Types of Digital Financial Pyramids: Results of Ideas’ Crowdsourcing

Взрывной рост доступности цифровых инструментов и инвестиционная безграмотность в сочетании с пандемийным локдауном и снижением доходности привычного пассивного инвестирования толкнули непрофессиональных инвесторов в объятия онлайн-мошенников. Издревле существовавшие финансовые пирамиды получили небывалые возможности и продемонстрировали взрывной рост, что обусловлено появлением у них дополнительных свойств. Целью представленного исследования является типологизация новых форм схем с признаками финансовых пирамид, организуемых через сеть Интернет. В исследовании был применен метод научного краудсорсинга (сбор информации об отобранных финансовых пирамидах из списка Банка России). Основной результат исследования – выявленные классификационные группы финансовых пирамид, активно мимикрирующих под легальные финансовые и нефинансовые институты. Результаты проведенного исследования были верифицированы в сообществе академических и практических экспертов в области изучения и противодействия финансовым пирамидам. Полученные выводы помогут в выявлении новых финансовых пирамид, осуществляющих свою деятельность в сети ИнтернетThe explosive growth in the availability of digital tools and investment illiteracy, combined with the pandemic lockdown and declining returns on habitual passive investing, have pushed non-professional investors into the arms of online scammers. The financial pyramids that have existed since ancient times have received unprecedented opportunities and have shown explosive growth, which is due to the appearance of their additional features. The purpose of our study is to typify new forms of schemes with signs of financial pyramids organized via the Internet. The study used the method of scientific crowdsourcing (collection of information about selected financial pyramids from the list of the Bank of Russia by a wide range of participants). The main result of the study is the new classification groups of financial pyramids that actively mimic legal financial and non-financial institutions. The results of the study were verified in the community of academic and practical experts in the field of studying and counteracting financial pyramids. The findings will help in identifying new financial pyramids operating in the Interne

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Экономическая природа феномена «халява» в среде российских студентов

The article is devoted to the problems of behavioral economics in terms of formation of the attitude and perception of goods with zero price in their special form – “freebie” (or in Russian – “haljava”) as a special form of free (or almost free) good. The study showed the relationship between economic and non-economic goods. The definition of “freebie” is given as a situation of receiving a good in which an individual (recipient) bears zero or insignificant (inconspicuous) economic or physical costs with a perceived high assessment of the usefulness of the good. Three situations were considered: the recipient of a good is a consumer, an employee and a special case of employee – a student obtaining grades in the educational process. Market surpluses in these situations were analyzed in terms of “freebie” and “pure freebie”. An in-depth interview was conducted among students which revealed that 95% of respondents drew a parallel between “freebie” and luck but “freebie” can be prepared to. An interesting finding is the fact that parents’ money is perceived starting from the third year as a “freebie”, while in younger courses it perceived as the help of parents. When studying the issue of morality in a situation “freebie”, it turned out that if a “freebie” does not harm anyone, then this phenomenon is allowed and, moreover, is compared with entrepreneurial activity. Such phenomena as “free money” and “freeloader” as a stable “free” strategy were also analyzed. The latter was negatively judged by respondents. In conclusion, questions are raised for further research of the phenomenonСтатья посвящена проблемам поведенческой экономики в части изучения особенностей социально-экономических отношений, возникающих в случае товаров с нулевой ценой в их особой форме – «халяве», – как особой форме бесплатного (или почти бесплатного) получения товара. Исследование показало связь между экономическими и неэкономическими товарами. Дано определение понятию «халява» – ситуация получения товара, при которой физическое лицо (получатель) несет нулевые или незначительные экономические или физические издержки при высокой оценке полезности товара. Были рассмотрены три ситуации: получателем товара является потребитель, работник и особый случай работника – студент, получающий оценки в учебном процессе. Рыночные излишки в этих ситуациях анализированы в терминах «халява» и «чистая халява». Было проведено глубинное интервью среди студентов, которое показало, что 95 % респондентов проводят параллель между «халявой» и удачей, но «халява» может быть подготовлена. Интересным фактом является то, что деньги родителей с третьего курса воспринимаются студентами как «халява», а на младших курсах – как помощь. При изучении вопроса о морали в ситуации «халява» выяснено, что если «халява» никому не причиняет вреда, то это явление допускается и, более того, сравнивается с предпринимательской деятельностью. Были также проанализированы такие явления, как «свободные деньги» и «халявщик» как стабильная стратегия поиска бесплатных товаров. Последний вариант был отрицательно оценен респондентами. В заключении даны возможные дальнейшие направления исследования этого явлени

Sanctions and international interaction improve cooperation to avert climate change

Imposing sanctions on non-compliant parties to international agreements is advocated as a remedy for international cooperation failure. Nevertheless, sanctions are costly, and rational choice theory predicts their ineffectiveness in solving cooperation problems. Empirically, sanctions were shown to increase cooperation substantially in some cultural areas but to be detrimental in others. We test sanctions' effectiveness experimentally in international collective-risk social dilemmas simulating efforts to avoid catastrophic climate change. We involve individuals from cultural areas where sanctions were shown to have different effectiveness: Russia and Germany. Here we show that, while this result still holds nationally, international interaction backed by sanctions is beneficial. Cooperation by low cooperator groups increases relative to national cooperation and converges to the levels of high cooperators. Moreover, international groups interacting under sanctions contribute more to catastrophe prevention than what is prescribed by the group payoff-maximizing solution. This behavior signals a strong preference for protection against collective risks

Previously Undescribed Gross HACE1 Deletions as a Cause of Autosomal Recessive Spastic Paraplegia

Spastic paraplegia and psychomotor retardation with or without seizures (SPPRS, OMIM 616756) is a rare genetic disease caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in the HACE1 gene. Originally, these mutations have been reported to be implicated in tumor predisposition. Nonetheless, via whole exome sequencing in 2015, HACE1 mutations were suggested to be the cause of a new autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder, which is characterized by spasticity, muscular hypotonia, and intellectual disability. To date, 14 HACE1 pathogenic variants have been described; these variants have a loss-of-function effect that leads to clinical presentations with variable severities. However, gross deletions in the HACE1 gene have not yet been mentioned as a cause of spastic paraplegia. Here, we report a clinical case involving a 2-year-old male presenting with spasticity, mainly affecting the lower limbs, and developmental delay. Exome sequencing, chromosomal microarray analysis, and mRNA analysis were used to identify the causative gene. We revealed that the clinical findings were due to previously undescribed HACE1 biallelic deletions. We identified the deletion of exon 7: c.(534+1_535-1)_(617+1_618-1)del (NM_020771.4) and the gross deletion in the 6q16.3 locus, which affected the entire HACE1 gene: g.105018931_105337494del, (GRCh37). A comprehensive diagnostic approach for the patients with originally homozygous mutations in HACE1 is required since false homozygosity results are possible. More than 80% of the described mutations were reported to be homozygous. Initial hemizygosity is hard to detect by quantitative methods, and this may challenge molecular diagnostic identification in patients with spastic paraplegia

MtDNA mutations linked with left ventricular hypertrophy

Aim: In left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), the heart muscle thickens. One third of individuals with LVH never complain of heart problems. However, such patients have a high risk of sudden death. LVH can be caused by arterial atherosclerotic lesions. The linkage of mtDNA mutations 652insG, m.5178C&gt;A, m.3336T&gt;C, m.14459G&gt;A, 652delG, m.14846G&gt;A, m.1555A&gt;G, m.15059G&gt;A, m.3256C&gt;T, m.12315G&gt;A and m.13513G&gt;A with atherosclerosis was described earlier by our laboratory. The aim of the study was to analyze the linkage of these mtDNA mutations with LVH.Methods: DNA from white blood cells was isolated using a phenol-chloroform method. PCR-fragments of DNA contained the region of the investigated mutations. The heteroplasmy level of mtDNA mutations was analyzed using a pyrosequencing-based method developed by our laboratory.Results: We investigated two groups of individuals. One hundred and ninety-four patients with LVH. Two hundred and ten were conventionally healthy. It was found that mtDNA mutation m.5178C&gt;A was significantly associated with LVH. Single nucleotide replacement m.1555A&gt;G was associated with LVH at the level of significance P ≤ 0.1. At the same time m.12315G&gt;A and m.3336T&gt;C were significantly associated with the absence of this pathology. Single nucleotide replacement m.14459G&gt;A was associated with the absence of LVH at the significance level P ≤ 0.1.Conclusion: MtDNA mutations m.5178C&gt;A and m.1555A&gt;G can be used for molecular genetic assessment of the predisposition of individuals to the occurrence of left ventricular hypertrophy. They can also be used for the family analysis of this pathology. Mutations m.12315G&gt;A, m.3336T&gt;C and m.14459G&gt;A can be used in the development of LVH gene therapy methods

Mitochondrial mutations associated with cardiac angina

Aim: Cardiac angina is a disease in which discomfort or retrosternal pain may occur. Atherosclerosis of coronary arteries is one of the main risk factors for cardiac angina. The aim of the investigation was to analyze the association of 11 mitochondrial genome mutations with cardiac angina. In our preliminary studies an association of these mutations with atherosclerosis, a risk factor for cardiac angina, was found.Methods: We used samples of white blood cells collected from 192 patients with cardiac angina and 201 conventionally healthy study participants. DNA from blood leukocyte samples was isolated using a phenol-chloroform method. DNA amplicons containing the investigated regions of 11 mitochondrial genome mutations (m.12315G&gt;A, m.652delG, m.5178C&gt;A, m.14459G&gt;A, m.3336T&gt;C, 652insG, m.3256C&gt;T, m.1555A&gt;G, m.15059G&gt;A, m.13513G&gt;A, m.14846G&gt;A) were pyrosequenced. The heteroplasmy level of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations was analyzed using a method developed by our laboratory on the basis of pyrosequencing technology.Results: According to the obtained data, three mitochondrial mutations of human genome correlated with cardiac angina. A positive correlation was observed for mutation m.14459G&gt;A (P ≤ 0.05). One single nucleotide substitution m.5178C&gt;A (P ≤ 0.1) had a trend for positive correlation. A negative correlation for mutation m.15059G&gt;A with cardiac angina (P ≤ 0.05) was found.Conclusion: MtDNA mutations m.14459G&gt;A and m.5178C&gt;A can be used for evaluation the predisposition of individuals to atherosclerotic lesions. At the same time, mitochondrial genome mutation m.15059G&gt;A may be used for gene therapy of atherosclerosis

Some Molecular and Cellular Stress Mechanisms Associated with Neurodegenerative Diseases and Atherosclerosis

Chronic stress is a combination of nonspecific adaptive reactions of the body to the influence of various adverse stress factors which disrupt its homeostasis, and it is also a corresponding state of the organism’s nervous system (or the body in general). We hypothesized that chronic stress may be one of the causes occurence of several molecular and cellular types of stress. We analyzed literary sources and considered most of these types of stress in our review article. We examined genes and mutations of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes and also molecular variants which lead to various types of stress. The end result of chronic stress can be metabolic disturbance in humans and animals, leading to accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidative stress, energy deficiency in cells (due to a decrease in ATP synthesis) and mitochondrial dysfunction. These changes can last for the lifetime and lead to severe pathologies, including neurodegenerative diseases and atherosclerosis. The analysis of literature allowed us to conclude that under the influence of chronic stress, metabolism in the human body can be disrupted, mutations of the mitochondrial and nuclear genome and dysfunction of cells and their compartments can occur. As a result of these processes, oxidative, genotoxic, and cellular stress can occur. Therefore, chronic stress can be one of the causes forthe occurrence and development of neurodegenerative diseases and atherosclerosis. In particular, chronic stress can play a large role in the occurrence and development of oxidative, genotoxic, and cellular types of stress

Some Molecular and Cellular Stress Mechanisms Associated with Neurodegenerative Diseases and Atherosclerosis

Chronic stress is a combination of nonspecific adaptive reactions of the body to the influence of various adverse stress factors which disrupt its homeostasis, and it is also a corresponding state of the organism&rsquo;s nervous system (or the body in general). We hypothesized that chronic stress may be one of the causes occurence of several molecular and cellular types of stress. We analyzed literary sources and considered most of these types of stress in our review article. We examined genes and mutations of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes and also molecular variants which lead to various types of stress. The end result of chronic stress can be metabolic disturbance in humans and animals, leading to accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidative stress, energy deficiency in cells (due to a decrease in ATP synthesis) and mitochondrial dysfunction. These changes can last for the lifetime and lead to severe pathologies, including neurodegenerative diseases and atherosclerosis. The analysis of literature allowed us to conclude that under the influence of chronic stress, metabolism in the human body can be disrupted, mutations of the mitochondrial and nuclear genome and dysfunction of cells and their compartments can occur. As a result of these processes, oxidative, genotoxic, and cellular stress can occur. Therefore, chronic stress can be one of the causes forthe occurrence and development of neurodegenerative diseases and atherosclerosis. In particular, chronic stress can play a large role in the occurrence and development of oxidative, genotoxic, and cellular types of stress