Separate Individuals Research Articles

First occurrence of an acipenseriform (Chondrostei: Acipenseriformes) from the Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay Formation of England

ABSTRACT Several fragmentary remains of an enigmatic acipenseriform, the order of fishes that includes living sturgeons and paddlefishes, are described from the Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay Formation of southern England. These remains are significant because they represent the first definitive evidence of an acipenseriform from the Upper Jurassic described outside of Asia. In total, five associated dorsal caudal fulcra from the caudal fin and a paired pelvic fin from at least two separate individuals are identified as acipenseriform, although it is uncertain to which family they belong. Three families of Mesozoic acipenseriform are considered: the †Chondrostei (Lower Jurassic, Europe), the †Peipiaosteidae (Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous, Asia), and the extant Acipenseroidei (Lower Cretaceous–recent, Laurasia). The new Kimmeridgian Clay acipenseriform fossils would significantly extend the temporal and spatial distribution of whichever family they are ascribed, but their affinities remain unclear. Regardless, the stratigraphic and paleobiogeographic occurrence of the new specimens holds novel implications for the poorly known evolutionary history of this primitive clade of extant non-Neopterygian fishes.

KGB Agents: their Types, Functions and Objectives

KGB agents are one of its pillars and sources of power since on the basis of the information they provided, the operative work was organized, which ensured that the atmosphere of fear and obedience pervade society. The goal of this research is to name and define the types of agents, the tasks they had to carry out, the goals to be achieved as well as in what segments of the population they were most active. The definition of an agent in KGB documents is a Soviet citizen, a foreign country national (subordinate) or an individual who has no citizenship, who collaborated secretly with the KGB organs and fulfilled its tasks ensuring internal security in the USSR. The committee’s apparatus consisted of agents, residents, owners of apartments for secret meetings, and owners of conspiracy apartments who were not on the staff of the agency. KGB secret agents are divided into certain types by the nature of their activities and the tasks they were to carry out. Agents infiltrated into the clergy controlled the Church and seminaries’ activities, attempted to exert influence on anti-Soviet priests as well as to form a positive position of the Vatican and the community of the devout that was in favour of the Soviet regime. Among the émigré communities their goal was to harm the organisations of the diaspora and discredit the cause of Lithuania’s liberation for which they fought. The objective of the agents who were in charge of monitoring resistance activities was to uncover anti-Soviet schemes, especially the ways and organizers of samizdat. They aimed to influence people so that they avoided resistance, and those who got involved would abandon it. Agents using various instruments such as spreading disinformation about individuals, compromising them, trying to “reeducate” them took efforts to discredit non-conformists in the eyes of the public. The role of agents was particularly important for explaining the activities of resistance both in Lithuania and the West. After 1953, requirements for agents were more demanding than before. However, constant search for secret collaborators demonstrates that the work was complicated and the results could not satisfy the KGB although separate individuals suffered harm.

Willingness to Use Long-acting Injectable Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Among Key Populations at a Large Hiv Prevention Clinic in Kampala, Uganda: a Cross-sectional Study.

Long-acting injectable (LAI)-PrEP provides better protection against HIV compared to oral PrEP, which requires taking a daily pill. Our study aimed to assess knowledge about oral and LAI-PrEP and identify factors associated with willingness to use LAI-PrEP among key populations (KP) in Uganda. We conducted a cross-sectional study at the Most at Risk Populations Initiative (MARPI) clinic between November and December 2021. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling and interviewed using a structured questionnaire by trained interviewers. Participants were categorised into three groups based on their oral PrEP use: those who had not yet initiated PrEP, those who had discontinued oral PrEP, and those currently on oral PrEP. Modified Poisson regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with the participant's willingness to use LAI-PrEP. Data was analysed using STATA 14 software. Of the 234 participants, 135 (56.7%) were female, 82.5% knew about LAI-PrEP, and 67.5% were willing to use it. The mean age was 28.7 years (standard deviation [SD] 5.8). Willingness to use LAI-PrEP was less likely among divorced, widowed, or separated individuals than those in relationships (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 0.65, 95% CI: 0.43-0.98). Relative to current oral PrEP users, willingness to use LAI-PrEP was similar among those who discontinued oral PrEP (aPR 1.39, 95% CI: 0.92-2.11) and those who had not yet initiated PrEP but were at risk for HIV (aPR 1.26, 95% CI: 0.83-1.89). In this cross-sectional analysis of diverse members of key populations in Uganda, previous or non-use of oral PrEP was not associated with willingness to use LAI-PrEP relative to current users. Future studies should investigate effective methods for promoting the uptake of long-acting PrEP formulations among populations at high risk of HIV acquisition.

Marital status and long-term cardiovascular risk in general population-RIFLE project (Italy).

The impact of marital status on cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains controversial in the general population. The present investigation sought to delineate the association between marital status and long-term major non-fatal and fatal CVD, along with all-cause mortality within the scope of the RIFLE project (Risk Factors and Life Expectancy). We examined the incidences of CVD, including cerebrovascular accidents and coronary heart disease (CHD), as well as all-cause mortality. In total, 47,167 individuals (46% female, average age 50 ± 9 years) were included in the analysis. Marital status at inception was categorized into married (inclusive of married or cohabitating) versus unmarried cohorts (including widowed, separated, divorced, or single individuals). Compared to their married counterparts, unmarried subjects demonstrated a heightened risk for CVD in both females and males. Throughout a median follow-up span of 7.4 years (interquartile range from 6 to 9 years), married participants, adjusting for standard risk factors, exhibited reduced mortality rates attributed to CHD [hazard ratio (HR) 0.54 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.33-0.86)) and all causes (HR 0.75 (95% CI 0.62-0.91)] within the aggregate population; this reduction persisted for both CHD-specific [HR 0.39 (95% CI 0.51-0.90)]and all-cause mortality [HR 0.68 (95% CI 0.51-0.90)], independent of traditional risk factors in women. No associations were evident between matrimonial status and any measured outcomes in males. Within primary care settings, marital status should be considered a potential correlate of long-term CHD and overall mortality risks, especially among women.

Prevalence of all epilepsies in urban informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya: a two-stage population-based study

WHO estimates that more than 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy and 80% of cases are in low-income and middle-income countries. Most studies in Africa have focused on active convulsive epilepsy in rural areas, but there are few data in urban settings. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and spatial distribution of all epilepsies in two urban informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. We did a two-stage population-based cross-sectional study of residents in a demographic surveillance system covering two informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya (Korogocho and Viwandani). Stage 1 screened all household members using a validated epilepsy screening questionnaire to detect possible cases. In stage 2, those identified with possible seizures and a proportion of those screening negative were invited to local clinics for clinical and neurological assessments by a neurologist. Seizures were classified following the International League Against Epilepsy recommendations. We adjusted for attrition between the two stages using multiple imputations and for sensitivity by dividing estimates by the sensitivity value of the screening tool. Complementary log-log regression was used to assess prevalence differences by participant socio-demographics. A total of 56 425 individuals were screened during stage 1 (between Sept 17 and Dec 23, 2021) during which 1126 were classified as potential epilepsy cases. A total of 873 were assessed by a neurologist in stage 2 (between April 12 and Aug 6, 2022) during which 528 were confirmed as epilepsy cases. 253 potential cases were not assessed by a neurologist due to attrition. 30 179 (53·5%) of the 56 425 individuals were male and 26 246 (46·5%) were female. The median age was 24 years (IQR 11-35). Attrition-adjusted and sensitivity-adjusted prevalence for all types of epilepsy was 11·9 cases per 1000 people (95% CI 11·0-12·8), convulsive epilepsy was 8·7 cases per 1000 people (8·0-9·6), and non-convulsive epilepsy was 3·2 cases per 1000 people (2·7-3·7). Overall prevalence was highest among separated or divorced individuals at 20·3 cases per 1000 people (95% CI 15·9-24·7), unemployed people at 18·8 cases per 1000 people (16·2-21·4), those with no formal education at 18·5 cases per 1000 people (16·3-20·7), and adolescents aged 13-18 years at 15·2 cases per 1000 people (12·0-18·5). The epilepsy diagnostic gap was 80%. Epilepsy is common in urban informal settlements of Nairobi, with large diagnostic gaps. Targeted interventions are needed to increase early epilepsy detection, particularly among vulnerable groups, to enable prompt treatment and prevention of adverse social consequences. National Institute for Health Research using Official Development Assistance.

К ВОПРОСУ О ЦЕННОСТНО-СЕМАНТИЧЕСКОЙ РАЗНИЦЕ АВТОРСКИХ ПОДХОДОВ ПРИ ЛИТЕРАТУРНОЙ ОБРАБОТКЕ ПЕРВОЙ И ВТОРОЙ ЧАСТЕЙ ЭПИЧЕСКОЙ ПОЭМЫ «ДИГЕНИС АКРИТ»

The question of the correlation between the first and second parts of the Byzantine epic poem “Digenes Akritas” is still insufficiently covered in academic literature. Thus, for example, Byzantine scholars highlight both this work’s semantic-value integrity, and the fact that the folk songs serving as the basis of it had presumably been of diachronous nature. This determines the relevance of the poem’s axiological analysis, aiming to compare its parts with one another, as well as to clarify whether the artistic organization of “Digenes Akritas” involves a certain degree of inner unity and coherence. According to the present article, the famous Byzantine epic poem, when systematically studied in such a manner, reveals itself as a work implying a fundamental difference between its various plot-compositional parts. Examining the poem in terms of the heroes’ motivational values – which are, as a consequence, decisive for the plot, – we have identified eight axiomotifs (one for the introduction, three for the first part, and four for the second one) and analyzed them successively. The results are of obvious regularity. Thus, the poem’s first part – the one depicting the main hero’s parents – presupposes a Christian value perspective (i. e., a plot emphasis put on the categories of neighbor, compassionate love, and the glory of God), while the life story of the protagonist himself focuses on such individualistic unchristian concepts as personal fame and personal honor. Digenes, even if depicted in the poem as a man of faith, turns out to be motivated only by his own interests, and never acts selflessly for the sake of other people, religious shrines or the glory of God. As a result, it is possible not only to emphasize the fact that the epic in question has been created on the basis of different folk works, but also to establish that these works have been processed by at least two separate individuals – one of them a practicing Orthodox believer, while the other a person completely alien to Christian values – and combined mechanically only later. Consequently, an axiological analysis of the poem “Digenes Akritas” allows one to understand its genesis and its semantic-compositional structure in a more complete way, while creating prerequisites for similar studies of other Byzantine folk and literary epics, among them “The Tale of Belisarius”, “The Lay of Armouris”, and the more recent “Acritic Songs”.

Genetic diversity, chemical constituents and anatomical analysis of eight popular Olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivars in Al-Jouf region, Saudi Arabia

In light of the multitude of olive trees cultivated and the lack of the genetic diversity of available genotypes to select varieties and lines that are characterized by high diversity and better performance under the corresponding conditions, A comparison analysis of the genotyping and morphological characteristics of eight olive cultivars growing in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Jouf region was conducted and analyzed. Morpho-anatomical and chemical characteristics along with both inter-simple-sequence repeats (ISSRs) and start-codon-targeted (SCoT) markers were used to evaluate the genetic diversity among eight olive varieties in Al-Jouf, Saudi Arabia. Analyses of 27 morphological, chemical, and anatomical characteristics concluded the existence of genetic differences among the studied varieties. Moreover, six ISSR and eight SCoT primer combinations produced a total of 48 loci, of which 18 (10 ISSR and 8 SCoT) were polymorphic. The average polymorphism information content (PIC values of 0.48 and 0.44, respectively) and marker index (MI of 0.79 and 0.48, respectively) detected for ISSR and SCoT markers revealed the prevalence of high genetic diversity among the studied olive varieties. Based on chemical and anatomical characteristics and the selected molecular markers, the eight olive cultivars were grouped into two distinct clusters. Clusters in the adjacent joint dendrogram produced using ISSR, SCoT and combined data were similar, and grouped all individuals into two groups. However, the dendrogram generated on the basis of SCoT separated individuals into subgroups containing at least two varieties. The findings showed that both methods were effective in assessing diversity, and that SCoT markers can be used as a reliable and informative method for assessing genetic diversity and relationships among olive varieties and can serve as a complementary tool to provide a more complete understanding of the genetic diversity available in Olea europaea populations in Saudi Arabia.

Exploring Gut Microbiome Composition and Circulating Microbial DNA Fragments in Patients with Stage II/III Colorectal Cancer: A Comprehensive Analysis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) significantly contributes to cancer-related mortality, necessitating the exploration of prognostic factors beyond TNM staging. This study investigates the composition of the gut microbiome and microbial DNA fragments in stage II/III CRC. A cohort of 142 patients with stage II/III CRC and 91 healthy controls underwent comprehensive microbiome analysis. Fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing, and blood samples were tested for the presence of microbial DNA fragments. De novo clustering analysis categorized individuals based on their microbial profiles. Alpha and beta diversity metrics were calculated, and taxonomic profiling was conducted. Patients with CRC exhibited distinct microbial composition compared to controls. Beta diversity analysis confirmed CRC-specific microbial profiles. Taxonomic profiling revealed unique taxonomies in the patient cohort. De novo clustering separated individuals into distinct groups, with specific microbial DNA fragment detection associated with certain patient clusters. The gut microbiota can differentiate patients with CRC from healthy individuals. Detecting microbial DNA fragments in the bloodstream may be linked to CRC prognosis. These findings suggest that the gut microbiome could serve as a prognostic factor in stage II/III CRC. Identifying specific microbial markers associated with CRC prognosis has potential clinical implications, including personalized treatment strategies and reduced healthcare costs. Further research is needed to validate these findings and uncover underlying mechanisms.

Exercise addiction: is it linked to eating disorders? A cross-sectional study in a sample of Tunisian athlete students

IntroductionEating disorders and sports addiction are becoming increasingly common among athletes.It’s important to be aware of these disorders in order to improve their overall prevention.ObjectivesThe aim of our study was to determine the links between exercise addiction (EA) and eating disorders in Tunisian students at the Institute of Physical Education and to examine the factors associated with these disorders.MethodsAn anonymous self-administered questionnaire was distributed to students in the Sfax and Gafsa sports sections during March 2023. The Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI) was used to study exercise addiction. It is a scale whose purpose is to separate individuals into 3 groups: those at risk of exercise addiction (score ≥ 24), those non-addicts with symptoms (score 13 to 23) and those non-addicts without symptoms (score 0 to 12).Eating disorders were assessed using the SCOFF-F questionnaire ( Sick, Control, One stone, Fat, Food), with a score of 2 or more indicating possible eating disorders.ResultsWe collected 240 participants. The mean SCOFF-F and EAI scores were 1.7±1.3 and 16.6 ± 4.1 respectively. Among the participants, 52.9% of students were at risk of developing eating disorders and 2.5% of students were at risk of exercise addiction. In our study, 82.5% of students took part in regular physical activity in a gym. The main reasons for going to the gym were muscle strengthening (57.9%) and preparation for a sporting competition (37%).Among students exercising outside the institute, the mean SCOFF score was significantly higher for those doing so to prepare for a sports competition (p=0.001), for professional obligations (p=0.005) or for weight loss (p=0.001). Participants at risk of exercise addiction had a higher mean SCOFF score, but the difference was not significant (p=0.051).ConclusionsOur study shows that eating disorders were widespread among Tunisian athlete students, and were higher among students at risk of exercise addiction.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

11 Novel Systematic Method for Identifying Congenital Anomaly Cases in Electronic Health Record Databases

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Congenital anomalies (CAs) affect 3% of live births, yet the cause of 80% of CAs is unknown and for the 20% with an identified cause, variability in penetrance suggests additional risk drivers exist. Our method for identifying and categorizing CAs in electronic health record (EHR) linked biobank databases can expand and improve CA etiologic research. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We identified individuals with CAs in three groups: 1. Those with at least one CA 2. Those with multiple CAs (MCA), those with two or more ‘major’ CAs, and 3. Those with CAs in a specific organ system. We also created a novel quantitative approach, using phenome-wide association studies (pheWAS), for determining CA-associated genetic disease billing codes in order to separate individuals that have a known genetic cause for their CAs from those with idiopathic CAs. We updated CA phecodes, aggregates of clinical billing codes, which we used to identify CA cases in Vanderbilt’s EHR-linked biobank database, BioVU. We create a new phecode, ‘All CAs’, for researchers to quickly identify all individuals with at least one CA. We evaluate the definition of MCA using pheWAS analyses to compare ‘minor’ vs ‘major’ CA. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The new CA phecode nomenclature includes 5.8 times more codes for CAs compared with the previous version (365 vs 56), improving granularity. 85 (19.7%) CA-associated genetic disease billing codes were identified through literature review. PheWAS analyses revealed an additional 16 (3.7%) genetic disease billing codes with one or more significant (p< 2.75 x10-5) association with CA-related phecodes. Identifying CA-associated genetic disease billing codes allows researchers to differentiate between idiopathic CAs and those that have a known genetic cause. PheWAS analyses of individuals with previously considered “minor” CAs showed many associated severe health problems, revealing that the differentiation between “minor” vs “major” CAs when identifying individuals with MCA in the EHR is arbitrary. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our CA identification method is scalable for the growing number of EHR-linked biobanks. Differentiating between idiopathic CAs from those with known causes will increase power in studies discovering additional genetic drivers of CAs. Our novel method allows for expansion and acceleration of CA epidemiological research in EHR-linked biobank data.

“Externalizing the Internalized:” Exploring Externalizing Conversations in Narrative Therapy with Adolescents and Young Adults in the Indian Context

People who seek therapy often view the problems they are experiencing as reflections of something internal, which could lead to a sense of helplessness over the problem, ideas of blame, and negative self-worth. Narrative therapy is a respectful, non-blaming approach to therapy that centers people as the experts in their own lives and views problems as separate from people. Externalizing conversations are a facet of narrative therapy that seek to separate individuals from these “internalized” understandings or ideas of a problem, place the problem in the social context, and construct preferred stories that align with their values and skills to re-author problem stories. The problem stories people bring into therapy may often focus on perceived failures, weaknesses, or feeling overwhelmed with the problem. Externalizing conversations can play a role in deconstructing these narratives and therefore challenge the negative perceptions of self and identity associated with the problem. The stories presented in this article by three narrative practitioners working in the Indian context revolve around their therapeutic work with three young people, with a focus on the use of externalizing conversations to de-pathologize LGBTQIA+ identities, work with experiences of violence and abuse without retraumatization, and deconstruct the diagnosis of ADHD. Here, externalizing conversations serve as a framework to deconstruct ideas of internalized blame, shame, and guilt for young people with different problems, ages, and socio-cultural contexts. Weaving these distinct stories together and reflecting on the use of externalizing conversations in the therapeutic context, this article seeks to explore and discuss dominant ideas about problem stories and therapeutic intervention and create paths to reauthored stories with a focus on individual agency and social justice.

Gendered repartnering in later life: structural and processual dimensions of the transition into new relationships

Abstract Against the backdrop of demographic change and the pluralisation of living arrangements, the article focuses on repartnering after widowhood, divorce and separation in older age in Germany. While theoretically framing repartnering as a lifecourse transition, the question arises of how later-life relationships form in relation to gender- and ageing-specific as well as structural and processual dimensions. Since previous research indicates that there are gender-specific patterns when repartnering in older age which differ from repartnering in middle age, the article explicitly accounts for gendered ageing and attitudes towards ageing. Using data from the German Ageing Survey (1996–2017), longitudinal hybrid panel regressions are modelled for 3,653 respondents, 11,628 observations and 179 new relationships. I propose to understand within-effects as processual and between-effects as structural dimensions of repartnering. The results for the structural dimensions show that the likelihood of repartnering is higher for men and for individuals with more negative attitudes towards ageing. The results for the processual dimensions show how repartnering becomes less likely the older one gets and the more positive one's attitudes towards ageing become. The interaction term for gender and ageing shows that ageing has a stronger influence on the likelihood to repartner for women than for men. Additionally, the findings reveal a difference between forms of singlehood: in the short term, repartnering is less likely for divorced or separated individuals than for widowed individuals, whereas the opposite effect shows in the long term. In sensitising the lifecourse perspective with gender- and ageing-specific concepts and analytically separating processual and structural dimensions, this article demonstrates the importance of gendered ageing and of the linkage between relationship transitions. Applying hybrid panel models to lifecourse transitions in older age reveals the processual dynamic and structural embeddedness of repartnering in older age.

Feeding of lygaeid bugs (Heteroptera, Lygaeidae) on the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) in Kaniv Nature Reserve

The paper presents data on the feeding of three species of bugs of the Lygaeidae family: Tropidothorax leucopterus (Goeze, 1778), Lygaeus equestris (Linnaeus, 1758) and L. simulans (Deckert, 1985) on common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) in the conditions of Kaniv nature reserve, located in the forest-steppe zone in the central part of Ukraine. Common milkweed is a dangerous invasive species, a transformer of ecosystems, which poses a threat to local plant and animal communities. There is a problem in finding methods of limiting the spread of populations of this species. Among the factors that contribute to its limitation may be the consumption of common milkweed by animals, in particular by phytophagous insects. The study was conducted during the growing seasons of 2022 and 2023 on the grassland area overgrown with tree and shrub vegetation on the hills on the right bank of the Dnipro River. Tropidothorax leucopterus were feeding on sap from the vegetative body of common milkweed plants, being, for the most part, on the lower surface of the leaves. They formed dense groups, and the number of bugs on one plant could reach up to 100 individuals. Both the nymphs (from June to September) and the adults (from August to October) of this species were noted. During the study, it was also observed feeding of this species on the white swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum hirundinaria Medik.), which is a traditional food object for this insect. But only single individuals of these bugs were found on the white swallow-wort. The representatives of the other two species, Lygaeus equestris and L. simulans, fed on the content of the common milkweed seeds during the fruit opening period. Separate individuals or small groups (up to 20 individuals) were observed, adults and single nymphs were noted. The transition of native phytophagous species to feeding on the common milkweed can facilitate its inclusion in food chains in local ecosystems and limit the spread of this aggressive introduced plant species

The sound of Parkinson's disease: A model of audible bradykinesia

IntroductionEvaluation of bradykinesia is based on five motor tasks from the MDS-UPDRS. Visually scoring these motor tasks is subjective, resulting in significant interrater variability. Recent observations suggest that it may be easier to hear the characteristic features of bradykinesia, such as the decrement in sound intensity or force of repetitive movements. The objective is to evaluate whether audio signals derived during four MDS-UPDRS tasks can be used to detect and grade bradykinesia, using two machine learning models. Methods54 patients with Parkinson's disease and 28 healthy controls were filmed while executing the bradykinesia motor tasks. Several features were extracted from the audio signal, including number of taps, speed, sound intensity, decrement and freezes. For each motor task, two supervised machine learning models were trained, Logistic Regression (LR) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). ResultsBoth classifiers were able to separate patients from controls reasonably well for the leg agility task, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC): 0.92 (95%CI: 0.78–0.99) for LR and 0.93 (0.81–1.00) for SVM. Also, models were able to differentiate less severe bradykinesia from severe bradykinesia, particularly for the pronation-supination motor task, with AUC: 0.90 (0.62–1.00) for LR and 0.82 (0.45–0.97) for SVM. ConclusionThis audio-based approach discriminates PD from healthy controls with moderate-high accuracy and separated individuals with less severe bradykinesia from those with severe bradykinesia. Sound analysis may contribute to the identification and monitoring of bradykinesia.

Integration of multi-omics technologies for molecular diagnosis in ataxia patients.

Background: Episodic ataxias are rare neurological disorders characterized by recurring episodes of imbalance and coordination difficulties. Obtaining definitive molecular diagnoses poses challenges, as clinical presentation is highly heterogeneous, and literature on the underlying genetics is limited. While the advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies has significantly contributed to Mendelian disorders genetics, interpretation of variants of uncertain significance and other limitations inherent to individual methods still leaves many patients undiagnosed. This study aimed to investigate the utility of multi-omics for the identification and validation of molecular candidates in a cohort of complex cases of ataxia with episodic presentation. Methods: Eight patients lacking molecular diagnosis despite extensive clinical examination were recruited following standard genetic testing. Whole genome and RNA sequencing were performed on samples isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Integration of expression and splicing data facilitated genomic variants prioritization. Subsequently, long-read sequencing played a crucial role in the validation of those candidate variants. Results: Whole genome sequencing uncovered pathogenic variants in four genes (SPG7, ATXN2, ELOVL4, PMPCB). A missense and a nonsense variant, both previously reported as likely pathogenic, configured in trans in individual #1 (SPG7: c.2228T>C/p.I743T, c.1861C>T/p.Q621*). An ATXN2 microsatellite expansion (CAG32) in another late-onset case. In two separate individuals, intronic variants near splice sites (ELOVL4: c.541 + 5G>A; PMPCB: c.1154 + 5G>C) were predicted to induce loss-of-function splicing, but had never been reported as disease-causing. Long-read sequencing confirmed the compound heterozygous variants configuration, repeat expansion length, as well as splicing landscape for those pathogenic variants. A potential genetic modifier of the ATXN2 expansion was discovered in ZFYVE26 (c.3022C>T/p.R1008*). Conclusion: Despite failure to identify pathogenic variants through clinical genetic testing, the multi-omics approach enabled the molecular diagnosis in 50% of patients, also giving valuable insights for variant prioritization in remaining cases. The findings demonstrate the value of long-read sequencing for the validation of candidate variants in various scenarios. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of leveraging complementary omics technologies to unravel the underlying genetics in patients with unresolved rare diseases such as ataxia. Molecular diagnoses not only hold significant promise in improving patient care management, but also alleviates the burden of diagnostic odysseys, more broadly enhancing quality of life.

Optimizing bank credit risk assessment models using big data analytics

Abstract With the strong promotion of financial globalization and marketization and the rapid development of financial industry innovation, credit risk management is becoming an important work that banks need to pay more and more attention to. This paper focuses on the construction of the bank credit risk model to carry out research. First of all, according to the credit characteristics selection method, the optimal indicators are combined with the indicators for the correlation test of variables. On this basis, the sample data is calculated using the up-sampling method of SMOTE to complete the algorithm and sampling. After obtaining the data, data preprocessing is carried out using the MinMaxScaler scaler method, and the processed data is inputted into the improved momentum BP neural network to complete the credit risk assessment. Profiling with risk feature data, it is obtained that each feature is not a separate individual from the other. They are interdependent and connected and have obvious correlations. For example, there are 47 features in the dataset with sample missing ratios greater than 0.97, which is too high and indicates an invalid feature. The results of the study show that SMOTE’s up-sampling method and Momentum BP algorithm can quickly utilize big data to provide a more accurate decision basis for bank credit risk assessment.

Sacropolitics

Two decades into the twenty-first century, a panoply of formerly separate movements, interests, organizations, and individuals have converged around shared anxieties about the future of life on earth. This article focuses on the implicit logic on which this “cult(ure) of extinction” is based. We refer to this logic as sacropolitics—the politics of mass public sacrifice. We suggest that sacropolitics describes a practical reimagining of the political emergent across the world during periods of acute crises, such as our shared present. Sacropolitics draws on multiple dispersed, decentralized sources and has emerged during a period of great turbulence and acrimony in the public sphere, when the very notion of truth is up for grabs. Despite its ambiguity, sacropolitics offers a range of related, collectively generated intimations or visions of what the future might be.

THE EFFECT OF BOARD SIZE, BOARD INDEPENDENCE, AND THE COMPOSITION OF BOARD INDEPENDENCE ON ACCRUAL AND REAL EARNINGS MANAGEMENT

This paper examines the effect of quantity and quality of board on mitigating accrual and real earnings management by using a sample from companies listed in the S&P 500 index from 2010 to 2019. The study uses random-effect regression analysis and finds evidence that large board size is an ineffective tool for reducing earnings management. In contrast, larger board independence proves to mitigate earnings manipulation. However, when board independence interacts with board size, the favourable influence of board independence to prevent earnings management is reduced as the board size rises. It can be suggested that a small board dominated by independent directors is more effective in reducing both accrual and real earnings management than a larger board with larger outside directors. The findings conclude that board characteristics are not separate individuals but complementary characters. Hence, companies should not only rely on the board's quantity but also pay attention to its quality to develop an effective board to reduce earnings management.

Modern Volunteering as a Traditional Practice of Ukrainian Folk Culture

Modern realities have adjusted the terms and now volunteers are unarmed free-will persons performing humanitarian missions free of charge. Mutual assistance in traditional society was a condition for community survival. A sense of justice has demanded gratitude for a useful deed. Christianity has introduced charity absolutely without compensation. Ukrainian youth in the 17th–19th centuries has been united in youth church fraternities, the tasks of which were to clean the church after the service, change the robes on the images for the holidays and prepare the inner space of the church for the holidays, and put order in the cemeteries. The formation and support of the people’s army is another manifestation of the people’s initiative. And these ideas were so important that even Soviet times could not eradicate them. The events on the Maidan in Kyiv in 2013 have given impetus to a powerful movement of voluntary and principled fraternal support, for which it is inappropriate to offer any financial compensation. From the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainians who for some reason could not join the army, actively, without any formalities, have started to help each other in various needs: with food and medicine for the elderly and victims of Russian aggression, in the care of animals, in the analysis of rubble and much more. Over time, some of these needs were closed, and some grew into volunteer associations. Today, volunteering as a movement of assistance is extremely broad: professional assistance on a free basis to both the military and civilians, provided by professional specialists and persons whose hobby has turned into a profession; people who allocate all their time for such help, or only a limited time and under certain conditions. Donating is an important part of volunteering. The willingness and ability to self-organize, set goals and tasks and solve them successfully is a characteristic feature of the modern Ukrainian political nation. Communication with separate individuals and volunteer associations from Lviv, Zaporizhzhia, Lutsk and Kharkiv proves that all Ukrainians, from the beginning of the full-scale invasion, have felt an urgent need to help each other and their native army in the defense of our state.

Construction, Deconstruction, and the Question of Authorship in Magical Realist Narratives

Colonial discourse in particular has constructed fixed frames and grids in which to place and separate individuals according to their class, race, gender, culture, nationality and ethnic models of unified and stereotypical representation of otherness and difference which postcolonial writers challenge. Writers from across the globe have adopted and adapted magical realism to fit their own cultures and within their own frame of reference. As a dominant literary mode, it can be considered as a decolonizing agent in a postmodern context. What the narrative mode offers is a way to discuss alternative approaches to reality to that of Western philosophy, expressed in contemporary fiction. Specifically, this paper argues how magical realism is positioned in relation to the two contrasting operations of construction and deconstruction. What is its capacity to affect either or both of these outcomes? A prominent view has developed which understands the mode as one that structures an exclusively deconstructive narratology. I explore the narratives of Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirit, Tony Morrison’s Beloved and Hashem Garaibeh’s The Cat Who Taught Me How To Fly that reiterate realist narrative conventions subversively to critique the effects of colonialism as a decolonizing device in the contemporary literary scholarship. This study utilizes the ideas from Stephen Slemon’s “resistance to colonialism,” Theo D’haen’s “decenter privileged centers,”, Wendy B. Faris’s “Questioning the colonial subjugation,” and Christopher Warnes’s ‘deconstructive notions of subjectivity” and “recover and affirm identities.” Thus, the narratives in opposition to the notion of absolute history emphasize the possibility of simultaneous existence of multiple truths and plural meanings.