Identity Characteristics Research Articles

Using English General Practice Patient Survey data to explore Long Covid prevalence

Abstract Background High global burden of Long Covid (LC) has significant implications for population wellbeing, health/social care and the economy. We aimed to assess prevalence of LC, the level of uncertainty general practice (GP) patients felt about whether they were experiencing it and patient characteristics associated with LC. Methods This is a secondary data analysis of GP Patient Survey 2023 data (759,149 participants aged 16+yrs in England). The outcomes included self-reported LC, and being unsure about having LC. Identity and socioeconomic characteristics were explored in relation to these outcomes using univariable and multivariable regression analyses. Results 4.8% of respondents described themselves as having LC, and 9.1% were unsure whether they had it. Patient age (highest odds at 35-54 years), sex (females more than males), ethnicity (highest odds in Gypsy or Irish Traveller), sexual orientation (increased odds in gay or lesbian or bisexual compared to heterosexual), religion, smoking, carer status, parental status, having a long-term condition, and area-level index of multiple deprivation (higher odds in more deprived areas) were all significantly associated with reporting having LC in the multivariable model compared to answering that question with ‘no’. Generally, similar patterns of association to the above were observed in those who answered the Long Covid question with ‘unsure’ compared to those answering ‘no’, except for parental status and sexual orientation which were not significantly associated with the outcome in the multivariable model. Conclusions This study quantitatively highlights the high levels of uncertainty among primary care patients around experiencing LC, and the unequal distribution of LC burden among population groups. Our findings underline the need for better public health and primary care messaging to raise awareness around LC and ensure that those needing support can access services, particularly those already disadvantaged in society. Key messages • There are high levels of uncertainty about having Long Covid among people attending primary care services. • There is unequal burden of Long Covid in England underlining the need for improved awareness and access to support, particularly for minoritised groups.

Disentangled Lifespan Synthesis via Transformer‐Based Nonlinear Regression

AbstractLifespan face age transformation aims to generate facial images that accurately depict an individual's appearance at different age stages. This task is highly challenging due to the need for reasonable changes in facial features while preserving identity characteristics. Existing methods tend to synthesize unsatisfactory results, such as entangled facial attributes and low identity preservation, especially when dealing with large age gaps. Furthermore, over‐manipulating the style vector may deviate it from the latent space and damage image quality. To address these issues, this paper introduces a novel nonlinear regression model‐Disentangled Lifespan face Aging (DL‐Aging) to achieve high‐quality age transformation images. Specifically, we propose an age modulation encoder to extract age‐related multi‐scale facial features as key and value, and use the reconstructed style vector of the image as the query. The multi‐head cross‐attention in the W+ space is utilized to update the query for aging image reconstruction iteratively. This nonlinear transformation enables the model to learn a more disentangled mode of transformation, which is crucial for alleviating facial attribute entanglement. Additionally, we introduce a W+ space age regularization term to prevent excessive manipulation of the style vector and ensure it remains within the W+ space during transformation, thereby improving generation quality and aging accuracy. Extensive qualitative and quantitative experiments demonstrate that the proposed DL‐Aging outperforms state‐of‐the‐art methods regarding aging accuracy, image quality, attribute disentanglement, and identity preservation, especially for large age gaps.

Традиции и современность: культурное самосознание

The article examines the role of traditions in the formation of cultural identity in modern society. It analyzes the works of both domestic and foreign scholars concerning the essence and features of cultural traditions and national identity. The necessity for a more detailed study of the role of traditions in shaping cultural self-consciousness in the modern world is identified. The study reveals that at the basis of the examined phenomenon lies cultural identity, which is defined as an individual’s ability to evaluate themselves within the context of the cultural group to which they belong. Cultural identity facilitates the development of specific behaviors, values, and worldviews. It is established that by embracing cultural traditions, individuals enhance their cultural self-consciousness and cultivate an understanding of their place in the modern world. Furthermore, it has been determined that the strength and uniqueness of cultural affiliation render relationships within multicultural communities more harmonious, while also contributing to the individual’s success in their endeavors. Consequently, it is concluded that cultural traditions serve as the foundation of all occurrences in the modern world. They influence various spheres of nation’s life, aiding in the construction of a more advanced future.

‘No woman’s land’: A study of women’s land rights in context of neoliberal dispossession and gender relations in India

Given the complex web of socio-cultural factors, intersectional features of gender identity and the recent trajectories of a lack of land resources, the rise of alternative gainful employment, and a feminization of agriculture, this paper investigates whether land rights are the ultimate panacea for women’s autonomy. Land can be a source of women’s empowerment albeit the patriarchal Indian society restricts women’s right to property. Women in India are not a homogenous category. They are defined by their intersectional identities of caste, class, ethnicity, stages in their life course and subjectivities regarding demands for land. A more nuanced approach to women’s land rights is proposed in view of the agrarian crisis, restricted social validity of women’s land claims and other factors. Research has been conducted including an analysis of various feminist and intersectional debates concerning land rights in India, government reports, legal judgements, and religious text, among others.

Too few or too many? Exploring the Link between gender dissimilarity and employee absenteeism

Despite well-intentioned gender diversity initiatives aimed at addressing gender imbalances by ensuring minimal female representation in predominantly male groups, such tokenism often exacerbates discrimination and social isolation for these women, potentially leading to absenteeism. Research suggests that the benefits of diversity are realized only when the ratio of women to men reaches a critical threshold that allows for genuine integration and participation. However, this threshold remains uncertain. We integrate tokenism theory with social identity and status characteristics theories to investigate the effects of gender ratios within organizational teams on individual absenteeism. Specifically, we theorize a U-shaped relationship between gender dissimilarity and absenteeism for women, but not for men. Study 1, with a one-year cross-lagged design, encompassing 10,332 blue-collar workers in 1064 teams, supports the U-shaped relationship for women, while the relationship for men was non-significant. In Study 2, we use an experimental design with a sample of 370 female blue-collar workers to explore two potential mechanisms that may together explain the U-shaped gender dissimilarity effect for women. We test whether the gender composition of the work group affects both women’s likelihood of reporting unpleasant experiences and the group’s norms regarding absence. We draw theoretical and practical implications from these findings.

How higher education teachers see their professional identity

An important dimension to understand the student learning process is the professional identity of teachers, which is conceptualized as a continuous process of construction and reconstruction. In this process, teachers define and assume their roles in a specific educational context that is characterized by tensions, adjustments, and transformations. This study focuses on understanding the professional identity of higher education teachers, a field characterized by constant evolution and demands. The personal characteristics of this identity are explored, including experiences and biographical representations, as well as its interrelationship with the institutional environment. Using a qualitative interpretive approach, six teachers recognized for their pedagogical innovation and educational commitment were interviewed. The results reveal outstanding motivation and responsibility in educational work, but also tensions between personal identity and the work context, reflected in the perception of low recognition and the importance of institutional leadership. The teachers show a critical and reflective view of their work, influenced by childhood experiences that impact their conceptions of educational justice and equity. To conclude, the common characteristics of professional identity in higher education highlight the need to integrate them into professional development. The article advocates for the design of more personalized training programs and the promotion of continuous learning among peers as key elements to strengthen this identity and improve pedagogical practice.

A neurotransmitter atlas of C. elegans males and hermaphrodites

Mapping neurotransmitter identities to neurons is key to understanding information flow in a nervous system. It also provides valuable entry points for studying the development and plasticity of neuronal identity features. In the Caenorhabditis elegans nervous system, neurotransmitter identities have been largely assigned by expression pattern analysis of neurotransmitter pathway genes that encode neurotransmitter biosynthetic enzymes or transporters. However, many of these assignments have relied on multicopy reporter transgenes that may lack relevant cis-regulatory information and therefore may not provide an accurate picture of neurotransmitter usage. We analyzed the expression patterns of 16 CRISPR/Cas9-engineered knock-in reporter strains for all main types of neurotransmitters in C. elegans (glutamate, acetylcholine, GABA, serotonin, dopamine, tyramine, and octopamine) in both the hermaphrodite and the male. Our analysis reveals novel sites of expression of these neurotransmitter systems within both neurons and glia, as well as non-neural cells, most notably in gonadal cells. The resulting expression atlas defines neurons that may be exclusively neuropeptidergic, substantially expands the repertoire of neurons capable of co-transmitting multiple neurotransmitters, and identifies novel sites of monoaminergic neurotransmitter uptake. Furthermore, we also observed unusual co-expression patterns of monoaminergic synthesis pathway genes, suggesting the existence of novel monoaminergic transmitters. Our analysis results in what constitutes the most extensive whole-animal-wide map of neurotransmitter usage to date, paving the way for a better understanding of neuronal communication and neuronal identity specification in C. elegans.

A neurotransmitter atlas of C. elegans males and hermaphrodites.

Mapping neurotransmitter identities to neurons is key to understanding information flow in a nervous system. It also provides valuable entry points for studying the development and plasticity of neuronal identity features. In the Caenorhabditis elegans nervous system, neurotransmitter identities have been largely assigned by expression pattern analysis of neurotransmitter pathway genes that encode neurotransmitter biosynthetic enzymes or transporters. However, many of these assignments have relied on multicopy reporter transgenes that may lack relevant cis-regulatory information and therefore may not provide an accurate picture of neurotransmitter usage. We analyzed the expression patterns of 16 CRISPR/Cas9-engineered knock-in reporter strains for all main types of neurotransmitters in C. elegans (glutamate, acetylcholine, GABA, serotonin, dopamine, tyramine, and octopamine) in both the hermaphrodite and the male. Our analysis reveals novel sites of expression of these neurotransmitter systems within both neurons and glia, as well as non-neural cells, most notably in gonadal cells. The resulting expression atlas defines neurons that may be exclusively neuropeptidergic, substantially expands the repertoire of neurons capable of co-transmitting multiple neurotransmitters, and identifies novel sites of monoaminergic neurotransmitter uptake. Furthermore, we also observed unusual co-expression patterns of monoaminergic synthesis pathway genes, suggesting the existence of novel monoaminergic transmitters. Our analysis results in what constitutes the most extensive whole-animal-wide map of neurotransmitter usage to date, paving the way for a better understanding of neuronal communication and neuronal identity specification in C. elegans.

Динамика профессиональной идентичности студентов аграрного колледжа в процессе профессионального обучения

The study aimed to identify the dynamics of professional identity of students of an agricultural college in the process of their professional training. The study was carried out using the cross-sectional method. It involved students of the 1st (n = 42), 3rd (n = 38) and 4th (n = 36) years studying in the areas of agricultural education. To identify the features of the professional identity of respondents, the methodology of A.A. Ozerina was chosen, with the help of which the educational and professional plans of students studying in different years, their professional position, motivation, professional intentions, attitude to the acquired profession and its representatives, self-assessment of themselves as a future specialist were studied. It was revealed that professional training has a positive effect on the formation of professional identity in students of an agricultural college, which is reflected in its positive dynamics from the first to the third year. However, in the final year, due to the crisis of professional training, there is a decrease in the number of students ready to build a professional career in the agro-industrial complex. The study concludes that in the process of professional training of future specialists in the agro-industrial complex, it is necessary to develop and implement targeted programs to form their professional focus on work in the field of the acquired profession. The main areas of such programs should be the development of educational and professional motivation, subjective position, the formation of a positive attitude to the acquired profession through overcoming the stereotypical image of an agricultural worker, fixed in the mass consciousness, the ability and readiness of students to independently and maturely choose their professional future.

Determinism in Current Physics. Is It Possible?

We discuss the possibilities of determinism in reality, taking under consideration both quantum and classical physics. We present this firstly by questioning the supposed nature of quantum physics as non-deterministic, following the proposal of Penrose: the collapse of the wavefunction interpreted as particular measurements which seem to indicate certain contingency does not actually give the full picture of the reality of the former. In addition to what Penrose suggests, we consider this collapse as part of a bigger deterministic picture. Secondly, we analyse the distinction between this microphysical scenario and our macrophysical experience, in the light of determinism as well. We suggest that this experience can be understood as particular “measurements” similar to what happens in quantum mechanics. For instance, the image of a person with certain identity features is a highlight or particularization of all the possibilities the identity of this person experienced, experiences and will experience through time. The “collapse” is thus linked to individuation, not less real, but incomplete of reality. By linking the domain of quantum physics in a deterministic fashion to the phenomenological or macrophysical realm, we aim to show that a non-contingent character of reality is possible when accepting measurements or particular instances of things as forms of comprehension given by the physical world (thus not just mere subjective interventions). We argue that the complete picture (closer to the wavefunction) cannot give distinctive information (understanding this as differentiation of elements, such as particles in the microphysical domain and a certain colour in the macrophysical one).

A STUDY ON THE SOCIAL DISTANCE OF RESIDENTS OF BORDER REGIONS OF RUSSIA AND KAZAKHSTAN

He article presents an analysis of the social distance, which was measured as part of an empirical study on the socio-psychological characteristics of the ethnic identity of residents of border regions in Russia and Kazakhstan. The social distance was measured in two groups, which were determined by the type of residence of the respondents. The article describes such types of residence as diffuse and compact ones. The authors determined social acceptability and social expansiveness in the studied groups, as well as the social distance in these groups towards representatives of five ethnic groups. The results of the survey aimed at studying attitudes towards ethnicity and interethnic relations are presented.

Analysis and Creation of the Lingnan Cultural Identity Handbook for Product Design

The primary languages used in this region are Cantonese, Hokkienese, and Hakka Dialec, each with distinct dialects and local vocabulary, reflecting the local lifestyle and culture. This study had three main objectives: 1) To Scope on important characteristic of Lingnan identity, 2) To create Identity of Lingnan to products and 3) To complete the design Handbook and product design. The study involved a sample group consisting of experts in Lingnan cultural identity, product designers, and entrepreneurs, and the overall research population included 400 individuals interested in these products. Based on insights from the Handbook for Designing Cultural Products, the study developed the Lingnan cultural identity Handbook for Product Design (e-book). The study utilized an experimental research design and employed interviews and a satisfaction questionnaire as research instruments. This study synthesized, analyzed, and translated the collected data into Lingnan symbols, then compiled descriptive interpretations. The statistical methods used. The research findings revealed prominent elements of Lingnan cultural identity, including Chen Clan Temple, Wo'er House, Manchuria Window, Dragon Boat, Suixi Lion Dance, and Guangdong Opera. The region's geography and history deeply ingrain these cultural elements, showcasing the adaptability and wisdom of the local population. The product design concept focused on the creative process, emphasizing the development of products that meet market demands while considering utility, beauty, and value for product users. The evaluation of the Handbook indicated a high level of overall satisfaction (x̄=3.53). Among the three forms of cultural products, the first had the highest level of overall satisfaction (x̄=4.06), followed by the second with a high level of overall satisfaction (x̄=3.83), and the last with a high level of overall satisfaction (x̄=3.73).

Ann Brooks’ Postfeminist Studies on Omani Women’s Identity

This study aims to describe the aspects of influence and identity shaping of female characters in the novel "Sayyidaat Alqomar" by Jokha Alharthi based on Ann Brooks' perspective. This research is oriented towards discussing three aspects, namely postfeminist deconstruction, differences, and women's identity. This type of research is descriptive qualitative research with feminist analysis. Data analysis techniques in this study use the Miles and Huberman method with three stages: data reduction, data presentation, and conclusions. The results of this study are as follows: (1) The influence of postfeminist deconstruction is identified in two aspects. First, gender equality in the relationship between husband and wife and inequality among women. Second, traditional stereotypes that female characters respond as representations of deconstruction with responses to ignore and voice criticism; (2) the differences that affect the identity of female characters are identified, that a woman can own both masculine and feminine sides; and (3) the form of female identity influenced by two factors. First, external factors: destiny and modernization. Second, experience factors: hobbies, work, and trauma. These findings confirm the diversity of Women’s identity in Modernization and pave the way for postfeminist studies towards Omani women.

Class‐wised domain decoupling‐guided adversarial feature learning for cross‐age face recognition

AbstractHow to extract age‐independent identity features from face images has long been the major challenge in cross‐age face recognition task. In this letter, a class‐wised domain decoupling‐guided adversarial feature learning network to extract age‐independent face features is proposed. In this model, an adversarial feature learning module is designed to decompose identity features and age features. Considering that artificially designed age interference suppression strategies are difficult to fit the complex relationship between identity features and age features, an adversarial training strategy incorporated with an attention mechanism in the adversarial feature learning module is introduced to suppress age interference adaptively. Besides, under the idea of maximizing the distribution difference of identity feature domain and age feature domain, a class‐wised domain decoupling module is further designed to guide the model to extract age‐independent identity features. The proposed model has been validated on the well‐known public datasets CALFW and CACD‐VS, where it achieved remarkable recognition accuracy rates of 94.5% and 99.5%, respectively. This represents improvements of 4.2% and 0.1% over the state‐of‐the‐art single‐task‐based models, clearly showcasing the effectiveness of the proposed class‐wised domain decoupling‐guided adversarial feature learning model.

Narrative Identity Dimensions of Students in Private Alternative Schools

This study examines how students’ identities are co-constructed through educational experiences. We analyzed narratives of fifth and seventh grade students from two private alternative schools in the Czech Republic. The findings reveal that students identified with friends, had positive relationships with teachers and the school, and experienced interesting education, closeness, and respect. These insights highlight typical identity characteristics for their age group and emphasize the importance of positive educational experiences in shaping students’ identities. This study contributes to research on narrative identity and the role of alternative private schools in primary and lower secondary education.

Intersectionality of Queer Female Characters in Alice Oseman’s Young Adult Series of Graphic Novels Heartstopper

The global success of Alice Oseman’s series of young adult graphic novels, Heartstopper, may come as a surprise. Initially published as a webcomic on Tumblr and Tapas, it attracted an online audience of over 50 million views. The project’s publishing fundraising goal was met in just two hours, and Hachette Children’s Group published Heartstopper: Volume One as a graphic novel in 2019, followed by four other volumes and extras, all released by 2023. While most readers and critics have focused on the issues of male homo- and bisexuality in Heartstopper, this article seeks to analyse the multifaceted identities of trans and cisgender female characters in Oseman’s graphic novel series through the lens of intersectionality, focusing on gender, sexuality, race, and ethnicity, while addressing the call for diversity in YA literature. Remembering that young adult literature often aims to raise questions about political organisation, ideal society, and the need for social change, the reading of Oseman’s Heartstopper presented in this paper argues that it is a part of utopian young adult literature due to disregarding many issues connected to the characters’ intersections, especially the experiences of women of colour.

A social identity approach to crisis leadership.

This paper discusses the importance of a social identity approach to crisis leadership in the context of global crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic and emphasizes the interconnected relationships between leaders and followers. I highlight the role of leaders in fostering unity and shaping citizens' responses especially during crises. I discuss the nature of crises and the significant role of political leaders in guiding societal responses and suggest that crisis leadership extends beyond individual competencies and behaviours and involves a shift from individual to collective responses. With this, I introduce the social identity approach to leadership that views leadership as a social influence process and emphasizes the importance of creating a sense of 'we-ness' among followers. Following from that, crisis leadership involves leaders constructing defining features of collective identity and efficacy to address crises appropriately. However, the value of this approach depends on the careful definition of shared identity boundaries, consideration of diverse experiences within society, the evolving nature of crisis leadership over time and potential consequences of crisis leadership. The sustainability of identity leadership, the dynamics of intergroup and subgroup processes, and the complexities of various crises are identified as areas requiring further research.

언론 기사를 통한 K 지역 직선제 교육감의 역할 정체성 분석

The purpose of this study is to analyze the changes in the role identity of directly elected superintendents and the behavioral characteristics constituting it since the implementation of direct elections in 2010. Framework for the analysis including Teacher-Scholar, Business Manager, Educational Political Leader, Social Scientist, and Communicator were established, and a qualitative document analysis was conducted. We collected media articles on the superintendents’ actions from July 1, 2010, to April 30, 2024 for analysis. A gradual sampling process was used to select 1,312 media articles on the superintendents in K province. The data were analyzed using a priori coding based on a preexisting conceptual foundation. The analysis results are as follows. First, the role identity was in the order of Business Manager, Communicator, Teacher-Scholar, Educational Political Leader, Social Scientist. Second, the changes in the role identity by year showed a strong Business Manager identity for all four terms. Third, the themes that could constitute the characteristics of each role identity included “City/Province Educational Organization and Resource Manager”, “Communicator Utilizing Various Channels”, “City/Province Education Improver and Promoter”, “Political Strategist Responding to Ideological Conflicts”, “Expert and Data Utilizer”, and “Community Connector and Contributor.” The following policy implications are suggested from the findings: redefining the superintendent’s role, clarifying the required qualifications, enhancing capabilities.

The international dissemination of China’s English academic journals on Twitter: Structure, theme and impact

Objective/Significance: To measure the international communication capacity of China’s English academic journal papers based on social media platforms. Method/Process: Social network analysis, content analysis and emotion analysis were used to describe the diffusion structure of China’s English academic journal papers on Twitter from the aspects of network structure and identify important node users, explore the identity characteristics and emotion characteristics of users as well as diffusion capability of journals of different disciplines. Conclusion/Discovery: Journal articles in the fields of natural sciences and engineering as well as humanities and social sciences exhibit a strong positive correlation between their diffusion structure and network size. Networks with a mixed diffusion structure typically have larger network sizes. The users occupying key positions in the diffusion network typically have profile information that is academically relevant. The retweets and comments are mainly statements without emotional inclination, and the comments are mainly summary descriptions of the papers. The distribution of diffusion width, diffusion strength and diffusion speed of each discipline is significantly different. There is a significant positive correlation between the diffusion structure of papers and their diffusion capabilities. Innovation/Value: To reveal the diffusion structure and characteristics of China’s English academic journal papers on social media platforms, so as to provide reference for expanding the visibility of China’s English academic journals and improving the international dissemination capacity of China’s English journals.

Formation of professional identity and motivation among future primary school teachers in the process of educational practice

Introduction. The article examines the problem of forming professional identity and motivation among students in the process of mastering the discipline “Educational practice (research work (obtaining primary skills in research work))”. The current stage of professional training of future teachers is focused on mastering the methods of integrating educational subjects for organizing developmental research activities, which is reflected in the “Core of Higher Pedagogical Education.” The purpose of the article is to substantiate the way of formation of professional identity and motivation of future teachers in the process of educational practice (research work (obtaining primary research skills)”. Materials and Methods. Theoretical and methodological analysis, a method of diagnostic analysis, including a questionnaire of professional identity of students (U. S. Rodygina), diagnosing the internal position of students in relation to their future profession, the components of which are the characteristics of the professional identity of students “Emotional attitude” and “ Conscious activity"; a methodology for determining motivation for vocational training (V.G. Katashev), which allows one to study and analyze the level of motivation of students in the context of their vocational education; methods of mathematical statistics. Results. Testing students – future primary school teachers in the process of educational practice to obtain primary skills in research work allowed us to conclude that the motivation of future primary school teachers is normal. As a result of the study, it was revealed that according to the questionnaire “Professional Identity of Students” (U. S. Rodygina), the highest average score was noted on the scale “positive emotions associated with meeting a person’s needs in the profession”, the lowest average score corresponds to the scale “position of a student’s passive attitude” to the acquired profession”. The results obtained from the diagnostic “Methodology for determining motivation for vocational training” showed that the highest average score corresponds to the normal level of motivation, the lowest – to the average level of motivation. Discussion and Conclusions. The obtained results of the study substantiate the relevance of the problem of forming professional identity and motivation among students of the faculty of primary school teacher training in the process of educational practice. The educational practice carried out at the faculty plays a key role in the formation of students’ primary research skills. The peculiarities of the implementation of this type of practice is that the process of training future teachers consists of three modules: methodological foundations of scientific knowledge; methods of psychological and pedagogical research; registration of the results of scientific work. Each module is aimed at achieving the goal of practice: obtaining primary research skills in organizing and conducting psychological and pedagogical research in education, processing and presenting its results. The module tasks are aimed at students performing a number of practical actions: studying the fundamentals of the scientific method; choosing a topic and research question; literature review; data collection and analysis; interpretation of results; writing a scientific article or report; preparing a presentation; public speaking practice; cooperation with the scientific supervisor; publication and feedback. The authors emphasize the effectiveness of the tasks used in the process of developing students’ research skills.