Familial Forms Research Articles

ELEMENTS OF ANCIENT BELIEFS IN BASHKIR MATERNITY RITUALS

The article deals with some customs and rituals associated with childbirth. The relevance of the conducted research is conditioned by the growing interest in the role of ethno-cultural values in modern society and increasing attention to the previously underexplored phenomena of everyday life. The study of folk customs, rituals and representations related to childbirth will contribute to the understanding of the deep layers of Bashkir spiritual culture. Maternity rituals represent an important aspect of Bashkir cultural tradition. It encompasses prenatal, as well as birth and postnatal rituals, which to this day play an important role in the formation of family and social ties. The aim of the study is to identify elements of ancient beliefs in the Bashkirs' maternity rituals. An integrated approach, involving the analysis of ethnographic, historical, philosophical and folklore scientific works, was applied to achieve this goal. The research was based on a wide range of published and unpublished sources. The research revealed that the Bashkirs' maternity ritual is based on the ancient beliefs and ideas of the Bashkirs about man, nature and the world as a whole. It includes elements of animism, totemism, fetishism and magic. Important aspects of ritualism are connected with the protection of the child and the woman in labor, as well as with the first 40 days and the first year of the child's life. The elements of ancient beliefs revealed in the course of the research are manifested in the belief in the existence of spirits and souls, totem, in the ancestor worship, and are connected with beliefs in the protective properties of certain objects of the material world. The Bashkirs' maternity rituals include components of apotropaic, procreative and sympathetic magic. The study made it possible to study more deeply the mythology, ancient religious beliefs and traditional culture of the Bashkirs, to trace the evolution of the Bashkirs' maternity ritual and their transformation in modern conditions, to reveal the general regularities of the development of ritual culture, as well as the specific features characterizing particular nations. The preserved actions of magical rituals connected with childbirth refers to their stability and ability to adapt to new changing conditions of life.

The ethics of non-partner requests for posthumous assisted reproduction.

After the death of a loved one, family will occasionally request posthumous assisted reproduction (PAR). Professional medical societies in the US and Europe oppose such requests without written consent except from the surviving partner with whom the deceased presumably shared a joint reproductive project. Here, however, we argue that joint reproductive projects are not limited to two-person romantic partners and therefore ethical policies should not be either. In other words, we argue the criterion of being in a romantic partnership with the decedent is biased and unjustly excludes certain family formations. We begin by describing the professional society guidelines to highlight how they presume a two-person romantic couple is the ideal basis for reproductive projects and families. Then, we discuss examples of alternative parental projects, noting that they are usually grounded in feminist and queer values. Finally, we respond to potential objections about violating the autonomy of the deceased and conflating reproductive and parental projects. In sum, as long as medical societies continue to uphold a policy whereby romantic partners may seek PAR in the absence of written consent, we believe that these societies must also allow for the potential of family formations that do not fit into the dominant paradigm.

Forgotten Family: The Influence of Women and Children on the Nexus of Wage Earning and Demographic Change in England, 1260–1860

E. A. Wrigley identified the responsiveness of nuptiality and marital fertility to changes in male wages. Others have theorized the importance of women's decision-making in the timing of marriage, but without much empirical evidence. Combining new long-run series of annual wages for men, for married and single women, and for children with existing demographic data, the influence of women and children's remuneration on household formation is investigated. Women played a key role in the functioning of early modern preventive checks. High wages encouraged single women to delay marriage, reducing marital fertility. This counterbalanced the encouragement of nuptiality stimulated by high male earnings, which helped balance population and economic growth. Juvenile earnings had little influence on family formation, challenging links suggested in accounts of protoindustrialization or proletarianization. Demographic evidence suggests that economic circumstances contributed to the timing of medieval marriage, but poverty more often than prosperity prompted celibacy.

The parental pay gap over the life cycle: Children, jobs, and labor supply

Women earn less than men, and that is especially true of mothers relative to fathers. Much of the widening occurs after family formation when mothers reduce their hours of work. But what happens when the kids grow up? To answer that question, we estimate three earning gaps: the “motherhood penalty,” the “price of being female,” and the “fatherhood premium.” When added together these three produce the “parental gender gap,” defined as the difference in earnings between mothers and fathers. We estimate (log) earnings gaps for college graduates born around 1960 using longitudinal data from the NLSY79 and from the LEHD-Census that track respondents from their twenties to their fifties. As the children grow up and as women work more hours, the motherhood penalty is greatly reduced. But women, especially mothers, seem willing throughout their working lives to trade lower pay for various amenities, such as working in firms with management practices that are less penalizing of career interruptions or of shorter work schedules. Fathers, however, manage to expand their relative earnings gains as their children age, particularly among those working in time-intensive jobs, irrespective of work hours or firm fixed effects. The parental gender gap in earnings remains substantial over the family lifecycle.

“Fiddler on the Roof ” as a Tool for Teaching About How Religions Change Through Time

ABSTRACTThis article reflects on the difficulty that many students have in appreciating that religions change over time. It describes an assignment that can be used to teach this important religious literacy skill. The assignment focuses on changing norms on courtship, marriage, and family formation in Jewish communities at two different times and two different places. Students reflect on norms in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia at the turn‐of‐the century using the film version of the musical Fiddler on the Roof. They then view a documentary about the making and reception of the musical that centers the social movements of 1960s America, and they also read secondary literature on changing marriage norms in turn‐of‐the century Jewish communities in Eastern Europe and in 20th century Jewish communities in America. The assignment turns on concepts of tradition and innovation, showing how often innovation plays a role in things deemed “traditional”.

An expert discussion on the atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome nomenclature—identifying a road map to precision: a report of a National Kidney Foundation Working Group

The term atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome has been in use since the mid-1970s. It was initially used to describe the familial or sporadic form of hemolytic uremic syndrome as opposed to the epidemic, typical form of the disease. Over time, the atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome term has evolved into being used to refer to anything that is not Shiga toxin-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome. The term describes a heterogeneous group of diseases of disparate causes, a circumstance that makes defining disease-specific natural history and/or targeted treatment approaches challenging. A working group of specialty-specific experts in the thrombotic microangiopathies was convened to review the validity of this broad term in an era of swiftly advancing science and targeted therapeutics. A Delphi approach was used to define and interrogate some of the key issues related to the atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome nomenclature.

Genetic Underpinnings of Pulmonary Fibrosis: An Overview.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive disorder, in which genetic and environmental factors are involved in disease onset. Although, by definition, the disease is considered idiopathic in nature, evidence-based studies have indicated familial cases of pulmonary fibrosis, in which genetic factors contribute to IPF pathogenesis. Both common as well as rare genetic variants are associated with sporadic as well as familial forms of IPF. Although clinical inferences of the genetic association have still not been explored properly, observation-based studies have found a genotypic influence on disease development and outcome. Based on genetic studies, individuals with a risk of IPF can be easily identified and can be classified more precisely. Identification of genetic variants also helps to develop more effective therapeutic approaches. Further comprehensive research is needed to get a blueprint of IPF pathogenesis. The rapidly evolving field of genetic engineering and molecular biology, along with the bioinformatics approach, will possibly explore a new horizon very soon to achieve this goal.

Genetic testing for familial hyperaldosteronism type 1 in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common secondary endocrine cause of hypertension with familial hyperaldosteronism type 1 (FH-1), a rare heritable subtype. Timely identification of FH-1 is important because of an increased risk of vascular events in affected individuals and because it provides the opportunity to guide appropriate treatment. Genetic testing is recommended if onset is at a young age (<20 years), there is a family history of PA or early cerebrovascular events occur. To assess national rates of testing for FH-1, whether this varied over time and by region. De-identified data were obtained on genetic testing performed for FH-1 from 1 April 2010 to 30 October 2023 (163 months) from the Canterbury Health Laboratories database, the sole national testing laboratory for FH-1. A total of 147 tests were performed, of which 19 (12.9%) were positive. Eleven of the positive tests were requested by one region. Testing rates varied from 0.00 to 0.63 per 100 000 people per annum. Most tests were requested by endocrinology services. Testing increased over time from an average of 4.6 tests per annum in the first 5 years of the period studied to 17.7 tests in the most recent 5 years. Limitations include lack of ethnicity data, information on testing indications and testing rates for other familial PA subtypes. Testing for FH-1 has increased over time but remains low. Testing for familial forms of PA should be considered in those in whom PA was diagnosed at a young age or with a suggestive family history.

The mediating effect of maturity on anxiety and the motives for postponing parenthood

Postponed parenthood is considered one of the most extensive changes in the process of family formation. Among the many reasons for deferred parenthood, those related to greater feelings of incompetence as a potential parent, self-focus, perceiving parenthood as a burden, fearing the changes that the birth of a child may bring to a person’s life, financial insecurity, and worrying about the child’s future seem particularly important. Since little is known about the motives for delayed parenthood in relation to anxiety and psychological maturity, the main goal of our study was to verify how these variables may be related to each other and whether maturity for parenthood mediates the direct association between anxiety and the motives for delayed parenthood. The sample consisted of 223 Polish adults (the age range of the participants was 18–44 years). The respondents completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Maturity to Parenthood Scale (MPS), and the Multidimensional Scale of Motives for Postponing Parenthood (MSMPP-18). The results showed positive correlations between anxiety and four (uncertainty, burden, change, and finance) of the six motives for postponing parenthood and postponed parenthood overall. Maturity for parenting and all its dimensions correlated negatively with anxiety and all factors of postponed parenthood, except worry about the child’s future. In all six of the seven models (except “worry”), at least one of the factors of maturity to parenthood mediated the relationship between trait anxiety and motives for postponing parenthood/total score. Based on the results it can be assumed that a tendency to direct attention to a threat related to the context of child-bearing and child-rearing may lead to lower maturity to parenthood, which in turn may result in various motives for postponing parenthood.

Iron Dyshomeostasis in Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA): Is It the Cause or the Effect?

Iron is an essential metal ion implicated in several cellular processes. However, the reactive nature of iron renders this metal ion potentially dangerous for cells, and its levels need to be tightly controlled. Alterations in the intracellular concentration of iron are associated with different neuropathological conditions, including neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA). As the name suggests, NBIA encompasses a class of rare and still poorly investigated neurodegenerative disorders characterized by an abnormal accumulation of iron in the brain. NBIA is mostly a genetic pathology, and to date, 10 genes have been linked to familial forms of NBIA. In the present review, after the description of the principal mechanisms implicated in iron homeostasis, we summarize the research data concerning the pathological mechanisms underlying the genetic forms of NBIA and discuss the potential involvement of iron in such processes. The picture that emerges is that, while iron overload can contribute to the pathogenesis of NBIA, it does not seem to be the causal factor in most forms of the pathology. The onset of these pathologies is rather caused by a combination of processes involving the interplay between lipid metabolism, mitochondrial functions, and autophagic activity, eventually leading to iron dyshomeostasis.

Gender wage gap among young adults: A comparison across British cohorts

We study the evolution of the gender wage gap among young adults in Britain between 1972 and 2015 using data from four British cohorts born in 1946, 1958, 1970 and 1989/90 on early life factors, human capital, family formation and job characteristics. We account for non-random selection of men and women into the labour market and compare the gender wage gap among graduates and non-graduates. The raw and covariate-adjusted gender wage gaps at the mean decline over the period among non-graduates, but they rise among young graduates. The gender wage gap across the wage distribution narrows over time for lower wages. Allowing for positive selection into employment increases the size of the gender wage gap in earlier cohorts, but selection is not apparent in the two most recent cohorts. Thus the rate of convergence in the wages of young men and women is understated when estimates do not account for positive selection in earlier cohorts. Differences in traditional human capital variables explain only a very small component of the gender wage gaps among young people in all four cohorts, but occupational gender segregation plays an important role in the later cohorts.

Role of Lipids in the Pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease.

Aggregation of α-synuclein (αSyn) and its accumulation as Lewy bodies play a central role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the mechanism by which αSyn aggregates in the brain remains unclear. Biochemical studies have demonstrated that αSyn interacts with lipids, and these interactions affect the aggregation process of αSyn. Furthermore, genetic studies have identified mutations in lipid metabolism-associated genes such as glucocerebrosidase 1 (GBA1) and synaptojanin 1 (SYNJ1) in sporadic and familial forms of PD, respectively. In this review, we focus on the role of lipids in triggering αSyn aggregation in the pathogenesis of PD and propose the possibility of modulating the interaction of lipids with αSyn as a potential therapy for PD.

Intergenerational associations of maternal depression with daughters' family formation

AbstractObjectiveThis work investigates the potential associations between maternal major depressive disorder (MDD) and daughters' family formation behaviors, specifically the timing of marriage and first birth.BackgroundFamily and life course research has established the importance of intergenerational ties and linked lives for children's health, education, social life, and transition to adulthood more broadly. However, mothers' MDD has remained a relatively understudied factor shaping young people's family formation behaviors.MethodThe analyses used a sample of 1127 linked mother–father–daughter triads from the Chitwan Valley Family Study (CVFS) in Nepal. Discrete‐time event‐history models at the month level were run to assess whether daughters' differential exposure to maternal MDD was prospectively associated with entry into marital unions and parenthood.ResultsAlthough there was no relationship between maternal lifetime MDD and daughters' family formation, results showed that being first exposed to maternal MDD during childhood, specifically between the ages of 0 and 10, increased the monthly odds of transitioning to parenthood by more than 80%. Additional findings showed that an increased pace of getting married was a primary determinant of accelerated childbearing.ConclusionDaughters' exposure to mothers' depression was associated with daughters' family formation transitions. The timing of exposure, however, was a particularly important driver of that association. We argue that the study of parents' mental ill‐health provides untapped opportunity for future intergenerational research.

MAPT mutations associated with familial tauopathies lead to formation of conformationally distinct oligomers that have cross-seeding ability.

The microtubule associated protein, tau, is implicated in a multitude of neurodegenerative disorders that are collectively termed as tauopathies. These disorders are characterized by the presence of tau aggregates within the brain of afflicted individuals. Mutations within the MAPT gene that encodes the tau protein form the genetic backdrop for familial forms of tauopathies, such as frontotemporal dementia (FTD), but the molecular consequences of such alterations and their pathological effects are unclear. We sought to investigate the conformational properties of the aggregates of three tau mutants: A152T, P301L, and R406W, all implicated within FTD, and compare them to those of the native form (WT-Tau 2N4R). Our immunochemical analysis reveals that mutants and WT tau oligomers exhibit similar affinity for conformation-specific antibodies but have distinct morphology and secondary structure. Additionally, these oligomers possess different dye-binding properties and varying sensitivity to proteolytic processing. These results point to conformational variety among them. We then tested the ability of the mutant oligomers to cross-seed the aggregation of WT tau monomer. Using similar array of experiments, we found that cross-seeding with mutant aggregates leads to the formation of conformationally unique WT oligomers. The results discussed in this paper provide a novel perspective on the structural properties of oligomeric forms of WT tau 2N4R and its mutant, along with shedding some light on their cross-seeding behavior.

Structural labour market change, cognitive work, and entry to parenthood in Germany

Technological change and globalization have caused unprecedented transformations of labour markets, resulting in a growing division between workers who perform cognitive vs non-cognitive tasks. To date, only few studies have addressed the fertility effects of these long-term structural changes. This study fills that gap. We measure the cognitive task content of occupations using data from the Employment Survey of the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, which we link to individual histories from the German Socio-Economic Panel 1984–2018. We find that women and men with non-cognitive jobs are increasingly less likely to enter parenthood; this is reflected in lower first-birth intensities but also in higher probabilities of childlessness compared with workers in highly cognitive jobs. These findings imply that structural shifts in the labour market are exacerbating disparities between low-skilled and highly skilled individuals, not only within the labour market but also in the realm of family formation.

What We Know about Student Families: A Sociological Analysis

This study analyzes the phenomenon of student parents in Russia. The authors examine the demographic context, the characteristics of student parents, and their experience of combining study and parenthood. The study is based on data from the longitudinal project “Trajectories in Education and Profession” and in-depth interviews with student mothers. The results show that student families are relatively rare, which is in line with the general trend of increasing age of marriage and childbearing. Nevertheless, most students plan to start a family in the future. Students from families with lower socioeconomic background are more likely to start families during their studies. Analysis of the interviews revealed the main strategies for combining study and motherhood, including reorganization of daily routines, sabbaticals, and distance learning. The importance of support from partners and relatives was also noted. Student mothers expressed a demand for more flexible study formats, material support, and infrastructure development (e.g. kindergartens at universities). The authors conclude that an individualized approach to supporting student families is needed, given their rarity and diversity of needs. Directions for further research are suggested, including the study of social conditions influencing the age of family formation, analysis of family plans of older undergraduate and graduate students, and a more detailed study of the typology and daily life of student families.

Генетически-фенотипический профиль детей с атипичным гемолитико-уремическим синдромом

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a life-threatening disease caused by dysregulation of the alternative complement pathway as a result of mutations in complement genes or the formation of antibodies (AB) to some of the complement factors. Identification of the gene mutations incidence and the corresponding phenotypic features in pediatric patients with aHUS in Russia is aimed at improving the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease as well as treatment tactics planning for patient management. The purpose of this research was to determine the patterns of progression, prognosis and outcomes of aHUS in children depending on their genetic profile. Materials and methods used: the Article represents data from a retro- and prospective analyses of the characteristics of the course of aHUS in 172 children depending on their genetic profile performed in Jan. 2012-Feb. 2022. The sporadic form of aHUS was diagnosed after exclusion of the other forms of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), the familial form (in cases with the familial records), the acquired (CFH-Ab HUS) in cases with AB increase to factor H. AutoAb against factor H was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA-VIDITEST anti-complement factor H). The search for mutations (n=167) was carried out using Next-generation Sequencing (NGS) and Sanger sequencing methods. Results: the sporadic form of aHUS was diagnosed in 96.9% of cases, familial in 3.1% and CFH-Ab HUS in 23.8%. The genetic nature of aHUS was confirmed in 53.4% of cases. Pathogenic mutations were detected in 8.6% of cases, probably pathogenic in 42.8% and those with unclear clinical significance in 46.8%. The complement genes mutations were detected in 88.5% of cases and mutations of genes not related to the complement system (ADAMTS13, DGKE, INF2) in 11.5%. The most frequently identified mutations were in the CFH (17.1%), C3 (12.9%) and CD46 (12.9%) genes and less frequently in CFI (7.1%), THBD (5.7%), CFHR5 (5.7%) and CFB (1.4%). In children with CFH-Ab HUS, the CFHR1/CFHR3 deletion was detected in 87.8% of cases, including in 19.4% in combination with mutations of unknown clinical significance. Multiple organ failure syndrome had developed in 77.8% of cases in children with pathogenic/probably pathogenic mutations, in 85.3% in patients with mutations of unknown clinical significance, in 91.8% in patients without mutations and in 83.3% in patients with CFHR1/CFHR3 deletion. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3 to 5 in sporadic/familial aHUS, regardless of genetic profile, had counted for 14.5% and 16.7% in CFH-Ab HUS. Lethal outcome occurred in 4.3% of cases in the presence of mutations, in 4.9% in the absence of mutations and in 2.8% in cases of CFHR1/CFHR3 deletion. Relapses of aHUS prior to the Eculizumab treatment had developed more often in the presence of CFHR1/CFHR3 mutations and deletion in comparison with children without mutations (31.4% v. 13.1%, p=0.0313 and 44.4% v. 13.1%, p= 0.004). Relapse of aHUS after discontinuation of the Eculizumab therapy had developed in 16.4% of cases. Risk factors for the relapse of aHUS were as follows: patient’s age above 12 months old at the time of the development of aHUS, severe arterial hypertension in the acute period, the use of Eculizumab at the fourth week after the onset of the disease and/or later, recurrent course of aHUS and the presence of CKD prior to the start of the Eculizumab therapy. Conclusion: The genetic profile of patients does not determine the severity and outcome of aHUS though it does affect the relapse rate. The prognosis and survival of patients with aHUS are determined by the severity of the acute period and the timeliness of the complement blocking therapy management.

Understanding decision‐making processes of prospective adoptive parents: A mixed‐methods study

AbstractObjectiveThis study explores prospective adoptive parents' conceptions by testing hypotheses based on a decision‐making model proposed by Willis Hepp and colleagues grounded in symbolic interaction.BackgroundMultiple factors inform decisions to adopt. However, little is known about the decision‐making process as prospective adoptive parents consider this option.MethodSeventeen prospective adoptive parents were recruited using purposive sampling. An advanced concurrent mixed‐methods design was used to integrate findings from semistructured interviews and a survey using the FACES IV to generate more complete conclusions regarding the model.ResultsTen themes emerged related to prospective parents' conceptions of self and generalized others, including internalization of adoption as part of one's self, referencing families of origin in family formation thinking, and personal histories informing future visions. Pronatal, biological social pressures echo in families of origin that, combined with religious and other social experiences, impact decision‐making. Family cohesion, flexibility, and communication vary based on where they fall along a spectrum of decision‐making.ConclusionConceptions of self and others inform decision‐making, where some choose, and others wait or opt out of, adoptive parenthood.ImplicationsIt behooves practitioners to differentiate supports for individuals thinking about transition to adoptive parenthood based on their conceptions of self and generalized others.

Genomic data provide insights into the classification of extant termites

The higher classification of termites requires substantial revision as the Neoisoptera, the most diverse termite lineage, comprise many paraphyletic and polyphyletic higher taxa. Here, we produce an updated termite classification using genomic-scale analyses. We reconstruct phylogenies under diverse substitution models with ultraconserved elements analyzed as concatenated matrices or within the multi-species coalescence framework. Our classification is further supported by analyses controlling for rogue loci and taxa, and topological tests. We show that the Neoisoptera are composed of seven family-level monophyletic lineages, including the Heterotermitidae Froggatt, Psammotermitidae Holmgren, and Termitogetonidae Holmgren, raised from subfamilial rank. The species-rich Termitidae are composed of 18 subfamily-level monophyletic lineages, including the new subfamilies Crepititermitinae, Cylindrotermitinae, Forficulitermitinae, Neocapritermitinae, Protohamitermitinae, and Promirotermitinae; and the revived Amitermitinae Kemner, Microcerotermitinae Holmgren, and Mirocapritermitinae Kemner. Building an updated taxonomic classification on the foundation of unambiguously supported monophyletic lineages makes it highly resilient to potential destabilization caused by the future availability of novel phylogenetic markers and methods. The taxonomic stability is further guaranteed by the modularity of the new termite classification, designed to accommodate as-yet undescribed species with uncertain affinities to the herein delimited monophyletic lineages in the form of new families or subfamilies.

Working with adult families of origin: On the nature of rupture and repair

AbstractIn this paper, we report on findings from a three‐part enquiry into the essence of working with families of origin where all members are adult. Findings, in conversational form, describe the nature of adult family ruptures encountered, pathways to repair and unique factors associated with the therapeutic encounter with adult families relative to those with still dependent children. In exploring emergent themes, we hoped to come to some understandings of the models and unique skill sets that characterise and enhance family therapy with adult families. We found that, unlike families with younger children, adult children are often the more motivated sub‐system and indeed the drivers of a referral for therapy. The therapeutic focus centred around legacy work from prior unresolved family traumas or disrupted developmental processes. Features of the therapeutic process included supporting new and more proportional narratives about ingrained wounds, together with redefinition of caregiving relationships and a future gaze towards becoming an independent yet connected family structure. We consider the therapist's posture in validating the adult child's experience, contextualising parent histories and clearing emotional barriers that block healthy giving and receiving of care. Key decision points in the therapist's work included how to balance the past context of the rupture with its current legacy, and the place of exoneration versus forgiveness in the progression towards secure individuation. Findings may help refine therapeutic methods in the application of systemic therapies with adult family forms, particularly on the intersection with the adult mental health system.