual hallucinations may be caused by increased excitability in the visual cortex that are present in some people with vision loss but not others. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the association between γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the visual cortex and CBS. We also tested the relationship among visually evoked responses, functional connectivity, and CBS. Design: This is a prospective, case-controlled, cross-sectional observational study. Methods: We applied 3-Tesla magnetic resonance spectroscopy, as well as task-based and resting state (RS) connectivity functional magnetic resonance imaging in six participants with CBS and six controls without CBS. GABA+ was measured in the early visual cortex (EVC) and in the lateral occipital cortex (LOC). Participants also completed visual acuity and cognitive tests, and the North-East Visual Hallucinations Interview. Results: The two groups were well-matched for age, gender, visual acuity and cognitive scores. There was no difference in GABA+ levels between groups in the visual cortex. Most participants showed the expected blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) activation to images of objects and the phase-scrambled control. Using a fixed effects analysis, we found that BOLD activation was greater in participants with CBS compared to controls. Analysis of RS connectivity with LOC and EVC showed little difference between groups. A fixed effects analysis showed a correlation between the extent of functional connectivity with LOC and hallucination strength. Conclusion: Overall, our results provide no strong evidence for an association between GABAergic inhibition in the visual cortex and CBS. We only found subtle differences in visual function and connectivity between groups. These findings suggest that the neurochemistry and visual connectivity for people with Charles Bonnet hallucinations are comparable to a sight loss population. Differences between groups may emerge when investigating subtle and transient changes that occur at the time of visual hallucinations.</p
Natural frequencies for bending vibrations of smart laminated composite plates reinforced with bamboo fibres
No full textThis research study focuses on analytical modelling to determine natural frequencies for bending vibration of smart piezoelectric coupled laminated composite plates reinforced with bamboo fibres. To model bending vibration, the classical plate theory, by considering only the bending effect, is utilized to derive the constitutive relations and the governing equation of motion. Maxwell’s static electricity equation is incorporated to model the electromechanical coupling effect of surface-bonded piezoelectric materials. This accounts for the interaction between electrical and mechanical responses in the composite structure. The natural frequencies are determined by solving an eigenvalue problem. This research work explores the effects of various parameters on the natural frequencies, including piezoelectric materials, laminate stacking sequence of the host composite plate, fibre volume fraction, and material properties of the host plate. This study provides insights into the behaviour and performance of the natural fibre composite plates under vibration. This research work finds a significant effect of piezoelectric materials on the natural frequencies while the influence of the lamination stacking sequence can be considered negligible. The results of this study also indicate that natural fibre composites lead to higher natural frequencies compared to synthetic fibre composites and isotropic materials.</p
Role of culture and religious beliefs on non-medical help-seeking behavior among patients with chronic mental illnesses (CMIs) in Türkiye
No full textBackground:
Cultural beliefs significantly shape societal attitudes toward mental illness, and these social attitudes profoundly impact help-seeking behaviors. Therefore, it is important to focus on understanding and addressing these social behaviors.
Aim:
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of chronic mental illness interpretations based on culture and religious beliefs on non-medical help-seeking behaviors among patients in Türkiye.
Methods:
The study was conducted from September to October 2023 using an inductive qualitative approach. In-depth face-to-face interviews were carried out with individuals diagnosed with chronic mental illness and their relatives, registered in a state-owned Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) in Türkiye. Using purposive sampling, 13 individuals who met the criteria were interviewed. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes.
Results:
Three main themes and eight sub-themes were identified, including the reasons for seeking non-medical help (psychological challenges, subjective norms, physical requirements), factors contributing to seeking non-medical help (predisposing factors, enabling factors, and myths), and reflections on the benefits of non-medical practices (perceived physical benefits, perceived psychological benefits).
Conclusions:
It was concluded that individuals with chronic mental illness and their relatives living in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Türkiye engaged in non-medical help-seeking behaviors and mostly turned to traditional religious practices. Culture and religious beliefs emerged as primary factors leading patients to seek non-medical treatment approaches. Consequently, there is a perceived need to explore non-medical alternative methods across various mental health settings and with diverse samples in future research endeavors.</p
Toward resilient electric vehicle charging monitoring systems: curriculum guided multi-feature fusion transformer
No full textWith the booming adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) globally, the need for reliable and resilient EV Charging Monitoring (EVCM) systems has become crucial. A major challenge in real-time EVCM is the handling of missing data caused by unexpected events, which can impair both real-time monitoring and its downstream applications. To address this vital yet underexplored issue, we propose a curriculum guided multi-feature fusion transformer (CurriFusFormer) learning framework – a novel approach designed to enhance the resilience of EVCM systems against real-time information omissions. Our framework integrates curriculum learning with a multi-feature fusion transformer model, capable of handling various patterns and rates of missing data, ranging from random to block omissions. This innovative approach leverages spatial, temporal, and static features to generate accurate real-time estimations for missing values in diverse scenarios. Extensive experiments on a real-world EVCM dataset demonstrate that CurriFusFormer can perform well with R2 ranging from 0.92 to 0.83 given the rising missing rate from 30-90%, outperforming seven popular and state-of-the-art methods, especially in scenarios with high missing rates and complex patterns, such as, at 90% missing rate, kNN ( R2=0.65 ), XGBoost ( R2=0.78 ), BRITS ( R2=0.79 ), TFT ( R2=0.80 ), and GRIN ( R2=0.82 ). All results suggest that the proposed framework could be a promising solution for developing future resilient EVCM networks.</p
Beyond Euclidean structures: collaborative topological graph learning for multi-view clustering
No full textGraph-based multiview clustering (MVC) approaches have demonstrated impressive performance by leveraging the consistency properties of multiview data in an unsupervised manner. However, existing methods for graph learning heavily rely on either Euclidean structures or the manifold topological structures derived from fixed view-specific graphs. Unfortunately, these approaches may not accurately reflect the consensus topological structure in a multiview setting. To address this limitation and enhance the intrinsic graph learning process, an adaptive exploration of a more appropriate consistency topological structure is required. Toward this end, we propose a novel approach called collaborative topological graph learning (CTGL) for MVC. The key idea is to adaptively discover the consistent topological structure to guide intrinsic graph learning. We achieve this by introducing an auxiliary consistency graph that formulates the topological relevance learning function. However, estimating the auxiliary consistency graph is not straightforward, as it is based on the learned view-specific graphs and requires prior availability. To overcome this challenge, we develop a collaborative learning strategy that simultaneously learns both the auxiliary consistency graph and view-specific graphs using tensor learning techniques. This strategy enables the adaptive exploration of the consistency topological structure during graph learning, resulting in more accurate clustering outcomes. Extensive experiments are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. The source code can be found at https://github.com/CLiu272/CTGL.</p
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