Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with negatively variable impacts on domains of female sexual function: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis

To systematically review the literature to identify the impact of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on specific female sexual function domains. A meta-analysis was performed and the related literature were searched in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, CBM and Web of Science databases, and in reference lists of articles and systematic reviews. Score of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was used as the outcome measurement, and mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Five studies were included, including 346 women with RA and 237 healthy female controls. Each domain of the FSFI score: lubrication (MD, ?2.48; 95% CI, ?3.69, ?1.28), orgasm-1.71 (?2.09, ?1.33), sexual desire-1.27 (?1.59, ?0.95), satisfaction-1.67 (?2.18, ?1.16), arousal-1.83 (?2.85, ?0.82), pain-1.57 (?2.43, ?0.70) and the total score ?8.84 (?11.88, ?5.79) were lower in RA women than healthy controls. Furthermore, lubrication dimension was most severely affected especially. This meta-analysis showed that female RA patients scored lower in each dimension of FSFI, mostly in the lubrication domain. It demonstrated that targeted interventions should be done to improve their sexual function. Future well-designed researches with larger sample sizes are necessary to evaluate the potential risk factors which determine female sexual dysfunction.     

Mozambican immigrants to South Africa: Their xenophobia and discrimination experiences

We explored Mozambican immigrants’ lived experiences of xenophobia and discrimination in South Africa. Informants were 15 Mozambican immigrants (female = 7, male = 8) living in an informal settlement in Zandspruit, Gauteng Province. They completed open-ended written narratives on xenophobic and discriminatory experiences. Following thematic analysis, we identified three themes to characterise the Mozambican immigrants’ experiences of xenophobia and discrimination: (i) abusive attitudes, (ii) ethnic discrimination, and (iii) scapegoating. The Mozambican immigrants’ experiences of xenophobia and discrimination are consistent with findings from the extant international literature on ingroup/outgroup social strife with real or perceived scarcity of resources.     

Task difficulty modulates brain-behavior correlations in language production and cognitive control: Behavioral and fMRI evidence from a phonological go/no-go picture-naming paradigm

Language production and cognitive control are complex processes that involve distinct yet interacting brain networks. However, the extent to which these processes interact and their neural bases have not been thoroughly examined. Here, we investigated the neural and behavioral bases of language production and cognitive control via a phonological go/no-go picture-naming task. Naming difficulty and cognitive control demands (i.e., conflict monitoring and response inhibition) were manipulated by varying the proportion of naming trials (go trials) and inhibition trials (no-go trials) across task runs. The results demonstrated that as task demands increased, participants’ behavioral performance declined (i.e., longer reaction times on naming trials, more commission errors on inhibition trials) whereas brain activation generally increased. Increased activation was found not only within the language network but also in domain-general control regions. Additionally, right superior and inferior frontal and left supramarginal gyri were sensitive to increased task difficulty during both language production and response inhibition. We also found both positive and negative brain–behavior correlations. Most notably, increased activation in sensorimotor regions, such as precentral and postcentral gyri, was associated with better behavioral performance, in both successful picture naming and successful inhibition. Moreover, comparing the strength of correlations across conditions indicated that the brain–behavior correlations in sensorimotor regions that were associated with improved performance became stronger as task demands increased. Overall, our results suggest that cognitive control demands affect language production, and that successfully coping with increases in task difficulty relies on both language-specific and domain-general cognitive control regions.     

Exploring the Factor Structure of the RTI Readiness and Implementation Survey

Response to intervention (RtI) models have increasingly been adopted to improve outcomes for all students through the delivery of a continuum of supports and making timely responsive instructional decisions based on data. With this increasing popularity, researchers and practitioners have developed several RtI-related assessments, many of which have no known psychometric properties. As a result, there is an urgent need to develop psychometrically sound RtI readiness and implementation assessments that possess technical adequacy and practical utility. This study surveyed 377 participants to examine the factor structure of the author-developed RtI survey. An exploratory factor analysis identified seven relevant factors (system support, belief, conceptual knowledge, practical knowledge, resource, time, and system barrier) from the initial pool of 49 items. Results of reliability estimates supported the internal consistency of each subscale. Collectively, this validated RtI survey can be used to help district and school leaders efficiently screen a system's current RtI readiness and implementation status. The data may also inform successful RtI initiation and sustainment of the reform. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed.     

模态与本质

模态(modality)是指可能性、必然性等哲学范畴。根据关涉对象的不同,它可以分为从言模态与从物模态两类:若模态性质指的是命题或语句为真的可能性与必然性,则它是从言模态;若模态性质指的是事物具有某种性质或关系的可能性与必然性,则它是从物模态。     

交道性世界中的生命沉沦及反向运动之可能——海德格尔“那托普报告”的构境论解读

青年海德格尔在"那托普报告"中突显出一种全新的功用性交道世界观。在这里,本体论被建构为生命活动的存在论,对于每一个生命个体来说,你的存在方式就是我照料故我在。并且,我们交道故世界在。可是,这个交道性的周围世界就是沉沦。由于生命此在的个体已经将自己交付于交道性的非本真的关照性在世,所以他必然失去本己性的独立性,只是作为常人沉沦于世界。     

象征与合法性:帝制中国的合法化途径与策略

政治统治可被视为权力合法性的实践与生成过程,而合法性实践既是统治者迎合"文化剧本"、即呈现和表演都深藏干一个文化传统中的合法性信仰的过程,又是统治者对这些合法性信仰的操控过程.正是这种表演和谋划,直接导致了帝制中国的一整套合法性的象征系统如礼乐制度、政治制度、政策过程与文化符号等等;存在于这一象征系统中的元叙事,就是以现实中的君主("时君")为指向的合法性论证,各种种种后果主义、功利主义、化约主义和命定论则是这种合法性论证的基本策略和逻辑,其目的在于缩小甚至混淆现实中的统治者(时君)与"理想君主"之间的界限,以缓解那"永恒的合法性困境".     

小学汉语阅读障碍儿童的PASS认知加工特点

本研究以智力的PASS认知模型为基础,考察汉语阅读障碍儿童的PASS认知缺陷模式。研究采用DN:CAS认知评估系统,并结合统计分析对33名汉语发展性阅读障碍儿童的PASS认知加工缺陷进行了分析。结果表明,汉语发展性阅读障碍儿童存在不止一种的PASS认知加工缺陷,可能在计划、注意、同时性和继时性加工的一个或几个方面出现了困难。继时性加工缺陷是汉语阅读障碍儿童的主要特征,与英语阅读障碍的研究相一致。此外,汉语阅读障碍儿童在表达性注意、言语-空间关系和继时性加工上的成绩差于生理年龄匹配组,仅达到阅读水平匹配组水平,这些的不足可能是由于发展迟滞所致。