Description Of Traits Research Articles

The (Un)Attractiveness of Dark Triad Personalities: Assessing Fictitious Characters for Short‐ and Long‐Term Relationships

ABSTRACTObjectiveThe current study assessed how individuals evaluate potential romantic partners who display either low, medium, or high levels of DT traits for short‐term (STR) and long‐term (LTR) relationships.MethodsNine fictitious persons in the form of vignettes (description of behavior and facial image) were presented to every participant. The sex of the fictitious persons was determined by sexual orientation of each participant, while the displayed faces were selected from an existing image bank and matched for physical attractiveness. Study 1 (n = 475) used a fixed composition for face and trait description, while the composition for Study 2 (n = 794) was randomized. Mixed‐effects modeling was implemented for both studies.ResultsStudy 1 demonstrated people with a male preference (mostly women) perceived medium levels of the three traits as the most attractive STR. For Study 2, both men and women found the low levels the most attractive for both STRs and LTRs.ConclusionsFindings from Study 1 were mostly consistent across previous DT attractiveness literature, while findings from Study 2 contradicted them. This could suggest that the concept of DT is not as attractive even for STRs unless it is accompanied by physical attractiveness.

Dimensional and Hierarchical Assessment of American Kennel Club Breeds and Behavioral Trait Descriptions

The AKC functions as the largest and most influential dog breed registry and breed standard information source in the United States. AKC breed standards describe the breed’s overall appearance and behavior. Despite their popularity, the AKC behavioral descriptions and the traits used to quantify them have largely remained unexplored. In this study, we used eleven behavioral breed standard traits for 286 breeds collected for the official AKC source. Dog size and appearance were also evaluated. We employed pairwise correlation and factor analysis to define behavioral trait constructs and hierarchical clustering methods to evaluate the similarity of breed profiles. These methods revealed that although AKC data exhibit various individual correlations concurrent with known canine behavior, many breeds present behavioral trait constructs that do not align with the narratives presented in their standard and may be lacking crucial factors in dog behavior, as suggested by breed group clustering. Our dimensional analysis revealed three constructs, which we labeled as “Social Engagement”, “Pet Demands”, and “Vigilance”, that are very important and relevant to pet ownership. These results emphasize the importance of standardized observations when quantifying behavior and provide an overarching context regarding the strengths and weaknesses of these descriptions, allowing readers to better understand and predict their pet’s behavior.

The AusTraits plant dictionary

Traits with intuitive names, a clear scope and explicit description are essential for all trait databases. The lack of unified, comprehensive, and machine-readable plant trait definitions limits the utility of trait databases, including reanalysis of data from a single database, or analyses that integrate data across multiple databases. Both can only occur if researchers are confident the trait concepts are consistent within and across sources. Here we describe the AusTraits Plant Dictionary (APD), a new data source of terms that extends the trait definitions included in a recent trait database, AusTraits. The development process of the APD included three steps: review and formalisation of the scope of each trait and the accompanying trait description; addition of trait metadata; and publication in both human and machine-readable forms. Trait definitions include keywords, references, and links to related trait concepts in other databases, enabling integration of AusTraits with other sources. The APD will both improve the usability of AusTraits and foster the integration of trait data across global and regional plant trait databases.

What we see is what we touch? Sex estimation on the skull in virtual anthropology

BackgroundThe increased use of virtual bone images in forensic anthropology requires a comprehensive study on the observational errors between dry bones and CT reconstructions. Here, we focus on the consistency of nonmetric sex estimation traits on the human skull.Materials and methodsWe scored nine nonmetric traits on dry crania and mandibles (n = 223) of archaeological origin and their CT reconstructions. Additionally, we 3D surface scanned a subsample (n = 50) and repeated our observations. Due to the intricate anatomy of the mental eminence, we split it into two separate traits: the bilateral mental tubercles and the midsagittal mental protuberance. We provide illustrations and descriptions for both these traits.ResultsWe obtained supreme consistency values between the CT and 3D surface modalities. The most consistent cranial traits were the glabella and the supraorbital margin, followed by the nuchal crest, zygomatic extension, mental tubercles, mental protuberance, mental eminence, mastoid process and ramus flexure, in descending order. The mental tubercles show higher consistency scores than the mental eminence and the mental protuberance.DiscussionThe increased interchangeability of the virtual modalities with each other as compared to the dry bone modality could be due to the lack of tactility on both the CT and surface scans. Moreover, tactility appears less essential with experience than a precise trait description. Future studies could revolve around the most consistent cranial traits, combining them with pelvic traits from a previous study, to test for accuracy.

Proposal of Helicobacter higonensis sp. nov. isolated from a human clinical specimen, and emended description of Helicobacter valdiviensis Collado, 2014.

We have previously isolated a gram-negative microaerophilic strain, PAGU2000T from a patient presenting with a fever in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The present study aimed to comprehensively analyze the taxonomy of the isolated strain using a polyphasic approach. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the strain was a member of enterohepatic Helicobacter. The strain PAGU2000T shared a 97.5% 16S rRNA gene nucleotide identity with Helicobacter valdiviensis, and this taxonomic position was confirmed by phylogenetic analysis of the GyrA amino acid sequences. The proposed strain PAGU2000T has a 1.482 Mbp chromosome with a DNA G + C content of 31.3 mol% and encodes 1520 predicted coding sequences. The average nucleotide identity between the strain PAGU2000T and type strain of H. valdiviensis was 70.3%, which was lower than the recommended threshold of 95% for species delineation. The strain PAGU2000T was a motile, non-spore-forming, and spiral-shaped bacterium, exhibiting catalase and oxidase activities but not urease and nitrate reduction. This study demonstrates that the isolate represents a novel species within enterohepatic Helicobacter, for which the name Helicobacter higonensis is proposed (type strain: PAGU2000T = GTC 16811T = LMG 33095T). In this study, we describe the phenotypic and morphological features of this strain and propose an emended description of some biochemical traits of H. valdiviensis.

Information flows and memory in games

The standard extensive-form partitional representation of information in sequential games fails to distinguish the description of the rules of interaction from the description of players' personal traits. Indeed, this representation does not model how the information given to players as per the rules of the game blends with players' cognitive abilities. We propose a representation of sequential games that explicitly describes the flow of information accruing to players rather than the stock of information retained by players encoded in information partitions. Then, we add a game-independent description of players' mnemonic abilities. If players have perfect memory, our flow representation gives rise to information partitions satisfying the perfect recall property, but different combinations of information flows and players' mnemonic abilities may induce the same information partitions. We show how to use our framework to explicitly model a wide array of cognitive limitations and embed them in the representation of game situations.

An evolutionary model of personality traits related to cooperative behavior using a large language model

This study aims to demonstrate that Large Language Models (LLMs) can empower research on the evolution of human behavior, based on evolutionary game theory, by using an evolutionary model positing that instructing LLMs with high-level psychological and cognitive character descriptions enables the simulation of human behavior choices in game-theoretical scenarios. As a first step towards this objective, this paper proposes an evolutionary model of personality traits related to cooperative behavior using a large language model. In the model, linguistic descriptions of personality traits related to cooperative behavior are used as genes. The deterministic strategies extracted from LLM that make behavioral decisions based on these personality traits are used as behavioral traits. The population is evolved according to selection based on average payoff and mutation of genes by asking LLM to slightly modify the parent gene toward cooperative or selfish. Through experiments and analyses, we clarify that such a model can indeed exhibit evolution of cooperative behavior based on the diverse and higher-order representation of personality traits. We also observed repeated intrusion of cooperative and selfish personality traits through changes in the expression of personality traits. The words that emerged in the evolved genes reflected the behavioral tendencies of their associated personalities in terms of semantics, thereby influencing individual behavior and, consequently, the evolutionary dynamics.

Is it necessary to modify science learning for autistic children?

Modifying the curriculum is often necessary for autistic children to effectively engage in their learning. Interestingly, a particular learning process was discovered that proved to be effective without any need for modification - specifically, teaching science to an autistic child. This discovery calls for further investigation. This study aims to provide a comprehensive description of the unique traits exhibited by autistic children who excel in learning science without the need for any modifications. This study utilized the Spradley analysis method, which involves domain analysis, taxonomic analysis, componential analysis, and cultural theme analysis. The participants in this study consisted of elementary school students in the 3rd grade who have autism. They were selected using the purposive sampling method. The data collection involved conducting interviews, examining documentation, and studying artifacts. The findings of the study indicate that children with mild autism can effectively learn science without requiring any adjustments, while still receiving necessary accommodations. Tasks can be effectively completed with the support of teachers and the assistance of paraprofessionals. Autistic children demonstrate proficiency in basic science process skills, creativity, and fine motor skills. They also exhibit a positive affect and are able to socialize effectively. Addressing focus and emotional issues involves implementing structured meal plans, providing parents with guidance on educating their children, and fostering strong collaboration with teachers.

PlanText: Gradually Masked Guidance to Align Image Phenotypes with Trait Descriptions for Plant Disease Texts.

Plant diseases are a critical driver of the global food crisis. The integration of advanced artificial intelligence technologies can substantially enhance plant disease diagnostics. However, current methods for early and complex detection remain challenging. Employing multimodal technologies, akin to medical artificial intelligence diagnostics that combine diverse data types, may offer a more effective solution. Presently, the reliance on single-modal data predominates in plant disease research, which limits the scope for early and detailed diagnosis. Consequently, developing text modality generation techniques is essential for overcoming the limitations in plant disease recognition. To this end, we propose a method for aligning plant phenotypes with trait descriptions, which diagnoses text by progressively masking disease images. First, for training and validation, we annotate 5,728 disease phenotype images with expert diagnostic text and provide annotated text and trait labels for 210,000 disease images. Then, we propose a PhenoTrait text description model, which consists of global and heterogeneous feature encoders as well as switching-attention decoders, for accurate context-aware output. Next, to generate a more phenotypically appropriate description, we adopt 3 stages of embedding image features into semantic structures, which generate characterizations that preserve trait features. Finally, our experimental results show that our model outperforms several frontier models in multiple trait descriptions, including the larger models GPT-4 and GPT-4o. Our code and dataset are available at https://plantext.samlab.cn/.

Characterization and discrimination of tundra plant leaves by Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for investigating the biochemical fingerprint of plants, but its applicability to tundra plant leaves has yet to be addressed. The present study aimed to apply ATR-FTIR measurement to characterize tundra plant leaves and to discriminate these among plant species with different growth forms. The ATR-FTIR spectra in the fingerprint region (1800–800 cm−1) of live and dead leaves from 14 tundra plant species of shrubs, forbs, graminoids, and mosses showed a variability in overall appearance among plant species and a degree of similarity between live and dead leaves of the same plant species. Four highest peaks were found at 1637–1575 cm−1, 1452–1406 cm−1, 1325–1313 cm−1, and 1058–1022 cm−1 in these spectra and are attributed to chemical features of lignin, cellulose, and/or oxalate. Principal component analyses showed that leaves of Oxyria digyna and other forbs had distinctive spectral characteristics attributable to the content of oxalate and other putative compounds and that contents of lignin relative to cellulose were generally greater in shrubs than in graminoids and mosses. These results demonstrated that ATR-FTIR spectroscopy is useful for future applications in polar biology and ecology, for example the description of functional traits of arctic plants and decomposition processes by microbes.

Automatic trait estimation in floriculture using computer vision and deep learning

Registration of new varieties of ornamental flowers is an important process in protecting plant breeders' intellectual property as well as consumer rights. One of the first steps in the admission procedure for a new candidate variety is a consistent and thorough registration, leading to a description of a number of traits that should uniquely define each variety. Similar trait descriptions are used in other applications like distinctness, uniformity and stability testing (DUS testing). Typical traits relevant for ornamentals are flower color, color distribution and petal shape. For each species the set of traits will differ. This process is time consuming, susceptible to error, and depends on skilled expertise. In this work, we aim to increase the level of automation in this process by using computer vision to estimate/classify the selected traits from images of the flowers, considering real world data sets of roses and gerberas. Using standard deep learning architectures, accuracies of 35-99% have been obtained for selected traits.

PGS-Depot: a comprehensive resource for polygenic scoresconstructed by summary statistics based methods.

Polygenic score (PGS) is an important tool for the genetic prediction of complex traits. However, there are currently no resources providing comprehensive PGSs computed from published summary statistics, and it is difficult to implement and run different PGS methods due to the complexity of their pipelines and parameter settings. To address these issues, we introduce a new resource called PGS-Depot containing the most comprehensive set of publicly available disease-related GWAS summary statistics. PGS-Depot includes 5585 high quality summary statistics (1933 quantitative and 3652 binary trait statistics) curated from 1564 traits in European and East Asian populations. A standardized best-practice pipeline is used to implement 11 summary statistics-based PGS methods, each with different model assumptions and estimation procedures. The prediction performance of each method can be compared for both in- and cross-ancestry populations, and users can also submit their own summary statistics to obtain custom PGS with the available methods. Other features include searching for PGSs by trait name, publication, cohort information, population, or the MeSH ontology treeand searching for trait descriptions with the experimental factor ontology (EFO). All scores, SNP effect sizesand summary statistics can be downloaded via FTP. PGS-Depot is freely available at http://www.pgsdepot.net.

Future-proofing environmental DNA and trait-based predictions of food webs

Abstract Food webs represent trophic interactions within ecosystems. Matching traits of consumers and resources helps infer trophic interactions and food-web properties. Environmental (e)DNA, commonly used for detecting species occurrences, is rarely used in trait-matching studies because abundance estimates and descriptions of relevant traits are generally missing. We synthesized recent literature on inferences of trophic interactions with eDNA and trait matching to identify challenges and opportunities for coupled eDNA–trait recording schemes. Our case study shows how coupling eDNA and trait data collection improves the ability to characterize greater numbers of food webs across multiple scales ranging from spatiotemporal to trait variation. Future-proofing eDNA data sets requires the collection of new traits or the compilation of existing trait data at spatiotemporal scales that are relevant to detect current and future changes in food webs and ecosystems.

Protandric simultaneous hermaphroditism inSalmoneus carvachoiAnker, 2007 (Decapoda: Alpheidae): a new sexual system in alpheid shrimps

AbstractIn caridean shrimps, sexual systems vary from gonochorism to various forms of hermaphroditism. The shrimp Salmoneus carvachoi has been reported to exhibit both male (appendix masculina) and female (brooding embryos) anatomical characteristics simultaneously. Our aim was to examine the sexual system of S. carvachoi and to test the hypothesis of protandric simultaneous hermaphroditism (PSH) in this species. We analysed internal and external features using microscopy and histology techniques. Our analyses support the hypothesis of PSH in S. carvachoi and enabled the identification of male-phase and hermaphroditic individuals. All individuals exhibit a well-developed appendix masculina on the endopods of the second pleopods; however, small male-phase individuals possess only male gonopores, whereas larger hermaphroditic individuals possess both female and male gonopores. Hermaphrodites exhibit both male and female germinative cells in various stages of development, as well as an androgenic gland. Our study describes a novel sexual system for alpheids and provides a detailed description of anatomical traits in S. carvachoi. Studies that describe sexual systems in Alpheidae may shed light on the evolutionary history of gender expression in carideans and how environmental conditions favour sex allocation in decapods and other invertebrates.

Morphological characteristics and variability of traditional starch forming coix (Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen) populations from Mindanao Island, Philippines

Abstract. Bon SG, Antesco GP, Enicola EE. 2023. Morphological characteristics and variability of traditional starch forming coix (Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen populations from Mindanao Island, Philippines. Biodiversitas 24: 4382-4391. Adlay (Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen (Rom.Caill.) Stapf) is an underutilized crop in the Philippines with high potential. Characterization and elucidation of the available variability among the local adlay populations are essential information for its improvement and better utilization. The study aimed to characterize the qualitative morphological traits of 34 traditional adlay populations from Mindanao Provinces and assess diversity by the Shannon Index and similarity by multivariate clustering. Results showed that all populations shared the same morphotypes in five descriptors but were variable for the rest. Six populations showed intense leaf anthocyanin coloration, and 23 expressed upright growth habits. Three types of leaf blade colors were observed, while the intensity of anthocyanin coloration of culms was expressed in four types. Most populations had semi-pubescent or highly pubescent leaves, generally intermediate leaf orientation and non-glaucous leaves. Immature grains were generally light green but expressed four color types at maturity, mostly circular with furrows on the surface. Diversity Indices (H') ranged from low to high. Leaf blade pubescence, anthocyanin coloration of culm, and mature grain color had high H' values. Cluster analysis showed that the variability was narrow, where overall clustering achieved 0.50 similarity. At 0.65 similarity, three groups can be derived with three populations as outliers. Clustering can be attributed to the differences in seedling color, anthocyanin coloration, plant growth habit, immature grain color, mature grain color, and shape. The study established the morphological description of the qualitative traits of traditional Philippine adlay and assessed diversity to be generally intermediate, where populations can be clustered into subgroups according to the degree of morphotype similarities. Clustering, however, was not related to provenances. It is recommended to conduct further geographic germplasm sampling, marker-based characterization, and agronomic evaluation to dissect further the genetic diversity and crop potential of the local adlay populations.

Psychodynamic theory meets HiTOP: The nomological network between motivational conflicts and dimensions of the hierarchical taxonomy of psychopathology (HiTOP)

The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) provides a comprehensive description of psychopathology and maladaptive personality traits but does not include etiological theorizing. Psychodynamic theory offers such theorizing, describing motivational conflicts that can be processed either in active (progressive) or passive (regressive) modes. We related motivational conflicts to HiTOP dimensions for the first time. Two studies (four samples, N = 580) showed replicable associations: passive conflict processing displayed stronger and more distributed associations with psychopathology, whereas active processing was associated with lower, yet more specific psychopathology. Particular symptoms were associated with different conflicts, showing that different etiological factors may underlie similar psychopathological signs. Motivational dynamics offer guidance for diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology.

Anatomical adaptations in the stem of Discocactus catingicola (Cactaceae) to the highly threatened ironstone outcrops from southeastern Brazil

The geosystems known as “cangas” are composed of ferruginous concretions and are characterized by being subjected to elevated temperatures and by having highly acidic, shallow, unfertile soils. The extremely harsh environmental conditions therein limit the occupation of cangas to a restricted number of species, such as Discocactus catingicola. We aimed to analyze the stem anatomy of D. catingicola occurring on cangas in order to assess which structural traits provide the species with an adaptive advantage to these geosystems. Stem samples were subjected to protocols of cross-sectioning, epidermal dissociation and lugol histochemical detection, and were then analyzed under light microscopy. Stems have a uniseriate epidermis and a thick cuticle. Paracytic stomata occur at the same level of pavement cells. Conspicuous substomatal chambers extend through the entire hypodermis height. The two-layered, collenchymatous hypodermis has a high amount of calcium oxalate inclusions in the form of prismatic crystals. Stem structure is also composed of a water-storing chlorenchyma, a starch and water storage parenchyma, and wide-band tracheids. Our findings revealed the occurrence of xeromorphic adaptive characters in D. catingicola which provide the species with its adaptive success in ironstone outcrops. The description of these anatomical traits in D. catingicola make up a pioneer report, thus being of great importance for future research on ecological plant anatomy not only of Cactaceae species but also of other unrelated xerophytes. We expect our work will assist researchers in the fields of anatomy, taxonomy and systematics of Cactaceae. Future research investigating the anatomy of D. catingicola populations occurring on ecosystems other than the lateritic cangas should provide a helpful comparative basis for evaluating the species degree of phenotypic plasticity.

Expression and detection of triarchic psychopathy traits in the self-defining memories of U.S. undergraduates

Research linking psychopathic personality to autobiographical memory and narrative identity is limited. We present preliminary evidence suggesting that traits from the triarchic model of psychopathy (measured via self-report) predict self-reported affect as well as researcher-coded affective themes, event specificity, and meaning making in self-defining memories (SDMs). We observed this in a small sample that was well-powered for multilevel modeling (1200 SDMs total obtained from 120 undergraduate participants from the U.S.). Additionally, we present preliminary evidence – using an extreme-groups approach – that raters can detect the expression of the triarchic psychopathy traits in written SDM transcripts. Ten research assistants (working independently, and without prior training in assessment) used prototype descriptions of the triarchic traits to rate 40 participants on each trait. Their ratings correlated meaningfully with a range of relevant self-reported traits. Thus, aspects of psychopathy could be detected, albeit imperfectly, solely from written autobiographical memories. This research contributes to the literatures on person perception, psychopathy, and narrative identity. It also supports the status of autobiographical narratives as a unique source of data in personality research and clinical inference.

LINEAR EVALUATION OF HOLSTEIN BULLS BY THE EXTERIOR TYPE OF THEIR DAUGHTERS IN "OSTRIYKOVSKE" LLC

Introduction. In the context of intensive milk production technologies, the dairy farming industry faces high demands on animal health, constitutional strength and manufacturability due to mechanization and full automation of production processes. Modern methods of breeding involve the creation of highly productive animals that are well adapted to the least costly production technologies, taking into account an objective assessment of their breeding qualities and the application of population genetics.
 Materials and methods of research. The study was conducted based on the materials of primary breeding records in the farm "Ostriykivske" LLC, Kyiv region. Evaluation of the milk production of cows was carried out for 305 days of the last completed lactation on the basis of the database of the dairy farming management system (Intersel-Orsek). An eyeball assessment of the exterior of the firstborn heifers was carried out according to the instructions for boning in the modification of Y. P. Polupan and the method of linear classification by type. The exterior of the animals was studied by taking the main 17 measurements at 2–5 months of lactation.
 The cow type was evaluated using two systems: a linear description of individual exterior traits; evaluation of complex traits on a 100-point scale. The total score was calculated based on complex traits, which in turn were based on linear descriptive traits. In the process of evaluating the animals, the results were recorded in the evaluation sheet for dairy and dairy-meat cows by body type, pre-recording the animal's identification number, nickname, date of birth, date of calving, and lactation number. A total of 114 first-born Holstein cows were evaluated at Ostriykivske LLC.
 Research results In the herd of Ostriykivske LLC, the best score for the complex of traits was obtained by the daughters of the bull sire Lobby 101916210 of the Eleweishna 1491007 line (83.2 points), which corresponds to "good with a plus". The daughters of the bull sire Kingly 101409948 of the H. H. Starbuck 352790 line received the lowest score – 78.0. The lowest score for the complex of limb traits was observed in the daughters of the bull Sleman 7817774 of the Valiant 1650414 line (70.5 points), and the highest in the descendants of Lobby 101916210 – 79.3 points. The variability of scores for udder traits ranged from 76.2 points in the daughters of Tandem 9434213 to 80.8 points in the daughters of Lobby 101916210 with a difference of 4.6 points between these extreme variants.
 In addition, the evaluated cows have undesirable development of certain appearance traits, such as additional teats, close proximity of the hind teats, rudiments behind the teats, underdeveloped udder lobes, and diseased limbs. Thus, the use of the linear classification methodology allows you to obtain information about the features of the body structure, identify the advantages and disadvantages of cattle.
 Such quantitative traits as milk yield, milk fat and protein yield are economically important for dairy producers. The obtained results of the research show that the best score for the complex of traits (83.2 points) and the highest milk yield (milk yield – 10560 kg; fat – 3.92%; protein – 3.15%) are observed in daughters of the bull of the sire Lobby 101916210 of the line Eleveishna 1491007.65. It was found that the firstborn cows with the best type indices are characterized by high milk production. Selection of the best performers by linear evaluation by type for the repair of the dairy herd of firstborn cows will provide more functional reliability and high milk production.
 Conclusions. Thus, the use of the linear classification methodology in dairy cattle breeding allows to objectively determine the characteristics of cows by type of appearance, and the existence of a relationship between milk production and group linear traits is the key to the effectiveness of animal selection by type of appearance.

О современном мире, (не) религиозном разнообразии и пост-секулярной перспективе

The article focuses on the following problems: definition of the World in the process of transition from modernity to post-modernity; description of the specific traits of post-modern and post-secular; (non)religious diversity with the appearance of such types of (non)religious identity as “nones”, “spiritual, but not religious” and new types of religion. They are the concrete examples of the changes in the consciousness of the (post) modern man and the forming of (non) religious identity, including reli- gion, unbelief, and spirituality. On the one hand, a significant number of “nones” and undefined believers are emerging in many Western countries, and on the other hand, there is the growth and religious mobilization of new and old religions, both in the Western world and beyond. Although secularization exists, it is difficult to call today's world secular, taking into account the simultaneous “return of religion” (often in new qualities and new forms) in some circumstances (Islam throughout the world, Christi- anity in the South), the decline of religion in others (the weakening of Christianity in the West, the widespread change and multiplication of religions and the spread of in- creasingly experimental, individualized, spiritual forms of religion). Religions enter into public sphere, there is growth of “fundementalisms” all over the world. Religions today are filling up with different content, implying “new religiousness”, “new” (en- riched by specific energy and vitality) old religious traditions: “new Islam”, “new Christianity”, “new Induism”, etc. And since they acquire a new quality of the post- secular (independence, passionarity, aspiration to embrace the whole world, when it is no longer “religion” that adapts to the world, but the world to religion), it is more logical to study them in the post-secular paradigm, not in the "paradigm of seculariza- tion".