Virtual Reality-Based Therapy Improves Fatigue, Impact, and Quality of Life in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis. A Systematic Review with a Meta-Analysis

Patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) have a high level of fatigue and a reduced quality of life (QoL) due to the impact of multiple sclerosis (MS). Virtual reality-based therapy (VRBT) is being used to reduce disability in PwMS. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of VRBT on fatigue, the impact of MS, and QoL in PwMS. Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted through a bibliographic search on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PEDro up to April 2021. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with PwMS that received VRBT in comparison to conventional therapy (CT) including physiotherapy, balance and strength exercises, and stretching or physical activity, among others; or in comparison to simple observation; in order to assess fatigue, MS-impact, and QoL. The effect size was calculated using Cohen’s standardized mean difference with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: Twelve RCTs that provided data from 606 PwMS (42.83 ± 6.86 years old and 70% women) were included. The methodological quality mean, according to the PEDro Scale, was 5.83 ± 0.83 points. Our global findings showed that VRBT is effective at reducing fatigue (SMD −0.33; 95% CI −0.61, −0.06), lowering the impact of MS (SMD −0.3; 95% CI −0.55, −0.04), and increasing overall QoL (0.5; 95% CI 0.23, 0.76). Subgroup analysis showed the following: (1) VRBT is better than CT at reducing fatigue (SMD −0.4; 95% CI −0.7, −0.11), as well as in improving the mental dimension of QoL (SMD 0.51; 95% CI 0.02, 1); (2) VRBT is better than simple observation at reducing the impact of MS (SMD −0.61; 95% CI −0.97, −0.23) and increasing overall QoL (SMD 0.79; 95% CI 0.3, 1.28); and (3) when combined with CT, VRBT is more effective than CT in improving the global (SMD 0.6, 95% CI 0.13, 1.07), physical (SMD 0.87; 95% CI 0.3, 1.43), and mental dimensions (SMD 0.6; 95% CI 0.08, 1.11) of QoL. Conclusion: VRBT is effective at reducing fatigue and MS impact and improving QoL in PwMS.

The role of communication marketing media campaign programs for Sudanese childs issues

This research tackles the role of communication in social marketing of child issues in the Sudan, a case study on the ministry of Social Development in Khartoum state. The purpose of this research is to recognize the communication role done by General Administration of Information and Social Awareness of the ministry of Social Development in marketing the programs of social campaigns of the Sudanese child represented in social patronage, sponsorship and supporting and protection, include the specific social, economic and political aspects, as health, education, providing security and settlement. The research tried to answer a number of questions, one of them is a basic question. What is the number and size of information campaigns implemented at the period from August 2019 to August 2020? The researcher used the descriptive methodology besides the methodology of status study. And the researcher depends on questionnaire, the (systemized) interview form, (not systemized) interview form, and the simple observation . Findings: The research concluded to a number of findings, the most important of them are: 1.There is a malfunction in the efficiency of communication with the General Administration of Information and Social Awareness of the ministry. The cause of this is lack of enough trained information cadre, and lack of enough money be specified to the campaign. 2.The subjects and Programs come within the campaign do not cover all sectors of children but concentrate on the children of hard circumstances. 3.The number of information campaigns implemented at the period from 2019 to 2020 are two: a campaign on orphanages (Halima Al-Saadaya) and a campaign to patronize the children of streets (who lost the family caring).

Circular Interval-valued Computers and Simulation of (Red-green) Turing Machines

Interval-valued computing is a kind of massively parallel computing. It operates on specific subsets of the interval [0,1) – unions of subintervals. They serve as basic data units and are called interval-values. It was established in [9], by a rather simple observation, that interval-valued computing, as a digital computing model, has computing power equivalent to Turing machines. However, this equivalence involves an unlimited number of interval-valued variables. In [14], the equivalence with Turing machines is established using a simulation that uses only a fixed number of interval-valued variables and this number depends only on the number of states of the Turing machine – in a logarithmic way. The simulation given there allows us to extend interval-valued computations into infinite length to capture the computing power of red-green Turing machines. In this extension of [14], based on the quasi-periodic techniques used in the simulations in that paper, a reformulation of the interval-valued computations is given, named circular interval-valued computers. This reformulation enforces the finiteness of the number of used interval-valued variables by building the finiteness into the syntax rules.

An HHL-based algorithm for computing hitting probabilities of quantum walks

We present a novel application of the HHL (Harrow-Hassidim-Lloyd) algorithm --- a quantum algorithm solving systems of linear equations --- in solving an open problem about quantum walks, namely computing hitting (or absorption) probabilities of a general (not only Hadamard) one-dimensional quantum walks with two absorbing boundaries. This is achieved by a simple observation that the problem of computing hitting probabilities of quantum walks can be reduced to inverting a matrix. Then a quantum algorithm with the HHL algorithm as a subroutine is developed for solving the problem, which is faster than the known classical algorithms by numerical experiments.

The Good Kill

The Good Kill examines killing in war in its moral and normative dimension. It argues against the commonplace belief, often tacitly held if not consciously asserted, among academics, the general public, and even military professionals, that killing, including in a justified war, is always morally wrong even when necessary. In light of an increasingly sophisticated understanding of combat trauma, this belief is a crisis. Moral injury, a proposed subset of posttraumatic stress disorder, occurs when one does something that goes against deeply held normative convictions. In a military context, the primary predictor of moral injury is having killed in combat. In turn, the primary predictor for suicide among combat veterans is moral injury. In this way, the assertion that killing is wrong but in war it is necessary becomes deadly, rendering the very business of the profession of arms morally injurious. It does not need to be this way. Beginning with the simple observation—recognized by both common sense and law—that killing comes in different kinds, this book equips warfighters and those charged with their care and formation with confidence in the rectitude of certain kinds of killing. Engaging with Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Reinhold Niebuhr, Paul Ramsey, Nigel Biggar, and other leading Christian realists, crucial normative principles within the just war tradition are brought to bear on questions regarding just conduct in war, moral and nonmoral evil, and enemy love. The Good Kill helps equip the just warrior to navigate the morally bruising field of battle without becoming irreparably morally injured.

Peyronie’s Disease: Management and New Therapeutic Acquisitions

Peyronie's disease is a condition known for a long time but which has long been stigmatized as a malformation, misunderstood and generating shame and embarrassment on the part of patients. Because of its multifactorial aspect and its association with certain metabolic diseases, the treatment for many years consisted of a simple observation, the prescription of vitamin E or other anti-inflammatory or vasodilator molecules. We present here à new acquisition thanks to the application of linear shock waves, a promising and quite interesting element in the therapeutic arsenal. This technique, especially when coupled with the use of PDE-5 inhibitors and electroporation should make it possible to treat and improve not only punctually the fibrous nodule by improving the elasticity of the tissues concerned, but also of activate the circulation of the cavernous bodies of the penis thus improving erectile function allowing to give hope to many patients who are desperately seeking a solution to their problem.

Comparative Study of Released Javan Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi) And Changeable Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus) Based On Satellite Tracker Data

The release of a rehabilitated raptor, defined as an effort to release the raptor back into nature, have been done in Indonesia; however, only about 2% were monitored for more than one year. This is because long time intensive monitoring using simple observation equipment is difficult to do because of limited resources. Thus, more modern equipment – oneof which is satellite radio used in this research – needs to be used. The use of satellite radio to monitor the movement of rehabilitated raptors was carried out for the first time in 2018 for juvenile male Javan hawk-eagles (N.bartelsi) and adult female Changeable hawk-eagles (N.cirrhatus). The results of the monitoring of these two types of raptors showed that they mostly used forested areas close to water sources. Both types of eagles had the farthest flight distance with an average distance of ± 1,000 m / day occurring at week 4. Thus, it can be concluded that the rehabilitation efforts for these eagles were successful and that they had adapted to their new habitats as wild raptors.

Evaluation Methods in Teaching Translation by Saudi University Instructors under Coronavirus Pandemic

Coronavirus pandemic has posed challenges in evaluating students’ performance in educational institutions all over the world. Therefore, university instructors may encounter some problems in evaluating their students fairly through online teaching since it was not an easy task before this worldly crisis. The current study aims at investigating the perspectives of instructors who teach translation courses at some Saudi universities towards the followed evaluation methods in teaching translation courses during Coronavirus pandemic. Two methods were used to collect data: simple observation and online questionnaire. The participants were 21 instructors from 10 Saudi universities. The findings of this study show that using machine translation and CAT tools by students in doing assessment tasks does not guarantee fairness among students during Coronavirus pandemic regardless of the nature of translation courses. In addition, online exams and assignments are less fair to show the individual differences among students compared with written exams before Coronavirus pandemic. To evaluate students’ performance in translation courses fairly, the participants of this study suggested some solutions such as modifying questions' patterns of some translation exams and assignments to cope with online teaching, emphasizing the importance of live sessions and online participation as assessment tasks for students during Coronavirus pandemic, using other evaluation methods such as live oral assessment, editing texts, multiple choice editing questions, etc. The study concludes with some recommendations for future research.

Surgical Triage of Breast Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Indian Perspective

Breast complaints are a very common cause of healthcare visits in the female population. They range in severity from benign to malignant, and treatment options vary from simple observation to mastectomy. As healthcare facilities are overburdened with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, properly triaging patients diagnosed with breast disorders is necessary for the optimal use of limited resources in developing countries. We are proposing a concise triage system for timely intervention among patients with breast disorders during the havoc of the COVID-19 pandemic.