Intermediate Position Research Articles

Against anti‐fanaticism

AbstractShould you be willing to forego any sure good for a tiny probability of a vastly greater good? Fanatics say you should, anti‐fanatics say you should not. Anti‐fanaticism has great intuitive appeal. But, I argue, these intuitions are untenable, because satisfying them in their full generality is incompatible with three very plausible principles: acyclicity, a minimal dominance principle, and the principle that any outcome can be made better or worse. This argument against anti‐fanaticism can be turned into a positive argument for a weak version of fanaticism, but only from significantly more contentious premises. In combination, these facts suggest that those who find fanaticism counterintuitive should favor not anti‐fanaticism, but an intermediate position that permits agents to have incomplete preferences that are neither fanatical nor anti‐fanatical.

CYP2C gene polymorphisms in North African populations.

Cytochrome P450 is a superfamily of genes generating hemoproteins that metabolize foreign chemicals as well as endogenous compounds, such as steroids. The human CYP2C genes (CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C18, CYP2C19) cluster on chromosome 10 and metabolize many clinically useful drugs. CYP2C19 and CYP2C9 have been the most studied while CYP2C8 has been studied less frequently. CYP2C18 has been relatively ignored until recently but its importance has begun to be recognized. We studied the genotypes of 7 pharmacogenetic markers in 3 CYP2C genes: CYP2C19 (rs12248560), CYP2C9 (rs4918758, rs1799853), and CYP2C8 (rs10509681, rs11572103, rs1058930, rs11572080), in one Libyan population and 7 Tunisian populations. Five of the 7 SNPs are in exons and have functional consequences while one intronic SNP is considered to be in close proximity to a regulatory region because of the many studies that report associations with metabolic effects. We carried out principal component analysis (PCA) on the North African populations and 83 other populations from the 1000 Genomes Project and Kidd Laboratory. The geographic clustering observed via PCA was more pronounced when considering multi-SNP haplotype frequencies. This studyreveals the intermediate position of North Africans between Europeans and Asians and the varied dissimilarities with other world regions. The genetic variation observed within and between geographic regions have implications for drug metabolism and adverse individual responses to medical treatments.

Polygenic Risk Assessment for Schizophrenia in Patients with Nonpsychotic Disorders and Attenuated Symptoms of Psychosis: A Pilot Study

Background: significant contribution of genetic factors in the development of schizophrenia is a generally recognized fact. Polygenic risk index for schizophrenia turned out to be an effective tool allowing to draw a dividing line between schizophrenia and mentally healthy control in terms of genetics. Objective: to assess the predictive ability of the polygenic risk score for schizophrenia (SZ-PRS) in adolescent patients with a first depressive episode and attenuated psychotic symptoms (APS). Patients and Methods: sixty adolescent inpatient with a first depressive episode were examined. Based on the presence of APS at admission, patients were divided into two groups: a group with APS and a group without APS. Subgroups of patients in the first group were identified through follow-up observations: those with psychosis manifestation and/or low social functioning and those without manifestation and with high social functioning. Whole-genome genotyping was performed for all participants, and SZ-PRS were calculated. For comparison, a group of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (n = 879) and a group of mentally healthy individuals (n = 759), who had previously undergone whole-genome genotyping and had their SZ-PRS calculated, were used. Results: SZ-PRS of the APS group occupy an intermediate position between the healthy control and schizophrenia patients, significantly differing from each of them. The group without APS did not differ from the control group, but compared to the group of schizophrenia patients, the SZ-PRS in this group was significantly lower. Comparing subgroups of patients showed that the SZ-PRS in the APS group without psychosis manifestation and social functioning impairment was significantly lower than in the group with schizophrenia manifestation. The APS subgroups with psychosis manifestation and with functioning impairment did not differ significantly from each other or from the schizophrenia group. Conclusion: the results obtained for the first time for the russian population showed that SZ-PRS can be considered as a tool for assessing the risk of developing psychosis or reduced social functioning in patients with APS.

Легендарні імена в аспекті відонімного словотвору

The present article continues the author’s previous studies in the theory and research methodology of eponymy. In them, she has proceeded from a parametrical model for the description and analysis of eponymic semantics, whose three principle parameters are related to the underlying proper name, the derived eponym, and the motivational relationship between the first and second. This paper focuses on a special group of proper names from which some eponyms are formed: legendary names. These proper nouns are of a unique onomastic nature, as they occupy an intermediate position between realonyms, i. e. proper names denoting real-world entities, and mythonyms, denoting fictitious, mythical or fantastic entities.

Once Again About the Origin of the Jurak Language

This article reconsiders the material of the disappeared Northern Samoyedic idiom, data on which were collected in the 17th century by G.F. Müller and interpreted by E.A. Helimsky. Linguistically, Jurak is included in the group of Northern Samoyed languages, along with Forest and Tundra Enets, Forest and Tundra Nenets, Nganasan and Mator. Geographically, E.A. Helimsky localizes the Jurak language in the northern part of the interfluve of the Taz and Yenisei. It is significant that Jurak is localized between the Entets language in the east and Nenets in the west. E.A. Helimsky showed that from the point of view of historical phonetics, the Jurak language in some respects occupies an intermediate position between Nenets and Enets. He also notes that a number of Jurak words that do not coincide with Nenets have a parallel in Enets. Based on this, he proposed to consider Jurak a Nenets dialect, which shared some of the characteristics of the neighboring closely related language. This paper proposes to revise the data on the historical phonetics of the Jurak language. It is demonstrated that in different Jurak words the development of the same phonemic sequences can have two options. One variant is shared with the rest of the Nenets dialects, whereas the other with the Enets language. This situation indicates that Jurak is not the result of a diachronically consistent development of a peripheral Nenets dialect in contact with Enets, but is a mixed language with Nenets and Enets components.

Stable isotope analysis of western Lake Superior predatory fishes, part one: Trophic niche overlap

Characterizing food web interactions between introduced and native fish predators is important to quantify niche overlap, assess predator–prey balance, and support fisheries management. Lake Superior provides an ideal setting to investigate potential trophic overlap between native top predators, lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and walleye (Sander vitreus), and a diverse assemblage of introduced salmonids. Angler-caught fish were used to measure trophic position and niche overlap between predatory fishes in the western arm of Lake Superior based on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ13C, δ15N). Within a species, we did not find consistent differences in either δ13C or δ15N values by sex, collection year, capture location, or length. Among species, the range in δ15N values was >5 ‰, indicating that these species occupy ∼2 trophic positions, with dietary reliance ranging from primarily invertebrates to primarily fish, whereas the range in δ13C values indicated dietary reliance on a mix of pelagic and benthic prey. Combined, the δ13C and δ15N values revealed siscowet lake trout as the apex predator having a distinct trophic niche, while walleye and lean lake trout were intermediate trophic position predators with overlapping isotopic niches, and introduced salmonids were the lowest trophic position predators with overlapping trophic niches. Overlapping trophic niches indicated similar resource reliance and habitat occupancy among native lake trout and walleye, as well as among introduced salmonids, but less so between native and introduced predators.

Update on Behçet syndrome

Behçet syndrome (BS) is avasculitis of variable vessels with multiple organ manifestations. This article gives an overview of innovations in the last 2 years. A literature search was carried out using the keyword "Behcet" in 2022-2024 in PubMed. The selection of suitable articles was based on the relevance. With respect to the pathophysiology it is now clear that BS occupies an intermediate position between autoinflammatory and autoimmune clinical pictures. It is now classified as MHC-I-opathy, i.e., adisease that has astrong association with HLA classI antigens, which also play aprominent role in the pathogenesis. The diagnostic international criteria for Behcet's disease (ICBD) from 2014 with ascore of 4 points or more that makes the diagnosis of BS probable have become established; however, in countries with alow prevalence of BS, the differential diagnosis of BS from other diseases is difficult and ahigher point limit in the diagnostic score seems to make sense in order to avoid incorrect diagnoses. Clusters or phenotypes of the disease have now been described in various countries in which different symptom complexes frequently occur together; however, the clusters differ between the different countries of origin and depending on the age of the patients. Sonography of the common femoral vein with specific wall thickening in BS patients has been established as an additional tool for the differential diagnosis. Typical characteristics of oral aphthae in BS were also described and the frequency of positivity in the pathergy test could be significantly increased using pneumococcal antigens as the reagent. The treatment recommendations of the EULAR from 2018 still apply; in treatment-refractory cases, tocilizumab, secukinumab, Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) and ustekinumab have now also been successfully used. The new EULAR treatment recommendations are expected in 2025.

Применение моделей адсорбции при исследовании поглощения ионов никеля почвой

The aim of the presented work is to study the absorption of nickel ions by soils of the Udmurt Republic using four sorption models. Humus horizons (0–20 cm) of Albeluvisols Umbric, Leptosols Rendzinic and Phaeozems Albic soils widely distributed in Udmurtia were selected as objects of nickel adsorption research. According to the Langmuir model, good sorbents are characterized by high Amax values and low – KL, therefore, the best sorbent of nickel ions is Albeluvisols Umbric (Amax=0.0562 mol/kg, KL=2075.19 dm3/mol), and a weaker absorber is Phaeozems Albic (Amax=0.0192 mol/kg, KL=19474.48 dm3/mol), Leptosols Rendzinic occupies an intermediate position (Amax=0.0289 mol/kg, KL=14766.47 dm3/mol). The negative value of the Gibbs energy (∆G=–17.97 kJ/mol for Albeluvisols Umbric, –22.59 kJ/mol for Leptosols Rendzinic and –23.24 kJ/mol for Phaeozems Albic) indicates the spontaneous nickel adsorption by soil absorbing complex (SAC). In accordance with the Freundlich model, in all types of studied soils, the nickel ion – SAC binding energy decreases as the surface is filled, herewith the studied soils are characterized by heterogeneity of sorption centers. The approximation coefficient of the Temkin model is in the range of 0.80–0.85, therefore, the discrepancy between the experimental data of the theoretical model indicates the absence of interaction between the adsorbed particles. The Dubinin – Radushkevich model allows us to determine the nature of adsorption forces, as well as the value of the average free energy of adsorption: E=8,325 kJ/mol in Albeluvisols Umbric, 9.5477 kJ/mol in Leptosols Rendzinic and 9.6296 kJ/mol in Phaeozems Albic. Consequently, chemisorption is characteristic of all soils, and proceeds by an ion-exchange mechanism.

Возможности метода биохемилюминисценции с модельной средой из сыворотки крови в оценке антиоксидантной активности растительного сырья

Antioxidant activity (AOA) is an important indicator of the evaluation of plant raw materials (RM), which are widely used in medicine to obtain various medicines. The use of RM at the present stage of the pharmaceutical industry development allows avoiding large-scale production of synthetic medicines, accompanied by a negative impact on the environment. For an objective assessment of AOA, it is necessary to apply methods that allow determining not only the content of the active substance, but also generally characterizing the functional activity of RM. The article presents data on the AOA of aqueous extracts from the leaves and fruits of Hippophae rhamnoides L., Aronia melanocarpa L. The determination of antioxidant activity was performed by biochemiluminiscence (BСHL) using serum from white mongrel rats as a model environment (MЕ). The evaluation criteria were the maximum intensity (Imax) and the light sum of the glow (S). The results obtained were compared with the data of the analysis of BCHL without ME, as well as with the data of alternative methods for quantifying the antioxidant potential of RM (coulometric titration, direct titration, spectrophotometry). According to the criteria for assessing the intensity of free radical oxidation (Imax) using the BCHL method without ME, it was found that aqueous extracts from the leaves and fruits of A. melanocarpa, as well as H. rhamnoides leaves, have a high antioxidant potential (343, 274 and 268 mV, respectively), and from H. rhamnoides fruits – more short. BCHL results showed that the amount of radicals in blood serum decreased upon contact with extracts from vegetable raw materials. Among the studied samples, extracts from the fruits of A. melanocarpa were characterized by the highest AOA (S=2006±137 mV·s). At the same time, according to alternative methods, they occupy an intermediate position in terms of the quantitative content of biologically active substances (BAS) with antioxidant properties. Based on the weak correlation between the data of the BСHL method and alternative methods for determining AOA, it is concluded that it is necessary to take into account the possibility of an indirect relationship between the content of BAS in RM and the effect manifested in conditions as close as possible to biological systems. The measurement of AOA by the BСHL method is actually an assessment of the function, as well as the effectiveness of BAS, and complements quantitative methods for assessing the antioxidant activity of ME.

Study on laminar combustion characteristics and the optimization of the coupling mechanism in a mixture of propanol and gasoline

When both isopropanol and n-propanol are incorporated, the utilization of propanol as a fuel substitute (or a gasoline additive) presents promising potential for enhancing the combustion efficiency and thermal performance in compact, turbocharged, direct-injection gasoline engines upon blending. However, the complexity of the laminar combustion behavior of propanol-blended gasoline has yet to be fully investigated, as current coupling mechanisms are insufficiently sophisticated to precisely mirror the complex experimental conditions.This study establishes a testbed specifically designed for measuring laminar burning velocity (LBV) using the heat flux method. This setup is employed to measure the LBV of pure n-heptane and isooctane, as well as the LBV of the gasoline surrogate fuel TRF with two distinct blend ratios. Additionally, it measures the LBV of propanol and its blends with TRF. The research findings reveal that isooctane demonstrates a heightened sensitivity to fuel preheating temperature, whereas the toluene proportion in TRF fuels exerts the most pronounced influence on combustion behavior. At an equivalence ratio of 1.1, the LBV of n-propanol differs from that of its isomer, isopropanol, by 4.65 cm/s. Notably, the LBV exhibits a discernible upward trend, corresponding to the increasing proportion of toluene in the blended fuel. Furthermore, there is a pronounced distinction in LBV among the propanol isomers, with blended TRF occupying an intermediate position between pure propanol and TRF. After the enhancement of the mechanism based on experimental benchmarks of LBV, a rigorous validation process demonstrated a substantial improvement in the alignment between simulated outcomes and empirical LBV measurements.

Does the Colonizing Population Exhibit a Reduced Genetic Diversity and Allele Surfing? A Case Study of the Midday Gerbil (Meriones meridianus Pallas) Expanding Its Range.

Colonizing populations at the leading edge of range expansion are expected to have a reduced genetic diversity and strong genetic structure caused by genetic drift and allele surfing. Until now, few studies have found the genetic signatures of allele surfing in expanding wild populations. Using mtDNA markers, we studied the genetic structure of the population of midday gerbils (Meriones meridianus) expanding their range to the west in Kalmykia (southern Russia) following the new cycle of desertification, re-colonizing areas abandoned in the mid-2010s. In the colonizing population, we found a reduced genetic diversity, the redistribution of haplotype frequencies-in particular, in favor of variants rare in the core population-and strong genetic structure combined with strong differentiation from the core population-patterns suggestive of allele surfing on the wave of expansion. In terms of genetic diversity and spatial structuration, the western edge population sampled in 2008 before its collapse in 2017 occupies the intermediate position between the current colonizing and core population. This suggests that reduced genetic diversity and increased genetic differentiation are general features of marginal populations, enhanced by the founder and allele-surfing effects at the leading edges of expanding ranges.

Genetic history and biological adaptive landscape of the Tujia people inferred from shared haplotypes and alleles

BackgroundHigh-quality genomic datasets from under-representative populations are essential for population genetic analysis and medical relevance. Although the Tujia are the most populous ethnic minority in southwestern China, previous genetic studies have been fragmented and only partially reveal their genetic diversity landscape. The understanding of their fine-scale genetic structure and potentially differentiated biological adaptive features remains nascent.ObjectivesThis study aims to explore the demographic history and genetic architecture related to the natural selection of the Tujia people, focusing on a meta-Tujia population from the central regions of the Yangtze River Basin.ResultsPopulation genetic analyses conducted on the meta-Tujia people indicate that they occupy an intermediate position in the East Asian North-South genetic cline. A close genetic affinity was identified between the Tujia people and neighboring Sinitic-speaking populations. Admixture models suggest that the Tujia can be modeled as a mixture of northern and southern ancestries. Estimates of f3/f4 statistics confirmed the presence of ancestral links to ancient Yellow River Basin millet farmers and the BaBanQinCen-related groups. Furthermore, population-specific natural selection signatures were explored, revealing highly differentiated functional variants between the Tujia and southern indigenous populations, including genes associated with hair morphology (e.g., EDAR) and skin pigmentation (e.g., SLC24A5). Additionally, both shared and unique selection signatures were identified among ethnically diverse but geographically adjacent populations, highlighting their extensive admixture and the biological adaptations introduced by this admixture.ConclusionsThe study unveils significant population movements and genetic admixture among the Tujia and other ethno-linguistically diverse East Asian groups, elucidating the differentiated adaptation processes across geographically diverse populations from the current genetic landscape.

Ideological narratives of liberalism and socialism

Objective: to compare the ideologies of liberalism and socialism in economic science in the context of the current stage of their evolution. For this purpose, the paper identifies the goals of these ideologies by analyzing the scientific narratives of economists. The study is also aimed at identifying similarities and differences between the ideologies of liberalism andsocialism. Methods: qualitative methods, narrative analysis, review of scientific literature. Results: the comparison of common interpretations of the “ideology” concept in various branches of economics and in other social sciences shows differences in terminology. The comparison of the liberalism and socialism ideologies in economics shows the difference between the declared goals of liberals and socialists. The goal of liberalism ideology is human freedom,and of socialism ideology – distribution equality. The ideologies considered are internally heterogeneous and have evolved over time. At present, liberalism is continued in neoliberalism, which aims at increasing the population wealth rather than freedom as an end in itself. There are non-egalitarian interpretations of the essence of socialism, which reduce it to the economy governmentalization. There are also debates about the advantages of the market over centralized planning in socialism. The extremes of the ideologies of liberalism and socialism can be clearly distinguished, but in practice, many studies take an intermediate position. A common feature of liberalism and socialism is their modernist character and criticism of archaic economic institutions designed to redistribute wealth from the poor to the rich. Scientific novelty: it consists in identifying the economic goals proclaimed by the ideologies of liberalism and socialism, based on the analysis of the relevant theoretical narratives in scientific literature. Practical significance: it is determined by the need to understand the factors influencing the economists’ worldview. Studying the ideologies of liberalism and socialism is useful for understanding the intent of the authors of recommendations for improving the institutions of the modern Russian economic order.

The concept that went viral: Using machine learning to discover charisma in the wild.

The term "charisma" is recognized as sociology's most successful export to common speech. While sociologists habitually dismiss popular uses of the word, we address its vernacularity head on as a worthy object of study and as a potential resource for conceptual development. Using machine learning, we locate "charisma" within the wider discursive field out of which it arises (and continues to arise) across four corpora; namely: Weber's major writings; social scientific research (123,531 JSTOR articles); and social media ("X") posts containing of "charisma" (n=77,161) and its 2023 variant, "rizz" (n=85,869). By capturing meaning structures that discursively suspend "charisma" across multiple dimensions, we discern three spectrathat help todistinguish charisma's sociological and non-sociological uses. Spectrumone differentiates perspectives which see charisma as having either a structural or individual-level range of efficacy. Spectrumtwo differentiates indifferent/analytical perspectives on charisma from perspectives which see it as desirable but also morally conservative. Spectrumthree differentiates between relational and individualized ontologies for charisma. We find that, rather than hewing closely to the Weberian formulation, social scientific uses exist in an intermediate position vis-à-vis these three spectra. Thus, scholars participate in what they otherwise criticize as charisma's vulgarization. The article concludes with recommendations for how to constructively interact with 'popular charisma.'

Diffusion and sorption of water vapor by polyamide‐imides

AbstractThe study of sorption and diffusion characteristics of glassy polymers based on polyamide‐imides was carried out using the methods of static sorption, dilatometry, electron microscopy. Water sorption isotherms of polyamide‐imides based on trimellitimido‐N‐acetic acid (PAI‐A) and trimellitimido‐N‐p‐benzoic acid (PAI‐B) with different intramolecular ‘hinges’ in the diamine fragment were obtained. The isotherms are S‐shaped and occupy an intermediate position between polyheteroarylenes and aliphatic polyamides. The dual sorption model was used to interpret the results. It is shown that the Langmuir component of the isotherms is determined by the thermal prehistory of glassy polymers, while the sorption component associated with water dissolution according to Flory‐Huggins is determined by the chemical nature of the functional groups included in the monomeric unit. The diffusion coefficients of water and the temperature and concentration dependences of the diffusion coefficients of sorbed water molecules were determined.

Genetic diversity of North African populations in the 17q21 genomic region.

The demographic history of human populations in North Africa has been characterized by complex migration processes that have determined the current genetic structure of these populations. We examined the autosomal markers of eight sampled populations in northern Africa (Tunisia and Libya) to explore their genetic structure and to place them in a global context. We genotyped a set of 30 autosomal single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) extending 9.5Mb and encompassing the 17q21 inversion region. Our data include 403 individuals from Tunisia and Libya. To put our populations in the global context, we analyzed our data in comparison with other populations, including those of the 1000 Genomes Project. To evaluate the data, we conducted genetic diversity, principal component, STRUCTURE, and haplotype analyses. The analysis of genetic composition revealed the genetic heterogeneity of North African populations. The principal component and STRUCTURE analyses converged and revealed the intermediate position of North Africans between Europeans and Asians. Haplotypic analysis demonstrated that the normal (H1) and inverted (H2) polymorphisms in the chromosome 17q21 region occur in North Africa at frequencies similar to those found in European and Southwest Asian populations. The results highlight the complex demographic history of North Africa, reflecting the influence of genetic flow from Europe and the Near East that dates to the prehistoric period. These gene flows added to demographic factors (inbreeding, endogamy), natural factors (topography, Sahara), and cultural factors that play a role in the emergence of the diverse and heterogeneous genetic structures of North African populations. This study contributes to a better understanding of the complex structure of North African populations.

AGE STRUCTURE OF RHAPONTICUM SERRATULOIDES (GEORGI) BOBR. POPULATIONS. IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL KAZAKHSTAN

The article presents the results of studying the ontogenetic structure of seven cenopopulations of Rhaponticum serratuloides in Karaganda and Akmola regions of Kazakhstan (Northern and Central Kazakhstan). The majority of surveyed cenopopulations belong to normal incomplete populations. Their ontogenetic structure has two main types of spectrum - centered two-vertex spectrum, where the maximum falls on virginal and middle-generative individuals, as well as left-sided spectrum with predominance of pre-generative individuals. The condition of cenopopulations was assessed using the "delta-omega" criterion of L. A. Zhivotovsky. According to this criterion, most of the cenopopulations are mature (CP 1-2, CP 4-5), only two (CP6 and CP7) are young. The presence of a significant number of young plants in CP6 indicates its high capacity for maintenance and self-restoration. In CP7, unfavorable conditions prevailed and potentially generative plants remained in virginile age state. CP3 occupies an intermediate position between mature and young populations. In all cenopopulations there was almost complete absence of senile and sub-senile individuals, and only in some of them - deposition of juvenile and immature individuals. Incompleteness of cenopopulations is associated with increasing anthropogenic load and narrow ecological amplitude of Rh. serratuloides.

Identification of the effect of ripening conditions on the yield of rose hips and their processed products

Wild rose hip fruit, pulp, beverage, nectar, as well as technological methods and tools are taken as the object of research. Rose hips have a, bright red color and a rich chemical composition, which makes it a very important raw material for industry. However, insufficient research slows down this work and makes the use of raw materials inefficient. With this in mind, the aim was to study the mechanical and technological characteristics of the femur, which are considered important for industrial processing. The reflection of ripening conditions on the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of rose hips, as well as the influence of processing methods, especially hot processing, on the quality of the product has been established. Research has shown that the percentage of fruit cultivation in the Dashkasan region was the lowest, and the highest in the Gadabay region, and the Goygol region took an intermediate position. The Latin hardness of fruits grown in Dashkasan region was 6.41 N. Gadabay region with 5.56 N and Goygol region with 5.47 N. This indicator plays an important role in the storage and processing of fruits. As a result of the treatment, the amount of dry matter in fruit, pulp and beverage increased slightly, titratable acids, ascorbic acid and pH decreased. An increase in total phenolic compounds was observed during the initial heat treatment of the raw material and was noted to be much lower in the pulp and beverage. Hot treatment had a reducing effect on the amount of ascorbic acid, which is considered one of the main components of indicators in the thigh. The obtained results can be used in individual family farms and in the food industry

Age-related characteristics of the content and activity of certain components of the blood fibrinolytic system in cases of uterine cancer

Uterine cancer (UC) is the third most common cancer in women in Russia. Knowledge of age-specific features of the fibrinolytic system in patients with UC can be useful in terms of improving its pathogenetic therapy. Aim of the study was to investigate the peculiarities of the content and activity of some components of the fibrinolytic system in the blood of UC patients of different age groups. Material and methods. 30 healthy women (donors) and 56 patients with uterine cancer T1a-2N0M0, adenocarcinoma G1–G3 were divided into subgroups according to age: reproductive, perimenopause and menopause. ELISA of urokinase (u-PA), its receptor (u-PAR) and its inhibitor (PAI-1), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) content were performed in blood collected before treatment. Results. In reproductive UC patients, inhibitor u-PA (PAI-1) activity increased 14-fold (hereinafter the difference is statistically significant, p < 0.05) and content increased 2.9-fold, while receptor u-PA (u-PAR) level decreased 1.7-fold compared to reproductive donors. Perimenopausal UC patients showed a 3.3-fold increase in PAI-1 content and a 6.3-fold increase in PAI-1 activity compared to perimenopausal donors, t-PA concentration decreased 1.3-fold relative to donors and was 1.9-fold lower than in reproductive UC patients. In menopausal patients with UC, the activity and content of PAI-1 enhanced 5.5-fold and 4.5-fold, respectively, compared to donors. Additionally, they were 2.1-fold and 1.2-fold lower than in reproductive UC patients. The activity of u-PA increased 2.6-fold, reaching the values of reproductive UC patients. The activity of t-PA was 1.3-fold higher than in donors, but did not differ from the activity in other RTM patients, while the level of t-PA occupied an intermediate position between the corresponding indices in young UC patients (it was 1.4-fold lower) and perimenopausal UC patients (it was 1.4-fold higher). Conclusions. The development of UC is accompanied by an imbalance of components of the fibrinolytic system in the blood, depending on the age of women, with a minimum spectrum of changes in the indicators in reproductive patients and maximum - in menopause patients, which indicates the pathognomonicity of these factors in PTM and requires an individual approach to the management of such patients.

The past, the recent, and the ongoing evolutionary processes of the worldwide invasive ascidian Styela plicata.

Invasive species are one of the main threats to global biodiversity and, within marine ecosystems, tunicates feature some prominent examples. Styela plicata is an ascidian species inhabiting harbours in all temperate oceans and seas, thus being considered a thriving invasive species. However, this species' adaptive mechanisms, introduction history, and population structure have never been completely elucidated. Here, by genotyping 87 S. plicata individuals from 18 localities worldwide with 2b-RADseq, we confirm the global presence of four chromosome inversions, demonstrate population structuring on this species, detect local adaptation signals, and infer historical demographic events. We show that North Carolina individuals constitute an unrelated population, Atlanto-Mediterranean and Pacific localities form their own genetic clusters with substructuring, being the most evident the split between northern and southern Atlantic localities. The locality of South Carolina presents an intermediate genetic position between North Carolina and the other two groups pointing to a hybrid origin with recurrent gene flow. We generate and test demographic models, providing evidence of two independent introduction events to the Atlantic and Pacific, and an admixture that originated the population of South Carolina. Finally, we identify candidate loci for adaptation, with functions involved with cell processes, metabolism, development, and ion transport, among others. Overall, this study highlights the complex historical processes of S. plicata, which have led this species to its current distribution, population structure, and local adaptation footprint in oceans worldwide.