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Frontiers in Psychology 2023This paper focuses on the idea that pantomime is a privileged lens for investigating the origin of language in a naturalistic framework. Two reasons support this claim....
This paper focuses on the idea that pantomime is a privileged lens for investigating the origin of language in a naturalistic framework. Two reasons support this claim. The first one concerns the motivated and iconic character of pantomime compared to the arbitrary and abstract features of linguistic signs emphasized by the conventionalist thesis. The second reason is that a pantomimic account of language origin paves the way for a rethinking of the traditional hypothesis on the relationship between thought and language. Specifically, it leads to a revision of the thesis of the unidirectional influence of language on thought in favor of a bidirectional influence. Indeed, looking at the relationship between thought and language in its nascent stage means investigating the role of thought in shaping language rather than the role of language in shaping thought. A bidirectional perspective of this type hinges on the twofold idea that thought has primarily a narrative foundation and that pantomime represents an ideal expressive means for bootstrapping the evolutionary foundations of language origins in a naturalistic framework.
PubMed: 37325764
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1197968 -
Mathematical Biosciences and... Apr 2023We discuss the new paradigm of predictive health intelligence, based on the use of modern deep learning algorithms and big biomedical data, along the various dimensions...
We discuss the new paradigm of predictive health intelligence, based on the use of modern deep learning algorithms and big biomedical data, along the various dimensions of: a) its potential, b) the limitations it encounters, and c) the sense it makes. We conclude by reasoning on the idea that viewing data as the unique source of sanitary knowledge, fully abstracting from human medical reasoning, may affect the scientific credibility of health predictions.
Topics: Humans; Artificial Intelligence; Machine Learning; Algorithms; Intelligence; Big Data
PubMed: 37322942
DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2023460 -
Ideggyogyaszati Szemle May 2023
Thrombolysis and/or thrombectomy have been proven effective in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. Due to the narrow time window, the number of patients...
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Thrombolysis and/or thrombectomy have been proven effective in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. Due to the narrow time window, the number of patients suitable for these treatments is low. The main limitation is the pre-hospital stage, few people call an ambulance in time. The delay may be caused by the population’s insufficient health knowledge, but also by the loneliness and isolation of the population most prone to stroke. Among the latter, there are many grandparents who spend considerable time with their grandchildren. This gave rise to the idea of educating even younger children about the symptoms of a stroke, enabling them to call an ambulance if necessary. To this end, we adapted the Angels Initiative project previously tested in Greece. The Hungarian pilot study Budapest District XII. took place in district kindergartens. The Angels’ original role-playing program could not be implemented due to the COVID epidemic, so the necessity called for a new, Hungarian version: the online “Stroke Ovi” program. We introduced this in several stages, and in the third we also carried out an impact study.
.METHODS
We adapted the Angels Initiative’s international program and its Hungarian translation to our program. We prepared the original, live role-playing form, with a parent meeting in the selected “test kindergarten”. Due to the uncertainly lingering impact of the COVID epidemic, we reevaluated our plan, using the Hungarian storybook and take-home workbook created in the meantime, we developed our own online version in several kindergartens in Budapest. We held 10 and then 25 minute sessions a week for 5 weeks. In the third educational cycle, which always targets new groups, we already examined the impact of the program by taking pre- and post-tests, in which not only the children but also their parents participated. In addition to neurologists and kindergarten teachers, we also included psychologists and speech therapists in our work, because we believed that in a social environment that includes parents and children, results can only be achieved through multidisciplinary cooperation.
.RESULTS
In the third cycle of the program, tests were taken before (pre-test) and after (post-test) among children and their parents. We only took into account those answers where we received an evaluable answer in the survey before and after the program. Our most important results: 1. there was no negative change in any question, so it was not the case that the total score of any question in the pre-test was higher than in the post-test. 2. The children learned that not only adults can call the ambulance. 3. Before the program, all children were already aware that if “someone is very ill”, the ambulance should be called. 4. Among the questions about stroke symptoms, it is important that hemiparesis, facial paresis and speech/language disorder are clear symptoms for children. Based on the parental questionnaires, the knowledge of the adults can be judged to be very good. The same number of correct answers were received during the pre-test and the post-test, on the basis of which we could not calculate a transfer effect. However, it is important that the parents considered the program useful, motivating and important for the children, so cooperation can be expected in the future.
.CONCLUSION
The Hungarian “Stroke Ovi” program has so far proven to be clearly effective. This was proven by the impact assessments even if, instead of the original role-playing game, we implemented it “only” online due to the COVID epidemic. This constraint also forced and created a new “Hungarian version”. Despite the small number of samples caused by the circumstances, we consider this positive effect to be measurable. However, as the main result and evidence, we evaluated the children’s reaction, which took shape in spontaneous drawings and displayed professional values in addition to positive emotional reactions, such as the drawing of ambulances, the recurring representation of the 112 number. With the involvement of the media, we think online education is also a good option in the series of stroke campaigns, but we think the original role-playing form is really effective. At the same time, we can see that the application of the new method requires great caution due to the education of developing children. For this reason, results can only be achieved through social and multidisciplinary cooperation involving neurologists, psychologists, kindergarten teachers, and parents.
.Topics: Child; Adult; Humans; Ischemic Stroke; Pilot Projects; COVID-19; Students; Stroke
PubMed: 37294023
DOI: 10.18071/isz.76.0197 -
Philosophical Transactions. Series A,... Jul 2023General mathematical reasoning is computationally undecidable, but humans routinely solve new problems. Moreover, discoveries developed over centuries are taught to...
General mathematical reasoning is computationally undecidable, but humans routinely solve new problems. Moreover, discoveries developed over centuries are taught to subsequent generations quickly. What structure enables this, and how might that inform automated mathematical reasoning? We posit that central to both puzzles is the structure of procedural abstractions underlying mathematics. We explore this idea in a case study on five sections of beginning algebra on the Khan Academy platform. To define a computational foundation, we introduce Peano, a theorem-proving environment where the set of valid actions at any point is finite. We use Peano to formalize introductory algebra problems and axioms, obtaining well-defined search problems. We observe existing reinforcement learning methods for symbolic reasoning to be insufficient to solve harder problems. Adding the ability to induce reusable abstractions ('tactics') from its own solutions allows an agent to make steady progress, solving all problems. Furthermore, these abstractions induce an order to the problems, seen at random during training. The recovered order has significant agreement with the expert-designed Khan Academy curriculum, and second-generation agents trained on the recovered curriculum learn significantly faster. These results illustrate the synergistic role of abstractions and curricula in the cultural transmission of mathematics. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Cognitive artificial intelligence'.
PubMed: 37271179
DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2022.0044 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2023Microbial remediation has been regarded as one of the most promising decontamination techniques for crude oil pollution. However, there are few studies on the...
Microbial remediation has been regarded as one of the most promising decontamination techniques for crude oil pollution. However, there are few studies on the interaction of bacteria in the microbial community during bioremediation. The aim of this work was to research the promotion of defined co-culture of SL and WJ-1 for biodegradation of crude oil. After 7 days of incubation, the analysis of residual oil, saturated and aromatic fraction in the samples showed that the degradation efficiency of them was significantly improved. The degradation efficiency of crude oil was enhanced from 32.61% and 54.35% in individual culture to 63.05% by the defined co-culture of strains SL and WJ-1. Furthermore, it was found that the defined co-culture system represented relatively excellent performance in bacterial growth, cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) and emulsification activity. These results indicated that the combination of and can effectively promote the degradation and utilization of crude oil, which may provide a new idea for the improvement of bioremediation strategies. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT.
PubMed: 37250029
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1132831 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... May 2023Teaching enables humans to impart vast stores of culturally specific knowledge and skills. However, little is known about the neural computations that guide teachers'...
Teaching enables humans to impart vast stores of culturally specific knowledge and skills. However, little is known about the neural computations that guide teachers' decisions about what information to communicate. Participants (N = 28) played the role of teachers while being scanned using fMRI; their task was to select examples that would teach learners how to answer abstract multiple-choice questions. Participants' examples were best described by a model that selects evidence that maximizes the learner's belief in the correct answer. Consistent with this idea, participants' predictions about how well learners would do closely tracked the performance of an independent sample of learners (N = 140) who were tested on the examples they had provided. In addition, regions that play specialized roles in processing social information, namely the bilateral temporoparietal junction and middle and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex, tracked learners' posterior belief in the correct answer. Our results shed light on the computational and neural architectures that support our extraordinary abilities as teachers.
Topics: Humans; Mentalization; Teaching; Learning; Brain
PubMed: 37216526
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215015120 -
Heliyon May 2023Basic elementary function is an important module in mathematics learning, and its abstract nature leads to an increase in learning difficulty. Computer information...
Basic elementary function is an important module in mathematics learning, and its abstract nature leads to an increase in learning difficulty. Computer information technology has created a new path for visualizing abstract content. Computer-aided teaching is an educational means that has emerged in recent years, but there are many problems that need to be solved urgently in the process of using it. This paper aims to emphasize the importance of computer in mathematics education and compare computer-aided education with other forms of teaching technology. Therefore, based on the constructivist learning theory, this paper puts forward educational strategies to make learning more enjoyable and sustainable through the computer-aided teaching and learning (CATL) system. The proposed method is an important idea to implement and apply each teacher's teaching and learning experience, thus making learning enjoyable and interactive. The CATL system is a gateway to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of the education system. Computer education is part of the curricula of schools because it is vital to every learner today. The research results from 320 students and 8 teachers in a university show that, the CATL system improves the student's performance and interaction between teacher and student. The CATL attains 94.43% of the performance rate, which is not attainable by other approaches.
PubMed: 37215919
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15987 -
Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao = Chinese... May 2023In recent years, the petroleum-based plastic pollution problem has been causing global attention. The idea of "degradation and up-cycling of plastics" was proposed for... (Review)
Review
In recent years, the petroleum-based plastic pollution problem has been causing global attention. The idea of "degradation and up-cycling of plastics" was proposed for solving the environmental pollution caused by non-degradable plastics. Following this idea, plastics would be firstly degraded and then reconstructed. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) can be produced from the degraded plastic monomers as a choice to recycle among various plastics. PHA, a family of biopolyesters synthesized by many microbes, have attracted great interest in industrial, agricultural and medical sectors due to its biodegradability, biocompatibility, thermoplasticity and carbon neutrality. Moreover, the regulations on PHA monomer compositions, processing technology, and modification methods may further improve the material properties, making PHA a promising alternative to traditional plastics. Furthermore, the application of the "next-generation industrial biotechnology (NGIB)" utilizing extremophiles for PHA production is expected to enhance the PHA market competitiveness, promoting this environmentally friendly bio-based material to partially replace petroleum-based products, and achieve sustainable development with carbon-neutrality. This review summarizes the basic material properties, plastic upcycling PHA biosynthesis, processing and modification methods of PHA, and biosynthesis of novel PHA.
Topics: Polyhydroxyalkanoates; Plastics; Biotechnology; Petroleum; Carbon
PubMed: 37212231
DOI: 10.13345/j.cjb.230033 -
Children (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2023Reading and interpreting a map represents an essential part of daily life, enabling appropriate orientation and navigation through space. Based on the idea that...
Reading and interpreting a map represents an essential part of daily life, enabling appropriate orientation and navigation through space. Based on the idea that perceptual analogical reasoning is critical in aligning the spatial structure of the map with the spatial structure of the space and given the critical role of language, especially spatial language, in encoding and establishing spatial relations among elements in the environment, the present study investigated the joint contribution of perceptual analogical reasoning and spatial language in map reading. The study was conducted with 56 typically developing 4- to 6-year-old children, and the results indicated that perceptual abstract reasoning affected map reading through the mediating effect of spatial language. These findings yielded theoretical and practical implications regarding the role of perceptual abstract reasoning and spatial language in shaping map-reading abilities in the early stages of life, highlighting that domain-specific language competencies are necessary to improve the encoding of spatial relations, to establish object correspondences, and to ensure successful navigation. Limitations and future research directions were discussed.
PubMed: 37189879
DOI: 10.3390/children10040630 -
Journal of Global Health May 2023Performance-based financing (PBF) assumes that subsidizing user fees for maternal health services to reduce out-of-pocket expenses will expand coverage and reduce...
A systematic review of the effect of performance-based financing interventions on out-of-pocket expenses to improve access to, and the utilization of, maternal health services across health sectors in sub-Saharan Africa.
BACKGROUND
Performance-based financing (PBF) assumes that subsidizing user fees for maternal health services to reduce out-of-pocket expenses will expand coverage and reduce inequities in access to maternal health services. It is usually associated with process changes, and the idea that increasing a facility's resources from PBF interventions can improve the availability of equipment, drugs, and medical supplies at the facility, has an indirect effect on out-of-pocket expenses. Assessment of complex interventions such as PBF requires consideration of specific underlying assumption or theories of change. Such assessment will allow a better and broader understanding of the system's strengths and weaknesses, where the gaps lie, whether the theory of change is sound, and will inform policy design and implementation.
METHODS
Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) checklist, we performed a systematic review and a critical appraisal of selected studies using the risk-of-bias criteria developed by the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care. We used the Grading of Recommendation and Evaluation, Development and Assessment framework for assessing the overall strength of the evidence.
RESULTS
After the abstract screening (n = 9873), we deemed 302 as relevant for full-text screening and assessed 85 studies for review eligibility. Finally, we included 17 studies in the review. We could not conduct a meta-analysis, so we report a narrative synthesis. As an add-on to an existing payment mechanism, PBF may facilitate the removal of operational barriers to enhance utilization of certain maternal health services in some contexts, especially in public facilities.
CONCLUSIONS
PBF strategies may potentially decrease out-of-pocket expenses for specific maternal health services, especially in settings that have already instituted some form of user fee exemption policies on maternal health services. The implementation of PBF can be considered a potential access instrument in reducing out-of-pocket expenses to stimulate demand for maternal services. However, the implementation approaches employed will determine utilization, taking into consideration existing equitable and inequitable access characteristics which vary by context.
REGISTRATION
PROSPERO CRD42020222893.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Africa South of the Sahara; Health Expenditures; Health Services Accessibility; Maternal Health Services; Policy
PubMed: 37143430
DOI: 10.7189/jogh.13.04035