Formation of National Teams Taking into Account the Factors of Football Players’ Club Migration

Purpose. To determine the parameters of club migration of highly skilled legionary footballers when forming national teams for participation in official international competitions. Materials and methods. Population: 496 highly skilled football players ‒ participants of the 2022 World Cup group stage qualifiers. Results. The winning national teams with high UEFA coefficients have a smaller percentage of legionnaires than the group of winning teams with lower UEFA coefficients: 45.05% (coefficient 3.8) and 85.94% (coefficient 14.8), respectively. The indicators of dual citizenship have no significant impact on the formation of national teams, although the national teams of Wales, Turkey, and Scotland showed rather high values ‒ 9 (32.14%), 7 (28.00%), and 5 (20.00 %) of football players, respectively. Legionary footballers from the top six European leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Portugal) account for 87.50% of the total number of legionnaires who participated in the 2022 World Cup group stage qualifiers. Conclusions. Migration processes have an impact on the development of football at various levels of functioning: children and youth, reserve, student, amateur, semi-professional, and professional. Club migration, which is typical of highly skilled legionary footballers, has an indirect impact on the formation of national teams.

The Quantitative Problem for Theories of Dysfunction and Disease

Many biological functions allow for grades. For example, secretion of a specific hormone in an organism can be on a higher or lower level, compared to the same organism at another occasion or compared to other organisms. What levels of functioning constitute instances of dysfunction; where should we draw the line? This is the quantitative problem for theories of dysfunction and disease. I aim to defend a version of biological theories of dysfunction to tackle this problem. However, I will also allow evaluative considerations to enter into a theory of disease. My argument is based on a distinction between a biological and a clinical perspective. Disease, according to my reasoning, is restricted to instances that fall within the boundaries of biological dysfunctions. Responding to the quantitative problem does not require arbitrary decisions or social value-judgements. Hence, I argue for a non-arbitrary, fact-based method to address the quantitative problem. Still, not all biological dysfunctions are instances of disease. Adding a clinical perspective allows us to prevent the potential over-inclusiveness of the biological perspective, because it restricts the boundaries of disease even further.

Impacts of COVID-19 on Global Healthcare Management and Research

The Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected most nations at all levels of functioning, individual to governmental. Therefore, it is imperative to evaluate the effects the virus has had on one of the most important socioeconomic global sectors, healthcare. This literature review explores key, recent research and management strategies that have been undertaken in healthcare systems around the world in order to make meaningful attempts at identifying the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease, and combating the spread of this deadly virus. Healthcare facilities have implemented a variety of changes, all geared towards reducing non-emergency patient visits and preventing transmission of the infection; this includes shifting appointments to online modality via telecommunication use, altering remedial options and procedures, and developing more effective personal protective equipment (PPE). Efforts have also been made to define appropriate treatment methods as well as a potential cure for COVID-19; many vaccines and antiviral drugs have been designed or are continuing to undergo clinical testing, and symptom management approaches are being employed along with careful evaluation or recommendation of already available medications to counter the disease. Our comprehensive analysis provides insights into prominent consequences as well as implications of COVID-19 in contemporary global healthcare research and management, and would help this crucial sector be better prepared for pandemics in the future.

The Post-Academic Trend in the Evolution of Methodological Consciousness

The development of science at all stages of its penetration into a technogenic society is accompanied by changes in methodological consciousness in its various incarnations. However, preferring to analyze the metamorphoses of science as special knowledge about the world, to examine the evolution of its methodological tools, forms of structural and functional organization of scientific and cognitive activity, at the same time, modern research practices leave aside the evolution of methodological consciousness as such. Although, according to the author, analysis of this phenomenon makes possible to define, if not a paradigmatic, then at least a syntagmatic approach to the study of modern post-academic science. The representation of methodological consciousness can be carried out in different versions. The article considers its evolution at various levels of functioning – individual and supra-individual, embodied in the methodological innovations of science itself as well as in the philosophical and methodological discourse interconnected with it. The assertion of unique forms of methodological consciousness at the supraindividual level, in particular, characterizes the development of modern social physics, which combines syntagmatics, inter- and transdisciplinarity as strategies of scientific search. The evolution of methodological consciousness at the individual level is inextricably linked with the renewal of the scientific habitus of individual scientists. In the context of the commercialization of post-academic science, destructive changes in the qualities of scientific creativity and scientific ethos undoubtedly affect the mental and cognitive components of the scientific habits of researchers. For the majority of the scientific community, the transformation of the scientific habitus proceeds spontaneously. Awareness of the uniqueness of post-academic science today occurs mainly within the framework of philosophical and methodological discourse. The result of this process is problematized by the author as a phenomenon of “post-academic philosophy of science,” characterized by a number of features of a substantive, methodological, and institutional nature. The question of its correlation with the traditional philosophy of science, on the one hand, and with disciplinary strategies in the study of science, on the other, opens up prospects for the emergence of new paradigms of modern philosophical and methodological discourse.

Experiencing a Natural Disaster Temporarily Boosts Relationship Satisfaction in Newlywed Couples

How do natural disasters affect intimate relationships? Some research suggests that couples are brought closer together after a disaster, whereas other research suggests that relationships become more strained in the aftermath. Yet all of this work is limited by a lack of predisaster data that would allow for examination of how relationships actually change. The current study is the first to use longitudinal data collected before and after a natural disaster to examine its effect on relationship outcomes. Using a sample of 231 married couples in Harris County, Texas, who experienced Hurricane Harvey, we found that spouses experienced significant increases in satisfaction from before to after the hurricane, but the increase was temporary; couples decreased in satisfaction after the initial boost. Thus, couples appear to grow closer in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster but then revert to their prehurricane levels of functioning as the recovery period continues.

Outcome measures used in trials on gait rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis: A systematic literature review

Background Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is associated with impaired gait and a growing number of clinical trials have investigated efficacy of various interventions. Choice of outcome measures is crucial in determining efficiency of interventions. However, it remains unclear whether there is consensus on which outcome measures to use in gait intervention studies in MS. Objective We aimed to identify the commonly selected outcome measures in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on gait rehabilitation interventions in people with MS. Additional aims were to identify which of the domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) are the most studied and to characterize how outcome measures are combined and adapted to MS severity. Methods Pubmed, Cochrane Central, Embase and Scopus databases were searched for RCT studies on gait interventions in people living with MS according to PRISMA guidelines. Results In 46 RCTs, we identified 69 different outcome measures. The most used outcome measures were 6-minute walking test and the Timed Up and Go test, used in 37% of the analyzed studies. They were followed by gait spatiotemporal parameters (35%) most often used to inform on gait speed, cadence, and step length. Fatigue was measured in 39% of studies. Participation was assessed in 50% of studies, albeit with a wide variety of scales. Only 39% of studies included measures covering all ICF levels, and Participation measures were rarely combined with gait spatiotemporal parameters (only two studies). Conclusions Selection of outcome measures remains heterogenous in RCTs on gait rehabilitation interventions in MS. However, there is a growing consensus on the need for quantitative gait spatiotemporal parameter measures combined with clinical assessments of gait, balance, and mobility in RCTs on gait interventions in MS. Future RCTs should incorporate measures of fatigue and measures from Participation domain of ICF to provide comprehensive evaluation of trial efficacy across all levels of functioning.

Evaluating a Low-Cost Technology to Enable People with Intellectual Disability or Psychiatric Disorders to Initiate and Perform Functional Daily Activities

People with intellectual disability or psychiatric disorders and cognitive dysfunctions may need assistive technology to maintain and improve their levels of functioning and independence. This study assessed a smartphone-based system to remind the user to initiate functional daily activities (e.g., setting a table for lunch) and perform them without the support of a caregiver. The system was evaluated through a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across two groups of participants. During the intervention sessions, the participants were provided with a system involving a Samsung Galaxy A3 smartphone fitted with the Easy Alarm YouTube application and audio files. The alarm served to remind the participant to carry out a planned activity. Following the reminder, the smartphone presented each of the step instructions preset for the activity. The data showed a statistically significant increase in the number of activities initiated independently from baseline to intervention for all participants. All participants also showed a significant increase in the number of activity steps correctly performed when supported by the smartphone. These results suggest that a low-cost system (i.e., smartphone) can be used to improve independence of people with intellectual disability or psychiatric disorders with cognitive dysfunctions.

Activities of the Medical Commission during the Prophylactic Medical Examination of Athletes

Background. Preserving the health of the population, including those involved in sports, is one of the priority directions of the state policy of the Russian Federation. In accordance with the existing legislative and regulatory framework, a system for monitoring the quality and safety of medical care is being implemented in health care institutions, which also applies to medical and physical training services. One of the levels of functioning of such a system is the activity of the medical commission. Intensive training and competitive loads make increased demands on the body and are considered a risk factor for the health of athletes, which serves as the basis for their in-depth medical examination and dispensary observation. Therefore, the primary task of the medical commission during the prophylactic medical examination of athletes is to issue an expert opinion in difficult cases regarding the training and competitive activity of persons with deviations in the state of health.The objective of the research was to study of the activities of the medical commission during the prophylactic medical examination of athletes in the conditions of a medical and physical service on the basis of a scientific analysis of the results of its work for two years.Materials and methods. We studied the medical documentation of athletes who passed the medical commission for two years (2018–2019; n = 82 and n = 81, respectively). The nature of the decisions made and the structure of their reasons were analyzed using the Pearson chi-square test with amendments.Results. The share of positive and negative decisions of the commission, as well as temporary suspension from sports by years, their statistical dependences and the strength of the connection between the results are shown. The stability of the negative conclusions of the commission, as well as the structure of their reasons, was revealed (р ˃ 0.05). At the same time, in the second year of observation, they were more often temporarily suspended from sports due to musculoskeletal system diseases and less often as a result of injuries (p < 0.05).Conclusion. The main regularities of the distribution and formation of expert decisions of the medical commission for the years under study were revealed. The necessity of its activity for the medical and physical training service during the medical examination of athletes is noted, as well as the factors that prevent this are indicated.

Effects of COVID-19 on Global Healthcare Research and Management

The Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected most nations at all levels of functioning, individual to governmental. Therefore, it is imperative to evaluate the effects the virus has had on one of the most important socioeconomic global sectors – healthcare. This comprehensive literature review explores key, recent research and management strategies that have been undertaken in healthcare systems around the world in order to make meaningful attempts at identifying the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment the disease, and combating the spread of this deadly virus. Healthcare facilities have implemented a variety of changes, all geared towards reducing non-emergency patient visits and preventing transmission of the infection; this includes shifting appointments to online modality via telecommunication use, altering remedial options and procedures, and developing more effective personal protective equipment (PPE). Efforts have also been made to define appropriate treatment methods as well as a potential cure for COVID-19; many vaccines and antiviral drugs are being designed or undergoing clinical testing, and symptom management approaches are being employed along with careful evaluation or recommendation of already available medications to counter the disease.