Early Era Research Articles

HPB SO10 - Evaluation of the impact of an Enhanced Recovery Pathway on clinical outcomes after Pancreaticoduodenectomy

Abstract Background Southampton General Hospital (SGH) is a high-volume HPB centre with a well-established Enhanced Recovery After Surgery pathway (ERAS). Despite the morbidity associated with pancreatic surgery, there is a large body of evidence supporting the use of a multi-modal approach to accelerate patient recovery. Within SGH, ERAS is utilised for all patients undergoing Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Initial assessment of the pathway in SGH demonstrated a reduction in length of stay. Since its implementation, ERAS has been modified to optimise the pathway. The aim of this study was to assess whether the impact of ERAS had progressed over time. Method Single centre retrospective analysis of patients undergoing open PD from 2007-2023. Pancreatic reconstruction was with pancreaticojejunostomy. Pre and Post ERAS data were analysed. Post ERAS data was subdivided into Early, Middle and Late implementation time phases. Length of Stay, Complications (Clavien-Dindo Grade 3 and above), Readmissions and Mortality were all examined. Non-parametric data analysis was undertaken with Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman rank correlation and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Significance further assessed with Multi-variate regression (MVR). All Data were analysed using STATA. Results Overall, 861 patients underwent an open PD, the yearly volume increasing with time. Mean age was 66 years, which did not change with time. With ERAS implementation, Median Length of Stay (LOS) fell 13 to 9 days (p<0.01) and there was no statistically significant increase in Grade 3 complications or Readmissions (p=0.931, p=0.163). Grade 3 complications increased LOS (p<0.01). Increased age led to a small increase in LOS (p<0.01). Median LOS across Early, Middle and Late ERAS periods was 10, 9 and 9 respectively. LOS did not consistently demonstrate a statistically significant improvement across ERAS phases (MVR p=0.387, K-Wallis p<0.05). Conclusion The implementation of ERAS significantly reduced the median LOS for patients undergoing PD, without increasing their risk of complications or readmissions. This benefit has also been safely maintained across the period of its implementation.

The far side of capitalism: Institutions and trade financing in Manila during the long eighteenth century

AbstractSustained long‐distance trade in the early modern era necessitated institutional mechanisms capable of solving three interrelated challenges: the need to mobilize an unprecedented volume of capital and to lock it in for long periods of time, ways of mitigating the principal–agent problem across continents, and methods to internalize and distribute the high risks associated with intercontinental sailing. The case of Manila represents an alternative institutional approach to achieving market impersonality and solving the three fundamental challenges without the need for joint‐stock corporations, and extending beyond private and cultural networks. By adapting urban religious institutions such as brotherhoods and using legacy funds to facilitate pooling savings, Manileños managed to establish a capital market capable of mobilizing large resources towards trade finance during the long eighteenth century.

Urban protopops in the public life of Russia in the era of the political crisis of the early 17th century

The article shows that the protopopes at the beginning of the XVII century usually took a patriotic position and opposed impostors and interventionists, which is especially clearly seen in Bryansk, Zaraysk, Nizhny Novgorod and Veliky Novgorod. Episodes of the protopops' loyal attitude towards the supporters of impostors are not typical and were caused by their presence in the occupied territories. The support of patriotic forces by the protopopes of Russian cities strengthened their position both within the clergy and in society as a whole, as manifested by their participation in the signing of the Approved Letter of Mikhail Fedorovich not among the Consecrated Cathedral, but as electors from places not traceable in an earlier era

Patients surviving COVID-19 had lower risk for long COVID in the Omicron vs. earlier eras.

Xie Y, Choi T, Al-Aly Z. Postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the pre-Delta, Delta, and Omicron eras. N Engl J Med. 2024;391:515-525. 39018527.

An Interpolity Legal Regime in the eighteenth century: 
procedural law of prize

Abstract Prize law was a legal regime that played a crucial role in maritime trade and warfare in the European imperial world before the twentieth century, governing both the capture and disposition of enemy property seized by belligerents at sea during wartime. Prize law outlined the rules by which captures were to take place and how captured property was to be handled, adjudicated, and (if “condemned” or deemed a valid capture), disposed of. All European maritime powers had prize regimes during the early modern era, which collectively adjudicated the fates of tens of thousands of vessels worth the equivalent of hundreds of millions of today’s dollars. This article examines the procedural law of prize in the long eighteenth century: the rules that governed how legal actors in the prize regime brought cases before tribunals and the tribunals’ rules for adjudicating them. It shows that the law of prize was an interpolity legal regime, generated within the ambiguous legal spaces that existed between the jurisdictional boundaries of individual states and empires. The article focuses on three important areas of procedural law for evidence of the interpolity character of the prize regime. It looks first at the distinctive role played by mariners in prize procedures. Captains of privateers and other capturing vessels functioned as quasi-officers of the court, responsible for assembling the documentary record that prize tribunals used to adjudicate captures and bringing the cases before the courts. Imperial prize regulations gave almost no guidance on the rules that they were to follow. The proper procedures were defined by mariners and merchants themselves, as unwritten rules articulated at sea. Second, we turn to how the prize tribunals managed language diversity and translation. I show that, a few exceptions aside, prize tribunals did not acknowledge linguistic difference among litigants. Instead, the tribunals relied on silent and often unacknowledged translation processes, which embedded in their proceedings a fiction that all of the actors before them communicated in a common language. Last, the article shows that prize tribunals applied foreign law in their proceedings, in ways that were not formally authorized by imperial law. By focusing on the neglected procedural law of prize, this article offers a different view of the prize regime than the one that has been painted by many studies of substantive law of prize in the long eighteenth century, in at least two ways. One is that studying the procedural law of prize casts into sharp relief the bottom-up character of prize law. Far from being dictated by sovereigns or from imperial centers, much about the prize regime was created informally by lower-level legal actors. Second, a focus on procedural law reveals important continuities in prize law across space and time. Substantive prize law during the period saw extensive debates about the nature of neutral rights, among other issues, with different empires articulating radically different doctrines. The procedural law of prize, true to its interpolity origins, remained remarkably constant across empires and over time.

Reheating Constraints and the H0 Tension in Quintessential Inflation

In this work, we focus on two important aspects of modern cosmology: reheating and Hubble constant tension within the framework of a unified cosmic theory, namely the quintessential inflation connecting the early inflationary era and late-time cosmic acceleration. In the context of reheating, we use instant preheating and gravitational reheating, two viable reheating mechanisms when the evolution of the universe is not affected by an oscillating regime. After obtaining the reheating temperature, we analyze the number of e-folds and establish its relationship with the reheating temperature. This allows us to connect, for different quintessential inflation models (in particular for models coming from super-symmetric theories such as α-attractors), the reheating temperature with the spectral index of scalar perturbations, thereby enabling us to constrain its values. In the second part of this article, we explore various alternatives to address the H0 tension. From our perspective, this tension suggests that the simple Λ-Cold Dark Matter model, used as the baseline by the Planck team, needs to be refined in order to reconcile its results with the late-time measurements of the Hubble constant. Initially, we establish that quintessential inflation alone cannot mitigate the Hubble tension by solely deviating from the concordance model at low redshifts. The introduction of a phantom fluid, capable of increasing the Hubble rate at the present time, becomes a crucial element in alleviating the Hubble tension, resulting in a deviation from the Λ-Cold Dark Matter model only at low redshifts. On a different note, by utilizing quintessential inflation as a source of early dark energy, thereby diminishing the physical size of the sound horizon close to the baryon–photon decoupling redshift, we observe a reduction in the Hubble tension. This alternative avenue, which has the same effect of a cosmological constant changing its scale close to the recombination, sheds light on the nuanced interplay between the quintessential inflation and the Hubble tension, offering a distinct perspective on addressing this cosmological challenge.

From Asia to Iberia: the mobility of early modern reliquaries☆

AbstractIn his famous 1543 Treatise on Relics, Jean Calvin complained that if one were to gather all the purported pieces of the True Cross from the churches and cathedrals of Europe, it would ‘form a whole ship's cargo’. This comment not only highlights the questionable authenticity of relics, but also alludes to their inherent mobility. Indeed, as portable religious objects, relics played an essential role in the drive to export Christianity across the globe. Bound as it was to contemporary mercantile and colonial politics, Christian proselytization was imbricated with the circulation of material goods. Objects crafted in far off regions, such as Gujarat and Nagasaki, gained new life in European liturgical contexts. This essay examines imported caskets crafted from mother‐of‐pearl, tortoiseshell, and lacquer that were transformed into reliquaries on the Iberian Peninsula arguing that such reliquaries harnessed the established potency of the itinerant relic, while simultaneously inventing a new visual idiom that spoke to the precarity of the Catholic faith as it traversed great transoceanic distances. In so doing, it demonstrates the active role played by technologies of transit in the shaping of material and devotional culture in the early modern era.

Palaeoenvironmental evolution and decline of the harbours of the Roman and Early Byzantine city of Elaiussa Sebaste (southeastern Turkey): natural and anthropic causes

ABSTRACTThe ancient city of Elaiussa Sebaste, currently Ayaş, is located on the southeastern coast of Turkey. It was one of the main trading Mediterranean harbours from the Augustan period until the early Byzantine era. The Arab invasion in the 7th century ce marked its definitive abandonment. A significant historical topic concerns the palaeoenvironmental evolution of the northern and southern harbours of Elaiussa Sebaste, including their decline and burial. An interdisciplinary study analysed six cores drilled in the current plains corresponding to the former harbour basins. A geoelectrical study, integrated with borehole stratigraphy, reconstructed the geometry of the carbonate bedrock that forms the accumulation base of the marine sediments. Sediments deposited from the 8th century bce to the 6th century ce include the development phases of the ancient city from the 3rd century bce onwards. Sedimentology, micropalaeontology (foraminifers, ostracods), palaeobotany (pollen, non‐pollen palynomorphs, microcharcoals, plant macroremains) and Pb isotopes provided a model of the environmental evolution in both harbour basins. The main harbour expansion phase, marked by a change in Pb concentration, is hypothesized to have occurred between 140 and 220 ce, which is consistent with the historical sources indicating the development of the city during the mid‐Roman Imperial period.

Therapeutic Potential of Bee and Wasp Venom in Anti-Arthritic Treatment: A Review

Arthritis has a high global prevalence. During the early ancient human era, bee (Apis) venom therapy was employed in Egypt, Greece, and China to alleviate ailments such as arthritis and neuralgia. In addition, bee venom has long been used as a traditional medicine for immune-related diseases in Korea. Wasp (Vespa) venom is a folk medicine of the Jingpo people in Yunnan, China, and has been widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. In spite of this, the underlying mechanisms of bee and wasp venoms for the treatment of arthritis are yet to be fully understood. In recent years, researchers have investigated the potential anti-arthritic properties of bee and wasp venoms. Studies have shown that both bee and wasp venom can improve swelling, pain, and inflammation caused by arthritis. The difference is that bee venom reduces arthritis damage to bone and cartilage by inhibiting the IRAK2/TAK1/NF-κB signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, and JAK/STAT signaling pathway, as well as decreasing osteoclastogenesis by inhibiting the RANKL/RANK signaling pathway. Wasp venom, on the other hand, regulates synovial cell apoptosis via the Bax/Bcl-2 signaling pathway, inhibits the JAK/STAT signaling pathway to reduce inflammation production, and also ameliorates joint inflammation by regulating redox balance and iron death in synovial cells. This review provides a detailed overview of the various types of arthritis and their current therapeutic approaches; additionally, it comprehensively analyzes the therapeutic properties of bee venom, wasp venom, or venom components used as anti-arthritic drugs and explores their mechanisms of action in anti-arthritic therapy.

Is the Modern Arctic Marginal Ice Zone More Susceptible to Summer Cyclones?

Abstract As Arctic sea ice melts, cyclones potentially enhance the mechanical and thermodynamic forces that influence the vulnerable ice edge. However, examples can be found in satellite observations and reanalyses where cyclones either locally increase or decrease ice within the marginal ice zone (MIZ). Two case studies with these opposing ice responses are presented. Guided by the tendencies during these events, 264 strong (minimum surface pressure below 984 mb) summer cyclones were sorted by prevailing wind direction and SST changes within the MIZ to quantify the net ice impacts in the present-day Arctic (2010–2019) and early satellite era (1982–1991). By tracking MIZ ice area from one week before the cyclone’s formation through two weeks after, we find cyclones that enhance southerly winds mostly decrease ice area, whereas enhanced northerlies generally increase ice area within the MIZ later in the season. Furthermore, early-summer storms tend to decrease MIZ ice area more than late-summer storms. A shift towards more frequent early-summer storms is observed from the 1980s to 2010s, resulting in almost two-thirds of recent storms decreasing area. Consequently, recent summer cyclones have more negative impacts, resulting in a decline of more than 40,000 km2 of MIZ ice area on average, whereas 1980s cyclones had little aggregate impact. Wind direction and SST trends partially reconcile the wide range of MIZ ice area changes due to cyclone passage, yet considerable variations in individual cyclones’ impacts remain even when controlling for these factors. These bulk diagnostics therefore only explain part of the complex ice-cyclone relationship.

Armour in Medieval India. Medieval Indian Armour, Hoysaḷa Representation, Wider Documentation and Later Reality

Armour is very rarely shown in the non-Islamic art of medieval India after appearing, albeit infrequently, in the Indian art of earlier centuries. Subsequently, the representation of armour would become significantly more common. Nevertheless, there are exceptions, notably on temple carvings and carved vīragal hero or memorial stones from what had been the Hoysaḷa kingdom in the southern Deccan region. This article seeks to interpret these carvings, to identify the reality of the armour shown and to explain its socio-political context. Potential links are drawn between such carved representations and the terminology of armour as used in medieval India. The article concludes by looking at the possible survival of medieval armour technology and styles in the continued use of textile-based armours in southern India into and beyond the early modern era.

A Matter of Respect: A Review Essay about Respect and Loathing in American Democracy: Polarization, Moralization, and the Undermining of Equality

Abstract In their new and theoretically innovative book, Respect and Loathing in American Democracy, Jeff Spinner-Halev and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse argue that the nation's politics suffers from a lack of respect among political opponents. In making their argument, they build a lot of bridges: between the normative and empirical sides of Political Science, between qualitative and quantitative research, and between contemporary scholarship and many of the seminal works from an earlier era. To address the respect deficit, they call for greater attention to civic education and—perhaps counterintuitively—less attention to politics.

Simulating adiabatic quantum computing with parameterized quantum circuits

Abstract Adiabatic quantum computing is a universal model for quantum computing whose implementation using a gate-based quantum computer requires depths that are unreachable in the early fault-tolerant era. To mitigate the limitations of near-term devices, a number of hybrid approaches have been pursued in which a parameterized quantum circuit prepares and measures quantum states and a classical optimization algorithm minimizes an objective function that encompasses the solution to the problem of interest. In this work, we propose a different approach starting by analyzing how a small perturbation of a Hamiltonian affects the parameters that minimize the energy within a family of parameterized quantum states. We derive a set of equations that allow us to compute the new minimum by solving a constrained linear system of equations that is obtained from measuring a series of observables on the unperturbed system. We then propose a discrete version of adiabatic quantum computing that can be implemented in a near-term device while at the same time is insensitive to the initialization of the parameters and to other limitations hindered in the optimization part of variational quantum algorithms. We compare our proposed algorithm with the variational quantum eigensolver on two classical optimization problems, namely MaxCut and number partitioning, and on a quantum-spin configuration problem, the transverse-field ising chain model, and confirm that our approach demonstrates superior performance.

Flexibility and Innovation in Decisional Capacity Assessment.

Since the 1980s, the four skills criteria have become the most widely accepted mechanism for the assessment of decisional capacity in the United States. These criteria emerged in response to the paternalistic approach to clinical decision-making that had been widely accepted in an earlier era and offered a means of ensuring that physicians honored the rights of capacitated patients to make their own medical decisions. Unfortunately, the criteria are now applied to situations for which they are not suited and in a manner that is often highly inflexible. In an article in this issue of The Journal, Matthew Dernbach and colleagues describe one potential scenario that requires a flexible approach to using the four skills model: situations in which a patient stands at high risk of losing decisional capacity in the near future. Using Dernbach et al. as a starting point, this article offers specific ways in which the four skills model can be improved upon or augmented without abandoning its key principles. These advances include adjusting to empirical evidence, re-emphasizing the importance of autonomy maximization and restorability, and embracing novel conceptual and technological innovations.

A simple model of magnetic universe without singularity associated with a quadratic equation of state

A model of magnetic universe based on nonlinear electrodynamics has been introduced by Kruglov (Phys Rev D 92:123523, 2015). This model describes an early inflation era followed by a radiation era. We show that this model is related to the model of universe based on a quadratic equation of state introduced in our previous paper (Chavanis in Universe 1:357, 2015). This correspondence may provide a more fundamental justification of our equation of state. It may arise from quantum corrections to linear electrodynamics when the electromagnetic field becomes very high. We discuss two quantitatively different models of early universe. In Model I, the primordial density of the universe is identified with the Planck density. At t=0\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$t=0$$\\end{document}, the universe had the characteristics of a Planck black hole (“planckion” particle). During the inflation, which takes place on a Planck timescale, the size of the universe evolves from the Planck length to a size comparable to the Compton wavelength of the neutrino. If we interpret the radius of the universe at the end of the inflation (neutrino’s Compton wavelength) as a minimum length related to quantum gravity and use Zeldovich’s first formula of the vacuum energy, we obtain the correct value of the cosmological constant. In Model II, the primordial density of the universe is identified with the electron density as a consequence of nonlinear electrodynamics. At t=0\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$t=0$$\\end{document}, the universe had the characteristics of an electron. This can be viewed as a refinement of the “primeval atom” of Lemaître. During the inflation, which takes place on a gravitoelectronic timescale, the size of the universe evolves from the electron’s classical radius to a size comparable to the size of a dark energy star of the stellar mass. If we interpret the radius of the universe at the beginning of the inflation (electron’s classical radius) as a minimum length related to quantum gravity and use Zeldovich’s second formula of the vacuum energy, we obtain the correct value of the cosmological constant. This provides an accurate form of Eddington’s relation between the cosmological constant and the mass of the electron. We use these arguments to show that the present universe contains about 1080\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$10^{80}$$\\end{document} protons (Eddington’s number). We also introduce a nonlinear electromagnetic Lagrangian that describes simultaneously the early inflation, the radiation era, and the dark energy era. It may account for a form of “generalized radiation” that is present from the beginning to the end of the cosmic evolution. Baryonic and dark matter are treated as independent noninteracting species. The dark energy era is due to the electromagnetic vacuum energy (zero-point radiation). In this approach, both the early inflation and the late acceleration of the universe (dark energy) arise as a consequence of nonlinear electrodynamics. This leads to a simple model of magnetic universe without singularity (aioniotic universe).

Observable signatures of no-scale supergravity in NANOGrav

In light of NANOGrav data, we provide for the first time possible observational signatures of Superstring theory. First, we work with inflection-point inflationary potentials naturally realized within Wess–Zumino-type no-scale Supergravity, which give rise to the formation of microscopic primordial black holes (PBHs) triggering an early matter-dominated era (eMD) and evaporating before big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). Remarkably, we obtain an abundant production of primordial gravitational waves (PGW) at the frequency ranges of nHz, Hz and kHz and in strong agreement with pulsar time array (PTA) gravitational wave (GW) data. This PGW background could serve as a compelling observational signature for the presence of quantum gravity via no-scale Supergravity.

Ukraine-Russian War Challenges and Opportunities

Our world has always faced numerous issues, driven by both natural cycles and the egoistic desires of states. Global organizations struggle to prevent human rights violations and environmental damage, as international structures from the early industrial era have become ineffective. A new Cold War has emerged, shifting from military to psycho-material spheres, with a focus on AI, drones, cybersecurity, and nuclear weapons. In the northwest of Eurasia, a new military intervention among Slavs is in full swing. Two forces, each stubbornly refusing to capitulate, fight against each other, raising questions about the morality of their actions. Every people, ethnicity, or nation has the right to self-determination, but these conflicts often lead to significant geopolitical tensions. Ukraine, a sovereign state, is at the heart of this global tension. It has the right to decide what is best for its people and to choose its own path of development. However, in our globalized world, every action can have far-reaching consequences, much like the "butterfly effect." Ukraine must consider the interests of its former partners and modern neighbors to navigate this complex landscape. At this critical juncture, Ukraine must reflect on its choices, asking itself: "What did we overlook?" The country's decisions are pivotal, not only for its future but also for global stability. Every move in this geopolitical chess game has the potential to alter the balance of power, making Ukraine's choices crucial in shaping the outcome of this new era of global relations.

Outcomes of donation after circulatory death (DCD) and ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) lung transplantation

BackgroundDonation after circulatory death (DCD) and ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) have been adopted to expand the donor pool in lung transplantation, but outcomes data have been conflicting. This study explores mid-term outcomes of DCD lung transplantation in the modern era, with a focus on EVLP and risk factors for graft failure. MethodsThe United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database was queried for adult lung transplants from 1/1/2015 to 3/1/2023. Loss to follow-up, multiorgan and prior lung transplants were excluded. DCD vs DBD (donation after brain death) lung transplants were compared, with subgroup analysis +/- EVLP. Outcomes were survival and postoperative complications. Overall survival was analyzed separately for an early era (2015-2018) and modern era (2019-2023). ResultsThe study included 1103 DCD (221 with EVLP, and 882 without) and 17973 donation after brain death (DBD) lung transplants (524 with EVLP, and 17449 without). Median follow-up was 3 years. DCD donors were less likely to be CDC high risk (19.3% vs 24.1%, p<0.001), have purulence on bronchoscopy (13.3% vs 18.3%, p<0.001) or infiltrates on chest x-ray (66.7% vs 67.8%, p=0.013). EVLP was more likely to be used for DCD transplants (20.0% vs 2.9%, p<0.001).After transplant, DCD recipients were more likely to be reintubated (24.3% vs 18.5%, p<0.001) and require ECMO within 72 hours (14.9% vs 7.8%, p<0.001), and DCD donation was an independent risk factor for these complications on multivariable logistic regression. Overall survival did not differ significantly between DCD and DBD transplants on adjusted survival analysis in the early or modern era (p=0.774 and p=0.468 respectively). On multivariable Cox regression, DCD and EVLP were not independent risk factors for mortality.On subgroup analysis, the DCD+EVLP cohort had significantly worse survival in the modern era, which remained significant after adjusting for donor and recipient factors (p=0.005). EVLP was an independent risk factor for graft failure in the DCD cohort (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.00-1.77, p=0.047), but did not significantly affect DBD graft survival (p=0.870). Risk factors for graft failure and mortality in the DCD+EVLP cohort included pulmonary hypertension (HR 77.5, 95% CI 6.15-979, p<0.001), transfusion prior to transplant (HR 2.60, 95% CI 1.07-6.31, p=0.035), elevated creatinine (HR 2.82, 95% CI 1.34-5.90, p=0.006), and higher allocation score (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.04, p=0.017) ConclusionStudy findings suggest increased risks of mortality and perioperative complications following transplantation with DCD lungs that have undergone EVLP. DCD lung transplantation without EVLP confers equivalent survival but with some increase in perioperative complications. Further investigation and careful recipient selection is warranted to optimize the use of these extended criteria donors in the modern era.

Evaluating the sophisticated digital assets and cryptocurrencies capacities of substituting international currencies in inflationary eras

This study investigates the dynamic nexus that major international currencies (US dollar, Euro, Japanese yen) exhibit with cryptocurrencies and highly innovative digital money (DeFi and NFT assets) during inflationary periods such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict (from 14 December 2021 until 1 March 2024). The Quantile Vector Autoregressive methodology as in Cunado et al. (2023) and daily data are adopted to investigate the net joint extended dynamic connectedness and network connectedness at lower and upper quantiles. Conventional international currencies act as hedgers against shocks while major cryptocurrencies are only modest generators with Ripple being an influential absorber of effects. DeFi mainly serve for counteracting losses from conventional investments in bear or bull markets and Maker is the most prominent generator of spillovers while NFTs mostly rely on a few very strong leaders –Gala being by far the strongest- to have an impact, imitating Bitcoin in the early cryptocurrency era.

HOLISTIC EDUCATION IN THE EUROPEAN SOCIO-CULTURAL SPACE IN THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD

The article presents a historical-pedagogical analysis of the content and development of the humanistic idea of holistic education in the European socio-cultural space during the Early Modern Period. It traces the value-based interpretations of the idea of holistic education within both secular (Renaissance humanism) and religious (Christian humanism) worldviews of the early modern era. The study reveals that the concept of holistic education was formulated within the philosophical and cultural discourse of Renaissance humanism. It is noted that the Renaissance ideal of holistic education was based on three key components: first, the virtues of broad erudition, intellectual culture, and the art of rhetoric; second, moral principles focused on the ideals of goodness, virtue, modesty, and personal inner culture, as well as Christian priorities of love and compassion; third, the recognition of the individual as the highest value, grounded in the dignity and rights of the person, and the idea of comprehensive and harmonious development of one’s abilities and talents. This also includes the Renaissance virtues of active engagement, initiative, industriousness, persistence, and the appreciation of physical beauty and courage. It is shown that the institutionalization of the idea of holistic education was carried out through the educational activities of Protestant gymnasiums, Jesuit colleges, brotherhood schools, and other educational institutions founded in the context of Protestant Reformation, Catholic Reformation, and religious reforms in the East Slavic lands. The article outlines the civilizational and human-creative significance of the concept of holistic education for the formation of modern European civilization.