Identity Status Research Articles

COVID-19-Related Financial Hardship Is Associated With Depression and Anxiety in Substance Use Treatment Across Gender and Racial Groups.

Many individuals lost their employment during the COVID-19 pandemic and experienced financial hardship. These experiences may increase risk for co-occurring conditions, including substance use disorders (SUDs) and related symptoms of depression and anxiety. This study aimed to examine the associations between COVID-19-related financial hardship and/or job loss and co-occurring symptoms, across gender and racial groups. Respondents (N = 3493) included individuals entering SUD treatment in the United States in March-October of 2020. Results demonstrated that COVID-19-related financial hardship and unemployment in the household was associated with greater depression and anxiety severity among people in SUD treatment (p's < 0.05). Our findings highlight financial hardship and loss of employment as risk factors for co-occurring depression and anxiety. However, additive effects between marginalized identity status and COVID-19 economic hardship on co-occurring symptoms were not observed.

Genomics reveals heterogeneous Plasmodium falciparum transmission and selection signals in Zambia

BackgroundGenomic surveillance is crucial for monitoring malaria transmission and understanding parasite adaptation to interventions. Zambia lacks prior nationwide efforts in malaria genomic surveillance among African countries.MethodsWe conducted genomic surveillance of Plasmodium falciparum parasites from the 2018 Malaria Indicator Survey in Zambia, a nationally representative household survey of children under five years of age. We whole-genome sequenced and analyzed 241 P. falciparum genomes from regions with varying levels of malaria transmission across Zambia and estimated genetic metrics that are informative about transmission intensity, genetic relatedness between parasites, and selection.ResultsWe provide genomic evidence of widespread within-host polygenomic infections, regardless of epidemiological characteristics, underscoring the extensive and ongoing endemic malaria transmission in Zambia. Our analysis reveals country-level clustering of parasites from Zambia and neighboring regions, with distinct separation in West Africa. Within Zambia, identity by descent (IBD) relatedness analysis uncovers local spatial clustering and rare cases of long-distance sharing of closely related parasite pairs. Genomic regions with large shared IBD segments and strong positive selection signatures implicate genes involved in sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and artemisinin combination therapies drug resistance, but no signature related to chloroquine resistance. Furthermore, differences in selection signatures, including drug resistance loci, are observed between eastern and western Zambian parasite populations, suggesting variable transmission intensity and ongoing drug pressure.ConclusionsOur findings enhance our understanding of nationwide P. falciparum transmission in Zambia, establishing a baseline for analyzing parasite genetic metrics as they vary over time and space. These insights highlight the urgency of strengthening malaria control programs and surveillance of antimalarial drug resistance.

Increase in Functional Tic Presentations in Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Minority Youth During Coronavirus Disease 2019

BackgroundFunctional tic disorders are among the least common functional movement disorders, but their prevalence rose during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although female adolescents develop functional neurological disorders at higher rates than males, investigations into sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) status of these patients are limited. MethodsWe completed a retrospective, cross-sectional time series examining the incidence of new-onset functional tic disorders in youth presenting to the Massachusetts General Hospital Movement Disorder clinics before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected by searching for relevant International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 diagnostic codes in youth aged nine to 26 years using a hospital-wide data repository. Individual cases were reviewed for inclusion based on clinical criteria and expert consensus. ResultsThe prevalence of functional tic presentations in youth rose 8.6-fold from pre- to postpandemic levels (Fisher exact test P < 0.001), whereas the prevalence of developmental tic presentations pre- and postpandemic remained stable (114 vs 112). SOGI minority youth comprised 37% of those with functional tics (total n = 19). Ninety five percent of patients with functional tics identified as female, with 10% of these identifying as transgender. ConclusionsOur data confirm previously demonstrated dramatic rises in functional tic presentations during the COVID-19 pandemic and, more notably, reveal a strong association with SOGI minority status. We highlight the potential link between functional tic disorders and SOGI minority status. Providing a safe and supportive clinical environment and addressing stress linked to SOGI minority status may help to improve patient prognosis.

The Influence of State Identity on Student Aggressivity

Aggressiveness is behavior that hurts, injures, harms and is detrimental both physically and psychologically. State identity is organizing, encouraging, believing in oneself to make self-decisions. This research is limited, the purpose of this study is to determine the effect of state identity on aggressiveness in semester 4 students at Palembang city, South Sumatra, Indonesia. The total number of research respondents was 45 people. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire with a quantitative research type. This research was developed with the development of Taufik's (2011) scale concerning the effect of identity status on aggressiveness. The results of the research analysis showed that the significance hypothesis test value was 0.43, the normality test was 0.48 and the linearity test was 0.14. Referring to the deviation from sign value of 0.05, it can be concluded that there is a significant relationship between state identity and the aggressiveness of 4th semester students.

The Relationship of Identity Statuses with Marriage and Having Children in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

The Relationship of Identity Statuses with Marriage and Having Children in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

Associations between gendered racism, racial identity, and nicotine use among Asian American men.

The present study utilized an intersectional framework to examine if two forms of gendered racism, psychological emasculation and messages about Asian American men being undesirable partners, were associated with Asian American men's nicotine use. We also examined the potential mediating roles of two racial identity statuses, racial conformity and racial immersion. A sample of 356 Asian American men living in the United States of America (USA) completed a cross-sectional survey via Qualtrics containing measures assessing the aforementioned constructs of interest. The primary analysis examined separate parallel mediation models, situating psychological emasculation and undesirable partner as separate independent variables, racial conformity and racial immersion as parallel mediators, nicotine use as the outcome, and age and employment as covariates. In separate parallel mediation models, the links between psychological emasculation and undesirable partner on one hand, and nicotine use on the other, were completely mediated only by racial conformity, and not significantly mediated by racial immersion. Specifically, greater endorsement of gendered racism was associated with greater conformity with (and internalization of) these gendered racist beliefs, which in turn were associated with greater nicotine use. Researchers and practitioners may consider racial conformity as an interventional target to ameliorate Asian American men's nicotine use. Future studies should continue to examine other culturally relevant and/or potentially protective constructs (e.g., on the basis of gender, race, and its intersection) that may mitigate Asian American men's nicotine use.

Biobank-scale inference of multi-individual identity by descent and gene conversion

We present a method for efficiently identifying clusters of identical-by-descent haplotypes in biobank-scale sequence data. Our multi-individual approach enables much more computationally efficient inference of identity by descent (IBD) than approaches that infer pairwise IBD segments and provides locus-specific IBD clusters rather than IBD segments. Our method's computation time, memory requirements, and output size scale linearly with the number of individuals in the dataset. We also present a method for using multi-individual IBD to detect alleles changed by gene conversion. Application of our methods to the autosomal sequence data for 125,361 White British individuals in the UK Biobank detects more than 9 million converted alleles. This is 2,900 times more alleles changed by gene conversion than were detected in a previous analysis of familial data. We estimate that more than 250,000 sequenced probands and a much larger number of additional genomes from multi-generational family members would be required to find a similar number of alleles changed by gene conversion using a family-based approach. Our IBD clustering method is implemented in the open-source ibd-cluster software package.

Characterizing identity by descent segments in Chinese interpopulation unrelated individual pairs.

Identity by descent (IBD) segments, uninterrupted DNA segments derived from the same ancestral chromosomes, are widely used as indicators of relationships in genetics. A great deal of research focuses on IBD segments between related pairs, while the statistical analyses of segments in irrelevant individuals are rare. In this study, we investigated the basic informative features of IBD segments in unrelated pairs in Chinese populations from the 1000 Genome Project. A total of 5922 IBD segments in Chinese interpopulation unrelated individual pairs were detected via IBIS and the average length of IBD was 3.71Mb in length. It was found that 17.86% of unrelated pairs shared at least one IBD segment in the Chinese cohort. Furthermore, a total of 49 chromosomal regions where IBD segments clustered in high abundance were identified, which might be sharing hotspots in the human genome. Such regions could also be observed in other ancestry populations, which implies that similar IBD backgrounds also exist. Altogether, these results demonstrated the distribution of common background IBD segments, which helps improve the accuracy in pedigree studies based on IBD analysis.

Identity Formation of Pre-Service Teachers. Relations with Training and Attitudes toward Cultural Diversity

The university years represents a pivotal period in the student's life, influencing decision-making and impacting their identity. The new experiences encountered during this phase may give rise to a certain identity crisis, allowing for a reconsideration of previously adopted commitments, and potentially influencing the development of future educators, with a special issue such as cultural diversity among others. This study aims to identify the identity status of prospective education teachers and analyse attitudes towards cultural diversity among students. The research design is quantitative, ex-post-facto, descriptive, and inferential. The incidental sample comprises a total of 378 students from the degrees in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education at the University of Córdoba (Spain). Of the total sample, being 74.03% female, with an average age of 20.64 (SD = 2.95). The results reflected that students in a mature status are those who exhibit higher scores in attitudes towards cultural diversity. In this context, the initial teacher training should consider identity as a factor to be taken into account for promoting positive attitudes towards cultural diversity, specifically emphasizing the development of responsible decision-making in the curriculum of Education degrees.

Transversal Threats and Collateral Conflicts

Security, a cornerstone of international relations, is intertwined with states' defense and survival. Barry Buzan's work expands security's scope from military to societal dimensions, highlighting its multifaceted nature. Buzan's Regional Security Complex paradigm elucidates interactions among states within and beyond geographical boundaries. Societal security emerges as pivotal, safeguarding a state's identity and integrity. Transnational threats, exemplified by South and Central America's challenges, underscore interconnected security risks. Venezuela's crisis, Colombian violence, and Mexican drug trade intricately impact regional stability and global dynamics. Assessing security through various lenses reveals nuanced perspectives, from realist state-centric views to liberal individualism and constructivist social dynamics. Understanding these complexities is essential for addressing contemporary security challenges effectively. This abstract synthesizes key concepts in security studies, offering insights into evolving security paradigms and their implications for international relations.

Identity Status as a Moderator of the Relationship between Belonging to Religious Communities and Religious Coping in a Group of Young Polish Catholic Girls and Boys

The present study aims to test the importance of belonging to religious communities to the frequency of using religious strategies for coping with stress, taking into account the moderating role of identity status and gender. This study used Polish adaptations of two questionnaires: The Religious Coping Questionnaire and the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale. Participants in this study were adolescent and young adult Polish Catholic girls and boys, belonging and not belonging to religious communities. The survey was carried out using the pencil–paper method on a sample of 407 young people with varying degrees of involvement in religious practice. A multivariate analysis of variance showed that the frequency of using positive religious coping strategies differs significantly between groups of people belonging to and not belonging to a religious community. As a result of the study, the interaction of the variable belonging to a religious community and the variable identity status in deciding on the frequency of using positive religious strategies for coping with stress was recognized (F = 2.448; p = 0.033). However, the interaction of these variables with gender did not reach the level of statistical significance (F = 0.655; p = 0.658). Multiple regression analysis indicates that the identity dimension Identification with Commitment explains 14.7% of the frequency of using the Cooperation with God strategy. Belonging to religious communities is significant for the frequency of use of selected religious coping strategies and the intensity of all dimensions of identity development. The results of the statistical analysis showed that identity status is a moderator of the relationship between belonging to religious communities and the intensity of positive religious coping strategies. It was found that the frequency of use of religious coping strategies and the intensity of identity dimensions differed between Polish Catholic girls and boys.

Gender and cross-country differences in the determinants of sustainable diet intentions: a multigroup analysis of the UK, China, Sweden, and Brazil.

Gender differences have been identified in both the engagement in and the determinants of sustainable diet behaviours. However, as engagement in pro-environmental behaviours varies across countries, the consistency of gender differences could follow similar patterns. Understanding the factors underlying gender and country differences in diet intentions is important for determining how to promote sustainable diets in different populations. Using survey data from the UK, China, Sweden and Brazil (N=4,569), this paper examines the influence of subjective norms, diet-related identity, perceived status of meat consumption, environmental identity and environmental concern on sustainable diet intentions. Multigroup analysis was used to explore gender and country differences in the influence of these variables, and whether gender differences were consistent across the four countries. The findings show that there are gender differences in the influence of diet-related identity and perceived status of meat consumption, as well as cross-country differences in all factors except subjective norms. Holding a strong diet-related meat identity negatively affected sustainable diet intentions in all groups. Crucially, however, gender differences are not consistent across countries. These results suggest that individuals' intentions to engage in sustainable diet behaviours are influenced by nationally unique gender associations.

Processes and Statuses of Parental Identity at Different Stages of Parenthood

ABSTRACT The study aimed to verify whether parents at different stages of parenthood differ in the intensity of three identity processes in the parental domain: commitment, in-depth exploration, and reconsideration of commitment. We also examined whether there were differences between men and women in this context. We jointly analyzed results from seven independent cross-sectional samples examined between 2017 and 2022 in Poland. A total of 5454 parents aged 18 to 59 participated in the studies at different stages of parenthood: up to 3 years after becoming a parent, being a parent for 4 to 7 years, being a parent for 8 to 12 years, being a parent for 13 to 20 years and being a parent for 21 years or more. Parents at different stages of parenthood were found to have significantly different levels of in-depth exploration and reconsideration of commitment. The results suggest that in the first years of parenthood, parents experience a relatively high in-depth exploration and reconsideration of commitment, which may decrease over time. The analyses also indicated that women are characterized by higher levels of in-depth exploration than men at each stage of parenthood. Men, on the other hand, experience stronger identity uncertainty related to the parental role.

Reconstruct recent multi-population migration history by using identical-by-descent sharing

Identical-by-descent (IBD) is a fundamental genomic characteristic in population genetics and has been widely used for population history reconstruction. However, limited by the nature of IBD, which could only capture the relationship between two individuals/haplotypes, existing IBD-based history inference is constrained to two populations. In this study, we propose a framework by leveraging IBD sharing in multi-population and develop a method, MatrixIBD, to reconstruct recent multi-population migration history. Specifically, we employ the structured coalescent theory to precisely model the genealogical process and then estimate the IBD sharing across multiple populations. Within our model, we establish a theoretical connection between migration history and IBD sharing. Our method is rigorously evaluated through simulations, revealing its remarkable accuracy and robustness. Furthermore, we apply MatrixIBD to Central and South Asia in the Human Genome Diversity Project and successfully reconstruct the recent migration history of three closely related populations in South Asia. By taking into account the IBD sharing across multiple populations simultaneously, MatrixIBD enables us to attain clearer and more comprehensive insights into the history of regions characterized by complex migration dynamics, providing a holistic perspective on intricate patterns embedded within the recent population migration history.

Approaching Graduation: Vocational Identity Profiles of Last-Year University Students and Their Links with Volunteering and Personal Values

ABSTRACT The last year of university is a developmental milestone, as students are approaching choices which might impact their long-term career development and psychological wellbeing. Despite vocational identity’s relevance for successful career development, there is limited research on its relations with volunteering and personal values as students approach graduation. This study aimed to (1) identify vocational identity statuses in the last semester before university graduation, and (2) analyze the relations between status belonging and volunteering and personal values. The total sample consisted of 653 university students (M age = 24.15, SD age = 4.97, 76.6% females) who filled in questionnaires during the last semester of university. Latent Profile Analysis identified five vocational identity statuses, suggesting an overrepresentation of disengaged vocational identity statuses. In addition to this, education-related volunteering and other-oriented personal values were associated with belonging to adaptative statuses (i.e. achievement, foreclosure), in comparison with less adaptative ones, whereas the reverse pattern was observed for the self-oriented value of self-enhancement. These results support the potential contribution of education-related volunteering and personal values in the context of important career transitions. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Understanding genetic diversity in drought-adaptive hybrid parental lines in pearl millet.

Information on genetic diversity and population structure is helpful to strategize enhancing the genetic base of hybrid parental lines in breeding programs. The present study determined the population structure and genetic diversity of 109 pearl millet hybrid parental lines, known for their better adaptation and performance in drought-prone environments, using 16,472 single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers generated from GBS (genotyping-by-sequencing) platforms. The SNPs were distributed uniformly across the pearl millet genome and showed considerable genetic diversity (0.337), expected heterozygosity (0.334), and observed heterozygosity (0.031). Most of the pairs of lines (78.36%) had Identity-by-State (IBS) based genetic distances of more than 0.3, indicating a significant amount of genetic diversity among the parental lines. Bayesian model-based population stratification, neighbor-joining phylogenetic analysis, and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) differentiated all hybrid parental lines into two clear-cut major groups, one each for seed parents (B-lines) and pollinators (R-lines). Majority of parental lines sharing common parentages were found grouped in the same cluster. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed 7% of the variation among subpopulations, and 93% of the variation was attributable to within sub-populations. Chromosome 3 had the highest number of LD regions. Genomic LD decay distance was 0.69 Mb and varied across the different chromosomes. Genetic diversity based on 11 agro-morphological and grain quality traits also suggested that the majority of the B- and R-lines were grouped into two major clusters with few overlaps. In addition, the combined analysis of phenotypic and genotypic data showed similarities in the population grouping patterns. The present study revealed the uniqueness of most of the inbred lines, which can be a valuable source of new alleles and help breeders to utilize these inbred lines for the development of hybrids in drought-prone environments.

Dissecting the genetic architecture of quantitative traits using genome-wide identity-by-descent sharing.

Additive and dominance genetic variances underlying the expression of quantitative traits are important quantities for predicting short-term responses to selection, but they are notoriously challenging to estimate in most non-model wild populations. Specifically, large-sized or panmictic populations may be characterized by low variance in genetic relatedness among individuals which, in turn, can prevent accurate estimation of quantitative genetic parameters. We used estimates of genome-wide identity-by-descent (IBD) sharing from autosomal SNP loci to estimate quantitative genetic parameters for ecologically important traits in nine-spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius) from a large, outbred population. Using empirical and simulated datasets, with varying sample sizes and pedigree complexity, we assessed the performance of different crossing schemes in estimating additive genetic variance and heritability for all traits. We found that low variance in relatedness characteristic of wild outbred populations with high migration rate can impair the estimation of quantitative genetic parameters and bias heritability estimates downwards. On the other hand, the use of a half-sib/full-sib design allowed precise estimation of genetic variance components and revealed significant additive variance and heritability for all measured traits, with negligible dominance contributions. Genome-partitioning and QTL mapping analyses revealed that most traits had a polygenic basis and were controlled by genes at multiple chromosomes. Furthermore, different QTL contributed to variation in the same traits in different populations suggesting heterogeneous underpinnings of parallel evolution at the phenotypic level. Our results provide important guidelines for future studies aimed at estimating adaptive potential in the wild, particularly for those conducted in outbred large-sized populations.

Subtypes of Alcohol Expectancies Are Differentially Associated With Alcohol Use for Bisexual and Heterosexual Women

Background : Bisexual women, compared to heterosexual women, report greater amounts of alcohol use and heavy drinking. Alcohol expectancies (i.e., beliefs about alcohol outcomes) are a strong predictor of alcohol use, but few studies have examined the importance of alcohol expectancies in relation to alcohol use among bisexual women specifically or in comparison to heterosexual women. Objectives : The current study examined 262 heterosexual and 225 bisexual women using an online survey about alcohol use, sexual risk-taking, and alcohol expectancy subtypes (sexuality, tension reduction, and aggression). Results : Compared to heterosexual women, bisexual women reported greater sexuality and tension reduction expectancies after accounting for their level of drinking, but groups did not differ on aggression expectancies. Moreover, sexual identity status moderated the associations between sexuality and tension reduction expectancies and alcohol use, respectively. Specifically, our study findings suggested that sexuality and tension reduction alcohol expectancies were more strongly tied to alcohol use among bisexual women than heterosexual women. Conclusions : Taken together, in our study, bisexual women held stronger sexuality and tension reduction expectancies, as compared to heterosexual women. Interventions targeting alcohol expectancies may be considered when tailoring intervention content for this population.

Becoming Europeanized Muslims: Religious Identity Formation among Millennials in the Indonesian Muslim Diaspora in the Netherlands

Abstract This article aims to provide insight into the formation of religious identity among the millennial generation of the Indonesian Muslim diaspora in the Netherlands, identifying its main influencing factors. Our empirical study identified a dynamic and diverse process regarding the formation of the millennial group’s religious identity, expressed dynamically in various aspects of Islamic teachings at the level of religious beliefs, morals or ethics, and practices. The negotiation process between their Islamic and Western identities produced various identity statuses, namely diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement. The process shifts between exploration and commitment. The study concludes that religious identities formed through exploration are more established and more adaptable to environmental changes than those based on commitment with no exploration. Second, the formation of the Indonesian Muslim millennial diaspora’s religious identity is influenced by three key factors, namely social environment, reference groups, and role models.

Investigating pedigree- and SNP-associated components of heritability in a wild population of Soay sheep

Estimates of narrow sense heritability derived from genomic data that contain related individuals may be biased due to the within-family effects such as dominance, epistasis and common environmental factors. However, for many wild populations, removal of related individuals from the data would result in small sample sizes. In 2013, Zaitlen et al. proposed a method to estimate heritability in populations that include close relatives by simultaneously fitting an identity-by-state (IBS) genomic relatedness matrix (GRM) and an identity-by-descent (IBD) GRM. The IBD GRM is identical to the IBS GRM, except relatedness estimates below a specified threshold are set to 0. We applied this method to a sample of 8557 wild Soay sheep from St. Kilda, with genotypic information for 419,281 single nucleotide polymorphisms. We aimed to see how this method would partition heritability into population-level (IBS) and family-associated (IBD) variance for a range of genetic architectures, and so we focused on a mixture of polygenic and monogenic traits. We also implemented a variant of the model in which the IBD GRM was replaced by a GRM constructed from SNPs with low minor allele frequency to examine whether any additive genetic variance is captured by rare alleles. Whilst the inclusion of the IBD GRM did not significantly improve the fit of the model for the monogenic traits, it improved the fit for some of the polygenic traits, suggesting that dominance, epistasis and/or common environment not already captured by the non-genetic random effects fitted in our models may influence these traits.