Methylphenidate improves executive functions in patients with traumatic brain injuries : a feasibility trial via the idiographic approach

Background: Road traffic accidents are known to be the main cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI is also a leading cause of death and disability. This study, by means of the idiographic approach (single-case experimental designs using multiple-baseline designs), has examined whether methylphenidate (MPH - trade name Ritalin) had a differential effect on cognitive measures among patients with TBI with the sequel of acute and chronic post-concussion syndromes. The effect on gender was also explored. Methods: In comparison with healthy controls, patients with TBI (acute and chronic) and accompanying mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were screened for their integrity of executive functioning. Twenty-four patients exhibiting executive dysfunction (ED) were then instituted with the pharmacological intervention methylphenidate (MPH). The methylphenidate was administered using an uncontrolled, open label design. Results: The administration of methylphenidate impacted ED in the TBI group but had no effect on mood. Attenuation of ED was more apparent in the chronic phases of TBI. The effect on gender was not statistically significant with regard to the observed changes. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first feasibility trial from the Arabian Gulf to report the performance of a TBI population with mild cognitive impairment according to the IQCODE Arabic version. This investigation confirms anecdotal observations of methylphenidate having the potential to attenuate cognitive impairment; particularly those functions that are critically involved in the integrity of executive functioning. The present feasibility trial should be followed by nomothetic studies such as those that adhere to the protocol of the randomized controlled trial. This evidence-based research is the foundation for intervention and future resource allocation by policy- or public health decision-makers

The Adinkra Game: An Intercultural Communicative and Philosophical Praxis

In 2020, an international team of intercultural philosophers and African linguists created a multilinguistic game named Adinkra. This name refers to a medieval rooted symbolic language in Ghana that is actively used by the Akan and especially the Asante among them to communicate indirectly. The Akan is both the meta-ethnic name of the largest Ghanaian cultural-linguistic group of which the Asante is an Akan cultural subgroup and of a Central Tano language of which Asante-Twi is a dialect. The Adinkra symbols, which have permeated Akan life and the arts, can be found e.g. on Asante royal staffs and gold weights. They are also loosely connected to Akan proverbs. The game Adinkra aims to enhance its players’ intercultural communicative, and moral philosophical understanding by matching Adinkra symbols with Akan proverbs. It was created for educational and therapeutical purposes. This article focusses on the rules, the making of Adinkra, its aims and objectives. The objective of this article is twofold. First, it focusses on the game itself. It elaborates on what its rules are and the content of the game. It also focusses on how playing the multilinguistic game, Adinkra can enhance intercultural understanding and communication. It, furthermore, concentrates on the results of a pilot reception study of this game in the Netherlands among intercultural groups of players. This study has proven that the Adinkra game stimulates creative thinking, engagement in dialogue and reflective ethical thinking. For this reason, the authors believe that it has a lot to contribute to intercultural educational programs with a focus on intercultural communication, philosophy and arts in both Africa and the global North. Finally, a section is devoted to the question of how the Adinkra game was developed and methodologically grounded in Gadamer’s playful hermeneutics, and the theories of the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of living and (African) Indigenous Religions. Secondly, the article focusses on the game’s oral-literary storytelling context and Akan moral ideas. It then throws the searchlight on the creative, therapeutic value and its potential to serve as a ‘cultural detox’. The authors and game makers think that being introduced to an African communitarian ethos hidden in the Adinkra symbols and Akan proverbs can help its players to develop a critical eye for the highly individualistic ethos of Western culture that, among others, is promoted by neoliberal thinking and praxis. The word praxis is used by the authors in the meaning found in educational contexts. Adinkra’s players are stimulated to reflect upon a different moral idea, which can change their mindset and put them into action to contribute to social awareness and societal change

Solar radiation estimation using artificial neural networks

Artificial Neural Network Methods are discussed for estimating solar radiation by first estimating the clearness index. Radial Basis Functions, RBF, and Multilayer Perceptron, MLP, models have been investigated using long-term data from eight stations in Oman. It is shown that both the RBF and MLP models performed well based on the root-mean-square error between the observed and estimated solar radiations. However, the RBF models are preferred since they require less computing power. The RBF model, obtained by training with data from the meteorological stations at Masirah, Salalah, Seeb, Sur, Fahud and Sohar, and testing with those from Buraimi and Marmul, was the best. This model can be used to estimate the solar radiation at any location in Oman.Solar radiation Radial basis functions Artificial neural networks Clearness index

Rate of injury and subjective benefits of gravitational wellness weightlifting

David T Burke,1 Regina Bell,1 Samir Al-Adawi,2 Ariel Alexandroni,1 Atsu Dorvlo,3 Daniel P Burke4 1Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Emory University, GA, USA; 2Department of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, 3Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman; 4Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, GA, USA Background: A preliminary study using the "gravitational wellness" weightlifting technique demonstrated this to be a unique technique for loading the musculoskeletal system with extremely high loads over short arcs. This leads to rapid weekly strength gains using 30-minute weekly training sessions. This study was designed to further assess the benefit–risk ratio of the gravitational wellness weightlifting technique. Purpose: This descriptive/retrospective study examined musculoskeletal and well-being outcomes as well as injuries reported by consecutive participants at one gravitational wellness gym. Materials and methods: All adults presenting for training at the Atlanta, Georgia, gravitational wellness system facility over a 6-month period were invited to participate. Data were obtained by telephone interview concerning the presenting complaint/objective of training, subjective outcome, weights lifted, and injuries incurred during training. Results: Of the 77 participants contacted via telephone, 92% agreed to participate (male, n=40; female, n=31). The participants ranged in age from 18 years to 69 years, with a mean age of 48.6 years. Of these, 42 (59%) presented to the gym with the objective of improving a defined musculoskeletal issue. The modal of these was chronic low-back pain. The subjects realized improvement on a 5-point Likert scale of 4.2/5 for their presenting complaint, and improved by 4.27/5 in their overall subjective health. There were no injuries. Conclusion: This study of consecutive participants at a gravitational wellness gym found that by lifting large weights over short arcs 30 minutes per week, participants significantly increased their strength, reduced their musculoskeletal pain, improve their subjective well-being, and reported a low rate of injury. Keywords: gravitational wellness system, rate of injuries, weight training, descriptive stud

Solar irradiation forecasting for PV systems by fully tuned minimal RBF neural networks

An on-line prediction algorithm able to estimate, over a determined time horizon, the solar irradiation of a specific site is considered. The learning algorithm is based on Radial Basis Function (RBF) networks and combines the growing criterion and the pruning strategy of the minimal resource allocating network technique. An adaptive extended Kalman filter is used to update all the parameters of the Neural Network (NN). The on-line learning mechanism avoids the initial training of the NN with a large data set. The proposed solution has been experimentally tested on a 14 kWp PhotoVoltaic (PV) plant and results are compared to a classical RBF neural network. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013

Methylphenidate improves executive functions in patients with traumatic brain injuries: a feasibility trial via the idiographic approach

Background Road traffic accidents are known to be the main cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI is also a leading cause of death and disability. This study, by means of the idiographic approach (single-case experimental designs using multiple-baseline designs), has examined whether methylphenidate (MPH - trade name Ritalin) had a differential effect on cognitive measures among patients with TBI with the sequel of acute and chronic post-concussion syndromes. The effect on gender was also explored. Methods In comparison with healthy controls, patients with TBI (acute and chronic) and accompanying mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were screened for their integrity of executive functioning. Twenty-four patients exhibiting executive dysfunction (ED) were then instituted with the pharmacological intervention methylphenidate (MPH). The methylphenidate was administered using an uncontrolled, open label design. Results The administration of methylphenidate impacted ED in the TBI group but had no effect on mood. Attenuation of ED was more apparent in the chronic phases of TBI. The effect on gender was not statistically significant with regard to the observed changes. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first feasibility trial from the Arabian Gulf to report the performance of a TBI population with mild cognitive impairment according to the IQCODE Arabic version. This investigation confirms anecdotal observations of methylphenidate having the potential to attenuate cognitive impairment; particularly those functions that are critically involved in the integrity of executive functioning. The present feasibility trial should be followed by nomothetic studies such as those that adhere to the protocol of the randomized controlled trial. This evidence-based research is the foundation for intervention and future resource allocation by policy- or public health decision-makers.Other Information Published in: BMC Neurology License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/See article on publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12883-020-01663-x</p