Extreme Positions Research Articles

Revisiting the diffusion coefficient calculation of Mg in face centred cubic aluminium

The trajectory along the diffusion path is determined by structure repetitions, or images, within the Nudged Elastic Band methodology. In the literature using a single image, among the initial and final position of the vacancy site, is well accepted to determine the transition state, and hence, the enthalpy of migration to model diffusion within aluminium. Scaling the number of evolving images, in the Nudged Elastic Band methodology, is performed for the first time to our knowledge, to determine transition states for the diffusion of magnesium in face centred cubic aluminium. Since a single image locates the transition state away from the expected middle place, along the diffusion path. With an odd number of evolving images is possible to clearly place the saddle point exactly halfway, in between extremal positions, as the enthalpy of migration converges its magnitude. Adjusting the number of evolving images consolidates then a scheme to accurately determine transition states, within the methodology to compute macroscopic diffusion factors, and the results also demonstrate that single image calculations provide a coarse result for diffusion parameters, meanwhile, the converged number of images locates the Arrhenius plot in good agreement with previous ab-initio calculations and experimental measurements.

Spatial mapping of posture-dependent resistance to passive displacement of the hypertonic arm post-stroke

BackgroundMuscles in the post-stroke arm commonly demonstrate abnormal reflexes that result in increased position- and velocity-dependent resistance to movement. We sought to develop a reliable way to quantify mechanical consequences of abnormal neuromuscular mechanisms throughout the reachable workspace in the hemiparetic arm post-stroke.MethodsSurvivors of hemiparetic stroke (HS) and neurologically intact (NI) control subjects were instructed to relax as a robotic device repositioned the hand of their hemiparetic arm between several testing locations that sampled the arm's passive range of motion. During transitions, the robot induced motions at either the shoulder or elbow joint at three speeds: very slow (6°/s), medium (30°/s), and fast (90°/s). The robot held the hand at the testing location for at least 20 s after each transition. We recorded and analyzed hand force and electromyographic activations from selected muscles spanning the shoulder and elbow joints during and after transitions.ResultsHand forces and electromyographic activations were invariantly small at all speeds and all sample times in NI control subjects but varied systematically by transport speed during and shortly after movement in the HS subjects. Velocity-dependent resistance to stretch diminished within 2 s after movement ceased in the hemiparetic arms. Hand forces and EMGs changed very little from 2 s after the movement ended onward, exhibiting dependence on limb posture but no systematic dependence on movement speed or direction. Although each HS subject displayed a unique field of hand forces and EMG responses across the workspace after movement ceased, the magnitude of steady-state hand forces was generally greater near the outer boundaries of the workspace than in the center of the workspace for the HS group but not the NI group.ConclusionsIn the HS group, electromyographic activations exhibited abnormalities consistent with stroke-related decreases in the stretch reflex thresholds. These observations were consistent across repeated testing days. We expect that the approach described here will enable future studies to elucidate stroke's impact on the interaction between the neural mechanisms mediating control of upper extremity posture and movement during goal-directed actions such as reaching and pointing with the arm and hand.

Atomic-scale study of linear reciprocating friction of TCP/γ phase in nickel-based single crystal alloy

In order to systematically investigate the role of TCP (topologically close-packed) phases in the fretting wear process of nickel-based single crystal alloys (NBSC), this study employed molecular dynamics to conduct comparative analyses of mechanical properties, atomic displacements, wear depth, defects, dislocation density, and the influence of temperature under constant load on the friction process in material wear. The research revealed that during the repetitive friction process, the friction force exhibited a peak at the extreme positions of reciprocating friction on the workpieces, and this peak increased with the number of friction cycles. The dislocation density in the worn area increased, resulting in hardening, and the removal rate of material decreased. At the initial stages of friction, the presence of interfaces notably hindered the transfer of temperature, defects, and atomic displacements in the workpiece, and this inhibitory effect weakened with an increasing number of friction cycles. The TCP phases experienced stratification due to the overall deformation they underwent. Furthermore, as the relaxation temperature increased, the workpiece exhibited enhanced plastic deformation capacity, an increase in dislocation density, and adhesion between abrasive particles and the grinding ball occurred.

Analysis and Mechanism(s) of Hemophilia a Pain in Factor VIII Knockout Mice

Hemophilia A (HA) is characterized by spontaneous bleeding and pain. To understand mechanisms underlying HA pain, we developed models of chronic & acute pain in FVIII knock-out (F8KO; B6;129S-F8tm1Kaz/J) male mice using innovative translatable measures to assess pain-related behaviors & gait. We tested for: [i] mechanical hyperalgesia using von-Frey monofilaments; [ii] physical activity using weight-bearing with incapacitance meter and video recordings of free moving mice for locomotion (walking/running), grooming (licking/rubbing body) & rearing (standing); and [iii] gait analysis during normal walking using in-house assembled MouseWalker with high-speed camera & artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithms. We observed significant increase in behavioral features of pain starting at ~8wks which continues to 20wks in F8KO Vs age matched B6 (p<0.05), including mechanical hyperalgesia, weight-bearing asymmetry, less time in locomotion, rearing & grooming. Gait analysis of ~10wks F8KO showed lowered all-stance, increased body instability, single-swing & posterior extreme position indices to compensate for body instability. This suggests that joint pain may interfere with weight-bearing & locomotion in F8KO, consistent with joint pain, and affect daily activities such as walking in HA patients. To simulate bleeding-induced “ acute” pain, we gently inserted 30 G needle into sub patellar position of right hind leg of ~6wks old, anesthetized mice. F8KO showed significantly (p<0.05) reduced locomotion, rearing, grooming, %weight applied and increased mechanical sensitivity on injured limb at 4 days post-injury (4D PI) Vs uninjured (UI) F8KO lasting to 4wks PI for most of behavioral parameters suggesting that nociceptive inputs are induced at injury and pain persists after healing. We observed significant spatiotemporal gait alterations in F8KO PI Vs UI (p<0.05 for all features), including reduced stance duration, step length, swing speed and increased swing duration in the injured right hind limb (IRHL) indicative of avoidance of weight bearing on IRHL. To compensate, UI left hind limb (LHL) showed increased stance & reduced swing duration on LHL & left front limb (LFL). These data suggest that F8KO tends to spend shorter ground time on IRHL and longer airtime, compensated by UI LHL & LFL. These observations are complementary to those of mice with sciatic nerve injury & arthritis and patients with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and gout. We observed significant (<0.05) alterations in interlimb coordination with decreased diagonal swing & compensation with increased bound swing, the simultaneous motion of both FLs. A significant increase in all stance index could be compared to increased double support phase & stance phase in patients with HA. F8KO 4D PI showed significant (p<0.05) increase in plasma serum amyloid P & IL6 Vs UI F8KO & injured B6 (IB6). Knee joint at 4D PI Vs UI F8KO & IB6, showed expansion of synovial membrane with increased cellular infiltrate & significant (p<0.05) increase in myeloperoxidase, neutrophil elastase +ve cells, degranulating mast cells, calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP). H&E and iron-stained sections of the knee joint ~8wks PI showed significant signs of hemarthropathy (p<0.05) Vs UI F8KO & I B6. Interestingly, at ~14wks UI knee joint of F8KO showed significant stromal changes Vs UI B6 demonstrated by increased vasculature, iron stores & mild synovial hyperplasia, indicative of subclinical bleeding that could trigger the transition to chronic pain with age. The underlying mechanisms involve inflammation, mast cell and neutrophil activation, and vascular changes, perhaps triggered by bleeding. Mast cell tryptase & neutrophil elastase activate protease-activated receptor 2, which may cause nociceptor and endothelial activation, leading to vascular dysfunction and pain. SP and CGRP stimulate vascular permeability and arteriolar dilatation, respectively, and are involved in the generation and maintenance of pain. Thus, neuro-immune and neuro-vascular mechanisms underlie HA pain and may interfere with healing. We show features of pain, gait & weight bearing changes in F8KO mice similar to those of HA patients. Sensory and gait tests used by us have the potential to develop objective measures of pain in HA. Gait changes in F8KO mice precede joint arthropathy, thus may be an early assessment tool in patients with HA.

Non-contact online inspection method for the appearance diameter uniformity of chemical fiber filaments

As chemical fiber filaments diameter variation directly affects spinning quality, spinning condition monitoring becomes more and more important in an intelligent manufacturing environment. Firstly, based on the single-slit Fraunhofer diffraction model and the Babinet principle, the non-contact filaments diffraction model is developed to generate diffraction fringe patterns by irradiating chemical fiber filaments with He–Ne laser. Secondly, for the characteristics of diffraction fringe patterns, a segmentation mask window-based diffraction fringe center of gravity extraction method is proposed, and a zero-phase Butterworth low-pass filter is designed and applied to the diffraction light intensity curves to accurately extract the extreme points positions of the adjacent dark fringe and calculate the diameter information. Finally, the non-contact chemical fiber filaments appearance diameter online inspection experiment platform is built to carry out static and dynamic experiments of filaments. The experimental results show that the maximum absolute value of absolute error is less than 1.1 μm for static measurement and less than 10 μm for dynamic measurement.

DA LI IM JE ZAISTA STALO DO NAS? O GRANICAMA DRŽAVNOG INTERVENCIONIZMA

This paper examines the limits of state intervention through the relationship between freedom and equality, the rule of law and social justice, as well as through two highly contradictory concepts regarding the scope of government action – the concepts of minimal state and paternalistic state. Accordingly, we seek to identify a model capable of outlining the extent to which the state can intervene in the light of socially beneficial goals, but without compromising individual freedom. Since we cannot find such a model within the extreme positions of liberalism and socialism, this paper seeks to offer a satisfactory solution by mitigating some of the ideologically exclusive positions. It embraces Aristotle’s teaching about the middle as a virtue and proposes sophisticated neoliberalism as a potential alternative to the status quo. Still, as insisted, the government should never be allowed to assume uncontrollable powers and create conditions for collectivist doctrines that recognize no individual freedom. Key Words: equality, freedom, rule of law, social justice, state intervention

Modelling opinion dynamics under the impact of influencer and media strategies

Digital communication has made the public discourse considerably more complex, and new actors and strategies have emerged as a result of this seismic shift. Aside from the often-studied interactions among individuals during opinion formation, which have been facilitated on a large scale by social media platforms, the changing role of traditional media and the emerging role of “influencers” are not well understood, and the implications of their engagement strategies arising from the incentive structure of the attention economy even less so. Here we propose a novel framework for opinion dynamics that can accommodate various versions of opinion dynamics as well as account for different roles, namely that of individuals, media and influencers, who change their own opinion positions on different time scales. Numerical simulations of instances of this framework show the importance of their relative influence in creating qualitatively different opinion formation dynamics: with influencers, fragmented but short-lived clusters emerge, which are then counteracted by more stable media positions. The framework allows for mean-field approximations by partial differential equations, which reproduce those dynamics and allow for efficient large-scale simulations when the number of individuals is large. Based on the mean-field approximations, we can study how strategies of influencers to gain more followers can influence the overall opinion distribution. We show that moving towards extreme positions can be a beneficial strategy for influencers to gain followers. Finally, our framework allows us to demonstrate that optimal control strategies allow other influencers or media to counteract such attempts and prevent further fragmentation of the opinion landscape. Our modelling framework contributes to a more flexible modelling approach in opinion dynamics and a better understanding of the different roles and strategies in the increasingly complex information ecosystem.

Evaluating the safe zone for lumbar pedicle screws: are midline crossing screws indicative of pedicle breach?

BACKGROUND CONTEXTPedicle screw breach (PSB) is not uncommon following lumbar instrumentation, and in some instances, it may lead to vascular and/or neurologic complications. Previous literature suggested that screws crossing the vertebral midline on an anterior-posterior (AP) radiograph (or midsagittal on CT) are concerning for medial pedicle breach. OBJECTIVEOur primary aim was to map out the safe zones (SZ) of bilateral pedicle instrumentation and their relationship at each lumbar vertebral level. Our secondary aim was to evaluate the presence of SZs’ intersection at each lumbar level, denoting safe midline pedicle screw crossing not otherwise associated with medial pedicle breach. STUDY DESIGN/SETTINGRetrospective Anatomical Study. PATIENT SAMPLEAdult patients in the from “The Cancer Imaging Archive” (TCIA) database who have not had thoraco-lumbo-sacral fusion. OUTCOME MEASURESPhysiologic measures obtained through 3D analysis of CT images and virtual pedicle screws. METHODCT scans of 51 patients were randomly selected from “The Cancer Imaging Archive” (TCIA) online database for analysis. The Sectra 3D Spine software was used to create 3D renderings, place virtual screws, and make measurements. At each lumbar vertebra, the right and left pedicle corridors were mapped. At each pedicle, two screw positions were templated, the “medial limit screw” (MLS) and the “lateral limit screw” (LLS). Each limit screw was the most extreme position that the screw could exist in without causing a medial or lateral breach. The safe zone was defined as the zone between MLS and LLS. Measurements were taken for each level (between L1 and L5) and side (Left, Right). RESULTSA total of 253 lumbar vertebrae from 51 patients (mean age 53.1, 56.9% male) were included. Two vertebrae from two patients were removed for poor image quality. Out of the 506 screw positions analyzed in our study, 97.4% had overlapping SZ and crossed the midplane without medial pedicle breach. The significant factors (p<.01) for safe midplane-crossing screws included: the screw length (L1–L5); the laterality of the screw entry point (L1–L4); and the pedicle diameter (L2 and L5). CONCLUSIONSA midline crossing pedicle screw on a lumbar AP radiograph is not necessarily indicative of a medial pedicle screw breach. Anatomical (ie, larger pedicle diameter) and technical (ie, longer screws, and lateral entry points) factors allow for safety zone intersections and indicate safe midline crossing by pedicle screws.

К вопросу о принадлежности митрополита Иоасафа (Скрипицына) к кругу «нестяжателей»

The article contains a critical analysis of the opinion prevailing in russian historiography that the metropolitan of All Russia Joasaph (Skripitsyn), unlike his predecessor Daniil, was a supporter of the so-called «non-possessors» - representatives of russian monasticism who called for renouncement of monasteries from land estates. Based on the sources cited in the article, the author comes to the conclusion that the opinion that metropolitan Joasaph (Skripitsyn) belongs to the «non-possessors» should be recognized as unfounded. It seems that in the context of modern ideas about the controversy between "Josephites" and "non-possessors" it would be generally incorrect to raise the question of the "non-possessiveness" of Ioasaph (Skripitsyn). Russian monasticism in the second quarter of the 16th century. was not totally divided on the issue of attitude to the monastic lands into two irreconcilable camps. The presence in his midst of groups of "Josephites" and "nonpossessors" who occupied extreme positions on the issue of church land ownership does not mean that all the rest certainly had to decide on such a "party" affiliation. Joasaph (Skripitsyn), unlike Metropolitan Daniel and Vassian (Patrikeev), most likely was alien to such a biased view of both the problem of monastic lands and monasticism in general.

20 years of niche parties being ‘fundamentally different’: Party constituency versus mean voter representation on multiple issues

The literature on the concept of niche parties is rapidly growing. Characterized by a narrow electorate with extreme issue positions or salience and their responsiveness to this electorate, debate remains as to their operationalization and multidimensional behavior. This paper explores the variation in definitions used to identify niche parties or “nicheness” and analyzes their implications for the validity of findings about the strategic behavior of niche parties. Specifically, we replicate a much cited article, which argues that niche parties are more responsive to their supporters than mainstream parties while mainstream parties are more responsive to the general electorate. Using manifesto, expert, and survey data covering more than 81 European parties in the period 2006-2019, we show that this key finding is surprisingly robust to various niche party definitions. Beyond this, we demonstrate that niche parties are more responsive to their voters in multidimensional space, while mainstream parties are primarily responsive to the general electorate. The multidimensional responsiveness of niche parties - to their narrower electorate - ought to be taken into account by future scholars of party-voter linkages.

Do ideologically extreme voters have extreme perceptions of political parties?

Increasingly, electoral politics are not only about differences in opinion but also about differences in perception. In this paper, I analyze how ideologically extreme and moderate voters perceive political parties of different ideological outlooks. I aim to determine whether ideological polarization has a double component: Ideologically extreme voters are farther away from their non-supported parties not only because of their extreme positions but also because they allocate these parties more to the extremes than moderate voters. By using cross-sectional data from several elections over more than 20 years and comparing more than one million three hundred thousand respondents’ perceptions of more than 1200 parties, I find that ideologically extreme and moderate voters have different views of political parties: Extreme voters perceive parties to be more extreme than moderate voters. This difference in perceptions leads extreme voters to have more biased perceptions of parties’ positions on the left–right dimension than moderate voters. In all, the results suggest that voters’ perceptions of parties differ from what would be expected from models in which voters try to diminish cognitive dissonance by rationalizing their decisions: More ideologically extreme voters perceive parties on the other side of the ideological spectrum as more extreme. Beyond showing that extremism should be considered a key variable to understand voters’ perceptions of parties and subjective polarization, the existence of a double component of ideological polarization suggests that reconciling different policy preferences will be categorically harder for those ideologically in the extremes.

Realization of combined dynamic motion mode for roller forming unit

The combined dynamic mode of the reciprocating motion for a forming trolley is calculated to increase the reliability and durability of the roller forming unit. The criterion action is used as a criterion of the motion mode, which is an integral over time with the sub-integral function that expresses the acceleration «energy» when calculating the combined dynamic motion mode of the forming trolley in the acceleration and braking areas. The change functions of the kinematic characteristics of the forming trolley during its motion from one extreme position to another, which correspond to the combined dynamic mode of the reciprocating motion, are calculated. The displacement and speed of the forming trolley in the acceleration and braking areas change smoothly with this motion mode, without creating significant dynamic loads in the unit, which in turn has a positive effect on its durability.&#x0D; The variation law of the compaction rollers angular velocity is calculated by taking into account the change functions of the forming trolley speed. The roller forming unit design with a drive from the high-torque stepper motor is proposed, which is mounted in the compaction rollers of the forming trolley and provides the combined dynamic mode of reciprocating motion for the forming trolley. The surface quality of the processed concrete mixture is increased, dynamic loads in the drive mechanism elements are reduced, unnecessary destructive loads on the frame construction are disappeared and, accordingly, the reliability and durability of the unit as a whole are increased, when we use the such drive in the unit.

Effect of Magnetic Shunts on Shell-Type Transformers Characteristics

A three-dimensional analysis of the leakage magnetic field in a transformer with beveled edges in a magnetic shunt is described. This paper contains a mathematical description of the finite element method used in performing numerical calculations. Formulas allowing to determine the differential and integral parameters of the magnetic field were presented. Magnetic flux density distributions and the points with high values were determined in the shell-type core and movable shunt sub-areas. For different positions of the magnetic shunt, the short-circuit transformer reactance was calculated as the integral parameter of the above-mentioned magnetic field analysis. Their amounts for the extreme positions of the shunt were given, as well. The movable magnetic shunt geometry impact on the short-circuit current value is given. In order to validate the calculation results, the research included some point measurements of magnetic flux density vectors and the winding reactances as well, and good compliance with the simulation data has been obtained. Thus, this analysis can also be applied to other objects with movable shunts in their magnetic systems.

Analysis of Geometry Verification of X, Y, Z Correction Values with Megavoltage Computed Tomography Using Lower Extremity Positioning System in Prostate Cancer

The immobilization tool is used to minimize the movement caused while doing irradiation, one of the immobilization tools is the Lower Extremity Positioning System (LEPS) which is used to minimize movement in the Pelvis area. This research was conducted at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Central General Hospital. The type of this research is analytics quantitative. This research used 15 samples with secondary data, which were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria’s. The secondary data will be analyzed namely the consistency between the Set-Up value (Couch Position before verification) and the MVCT (Couch Position after verification) value using the Non-Parametric Wilcoxon statistical test, and evaluating the shifting values of X, Y and Z with tolerance standards from AAPM TG-148 which is 2 mm. The results obtained are based on statistical analysis of the Set-Up value with the MVCT results obtained that there is no significant difference, and based on the overall substance, the total that exceeds the tolerance of X coordinates is 92 times with a percentage of 68%, from Y coordinates that is 80 times with a percentage of 59%, from the Z coordinate which is 51 times with a percentage of 38% there is a shift that exceeds tolerance. The conclusion is that the results of MVCT verification still occur that exceed the tolerance standard so that LEPS is still not effective in preventing shifts that occur during radiation therapy.

Effect of temperature step on selection strategy of deposition head lift height and manufacturing stability during the direct laser deposition process

Based on the layer by layer cladding characteristics of the direct laser deposition (DLD), the optimal selection strategy of deposition head lift height is one of the effective methods to maintain the manufacturing process stability, improve product quality, and reduce complex post-process. However, owing to the temperature step caused by changeable layer residual temperature, the selection of deposition head lift height becomes extremely complex. In this paper, to clearly analyze the effect of temperature step on selection strategy of deposition head lift height for the DLD multilayer deposition process with a 1.85 kW fiber laser and a coupled coaxial four-channel nozzle, a semi-theoretical model considering the main physical phenomena involved in DLD process is proposed, validated, and applied. Here, working plane position, deposition head lift height, and step of residual and preheating temperature are considered as input process variables while manufacturing stability and error are determined as process responses. Results show that without considering the temperature influence, the final manufacturing stability can be achieved by ensuring that the distance between the deposition head and the initial working plane is less than the maximum relative distance corresponding to the selected deposition head lift height. When the layer residual temperature is considered, the single-layer cladding height steps positively, which makes the extreme working plane position positively migrated, and the manufacturing stability is also further enhanced. However, due to the migration of the finally stable working plane position, the manufacturing errors are also conditionally changed. Finally, in order to obtain an optimal manufacturing process, for any DLD process where the initial working plane position has been determined, the deposition head lift height should be selected slightly smaller than the single-layer height corresponding to that determined plane under residual temperature condition (hTr,Si), otherwise the manufacturing process will gradually lose stability and lead to fabrication failure.

On some extremal position problems for graphs

On some extremal position problems for graphs

The study on the characteristics of active force of neck muscles under rapid braking conditions

This paper studies the active force characteristics of the neck muscles under the condition of rapid braking, which can provide theoretical support for reducing the neck injury of pilots when carrier-based aircraft blocks the landing. We carried out static loading and real vehicle braking experiments under rapid braking conditions, collected the active contraction force and electromyography (EMG) signals of neck muscles, and analyzed the response characteristics of neck muscle active force response. The results showed that the head and neck forward tilt time was delayed and the amplitude decreased during neck muscle pre-tightening. The duration of the neck in the extreme position decreased, and the recovery towards the seat direction was faster. The EMG signals of trapezius muscle was higher than sternocleidomastoid muscle. This suggests that pilots can reduce neck injury by pre-tightening the neck muscles during actual braking flight. In addition, we can consider the design of relevant fittings for pre-tightening the neck muscles.

Across-time risk-aware strategies for outperforming a benchmark

We propose a novel objective function for constructing dynamic investment strategies with the goal of outperforming an investment benchmark at multiple points of evaluation during the investment time horizon. The proposed objective is intuitive, easy to parameterize, and directly targets a favorable tracking difference of the actively managed portfolio relative to the benchmark. Under stylized assumptions, we derive closed-form optimal investment strategies to guide the intuition in more realistic settings. In the case of discrete rebalancing with investment constraints, optimal strategies are obtained using a neural network-based numerical approach that does not rely on dynamic programming techniques. Compared to the targeting of a favorable tracking difference relative to the benchmark only at some fixed time horizon, our results show that the proposed objective offers a number of advantages: (i) The associated optimal strategies exhibit potentially more attractive asset allocation profiles, in that less extreme positions in individual assets are taken early in the investment time horizon, while achieving a similar terminal terminal wealth distribution. (ii) Across-time risk awareness leads to more robust performance and a higher probability of benchmark outperformance during the investment horizon in out-of-sample testing. The resulting strategies therefore exhibit desirable characteristics for active portfolio managers with periodic reporting requirements.

Gloss to the Judgment of the Court of Appeal in Łódź of 11 August, 2021, I ACa 139/20, Concerning Strict Liability for the Collapse of a Structure or Detachment of its Parts

The subject of this gloss is the responsibility of the autonomous possessor for the collapse of a building or detachment of its parts. Having analysed the judgment, the author observes that the concepts of a structure (building) as well as detachment of its parts are interpreted too broadly in judicial decisions. Not every detachment (such as a destroyed fence and broken glass in the front door or in the balcony balustrade) justifies the strict liability of their autonomous possessor. Therefore, the current position in this respect needs revising. However, in many actual situations, the actions or omissions of other people, including the aggrieved party, may be included in the chain of causation. Consequently, the question arises whether and to what extent these circumstances may affect the autonomous possessor‘s liability and its scope. It is particularly important to determine the aggrieved party’s behaviour which can be qualified as contributing to or increasing the extent of the damage. The extreme positions of individual courts in this respect vary from the necessity of complicity (culpa concurens) to the sufficient requirement of complicity (causa concurens), which causes great uncertainty of decisions that may differ under similar circumstances. The above question as well as other issues regarding the co-responsibility of the autonomous possessor of the structure and other people whose actions or omissions resulted in the damage, have been considered in the gloss to the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Łódź of 11 August, 2021 (I ACa 139/20).

God, a metaphor: A meditation on Alejandra Pizarnik’s “Awakening”

Alejandra Pizarnik’s life was a long preparation for suicide. But instead of letting the Argentine poet’s death define her legacy, this article will focus on her intellectual sparring with the notion of God – and her ultimate strategy of turning God into a strawman for her own processes of creation. In her diaries, Pizarnik vows – like a prayer – never to call on God, never to invoke him. This is, she writes, the ultimate test: her blood may boil, her screams may consume her, her veins may burst, but she would rather keep her mouth shut. Pizarnik couldn’t bring herself to believe in God – which means she couldn’t stop writing about him. This article will centre its analysis on Pizarnik’s most famous poem, “Awakening,” in which she repeatedly invokes the Lord (“Lord / the cage has turned into a bird / and taken flight”) until she turns him into something else, something darker still. By resorting to her diaries spanning the late 50s until her death in the early 70s, as well as her connection to the oeuvres of Sylvia Plath, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Jacques Lacan, this article will show how Pizarnik – labeled as a “gifted girl” – was placed (and placed herself) in the impossible position of being expected to be ambitious (because she was gifted) but not too ambitious (because she was a woman). “Awakening,” written and published between 1956 and 1958, articulates the turning point of Pizarnik’s extreme position toward God: how can someone who pushed herself so hard accept a God that would be willing to forgive anything?