Search results for: central auditory processing disorder

Authors: Sarah Potter, Michele Laliberte

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As eating disorders are associated with high levels of chronicity, impairment, and distress, it is paramount to evaluate factors that may improve treatment outcomes in this group. Individuals with eating disorders exhibit elevated levels of perfectionism and emotion dysregulation, as well as reduced self-compassion. These variables are related to eating disorder outcomes, including shape/weight concerns and psychosocial impairment. Thus, these factors may be tenable targets for treatment within eating disorder populations. However, the relative contributions of perfectionism, emotion dysregulation, and self-compassion to the severity of shape/weight concerns and psychosocial impairment remain largely unexplored. In the current study, mediation analyses were conducted to clarify how perfectionism, emotion dysregulation, and self-compassion are linked to shape/weight concerns and psychosocial impairment. The sample was comprised of 85 patients from an outpatient eating disorder clinic. The patients completed self-report measures of perfectionism, self-compassion, emotion dysregulation, eating disorder symptoms, and psychosocial impairment. Specifically, emotion dysregulation was assessed as a mediator in the relationships between (1) perfectionism and shape/weight concerns, (2) self-compassion and shape/weight concerns, (3) perfectionism and psychosocial impairment, and (4) self-compassion and psychosocial impairment. It was postulated that emotion dysregulation would significantly mediate relationships in the former two models. An a priori hypothesis was not constructed in reference to the latter models, as these analyses were preliminary and exploratory in nature. The PROCESS macro for SPSS was utilized to perform these analyses. Emotion dysregulation fully mediated the relationships between perfectionism and eating disorder outcomes. In the link between self-compassion and psychosocial impairment, emotion dysregulation partially mediated this relationship. Finally, emotion dysregulation did not significantly mediate the relationship between self-compassion and shape/weight concerns. The results suggest that emotion dysregulation and self-compassion may be suitable targets to decrease the severity of psychosocial impairment and shape/weight concerns in individuals with eating disorders. Further research is required to determine the stability of these models over time, between diagnostic groups, and in nonclinical samples.

Keywords: eating disorders, emotion dysregulation, perfectionism, self-compassion

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Authors: D. R. Apoorva

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Ichthyosis follicularis, alopecia, and photophobia (IFAP) syndrome is a rare oculocutaneous disorder of genetic origin. This disorder results from mutations in the membrane-bound transcription factor protease site, two genes that impair cholesterol homeostasis, and the ability to cope with endoplasmic reticulum stress. We report a rare case of IFAP syndrome with an atypical presentation, and it was interesting to note that the child had patchy non-scarring alopecia over the scalp along with unilateral madarosis. To our best knowledge, this unique presentation has not been described earlier. The child presented with photophobia and unilateral ptosis. The child also had short stature and intellectual disability. Skin histopathology was nonspecific and consisted of dilated hair follicles with keratin plugs extending above the skin surface. This rare oculocutaneous disorder requires proper documentation so that identification of its variants may be possible in the future. Early recognition of atypical presentations can help in preventing cardiovascular complications, which remain the major cause of death.

Keywords: alopecia, photophobia, ichthyosis follicularis, IFAP syndrome

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Authors: Jan F. Talts, Amit Saxena, Kåre Engkilde

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Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is one of the most frequent side effects caused by anti-neoplastic agents, with a prevalence from 19 % to 85 %. Clinically, CIPN is a mostly sensory neuropathy leading to pain and to motor and autonomic changes. Due to its high prevalence among cancer patients, CIPN constitutes a major problem for both cancer patients and survivors, especially because currently, there is no single effective method of preventing CIPN. Hearing loss is the most common form of sensory impairment in humans and can be caused by ototoxic chemical compounds such as chemotherapy (platinum-based antineoplastic agents).In rodents, single or repeated cisplatin injections induce peripheral neuropathy and hearing impairment mimicking human disorder, allowing studying the efficacy of new pharmacological candidates in chemotherapy-induced hearing loss and peripheral neuropathy. RNA sequencing data from full term amniotic fluid (TAF) mesenchymal stemcell (MSC) clones was used to identify neural-specific markers present on TAF-MSC. Several prospective neural markers were tested by flow cytometry on cultured TAF-MSC. One of these markers was used for cell-sorting using Tyto MACSQuant cell sorter, and the neural marker positive cell population was expanded for several passages to the final therapeutic product stage. Peripheral neuropathy and hearing loss was induced in mice by administration of cisplatin in three week-long cycles. The efficacy of neural-specific TAF-MSC in treating hearing loss and pain perception was evaluated by administration of three injections of 3 million cells/kg by intravenous route or three injections of 3 million cells/kg by intra-arterial route after each cisplatin cycle treatment. Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) are electric potentials recorded from scalp electrodes, and the first ABR wave represents the summed activity of the auditory nerve fibers contacting the inner hair cells. For ABR studies, mice were anesthetized, then earphones were placed in the left ear of each mouse, an active electrode was placed in the vertex of the skull, a reference electrode under the skin of the mastoid bone, and a ground electrode in the neck skin. The stimuli consisted of tone pips of five frequencies (2, 4, 6, 12, 16, and 24 kHz) at various sound levels (from 0 to 90 dB) ranging to cover the mouse auditory frequency range. The von Frey test was used to assess the onset and maintenance of mechanical allodynia over time. Mice were placed in clear plexiglass cages on an elevated mesh floor and tested after 30 min of habituation. Mechanical paw withdrawal threshold was examined using an electronic von Frey anesthesiometer. Cisplatin groups treated with three injections of 3 million cells/kg by intravenous route and three injections of 3 million cells/kg by intra-arterial route after each cisplatin cycle treatment presented, a significant increase of hearing acuity characterized by a decrease of ABR threshold and a decrease of neuropathic pain characterized by an increase of von Frey paw withdrawal threshold compared to controls only receiving cisplatin. This study shows that treatment with MSCselected for neural specificity presents significant positive efficacy on the chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain and the chemotherapy-induced hearing loss.

Keywords: mesenchymal stem cell, peripheral neuropathy, amniotic fluid, regenerative medicine

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Authors: Avantika Verma

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Diabetic retinopathy (DR) and Central serous retinopathy (CSR) are 2 distinct entities, with difference in age of presentation, eitiopathogenesis and clinical features, but when occurring together, can be a diagnostic dilemma and requires careful evaluation. Case study of 3 patients with long standing diabetes (>15yrs) and features of Central serous retinopathy was done at Bangalore West Lions Superspeciality Eye Hospital, Bangalore, India in 2013. Even though diabetic retinopathy and CSR have different pathologies, they can coexist. The reason for coexistence could be the following: A patient with CSR as a young adult could develop DR in later years. Stress could be the contributing factor in older patient with diabetes.Stress could be a common factor for both, as it is one of the important factors in the pathogenesis of Maturity Onset Diabetes Miletus (MODY). In any situation, a careful evaluation is necessary to differentiate the cause of fundus picture, as treatment differs for the two diseases.

Keywords: central serous retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, existence, stress

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Authors: Prajakta Patil, Yash Huzurbazar, Abhijeet Shinde

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Aim: To develop a treatment protocol for the management of tinnitus through multi-modality brain stimulation. Methodology: Present study included 33 adults with unilateral (31 subjects) and bilateral (2 subjects) chronic tinnitus with and/or without hearing loss independent of their etiology. The Treatment protocol included 5 consecutive sessions with follow-up of 6 months. Each session was divided into 3 parts: • Pre-treatment: a) Informed consent b) Pitch and loudness matching. • Treatment: Bimanual paper pen task with tinnitus masking for 30 minutes. • Post-treatment: a) Pitch and loudness matching b) Directive counseling and obtaining feedback. Paper-pen task is to be performed bimanually that included carrying out two different writing activities in different context. The level of difficulty of the activities was increased in successive sessions. Narrowband noise of a frequency same as that of tinnitus was presented at 10 dBSL of tinnitus for 30 minutes simultaneously in the ear with tinnitus. Result: The perception of tinnitus was no longer present in 4 subjects while in remaining subjects it reduced to an intensity that its perception no longer troubled them without causing residual facilitation. In all subjects, the intensity of tinnitus decreased by an extent of 45 dB at an average. However, in few subjects, the intensity of tinnitus also decreased by more than 45 dB. The approach resulted in statistically significant reductions in Tinnitus Functional Index and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory scores. The results correlate with pre and post treatment score of Tinnitus Handicap Inventory that dropped from 90% to 0%. Discussion: Brain mapping(qEEG) Studies report that there is multiple parallel overlapping of neural subnetworks in the non-auditory areas of the brain which exhibits abnormal, constant and spontaneous neural activity involved in the perception of tinnitus with each subnetwork and area reflecting a specific aspect of tinnitus percept. The paper pen task and directive counseling are designed and delivered respectively in a way that is assumed to induce normal, rhythmically constant and premeditated neural activity and mask the abnormal, constant and spontaneous neural activity in the above-mentioned subnetworks and the specific non-auditory area. Counseling was focused on breaking the vicious cycle causing and maintaining the presence of tinnitus. Diverting auditory attention alone is insufficient to reduce the perception of tinnitus. Conscious awareness of tinnitus can be suppressed when individuals engage in cognitively demanding tasks of non-auditory nature as the paper pen task used in the present study. To carry out this task selective, divided, sustained, simultaneous and split attention act cumulatively. Bimanual paper pen task represents a top-down activity which underlies brain’s ability to selectively attend to the bimanual written activity as a relevant stimulus and to ignore tinnitus that is the irrelevant stimuli in the present study. Conclusion: The study suggests that this novel treatment approach is cost effective, time saving and efficient to vanish the tinnitus or to reduce the intensity of tinnitus to a negligible level and thereby eliminating the negative reactions towards tinnitus.

Keywords: multi-modality brain stimulation, neural subnetworks, non-auditory areas, paper-pen task, top-down activity

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Authors: Rushi Naaz, Diksha Suchdeva

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Background: Temperament is a very important aspect of functioning that needs to be understood in children of patients suffering from schizophrenia. The children of parents with mental disorder have substantially increased risk of psychiatric illness in them and may exhibit a range of problems from minor variations in temperament and adjustment to manifest psychiatric disorder. Method: A case control study was conducted to study the temperament characteristics and psychopathology in children of patients suffering from schizophrenia as compared to those of healthy controls. Both the groups were evaluated on Temperament Measurement Schedule and Childhood Psychopathology Measurement Schedule. Results: The results showed that children of patients suffering from schizophrenia were withdrawing, less adaptable, less sociable and had lower activity level than children of healthy parents. However, on the measure of psychopathology, no significant difference was found. Conclusion: Since temperament can be identified at an early age, children at risk for the disorder later on could be identified early enough for possible primary intervention.

Keywords: children, childhood psychopathology, parental psychopathology, psychiatric disorders, schizophrenia, temperament

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Authors: Norah Mohammed Alshahrani, Abdulaziz Almaleh

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition related to issues with brain development that affects how a person recognises and communicates with others which results in difficulties with interaction and communication socially and it is constantly growing. Early recognition of ASD allows children to lead safe and healthy lives and helps doctors with accurate diagnoses and management of conditions. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a method that will achieve good results and with high accuracy for the measurement of ASD in children. In this paper, ASD datasets of toddlers and children have been analyzed. We employed the following machine learning techniques to attempt to explore ASD and they are Random Forest (RF), Decision Tree (DT), Na¨ıve Bayes (NB) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Then Feature selection was used to provide fewer attributes from ASD datasets while preserving model performance. As a result, we found that the best result has been provided by the Support Vector Machine (SVM), achieving 0.98% in the toddler dataset and 0.99% in the children dataset.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, machine learning, feature selection, support vector machine

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Authors: C. Recommandé, J. C. Blind, A. Clavel, R. Gourichon, V. Le Gal

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Simulations are developed in this paper with usual DSGE model equations. The model is based on simplified version of Smets-Wouters equations in use at European Central Bank which implies 10 macro-economic variables: consumption, investment, wages, inflation, capital stock, interest rates, production, capital accumulation, labour and credit rate, and allows take into consideration the banking system. Throughout the simulations, this model will be used to evaluate the impact of rate shocks recounting the actions of the European Central Bank during 2008.

Keywords: CC-LM, Central Bank, DSGE, liquidity shock, non-standard intervention

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Authors: Ismail Seçer

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The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of anxiety sensitivity in adolescents on anxiety disorder and childhood depression. Mood disorders and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents can be given examples of important research topics in recent years. The participants of the study consist of 670 students in Erzurum and Erzincan city centers. The participants of the study were 670 secondary and high school students studying in city centers of Erzurum and Erzincan. The participants were chosen based on convenience sampling. The participants were between the ages of 13 and 18 (M=15.7, Ss= 1.35) and 355 were male and 315 were female. The data were collected through Anxiety Sensitivity Index and Anxiety and Depression Index for Children and Adolescents. For data analysis, Correlation analysis and Structural Equation Model were used. In this study, correlational descriptive survey was used. This model enables the researcher to make predictions related to different variables based on the information obtained from one or more variables. Therefore, the purpose is to make predictions considering anxiety disorder and childhood depression based on anxiety sensitivity. For this purpose, latent variable and structural equation model was used. Structural equation model is an analysis method which enables the identification of direct and indirect effects by determining the relationship between observable and latent variables and testing their effects on a single model. CFI, RMR, RMSEA and SRMR, which are commonly accepted fit indices in structural equation model, were used. The results revealed that anxiety sensitivity impacts anxiety disorder and childhood depression through direct and indirect effects in a positive way. The results are discussed in line with the relevant literature. This finding can be considered that anxiety sensitivity can be a significant risk source in terms of children's and adolescents’ anxiety disorder experience. This finding is consistent with relevant research highlighting that in case the anxiety sensitivity increases then the obsessive compulsive disorder and panic attack increase too. The adolescents’ experience of anxiety can be attributed to anxiety sensitivity.

Keywords: anxiety sensitivity, anxiety, depression, structural equation

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Authors: Yusra A. Ibrahim

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Educational efforts to address the school-to-prison pipeline (STPP) and retain students in school require equipping teachers with evidence-based approaches to handle social-emotional behavior (SEB) needs. One aspect of these efforts involves training teachers to utilize effective and current technologies, thereby reducing SEB challenges faced by students with disabilities in their classrooms. This literature review examines eight studies conducted within the past 10 years (from 2013 to 2023) that focus on enhancing SEB needs of students with disabilities using technology. The review reveals that autism spectrum disorder (ASD), emotional behavioral disorder (EBD), and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are the predominant disabilities studied through technology interventions. Additionally, it highlights that these studies focused on examining the effectiveness of technologies in reducing disruptive behaviors, increasing on-task behaviors, reducing anxiety, and promoting social skills.

Keywords: school-to-prison pipeline, technology, evidence-based practices, EBD

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Authors: Sang-Wook Han, In-Hui Hwang, Zhenlan Jin, Chang-In Park

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We used temperature-dependent X-Ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements to examine the local structural properties around vanadium atoms at the V K edge from VO₂ films. A direct comparison of simultaneously-measured resistance and XAFS from the VO₂ films showed that the thermally-driven structural phase transition (SPT) occurred prior to the metal-insulator transition (MIT) during heating, whereas these changed simultaneously during cooling. XAFS revealed a significant increase in the Debye-Waller factors of the V-O and V-V pairs in the {111} direction of the R-phase VO₂ due to the phonons of the V-V arrays along the direction in a metallic phase. A substantial amount of structural disorder existing on the V-V pairs along the c-axis in both M₁ and R phases indicates the structural instability of V-V arrays in the axis. The anomalous structural disorder observed on all atomic sites at the SPT prevents the migration of the V 3d¹ electrons, resulting in a Mott insulator in the M₂-phase VO₂. The anomalous structural disorder, particularly, at vanadium sites, effectively affects the migration of metallic electrons, resulting in the Mott insulating properties in M₂ phase and a non-congruence of the SPT, MIT, and local density of state. The thermally-induced phonons in the {111} direction assist the delocalization of the V 3d¹ electrons in the R phase VO₂ and the electrons likely migrate via the V-V array in the {111} direction as well as the V-V dimerization along the c-axis. This study clarifies that the tetragonal symmetry is essentially important for the metallic phase in VO₂.

Keywords: metal-insulator transition, XAFS, VO₂, structural-phase transition

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Authors: Fahad R. Choudhry., Khadeeja Munawar

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This clinical case presents a 24 years old, Muslim Pakistani girl with a history of conversion disorder. Her symptoms comprised fits, restlessness, numbness in legs, poor coordination and balance, burning during urination and retention. A cognitive-behavioral model was used for conceptualizing her problem and devising a management plan based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and culturally adapted coping statements. She took 13 therapy sessions and was presented with idiosyncratic case conceptualization. Psychoeducation, coping statements, extinction, verbal challenging, and behavioral activation techniques were practiced in a collaborative way for cognitive restructuring of the client. Focus of terminal sessions was on anger management. The client needed a couple of more sessions in order to help her manage her anger. However, the therapy was terminated on the part of the client after attainment of short term goals. The client reported to have a 75 % improvement in her overall condition and remained compliant throughout the therapy.

Keywords: cognitive behavioral therapy, conversion disorder, female, Muslim, Pakistani

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Authors: Argyris B. Karapetsas, Rozi M. Laskaraki, Aikaterini A. Karapetsa, Maria Bampou, Valentini N. Vamvaka

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The main aim of the current protocol is the contribution of neuropsychology in both assessment and rehabilitation settings for children with dyslexia. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significant role of neuropsychological assessment including both Psychometric and electrophysiological tests as well as to investigate the effectiveness of an Auditory Training program, designed via Music designed for children with Developmental Dyslexia (DD). Materials: In our study, participated 45 third-, and fourth-grade students with DD and a matched control group (n=45). Method: At the first phase of the protocol, children underwent a clinical assessment, including both electrophysiological, i.e. Event Related Potentials (ERPs) esp. P300 waveform, and psychometric tests, being conducted in Laboratory of Neuropsychology, at University of Thessaly, in Volos, Greece. Assessment’s results confirmed statistically significant lower performance for children with DD for all tests, compared to the typical readers of the control group. After evaluation, a subgroup of children with DD participated in a Rehabilitation Program including digitized musical auditory training activities. Results: The electrophysiological recordings after the intervention revealed shorter, almost similar, P300 latency values for children with DD to those of the control group, indicating the beneficial effects of the Intervention, thus enabling children develop reading skills and become successful readers. Discussion: Similar research data confirm the crucial role of neuropsychology in both diagnosis and treatment of common disorders, observed in children. Indeed, as for DD, there is growing evidence that brain activity dysfunction does occur, as it is confirmed by neuropsychological assessment and also musical auditory training may have remedial effects. Conclusions: The outcomes of the current study suggest that due to the neurobiological origin of DD, neuropsychology may give the means in both neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation, enabling professionals to cope with cerebral dysfunction and recovery more efficiently.

Keywords: diagnosis, dyslexia, ERPs, Music, neuropsychology, rehabilitation

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Authors: Natalia Pacheco Rego

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The Liezation functor is a map from the category of Leibniz algebras to the category of Lie algebras, which assigns a Leibniz algebra to the Lie algebra given by the quotient of the Leibniz algebra by the ideal spanned by the square elements of the Leibniz algebra. This functor is left adjoint to the inclusion functor that considers a Lie algebra as a Leibniz algebra. This environment fits in the framework of central extensions and commutators in semi-abelian categories with respect to a Birkhoff subcategory, where classical or absolute notions are relative to the abelianization functor. Classical properties of Leibniz algebras (properties relative to the abelianization functor) were adapted to the relative setting (with respect to the Liezation functor); in general, absolute properties have the corresponding relative ones, but not all absolute properties immediately hold in the relative case, so new requirements are needed. Following this line of research, it was conducted an analysis of central derivations of Leibniz algebras relative to the Liezation functor, called as Lie-derivations, and a characterization of Lie-stem Leibniz algebras by their Lie-central derivations was obtained. In this paper, we present an overview of these results, and we analyze some new properties concerning Lie-central derivations and almost inner Lie-derivations. Namely, a Leibniz algebra is a vector space equipped with a bilinear bracket operation satisfying the Leibniz identity. We define the Lie-bracket by [x, y]lie = [x, y] + [y, x] , for all x, y . The Lie-center of a Leibniz algebra is the two-sided ideal of elements that annihilate all the elements in the Leibniz algebra through the Lie-bracket. A Lie-derivation is a linear map which acts as a derivative with respect to the Lie-bracket. Obviously, usual derivations are Lie-derivations, but the converse is not true in general. A Lie-derivation is called a Lie-central derivation if its image is contained in the Lie-center. A Lie-derivation is called an almost inner Lie-derivation if the image of an element x is contained in the Lie-commutator of x and the Leibniz algebra. The main results we present in this talk refer to the conditions under which Lie-central derivation and almost inner Lie-derivations coincide.

Keywords: almost inner Lie-derivation, Lie-center, Lie-central derivation, Lie-derivation

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Authors: Werona Król-Gierat

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The majority of Special Educational Needs checklists are intended for preliminary screening in the special education disability process. The aim of the present paper is to present their potential usefulness as in-class observation tools for teachers working with students who have already been diagnosed with a disorder. A checklist may complement and organize information about a given child, which is indispensable to improve his or her condition. The case of a Polish boy with autism will serve as an example. Last but not the least, alternative uses of checklists are suggested in the article.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorders, case study, checklist, observation tool

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Authors: Noriyoshi Yamauchi, Etsuo Horikawa, Takunori Tsuji

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Training by exoskeleton robot is drawing attention as a rehabilitation method for body paralysis seen in many cases, and there are many forms that assist with the myoelectric signal generated by exercise commands from the brain. Rehabilitation requires more frequent training, but it is one of the reasons that the technology is required for the identification of the myoelectric potential derivation site and attachment of the device is preventing the spread of paralysis. In this research, we focus on improving the efficiency of gait training by exoskeleton type robots, improvement of myoelectric acquisition and analysis method using active matrix sensing method, and improvement of walking rehabilitation and walking by optimization of robot control.

Keywords: active matrix sensing, brain machine interface (BMI), the central pattern generator (CPG), myoelectric signal processing, robot rehabilitation

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Authors: Tami Peterson

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Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been hypothesized as an effective treatment for increasing verbal language skills in individuals on the autism spectrum. A child’s ability to effectively communicate with peers, parents, and caregivers impacts their level of independence and quality of personal relationships. This retrospective study will compare the speech development of participants aged 2-17 years that received 40 sessions of HBOT at 2.0 ATA to those who had not. Both groups will have a verbal assessment every six months. There were 31 subjects in the HBO group and 32 subjects in the non-HBO group. The statistical analysis will focus on whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy made a significant difference in Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) or Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS) results. The evidence demonstrates a strong correlation between HBOT and an increased change from baseline verbal scores compared to the control group, even in difficult to grasp areas such as spontaneous vocalization. We suggest this is due to the anti-inflammatory effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Neuroinflammation causes hypoperfusion of critical central nervous system areas responsible for the symptoms described within the autism spectrum, such as problems with thought processing, memory, and speech. Decreasing the inflammation allows the brain to function properly, which results in improved verbal scores for the participants that underwent HBOT.

Keywords: assessment of basic language and learning skills, autism spectrum disorder, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, verbal behavior milestones assessment and placement program

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Authors: Mahtab Baghaei, Seyed Mahmoud Tabatabaei

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Aim & Background: Electrical stimulation of transcranial direct current is considered one of the treatment methods for mental disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of transcranial electrical stimulation on the delta, theta, alpha, beta and systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Materials and Methods: The present study was a double-blind intervention with a pre-test and post-test design on people with generalized anxiety disorder in Tabriz in 1400. In this study, 30 patients with generalized anxiety disorder were selected by purposive sampling method based on the criteria specified in DSM-5 and randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The experimental group received two sessions of 30 minutes of electrical stimulation of transcranial direct current with an intensity of 2 mA in the area of the lateral dorsal prefrontal cortex, and the control group also received artificial stimulation. Results: The results showed that transcranial electrical stimulation reduces delta and theta waves and increases beta and alpha brain waves in the experimental group. On the other hand, this method also showed a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in these patients (p <0.01). Conclusion: The results show that transcranial electrical stimulation has a statistically significant effect on brain waves and blood pressure, and this non-invasive method can be used as one of the treatment methods in people with generalized anxiety disorder.

Keywords: transcranial direct current electrical stimulation, brain waves, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure

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Authors: Nana Saralidze, Nino Sharashenidze, Zurab Kevanishvili

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Hidden hearing loss may occur in humans exposed to prolonged high-level sound. It is the loss of ability to hear high-level background noise while having normal hearing in quiet. We compared the hearing of people who regularly listen 3 hours and more to personal music players and those who do not. Forty participants aged 18-30 years were divided into two groups: regular users of music players and people who had never used them. And the third group – elders aged 50-55 years, had 15 participants. Pure-tone audiometry (125-16000 Hz), auditory brainstem response (ABR) (70dB SPL), and ability to identify speech in noise (4-talker babble with a 65-dB signal-to-noise ratio at 80 dB) were measured in all participants. All participants had normal pure-tone audiometry (all thresholds < 25 dB HL). A significant difference between groups was observed in that regular users of personal audio systems correctly identified 53% of words, whereas the non-users identified 74% and the elder group – 63%. This contributes evidence supporting the presence of a hidden hearing loss in humans and demonstrates that speech-in-noise audiometry is an effective method and can be considered as the GOLD standard for detecting hidden hearing loss.

Keywords: mp3 player, hidden hearing loss, speech audiometry, pure tone audiometry

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Authors: Barbara Gawda

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The study attempts to show the relationship between the structure of love by Sternberg and personality disorder traits. People with personality disorders experience dysfunctional emotionality. They manifest difficulties in experiencing love and closeness. Their relationships are marked by ambivalence and conflicts, e.g., as in borderline and narcissistic personality disorders. Considering love as a crucial human feeling, the study was planned to describe the associations between intimacy, passion, commitment, and personality disorder traits in a community sample. A sample of 194 participants was investigated (men and women in similar age and education levels). The following techniques were used: the SCID-II to assess personality disorders’ traits and the Triangular Love Scale by Sternberg to assess the components of love. Results show there are significant negative correlations between intimacy, commitment and personality disorders traits. Many personality disorders are associated with decreasing of intimacy and commitment, whereas passion was not associated with personality disorders’ traits. Results confirm that emotional impairments in personality disorders elicit conflicts and problems in relationships based on love and closeness.

Keywords: intimacy, commitment, love, passion, personality disorders

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Authors: Merilin Ivanova Ivanova, Kalin Dimitrov Atanasov, Stefan Petrov Enchev

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Backgroud: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, also known as Devic’s disease, is a relapsing demyelinating autoimmune inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system associated with anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibodies that can manifest with devastating secondary neurological deficits. Most commonly affected are the optic nerves and the spinal cord-clinically this is often presented with optic neuritis (loss of vision), transverse myelitis(weakness or paralysis of extremities),lack of bladder and bowel control, numbness. APS is a core clinical entity of NMOSD and adds to the clinical representation the following symptoms: intractable nausea, vomiting and hiccup, it usually occurs isolated at onset, and can lead to a significant delay in the diagnosis. The condition may have features similar to multiple sclerosis (MS) but the episodes are worse in NMO and it is treated differently. It could be relapsing or monophasic. Possible complications are visual field defects and motor impairment, with potential blindness and irreversible motor deficits. In severe cases, myogenic respiratory failure ensues. The incidence of reported cases is approximately 0.3–4.4 per 100,000. Paediatric cases of NMOSD are rare but have been reported occasionally, comprising less than 5% of the reported cases. Objective: The case serves to show the difficulty when it comes to the diagnostic processes regarding a rare autoimmune disease with non- specific symptoms, taking large interval of rimes to reveal as complete clinical manifestation of the aforementioned syndrome, as well as the necessity of multidisciplinary approach in the setting of а general paediatric department in аn emergency hospital. Methods: itpatient's history, clinical presentation, and information from the used diagnostic tools(MRI with contrast of the central nervous system) lead us to the conclusion .This was later on confirmed by the positive results from the anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibody serology test. Conclusion: APS is a common symptom of NMOSD and is considered a challenge in a differential-diagnostic plan. Gaining an increased awareness of this disease/syndrome, obtaining a detailed patient history, and performing thorough physical examinations are essential if we are to reduce and avoid misdiagnosis.

Keywords: neuromyelitis, devic's disease, hiccup, autoimmune, MRI

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Authors: F.Bendahma, S.Bentata

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In this paper, we study numerically the eigenstates existing in a GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs superlattice with structural disorder in trimer height barrier (THB). Aluminium concentration x takes at random two different values, one of them appears only in triply and remains inferior to the second in the studied structure. In spite of the presence of disorder, the system exhibits two kinds of sets of propagating states lying below the barrier due to the characteristic structure of the superlattice. This result allows us to note the existence of a single laser emission in trimer and wavelengths are obtained in the mid-infrared.

Keywords: infrared (IR), laser emission, superlattice, trimer

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Authors: Ayat Bani Rashaid, Zain Khasawneh, Mazin Alqhazo, Shreen Nusair, Mohammad El-Khateeb, Mahmoud Bashtawi

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Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) is a psychiatric disorder with unknown etiology that mainly affects children in the first three years of life. Alterations of amino acid levels are believed to contribute to ASD. The levels of six essential amino acids (methionine, histidine, valine, leucine, threonine, and phenylalanine), five conditional amino acids (proline, tyrosine, glutamine, cysteine, and cystine), and five non-essential amino acids (asparagine, aspartic acid, alanine, serine, and glutamic acid) in hair samples of children with ASD (n = 25) were analyzed and compared to corresponding levels in healthy age-matched controls (n = 25). The results showed that the levels of methionine, alanine, and asparagine were significantly lower in the hair samples of ASD group compared to those of the control group (p ≤ 0.05). However, the levels of glutamic acid were significantly higher in the ASD group than the control group (p ≤ 0.05). The current findings could contribute towards further understanding of ASD etiology and provide specialists with a hair amino acid profile utilized as a biomarker for early diagnosis of ASD. Such biomarkers could participate in future developments of therapies that reduce ASD-related symptoms.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, amino acids, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, human hair

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Authors: I. Caldas, T. Duarte

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Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) was included for the first time in DSM-5, replacing the old diagnosis of DSM-4 'Early Childhood Eating Disorder'. An ARFID is characterized by a restrictive/avoidant eating pattern that can lead to severe nutritional deficiency, weight loss, nutritional supplementation dependence, and poor psychosocial functioning. This eating pattern is associated with decreased interest in food, worries about food characteristics or the act of ingestion, and lack of concern with weight or body image. This paper aims to understand the impact of this new diagnosis in other Eating Disorders (ED) prevalence, as well as to compare their therapeutic approaches. Methodology: Literature reviewed by PubMed with the following keywords: 'ARFID', 'Prevalence', and 'Eating Disorders'. We selected articles related to this theme, written since 2016. Results: In a population of children hospitalized with ED, 5% to 14% was diagnosed with ARFID, and, as outpatient treatment, the prevalence was 22%. People diagnosed with ARFID have more prevalence of other comorbidities, especially autism spectrum, are younger, and are more often male. Regarding the treatment of ARFID, it most often required nasogastric feeding, and with less suffering associated with this procedure, compared to AN. Despite these differences, 12% of patients diagnosed with ARFID transited to AN during treatment, suggesting that the first pathology may be a risk factor for the development of AN. Conclusions: The differences identified between ARFID and the other EDs are important when analyzed as differential diagnostic hypotheses and therapeutic approaches. Further study is necessary regarding its prevalence, risk factors, and treatment.

Keywords: avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, ARFID, differential diagnoses, eating disorders, prevalence

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Authors: Yashvi Italiya

Abstract:

Dysthymia (DD) is a much-overlooked soft mood disorder and mostly confused with other forms of chronic depression. This research paper gives a spotlight to the DD prevailing in men and women. It also focuses on one of the comorbidities of Dysthymia, i.e., Anxiety. The comorbidities, hurdles in diagnosis, the ubiquity of the disorder, and the relation of Anxiety and DD are briefly described. Gender was the main focus here because the researcher of this paper found it as a research gap while doing the literature review. The study was done through secondary data obtained primarily from a questionnaire having Alpha 0.891 reliability. T-test method of data analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The result shows that the researcher failed to accept alternative hypothesis 1 (M1 > M2), while the alternative hypothesis 2 (M1 > M2) was accepted. The ratio of DD in women (M1) is not higher than that of men (M2) (hypothesis 1). But, women are more anxious than men (hypothesis 2). It was found that comorbid Anxiety is more widespread in one gender. It further plays a significant role in mixing up the symptoms. It was concluded that the dividing line between Dysthymia and MDD is still unclear for an accurate diagnosis. There is an essential need for spreading knowledge concerning the differences between the symptoms of DD and MDD so that the actual disorder can be identified, and proper help can be received from/provided by professionals.

Keywords: anxiety, comorbidity, dysthymia, gender, MDD

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Authors: Mannan Ahmad Rasheed, Sawera Kanwal, Mansoor Ahmad Rasheed

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The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized the way we collect and process information, making it possible to gather data from a wide range of connected devices and sensors. This has led to the development of IoT-based information processing and computing systems that are capable of handling large amounts of data in real time. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of IoT-based information processing and computing, as well as the key challenges and gaps that need to be addressed. This paper discusses the potential benefits of IoT-based information processing and computing, such as improved efficiency, enhanced decision-making, and cost savings. Despite the numerous benefits of IoT-based information processing and computing, several challenges need to be addressed to realize the full potential of these systems. These challenges include security and privacy concerns, interoperability issues, scalability and reliability of IoT devices, and the need for standardization and regulation of IoT technologies. Moreover, this paper identifies several gaps in the current research related to IoT-based information processing and computing. One major gap is the lack of a comprehensive framework for designing and implementing IoT-based information processing and computing systems.

Keywords: IoT, computing, information processing, Iot computing

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Authors: Sudkhanoung Ritruechai, Somrak Choovanichwong, Kruawon Tiengtom, Peanchanan Leeudomwong

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The purposes of this qualitative research were to study the recovery experience of people with bipolar disorder and also to propose a development approach to the Bipolar Friends Club. The participants were eight people with bipolar disorder for six to twenty years (four women and four men). They have been members of the Bipolar Friends Club for two to ten years. They have no mental symptoms in order to provide sufficient information about their recovery experiences and have returned to everyday life with their family, community, and work. The data were collected by doing an in-depth interview. Two interviews were done, each from 45-90 minutes and four to five weeks apart. The researcher sent the results of the preliminary data analysis to the participants two to three days beforehand. Confirmation of the results of the preliminary data analysis from the first interview was done at the second interview. The research study found that the participants had a positive experience of being a Bipolar Club member. The club continued its activities following Recovery Oriented Service: ROS to the participants. As a result, they recovered in eight areas as follows. 1) Intellectual: The wisdom of joining the group has brought knowledge and experiences from an exchange with others in self-care as well as a positive thinking in life. 2) Social: The participants have set up a group to take care of each other and to do activities which have brought warmth. Their social network which was normally little has also been increased. 3) Spiritual: The concept of religion has been used to lead the life of the participants. 4) Occupational: One participant is a student while the others do work. All of them have done well. 5) Environmental: The participants would be able to adapt to the environment and cope with their problems better. 6) Physical: Most female participants have difficulties with losing weight which leads them saying that they are ‘not fully recovered’. 7) Emotional: The participants feel calmer than before entering the club. They have also developed more tolerance to problems. 8) Financial: The participants would be able to control their spending by themselves and with the help of their family members. The people with bipolar disorder have suggested that the services of the club are perfect and should be continued. The results of the study encourage the Bipolar Friends Club, as well as other clubs/associations that support the recovery of patients. Consideration of the recovery has highlighted the need for ongoing and various life-enhancing programs for the caregivers and their loved ones with bipolar disorder. Then, they would be able to choose the program that suits their needs to improve their life.

Keywords: people with bipolar disorder, recovery, club, experience

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Authors: Elanz Alimi, Mehdi Ghanadzade

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This current study compared the parents reported treatment and education priorities between verbal and nonverbal children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were 196 parents of 2 to 21-year-old (83 non-verbal and 113 verbal) children and adolescents with an ASD who completed questionnaires measuring parent’s treatment and education priorities, child’s educational and intervention programs and current child’s level of performance according to each skill. Results of this study indicated that parents of verbal children with autism spectrum disorder considered communication skills, community living skills and academic skills correspondingly as their highest intervention and education priorities and parents of non-verbal children with ASD reported communication skills, social relationship skills and self-care skills as the most significant priorities for their children. Findings show that for Iranian parents of both verbal and non-verbal children with ASD, communication skills are the most crucial treatment priority.

Keywords: autism, communication skills, Iran, parent’s priorities

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Authors: Nor Diana Ahmad, Eric Atwell, Brandon Bennett

Abstract:

Text processing techniques for English have been developed for several decades. But for the Malay language, text processing methods are still far behind. Moreover, there are limited resources, tools for computational linguistic analysis available for the Malay language. Therefore, this research presents the use of natural language processing (NLP) in processing Malay translated Qur’an text. As the result, a new language resource for Malay translated Qur’an was created. This resource will help other researchers to build the necessary processing tools for the Malay language. This research also develops a simple question-answer prototype to demonstrate the use of the Malay Qur’an resource for text processing. This prototype has been developed using Python. The prototype pre-processes the Malay Qur’an and an input query using a stemming algorithm and then searches for occurrences of the query word stem. The result produced shows improved matching likelihood between user query and its answer. A POS-tagging algorithm has also been produced. The stemming and tagging algorithms can be used as tools for research related to other Malay texts and can be used to support applications such as information retrieval, question answering systems, ontology-based search and other text analysis tasks.

Keywords: language resource, Malay translated Qur'an, natural language processing (NLP), text processing

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Authors: Joanna Bajerska, Agata Chmurzyńska, Agata Muzsik, Patrycja Krzyżanowska, Klaudia Łochocka, Jarosław Walkowiak

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The Mediterranean diet (MED) is regarded as beneficial in the therapy of central obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities. However, in the traditional diet of the Central European countries, food items with positive nutritional profiles (rye bread, oats, buckwheat, herrings, linseed and rapeseed oil, berries, apples, plums, root vegetables etc.) are also used. We hypothesized that the Central European Diet (CED) may be comparatively effective in reducing symptoms of central obesity as MED. We tested the health effects of the CED, which is an environmentally friendly regional diet and the traditional MED diet in a group of postmenopausal centrally obese women. A total 58 with a mean age of 60 y (50-70y), body mass index (in kg/m(2)) of 33.4 (22.6-47.3), and waist circumference of 105 cm (87.5-137 cm) were randomly assigned to receive either the diet based on food items commonly used in Central Europe (the CED group; n = 29) or the Mediterranean diet (the MED group; n = 29) for 15 weeks. Body mass and body composition were measured with a Bod Pod (Cosmed, Italy). A non-elastic flexible measuring tape was used to measure waist circumference. Additionally, blood pressure, plasma lipid and glucose levels were assessed with the use of a biochemical analyzer. A total of 50 subjects [86% (CED 83%; MED 90%)] completed the intervention. A high dietary compliance for both described diets was achieved. The mean (±SEM) weight and waist circumference changes were -7.4 ± 0.7 kg; -8.3 ± 0.7 cm and -8.1 ± 0.5 kg; -7.1 ± 0.6 cm for the CED and MED groups, respectively. Moreover, there were no differences between the effectiveness of the diets used in terms of the influence on fat mass, blood pressure, and biochemical parameters. The preliminary data suggest that both described diets may be successfully used for improving central obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities. The project was financed by the National Science Centre awarded based on the number of decision DEC-013/09/B/NZ9/02365

Keywords: central european diet, central obesity, Mediterranean diet, metabolic abnormalities

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