A critical perspective on second-order empathy in understanding psychopathology: phenomenology and ethics

The centenary of Karl Jaspers’ General Psychopathology was recognised in 2013 with the publication of a volume of essays dedicated to his work (edited by Stanghellini and Fuchs). Leading phenomenological-psychopathologists and philosophers of psychiatry examined Jaspers notion of empathic understanding and his declaration that certain schizophrenic phenomena are ‘un-understandable’. The consensus reached by the authors was that Jaspers operated with a narrow conception of phenomenology and empathy and that schizophrenic phenomena can be understood through what they variously called second-order and radical empathy. This article offers a critical examination of the second-order empathic stance along phenomenological and ethical lines. It asks: (1) Is second-order empathy (phenomenologically) possible? (2) Is the second-order empathic stance an ethically acceptable attitude towards persons diagnosed with schizophrenia? I argue that second-order empathy is an incoherent method that cannot be realised. Further, the attitude promoted by this method is ethically problematic insofar as the emphasis placed on radical otherness disinvests persons diagnosed with schizophrenia from a fair chance to participate in the public construction of their identity and, hence, to redress traditional symbolic injustices

Effect of the type of urinary incontinence in the Outcome of laser Therapy for Treatment of Female Stress Urinary Incontinence

Background:Female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is common lower urinary tract symptom. It affect many women especially middle and elderlywomen and about 40% of them have mixed Urinary incontinence (MUI).There are surgical and non-surgical options for treatment of stress urinary incontinence. Laser therapy is seemed to be a promising minimally invasive option for treatment of female SUI. Objective:To determine the effect of the type of urinary incontinence in laser therapy outcomes. Patients and method(s): A prospective non-randomized study for female patients with SUI who were referred to the Urology Department, Sohag University Hospital from March 2017 to June 2018. The study was approved from Sohag University ethics committee. Patients were treated by the clinical protocol for SUI with non-ablative 2940 nm Er: YAG laser. Patients were evaluated at the baseline and every 3 months for 1 year by Validated International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire – Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF) Arabic version and the number of daily pads usage .The patients were classified according to their type into a pure SUI group and MUI group. Result(s):Our results included 32female patients. 20 patients (63 %) had pure SUI while 12 patients (37%) had mixed incontinence. the median duration of symptoms 3 years. There was a significant reduction in daily pads usage and ICIQ-UISF score (p value<0001) for both groups with more significant for pure SUI group. No serious side effects were reported. Conclusion:There was a statistically significant effect of the type of UI on laser therapy outcomes with better results related to pure SUI.On the other hand, No effect of type ofurinary incontinence on number of laser sessions needed by patients to achieve improvement of their incontinence

Duobinary modulation/predistortion techniques effects on high bit rate radio over fiber systems

The work has presented duobinary modulation and predistortion techniques for the radio over fiber system enhancement for achieving security level. Duobinary modulation technique has more compact modulated spectral linewidth with standard non return to zero modulation code. Different NRZ/RZ rectangle shape employed that are namely exponential rectangle shape (ERS), and Gaussian rectangle shape (GRS) for different transmission bit rates. Switching bias voltage, and switching RF voltage based LiNbO3 modulator are changed to measure the performance parameters of the radio over fiber (RoF) system. Predistortion technique improves the linearity of transmitter amplifiers and it is considered as a power efficiency technique. The optimum values of the Q-factor, data error rate (BER), electrical power, signal gain, noise figure, and light signal/noise ratio are achieved with 8 Volt for both switching biases/switching RF signal at 100 GHz. Signal quality/BER and electrical power after the receiver enhancement ratio by using this technique at different RF signal frequencies.

High speed pulse generators with electro-optic modulators based on different bit sequence for the digital fiber optic communication links

The paper outlines the simulation of various pulse generators for the enhancement of optical fiber access transmission networks within flow rate of 10 Gbps and transmission range of 100 km. The pulse generators are gaussian, hyperbolic secant, triangle, sine, raised cosine in the transmission stage. Proposed pulse generators are mixed with both electro-absorption modulator (EAM) and mach-zehnder modulator (MZM) for efficient transmission. We have compared the max.  the quality factor with using proposed pulse generators against nonreturn to zero (NRZ) return to zero (RZ) pulse generators in the previous research works for different bit sequences. The signal power amplitude is tested for both optical fiber and PIN photodetector optical time-domain visualizer and RF spectrum analyzer by using in the optimum cases for different bit sequence. It is observed that proposed pulse generators/EAM have presented an efficient increase in Q-factor value compared with proposed pulse generators/MZM for different bit sequences

The effect of nitro-oleic versus losartan in diabetic nephropathy: modulation of parathyroid hormone-related protein

Background: Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) involvement in the mechanisms related to angiotensin II (AngII)-induced renal injury has become an emerging concern. The current study was thus designed to compare the possible preventive and therapeutic effect of AngII antagonists, losartan and nitro-oleic (NO2-OA) acid, on diabetic nephropathy (DN) and evaluate their effect on PTHrP modulation as well as on the functional and histopathological parameters in the kidney of diabetic rats.  Materials and methods: Forty eight adult male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control group, DN group, pre-diabetic nephropathy (pre-DN) losartan group, pre-diabetic nephropathy nitro-oleic acid (pre-DN NO2-OA) group, post-diabetic nephropathy (post-DN) losartan and post-diabetic nephropathy nitro-oleic acid (post-DN NO2-OA) groups. At the end of the study, systolic blood pressure (SBP), serum fasting glucose, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urea, urea albumin excretion (UAE), serum angiotensin, renal PTHrP gene expression and correlations between PTHrP and SBP, serum glucose, AngII and kidney functions were evaluated. Histo- logical examination, Masson’s trichrome, periodic acid-Schiff staining as well as morphometric analysis and histopathological scoring for tubular and glomerular parameters have been carried out.  Results: Prophylactic losartan and NO2-OA were associated with improvement in SBP, serum glucose, urea, GFR, UAE, with reduction in serum AngII and PTHrP overexpression observed in diabetic kidney. Treatment with losartan and NO2-OA showed the same effect except that post-DN NO2-OA showed no significant effect regarding kidney function. Strong correlations were observed between PTHrP and SBP, serum glucose, AngII and kidney functions. Histopathological results revealed obvious improvement in glomerulosclerosis, vascular and tubular injury parameters in prophylactic groups especially with losartan.  Conclusions: Both pre and post-DN losartan, NO2-OA may have a potential role in protection and regression of DN through reduction of PTHrP overexpression.

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

The key management of direct/external modulation semiconductor laser response systems for relative intensity noise control

This study outlines the management of either direct or external modulation semiconductor laser systems for the key solution of bit rate up to 25 Gb/s under relative intensity noise (RIN) control. The bias and modulation peak currents based laser rate equations are optimized to achieve max Q factor and min bit error rate (BER) using first proposed model and optical/electrical signal power, optical/electrical signal to noise ratio are also enhanced using second proposed model. The percentage enhancement ratio in max. Q-factor and min. BER using first proposed model ranges from 53.25 % to 71.63 % in compared to the previous model. In the same way, by using second proposed model, the electrical signal power at optical receiver is enhanced within the range of 48.66 % to 68.88 % in compared to the previous model. Optical signal/noise ratio (OSNR) after optical fiber cable (OFC), signal/noise ratio (SNR) after electrical filter are measured with using different electrical pulse generators and electrical modulators at the optimization stage. The first proposed model reported better max. Q and min. BER values than the previous model. In addition to the second proposed model (direct modulation) has outlined better optical/electrical signal power than the previous model, while max. Q, min. BER values are kept constant. It is found that non return to zero pulse generator has presented better signal power than other pulse generators by using second proposed model. As well as the mixed of raised cosine pulse generator with external modulator reported max. Q, min. BER with other pulse generators by using first proposed model. OSNR at OFC is optimized by using continuous phase frequency shift keying (CPFSK) electrical modulator, While SNR at optical receiver is optimized by using phase shift keying (PSK) electrical modulator

High modulated soliton power propagation interaction with optical fiber and optical wireless communication channels

This paper has presented high modulated soliton power transmission interaction with optical fiber and optical wireless communication channels at flow rate of 40 Gbps and 20 km link range. The proposed modulation schemes are continuous phase frequency shift keying (CPFSK), Quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), differential phase shift keying (DPSK), frequency shift keying (FSK), pulse amplitude modulation (PAM), minimum shift keying (MSK), and optical quadrature phase shift keying (OQPSK). CPFSK has presented better performance than other proposed modulation schemes for both optical fiber and optical wireless communication channels. The enhancement of optical signal/noise ratio at fiber/wireless channel, received electrical power and signal/noise ratio at optical receiver with increase of bits per symbol for different proposed modulation schemes except for CPFSK scheme. Therefore it is evident that CPFSK modulation scheme is more efficient and better performance than other modulation schemes for different communication channels. The obtained results are simulated with optisystem program version 13

First order surface grating fiber coupler under the period chirp and apodization functions variations effects

The paper has demonstrated the first order surface grating fiber coupler under the period chirp and apodization functions variations effects. The Fiber coupler transmittivity/reflectivity, the fiber coupler grating index change and the fiber coupler mesh transmission cross-section are clarified against the grating length with the quadratic/cubic root period chirp and Gaussian/uniform apodization functions. The fiber coupler delay and dispersion are simulated and demonstrated with grating wavelength with quadratic/cubic root period chirp and Gaussian/uniform apodization function. As well as the fiber coupler output pulse intensity is simulated against the time period with the quadratic/cubic root period chirp and Gaussian/uniform apodization function. The fiber coupler peak intensity variations against the transmission range variations is also demonstrated by OptiGrating simulation software

Free space optical communication system for indoor applications based on printed circuit board design

This study clarified an overview of wired and wireless optical communication system block diagram with practical applications. Freespace optical (FSO) communication is a trending field that is rising so fast to replace electromagnetic waves in a communication, so we have presented a theoretical circuit as an example and modified it to fit and work in communication purposes, simulation is used and then practical work is done and printed circuit board (PCB) is designed. Light emitting diode (LED) have been used as transmitter and Photo Transistor as a receiver and variable resistance to change voltage sent to the LED that indicates the change in the transmitted signal