bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Audit “Dressed” in Law, or Some Aspects of the Auditor’s Responsibility in Ukraine
Authors: REDKO О.
Published: September 2023

An evidence of the auditing activities’ globalization is the unification of technical rules and norms of auditing practices across countries, including international requirements to the quality of audit, taking form of standards or recommendations or legal acts. But the legal responsibility of an auditor before customers remains to be in the national jurisdictions. The article highlights the peculiarities in implementing the legal responsibility of an auditor by case of Ukraine.       

In the legal framework of the Ukrainian audit, namely in the Law of Ukraine “Audit of Financial Statements and Auditing Activities” from 21.12.2017, there appeared a new notion, “professional responsibility”. Its essence and specifics of usage in the Ukrainian auditing practice regulated by the above law are highlighted by analyzing the categories of customers of auditing services, which can be potential claimants on auditors for the allegedly poor quality of services; categories of legally fixed violations for which an auditor can be held accountable in court; categories of legally fixed duties of auditors and auditing entities.   

Results of the study lead to the conclusion that the auditing activities in Ukraine have not been established yet, because the auditing business has to be run in a blurred legal framework, with the legal accountability of an auditor specified by a large number of legal acts setting various priorities and regulating various working aspects of auditors and auditing entities. The current Law of Ukraine “Audit of Financial Statements and Auditing Activities”, apart from failing to remove these drawbacks, seems to be designed to turn an independent auditor into a regulated tool of government control over auditing entities, with overlooking the fact that the audit is a business activity.      

Recommendations on improvements of the current law regulating the audit in Ukraine in order to strengthen its capacities and increase the demand for auditing services from business enterprise and government sector are given.
The Consistency of Basic Principles of Internal Audit at Private Enterprises
Authors: NOVICHENKO L. , SHCHYRSKA О. V.
Published: September 2023

Economic challenges of our time determine the need in clear identification and specification of management functions as part of the business processes and their control. European practices of business development give evidence of the need in a comprehensive approach to organizational, methodological and practical actions focused on building up the internal control system in symbiosis with the management department. The research objective involved an analysis of the consistency of basic principles underlying the quality of internal control at private enterprises through outlining the functions, methods and procedures of internal audit.   
The purposes of international audit (verification of financial statements, compliance control, operational audit) are outlined. The goal and assignments of internal audit are determined in the context of private business demands. A revised approach to defining the set of functions of international audit in view of the demands articulated by business enterprises operating in the conditions of crisis economy is proposed. The essential meaning of the categories of “method”, “technique” and “methodology” is highlighted in the context of internal control.      
The conclusion is made that the assignments of internal audit need to be solved by use of creative methods of control and innovative approaches to various situations, which requires a multifaceted classification of internal audit in view of its customer demands: technical audit, technological audit, organizational audit, legal audit, environmental audit, social audit, marketing audit. An information platform for balanced decision-making involves combinations of control functions and entails the emergence of unified forms of internal audit: risk-oriented audit, business-oriented audit, factor-oriented audit, etc.
Review of robotics competition. Air robotics
Authors:   V.A. Trapeznikov Institute of Control Sciences of Russian Academy of Sciences, Meshcheryakov Roman , Ilyukhin Boris ,   Research Center for Education Quality Assessment and Management Systems, FIRO, RANEPA
Published: September 2023

The development of robotics technologies requires an increase in the level of scientific and technical develop-ments and the creation of a profile reserve, as well as the formation of a system for training highly qualified spe-cialists. One of the ways to assess the achieved level of development and qualifications of engineering teams is to hold competitions at various levels. The article provides an overview of various events in competitive robotics. The second part deals with competitions in water and air. The competitions are structured according to the format of the competition, the environment of functioning and the age of the participants. Conclusions are made about the pro-spects of various events of competitive robotics, as well as the relevance of some of them. The interrelationships of the competencies achieved when participating in competitions in various areas are presented, and a conclusion is made about the conduct of vocational guidance work.
Algorithm for planning energy-efficient local trajectories of ground-based robotics, considering the global route
Authors:   Saint Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saveliev Anton , Kamynin Konstantin ,   Saint Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Erashov Aleksei ,   Saint Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Cherskikh Ekaterina ,   Saint Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Published: September 2023

In this paper, an algorithm is presented that provides dynamic planning of a local trajectory of movement based on the data from the 3D lidar, considering a predetermined global route on rough terrain. The proposed local planning algorithm considers the features of the LRLHD-A* global energy-efficient trajectory planning algorithm previously developed by the authors. The novelty of the proposed solution lies in the algorithm for generating a graph of the surrounding space from the data obtained from a three-dimensional lidar installed on a mobile robot with O(nlogn) complexity, which reduces the time to build a local trajectory. The developed solution makes it possible to combine the processes of constructing a local and global trajectory of movement by using the energy-efficient algorithm for constructing trajectories LRLHD-A* as the basis. During the experiments, it was revealed that when choosing a step of 0.5 m for a local grid of 10 × 10 m in size, the time for constructing the grid and the trajectory does not exceed 0.1 s. The developed algorithm can be used as a local scheduler in close to real time mode, providing prompt re-sponse to various obstacles on the global trajectory of the robot, considering the features of the terrain and the cur-rent global trajectory.
Local trajectory planning for mobile robot in cluttered environment based on Model Predictive Control
Authors:   Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Alhaddad Muhammad , Mironov Konstantin ,   Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology,   AIRI Research Institute, Dergachev Stepan ,   HSE University,   Federal Research Center «Computer Science and Control» of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Mouraviev Kirill ,   Federal Research Center «Computer Science and Control» of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Panov Aleksandr ,   Federal Research Center «Computer Science and Control» of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Published: September 2023

The task of local trajectory planning for an autonomous wheeled robotic platform in cluttered indoor environment is considered. Such environment might include narrow passages, which width is less than the length of the platform. Therefore, it is not possible to apply standard approach, when the obstacles are inflated with the maximum radius of the platform. We propose a novel approach based on numerical solution of nonlinear model predictive control task. Oblong shape of the platform is approximated with a high-order ellipse. We define differentiable sigmoid po-tential function, which may be computed for any point of the workspace given position and orientation of the plat-form. This function is small far from the platform, and very high inside the platform; it increases when moving to-wards the robot. The value of this potential function is computed for the set of the support obstacle points and add-ed to the cost function. This function serve as a penalty for collision with obstacles or coming too close to them. We develop an algorithm for the mapping support points onto occupancy grid, which provide collision avoidance. We apply Acados open library, which implement numerical solution of nonlinear model predictive task with sequential quadratic programming. Our approach is implemented as a local planner for the collaborative mobile platform. The experiments were made in artificial maze and in real office environment with narrow passages. Proposed ap-proached allowed the robot to come through the passages that were 10-20 cm wider than the platform. Computa-tion time was around 20 milliseconds.
Rationale of basic parameters of reconfigurable chassis with transport system «three-star»
Authors:   Russian State Scientific Center for Robotics and Technical Cybernetics, Dobretsov Roman ,   Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Popov Dmitrii ,   Russian State Scientific Center for Robotics and Technical Cybernetics, Pryamitsyn Igor ,   Russian State Scientific Center for Robotics and Technical Cybernetics
Published: September 2023

The features of the device and principles of operation of the planetary-wheel transport system are considered. Ex-amples of mobile chassis designs with planetary-wheel transport system are given. In order to form recommenda-tions on the choice of traction engine power, the features of the operation of a planetary-wheel transport system in various configurations during rectilinear movement on a horizontal surface and overcoming an ascent, in walking mode on a horizontal platform and on a ladder, during a side rotation are analyzed. The method of selecting the power of the traction motor of the wheel block is proposed and the directions of improving the layout scheme of the chassis are indicated.
Opposition-Based Learning Equilibrium Optimizer with Application in Mobile Robot Path Planning
Authors: Wang Zongshan , Ding Hongwei
Published: September 2023

Abstract: The objective of mobile robot path planning (MRPP) is to devise the shortest obstacle-free path for autonomous mobile robots based on a given terrain. Numerous MRPP methods have been extensively researched. This paper presents a novel approach called Opposition-based Learning Equilibrium Optimizer (OEO) for generating smooth paths for mobile robots. The fundamental idea behind OEO is to introduce an opposition-based learning mechanism while maintaining the overall framework of the basic EO algorithm. This modification alleviates the susceptibility of the basic EO algorithm to local optima. The OEO algorithm is employed to provide smooth paths for autonomous mobile robots, and the results are compared with several classical metaheuristic algorithms. Comparative analysis across different environments demonstrates that the proposed OEO-based path planning method consistently yields the shortest and most collision-free paths with superior stability.
Kommunale Demokratien im Praxistest. Ein Überblick über konfligierende Demokratieformen und Blockadegefahren in deutschen Kommunen
Authors: Holtkamp Lars , Garske Benjamin
Published: September 2023

Bürger verfügen heute über eine relevante Position im kommunalen Willensbildungs- und Entscheidungsprozess. Die unterschiedlichen Demokratieformen sind nicht voraussetzungslos bzw. beliebig miteinanderkombinierbar, ohne dass Vetopositionen oder Blockadegefahren entstehen können. Die Mitwirkung ist nicht immer effizient. Entlang lokaler Fallbeispiele wird dies unter Einbezug der Dimensionen der Verhandlungsdemokratie herausgearbeitet.
Free neurovascular toe-(joint)-transfers compared to alternative reconstructive procedures for amputation injuries of two and tripartite fingers with substance loss
Authors: Brix E. , Prantl L. , Anker A. , Klein S. , Kehrer A.
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND: Complex injuries of the hand frequently result in loss of essential functional features. Common reconstructive procedures for soft tissue defects of the thumb or phalanges are locoregional flaps like Moberg-, Foucher-, Cross-Finger- or Littler flaps. Microneurovascular toe (joint-) transfers complete the arsenal of operative reconstructive procedures and allow for most detailed reconstructions. Our experiences with free toe transplants are reported and diversely discussed regarding contending procedures. METHODS: From 2010 until 2019 14 patients who received emergency or elective partial or complete toe transfers were compared with a control group (n = 12) treated with contending reconstructive procedures. Aim of the reconstructions was to cover the defect with well-vascularized, sensate tissue, while preserving length and range of motion in a reliable manner. RESULTS: The Kapandji score showed a significant difference (p- value = 0.04) with a score of 9.8 in comparison to control group (Kapandji index = 8.0). CONCLUSION: In our heterogenic patient collective free toe transplants have proven to achieve comparable functional results for reconstruction of two and tripartite phalanxes as opposed to common local reconstructive procedures.
Approximating Kolmogorov complexity
Authors: Ishkuvatov Ruslan , Musatov Daniil , Shen Alexander
Published: September 2023

It is well known that the Kolmogorov complexity function (the minimal length of a program producing a given string, when an optimal programming language is used) is not computable and, moreover, does not have computable lower bounds. In this paper we investigate a more general question: can this function be approximated? By approximation we mean two things: firstly, some (small) difference between the values of the complexity function and its approximation is allowed; secondly, at some (rare) points the values of the approximating function may be arbitrary.

For some values of the parameters such approximation is trivial (e.g., the length function is an approximation with error d except for a [Formula: see text] fraction of inputs). However, if we require a significantly better approximation, the approximation problem becomes hard, and we prove it in several settings. Firstly, we show that a finite table that provides good approximations for Kolmogorov complexities of n-bit strings, necessarily has high complexity. Secondly, we show that there is no good computable approximation for Kolmogorov complexity of all strings. In particular, Kolmogorov complexity function is neither generically nor coarsely computable, as well as its approximations, and the time-bounded Kolmogorov complexity (for any computable time bound) deviates significantly from the unbounded complexity function. We also prove hardness of Kolmogorov complexity approximation in another setting: the mass problem whose solutions are good approximations for Kolmogorov complexity function is above the halting problem in the Medvedev lattice. Finally, we mention some proof-theoretic counterparts of these results.

A preliminary version of this paper was presented at CiE 2019 conference (In Computing with Foresight and Industry – 15th Conference on Computability in Europe, CiE 2019, Durham, UK, July 15–19, 2019, Proceedings ( 2019 ) 230–239 Springer).
The Complexity of Nutritional Problems in Persons with Dementia: Expanding a Theoretical Model
Authors: van Buuren Cornelia Pieternella , van der Steen Jenny Theodora , Olthof-Nefkens Maria , Bakker Christian , Koopmans Raymond Theodorus Catherina Maria , Perry Marieke , Kalf Johanna Gezina
Published: September 2023

Background:

Persons with dementia are at risk of developing nutritional problems. Theoretical models on nutritional problems have been developed, but have not been evaluated with healthcare professionals.

Objective:

This study aimed to explore the comprehensiveness and applicability of a theoretical model of nutritional problems in persons with dementia for daily nursing home practice.

Methods:

A qualitative design employing a combined deductive and inductive approach was used. Healthcare professionals were eligible to participate if they 1) had expert knowledge of and experience with nutritional problems related to dementia, and 2) worked in a nursing home affiliated with an academic network covering the east and south of the Netherlands. Three focus group interviews with 20 healthcare professionals from seven professions were held. We conducted thematic analysis and we compared themes with existing theoretical models from the literature.

Results:

We identified six themes, four of which corresponded with the existing models (observing and analysing nutritional problems; consequences of nutritional problems; functioning of the person with dementia; environmental factors). Interprofessional collaboration and ethical factors were identified as new themes. The analyses indicated interactions within each theme, between themes, and a bidirectional connection between themes.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrated the relevance of interprofessional collaboration and ethical considerations in nutritional problems related to dementia. It uncovered complex bidirectional relations within and between factors regarding nutritional problems. All aspects should be taken into account to minimize the consequences of nutritional problems for persons with dementia.
Characterizing Limbic-Predominant Age-Related TDP-43 Encephalopathy Without Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia in the Oldest Old: A Case Series
Authors: Leiby Anne-Marie C. , Scambray Kiana A. , Nguyen Hannah L. , Basith Farheen , Fakhraee Shahrzad , Melikyan Zarui A. , Bukhari Syed A. , Montine Thomas J. , Corrada María M. , Kawas Claudia H. , Sajjadi S. Ahmad
Published: September 2023

Background:

Limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy neuropathologic change (LATE-NC) is a clinicopathological construct proposed to facilitate studying TDP-43 pathology in older individuals.

Objective:

Our aim was to describe clinical and cognitive characteristics of LATE-NC without Alzheimer’s disease neuropathologic change (ADNC) and Lewy body (LB) and to compare this with ADNC and primary age related tauopathy (PART).

Methods:

In 364 autopsies of the oldest old of The 90+ Study, we identified those with LATE-NC without ADNC and LB. Control groups were participants with ADNC and PART.

Results:

Of 31% of participants who had LATE-NC, only 5 (1.4%) had LATE-NC without ADNC and LB, all of whom had tau. These participants had a gradual and progressive cognitive decline. Four (80%) had dementia at death, a rate that was higher than ADNC (50%) and PART (21.7%). Mean duration of cognitive impairment was twice as long in LATE-NC without ADNC and LB (6.2 years) compared to ADNC (2.9 years) and PART (3 years). LATE-NC without ADNC and LB group had a higher prevalence of syncope, depression, and extrapyramidal signs than the ADNC and PART groups.

Conclusions:

Despite the high prevalence of LATE-NC, LATE-NC without ADNC and LB was rare in this large oldest-old cohort, highlighting the very high prevalence of multiple pathologic changes in the oldest old. Slowly progressive cognitive decline, ubiquitous memory impairment, history of syncope and depression, and extrapyramidal signs were prominent features among our LATE-NC without ADNC and LB group.
Validation of a Computerized Cognitive Training Tool to Assess Cognitive Impairment and Enable Differentiation Between Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia
Authors: Liu Li-Yang , Xing Yi , Zhang Zi-Heng , Zhang Qing-Ge , Dong Ming , Wang Haibo , Cai Longjun , Wang Xiaoyi , Tang Yi
Published: September 2023

Background:

Age-related cognitive decline is a chronic, progressive process that requires active clinical management as cognitive status changes. Computerized cognitive training (CCT) provides cognitive exercises targeting specific cognitive domains delivered by computer or tablet. Meanwhile, CCT can be used to regularly monitor the cognitive status of patients, but it is not clear whether CCT can reliably assess cognitive ability or be used to diagnose different stages of cognitive impairment.

Objective:

To investigate whether CCT can accurately monitor the cognitive status of patients with cognitive impairment as well as distinguish patients with dementia from patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Method:

We included 116 patients (42 dementia and 74 MCI) in final analysis. Cognitive ability was assessed by averaging the patient performance on the CCT to determine the Cognitive Index. The validity of the Cognitive Index was evaluated by its correlation with neuropsychological tests, and internal consistency was measured to assess the reliability. Additionally, we determined the diagnostic ability of the Cognitive Index to detect dementia using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results:

The Cognitive Index was highly correlated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment ( r = 0.812) and the Mini-Mental State Examination ( r = 0.694), indicating good convergent validity, and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.936, indicating excellent internal consistency. The area under the ROC curve, sensitivity, and specificity of the Cognitive Index to diagnose dementia were 0.943, 83.3%, and 91.9%, respectively.

Conclusions:

CCT can be used to assess cognitive status and detect dementia in patients with cognitive impairment.
Impact of Eating a Carbohydrate-Restricted Diet on Cortical Atrophy in a Cross-Section of Amyloid Positive Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Small Sample Study
Authors: Bramen Jennifer E. , Siddarth Prabha , Popa Emily S. , Kress Gavin T. , Rapozo Molly K. , Hodes John F. , Ganapathi Aarthi S. , Slyapich Colby B. , Glatt Ryan M. , Pierce Kyron , Porter Verna R. , Wong Claudia , Kim Mihae , Dye Richelin V. , Panos Stella , Bookheimer Tess , Togashi Tori , Loong Spencer , Raji Cyrus A. , Bookheimer Susan Y. , Roach Jared C. , Merrill David A.
Published: September 2023

Background:

A carbohydrate-restricted diet aimed at lowering insulin levels has the potential to slow Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Restricting carbohydrate consumption reduces insulin resistance, which could improve glucose uptake and neural health. A hallmark feature of AD is widespread cortical thinning; however, no study has demonstrated that lower net carbohydrate (nCHO) intake is linked to attenuated cortical atrophy in patients with AD and confirmed amyloidosis.

Objective:

We tested the hypothesis that individuals with AD and confirmed amyloid burden eating a carbohydrate-restricted diet have thicker cortex than those eating a moderate-to-high carbohydrate diet.

Methods:

A total of 31 patients (mean age 71.4±7.0 years) with AD and confirmed amyloid burden were divided into two groups based on a 130 g/day nCHO cutoff. Cortical thickness was estimated from T1-weighted MRI using FreeSurfer. Cortical surface analyses were corrected for multiple comparisons using cluster-wise probability. We assessed group differences using a two-tailed two-independent sample t-test. Linear regression analyses using nCHO as a continuous variable, accounting for confounders, were also conducted.

Results:

The lower nCHO group had significantly thicker cortex within somatomotor and visual networks. Linear regression analysis revealed that lower nCHO intake levels had a significant association with cortical thickness within the frontoparietal, cingulo-opercular, and visual networks.

Conclusions:

Restricting carbohydrates may be associated with reduced atrophy in patients with AD. Lowering nCHO to under 130 g/day would allow patients to follow the well-validated MIND diet while benefiting from lower insulin levels.
The Use of Zebrafish in Transcriptome Analysis of the Early Effects of Mutations Causing Early Onset Familial Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Inherited Neurodegenerative Conditions
Authors: Lardelli Michael , Baer Lachlan , Hin Nhi , Allen Angel , Pederson Stephen Martin , Barthelson Karissa
Published: September 2023

The degree to which non-human animals can be used to model Alzheimer’s disease is a contentious issue, particularly as there is still widespread disagreement regarding the pathogenesis of this neurodegenerative dementia. The currently popular transgenic models are based on artificial expression of genes mutated in early onset forms of familial Alzheimer’s disease (EOfAD). Uncertainty regarding the veracity of these models led us to focus on heterozygous, single mutations of endogenous genes (knock-in models) as these most closely resemble the genetic state of humans with EOfAD, and so incorporate the fewest assumptions regarding pathological mechanism. We have generated a number of lines of zebrafish bearing EOfAD-like and non-EOfAD-like mutations in genes equivalent to human PSEN1, PSEN2, and SORL1. To analyze the young adult brain transcriptomes of these mutants, we exploited the ability of zebrafish to produce very large families of simultaneous siblings composed of a variety of genotypes and raised in a uniform environment. This “intra-family” analysis strategy greatly reduced genetic and environmental “noise” thereby allowing detection of subtle changes in gene sets after bulk RNA sequencing of entire brains. Changes to oxidative phosphorylation were predicted for all EOfAD-like mutations in the three genes studied. Here we describe some of the analytical lessons learned in our program combining zebrafish genome editing with transcriptomics to understand the molecular pathologies of neurodegenerative disease.
A Mixed-method Approach to Develop an Ambulatory Module of the SMA Independence Scale
Authors: Staunton Hannah , Cleanthous Sophie , Teodoro Vanda , Barrett Louise , Braid Jessica , Ewens Bethany , Cano Stefan , Baranello Giovanni , Kirschner Janbernd , Belter Lisa , Mayhew Anna
Published: September 2023

Background:

Limited qualitative data exist on the symptoms and impacts of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) experienced by ambulant individuals. An ambulant module of the SMA Independence Scale (SMAIS) was developed to quantify the assistance required to perform everyday mobility-related activities.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to develop a patient-centered module that provides key insights into what constitutes independence for ambulant and near-ambulant individuals with SMA.

Methods:

A stepwise, mixed-method approach was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in three waves with individuals with SMA and caregivers of children with SMA who were ambulant or near-ambulant (can walk ≥5 steps with support). Wave 1 interviews ( n = 20) focused on concept elicitation. Wave 2 and 3 interviews ( n = 15, both) involved completion and cognitive debriefing of items generated based on Wave 1 interviews. Therapeutic area experts were consulted throughout all key steps of the study. In particular, feedback was provided for item refinement and response option decisions. A macro-level preliminary, exploratory analysis, using Rasch Measurement Theory (RMT), provided insight on measurement properties.

Results:

Wave 1 resulted in 42 mobility and 11 instrumental activity of daily living (iADL) items. During Wave 2, participants defined independence as completing a task with supportive aids but without help from another person, leading to item refinement and modifications to the response scale. Lack of conceptual relevance and ceiling effects led to the removal of all iADL items after Wave 2, and 41 mobility items were tested in Wave 3. Final exploratory RMT and item refinement to reduce overlap led to a 27-item set related to mobility tasks.

Conclusions:

Our study provides preliminary support for using the 27-item SMAIS–Ambulatory Module for ambulant or near-ambulant individuals with SMA. Larger-scale analyses to further assess the psychometric properties of the scale are warranted.
Burden of Parkinsonism and Parkinson’s Disease on Health Service Use and Outcomes in Latin America
Authors: Kim Dani J. , Rodriguez-Salgado Ana M. , Llibre-Rodriguez Juan J. , Acosta Isaac , Sosa Ana Luisa , Acosta Daisy , Jimenez-Velasquez Ivonne Z. , Guerra Mariella , Salas Aquiles , Jeyachandran Christine , López-Contreras Ricardo , Hesse Heike , Tanner Caroline , Llibre-Guerra Jorge J. , Prina Matthew
Published: September 2023

Background:

Little is known about the burden of parkinsonism and Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Latin America. Better understanding of health service use and clinical outcomes in PD is needed to improve its prognosis.

Objective:

The aim of the study was to estimate the burden of parkinsonism and PD in six Latin American countries.

Methods:

12,865 participants aged 65 years and older from the 10/66 population-based cohort study were analysed. Baseline assessments were conducted in 2003–2007 and followed-up 4 years later. Parkinsonism and PD were defined using current clinical criteria or self-reported diagnosis. Logistic regression models assessed the association between parkinsonism/PD with baseline health service use (community-based care or hospitalisation in the last 3 months) and Cox proportional hazards regression models with incident dependency (subjective assessment by interviewer based on informant interview) and mortality. Separate analyses for each country were combined via fixed effect meta-analysis.

Results:

At baseline, the prevalence of parkinsonism and PD was 7.9% ( n = 934) and 2.6% ( n = 317), respectively. Only parkinsonism was associated with hospital admission at baseline (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.30–2.74). Among 7,296 participants without dependency at baseline, parkinsonism (HR 2.34, 95% CI 1.81–3.03) and PD (2.10, 1.37–3.24) were associated with incident dependency. Among 10,315 participants with vital status, parkinsonism (1.73, 1.50–1.99) and PD (1.38, 1.07–1.78) were associated with mortality. The Higgins I2 tests showed low to moderate levels of heterogeneity across countries.

Conclusions:

Our findings show that older people with parkinsonism or PD living in Latin America have higher risks of developing dependency and mortality but may have limited access to health services.
Clinical impact of analgesic-sedative agents and peri-operative clinical status on white matter brain injury in preterm infants following surgical NEC
Authors: Garg P. M. , Rebentisch A. , Zhang M. , Ware J. , Pippins M. , Taylor C. , Reddy K. , Lewis T. , Inder T. E. , Hillegass W. B.
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND: The potential influence of exposure to analgesic-sedative agents (ASA) before, during, and after surgical NEC and peri-operative clinical status on white matter injury (WMI) in preterm infants has not been fully defined, and a comprehensive evaluation may inform future research and clinical interventions. METHODS: A retrospective study comparing ASA exposure before/during /after surgical NEC and peri-operative clinical status in neonates with and without WMI. RESULTS: Infants with any WMI (grade 2–4, n = 36/67, 53.7%) had a higher number of surgical procedures receiving ASA (5 [IQR: 3, 8] vs. 3 [2, 4]; p = 0.002) and had a longer duration of hypotension during their first (48.0 hours [26.0, 48.0] vs. 15.5 [6, 48]; p = 0.009) and second surgery (20 hours [0, 48h] vs. 0 [0, 22]; p = 0.017), received more hydrocortisone (35% vs.13.3%,p = 0.04) than those without any WMI. There were no differences in fentanyl/morphine/midazolam exposure before/during/after the NEC onset in the two groups. Infants with severe WMI (19/67, 28.3%, grade 3/4) had a higher incidence of AKI (P = 0.004), surgical morbidity (p = 0.047), more surgical procedures (6.5 [3, 10] vs. 4 [2, 5]; p = 0.012), and received higher mean fentanyl doses(p = 0.03) from birth until NEC onset than those without severe WMI. The univariate associations between these factors and severe WMI remained insignificant after multivariable logistic regression. CONCLUSION: Infants with WMI had more surgical procedures receiving ASA and had a longer duration of hypotension during surgeries. A large multicenter prospective study is needed to understand the full impact of ASA.
Safety evaluation of the use of calcineurin inhibitor to prenatal and postpartum women in Japan from a health administrative database
Authors: Yashima K. , Noda A. , Ishikawa T. , Matsuzaki F. , Miyakoda K. , Nishigori H. , Mano N. , Obara T.
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND: To investigate the use of calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) in pregnant Japanese women and to evaluate their safety in infants. METHODS: Data were extracted from the claims database of the Japan Medical Data Center. The prevalence of CNIs was evaluated 180 days before pregnancy onset, during pregnancy, and within180-days post partum. We investigated the characteristics of the infants, including the presence of major malformations and their diagnoses, for 1 year after birth. RESULTS: A total of 91,865 pregnancies in 80,049 women were included. Fifty-three women were prescribed CNIs between 180-day before pregnancy onset and 180-day postpartum; 35 of the 53 women were prescribed the drugs during pregnancy, and 10 of their infants were born preterm. Three were diagnosed with major congenital malformations, such as patent ductus arteriosus. Six preterm infants presented with infant respiratory distress syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: No congenital anomalies were clearly attributable to the use of CNIs during pregnancy.
“Exsultate Jubilate” by W. A. Mozart in the Hallelujah Paradigm of European Culture and Music
Authors: Gorelik Larisa
Published: September 2023

The purpose of the study is to reveal the poetic and intonation uniqueness of the motet “Exsultate Jubilate” by W. A. Mozart in the context of spiritual guidelines of the European musical art of the New Age and its halleluiah paradigm. The research methodology. The interdisciplinary, historical and cultural, genre and stylistic approaches were essential for this work. The scientific novelty of the work is determined by the fact that it is the first to summarise the poetic and intonational specificity of W. A. Mozart's motet “Exsultate Jubilate” in the context of the praise tradition of European sacred music culture and its Byzantine genesis. Conclusions. On the one hand, W. A. Mozart's motet "Exsultate Jubilate", created in the early period of the composer's work, incorporated the spiritual, ethical, genre and stylistic experience of the culture and music of the Austrian Enlightenment with its characteristic tendency to a harmoniously optimistic worldview that united the spiritual and secular genre spheres of musical creativity (including musical theatre). On the other hand, the analysed work by W. A. Mozart's work, which preceded it in the liturgical cycle "Gloria", its virtuoso fioritura nature, focused on the singing and performance capabilities of the castrato Venanzio Rauzzini, reveals contact with the hallelujah paradigm of Christian culture and music, which genetically descended to the art of Byzantine calophony and its spiritual and ethical guidelines, which formed the basis for the formation of the intonational and performing specificity of bel canto..
Key words: works of W. A. Mozart, “Exsultate Jubilate” by W. A. Mozart, motet, Italian motet, Austrian Enlightenment.
Borys Kudryk’s Piano Compositions for Young People in the Context of Music Culture of Galicia in the First Third of the Twentieth Century
Authors: Toloshniak Nataliia
Published: September 2023

The purpose of the study is to reveal the artistic and aesthetic, cognitive and didactic values of Borys Kudryk’s piano music for young people in the context of the creative achievements of the Galician compositional school of the first third of the 20th century. The research methodology is based on the following methods: retrospection, comparison, systematisation, analysis, and generalisation.The scientific novelty of the obtained results is that for the first time the piano heritage of Borys Kudryk is considered in the axiological perspective of the contribution of his works to the regional pedagogical repertoire for piano.Conclusions. The article proves the statement: the piano music of Borys Kudryk is marked by a certain eclecticism, it is more imbued with the achievements of past eras than the contemporary art world. Nevertheless, the artistic, aesthetic, cognitive and didactic value of the analysed works of the composer for young people lies in their ideological, semantic and figurative-emotional content, which is determined by the range of genre rhythmic intonations inherent in the Galician socio-cultural environment of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and assimilated according to the author's preferences. Taking into account the achievements of the world musical culture in this field, rethinking this material through the prism of national song sources and local musical traditions, B. Kudryk presented works that tend to classicist stylistics and partially to neoclassical and post-Romantic ones. They occupy a distinctive niche in the diversity of Galician piano literature, which in the first third of the 20th century professed the principles of training young musicians who would not only master the instrument with dignity, but also respect national and universal artistic values, grow up to be emotionally sensitive and intellectually rich people.
Key words: Borys Kudryk, piano works, works for young people, music culture of Galicia.
Scientific and Theoretical Basis of the Study of Performing Arts by Kvitka Cisyk
Authors: Golovkova Marianna
Published: September 2023

The purpose of the article is to trace the scientific and theoretical basis of the study of the performing arts of the American singer of Ukrainian origin Kvitka Cisyk. The research methodology is based on a comprehensive analysis of scientific literature and sources in this topic, which helps to form a holistic view of the state of scientific development of the problem of Kvitka Cisyk’s performing art. The scientific novelty lies in the holistic substantiation of the scientific and theoretical foundations of the study of Kvitka Cisyk's performing art. Conclusions. Having analysed the scientific and theoretical foundations of the study, the author can state the lack of scientific research on the artistic nature of Kvitka Cisyk's performing work and her special role in Ukrainian musical culture. It has been established that scientific publications in this area are insufficient, therefore, only a few publications by researchers cover certain aspects of her biography, descriptively consider the singer's repertoire focus, sometimes touching upon the problems of the stylistic and genre palette of vocal works, architectonics and specifics of their performance. The source base of the study provides sufficient material for a scientific analysis of the creative figure of Kvitka Cisyk. The representation of Ukrainian song in the process of the singer's performance appears as a way of national self-identification, preservation, and popularisation of national art in a non-ethnic environment. All this actualises the need for a thorough study of the performing creativity of the outstanding American singer of Ukrainian origin Kvitka Cisyk, in the development of national musical culture and art.
Key words: Kvitka Cisyk, vocal performance, national art, creativity, Ukrainian song.
Processing of Ancient Taoist Songs by Chinese Composers of the XX – Early XXI Century
Authors: Gao Jin
Published: September 2023

The purpose of the research is to find the most significant references of modern Chinese composers to the processing of ancient Taoist songs in the context of modern genre features and stylistics. Research methodology. The realisation of the goal required the use of the following set of methods: source-research method – to identify examples of modern composers’ arrangements of ancient Taoist songs as a little-known heritage of China’s musical past. Musicologist method was used to analyse the identified works of modern composers and characterise their stylistic and genre features. Retrospective method helped to specify the phenomena and facts of the past; cultural studies – to comprehend the dynamics of general cultural processes in the musical art of China. The scientific novelty lies in the first musicological analysis of the arrangements of ancient Taoist songs by contemporary Chinese composers as a phenomenon of Chinese culture; in the selection of the most exemplary works among the discovered samples; in determining the genre and stylistic features of these works in the context of Chinese composers' study of Western experience and implementation of its achievements in their national creativity. Conclusions. The study of arrangements of ancient Taoist songs proved to be important for comprehending the possibilities of using the means of modern stylistics and thus bringing them closer to the listener. It is determined that in this work, Chinese composers could not do without studying the Western experience and implementing its achievements in national creativity. The article traces the measures taken to draw attention to China's very ancient and unexplored musical heritage: raising the problem of urgent search for Taoist musical artefacts, establishing scientific laboratories, organising their work on systematising, deciphering and cataloguing the found samples, organising musicological research, holding seminars and conferences. It was found that there are very few studies of these unique examples of the past.
Key words: ancient Taoist song, Chinese composers, arrangement, style, genre.
Ukrainian Echoes in F. Chopin's Songs
Authors: Ying Qingqing
Published: September 2023

The purpose of this study is to identify the Ukrainian-Lithuanian core of the Biedermeier lines of F. Chopin's heritage with a focus on his Songs, which objectively represented a significant component of the achievements of his compositional genius. The research methodology is based on the intonation approach of the Asafiev school in Ukraine and China, which focuses on the common genesis of human musical and speech culture and has been developed in the works of leading Ukrainian scholars, including those of D. Androsova, L. Horelik, O. Markova, O. Muravska, Chinese scholars Liu Binqiang, Ma Wei and many other specialists. The scientific novelty of the work is manifested in the originality of the perspective of cognition of F. Chopin's heritage in the organic reliance of the latter on Ukrainian and Lithuanian sources in the line of A. Mickiewicz's "Lithuanianness", as well as in the fact that for the first time a musicological analysis of the symbolism and semantics of the composer's songs, which he wrote from 1829 to 1847, that is, throughout his creative life, is presented. Conclusions. F. Chopin’s songs declare an essential aspect of the embodiment of the "thoughtfulness" (according to I. Belza) of Chopin's heritage, since they implement the highly artistic European "provincialism" that leads, through the discoveries of J. Lenz and M. Gogol, to verism as a powerful trend in European and world art. The Lithuanian-Ukrainian components of "Sarmatism", which nourished the creative discoveries of F. Chopin's entourage in the persons of A. Mickiewicz, S. Witwizki, B. Zalesski and other artists, promoted independent lines of the composer's artistic development. They differed from his Biedermeier performance and Mazurka culture, as well as from the romantic and protosymbolist achievements that dominate the composer's major forms. F. Chopin's songs constitute a line of creative searches, undervalued by both the author himself and art historians of pro-romantic inclination, which are in the direction of realistic and verist principles – the latter were, apparently, unexpected for the author himself, who did not dare to publish miniatures during his lifetime, which he wrote throughout his life.
Key words: musical genre, Ukrainian style, nationality in music, song, F. Chopin's style.
Work of Ukrainian Composers in Concert and Performance Practice of Pianists of the Canadian Diaspora in the Second Half of the Twentieth Century
Authors: Osmachko Yulia
Published: September 2023

The purpose of the work is to highlight the main milestones of the concert performance activities of pianists of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada in the second half of the twentieth century; to reveal the palette of their repertoire; to outline the role of Ukrainian composers in the performing heritage of emigrant pianists. The research methodology is based on the following scientific approaches: chronological, which allows the author to consider the artistic activity of pianists of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada in a chronological sequence; specific search, which consists in studying the literature on related topics; subject-targeted analysis of the concert and performance atmosphere in the diaspora, which helped to trace the individual performance style of emigrant pianists and the palette of their concert repertoire. The scientific novelty of the research lies in a comprehensive study of the main aspects of the performing creativity of pianists of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada in the second half of the twentieth century, mainly in clarifying the role of the Ukrainian composers in their repertoire; for the first time, the concert and performance achievements of pianists Roman Stetsura and Stefania Zhovnir-Klos, little-known in Ukraine, were analysed. Conclusions. Having analysed the concert activities of Ukrainian pianists of different generations, it can be argued that the creative and performing activities of artists of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada have made a significant contribution to the development of the musical culture of Ukraine, as its representatives have made great efforts to preserve and popularise the national musical art in a multicultural environment. A vivid evidence of this is the inclusion in their performance repertoire of works by composers of different eras: from D. Bortnianskyi and M. Lysenko, to examples of the musical creativity of contemporary masters – B. Filts, E. Stankovych, M. Skoryk, H. Liashenko, O. Krasotov, Zh. Kolodub, L. Dychko, with whom the pianists worked closely.
Key words: Ukrainian diaspora of Canada, piano performance, Ukrainian composers, repertoire, concert performances.