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Schizophrenia is a prototypical network disorder with widespread brain-morphological alterations, yet it remains unclear whether these distributed alterations robustly reflect the underlying network layout. We tested whether large-scale structural alterations in schizophrenia relate to normative structural and functional connectome architecture, and systematically evaluated robustness and generalizability of these network-level alterations. Leveraging anatomical MRI scans from 2439 adults with schizophrenia and 2867 healthy controls from 26 ENIGMA sites and normative data from the Human Connectome Project (n = 207), we evaluated structural alterations of schizophrenia against two network susceptibility models: (i) hub vulnerability, which examines associations between regional network centrality and magnitude of disease-related alterations; (ii) epicenter mapping, which identifies regions whose typical connectivity profile most closely resembles the disease-related morphological alterations. To assess generalizability and specificity, we contextualized the influence of site, disease stages, and individual clinical factors and compared network associations of schizophrenia with that found in affective disorders. Our findings show schizophrenia-related cortical thinning is spatially associated with functional and structural hubs, suggesting that highly interconnected regions are more vulnerable to morphological alterations. Predominantly temporo-paralimbic and frontal regions emerged as epicenters with connectivity profiles linked to schizophrenias alteration patterns. Findings were robust across sites, disease stages, and related to individual symptoms. Moreover, transdiagnostic comparisons revealed overlapping epicenters in schizophrenia and bipolar, but not major depressive disorder, suggestive of a pathophysiological continuity within the schizophrenia-bipolar-spectrum. In sum, cortical alterations over the course of schizophrenia robustly follow brain network architecture, emphasizing marked hub susceptibility and temporo-frontal epicenters at both the level of the group and the individual. Subtle variations of epicenters across disease stages suggest interacting pathological processes, while associations with patient-specific symptoms support additional inter-individual variability of hub vulnerability and epicenters in schizophrenia. Our work outlines potential pathways to better understand macroscale structural alterations, and inter- individual variability in schizophrenia.

Machine learning approaches using structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) can be informative for disease classification, although their ability to predict psychosis is largely unknown. We created a model with individuals at CHR who developed psychosis later (CHR-PS+) from healthy controls (HCs) that can differentiate each other. We also evaluated whether we could distinguish CHR-PS+ individuals from those who did not develop psychosis later (CHR-PS-) and those with uncertain follow-up status (CHR-UNK). T1-weighted structural brain MRI scans from 1165 individuals at CHR (CHR-PS+, n = 144; CHR-PS-, n = 793; and CHR-UNK, n = 228), and 1029 HCs, were obtained from 21 sites. We used ComBat to harmonize measures of subcortical volume, cortical thickness and surface area data and corrected for non-linear effects of age and sex using a general additive model. CHR-PS+ (n = 120) and HC (n = 799) data from 20 sites served as a training dataset, which we used to build a classifier. The remaining samples were used external validation datasets to evaluate classifier performance (test, independent confirmatory, and independent group [CHR-PS- and CHR-UNK] datasets). The accuracy of the classifier on the training and independent confirmatory datasets was 85% and 73% respectively. Regional cortical surface area measures-including those from the right superior frontal, right superior temporal, and bilateral insular cortices strongly contributed to classifying CHR-PS+ from HC. CHR-PS- and CHR-UNK individuals were more likely to be classified as HC compared to CHR-PS+ (classification rate to HC: CHR-PS+, 30%; CHR-PS-, 73%; CHR-UNK, 80%). We used multisite sMRI to train a classifier to predict psychosis onset in CHR individuals, and it showed promise predicting CHR-PS+ in an independent sample. The results suggest that when considering adolescent brain development, baseline MRI scans for CHR individuals may be helpful to identify their prognosis. Future prospective studies are required about whether the classifier could be actually helpful in the clinical settings.

In recent years, the relationship between teachers' technology competencies and integration and student-centered learning has come to the forefront. It is a clear reality that teachers with a student-centered education paradigm tend to use technology to support student-centered curriculum and should have some competencies in this regard. In this study, it was aimed to determine the relationships between student-centered education and technology integration competencies of primary school teachers in terms of some variables. The sample of the survey model research consists of 290 teachers working in different primary schools in Kazakhstan. In the study, student-centered education and technology integration competencies of teachers were described and then these variables were compared according to gender and professional seniority variables. "Competency Scale for Student-Centered Education and Teacher Technology Integration Scale" were used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics, independent groups t-test, one-way ANOVA and Regression analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. According to the results obtained, primary school teachers' efficacy levels for student-centered education are at the middle level and their technology integration efficacy levels are below the middle level. Teachers' efficacy levels related to student-centered education showed significant differences according to gender and professional seniority variables. However, primary school teachers' technology integration competencies did not differ according to gender and professional seniority variables. There is a moderate positive relationship between student-centered education and technology integration competencies of primary school teachers. Teachers' student-centered education competencies significantly predict their technology integration competencies.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is associated with an increased risk of aggressive behaviour, which may partly be explained by illness-related changes in brain structure. However, previous studies have been limited by group-level analyses, small and selective samples of inpatients and long time lags between exposure and outcome. METHODS: This cross-sectional study pooled data from 20 sites participating in the international ENIGMA-Schizophrenia Working Group. Sites acquired T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans in a total of 2095 patients with schizophrenia and 2861 healthy controls. Measures of grey matter volume and white matter microstructural integrity were extracted from the scans using harmonised protocols. For each measure, normative modelling was used to calculate how much patients deviated (in z-scores) from healthy controls at the individual level. Ordinal regression models were used to estimate the associations of these deviations with concurrent aggressive behaviour (as odds ratios [ORs] with 99% confidence intervals [CIs]). Mediation analyses were performed for positive symptoms (i.e., delusions, hallucinations and disorganised thinking), impulse control and illness insight. Aggression and potential mediators were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms or Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. RESULTS: Aggressive behaviour was significantly associated with reductions in total cortical volume (OR [99% CI] = 0.88 [0.78, 0.98], p = .003) and global white matter integrity (OR [99% CI] = 0.72 [0.59, 0.88], p = 3.50 × 10-5) and additional reductions in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex volume (OR [99% CI] = 0.85 [0.74, 0.97], p =.002), inferior parietal lobule volume (OR [99% CI] = 0.76 [0.66, 0.87], p = 2.20 × 10-7) and internal capsule integrity (OR [99% CI] = 0.76 [0.63, 0.92], p = 2.90 × 10-4). Except for inferior parietal lobule volume, these associations were largely mediated by increased severity of positive symptoms and reduced impulse control. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that the co-occurrence of positive symptoms, poor impulse control and aggressive behaviour in schizophrenia has a neurobiological basis, which may inform the development of therapeutic interventions.

Banking risk management systems are sets of work methods for responsible bank departments, facilitating a positive financial result under conditions of uncertainty. The object of the study is the credit risk of corporate borrowers of commercial banks in the Russian Federation. The subject of the study is credit risk management based on internal ratings of corporate borrowers. The purpose of the work is to analyze the risk management system of commercial banks and develop an internal credit risk management model for corporate borrowers. Research methods: content analysis, analytical and statistical processing of information; methods for assessing cause-and-effect relationships and expert assessments. The relevance of the presented model is due to the regulatory need for commercial banks to switch to internal ratings to assess the risk of lending. The advantages of the model include optimized costs for establishing factor indicators, as well as the valence of selected explanatory variables.

The paper presents the results of surgical treatment of 14 patients with renal masses undergone partial nephrectomy on the Da Vinci Si and Da Vinci Xi robotic systems using ‘drug & cold’ ischemia. The advantages of the original technique, such as long-term safe renal ischemia, nephron sparing, minimal blood loss with no hemotransfusions and short length of hospital stay were presented.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative pathology of the central nervous system. The well-known abnormalities characteristic of PD are dysfunctions in the nigrostriatal system including the substantia nigra of the midbrain and the striatum. Moreover, in PD persons, alpha-synucleinopathy is associated with abnormalities in the dopaminergic brain system. To study the mechanisms of this pathology, genetic models in mice have been designed. Transgenic mice of the B6.Cg-Tg(Prnp-SNCA*A53T)23Mkle/J strain (referred to as B6.Cg-Tg further in the text) possess the A53T mutation in the human alpha-synuclein SNCA gene. The density of neurons in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, substantia nigra and striatum in B6.Cg-Tg mice was assessed in our previous work, but the dopaminergic system was not studied there, although it plays a key role in the development of PD. The aim of the current study was to investigate motor coordination and body balance, as well as dopaminergic neuronal density and alpha-synuclein accumulation in the substantia nigra in male B6.Cg-Tg mice at the age of six months. Wild-type mice of the same sex and age, siblings of the B6.Cg-Tg mice from the same litters, lacking the SNCA gene with the A53T mutation, but expressing murine alpha-synuclein, were used as controls (referred to as the wild type further in the text). Motor coordination and body balance were assessed with the rota-rod test; the density of dopaminergic neurons and accumulation of alpha-synuclein in the substantia nigra were evaluated by the immunohistochemical method. There was no difference between B6.Cg-Tg mice and WT siblings in motor coordination and body balance. However, accumulation of alpha-synuclein and a decrease in the number of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra were found in the B6.Cg-Tg mouse strain. Thus, the mice of the B6.Cg-Tg strain at the age of six months have some symptoms of the onset of PD, such as the accumulation of mutant alpha-synuclein and a decrease in the number of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Taken together, the results obtained in our work qualify the B6.Cg-Tg strain as a pertinent model for studying the early stage of human PD already at the age of six months.

In the context of global challenges and changing geopolitical situations around the world, Russian organizations are increasingly facing the necessity of active cooperation with countries in the Far East, especially China. The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify how Russian business representatives perceive and manage this process, with special attention to expectations and perceptions of communication effectiveness. The study focused on two key aspects: firstly, the analysis of expectations of Russian representatives, which shape their approaches to negotiations, and secondly, the assessment of their perception of the dynamics and effectiveness of these negotiations. The study sample included 13 Russian employees of Russian companies who had experience in negotiations with Chinese partners. The study used semi-structured qualitative interviews. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. Further coding and analysis of the text were carried out in the Atlas.ti. As a result of the analysis of the interview, the main topics were identified that describe the perception of the negotiation process: expectations regarding the negotiation process, strategies for preparing for negotiations, behavior strategies in negotiations, perception of behavior strategies of partners in interaction, emotions in the negotiation process, perception of a communicative situation (characteristics), perception of oneself in the process of negotiations, the perception of a negotiating partner, the perception of the effectiveness of negotiations. The study showed that successful intercultural business communication requires a combination of professional and culturally oriented approaches. Attention to cultural features and specifics and consideration of their influence on communication contributes to more effective interaction. However, difficulties arise due to the indirect style of communication and differences in the manifestation of emotions, which can make negotiations difficult. In addition, situations that are threatening to the negotiator’s "face" may have an impact on professional and ethnic/ civil identity. As a result of the study, the features of Russian managers’perception of intercultural business communication with Chinese partners were identified, and recommendations were formulated regarding the preparation of Russian managers for international negotiations.

INTRODUCTION. In clinical practice, stress tests are carried out to draw up an individual patient rehabilitation plan, assess tolerance and optimize the load, and evaluate its clinical effectiveness. The Six-minute walk test (6MWT), in the presence of contraindications to the bicycle ergometer test or the impossibility of performing it, is a tool for assessing the response of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems to the load being performed. There is no description in the literature of the relationship between the distance traveled during 6MWT and the peak metabolic equivalent (MET) assessed during the bicycle ergometer test. AIM. Study the relationship between 6MWT indicators and the results of bicycle ergometer test in patients who have suffered a myocardial infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS. During the examination, 56 patients underwent a symptom limited bicycle ergometer test and 6MWT, the peak MET and the distance traveled during 6MWT, as well as changes in the ECG during both tests were assessed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. The average values of maximum heart rate during the bicycle ergometer test and ECG-controlled 6MWT did not differ significantly. The distance in meters during 6MWT and the power of the exercise performed during bicycle ergometer test in MET have a significant relationship, which indicates the comparability of the data from these tests as a criterion of exercise tolerance. CONCLUSION. The use of 6MWT and bicycle ergometer test allows us to assess various aspects of cardiorespiratory function and physical fitness in patients undergoing a cardiac rehabilitation program. Further study of the possibility of using ECG-controlled 6MWT in the early stages of rehabilitation is necessary to create the most effective and safe physical training for patients who have suffered a myocardial infarction.

Introduction/purpose: Studying the dynamics of the mutual influence of supply and demand is relevant in connection with the financial losses that arise due to uncertainty in demand and forecast errors. The work aims to build a mathematical model of the dynamics of this interaction for the market of one product. Methods: The paper proposes a mathematical model of the states of the supply-demand system, within the framework of which the processes occurring in this system are considered from the perspective of the methodology of economic synergetics. The mathematical model of dynamics has the form of a system of two differential equations with quadratic nonlinearity. Results: The use of the proposed model to reproduce various dynamic states of market self-regulation processes made it possible to identify the hierarchy of transition from stable dynamic regimes to unstable ones with the appearance of corresponding bifurcations. The main attention was paid to studying the behavior of the system at the boundaries of the stability region. Conclusion: The existence of a saddle-node bifurcation of limit cycles has been revealed, which suggests the appearance of stable self-oscillations in the case of a "soft" cycle and unstable ones in the case of a "hard" cycle. When studying a bifurcation of codimension two - "double zero" - special dynamic structures were discovered, determined by the properties of global bifurcations. This type of behavior is characterized by self-oscillations with a low frequency, which gives rise to the so-called "ultra-long waves" of the economic state.

The work is aimed at studying the performance of emotion recognition of people of different sex and age, expressed without specified criteria, in association with «emotional families». The materials of an empirical online research obtained with the help of the crowdsourcing service «Yandex. Toloka», in which 3,590 testers took part. The subjects guessed one of 14 emotions from the presented photographs (pride, anger, joy, irritation, fun, disgust, pleasure, sadness, relief, despair, interest, fear, surprise, anxiety). Photographs of five representatives of different age groups were presented: 7-9 years old («junior school student», 44 photos), 13-16 years old («teenager», 46 photos), 18-25 years old («young woman», 90 photos), 35 -50 years old («woman», 44 photos), 60 years and older («older woman», 70 photos). Subsequently, the experimenters compared the responses of the subjects with the criterion of matching the guessed emotion and its «emotional family» (according to P. Ekman). The main result is that the emotions were distributed by the subjects according to their orientation (valency) rather than according to the “family”. It remains debatable what could be the basis of such choices - the features of the stimulus material, or variability in the expression of emotions by models and their recognition by respondents.

Abstract Analysis of serial liquid biopsy (LB) samples has been found to be a promising approach for the monitoring of tumor dynamics in the course of therapy for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Currently, somatic mutations are used for tracing the dynamics of the tumor via LB. However, the analysis of the dynamic changes in the molecular signatures such as microsatellite instability (MSI) is not currently used. We hypothesized that changes in blood MSI burden (bMSI) could be registered using serial LB sampling in the course of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), and that its changes could potentially correlate with treatment outcomes. We report the preliminary findings of the observational trial launched to study (NCT06414304) the dynamics of bMSI in 9 MSI-positive CRC patients receiving ICI. NGS-based MSI testing was performed on both pre-treatment FFPE and serial LB samples. For patients who had detectable bMSI burden in any of the LB samples (n = 8, 89%), median bMSI was 1.4% (range, 0.01-40%). Among patients with detectable MSI in available FFPE samples, median MSI burden was 29.3% (range, 10–40%). bMSI detected in baseline LB and FFPE samples were positively correlated (Pearson’s R 0.47). Maximal variant allele frequencies of driver mutations observed in LB were also positively correlated with bMSI burden (Pearson’s R 0.7). Patients who had clinical benefit had undetectable bMSI burden at follow-up. Our results provide the rationale for further validation of bMSI as a predictive biomarker of ICI in MSI-positive patients.