Quantum Propensity in Economics

This paper describes an approach to economics that is inspired by quantum computing, and is motivated by the need to develop a consistent quantum mathematical framework for economics. The traditional neoclassical approach assumes that rational utility-optimisers drive market prices to a stable equilibrium, subject to external perturbations or market failures. While this approach has been highly influential, it has come under increasing criticism following the financial crisis of 2007/8. The quantum approach, in contrast, is inherently probabilistic and dynamic. Decision-makers are described, not by a utility function, but by a propensity function which specifies the probability of transacting. We show how a number of cognitive phenomena such as preference reversal and the disjunction effect can be modelled by using a simple quantum circuit to generate an appropriate propensity function. Conversely, a general propensity function can be quantized, via an entropic force, to incorporate effects such as interference and entanglement that characterise human decision-making. Applications to some common problems and topics in economics and finance, including the use of quantum artificial intelligence, are discussed.

Use of Telephone- and Internet-Based Support to Elicit and Address Financial Abuse and Mismanagement in Dementia: Experiences from the Care Ecosystem Study

Background: Financial mismanagement and abuse in dementia have serious consequences for patients and their families. Vulnerability to these outcomes reflects both patient and contextual factors. Objective: Our study aimed to assess how multidisciplinary care coordination programs assist families in addressing psychosocial vulnerabilities and accessing needed resources. Methods: Our study was embedded in a clinical trial of the Care Ecosystem, a telephone- and internet-based supportive care intervention for patients with dementia and caregivers. This program is built around the role of the Care Team Navigator (CTN), an unlicensed dementia care guide who serves as the patient and caregiver’s primary point of contact, screening for common problems and providing support. We conducted a qualitative analysis of case summaries from a subset of 19 patient/caregiver dyads identified as having increased risk for financial mismanagement and abuse, to examine how Care Ecosystem staff identified vulnerabilities and provided support to patients and families. Results: CTNs elicited patient and caregiver needs using templated conversations to address common financial and legal planning issues in dementia. Sources of financial vulnerability included changes in patients’ behavior, caregiver burden, intrafamily tension, and confusion about resources to facilitate end-of-life planning. The Care Ecosystem staff’s rapport with their dyads helped them address these issues by providing emotional support, information on how to access financial, medical, and legal resources, and improving intra-familial communication. Conclusion: The Care Ecosystem offers a scalable way to address vulnerabilities to financial mismanagement and abuse in patients and caregivers through coordinated care by unlicensed care guides supported by a multidisciplinary team.

Pediatric Leprosy Profile in the Postelimination Era: A Study from Surabaya, Indonesia

Children who live in leprosy-endemic areas are susceptible to infection due to early and frequent exposure to Mycobacterium leprae. Indonesia is on the verge of eliminating this disease (prevalence rate < 1/10,000 population), but pediatric leprosy continues to occur in low-endemic areas. This study aimed to evaluate pediatric leprosy over a decade in a tertiary hospital in Surabaya, Indonesia. A retrospective study of leprosy in children under 15 years old between 2010 and 2019 was conducted in the Morbus Hansen Division, Outpatient Clinic at Dr. Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya, Indonesia. Seventy pediatric leprosy cases were identified between 2010 and 2019, consisting of 58 multibacillary (MB)-type cases and 12 paucibacillary (PB)-type cases. Slit skin smear (SSS) was positive in 26 cases. There were two cases of grade-2 disability and 15 cases of leprosy reaction (erythema nodosum leprosum) in children at the time of diagnosis. There was an insignificant decline in the number of pediatric leprosy cases in the last 10 years. Cases and disabilities in children were found in some leprosy pocket areas even though the national elimination rate has been achieved. MB infections, disability, and treatment defaults were common problems in pediatric leprosy.

Common Problems Related to Podiatry

India is a developing country and lacks many things including Podiatry as subspecialty of Diabetes. There are no Podiatry Collegesnor provision for regular training of young physicians in podiatry. Missing job opportunity, kills interest of physicians in Podiatry. Most physicians have acquired some degree of skill by self-reading or doing observer ship abroad and by attending a few International conferences on Podiatry.

Pronunciation Problems Encountered by EFL Learners: An Empirical Study

Arabs often mispronounce many sounds of English due to a lack of exposure to English as a foreign language. This research article focuses on pronunciation problems encountered by Arab undergraduate EFL learners. It uses questionnaires, recorded speech samples, and pronunciation tests as part of its methodology to analyze learners’ performance orally through repetition drills to help participants articulate the sounds of English through Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Learning Management System. This research emphasizes the main question on the common problems encountered by EFL undergraduates with pronunciation skills. The study aims to train the students with pronunciation tests and phonemic inventory by repetition and imitation to overcome pronunciation miscues and fossilized miscues to enhance their pronunciation. This study is significant because it proposes feasible pedagogical techniques for imparting English sounds and initiating the learners to produce and acquire sounds more accurately, which will help Arab undergraduate EFL learners with their pronunciation problems. To achieve this goal, it proposes feasible pedagogical techniques to impart sounds of English and initiate the learners to produce and acquire sounds more accurately. One of the main findings of this research revealed that our EFL undergraduates have improved in their pronunciation through constant motivation and willingness to participate in the designed tests through Blackboard. Recommendations for further research would be on phonological awareness as an aid in learning EFL

Unidroit Principles and the COVID-19 Economy

The international economy was drastically changed by COVID-19. As the pandemic is causing similar problems in different jurisdictions, uniformized solutions are required to have more certainty in a global economy. This is an opportunity for the uniform regulation of international contracts such as the Unidroit Principles. The provisions of the Unidroit Principles, such as force majeure and hardship, may provide parties, adjudicators, and legislators with uniform solutions to common problems caused by the pandemic.

Concordance of the cardiovascular patient education with the principles of Andragogy model

Background Patient education is a critical aspect of patient care and is considered a vital part of self-care (especially in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD)) and health promotion. The literature supports incorporating the principles of the andragogy model (adult learning) into patient education. This study aimed to determine the concordance of the CVD patient education with the principles of the andragogy model. Methods This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 384 adult CVD patients from 2 selected hospitals of Tehran. The sampling method was convenient, and the data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire based on the principles of the andragogy model. Data were analyzed using SPSS16 statistical software. Results The mean age of the patients was 55.69 ± 13.01 years old. Frequency of distribution of the patients who, in total, selected the items of 4 or 5 for respecting the principles of andragogy model was as follows: 68.16% for the motivation, 66.29% for the need, 66.03% for the orientation, 54.16% for the experiences, 51.55% for the self-concept, and 44.65% for the readiness principle. Also, three principles of motivation (77.37) need (74.97), and orientation (74.78) had the highest mean, respectively, in terms of adhering to this model. But the most common problems in patient education were related to the principles of readiness (64.35), self-concept (68.19), and experiences (77.71) with the lowest mean. Conclusions The findings of this study provided valuable information on the flaws in patient education, including ignoring and disrespecting the principles of adult education. Correcting these detected defects and providing feedback to health professionals can improve the quality of patient education programs and patient satisfaction. Also, it empowers healthcare providers, patients, and families through effective education strategies.

The Effect of Intraoperative Diphenhydramine/Morphine on Acute Pain and Opioid Consumption after Spine Surgery

Background: One of the most common problems after spine surgery is very severe pain that usually affects outcome of patients after surgery and duration of hospital stay. Acute postoperative pain has several mechanisms, and multimodal analgesia by different mechanism of action will help control to it. In this study, we intended to investigate the effect of intravenous diphenhydramine injection during induction of anesthesia and morphine before incision on the control of acute pain in postoperative laminectomy. Methods: 130 patients scheduled for spine surgeries were assigned to receive a single pre induction dose of diphenhydramine 0.4mg/kg IV (D group) and morphine 0.15mg/kg before incision in addition acetaminophen 1gr IV at the end of surgery and just morphine 0.15mg/kg and acetaminophen 1gr IV (C group) in a randomized, double-blind trial. Postoperative pain, analgesic requirements in recovery and 24 hr after surgery were assessed. Results: The mean pain intensity in recovery was lower in the diphenhydramine group than in the control group (MD, 2.13; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.72–2.53; P < .0001) and the need for analgesia was much lower in the diphenhydramine group than in the control group. P < 0.001. The severity of pain and the need for analgesics in the diphenhydramine group had a significant decrease in the ward compared to the control group. Conclusion: Prophylactic diphenhydramine 0.4 mg/kg at induction of general anesthesia in combination with morphine 0.15mg/kg before incision and acetaminophen 1gr at the end of surgery reduced the postoperative severity of acute pain and opioids requirement in the early postoperative period after spine surgeries.

Reflecting on Crime and Legal Issues in People With Intellectual Disabilities

This chapter discusses research findings on intellectual disability (ID), criminal law, and the different forms of aggressive behavior such as sexual violence, homicide, theft, arson, and alcohol-drug abuse. ID is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by significantly impaired and varying intellectual-adaptive functioning. Given that a number of legal issues have been raised over the past decades regarding individuals with ID and civil as well as criminal law, particular attention will also be given to neuropsychological research regarding civil law and the most common problems for individuals with ID, such as financial capacity and capacity for medical consent. Finally, there will be a section for the most important issues regarding the trial and conviction for individuals with ID, and a presentation of a research on attitudes toward ID and legal issues. The chapter concludes with suggestions for reform of the law relating to ID and the need for further research.

The contribution of psychological barriers in predicting the cognitive load among the university students’ users of blackboard system

Psychological barriers are one of the most common problems facing individuals nowadays due to everyday life pressures. The current research aimed at identifying the extent to which psychological barriers contribute to predicting the perceived cognitive load of blackboard e-learning management system users. The research sample comprised (240) male and female among the University Students. The descriptive-analytical approach, specifically the predictive correlative research method was utilized to reveal the relationship between the research variables. The research main results revealed that there was a statistically significant correlative positive relationship between the psychological barriers and the cognitive load (intrinsic, extraneous, and the overall degree), and there was no statistically correlative relationship between psychological barriers and the Germane cognitive load. Besides, results concluded that the external psychological barriers were better at predicting the overall degree of the perceived cognitive load. Psychological barriers and cognitive load must be considered within the e-learning settings through making use of the results of the current study in developing training and counseling programs to reduce the students' psychological barriers and cognitive load levels. Keywords: psychological barriers; cognitive load; Blackboard system