bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A cross-sectoral approach to utilizing health claims data for quality assurance in medical rehabilitation: study protocol of a combined prospective longitudinal and retrospective cohort study
Authors: Kaiser Vanessa , Fichtner Urs A. , Schmuker Caroline , Günster Christian , Rau Diana , Staab Lena , Farin-Glattacker Erik
Published: October 2023

Background

Measuring the quality of provided healthcare presents many challenges, especially in the context of medical rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is based on a holistic biopsychosocial model of health that includes a person’s long-term functioning; hence, outcome domains are very diverse. In Germany, rehabilitation outcomes are currently assessed via patient and physician surveys. Health insurance claims data has the potential to simplify current quality assurance procedures in Germany, since its comprehensive collection is federally mandated from every healthcare provider. By using a cross-sectoral approach, quality assessments in rehabilitation can be adjusted for the quality provided in previous sectors and individual patient risk factors.

Methods

SEQUAR combines two studies: In a prospective longitudinal study, 600 orthopedic rehabilitation patients and their physicians are surveyed at 4 and 2 time points, respectively, throughout rehabilitation and a follow-up period of 6 months. The questionnaires include validated instruments used in the current best-practice quality assurance procedures. In a retrospective cohort study, a nationwide claims database with more than 312,000 orthopedic rehabilitation patients will be used to perform exploratory analysis for the identification of quality indicators. The identified SEQUAR claims data quality indicators will be calculated for our prospective study participants and tested for their ability to approximate or replace the currently used, best-practice quality indicators based on primary data.

Discussion

The identified SEQUAR quality indicators will be used to draft a novel, state-of-the-art quality assurance procedure that reduces the administrative burden of current procedures. Further research into the applicability to other indications of rehabilitation is required.

Trial registration

WHO UTN: U1111-1276-7141; DRKS-ID: DRKS00028747 (Date of Registration in DRKS: 2022/08/10).
Molecular and sequencing study and identification of novel SeM-type in beta-hemolytic streptococci involving the upper respiratory tract in Iran
Authors: Moghaddam Sina , Lotfollahzadeh Samad , Salehi Taghi Zahraei , Hassanpour Ali , Manesh Hamid Tavanaei , Tamai Iraj Ashrafi
Published: October 2023

Background

Beta-hemolytic streptococci involving the upper respiratory tract cause strangles and strangles-like diseases in horses and cause severe economic damage to the equestrian club each year. Therefore, careful epidemiological study of these bacteria, evaluation of phylogenetic connections and SeM-typing can be useful to determine the source and epidemiological characteristics of the disease outbreak. Isolates were analyzed using molecular and phylogenetic methods and to determine antibiotic resistance pattern in Iranian isolates. Molecular and phylogenetic methods were used to evaluate Iranian streptococcal isolates, and the similarity of the Iranian SeM-97 sequence with other alleles was assessed using the Neighbor-joining method with the Kimura 2 Parameter statistical model. The amino acid sequence of this gene was compared with the predicted SeM-3 reference amino acid sequence (FM204883) using MEGA 7 software.

Results

One type of SeM was found among streptococcal isolates. This type (SeM-97) was reported for the first time and was a new SeM. The relationship between streptococcal isolates and age, sex, race, clinical signs and geographical area was investigated. A significant relationship was observed between streptococcal isolates with age variables and clinical symptoms.

Conclusions

In our study, a Streptococcus equi subsp. equi genotype was identified. The 97 allele of this gene has not been officially reported anywhere and is only registered in the Public databases for molecular typing and microbial genome diversity (PubMLST)-SeM database by Katy Webb. This was the first isolate reported and registered in the mentioned database. The isolate (Tabriz61) had the SeM-97 allele with clinical signs including mucopurulent discharge, abnormal sounds in lung hearing, warmth and enlargement or discharge and abscess of retropharyngeal lymph node and fever. This isolate was sensitive to penicillin, meropenem, ampicillin, cefotaxime, tetracycline, erythromycin, azithromycin, chloramphenicol, enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin antibiotics and resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and gentamicin antibiotics.
Poverty alleviation and health services for the poor in China: evidence from national health service surveys in 2013 and 2018
Authors: Liu Xiaoyun , Li Mingyue , Zhu He , Liu Qinqin , Xie Xueqin
Published: October 2023

Background

China has made intensive efforts to eliminate extreme poverty by 2020. This paper aims to evaluate the changes in health service needs, utilization, and medical expenses for poor people during the poverty alleviation period.

Methods

The study used data from national health services surveys in 2013 and 2018. The poor people were identified and certified by the local government. Health service needs, utilization, medical expenses, and reimbursement rates were analyzed and compared between 2013 and 2018, between the poor and the non-poor groups.

Results

People living in poverty were usually elderly, illiterate, and unemployed. The poor people had a significantly higher two-week morbidity rate and a higher prevalence of chorionic non-communicable diseases than the non-poor group. For both the poor and non-poor, health service needs increased between 2013 and 2018. Accordingly, the poor people had more use of outpatient and inpatient services. The annual inpatient admission rates were 20.8% and 13.1% for the poor and non-poor, respectively, in 2018. The average medical expenses per inpatient admission were much lower for the poor than for the non-poor. Out-of-pocket (OOP) payment share decreased from 41.9% to 2013 to 31.9% in 2018 for the poor, while for the non-poor, the OOP rate was much higher (45.4%) and had no significant changes between the two surveys. The reduction in the OOP share occurred mostly in rural areas.

Conclusions

Poverty alleviation in China may have positive effect in improving poor people’s access to health services, and reducing their financial burden due to illness and health service utilization.
A qualitative study to elicit user requirements for lower limb wearable exoskeletons for gait rehabilitation in spinal cord injury
Authors: Herrera-Valenzuela Diana , Díaz-Peña Laura , Redondo-Galán Carolina , Arroyo María José , Cascante-Gutiérrez Lía , Gil-Agudo Ángel , Moreno Juan C. , del-Ama Antonio J.
Published: October 2023

Objective

We aim to determine a comprehensive set of requirements, perceptions, and expectations that people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and the clinicians in charge of their rehabilitation have regarding the use of wearable robots (WR) for gait rehabilitation.

Background

There are concerns due to the limited user acceptance of WR for gait rehabilitation. Developers need to emphasize understanding the needs and constraints of all stakeholders involved, including the real-life dynamics of rehabilitation centers.

Methods

15 people with SCI, 9 without experience with WR and 6 with experience with these technologies, and 10 clinicians from 3 rehabilitation centers in Spain were interviewed. A directed content analysis approach was used.

Results

78 codes grouped into 9 categories (physical results, usability, psychology-related codes, technical characteristics, activities, acquisition issues, context of use, development of the technologies and clinical rehabilitation context) were expressed by at least 20% of the users interviewed, of whom 16 were not found in the literature. The agreement percentage between each group and subgroup included in the study, calculated as the number of codes that more than 20% of both groups expressed, divided over the total amount of codes any of those two groups agreed on (≥ 20%), showed limited agreement between patients and clinicians (50.00%) and between both types of patients (55.77%). The limited accessibility and availability of lower limb exoskeletons for gait rehabilitation arose in most of the interviews.

Conclusions

The limited agreement percentage between patients and clinicians indicates that including both types of users in the design process of these technologies is important, given that their requirements are complementary. Engaging users with prior technology experience is recommended, as they often exhibit strong internal consensus and articulate well-defined requirements. This study adds up the knowledge available in the literature and the new codes found in our data, which enlighten important aspects that ought to be addressed in the field to develop technologies that respond to users’ needs, are usable and feasible to implement in their intended contexts.

Application

The set of criteria summarized in our study will be useful to guide the design, development, and evaluation of WR for gait rehabilitation to meet user’s needs and allow them to be implemented in their intended context of use.
Differential transcriptome response following infection of porcine ileal enteroids with species A and C rotaviruses
Authors: Raev Sergei A. , Raque Molly , Kick Maryssa K. , Saif Linda J. , Vlasova Anastasia N.
Published: October 2023

Background

Rotavirus C (RVC) is the major causative agent of acute gastroenteritis in suckling piglets, while most RVAs mostly affect weaned animals. Besides, while most RVA strains can be propagated in MA-104 and other continuous cell lines, attempts to isolate and culture RVC strains remain largely unsuccessful. The host factors associated with these unique RVC characteristics remain unknown.

Methods

In this study, we have comparatively evaluated transcriptome responses of porcine ileal enteroids infected with RVC G1P[1] and two RVA strains (G9P[13] and G5P[7]) with a focus on innate immunity and virus-host receptor interactions.

Results

The analysis of differentially expressed genes regulating antiviral immune response indicated that in contrast to RVA, RVC infection resulted in robust upregulation of expression of the genes encoding pattern recognition receptors including RIG1-like receptors and melanoma differentiation-associated gene-5. RVC infection was associated with a prominent upregulation of the most of glycosyltransferase-encoding genes except for the sialyltransferase-encoding genes which were downregulated similar to the effects observed for G9P[13].

Conclusions

Our results provide novel data highlighting the unique aspects of the RVC-associated host cellular signalling and suggest that increased upregulation of the key antiviral factors maybe one of the mechanisms responsible for RVC age-specific characteristics and its inability to replicate in most cell cultures.
The relationship between the COVID-19 anxiety and self-efficacy of patients undergoing hemodialysis: a cross-sectional study
Authors: shahrbabaki Parvin Mangolian , lari Leyla Ahmadi , Abolghaseminejad Parniya , Dehghan Mahlagha , Gholamrezaei Emad , Zeidabadinejad Somayeh
Published: October 2023

Background

The spread of the COVID-19 increased anxiety and stress among patients undergoing hemodialysis. Unpleasant experiences in the lives of these patients reduced their quality of life. Self-efficacy is an effective factor that can improve the quality of life of patients undergoing hemodialysis. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the COVID-19 anxiety and self-efficacy in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Methods

This cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study used purposive sampling to select 110 patients undergoing hemodialysis in Sirjan from October to late November 2021. Demographic and clinical information questionnaire, the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS25. A significance level < 0.05 was considered.

Results

The results showed that the mean score of COVID-19 anxiety was 13.14 ± 7.38, which was lower than the midpoint of the questionnaire. The mean self-efficacy score was 57.72 ± 9.68, with 73.8% (N = 79) of the participants having high self-efficacy and 26.2% (N = 28) having moderate self-efficacy. We found no significant relationship between self-efficacy and the COVID-19 anxiety (P = 0.31), as well as between self-efficacy and the psychological dimension of the corona disease anxiety scale (P = 0.96), but we observed a negative, poor and significant relationship between self-efficacy and its physical dimension (P = 0.048).

Conclusions

Patients undergoing hemodialysis showed low anxiety and high self-efficacy. No significant relationship was found between COVID-19 anxiety and self-efficacy, but a weak correlation was observed with the physical dimension of anxiety. Increasing self-efficacy through patient education and support can improve outcomes and reduce hospitalizations for these patients.
Muscle fibrosis as a prognostic biomarker in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Ragozzino Elvira , Bortolani Sara , Di Pietro Lorena , Papait Andrea , Parolini Ornella , Monforte Mauro , Tasca Giorgio , Ricci Enzo
Published: October 2023

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is an autosomal dominant epigenetic disorder with highly variable muscle involvement and disease progression. Ongoing clinical trials, aimed at counteracting muscle degeneration and disease progression in FSHD patients, increase the need for reliable biomarkers. Muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies showed that the appearance of STIR-positive (STIR+) lesions in FSHD muscles represents an initial stage of muscle damage, preceding irreversible adipose changes. Our study aimed to investigate fibrosis, a parameter of muscle degeneration undetectable by MRI, in relation to disease activity and progression of FSHD muscles. We histologically evaluated collagen in FSHD1 patients’ (STIR+ n = 27, STIR− n = 28) and healthy volunteers’ (n = 12) muscles by picrosirius red staining. All patients (n = 55) performed muscle MRI before biopsy, 45 patients also after 1 year and 36 patients also after 2 years. Fat content (T1 signal) and oedema/inflammation (STIR signal) were evaluated at baseline and at 1- and 2-year MRI follow-up. STIR+ muscles showed significantly higher collagen compared to both STIR− (p = 0.001) and healthy muscles (p < 0.0001). STIR− muscles showed a higher collagen content compared to healthy muscles (p = 0.0194). FSHD muscles with a worsening in fatty infiltration during 1- (P = 0.007) and 2-year (P < 0.0001) MRI follow-up showed a collagen content of 3.6- and 3.7-fold higher compared to FSHD muscles with no sign of progression. Moreover, the fibrosis was significantly higher in STIR+ muscles who showed a worsening in fatty infiltration in a timeframe of 2 years compared to both STIR− (P = 0.0006) and STIR+ muscles with no sign of progression (P = 0.02). Fibrosis is a sign of muscle degeneration undetectable at MRI never deeply investigated in FSHD patients. Our data show that 23/27 of STIR+ and 12/28 STIR− muscles have a higher amount of collagen deposition compared to healthy muscles. Fibrosis is higher in FSHD muscles with a worsening in fatty infiltration thus suggesting that its evaluation with innovative non-invasive techniques could be a candidate prognostic biomarker for FSHD, to be used to stratify patients and to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic treatments.
Gastric cancer simultaneously complicated with extrahepatic bile duct metastasis and portal vein tumor thrombus: a case report
Authors: Otsuka Naohiko , Nakagawa Yasuhiko , Uchinami Hiroshi , Yamamoto Yuzo , Arita Junichi
Published: October 2023

Background

Gastric cancer metastatic to the extrahepatic bile duct or accompanied by portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) is rare. To our knowledge, there have been no cases complicated with both of these factors.

Case presentation

A 72-year-old man presented with icterus and melena. A biochemical blood test showed abnormal values for hepatobiliary enzymes and a tumor marker, and abdominal computed tomography scan revealed wall thickening of the lower bile duct with intra- and extra-hepatic bile duct dilatation and PVTT. A biopsy of the lower bile duct during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography demonstrated a moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma. Moreover, gastroduodenoscopy showed a type 3 tumor at the lesser curvature of the gastric antrum, and an endoscopic biopsy demonstrated a moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma. We diagnosed concomitant gastric cancer and distal bile duct accompanied by PVTT, and pancreatoduodenectomy with combined resection of the portal vein was performed. The resected specimen revealed a tumor in the lesser curvature of the gastric antrum and circumferential wall thickening in the lower bile duct. In pathological findings, infiltration of a moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma from the mucosal layer to the subserosal layer of the stomach was observed. In contrast, a moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma demonstrating the same histological type as the gastric cancer had spread not to the mucosal layer but mainly to the fibromuscular layer of the lower bile duct. Immunohistochemical staining showed identical patterns between gastric cancer and the bile duct tumor: negativity for cytokeratin 7 (CK7), and positivity for CK19 and 20. Therefore, the final diagnosis was extrahepatic bile duct metastasis from gastric cancer with PVTT. Unfortunately, multiple liver metastases occurred in the early postoperative period and chemotherapy was conducted, but the patient died 12 months after the surgery.

Conclusions

In the diagnosis of extrahepatic bile duct metastasis, immunohistochemical staining of gastric cancer and the bile duct tumor was essential and helpful as decisive evidence.
Time-sequential fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition in elastin-variable 3D hydrogel environments by collagen networks
Authors: Do Nhuan T. , Lee Sun Young , Lee Yoon Seo , Shin ChaeHo , Kim Daeho , Lee Tae Geol , Son Jin Gyeong , Kim Se-Hwa
Published: October 2023

Background

Fibrosis plays an important role in both normal physiological and pathological phenomena as fibroblasts differentiate to myofibroblasts. The activation of fibroblasts is determined through interactions with the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). However, how this fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT) is regulated and affected by elastin concentration in a three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment has not been investigated.

Methods

We developed an insoluble elastin-gradient 3D hydrogel system for long-lasting cell culture and studied the molecular mechanisms of the FMT in embedded cells by nanoflow LC–MS/MS analysis along with validation through real-time PCR and immunofluorescence staining.

Results

By optimizing pH and temperature, four 3D hydrogels containing fibroblasts were successfully fabricated having elastin concentrations of 0, 20, 50, and 80% in collagen. At the low elastin level (20%), fibroblast proliferation was significantly increased compared to others, and in particular, the FMT was clearly observed in this condition. Moreover, through mass spectrometry of the hydrogel environment, it was confirmed that differentiation proceeded in two stages. In the early stage, calcium-dependent proteins including calmodulin and S100A4 were highly associated. On the other hand, in the late stage after several passages of cells, distinct markers of myofibroblasts were presented such as morphological changes, increased production of ECM, and increased α-SMA expression. We also demonstrated that the low level of elastin concentration induced some cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) markers, including PDGFR-β, and fibrosis-related disease markers, including THY-1.

Conclusion

Using our developed 3D elastin-gradient hydrogel system, we evaluated the effect of different elastin concentrations on the FMT. The FMT was induced even at a low concentration of elastin with increasing CAF level via calcium signaling. With this system, we were able to analyze varying protein expressions in the overall FMT process over several cellular passages. Our results suggest that the elastin-gradient system employing nonlinear optics imaging provides a good platform to study activated fibroblasts interacting with the microenvironment, where the ECM plays a pivotal role.

Graphical Abstract
Effects of non-stationary wind velocity models on buffeting performance of closed-box girder suspension bridges
Authors: Zhou Rui , Lin Yinan , Lu Peng , Yang Yongxin , Zhu Jinbo
Published: October 2023

Non-stationary characteristic in nature wind has a great effect on buffeting performance of long-span bridges. The influence of key parameters in non-stationary wind velocity models on nonlinear buffeting responses of a super long-span suspension bridge was investigated in this paper. Firstly, four non-stationary wind velocity models are established by combing the time-varying average wind velocity with an exponential function and the fluctuating wind velocity with four modulation functions, respectively. These non-stationary wind velocity models have obvious non-stationary characteristics and then are validated by the classical power spectrum densities. Finally, three displacement responses of the bridge deck under four different independent variables of β in the exponential function and four modulation functions were compared, respectively. Results show that the turbulence intensities using two non-uniform modulation functions (NMF) are larger than those using uniform modulation functions (uMF). Moreover, the root mean square (RMS) values of three displacement responses increase with the decrease of β. Besides, the RMS values of three displacement under two NMFs are larger than those under two uMFs, and their RMS values under the second uMF are the smallest.
Acoustic cues and obstruent devoicing in Minnesotan English
Authors: Pfiffner Alexandra M.
Published: October 2023

Previous research shows that the amount of glottal pulsing in American English obstruents varies by dialect, with some dialects characterized by high rates of devoicing. The present study is an examination of word-final obstruent devoicing in the Twin Cities metro area of Minnesota. A production task with 30 native speakers in their 20s, 50s, and 80s shows robust devoicing, which is conditioned by multiple linguistic factors. Nearly equal proportions (30%) of obstruents surface as fully voiced or fully devoiced, and the ∼rest surface as partially de-voiced. These results show that obstruent devoicing in the Twin Cities is fundamentally different from devoicing in the Iron Range of Minnesota. Secondary cues to phonological voicing are further examined, and in all cases, the cues are significant factors in the amount of glottal pulsing present in an obstruent, regardless of underlying voicing. However, the cues do not have a compensatory relationship with glottal pulsing. Finally, there are generational differences in the use of cues, suggesting a possible cue re-weighting: older generations rely more on glottal pulsing to signal underlying voicing, while younger generations equally use glottal pulsing and preceding vowel duration. In sum, devoicing in this region is phonologically stable, but phonetically changing.
The Politics of Prescriptivism: One Style Manual, One Century
Authors: VanEyk Kristin , Curzan Anne
Published: October 2023

This article analyzes the changing prescriptive aims of the New York Times style guides from 1923-2015. While the editors of the style guides are not always explicit about the political pressures that result in changes from one edition to the next, the development of the entries throughout the 20th and 21st centuries demonstrates the power of standard language ideology at work. By tracing the changing prescriptions over the decades, this study highlights the complicated but important nature of the politics of prescriptivism.
The English Prosodic Rhythm of African- and Haitian-Americans in South Florida
Authors: Sims Nandi
Published: October 2023

In the study of prosodic rhythm, English is a typically characterized as a language with high durational variability between syllables, however contact with languages with low durational variability can cause an English variety to have comparatively lowered durational variability. South Florida’s history of contact between English and numerous Caribbean varieties predicts this type of altered prosodic rhythm. This study explores contact effects in the prosodic rhythm of South Florida (SF) African- and Haitian-Americans by comparing their English rhythm to that of SF Cuban-Americans and North Carolina African-Americans. SF African- and Haitian-American rhythms did not significantly differ from each other or from NC African-Americans for any of the four rhythm measures used (i.e., nPVI-v, %V, ΔC, and varcoC). Both target groups had significantly higher durational variability than that of Cuban-Americans in three of the four measures. Within the Haitian-American group, participants with higher Haitian Creole usage had significantly more durational variability than those with low Haitian Creole use, contrary to what bilingualism with Haitian Creole predicts. The results suggest prosodic rhythm variation is not necessarily solely due to transfer or substrate effects from other languages, rather there may be social reasons for rhythm variation. durational variability than those who use HC less.
Analysis, optimal management and metastability of stochastic systems in environmental economics
Authors: Κουτσιμπέλα Αγγελική
Published: October 2023

Στην παρούσα εργασία, εξετάζουμε το ντετερμινιστικό και στοχαστικό πρόβλημα της ρηχής λίμνης. Αρχικά, επεκτείνουμε τα αποτελέσματα των Kossioris, Loulakis, Souganidis και γενικεύουμε τον χαρακτηρισμό της συνάρτησης αξίας ως λύση ιξώδους ενός καλά τεθειμένου προβλήματος για να συμπεριλάβουμε πιο γενικούς ρυθμούς ανακύκλωσης. Στη συνέχεια, αποδεικνύουμε αυστηρά την ύπαρξη βέλτιστου ελέγχου, χωρίς κανένα περιορισμό στον χώρο των παραμέτρων. Στη στοχαστική περίπτωση, η ελλειπτική ομαλότητα της συνάρτησης αξίας μας επιτρέπει να προσαρμόσουμε τη συνήθη μεθοδολογία και να αποδείξουμε μια κατάλληλη αρχή επαλήθευσης. Στη ντετερμινιστική περίπτωση, αποδεικνύουμε μια αρχή σύγκρισης για την εξίσωση Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman του προβλήματος και ταυτίζουμε τη συνάρτηση αξίας με το συνολικό όφελος, το οποίο αντιστοιχεί στον υποψήφιο βέλτιστο έλεγχο που προτείνεται από την Αρχή Μεγίστου του Pontryagin. Επιπλέον, εφαρμόζουμε ένα συγκλίνον και ευσταθές αριθμητικό σχήμα για τον υπολογισμό της συνάρτησης αξίας ώστε να διερευνήσουμε τις ιδιότητες της βέλτιστα ελεγχόμενης στοχαστικής ρηχής λίμνης. Η προσέγγιση αυτή επιτρέπει την εξαγωγή ασυμπτωτικών συμπερασμάτων για τις ουρές της αναλλοίωτης κατανομής και την επέκταση των αποτελεσμάτων των Grass, Kiseleva, Wagener πέρα από το όριο του μικρού θορύβου. Στην περίπτωση όπου η βέλτιστα ελεγχόμενη ντετερμινιστική λίμνη έχει δύο σημεία ισορροπίας (το ολιγοτροφικό και το ευτροφικό) και ένα σημείο Skiba, βλέπουμε τη δυναμική του αντίστοιχου στοχαστικού συστήματος ως μια διάχυση σε ένα δυναμικό διπλού πηγαδιού, το οποίο εξαρτάται από την ένταση του θορύβου μέσω της διόρθωσης της Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman εξίσωσης. Προκειμένου να μελετήσουμε την ασυμπτωτική συμπεριφορά του χρόνου μετάβασης από το ένα πηγάδι στο άλλο, καθώς η ένταση του θορύβου τείνει στο μηδέν, εξετάζουμε γενικότερα προβλήματα στοχαστικού ελέγχου, τα οποία παρουσιάζουν μεταευσταθή συμπεριφορά, και αποδεικνύουμε μια γενίκευση του νόμου του Arrhenius για την περίπτωση των εξαρτώμενων από το θόρυβο δυναμικών διπλού πηγαδιού.
Σύγχρονη καλλιτεχνική παραγωγή και/σε μεταβαλλόμενες πόλεις
Authors: Γρηγοριάδου Σοφία
Published: October 2023

Η διατριβή παρακολουθεί μεταβολές που λαμβάνουν χώρα από τα τέλη της δεκαετίας του 2000 μέχρι και τα τέλη της δεκαετίας του 2010 στην Αθήνα και τα Σκόπια, με ιδιαίτερη εστίαση στη σύγχρονη καλλιτεχνική παραγωγή και έκθεση. Οι σχέσεις των δύο πόλεων ανακινήθηκαν με την υπογραφή της Συμφωνίας των Πρεσπών το 2018. Όμως η Αθήνα και τα Σκόπια, στην ημιπεριφέρεια της Ευρώπης και εντός ή υπό ένταξη στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, συνδέονται μεταξύ τους και με άλλους τρόπους. H περίοδος που με απασχολεί χαρακτηρίζεται και στις δύο πόλεις από συνθήκες που, παρά τις σημαντικές διαφορές τους, διαμορφώνονται μέσα από μέτρα λιτότητας και τη συρρίκνωση του κράτους πρόνοιας, σε συνδυασμό με την προβολή εθνοπατριαρχικών αφηγημάτων. Ακολουθώντας τα νήματα που ξετυλίγουν τα καλλιτεχνικά έργα που μελετώ, αναδεικνύεται το πώς η σύγχρονη τέχνη ανταποκρίνεται πολυφωνικά σε αυτές τις μεταβολές. Προτείνει διαφορετικούς τρόπους οργάνωσης και έκθεσης, συνδιαλέγεται με κινητοποιήσεις που λαμβάνουν χώρα στις δύο πόλεις και επεξεργάζεται παλιές και νέες μνήμες, την πολιτισμική κληρονομιά, ιδέες γύρω από μια ευρωπαϊκή ανωτερότητα, καθώς και επίσημα αφηγήματα για την πόλη. Την ίδια στιγμή, η τέχνη συμμετέχει τόσο στην επαναδιαπραγμάτευση δημόσιων εικόνων για τις δύο πόλεις, όσο και σε διαδικασίες αστικού «εξευγενισμού», ως φορέας ή/και ως σχολιάστριά τους. Τέλος, η διατριβή αποτελεί μια ανθρωπολογία της τέχνης και διά της τέχνης. Διερευνά και προτείνει τρόπους συνομιλίας μεταξύ τους, αλλά και μεταξύ Αθήνας και Σκοπίων, μέσα και από τη δική μου καλλιτεχνική παραγωγή με επίκεντρο την τροφή, ως καλλιτέχνιδας που συμμετέχει η ίδια στο εθνογραφικό «πεδίο».
A philosophy of art activism
Authors: Μπογιατζής Νικόλαος
Published: October 2023

Η διατριβή εξετάζει τη σχέση του αισθητικού με το πολιτικό στον καλλιτεχνικό ακτιβισμό. Με αφετηρία τη σκέψη των Ζιλ Ντελέζ, Φελίξ Γκουαταρί και Ζακ Ρανσιέρ, δημιουργούμε μια φιλοσοφία καλλιτεχνικού ακτιβισμού και συμβάλλουμε στην εξέλιξη της θεωρίας του. Συγκεκριμένα, επικεντρώνοντας στον καλλιτεχνικό ακτιβισμό που προκύπτει όταν καλλιτεχνικές και δημιουργικές πρακτικές συνυφαίνονται με τη δράση κοινωνικών ομάδων και κινημάτων, η διατριβή αναλύει και εξετάζει τις περιπτώσεις: Park Fiction, Loose Space, Yomango, Umsonst και Grupo de Arte Callejero (GAC). Υποστηρίζουμε ότι στον καλλιτεχνικό ακτιβισμό οι έννοιες του αισθητικού και του πολιτικού συνυπάρχουν, συναιρούνται και συνδιαμορφώνουν μια νέα αισθητικο-πολιτική συνθήκη. Σε αυτήν ακριβώς την αισθητικο-πολιτική συνθήκη, ο στοχασμός των Ντελέζ- Γκουαταρί και Ρανσιέρ συμβάλλει δημιουργικά και εποικοδομητικά, τροφοδοτώντας τον καλλιτεχνικό ακτιβισμό παραγωγικά. Η διατριβή καταδεικνύει ότι ο καλλιτεχνικός ακτιβισμός λειτουργεί ως μια αισθητικο-πολιτική μηχανή διαφωνίας μέσα στην κοινωνία, συνενώνοντας καλλιτεχνικές και δημιουργικές πρακτικές, πολιτικές επιθυμίες και ηθικά αιτήματα. Βασιζόμενος πάνω στη διαφοροποίηση και την πολυπλοκότητα, ο καλλιτεχνικός ακτιβισμός ενεργοποιεί μια εναλλακτική πραγματικότητα που προάγει τη συμπεριληπτικότητα, την κοινωνική ισότητα, την κοινωνική δικαιοσύνη, καθώς και μια δημιουργική συμβίωση που διαταράσσει τα δεδομένα και παραδεδεγμένα καθεστώτα. Προτείνουμε τη δημιουργία κόμβων και ριζωματικής δικτύωσης προς μια κοινή ανταλλαγή καλιτεχνικών και δημιουργικών πρακτικών, πολιτικών σκέψεων, ιδεών και δράσεων, και τον πολλαπλασιασμό των διαδράσεων, ώστε να οικοδομηθούν δίκτυα και πλέγματα που θα επιφέρουν ένα πιο ελεύθερο παρόν και μέλλον. Με αυτόν τον τρόπο η διατριβή συμβάλλει σε μια νέα προοπτική της θεωρίας του καλλιτεχνικού ακτιβισμού και της κριτικής λειτουργίας του μέσα στο κοινωνικό σώμα.
Symbolic space and development practices in the processes of community self-organization
Authors: Habarov Il'ya
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this work is to study symbolic space and related practices of space exploration, a complex of tangible and intangible resources in the course of self-organization of modern communities. The main method is a comparative analysis of concepts and theories, which made it possible to analyze current approaches to the conceptualization of the concept of symbolic space and symbolic power. The symbolic dimension, according to the author's position, is the most important, inseparable from the physical and communicative dimensions of the living space of communities and a condition for their self-organization. The author defends the hypothesis of the cementing role of the practices of individual and collective development of space and resources for modern communities. At the same time, the vector of development of material and non-material resources develops from individual human strategies for interacting with reality to group development models and a system of interactions of interested actors and their associations with each other, animate and inanimate objects. The significance of a symbol, myth, ritual in the processes of formation of modern communities, as well as brands as universal units in various functional spheres, including public policy, is demonstrated. The article attempts to analyze individual practices that form the political space of a joint interested being (political co-being). The thesis is put forward regarding the role of the consumer social model in the organization of space and self-organization of communities based on the principles of development. The significance of the work may consist in determining the trends of qualitative processes of self-organization of modern communities, stimulating further conceptualization of the concepts of symbolic space and symbolic power.
The role of populist discourse in an agonistic model of conflictual political interaction
Authors: Zarubin Dmitriy
Published: October 2023

Populist discourse plays an important role in contemporary politics, as it is a way to mobilize broad sections of the population and build mass support for political action. However, populism is not only demagogy, as is commonly believed. It is also a specific form of mentality that is based on social antagonism. The article aims to provide a conceptual explanation of populism, which will not only be reduced to a political technology, such as demagogy, but will also allow to expand the knowledge of populism within populist discourse. The article provides a conceptual analysis of populist discourse from the perspective of communicative approach and agonistic discourse. Particular attention is paid to the causes of populism, which is built on social contrasts, what kind of antagonisms it uses and to what extent they influence the public mood. It is suggested that this view of populism will allow us to approach the question of defining the discourse of populism and to determine the role of (conflict) communication in the construction of an agonistic model of conflictual political interaction. The article can help to better understand the agonistic model of conflictual political interaction. Study of the social antagonisms used in populist discourse and an analysis of their impact on public attitudes can clarify the mechanisms of conflict and suggest ways to resolve them within the agonistic model.
Inspiration, Truth, and History in 1 Kings 22:1–28: A Narrative Hermeneutics Perspective
Authors: Pawłowski Zdzisław
Published: October 2023

Natchnienie, prawda i historia w 1 Krl 22,1-28. Perspektywa hermeneutyki narracji
Do natchnienia można podejść od strony formalnej, próbując tekstami Biblii uzasadnić to, co na płaszczyźnie doktryny zostało zdefiniowane. Można jednak spróbować wyjść od tekstu biblijnego, nie szukając w nim potwierdzenia natchnienia, lecz badając, w jaki sposób jest ono tam przedstawione. Szczególny wgląd w jego złożoną i opierającą się łatwym wyjaśnieniom naturę, odsłania jeden typ biblijnych opowiadań, w których osoba proroka, będąca często punktem wyjścia dla teologicznego rozwinięcia natchnienia, zostaje wpisana w strukturę narracji i spełnia w niej określoną rolę. Celem tych prorockich opowieści jest zakomunikowanie publicznego przesłania, niosącego jakiś rodzaj argumentu, a jednocześnie odnoszącego się do specyficznych, kontekstualnych potrzeb i stosującego określone strategie retoryczne. Ilustracją tego podejścia jest opowiadanie zawarte w 1 Krl 22,1-28, gdzie grupa proroków pod wodzą Sedecjasza konfrontuje się z Micheaszem, przekazując dwie sprzeczne ze sobą wyrocznie w sprawie wojny o Ramot w Gileadzie. Zestawienie obu dyskursów prorockich pokazuje złożoność problematyki natchnienia i prawdy, usytuowanych w konkretnym kontekście historycznym. Analizowane z perspektywy hermeneutyki narracji opowiadanie tworzy wspólną płaszczyznę dla konstruktywnego dialogu między Pismem i czytelnikiem, przenosząc na tego ostatniego wymaganie odpowiedzialnej interpretacji, uwzględniającej obecność słowa Bożego w ludzkiej historii i biorącej pod uwagę niejednoznaczność języka religijnego, próbującego ją opisać.
God’s “Inspired and Inspiring” Word in Acts 1:15–26
Authors: Podeszwa Paweł
Published: October 2023

Słowo Boże „natchnione i inspirujące” w Dz 1,15–26
Dokument Papieskiej Komisji Biblijnej „Natchnienie i prawda Pisma Świętego”, wydany w 2014 roku, wspomina o „natchnionym i inspirującym” (ispirato e ispirante) charakterze tekstów biblijnych. Użyte wyrażenie jednoznacznie wskazuje, że inspirujący charakter Biblii pozostaje istotnym efektem jej natchnienia. Tematem artykułu jest zilustrowanie powyższej prawdy w świetle opowiadania o uzupełnieniu grona Dwunastu po zdradzie Judasza (Dz 1,15–26). Znajdujące się tam dwa odniesienia skrypturystyczne do starotestamentowej Księgi Psalmów (69,26 oraz 109,8) oraz sposób ich odczytania zaproponowany przez Łukasza, doskonale ilustrują prawdę nie tylko o natchnieniu słowa Bożego, ale także o jego inspirującym charakterze, którego nie należy ograniczać wyłącznie do inspiracji twórczej czy historii oddziaływania tekstu. Duch Święty mówi do Kościoła i przez Kościół. Wspólnota otwarta na obecność Ducha i Jego moc, słucha i przyjmuje słowo Boże, a także interpretację, aktualizującą je jako słowo prawdziwe, to znaczy odpowiadające adekwatnie intencji Boga, który je wypowiedział do człowieka, zawierające dynamiczną treść, w pełni koherentną z wymaganiami Boga i aspiracjami człowieka, niosące całą nowość Chrystusa i będące zdolnymi do komunikowanie jej wierzącym. W ten sposób słowo Boże „tchnie Duchem”, dzięki czemu wspólnota poznaje wolę Boga oraz angażuje się w jej wypełnienie z miłością.
What Is “The Word of God” in Sacred Scripture?
Authors: Powęska Michał Filip
Published: October 2023

Jakie „słowo Boże” w Piśmie Świętym?
W niniejszym artykule zostaje podjęty problem wzajemnej zależności obecnych w naukach o natchnieniu biblijnym określeń „słowo Boże” oraz „Pismo Święte”, w kontekście wydanego przez Papieską Komisję Biblijną dokumentu pt. „Natchnienie i prawda Pisma Świętego. Słowo, które od Boga pochodzi i mówi o Bogu, aby zbawić świat” z 2014 roku. Po przedstawieniu istotnych cech definicji oraz funkcji Pisma Świętego zostaje wykazane rozumienie słowa Bożego w kontekście Starego i Nowego Testamentu. Ostatecznie zostaje podjęta próba udzielenia odpowiedzi na pytanie w jakich okolicznościach właściwe jest postawienie znaku równości między wspomnianymi wyżej terminami.
The Christological Dimension of Biblical Inspiration according to Gospel Testimonies
Authors: Witczyk Henryk
Published: October 2023

Chrystologiczny wymiar natchnienia biblijnego według świadectwa Ewangelii
Ewangelie poświadczają swoje pochodzenie od Boga w ten sposób, że ukazują Jezusa i Jego dzieło objawienia jako dokonujące się w gronie naocznych świadków: apostołów i uczniów. Dają także poznać, że natchnienie apostołów i uczniów do głoszenia otrzymanego przez Jezusa objawienia Bożego pochodzi od tegoż Jezusa – Mesjasza i Syna Bożego. Tajemnica Chrystusowego natchnienia apostołów i uczniów jest przybliżona w dwu aspektach. Pierwszym z nich jest kształtowanie ich – wewnątrz osobowej relacji – do przyjęcia i rozumienia objawionych im słów i czynów, które ostatecznie pochodzą od Ojca. Związek osobisty z Mesjaszem i Synem Bożym, przeżywany w wierze żywej i świadomej tożsamości jego Osoby, stanowi najgłębszy faktor tego „natchnienia”, które czyni apostołów i uczniów Pańskich zdolnymi do komunikowania, ustnie i na piśmie, orędzia Jezusa Chrystusa, które jest w istocie „słowem Boga”, „słowem od Boga”. W Ewangeliach synoptycznych osobista relacja z Jezusem przyjmuje formę więzi uczeń – Nauczyciel, w której najważniejsza jest wiara w Jezusa Chrystusa jako Syna Bożego (por. Mk 1,1; J 20,31). Relacja z Jezusem może być bezpośrednia (Ewangelia Jana) lub pośrednia (Ewangelia Łukasza). Relacja bezpośrednia, fundamentalna dla komunikowania „słów od Boga”, pojawia się jako szczególnie mocno wyartykułowana i bogata w Ewangelii według św. Jana: autor wraz z innymi uczniami kontemplował chwałę Jednorodzonego Syna, który pochodzi od Ojca (J 1,14 – liczba mnoga: „oglądaliśmy”); jest naocznym świadkiem nauczania i wydarzeń z życia Jezusa od samego początku do końca (J 19,35; 21,24). Drugi aspekt Jezusowego natchnienia to przygotowywanie apostołów („Dwunastu”) i innych uczniów do głoszenia objawionych im słów „od Boga” światu. Uwierzywszy w synostwo Boże Jezusa, apostołowie i uczniowie dają świadectwo o dokonanym przez Niego dziele objawienia „słów Boga”, ponieważ są przez Niego wspierani: „Uświęć ich w prawdzie. Słowo Twoje jest prawdą. Jak Ty Mnie posłałeś na świat, tak i Ja ich na świat posłałem. A za nich Ja poświęcam w ofierze samego siebie, aby i oni byli uświęceni w prawdzie. Nie tylko za nimi proszę, ale i za tymi, którzy dzięki ich słowu będą wierzyć we Mnie” (J 17,17–20). To dzięki temu „uświęceniu w prawdzie” apostoł składa świadectwo o „słowach Boga” jako natchniony: w pierwszym rzędzie przez samego Jezusa – Syna Bożego, w którego uwierzył wraz ze wspólnotą uczniów (liczba mnoga w J 1,14), a ostatecznie pouczony przez Ducha Świętego, Ducha Prawdy (J 15,26–27; 20,22).
The Russian Federation
Authors: Kubiak Tomasz
Published: October 2023

The Russian Federation, the successor of the Soviet Union, remains a politically influential state, yet it seemed to struggle domestically and internationally after losing its superpower status after the end of the Cold War in 1991. The post-Soviet complexes regarding both politics and society resulted in an increase of nationalist tendencies, which were used as a narrative foundation for the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russian authoritarian trends may be partially understood by analyzing the political birth of the Federation in the early 1990s, however, they also date back to the period of Stalinism and the Cold War, and even further back to the Mongol invasions and Tsarism. The article analyses the diverse roots of Russian autocracy, while focusing on the early post-Cold War period of Kremlin. It also briefly describes the contemporary Russian government characteristics, state ideology, economy, as well society, explaining the complex condition of the Russian Federation.
I fenomeni atmosferici nel Rinascimento. Il trattato di Camillo Agrippa
Authors: Karwacka-Pastor Dorota
Published: October 2023

The article depicts Camillo Agrippa, a late Renaissance Italian scholar who can be described as a proto-meteorologist. Agrippa was a man of many interests, including engineering, architecture, mathematics, and astronomy, as well as fencing. The article discusses Dialogo di Camillo Agrippa milanese sopra la generatione de venti, baleni, tuoni, fulgori, fiumi, laghi, valli e montagne (1584), one of his most important treatises. Agrippa attempts to investigate the causes of various atmospheric phenomena and weather anomalies, such as floods, while considering the impact of planets. The scholar proposes intuitive theories in the absence of modern methodology, but the questions posed are evidence of careful observation of nature and the typical thirst for knowledge of his era.
Current Account Uncertainty and Currency Premia
Authors: Della Corte Pasquale , Krecetovs Aleksejs
Published: October 2023

We empirically study the relationship between currency excess returns and current account uncertainty, measured as forecast dispersion. We find that investment currencies deliver low returns, whereas funding currencies offer a hedge when current account uncertainty is unexpectedly high. Moreover, an increase in current account uncertainty is associated with higher expected future excess returns on investment currencies. This mechanism is consistent with the recent advances in exchange rate theory based on capital flows in imperfect financial markets.

This paper was accepted by Gustavo Manso, finance.

Funding: A. Krecetovs thanks the Brevan Howard Centre at Imperial College London for financial support.

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4949 .
A Perturbation Framework for Convex Minimization and Monotone Inclusion Problems with Nonlinear Compositions
Authors: Briceño-Arias Luis M. , Combettes Patrick L.
Published: October 2023

We introduce a framework based on Rockafellar’s perturbation theory to analyze and solve general nonsmooth convex minimization and monotone inclusion problems involving nonlinearly composed functions as well as linear compositions. Such problems have been investigated only from a primal perspective and only for nonlinear compositions of smooth functions in finite-dimensional spaces in the absence of linear compositions. In the context of Banach spaces, the proposed perturbation analysis serves as a foundation for the construction of a dual problem and of a maximally monotone Kuhn–Tucker operator, which is decomposable as the sum of simpler monotone operators. In the Hilbertian setting, this decomposition leads to a block-iterative primal-dual algorithm that fully splits all the components of the problem and appears to be the first proximal splitting algorithm for handling nonlinear composite problems. Various applications are discussed.

Funding: The work of L. M. Briceño-Arias was supported by Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo-Chile [Grant Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico 1190871, Grant Centro de Modelamiento Matemático ACE210010, Grant Centro de Modelamiento Matemático FB210005, and basal Funds for Centers of Excellence], and the work of P. L. Combettes was supported by the National Science Foundation [Grant DMS-1818946].
INTEVAL, an example of effective intervention for musculoskeletal pain in the workplace
Authors: Soler-Font Merce
Published: October 2023

The World Health Organization considers the workplace as one of the best contexts for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. Implementing combined and de-medicalised interventions in Occupational Health Services (OHS) in a sustainable way over time can facilitate access to early detection, and management of musculoskeletal pain at work and improve workers' health. However, developing and implementing such interventions is challenging. Therefore, it is necessary to share previous interventions that describe both implementation and evaluation, in order to be used as practical examples that can inspire different OHS to implement sustainable interventions…
Riesgos psicosociales en los profesionales del Fitness: Relevancia y abordaje para la salud mental
Authors: Bustos-Viviescas Brian Johan , Lizcano Rojas Elizabeth , García Yerena Carlos Enrique , Villamizar Navarro Amalia , García Galviz John Alexander
Published: October 2023

Las investigaciones con relación a los riesgos psicosociales en entrenadores deportivos, entrenadores personales y otros profesionales del Fitness se encuentra en auge dado el rol que desempeñan en la promoción y prevención de la salud.
Comportamiento sexual inadecuado del usuario: Incidencia en profesionales de la salud y el deporte
Authors: Bustos-Viviescas Brian Johan , Lizcano Rojas Elizabeth , García Yerena Carlos Enrique
Published: October 2023

El Comportamiento Sexual Inadecuado del Paciente es una conducta que viene en continuo crecimiento y afecta en gran medida a los profesionales de la salud y el deporte, por ello, el propósito de este trabajo es describir la incidencia sobre los demás aspectos psicosociales con el fin de proponer estrategias que permitan comprender técnicas y habilidades para afrontar el acoso sexual, establecer límites saludables, fomentar el respeto y lograr un equilibrio adecuado entre el trabajo y la vida personal.