A Meaningful Life for Older Persons Receiving Municipal Care—Unit Leaders’ Perspectives

Introduction: In Sweden, new national guidelines for elderly care have been introduced containing core values and local guarantees of dignity that highlight the need for dignity, well-being and the organisation of the older person’s daily life, so it is perceived as meaningful. Unit leaders play a crucial role in health care organisations when guidelines are to be implemented. Aim: The aim was therefore to describe unit leaders’ experiences about what constituted a meaningful daily life for older persons receiving municipal care and the opportunities and obstacles that might exist. Method: Repeated interviews using reflective conversations with nine leaders were performed and analysed with qualitative content analysis. Results: Unit leaders felt a shared vision regarding a meaningful life was needed. Daily routines and habits that promoted independence, a feeling of community together with familiarity with the job, and got the little extra from knowledgeable staff were important. The historical collective paradigm in elderly care needed to be abandoned in favour of one promoting more individualism. Fundamental was the courage to ask the older person what was important and dared to follow through to “Give power to the older person to decide what care to be given”. Conclusion: Organisational conditions affect unit leaders’ ability to succeed in the implementation of the work. Further studies are required regarding the nature of the support that the unit leaders need to succeed in their work.

Acrylamide inhibits nerve sprouting induced by botulinum toxin type A

Botulinum toxin type A is a potent muscle relaxant that blocks the transmission and release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction. Intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin type A has served as an effective and safe therapy for strabismus and focal dystonia. However, muscular weakness is temporary and after 3-4 months, muscle strength usually recovers because function- al recovery is mediated by nerve sprouting and reconstruction of the neuromuscular junction. Acrylamide may produce neurotoxic substances that cause retrograde necrotizing neuropathy and inhibit nerve sprouting caused by botulinum toxin type A. This study investigated whether acrylamide inhibits nerve sprouting after intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin type A. A tibial nerve sprouting model was established through local injection of botulinum toxin type A into the right gastrocnemius muscle of Sprague-Dawley rats. Following intramuscular injection, rats were given intraperitoneal injection of 3% acrylamide every 3 days for 21 days. Nerve sprout- ing appeared 2 weeks after intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin type A and single-fiber electromyography revealed abnormal conduction at the neuromuscular junction I week after intra- muscular injection of botulinum toxin type A. Following intraperitoneal injection of acrylamide, the peak muscle fiber density decreased. Electromyography jitter value were restored to normal levels 6 weeks after injection. This indicates that the maximal decrease in fiber density and the time at which functional conduction of neuromuscular junction was restored were delayed. Addition- ally, the increase in tibial nerve fibers was reduced. Acrylamide inhibits nerve sprouting caused by botulinum toxin type A and may be used to prolong the clinical dosage of botulinum toxin type A.

中国影视艺术中的无表情表演--基于叙事装置和表意行动的视角

无表情表演是一种放弃表情或在某一瞬间使面容凝固的表演方法,能够间接向观众展现角色深邃的内心、丰富的情绪以及充沛的情感力量,引发观众深思。在本土叙事语境下,无表情表演作为中国影视艺术中的必要叙事装置和表意行动,赋予影视作品以良好的艺术效果和审美格调,兼具深远精妙的古典美学意味。无表情表演在呈现超越性、延伸性和辩证性特征的同时,也是一种“理想态”表演,有益于实现技术层面的组合性与开放性。对无表情表演进行探析,在叙事、美学和技术层面具有多重价值。

在有意义的人类控制下发展负责任的人工智能

人工智能技术的“责任缺口”是从技术的社会属性中衍生出来的规范性问题,其实质是人类对基于AI技术的技术性行动不能有效控制,因而不能承担相应的道德责任的问题,而不是AI技术系统或人工智能体能不能承担道德责任的问题。“有意义的人类控制”理论不仅为“责任缺口”问题的解决提供了可行的方案,而且为人工智能的负责任发展提出了规范性的指引。