Universality and correlations in individuals wandering through an online extremist space

The 'out of the blue' nature of recent terror attacks and the diversity of apparent motives, highlight the importance of understanding the online trajectories that individuals follow prior to developing high levels of extremist support. Here we show that the physics of stochastic walks, with and without temporal correlation, provides a unifying description of these online trajectories. Our unique dataset comprising all users of a global social media site, reveals universal characteristics in individuals' online lifetimes. Our accompanying theory generates analytical and numerical solutions that describe the characteristics shown by individuals that go on to develop high levels of extremist support, and those that do not. The existence of these temporal and also many-body correlations suggests that existing physics machinery can be used to quantify and perhaps mitigate the risk of future events

FUNCTIONS OF VANDALISM IN YOUTH BEHAVIOUR: FROM PERSONALITY TO SOCIETY

Introduction. Graphic vandalism has become a widespread phenomenon in the space of modern cities. Traditionally, vandalism has been assessed as a negative phenomenon, leading to the destruction of the material, visual and social environment of urban public space. Recently, however, the discourse on the positive meaning of certain forms of vandalism (graffiti, street art, etc.) has been activated. At the same time, there is no discussion of the role and influence of vandalism on public and individual life, although, like any socio-cultural and socio-psychological phenomenon, vandalism has the basis and carries certain messages.The aim of this research was to identify and describe the functions of graphic vandalism, taking into account socio-cultural and socio-psychological aspects.Methodology and research methods. The study was conducted in the spatial environment of the megalopolis (Ekaterinburg, Russia) by photographing results of vandal acts (more than 6000 photographs) with subsequent trace-assessment and content analysis of images.Results and scientific novelty. The structural functions of vandalism at the socio-environmental and individual-subjective levels are identified and characterised. The signalling and designing functions, preparation of social changes and management of public mood are referred to the first level. At the second (individual-subjective) level, the demonstrative-and-protest function, functions of reactions, compensation and self-expression are allocated. The functions are illustrated with the examples of visual representations. A two-dimensional model of vandalism functions is formed, where the functions are distributed in the spaces of “construction / reconstruction”, “emotional regulation / moral regulation”. It is noted that any function of vandal activity at the individual level becomes a kind of marker “points of tension” at the socio-environmental level. The functional variety of vandalism becomes the reason of its ambiguous perception with diverse and occasionally contradictory estimates. The authors came to the conclusion that vandalism is socially considered as the evolutionary managerial instrument of social development, which is capable to weaken impermeability of the normatively and traditionally established limits, providing adjustability of the cultural and material environment in the conditions of innovative and mobilisation changes of society. From the perspective of the personality, vandalism is concerned as individual behaviour over the socially defined limits of activity among ordinary members of the society. Thus, vandalism as the phenomenon of public life acts as a norm and a deviation, to which an assessment is given in dependence on functional significance and subject self-identification of the specific vandal act. Practical significance. The research materials and the results obtained can be used to improve and optimise the technologies for management youth vandal activity in megapolises, for prevention and sublimation of destructive forms of youth behaviour in an urban environment.Введение. Графический вандализм стал обычным явлением в современном городе. Традиционно он оценивался как негативное воздействие на среду обитания, которое приводит к различным материальным, визуальным и социальным деструкциям городского общественного пространства. Однако в последнее время наметился дискурс о позитивности и авантажности некоторых вандальных форм в виде граффити, изображений в стиле стрит-арта и пр. Вместе с тем серьезного обсуждения роли, значимости и последствий подобного вандализма для общественной и частной жизни учеными практически не ведется, хотя, как и любой социокультурный и социально-психологический феномен, вандализм имеет почву и несет определенные смысловые посылы. Цель представленной в статье работы – выявление и описание функций графического вандализма с социокультурной и психологической точек зрения. Методы и методики. Эмпирическое исследование проводилось в пространстве мегаполиса (г. Екатеринбург, Россия) посредством фотофиксации результатов вандальных актов (в общей сложности было сделано более 6000 снимков) с последующими трейс-оценкой и контент-анализом изображений. Результаты и научная новизна. Выстроена и охарактеризована структура функционала вандализма, представленная на социально-средовом и индивидуально-субъектном уровнях. К первому уровню отнесены сигнализирующая и конструирующая функции, подготовка социальных изменений и управление общественными настроениями. На втором (индивидуально-субъектном) уровне выделены демонстративно-протестная функция, функции отреагирования, возмещения и самовыражения. Каждая из функций проиллюстрирована примерами визуальных репрезентаций. Сконструирована двумерная модель функций вандализма, в которой они распределены в простран ствах «конструирование / реконструирование», «эмоциональная регуляция /моральная регуляция». Показано, что любая функция вандальной активности на индивидуальном уровне становится своеобразным маркером «точек напряженности» на социально-средовом уровне. Функциональное разнообразие вандализма становится причиной неоднозначного его восприятия и различных, иногда прямо противоположных оценок. Авторы приходят к выводу о том, что с позиций социума вандализм часто выглядит эволюционным инструментом управления общественным развитием, способным ослабить непроницаемость устоявшихся границ нормативности и традиционности, обеспечивающим пластичность культурной и материальной среды в условиях инновационных и мобилизационных изменений общества. С позиций личности это выход индивидуального поведения за официально предписанные границы активности рядового члена общества. Таким образом, вандализм как явление общественной жизни выступает одновременно и нормой, и девиацией, оценка которым дается в зависимости от функционального значения и субъектной принадлежности отдельного конкретного вандального акта. Практическая значимость работы заключается в потенциальных возможностях использования полученных данных для совершенствования и оптимизации технологий управления вандальной активностью молодежи в пространстве мегаполиса, организации профилактики и сублимации деструктивных форм поведения молодых людей в городской среде

New Online Ecology of Adversarial Aggregates: ISIS and beyond

Support for extremist entities - whether from the far right, or far left - often manages to survive globally online despite significant external pressure, and may ultimately inspire violent acts by individuals having no obvious prior history of extremism. Examining longitudinal records of extremist online activity, we uncovered an ecology evolving on a daily timescale that drives online support, and we provide a mathematical theory that describes it. The ecology features self-organized aggregates (online groups such as on Facebook or another social media analog) that proliferate preceding the onset of recent real-world campaigns, and adopt novel adaptive mechanisms to enhance their survival. One of the predictions is that development of large, potentially potent online groups can be thwarted by targeting smaller ones.Comment: Similar to version that appeared in Science (2016

МОЛЕКУЛЯРНО-ГЕНЕТИЧЕСКИЕ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ ФУНКЦИОНИРОВАНИЯ ПОЛИМОРФНЫХ ВАРИАНТОВ ГЕНОВ ЦИТОКИНОВОЙ СЕТИ И БИОТРАНСФОРМАЦИИ КСЕНОБИОТИКОВ ПРИ ОНКОПАТОЛОГИИ

The interrelation of polymorphic loci genes  cytokine profile with indicators spontaneous cytokine  production oxists.  Combination of  genotypes identified family interleukin  -1, and having functional significance adaptive " mutant " alleles (* E2/* II /* C) in the genes of the interleukin -1 was significantly  more frequent in cancer patients " risk" alleles of the tumor  suppressor gene TP53. It’s revealed that  the cancer patients in the combined genotype " mutant " alleles in the gene not only NQO1, but also genes of the interleukin -1 wich where studied.Установлена  взаимосвязь полиморфных локусов  генов  цитокинового профиля  с показателями спонтанной продукции цитокинов. Выявлены  сочетания генотипов семейства интерлейкин-1, имеющих  функциональную и  адаптивную значимость: «непротективные» аллели (*E2/*II/*C) в генах семейства интерлейкина-1 достоверно чаще встречаются  у онкологических больных  с «рисковыми» аллелями в гене  супрессора опухоли ТР53. Выявлено,  что у онкобольных в генотипе сочетаются «непротективные» аллели не только в гене NQO1, но и в изученных генах семейства интерлейкин-1.

An orphan gene is necessary for preaxial digit formation during salamander limb development

Limb development in salamanders differs from other tetrapods in that the first digits to form are the two most anterior (preaxial dominance). This has been proposed as a salamander novelty and its mechanistic basis is unknown. Salamanders are the only adult tetrapods able to regenerate the limb, and the contribution of preaxial dominance to limb regeneration is unclear. Here we show that during early outgrowth of the limb bud, a small cohort of cells express the orphan gene Prod1 together with Bmp2, a critical player in digit condensation in amniotes. Disruption of Prod1 with a gene-editing nuclease abrogates these cells, and blocks formation of the radius and ulna, and outgrowth of the anterior digits. Preaxial dominance is a notable feature of limb regeneration in the larval newt, but this changes abruptly after metamorphosis so that the formation of anterior and posterior digits occurs together within the autopodium resembling an amniote-like pattern

Beneficial Effects of a Q-ter® Based Nutritional Mixture on Functional Performance, Mitochondrial Function, and Oxidative Stress in Rats

Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are central mechanisms underlying the aging process and the pathogenesis of many age-related diseases. Selected antioxidants and specific combinations of nutritional compounds could target many biochemical pathways that affect both oxidative stress and mitochondrial function and, thereby, preserve or enhance physical performance. supplementation in rats at 29 months of age. supplementation may be particularly beneficial when initiated prior to major biological and functional declines that appear to occur with advancing age

A critical appraisal of appendage disparity and homology in fishes

Fishes are both extremely diverse and morphologically disparate. Part of this disparity can be observed in the numerous possible fin configurations that may differ in terms of the number of fins as well as fin shapes, sizes and relative positions on the body. Here, we thoroughly review the major patterns of disparity in fin configurations for each major group of fishes and discuss how median and paired fin homologies have been interpreted over time. When taking into account the entire span of fish diversity, including both extant and fossil taxa, the disparity in fin morphologies greatly complicates inferring homologies for individual fins. Given the phylogenetic scope of this review, structural and topological criteria appear to be the most useful indicators of fin identity. We further suggest that it may be advantageous to consider some of these fin homologies as nested within the larger framework of homologous fin‐forming morphogenetic fields. We also discuss scenarios of appendage evolution and suggest that modularity may have played a key role in appendage disparification. Fin modules re‐expressed within the boundaries of fin‐forming fields could explain how some fins may have evolved numerous times independently in separate lineages (e.g., adipose fin), or how new fins may have evolved over time (e.g., anterior and posterior dorsal fins, pectoral and pelvic fins). We favour an evolutionary scenario whereby median appendages appeared from a unique field of competence first positioned throughout the dorsal and ventral midlines, which was then redeployed laterally leading to paired appendages.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151971/1/faf12402_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151971/2/faf12402.pd