Paradoxical Phenomenon Research Articles

Less risk factor at AMI onset, higher risk in prognosis---the paradoxical phenomenon from MIMIC-III database

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Introduction Numerous epidemiologic studies have confirmed that Standard Modifiable Cardiovascular Risk Factors (SMuRFs) are independent risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) and are recommended by guidelines for the primary and secondary prevention of CHD. However, it is interesting to find that the increasing proportion of individuals without SMuRFs in CHD and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Moreover, accumulating clinical trials have reported the inverse association between the number of risk factors and crude mortality in AMI. It is unknown whether this paradoxical phenomenon can be seen in critical ill patients. Purpose To analyze and validate whether the number of risk factors contradicts the mortality outcome in patients with AMI in the MIMIC-III (Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III) database. Methods A total of 2484 AMI patients (62.8% male, mean age 71.2 [59.3;80.8] years) admitting to cardiac care unit for the first time from the MIMIC-III database were enrolled. Risk factors were defined as hypertension, diabetes,dyslipidemia, and smoking history. They were grouped according to the number of risk factors. Main outcome was mortality at 2-year following hospitalization. Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for baseline clinical characteristics and in-hospital treatment were constructed to evaluate the impact of numbers of risk factors on mortality in critical AMI patients. Results At 2-year follow-up, death was observed in 714 patients (28.7%). A total of 474(19.1%),1541(62%),469(18.9%) patients had 0,1-2,3-4 SMuRFs respectively. No risk group has a significantly higher 2-year mortality (Picture 1). Compared with no risk group, patients with 1-2 and 3-4 SMuRFs were correlated to an HR of 0.72(95%CI, 0.61-0.86) and 0.66(95%CI, 0.52-0.83) for all-cause mortality in the unadjusted model. Interestingly, after multivariate adjustment, less risk factor at AMI onset was still associated with poor prognosis. Conclusions Taking into confounders, critical AMI patients with less risk factors have higher risk in poor prognosis. Further studies on this paradoxical phenomenon are needed.

Modelling the pulse population-wide nucleic acid screening in mitigating and stopping COVID-19 outbreaks in China

BackgroundDuring 2021-2022, mainland China experienced multiple times of local COVID-19 outbreaks in several cities, including Yangzhou, Xi’an etc., and the Chinese government persistently adopted the zero-COVID policy in combating with the local outbreaks.MethodsWe develop a mathematical model with pulse population-wide nucleic acid screening, part of the zero-COVID policy, to reveal its role in controlling the spread of COVID-19. We calibrate the model by fitting the COVID-19 epidemic data of the local outbreaks in Yangzhou and Xi’an, China. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to investigate the impact of population-wide nucleic acid screening on controlling the outbreak of COVID-19.ResultsWithout the screening, the cumulative number of confirmed cases increases by 77.7% and 62.2% in Yangzhou and Xi’an, respectively. Meanwhile, the screening program helps to shorten the lockdown period for more than one month when we aim at controlling the cases into zero. Considering its role in mitigating the epidemics, we observe a paradox phenomenon of the screening rate in avoiding the runs on medical resource. That is, the screening will aggravate the runs on medical resource when the screening rate is small, while it helps to relieve the runs on medical resource if the screening rate is high enough. We also conclude that the screening has limited effects on mitigating the epidemics if the outbreak is in a high epidemic level or there has already been runs on medical resources. Alternatively, a smaller screening population per time with a higher screening frequency may be a better program to avoid the runs on medical resources.ConclusionsThe population-wide nucleic acid screening strategy plays an important role in quickly controlling and stopping the local outbreaks under the zero-COVID policy. However, it has limited impacts and even increase the potential risk of the runs on medical resource for containing the large scale outbreaks.

Effects of obesity on short-term mortality in patients with acute heart failure under different nutritional status

BackgroundIncreased body mass index (BMI) is associated with better survival in patients with acute heart failure (AHF), which is a paradoxical phenomenon. However, it is unclear whether different nutritional status affects this association.Methods1325 patients with AHF from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database were retrospectively included. Nutritional status was assessed by serum albumin (SA) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI). Patients were divided into High-SA (≥ 3.5 g/dL) and Low-SA groups (< 3.5 g/dL), and they also were divided into High-PNI (≥ 38) and Low-PNI groups (< 38). Propensity-score matching (PSM) was used to control for the effect of baseline confounding factors, multifactor regression model was adopted to assess the association of nutritional status, BMI, and outcomes in AHF patients.ResultsOf the 1325 patients (mean age 72.4 ± 13.1 years), 52.1% (n = 690) were male, 13.1% (n = 173) died in hospital and 23.5% (n = 311) died within 90 days. Before PSM, after adjusting for potential confounders, in the High-SA population, compared with the under/normal BMI group, overweight and obesity were negatively correlated with 90-day mortality, with adjusted hazard ratios (HR) of 0.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.30–0.74), P = 0.001; HR 0.45, 95%CI (0.28–0.72), P = 0.001, respectively. However, this correlation was much attenuated in the Low-SA group (overweight BMI: HR 1.06, 95%CI 0.75–1.50, P = 0.744; obese BMI: HR 0.86, 95%CI 0.59–1.24, P = 0.413). After PSM, those who were overweight or obese in the High-SA group had a 50–58% reduction in 90-day risk of death, while the protective effect disappeared in the Low-SA group (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.70–1.71; HR 1.02, 95%CI 0.66 − 0.59). Similarly, results were similar in analyses using PNI as a nutritional assessment criterion.ConclusionOverweight or Obesity was associated with lower short-term mortality in well-nourished AHF patients, whereas this association was significantly attenuated or even disappeared in malnourished patients. Therefore, further research is needed for weight loss recommendations for malnourished obese patients with AHF.

Calcium Sulfate Crystallization in Presence of Fluorecent-Tagged Polyacrylate and Some Refinement of Scale Inhibition Mechanism

Deposits of calcium sulfate scale on the surfaces of industrial equipment in distillation facilities, reverse osmosis desalination plants, in oil and gas industries lead to significant clogging of pipes and membranes and to a serious increase in production costs. For the mitigation of scale formation, the wide spectrum of antiscalants is applied. The present work is dedicated to the study of calcium sulfate deposition from supersaturated aqueous solutions in the presence of polyacrylic antiscalant with fluorescent marker (naphthalimide fragment) PAA-F1, which provides traceability of the scale inhibitor and a better understanding of its efficacy. A paradoxical phenomenon is being described here. Antiscalant causes a change in the crystal phase from bassanite to gypsum, significantly reduces the amount of deposit, but does not reveal the presence of its molecules either at the kink, step, or at selected edge sites of deposited crystals. Contrary to the predictions of the theory, it either stays in the aqueous phase, or forms its own separate phase Ca-PAA-F1. It is demonstrated that the antiscalant does not block the surfaces of calcium sulfate nuclei or crystal surfaces, but rather the foreign particles of nanodust with particle sizes around 1 nm, naturally occurring in any aqueous solution. As a result, the number of calcium nucleation sites is reduced, and the rate of scale formation decreases without any apparent antiscalant–scale interaction. On the grounds of the current experiment, the substoichiometric effect of scale inhibition obtained an alternative, quite stoichiometric explanation.

Cultural inheritance-based innovation at heritage tourism destinations: Conceptualization, structural dimensions and scale development

Heritage tourism destinations (HTDs) are facing the challenge of realizing innovative development based on cultural inheritance conservation, but little is known about this paradoxical phenomenon. It is necessary to scientifically understand and assess this phenomenon to devise an effective response. Therefore, this study develops the concept of cultural inheritance-based innovation (CIBI) and its measurement scale based on a paradoxical perspective. Study 1 extracts four dimensions of CIBI at HTDs through grounded theory, covering cultural authentic production, creative dissemination, living display and transforming creation. Study 2 rigorously develops a 13-item scale of CIBI with good reliability and validity. This study provides a measurement tool for evaluating the practical performance of CIBI at HTDs. Moreover, it enriches and expands the theoretical knowledge of cultural innovation at tourism destinations and promotes the discussion of the relationship between cultural innovation and sustainable development.

Understanding the Privacy Paradox through a Digital Literacy Framework : Focusing on Demographic Factors

This study empirically verified the bidirectional impact relationship between digital literacy and privacy concern and examined the privacy paradox phenomenon in this relationship. For the empirical analysis, SEM analysis was performed using data from the Korea Media Panel Survey. Key findings indicate that digital skills and usage that consist of digital literacy had a significant effect on privacy concerns, and privacy concerns had a positive impact on digital literacy, confirming the privacy paradox. Finally, this research examined if the privacy paradox varied according to demographic characteristics, finding that the privacy paradox was more prominent for females, for the younger groups, and for less than high school graduates. The results call for an approach that takes into account the characteristics of each target group when establishing education and policies to strengthen digital literacy while reducing privacy risks.

Negative responses of terrestrial nitrogen fixation to nitrogen addition weaken across increased soil organic carbon levels

The traditional view holds that biological nitrogen (N) fixation is energetically expensive and thus, facultative N fixers reduce N fixation rates while obligate N fixers are excluded by non-N fixers as soil N becomes rich. This view, however, contradicts the phenomenon that N fixation does not decline in many terrestrial ecosystems under N enrichment. To address this paradoxical phenomenon, we conducted a meta-analysis of N fixation and diazotroph (N-fixing microorganism) community structure in response to N addition across terrestrial ecosystems. N addition inhibited N fixation, but the inhibitory effect weakened across increased soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations. The response ratios of N fixation (including free-living, plant-associated, and symbiotic types) to N addition were lower in the ecosystems with low SOC concentrations (<10 mg/g) than in those with medium or high SOC concentrations (10–20 and > 20 mg/g, respectively). The negative N-addition effects on diazotroph abundance and diversity also weakened across increased SOC levels. Among the climatic and soil factors, SOC was the most important predictor regarding the responses of N fixation and diazotroph community structure to N addition. Overall, our study reveals the role of SOC in affecting the responses of N fixation to N addition, which helps understand the relationships of biological N fixation and N enrichment as well as the mechanisms of terrestrial C and N coupling.

Preclinical study in a postoperative pain model to investigate the action of ketamine, lidocaine, and ascorbic acid in reversing fentanyl-induced, non-glutamate-dependent hyperalgesia.

Opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) is a paradoxical phenomenon in which exposure to opioids can increase sensitivity to painful stimuli. Currently, several drugs have been used in an attempt to prevent OIH. We design this study to address the effect of preemptive treatment with ketamine, lidocaine, and ascorbic acid in a rat preclinical model of perioperative opioid-induced hyperalgesia. To reproduce OIH in a model of postoperative pain, rats received successive doses of fentanyl subcutaneously and underwent an incision in the paw. In an attempt to prevent OIH, ketamine, lidocaine, and ascorbic acid were administered before treatment with fentanyl. The von Frey test and the hot-plate test were used to evaluate mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, respectively, with a follow-up period from 1 hour up to 7 days after surgery. Spinal cord nerve terminals (synaptosomes) were used to assess glutamate release under our experimental conditions. Consecutive fentanyl injections increased the postoperative pain as indicated by increased thermal hyperalgesia and allodynia 48 hours after incision. Ketamine, lidocaine, and the combination of ketamine + lidocaine were able to prevent thermal hyperalgesia but not mechanical allodynia. Ascorbic acid did not prevent the hyperalgesia induced by fentanyl. We found no correlation between spinal glutamate release and the pharmacological treatments. Fentanyl induced a hyperalgesic effect that last few days in a postoperative model of pain. Hyperalgesic effect was not totally inhibited by ketamine and lidocaine in rats. Increased glutamate release was not the main molecular mechanism of fentanyl-induced hyperalgesia.

The reverse flow and amplification of heat in quantum-dot systems

For classical systems, heat is impossible to be transferred from a cool bath to a hot bath without the existence of any external agency. Here, we show that such a phenomenon can occur in quantum systems through a simple device that a quantum dot is embedded between the two reservoirs described by different statistical distribution functions. The reverse flow and amplification of heat in the device can be realized by regulating the energy levels of the quantum dot and the chemical potentials of reservoirs. It is of particular interest to discover that because of the existence of the quantum tunneling effect in the device, this new quantum phenomenon can be observed even when the chemical potential gradient and the temperature gradient are in the same direction. Moreover, the reverse heat flow and amplification coefficient of the quantum device are calculated. The novelty of this device is that the reverse flow of heat does not need externally driving force and this seemingly paradoxical phenomenon does not violate the laws of thermodynamics. It is further expounded that the quantum device has some practical applications. For example, the device can work as a micro/nano cooler. The performance characteristics of the cooler are revealed for different distribution functions. The coefficients of performance of the cooler operated at different conditions are calculated and the optimum selection criteria of key parameters are supplied.

Beyond the trade-offs on Facebook: the underlying mechanisms of privacy choices

The theory of privacy calculus in terms of the trade-offs between benefits and risks is believed to explain people’s willingness to disclose private information online. However, the phenomenon of privacy paradox, referring to the preference-behavior inconsistency, misfits the risk–benefit analysis. The phenomenon of privacy paradox matters because it reflects an illusion of personal control over privacy choices. The anomaly of privacy paradox is perhaps attributed to cognitive heuristics and biases in making privacy decisions. We consider the stability-instability of privacy choices is better used to explain the underlying mechanisms of paradoxical relationship. A rebalanced trade-off, referring to the embeddedness of “bridging” and “bonding” social support in privacy calculus, is derived to develop the risk–benefit paradigms to explain the underlying mechanisms. In this study we address the underlying mechanisms of privacy choices in terms of self-disclosure and user resistance. To test the hypotheses (or mechanisms) of the research model, we developed the instrument by modifying previous scales. A general sample of 311 experienced Facebook users was collected via online questionnaire survey. From the empirical results, perceived benefits based on information support rather than emotion support can motivate self-disclosure willingness. In contrast, privacy risks rather than privacy concerns inhibit the willingness to disclose private information. The risk–benefit paradigms instead of the imbalanced trade-offs help to explain the instability of privacy choices where privacy calculus sticks with the stability view. Implications for the theory and practice of privacy choices are discussed accordingly.

Centromeres as universal hotspots of DNA breakage, driving RAD51-mediated recombination during quiescence

Centromeres are essential for chromosome segregation in most animals and plants yet are among the most rapidly evolving genome elements. The mechanisms underlying this paradoxical phenomenon remain enigmatic. Here, we report that human centromeres innately harbor a striking enrichment of DNA breaks within functionally active centromere regions. Establishing a single-cell imaging strategy that enables comparative assessment of DNA breaks at repetitive regions, we show that centromeric DNA breaks are induced not only during active cellular proliferation but also de novo during quiescence. Markedly, centromere DNA breaks in quiescent cells are resolved enzymatically by the evolutionarily conserved RAD51 recombinase, which in turn safeguards the specification of functional centromeres. This study highlights the innate fragility of centromeres, which may have been co-opted over time to reinforce centromere specification while driving rapid evolution. The findings also provide insights into how fragile centromeres are likely to contribute to human disease.

Paradoxical phenomena of bullous pemphigoid induced and treated by identical biologics.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of biologics-induced bullous pemphigoid (BP) and the therapeutic effects of those agents for BP, exploring the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Elsevier for studies involving pemphigoid patients treated with or induced by identical biologics published in English from January 2009 to April 2022. Seventeen cases of drug-induced BP associated with anti-tumor necrosis factor (aTNF)-α therapies, one with interleukin (IL)-17 inhibitors, and seven with IL-12/IL-23 or IL-23 inhibitors were enrolled. Time to cutaneous toxicity varied among different types of agents, and the characteristics of clinical examinations were similar to idiopathic BP. Discontinuation of the culprit drugs and initiation of topical or systemic corticosteroids were adequate in most cases. Several monoclonal antibodies above have also been reported for the treatment of refractory or recurrent BP, especially concurrent with psoriasis. Biologics for immune-related diseases, including TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-12/IL-23 or IL-23 inhibitors, can both induce and treat BP, which might be associated with a helper T cells Th1/Th2 imbalance, complicated inflammatory networks, and a specific individual microenvironment, suggestive of a new perspective on the therapeutic algorithms of BP. There have been numerous reports about biologics inducing or treating BP. We have taken note of this phenomenon and focused on biologics with both pathogenetic and therapeutic effects on BP. Our review summarized the clinical characteristics of associated cases, trying to figure out the underlying mechanisms of this paradoxical phenomenon and to provide an integrated perspective and new therapeutic alternatives for BP.

A short review of acculturation and addiction among immigrant and refugee communities in the United States and abroad.

To summarize recent evidence of the relationship between acculturation and substance use addiction among foreign-born persons living in the United States (U.S.) and abroad. Foreign-born populations are increasing in many countries as a result of immigration and global refugee displacement. Acculturation and discrimination toward both populations have been related to the initiation of illicit substance use. The "immigrant paradox" may serve as a protective factor against the initiation and worsening prognosis of substance use disorders. Improving multilingual accessibility and frequency of use of clinical screeners may enhance addiction risk factor identification and potential interventions for foreign-born populations living in countries of emigration, such as the U.S. Foreign-born persons compose a significant proportion of nurse-patient interactions in the U.S. and abroad. The unique sociological phenomenon of the immigrant paradox may serve as a protective factor for foreign-born persons despite the increased risk for adverse childhood events, acculturation, and discrimination. Due to conflicting evidence, future studies should examine longitudinal outcomes of substance use exclusively among foreign-born persons as well as protective and risk factors associated with immigrants and refugees, respectively. Foreign-born persons may experience unique risk factors associated with addiction. Future studies should focus on foreign-born populations to explore if social constructs surrounding addiction can be extrapolated into other populations, including their second-generation offspring. Differences surrounding migration contexts between immigrants and refugees may be important for clinical researchers to understand when designing research studies centered on these experiences. Nurses can play a significant role in identifying patients at risk for substance use by advocating for inclusive and comprehensive multilingual screeners.

Exploring cognitive individuality and the underlying creativity in statistical learning and phase entrainment.

Statistical learning starts at an early age and is intimately linked to brain development and the emergence of individuality. Through such a long period of statistical learning, the brain updates and constructs statistical models, with the model's individuality changing based on the type and degree of stimulation received. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying this process are unknown. This paper argues three main points of statistical learning, including 1) cognitive individuality based on "reliability" of prediction, 2) the construction of information "hierarchy" through chunking, and 3) the acquisition of "1-3Hz rhythm" that is essential for early language and music learning. We developed a Hierarchical Bayesian Statistical Learning (HBSL) model that takes into account both reliability and hierarchy, mimicking the statistical learning processes of the brain. Using this model, we conducted a simulation experiment to visualize the temporal dynamics of perception and production processes through statistical learning. By modulating the sensitivity to sound stimuli, we simulated three cognitive models with different reliability on bottom-up sensory stimuli relative to top-down prior prediction: hypo-sensitive, normal-sensitive, and hyper-sensitive models. We suggested that statistical learning plays a crucial role in the acquisition of 1-3 Hz rhythm. Moreover, a hyper-sensitive model quickly learned the sensory statistics but became fixated on their internal model, making it difficult to generate new information, whereas a hypo-sensitive model has lower learning efficiency but may be more likely to generate new information. Various individual characteristics may not necessarily confer an overall advantage over others, as there may be a trade-off between learning efficiency and the ease of generating new information. This study has the potential to shed light on the heterogeneous nature of statistical learning, as well as the paradoxical phenomenon in which individuals with certain cognitive traits that impede specific types of perceptual abilities exhibit superior performance in creative contexts.

О парадоксах интеллектуальности

The problem of intelligence has a wide research potential and attracts more and more attention of scientists and specialists in various fields. Today, the fundamental ideas about the structure and functions of intelligence in its natural (human) and artificial dimensions, the relationship of artificial intelligence with the natural in their unity and difference, are debatable. The purpose of the article is to study intelligence as a paradoxical (largely contradictory) phenomenon, the task is to search for the essential foundations of intelligence, to strengthen the arguments in favor of the existence of two relatively independent types of intelligence, each of which has specific functions. The main method of research is dialectics in relation to the format of logical algorithms inherent in intelligence. The main results of the article are the recognition of the paradoxical nature of human intelligence, due to the complex interaction of its positive and negative types (sides). In the process of historical evolution, the prevalence of one of the types of intellectuality is determined by the progressive or, on the contrary, counter-progressive course of social development. Now in one group of countries there is an average increase in the power of the positive functions of the intellect, in the other group, on the contrary, an increase in its negative components is clearly noted. The novelty lies in the formulation and substantiation of the thesis that in the conditions of progressive social development, positive intelligence strengthens its position in comparison with negative intelligence. On the contrary, in conditions of stagnation and especially regression, the position of negative intelligence strengthens, which is expressed in the growth of schizophrenic deviations, various phobias, etc. Directions for further research based on this work may include more thorough and differentiated studies of positive and negative intelligence, their unity and differences, and the dialectics of relationships in structural and functional terms in various historical eras, including the modern one. Along with this, questions of the essence, paradoxicality and inconsistency of intelligence can be useful to the developers of its artificial invariant.

Analysis of Paradox Phenomenon in the Free Learning Year(Semester) : Focusing on Stone's "Causes"

Analysis of Paradox Phenomenon in the Free Learning Year(Semester) : Focusing on Stone's "Causes"

Does High-Speed Rail Really Have a Positive Effect on City Consumption? A PSM-DID Approach With China Case

&lt;p&gt;This paper evaluates the treatment effect of high-speed rail (HSR) operation on city consumption using the dataset of Chinese cities from 2003 to 2019. Firstly, the applicability of observations is discussed; secondly, observations with no appropriate contrast samples are dropped for more precise empirical results. Then, propensity score matching (PSM) is implied to have the database much more balanced and suitable for the difference-in-difference (DID) framework, that is, the PSM-DID approach. The main results find a novel phenomenon of Simpson&amp;#39;s paradox regarding the HSR-consumption nexus, which indicates that even though we can observe the positive effect on the whole, the results argue negative relationships between HSR and consumption within subclass cities. In addition, a dose-response assessment (DR) and some other checks have been proposed to demonstrate robust estimation results.&lt;/p&gt;

The picture of the world in the novel by Yu. Polyakov “Sovchildhood”

The work is devoted to the analysis of the artistic picture of the world captured in Yu. Polyakov's novel “Sovchildhood.” The purpose of the study is to reveal the principles of the creation by Yu. Polyakov of the model of the USSR world of the 1960s. The descriptive method and component analysis were used. The author concluded that the subject of the description of Yu. Polyakov in the novel “Sovchildhood” is not limited to the memories and life vicissitudes of the protagonist. The writer also reproduces social relations between people: relations between relatives, neighbors and colleagues, the attitude of Soviet people to power. If we consider all the works of Yu. Polyakov as a single text, then “Sovchildhood,” as a chronologically earlier work, is the key to understanding other works of the writer, since in that novel the writer explains the origin of some paradoxical phenomena that will be discussed in other works. In addition to the artistic analysis of the text, the historical value of the novel, in which the author offers readers a more neutral point of view regarding the Soviet Union, is discussed.

Jobs-housing relationships before and amid COVID-19: An excess-commuting approach

The outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent pandemic containment measures have significantly affected our daily life, which has been extensively examined in the existing scholarship. However, the existing scholarship has done little on the jobs/housing relationship impacts of COVID-19. We attempted to fill this gap by using an excess-commuting approach. The approach allows us to analyse a series of jobs-housing matrices based on the location-based service big data of around fifty million individuals in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China before and amid COVID-19. In the PRD, a zero-COVID policy was implemented, which presents a distinct and interesting context for our study. We found that after the COVID-19 outbreak: (1) residences and employment became more centrally located in downtowns, which is opposite to the suburbanization trend elsewhere; (2) in the whole PRD, the minimum and maximum commutes became smaller while the actual commute became larger, indicating the simultaneous presences of some paradoxical phenomena: a better spatial juxtaposition of jobs and housing, more compressed distribution of jobs and housing, and longer average actual commutes; (3) inter-city commutes between large cities were significantly refrained and decreased, while new inter-city commuters between smaller cities emerged; (4) it was more likely for the less-educated and female workers to see smaller minimum commutes amid COVID-19. This paper illustrates the potential of big data in the longitudinal study on jobs-housing relationships and excess commuting. It also produces new insights into such relationships in a unique context where stringent anti-COVID-19 policies have been continuously in place.

Problem of Personal Data Security and the Phenomenon of Post-Privacy in the Digital Society

The purpose of the article is to conceptualize the changes that are taking place in the perception of information privacy in today’s digital society. The relevance of the work is due to the development of modern information and communication technologies, the global spread of which changes the attitude towards the security of personal data. To analyze the problems associated with the rethinking of the phenomenon of privacy in the modern digital age, a systematic approach is used, as well as methods of historical analysis, hermeneutic and logical methods. The phenomenon of the privacy paradox is described, which lies in the fact that, despite the fact that many users express concern about the safety of their personal information, they are not ready to give up the benefi ts that the use of new technologies gives them. Doubts are increasingly being expressed about the fundamental possibility of controlling the dissemination of personal information, since the life of an individual becomes transparent to both government agencies and commercial structures. As a result of the development of digital technologies and the associated possibilities for collecting, storing and processing information, an argument is put forward that privacy, in the form in which it existed before, is an outdated concept. The fi ndings suggest that since it is impossible to control access to personal data, claims to privacy should be abandoned altogether. The changes taking place in modern society are refl ected in the term “post-privacy”, which describes a situation in which information privacy is no longer perceived as a value that requires protection. In a rapidly developing digital environment, further research into the problem of post-privacy is of particular importance.