Search

In this paper, we introduce a new method for counting the number of connected components of multi-curves. Our method is based on associating multi-curves with permutations, where we can see that the number of connected components of a multi-curve is directly related to the number of cycles in a cycle decomposition of the corresponding permutation. Our ultimate goal is to obtain a formula about multi-curves that gives the number of connected components of the curves, and obtaining a formula for the number of cycles of a permutation will also accomplish this goal. While we have several naive methods for counting the number of cycles of permutations, none of them gives us such a formula. As an approach, we develop a new combinatorial technique to count the number of cycles of permutations by introducing a new notation of permutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Menglu Zhang,1,2,* Jianrong Wang,1,2,* Siru Xue,1 Shui Liu,3 Kangzhi Li,4 Tongtong Zhao,1,2 Yufei Feng,1,2 Rubo Sui,2 Bentao Yang,5 Xu Yang1 1Department of Neurology, Aerospace Center Hospital, Peking University Aerospace School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, 121001, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Radiology, Aerospace Center Hospital, Peking University Aerospace School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Neurology, Peking University Shougang Hospital, Beijing, 100144, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xu Yang, Department of Neurology, Aerospace Center Hospital, Peking University Aerospace School of Clinical Medicine, 15 Yuquan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86010-59971978, Email yangxu2011@163.com Bentao Yang, Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 1, Dongjiaomin Lane, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13671281401, Email cjr.yangbentao@vip.163.comObjective: Acute unilateral vestibulopathy (AUVP) is quite common in clinical practice, but lesion localization and etiological diagnosis of AUVP remain the current clinical challenges, and have always been the focus for researchers. The study aimed to explore the lesion site and possible etiology of AUVP.Methods: This study is a retrospective study. Twenty-three AUVP patients who attended the neurology outpatient clinics of our hospital from January 2020 to March 2022 were included. Clinical data of patients including baseline data, cardiovascular risk factors, immunological test results and infection indicators were collected. Vestibular function tests, including video head impulse test (vHIT), caloric testing, vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) and post-contrast delayed 3D-FLAIR MRI, were performed.Results: Among 32 AUVP patients included, there were 10 males and 13 females, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.3, and an average age of 42.13 ± 14.57 years (range 19– 76 years old). Acute persistent vertigo and relapsing-remitting vertigo accounted for 39.1% (9/23) and 60.9% (14/23) of the patients, respectively. Possible etiologies included cardiovascular risk factors (n = 11), abnormal immunological indicators (n = 8), and evidence of infection (n = 3). About 57.1% (12/21) of the patients showed abnormal vHIT (including reduced gain in horizontal canal (HC) in 14.3%, anterior canal (AC) in 4.8%, both the AC and HC in 19%, both the HC and posterior canal (PC) in 14.3%, and all three canals in 9.5% of cases). Probable entire vestibular nerve damage was found in 38.1% of the patients, only 9.5% of the patients followed the innervation pattern of the entire vestibular nerve, these patients had abnormal vHIT and VEMP results, and were considered to have definite entire vestibular nerve damage. Probable superior vestibular nerve (SVN) damage was found in 47.6% of the patients, but only 4.8% (1/21) of the patients followed the innervation pattern of SVN, with reduced VOR gains for AC and HC and abnormal oVEMP results, and were considered to have definite SVN damage. 3D-FLAIR MRI revealed high signal intensity in the SVN and vestibule in 4.8% (1/21) and 19% (4/21) of the patients, respectively.Conclusion: The majority of AUVP patients had a relapsing-remitting course and had vestibular function test results that did not follow the innervation pattern of the vestibular nerve. Post-contrast delayed 3D-FLAIR MRI revealed damage to the vestibule in some patients, suggesting that damage to the labyrinth itself in AUVP deserves clinical attention. The majority of the AUVP patients had cardiovascular risk factors and abnormal systemic immunological indicators, which might be the possible etiologies of AUVP.Keywords: acute unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction, etiology, vestibule, labyrinth, vestibular nerve

Background: We present a feasibility study on the development of a 3D-printed (3DP) model of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and its validation as an educational tool for training in therapeutic maneuvers. Methods: A 1.5:1 3DP model of the human labyrinth, supplemented by a 1:1 3DP model of the skull, was obtained from a computed tomography scan. We presented the model to 15 Emergency Medicine residents, 15 medical students, 15 Otolaryngology residents, and 15 Otolaryngology practitioners from two academic referral centers. Participants performed the Semont and Epley maneuvers on the model twice, once before and once after observing the biomechanics of BPPV using this tool. A specific survey was then administered to assess both performance improvement and satisfaction. Results: All the trainees demonstrated an improving trend on the second attempt. The medical students ameliorated significantly after the training in both Epley (p = 0.007) and Semont maneuvers (p = 0.0134). The Emergency Medicine residents improved significantly in Semont maneuvers (p = 0.0134). Self-reported understanding of the BPPV mechanics improved significantly after training in all the groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The preliminary data highlighted the potential benefits of training on the 3DP model for practitioners involved in the first-line management of BPPV.

The topoekphrasis in D. du Maurier's short story «Don't Look Now» has been investigated. Under the term ‘Topoekphrasis’ we mean a description of the scene of action, which "is the hero of a literary work" (O. Kling) and has a special aesthetic significance. Such a place in the analyzed novel is Venice, which, thanks to its unique architectural appearance, has become a true work of art. The image is created by a description of the world-famous architectural monuments of Venice, as well as the use of toponyms reflecting the features of the urban landscape. Speaking about real-life art objects, the author does not strive for an accurate description of his visual image but fills it with additional meaning. The text of the novel demonstrates various types of ekphrastic descriptions. Their usage depends on the purpose, the amount of necessary visual information and the specifics of the art object described. The absence of detailed descriptions determines the use of zero and paratactic variants of topoekphrasis, the emphasis on the state of the characters, on the perception and interpretation of the visual image and the development of the action indicates its interpretive nature. The role of mortal motifs and labyrinth in the formation of topoekphrasis is noted. We have also knotted that the novel by D. du Maurier fits into the context of the world Venetian, expanding its semantic field.

This essay studies Bufalino’s narrative work from the focal point of the theory and poetics of the list. In the five major novels – Diceria dell’untore, Argo il cieco ovvero i sogni della memoria, Le menzogne della notte, Qui pro quo and Tommaso e il fotografo cieco ovvero Il Patatràc – a modus scribendi emerges, obsessive and structural: to think the work from words arranged in lists. Of this way of proceeding, that invests the text and the paratext, an attempt is made here to understand its functioning and literary meaning.

Secondary flows in Francis turbines are induced by the presence of a gap between guide vanes and top–bottom covers and rotating–stationary geometries. The secondary flow developed in the clearance gap of guide vanes induces a leakage vortex that travels toward the turbine downstream, affecting the runner. Likewise, secondary flows from the gap between rotor–stator components enter the upper and lower labyrinth regions. When Francis turbines are operated with sediment-laden water, sediment-containing flows affect these gaps, increasing the size of the gap and increasing the leakage flow. This work examines the secondary flows developing at these locations in a Francis turbine and the consequent sediment erosion effects. A reference Francis turbine at Bhilangana III Hydropower Plant (HPP), India, with a specific speed (Ns = 85.4) severely affected by a sediment erosion problem, was selected for this study. All the components of the turbine were modeled, and a reference numerical model was developed. This numerical model was validated with numerical uncertainty measurement and experimental results. Different locations in the turbine with complex secondary flows and the consequent sediment erosion effects were examined separately. The erosion effects at the guide vanes were due to the development of leakage flow inside the guide vane clearance gaps. At the runner inlet, erosion was mainly due to a leakage vortex from the clearance gap and leakage flow from rotor–stator gaps. Toward the upper and bottom labyrinth regions, erosion was mainly due to the formation of secondary vortical rolls. The simultaneous effects of secondary flows and sediment erosion at all these locations were found to affect the overall performance of the turbine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pneumolabyrinth is a rare entity in a case of squamous chronic otitis media in the practice of otology. We report a case of 56 year male, a known case of Squamous Chronic Otitis Media who was diagnosed as a case of Pneumolabyrinth associated with a Perilymphatic fistula. Diagnosis was done with the help of audiometry and High-Resolution Computed Tomography of Temporal Bone in background of his symptoms. Tympanomastoid exploration revealed a perilymphatic fistula at round window and a labyrinthine fistula of Lateral semicircular canal. The sealing of defect was performed with reinforcement technique by utilizing fascia and fibrin glue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We present a feasibility study on the development of a 3D-printed (3DP) model of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and its validation as an educational tool for training in therapeutic maneuvers. Methods: A 1.5:1 3DP model of the human labyrinth, supplemented by a 1:1 3DP model of the skull, was obtained from a computed tomography scan. We presented the model to 15 Emergency Medicine residents, 15 medical students, 15 Otolaryngology residents, and 15 Otolaryngology practitioners from two academic referral centers. Participants performed the Semont and Epley maneuvers on the model twice, once before and once after observing the biomechanics of BPPV using this tool. A specific survey was then administered to assess both performance improvement and satisfaction. Results: All the trainees demonstrated an improving trend on the second attempt. The medical students ameliorated significantly after the training in both Epley (p = 0.007) and Semont maneuvers (p = 0.0134). The Emergency Medicine residents improved significantly in Semont maneuvers (p = 0.0134). Self-reported understanding of the BPPV mechanics improved significantly after training in all the groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The preliminary data highlighted the potential benefits of training on the 3DP model for practitioners involved in the first-line management of BPPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravity has profoundly influenced life on Earth, yet how organisms adapt to changes in gravity remains largely unknown. This study examines vestibular plasticity, specifically how the vestibular system responds to altered gravity. We subjected male C57BL/6J mice to hypergravity (2 G) followed by normal gravity (1 G) to analyze changes in vestibular function and gene expression. Mice showed significant vestibular dysfunction, assessed by righting reflex tests, which persisted for days but reversed at 1 G after exposure to 2 G. Gene expression analysis in the vestibular ganglion identified significant changes in 212 genes out of 49,585 due to gravitational changes. Specifically, 25 genes were upregulated under 2 G and recovered at 1 G after 2 G exposure, while one gene showed the opposite trend. Key neural function genes like Shisa3, Slc25a37, Ntn4, and Snca were involved. Our results reveal that hypergravity-induced vestibular dysfunction is reversible and highlight genes critical for adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author considers the problem of preserving the direction of movement by a collective of finite automata on a two-dimensional integer lattice of width two whose elements (vertices) are anonymous. The automata do not distinguish between equally labeled vertices by their direction coordinates (i.e., each automaton has no compass). The collectives consisting of a single automaton and several pebbles whose layout is completely determined by the automaton are considered. It is proved that a collective of an automaton and a maximum of three pebbles cannot maintain movement direction on the lattice, but a collective of an automaton and four pebbles can. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cybernetics & Systems Analysis / Kibernetiki i Sistemnyj Analiz is the property of V.M. Glushkov Institute of Cybernetics of NAS of Ukraine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Congenital cholesteatoma (CC) in an adult in his sixth decade is a rare presentation. We present a case report of surgical management of a case of CC in an adult in his sixth decade with extensive erosion of the bony labyrinth and facial canal, reaching up to the internal auditory meatus without eroding the ossicles or extension into the mastoid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate patterns of cochlear ossification (CO) in cadaveric temporal bones of patients who underwent vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery via the translabyrinthine (TL), middle cranial fossa (MF), or retrosigmoid (RS) approaches. STUDY DESIGN: Histopathologic analysis of cadaveric temporal bones. SETTING: Multi-institutional national temporal bone repository. METHODS: The National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders and House Temporal Bone Laboratory at the University of California, Los Angeles and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Otopathology Laboratory were searched for cadaveric temporal bones with a history of VS for which microsurgery was performed. Exclusion criteria included non-VS and perioperative death within 30 days of surgery. Temporal bones were analyzed histologically for CO of the basal, middle, and apical turns. RESULTS: Of 92 temporal bones with a history of schwannoma from both databases, 12 of these cases met the inclusion criteria. The approaches for tumor excision included 2 MF, 4 RS, and 6 TL approaches. CO was observed in all temporal bones that had undergone TL surgery. Among temporal bones that had undergone MF or RS surgeries, 5/6 had no CO, and 1/6 had partial ossification. This single case was noted to have intraoperative vestibular violation after RS surgery upon histopathologic and chart review. CONCLUSION: In this temporal bone series, all temporal bones that had undergone TL demonstrated varying degrees of CO on histological analysis. MF and RS cases did not exhibit CO except in the case of vestibular violation. When cochlear implantation is planned or possible after VS surgery, surgeons may consider using a surgical approach that does not violate the labyrinth.

The article analyzes the landmark novel of Russian writer M.L. Stepnova, The Garden (2020), which has aroused the public’s and critic’s interest, continuing the “estate text” of Russian literature of the 19th–20th centuries. It is shown that the image of the garden in the work is both national (the whole tradition of the Russian “estate text”) and universal (the Bible, Voltaire, H.L. Borges, U. Eco, etc.). The key to an adequate reading of the postmodern novel with its “semantic insolubility,” narrative “nonselectio,” experiments on human identity, an invitation to the “alternative history,” etc. is an analysis of its intertextuality, generating original life-creating strategies. There are three concentric circles of intertextuality that diverge in the breadth of space-time coverage: character, author-narrative, and mythopoetic. If in character terms the protagonist of the work — the garden — directly participates in people’s lives, at the author-narrative level becomes an ideologeme, symbolizing with his death under the axes of hired workers the tragic fate of Russia at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries, then in the super-author’s mythopoetic sphere reveals the quality of practical immortality, indestructibility. The reason for the suicidal cutting down of the garden of the grown-up Princess Boryatinskaya is the excommunication of this heroine from fiction, primarily “estate,” with its powerful lifecreating potential. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the systematic analysis of the intertextual strategies of the iconic modern novel for the first time and the identification of their three-level structure. The article applies historical-literary and cultural approaches, methods of historical poetics, and structural-semiotic analysis and uses the modernist and postmodern thesaurus paradigms.

This paper analyzes the concepts of time and consciousness in three works by Jorge Luis Borges. In «The Garden of Forking Paths», the phenomenon of a rhizomorphic labyrinth produces a limitless net of times, forking, converging and parallel to each other. It supposes a huge series of events, developing and coming out simultaneously as a multiplicity of scenarios. Since such kind of a labyrinth has no primary vector, its every point can generally connect to any other point. That is why the inner novel, a world of pure fiction inserted by the author into the main story can interfere with the life of its main characters. «A New Refutation of Time» is at first glance supposed to prove in all possible ways the inexistence of time at the level of metaphysics. However, as a human being, Borges declares himself unable to oppose and resist its implacable course. The third work considered here, «The Rose of Paracelsus», is distant from «The garden of forking paths» as regards the time of publication; nonetheless, it helps to establish unexpected intertextual relations, while the representation of facts as a myth is among its highlights. The reality of creation and destruction constantly present in the work of Borges is described and interpreted as a series of events that occur in the course of time; hence the tale «The South» is also discussed from this point of view. Generally, the works examined emphasize the complexity of time as a multifaceted phenomenon and make the reader think about how unique every moment is.

HYPOTHESIS: Na + , K + -ATPase (Na/K-ATPase) α1 subunit expression in the saccule of patients diagnosed with otologic disease is different compared with normal controls. BACKGROUND: We have recently characterized changes in the expression of Na/K-ATPase α1 subunit in the normal and pathological cochlea; however, no studies have determined the distribution Na/K-ATPase α1 subunit in the human saccule. The present study uses archival temporal bones to study the expression Na/K-ATPase α1 subunit in the human saccule. METHODS: Archival celloidin formalin fixed 20-micron thick sections of the vestibule from patients diagnosed with Menières disease (n = 5), otosclerosis (n = 5), sensorineural hearing loss, and normal hearing and balance (n = 5) were analyzed. Sections containing the saccular macula were immunoreacted with mouse monoclonal antibodies against Na/K-ATPase α1 subunit. Micrographs were acquired using a high-resolution digital camera coupled to a light inverted microscope. RESULTS: In the normal human saccule vestibular sensory epithelium, Na/K-ATPase α1 immunoreactivity (IR) was present in nerve fibers and calyces that surround type I vestibular hair cells and nerve terminals. The transition epithelium cells were also Na/K-ATPase α1 immunoreactive. Comparison between normal and pathological specimens showed that there was a significant reduction of Na/K-ATPase α1 IR in the saccule vestibular sensory epithelium from patients with Menières disease, otosclerosis, and sensorineural hearing loss. CONCLUSIONS: The decrease of Na/K-ATPase-IR α1 in the saccule vestibular sensory epithelium from patients with otopathologies suggests its critical role in inner ear homeostasis and pathology.

Copyright of Studii de Ştiintă şi Cultură is the property of Studii de Stiinta si Cultura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Worldwide, gender equality remains a barrier for women seeking career advancement in corporations. Despite the globalization of corporate social responsibility programs, women have not achieved positional parity with men within the managerial hierarchy. The purpose of this integrative review was to investigate the breadth of the gendered organization literature, summarize the evidence, and inform future research about the career advancement of women in privately owned and publicly traded corporations. Twelve databases were searched between January 1990 and December 2023 for published evidence. Of the 1914 documents screened, 55 articles were included in this review. The gendered organization literature is slowly evolving as a critical area for management research even though fully developed substantive and formal theories are lacking. However, gendered organizations can be conceptualized for theoretical development as a constellation of metaphors embedded in the corporate culture. These metaphors include firewalls, glass ceilings, glass cliffs, glass escalators, labyrinths, queen bees and beehives, and sticky floors. Notably, few intervention studies were reported in the literature. Corporate social responsibility programs had a surprisingly limited impact on eliminating deep-seated structural attributes contributing to gendered organizations. Therefore, management scholars need to engage in theoretical development and research to advance a comprehensive theory of the gendered organization, and studies should investigate why the identified metaphors continue to adversely impact the career advancement of women despite the presence of corporate social responsibility programs. Finally, existing evidence needs to be translated into intervention recommendations for policymakers and corporate leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This research aimed to print realistically detailed and magnified three-dimensional models of the inner ear, specifically focusing on visualising its complex labyrinth structure and functioning simulation. Methods: Temporal bone computed-tomography data were imported into Mimics software to construct an initial three-dimensional inner-ear model. Subsequently, the model was amplified and printed with precision using a three-dimensional printer. Five senior attending physicians evaluated the printed model using a Likert scale to gauge its morphological accuracy, clinical applicability and anatomical teaching value. Results: The printed inner-ear model effectively demonstrated the intricate internal structure. All five physicians agreed that the model closely resembled the real inner ear in shape and structure, and simulated certain inner-ear functions. The model was considered highly valuable for understanding anatomical structure and disorders. Conclusion: The three-dimensionally printed inner-ear model is highly simulated and provides a valuable visual tool for studying inner-ear anatomy and clinical teaching, benefiting otologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective : Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence (SSCD) is a recently-defined developmental defect may be associated with several craniofacial anomalies such as Cleft Lip/Palate (CLP). The present study aimed to compare subjects with unilateral and bilateral CLP and normal controls in terms of Superior Semicircular Canal (SSC) bone thickness and pattern. Subjects and Methods : A total of 238 Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images were collected from 52 unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate (UCLP) subjects (104 temporal bones) and 38 Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate (BCLP) (76 temporal bones) subjects and 148 healthy controls (296 temporal bones). The SSC bone thickness was measured twice and validated by a maxillofacial radiologist. The samples were then classified into five categories based on bone thickness: papyraceous or thin, normal, thick, pneumatized, and dehiscence. After all, the UCLP, BCLP, and normal control groups were compared concerning the SSC pattern and thickness. Results : The results revealed no significant difference among the three groups regarding the SSC pattern and thickness based on gender. The SSC patterns (P value =.001) and SSC thickness (0.01) were strongly correlated to the cleft type. The thinnest bone thickness and the highest incidence of SSCD were observed among the subjects with BCLP. Conclusions : The results showed a significant association between the SSC patterns and SSC thickness and the study groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leading Schulz scholars rightly note that despite numerous studies of Schulz’s discourse, some aspects remain understudied. This primarily concerns the oneiric space, its role, and peculiarities of functioning in the structure of Schulz’s texts. The purpose of the article is to determine the peculiarities of the oneiric discourse of Bruno Schulz’s prose in the context of representation of the imagination, the embodiment of metaphorical imagery in the motive structure of the works of fiction, the correlation of dream and reality, ideal and reality. This is facilitated by psychoanalytic oneirological theories, as well as materials from the latest oneirological literary studies. The research has been carried out based on a hermeneutic approach with the involvement of phenomenological, psychological (partially – psychoanalysis), biographi-– psychoanalysis), biographi-psychoanalysis), biographical, descriptive, and intertextual methods. Throughout the study, several initial tasks been solved, investigated, and clarified. The main peculiarities of the (mutual)influence have been identified and the points of contact and intersection between the components of the correlation of the work of Z. Freud and C.-G. Jung (the queen of psychoanalysis) works of art and literary texts (oneiric discourse) have been characterized accordingly. In the historiographical aspect, the problem of oneirism has been analyzed both in modern literary studies and concerning the creative work of Bruno Schulz. Aspects of oneiric studies of the Schulz direction have been singled out, which need to be deepened or reinterpreted in a certain way. The oneiric space of Schulz’s prose works has been characterized through the prism of the concepts of dream, vision, and labyrinth as the main system-forming concepts of this space, with emphasis on the main structural and semantic features of the outlined categories. The oneiric discourse of individual literary-critical and epistolary works by Bruno Schulz has been considered. Associativity, a large number of symbols, unreality, the marking of dreams with certain signals, the (non)presence of a sequence of events, incompleteness, brokenness, schematicity, fragmentation, spatiotemporal mosaicism, etc., have been recognized as typical features of the oneiric events of Schulz’s prose, which is confirmed through numerous illustrations from Schulz’s works of art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wall is often viewed simply as a structure that divides and isolates different worlds, spaces, or places. However, an alternative perspective, known as the heterotopic point of view, suggests that a wall can be seen as a place. Such a place possesses panoptical characteristics and spatial experiences that might be felt as a panoptic power and a labyrinth, rendering it suitable for the setting of many psychological thriller films. To illustrate this phenomenon, this article examines two examples from psychological thrillers and compares them with Foucault’s concept of Heterotopia. This is accomplished by breaking down his six principles of space parameters. By doing so, the article reveals the intricate and multifaceted nature of walls, as well as their potential to be portrayed in a myriad of ways in the cinematic arts.

Editorial for the Special Issue on Nietzsche by Yvanka B. Raynova

The motif of reading is placed at the center of Ecce Homo as both a vital problem and a practice in action. Nietzsche undertakes to reread every one of his "so good books" except the one he is currently writing, placing his reader in a position identical to his own. Faced with this ultimate Nietzschean "Library of Babel," the reader will have to re-experience for himself what it means to read his works, and assess his own reading biases in light of the ascending or declining values associated with the text. Rarely noticed by its best commentators, Ecce Homo's "abysmal" mirrored reading device is also that of a labyrinth, haunted by the figures of Ariane and Dionysus, and its singular composition combines the doctrine of eternal return with the selective experiment of reading.

Meniere's disease (MD) is a condition of the inner ear with symptoms affecting both vestibular and hearing functions. Some patients with MD experience vestibular drop attacks (VDAs), which are violent falls caused by spurious vestibular signals from the utricle and/or saccule. Recent surgical work has shown that patients who experience VDAs also show disrupted utricular otolithic membranes. The objective of this study is to determine if otolithic membrane damage alone is sufficient to induce spurious vestibular signals, thus potentially eliciting VDAs and the vestibular dysfunction seen in patients with MD. We use a previously developed numerical model to describe the nonlinear dynamics of an array of active, elastically coupled hair cells. We then reduce the coupling strength of a selected region of the membrane to model the effects of tissue damage. As we reduce the coupling strength, we observe large and abrupt spikes in hair bundle position. As bundle displacements from the equilibrium position have been shown to lead to depolarization of the hair-cell soma and hence trigger neural activity, this spontaneous activity could elicit false detection of a vestibular signal. The results of this numerical model suggest that otolithic membrane damage alone may be sufficient to induce VDAs and the vestibular dysfunction seen in patients with MD. Future experimental work is needed to confirm these results in vitro.

HYPOTHESIS: Vestibular schwannoma (VS) may be associated with endolymphatic hydrops (EH). EH may account for symptomatology in a subset of patients with VS. BACKGROUND: Presenting symptoms of VS and EH overlap, and MRI evaluation of the membranous labyrinth in some patients with VS demonstrates EH. The aim of the current study is to evaluate whether EH is present in temporal bones of patients with VS. METHODS: The NIDCD and House Temporal Bone Laboratory at UCLA Eccles database was queried for the diagnosis of acoustic neuroma. Exclusion criteria included concomitant ear disease and surgery. Temporal bones were analyzed for EH of the basal, middle, and apical turns and vestibule. Premortem audiometric and clinical data were gathered. RESULTS: Of 43 human temporal bones with VS, 6 met inclusion criteria. All temporal bones demonstrated VS that was undisturbed by surgery. Three of six demonstrated EH of at least one cochlear turn as well as vestibular hydrops. Three patients had severe to profound hearing loss. One patient carried a diagnosis of Menières disease. CONCLUSIONS: EH is demonstrated in the setting of VS in human temporal bones. EH may be one mechanism of hearing loss and dizziness in patients with VS. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GAP AND EDUCATIONAL NEED: The underlying mechanisms of symptoms of VS may be multifactorial. The association of EH in some patients with VS would modify our clinical approach to management. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To discover if EH may be associated with VS. DESIRED RESULT: To broaden understanding of pathophysiologic mechanisms in patients with VS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IVIRB Approved: UCLA IRB No. 10-001449.

The article presents a study of sacred dances in ancient culture. The origins of dance and their connection with the mysteries are considered. The approach to dance as a language born in the infancy of mankind and closely related to myth allows identifying the semantic units of dance which express the mythological foundations of the creation of the universe and the birth of order from chaos. The procedure of understanding mythological meanings is based on the identification of symmetry structures. The authors of the article analyse the forms of dance compositions as systems of non‐verbal semantic constructs and study the image of the Labyrinth in the choreographic ancient tradition as a symbol of mastering and accumulating experience with subsequent transformation and comprehension of a new development stage of the soul.

The paper examines metametaphors in Borges' "The House of Asterion", focusing on reconstructing symbolic metametaphors and derivative metaphorical constructs within a postmodernist and existentialist framework. It highlights the role of metaphorical core and periphery in encoding the narrative-semiotic structure. The study reveals that metametaphors serve as codes for interpreting and integrating images and meanings, aligning with symbolic metaphorical constants in postmodern and existential-philosophical texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ancient Greek myth of Ariadne provides clues about the vitality of movement—its expression and action—and how it evokes a concept of selfhood that does not venerate arrival. This article analyzes how symbols from Ariadne's myth appear in performances by Martha Graham and Jeanine Durning, which similarly offer examples of dancing as liminal immanence. Ultimately this research shows how a depth psychology perspective, based on Carl Jung's theories, brings unconscious material to consciousness through analysis of image and symbol and might be a generative framework for analyzing dance and choreography as they connect to theories of individuation and anima/animus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Research paper examines how Tolkien's novels, "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings," incorporate labyrinthine elements into their fictional worlds. In these literary works, events primarily unfold in open landscapes, but there are elements that evoke complex and dangerous mazes, where certain heroes assume roles similar to that of Theseus. Thus, this analysis explores the representations of the Labyrinth myth through Tolkien's writing, highlighting both the similarities and differences between these structures in the two contexts, while emphasizing the symbolism of the subterranean world, akin to a cave, as a site of transformation where heroes emerge metamorphosed, invoking both death and rebirth. The paper suggests the use of mythocriticism to analyze the reiterations and variations of Labyrinth mythemes in these novels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In ideal Topography for a characterized aggression, Rachid Boudjedra represents an illiterate emigrant lost in the maze of the Parisian subway. The reader follows the errance of this emigrant in search of his drop point writing on a bit of paper. At the end of long odyssée, it is found mortally attacked by a group of racists in exit of the subway. Our analysis based on works of Gilbert Durand, Umberto Eco, Deleuze and Guattari, Ethnocritic and urban semiotics, wants to be a description of this allegory of the modern world represented by the Parisian subway. An allegory that the writing that us of labyrinthian practised by the author also represents at the scriptural level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the modern image of the labyrinth-rhizome in Maylis de Kerangal’s novels. Basing on the analyses of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari (introduction to Mille plateaux), we explain the characteristics of this strange labyrinth, always in recomposition, and show how it fascinates the novelist. In a second step, we take the example of the labyrinth model which appears in Réparer les vivants : we formulate the hypothesis that it could represent the operation of the Cristal computer application used by health professionals for the organ transplantation procedure. Thus, the labyrinth ceases to be a place of perdition, it can save lifes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The labyrinth motif appears regularly in Christian Grenier's novels. In diegesis, it is always linked to myth and the fates of Daedalus, Theseus and Ariadne. It is also a diegetic motif that structures the setting, organizes the characters' quest and generates suspense. But this motif is above all a metadiscursive metaphor that theorizes the author's writing. In particular, he evokes the meandering construction of police intrigues. It also represents the referential games developed by Christian Grenier: By mixing the words of other writers with his own, offers his readers the opportunity to enter a kind of intertextual labyrinth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the rehabilitation effects of vestibular rehabilitation in acute brainstem infarction patients with subjective visual vertical (SVV) tilting, and the correlation between the SVV, balance confidence, dizziness/vertigo and walking function. Methods All 45 acute brainstem infarction patients with SVV tilting who were hospitalized in Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from July 2022 to July 2023 were collected. Patients were divided into vestibular rehabilitation group (n = 25) and general rehabilitation group (n = 20), Bucket Test was used to test SVV tilting angle, Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) was used to evaluate balance confidence, Visual Analog Scales (VAS) was used to evaluate dizziness/vertigo and Functional Ambulation Category Scale (FAC) was used to evaluate walking function before and after 2 weeks of treatment. Results The SVV tilting angle (F = 4.356, P = 0.043), ABC score (F = 4.389, P = 0.042), dizziness/vertigo VAS score (F = 4.138, P = 0.048) were significantly different between vestibular rehabilitation group and general rehabilitation group. After treatment, the SVV tilting angle (t =-2.139, P = 0.038) and the dizziness/vertigo VAS score (t =-2.952, P = 0.005) in vestibular rehabilitation group were lower than those in general rehabilitation group, and the ABC score was higher than that in general rehabilitation group (t = 2.920, P = 0.006). SVV tilting angle (F = 196.923, P = 0.000), ABC score (F = 89.050, P = 0.000), dizziness/vertigo VAS score (F = 81.803, P = 0.000), FAC grade (F = 72.866, P = 0.000) were statistically significant. The SVV tilting angle (t = 0.763, P = 0.000; t = 0.972, P = 0.000) and dizziness/vertigo VAS score (t = 8.815, P = 0.000; t = 5.107, P = 0.000) after treatment were lower than those before treatment of 2 groups, and the ABC score (t = 0.689, P = 0.001; t = 0.703, P = 0.001) and FAC grade (t =-6.721, P = 0.000; t =-5.772, P = 0.000) were higher than those before treatment of 2 groups. Correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between SVV tilting angle and dizziness/vertigo VAS score in acute brainstem infarction patients with SVV tilting (r = 0.627, P = 0.000). Conclusions Vestibular rehabilitation can effectively improve the SVV tilting, balance confidence and dizziness/vertigo symptoms of acute brainstem infarction patients with SVV tilting, and the SVV tilting angle is closely related to the degree of dizziness/vertigo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this narrative review is to discuss current literature about vestibular migraine and other cochleovestibular symptoms related to migraine.Recent findingsVestibular migraine affects 2.7% of the US population. Misdiagnosis is common. The pathophysiology is currently unknown but new research shows that calcitonin gene-related peptide, which is implicated in migraine headaches, is expressed in the audiovestibular periphery. A recent large-scale placebo-controlled trial looking at metoprolol for vestibular migraine was terminated early due to poor recruitment; however, at study completion, no differences were seen between treatment arms. Many other audiovestibular symptoms have been shown to be associated with migraine, including tinnitus, hearing loss, aural fullness, otalgia, and sinus symptoms. Migraine is also associated with risk for developing numerous otologic conditions, including Meniere's disease, vestibular loss, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, and sudden sensorineural hearing loss. There is now some evidence that patients may experience fluctuating hearing loss and aural fullness without vertigo in association with migraine, which is called cochlear migraine.SummaryMigraine can cause a variety of audiologic and vestibular symptoms, and further research is required to understand how migraine affects the inner ear.

The paper studies belt as a part of visual sign system of garment in Georgian cultural context and tries to reveal its symbolic fields in diverse practices; It explores their functioning in different (human and other cosmic) realms and for this purpose, both ethnographic and archeological data are used in the analysis, to show the continuity of tradition. Consequently, the symbolic role of belts is discussed in Georgian mythic-ritual system, sacred poetry and in the archaeological artifacts, in particular on the Early Iron Age engraved belts, on which hunting scenes are depicted. The paper focuses on the concept liminality and tries to find the liminal in the abovementioned artifacts and in the ethnographic practices. It argues that liminal on the belts is revealed on the décor of the aforesaid engraved belts and that they are associated with idea of labyrinthine path; The same liminality can be found in the labyrinthine round dances that symbolize “vitalized path” on the ethnographic level. Thus, in the both studied cases the ideas of liminality and the labyrinth are revealed in the former (i.e., on the engraved belts) graphically and in the latter (i.e., in the round dance) – kinetically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The computerized rotational head impulse test (crHIT) uses a computer-controlled rotational chair to deliver whole-body rotational impulses to assess the semicircular canals. The crHIT has only been described for horizontal head plane rotations. The purpose of this study was to describe the crHIT for vertical head plane rotations. In this preliminary study, we assessed four patients with surgically confirmed unilateral peripheral vestibular abnormalities and two control subjects. Results indicated that the crHIT was well-tolerated for both horizontal head plane and vertical head plane stimuli. The crHIT successfully assessed each of the six semicircular canals. This study suggests that the crHIT has the potential to become a new laboratory-based vestibular test for both the horizontal and vertical semicircular canals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brucellosis, caused by Brucella, dominates in the Middle East. Acute or chronic brucellosis can involve any organ system, and the involvement of the central nervous system leads to encephalitis, called neurobrucellosis (NB). We report a rare case from north India where a variant of Brucella caused NB led to progressive labyrinthine dysfunction; who developed vertigo, disequilibrium, and gradual progressive sensorineural (SN) hearing loss. Audiological tests pure-tone audiometry (PTA), otoacoustic emissions (OAE), stapedial muscle reflexes, auditory evoked brainstem responses (ABR), and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) were conducted on the patients. PTA showed a bilateral profound SN hearing loss, an absent OAE, and ABR suggestive of cochlear dysfunction. The cervical and ocular VEMP showed delayed n1 and p1 latencies, suggesting superior and inferior nerve branch involvement. Vertigo or disequilibrium and SN hearing loss can be the late-onset manifestations of labyrinthine dysfunction in chronic Brucella-induced encephalitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to relate alternate reality games (ARGs) with the definition of the game concept by Huizinga, one of the main scholars on the subject. For this, the characteristics of the ARGs are presented and how these games are managed and how they were developed around the hyperconnectivity of the internet. Then, Huizinga's (1949) definition of game is presented, emphasizing its characteristics as developed by the historian and contrasting them with the ARGs, demonstrating similarities and contrasts. To break the opposition, Lucia Leão's (1999) Labyrinth of Hypermedia emerges as a possibility of analyzing contemporary games such as ARGs, intermediating the characteristics of hypermedia with the concept of Huizinga. The objective of the article is to propose ruptures in the foundations of playful understanding in the tradition of European studies by dialoging the theory of one of its main representatives, Huizinga, with those of Latin American researchers of digital media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]