Search the repository

A+ | A- | | SLO | ENG

Abstract: This paper critically examines Neuralink’s public campaign and promotional strategies through the lens of religious symbolism and marketing ideas. positioned as a leader in brain-computer interface (BCi) development, Neuralink frames its technology not only as a groundbreaking medical intervention, capable of restor-ing various neurological problems, but also as a pathway toward human enhance-ment. The central argument is that Neuralink’s marketing model appropriates elements of Christian religious symbolism, particularly embedding the messianic attributes of Jesus Christ. Through analysis of its messaging, media presence, and charismatic leadership, the paper contends that Neuralink constructs a narrative of technological salvation. This symbolic framing serves not only to generate pub-lic trust and enthusiasm but also to distinguish Neuralink within the competitive landscape of emerging neuroethologies.
Keywords: Neuralink, religious symbolism, marketing model, technological salvation, brain-computer interfaces (BCI)
Published in DiRROS: 23.12.2025; Views: 59; Downloads: 36
Full text (302,44 KB)
This document has many files! More...

Abstract: This article examines a cultural reversal in the logic of escapism: whereas vir-tuality once served as a refuge from the burdens of reality, it is now increasingly experienced as the domain from which individuals seek escape. practices such as digital detoxes, offline retreats, and slow living signal more than technological fa-tigue—they reveal a deeper existential longing. Through a phenomenological lens, this article identifies the experiential qualities people seek in their retreat from vir-tual life: silence, solitude, interiority, timelessness, and non-responsiveness. These characteristics closely parallel the structure of religious experience across traditions. Rather than returning to a pre-digital world, today’s disconnection practices often reflect a search for a different mode of experience—one that resists algorithmic log-ic, commodification, and performative visibility. paradoxically, even these retreats are often documented and shared online, reproducing the very conditions from which they aim to depart. Still, this movement suggests something significant: a largely unarticulated yet widespread desire for depth, stillness, and meaning. This article argues that contemporary escapism, though secular in form, reveals an implicit re-engagement with the sacred—less as belief or doctrine, and more as a structure of experience.
Keywords: escapism, virtuality, religious experience, digital culture, phenomenology
Published in DiRROS: 23.12.2025; Views: 54; Downloads: 31
Full text (339,99 KB)
This document has many files! More...

Abstract: Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (ai) have opened up new av-enues for mental health care, offering scalable and personalized interventions that address global shortages in clinical resources. Nevertheless, these technological innovations raise profound ethical and philosophical questions concerning the nature of human flourishing and the role of technology in healing. Grounded in Christian virtue ethics and theological anthropology, the discussion emphasizes mental health as a holistic process that integrates body, mind, and spirit within relational and moral contexts. While ai can augment clinical practice, it cannot replace the essential moral, spiritual, and relational dimensions that constitute authentic healing. instead, ai’s ethical role is to complement human presence and discernment, fostering virtue and holistic well-being rather than reducing the person to data or behavior patterns. The exploration concludes by advocating for interdisciplinary approaches, ensuring that ai integration in mental health honors human dignity and promotes a comprehensive vision of flourishing.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, mental health, Christian virtue ethics, theological anthropology, holistic care, moral character
Published in DiRROS: 23.12.2025; Views: 56; Downloads: 34
Full text (251,51 KB)
This document has many files! More...

Abstract: Background: Physical activity induces the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which, at moderate levels mediate beneficial physiological adaptations, including insulin sensitivity and enhanced antioxidant defense. However, excessive ROS production during intense exercise may exceed endogenous antioxidant capacity, leading to oxidative stress and muscle damage. Objective: This study examined the effects of 30-day high-dose omega-3 fatty acid supplementation (9 g/day) on plasma fatty acid composition and the activity of antioxidant enzymes in recreational (n = 11) and trained (n = 10) runners, with emphasis on group- and time-specific responses. Methods: Plasma levels of arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were assessed at three time points: pre-, during, and post-supplementation period. Enzymatic activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were measured at six time points, including before and after exercise sessions involving a 2800 m run followed by a 400 m sprint. Results: Omega-3 supplementation increased plasma EPA and DHA. In trained runners, it was associated with a transient reduction in GPx and a pronounced mid-phase decline in SOD, whereas enzyme activities remained stable in recreational runners. CAT activity did not change significantly in either group. Conclusions: Short-term high-dose omega-3 supplementation modulates antioxidant enzyme activity in a group- and time-dependent manner. The observed downregulation of GPx and SOD in trained runners may reflect altered redox signaling; however, its relevance for exercise performance remains uncertain. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the physiological and functional consequences of these findings.
Keywords: physical activity, running, reactive oxygen species, omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase
Published in DiRROS: 23.12.2025; Views: 55; Downloads: 31
Full text (1,41 MB)
This document has many files! More...

Abstract: Introduction: While smoking has been consistently identified as a significant contributor to postoperative complications, the existing literature on its association with postoperative pulmonary complications remains conflicting. Aim: We examined the association of preoperative smoking with the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs). Methods: Post hoc analysis of an observational study in 146 hospitals across 29 countries. We included patients at increased risk of PPCs, according to the Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia (ARISCAT) score (≥ 26 points). The primary endpoint was the occurrence of one or more predefined PPCs in the first five postoperative days, including unplanned postoperative need for supplementary oxygen, respiratory failure, unplanned need for invasive ventilation, ARDS, pneumonia and pneumothorax. Secondary endpoints included length of hospital stay and in–hospital mortality. We performed propensity score matching to correct for factors with a known association with postoperative outcomes. Results: Out of 2632 patients, 531 (20.2 %) patients were smokers and 2102 (79.8 %) non-smokers. At five days after surgery, 101 (19.0 %) smokers versus 404 (19.2) non–smokers had developed one or more PPCs (P = 0.95). Respiratory failure was more common in smokers (5.1 %) than non–smokers (3.0 %) (P = 0.02), while rates of other PPCs like need for supplementary oxygen, invasive ventilation, ARDS, pneumonia, or pneumothorax did not differ between the groups. Length of hospital stay and mortality was not different between groups. Propensity score matching did not change the findings. Conclusion: The occurrence of PPCs in smokers is not different from non–smokers.
Keywords: anaesthesia, intraoperative ventilation, smoking, postoperative outcome, postoperative pulmonary complications, PPCs, respiratory complications
Published in DiRROS: 23.12.2025; Views: 49; Downloads: 27
Full text (1,45 MB)
This document has many files! More...