From media to machines: A machinic perspective on the evolution and crises of Facebook

This article diagrams Facebook as a megamachine, arguing that this diagram helps scholars better understand technological evolution and the production of subjectivity. The article contrasts a medium-based approach to Facebook, which emphasizes how Facebook enables neo-liberal subjectivity, with a machinic approach, which illustrates how Facebook also produces the affected subject. The affected subject often conflicts with the imperatives of the neo-liberal subject, and this tension motors the evolution of Facebook’s algorithm, interface and moderation policies, as illustrated through the examination of changes to Facebook resultant from problems that emerged in the course of its history, including too much information, becoming swamped with sponsored viral content, lack of expressivity in the like button, hate speech and disinformation. Such tensions, part of a more general crisis faced by contemporary capitalism, will shape the future of subjectivity and media evolution alike.

Tendency of mass people to misunderstand (intentionally or not) the agony of the psychiatric patient and tormenting them as a subject of mockery with an emphasize on somatic-symptom disorder

Psychiatric disorders’ or as emphasized in the paper in the form of somatic-symptom disorder, a sub-category of Schizophrenia has been from the ancient of the human civilization, when the medicinal approach and treatment of the subject hasn’t been developed yet, the notion of the affected subject to be under some spiritual subjugation has automatically been implied on the minds of the people which leads to immense torture and torment of the subject by the society. However, in the modern medical scenario, the situation has shifted from spiritual/evilness to the extreme derision where it has been already implied on the healthy societies brain that, the subject is intentionally acting like a patient or it’s a ‘disease of the mind’ with no associated physical pain which being attributed to the tendency of late diagnosis and recovery, makes the subject a sheer block of ‘sarcasm’ among the healthy society where they tries their best to make ‘the fun out of him’ as regards to his continuous pain and suffering. This generally amplified by the delay in the starting of the treatment for the difficulty of the doctors to diagnose the disease, as not so developed instruments are still in their infancy to detect and derelict the mental disorders, where in most of the time, the golden period of diagnosis is either over or even if psychiatric treatment is initiated can lead to a more defocused effects as doctors itself finds it difficult to approach the right medicine to the disordered person, where, in case, they have to go from one doctor to another in the risk of a trial and error effect.

Subject autonomy marking in Macro-Tani and the typology of middle voice

Middle voice constructions are generally understood as syntactically detransitivizing and as semantically characterized by a “low degree of event elaboration” (in Kemmer’s terms) involving a relatively affected subject. Middle voice constructions thus characterized have been identified in several Trans-Himalayan (Sino-Tibetan) languages, in particular by LaPolla. In Macro-Tani languages, we find a seemingly cognate construction with a similar distribution; however, Macro-Tani middle-like constructions are not detransitivizing, and do not mark subject affectedness. Instead, their primary meaning appears to be one of highlighting subject autonomy: a heightened degree of autonomy, volition and/or responsibility over an action on the part of the clause subject. In this article, following an analysis of Macro-Tani subject autonomy marking, we will argue that its similarities to and differences from middle voice marking in other Trans-Himalayan languages is consistent with Zúñiga and Kittilä’s view of middle voice as a “network of meanings,” whose properties derive not from their reflection of a unified underlying cognitive category, but rather from a heterogeneous set of developments from similar diachronic source forms.

Feasibility of Social Media Recruitment for Orofacial Cleft Genetic Research

ObjectiveThis study assessed the feasibility of unpaid social media (SM) advertising to recruit participants affected with an orofacial cleft (OFC) for a genetic study.DesignThis paper is a retrospective analysis of study recruitment based on enrollment and participation in a genetic study. Participants completed a series of enrollment surveys, provided saliva samples for genetic analysis, and completed post-participation feedback surveys.ParticipantsParticipants signed up for the study following SM advertisement. Participants were eligible if: they or a minor in their care were affected by an OFC, the affected participant was not adopted, and the mother of the affected individual had not taken anti-seizure medication during pregnancy. 313 individuals completed initial screening surveys; 306 participants were eligible. 263 individuals completed all online surveys and were sent DNA sample kits. 162 subject DNA samples were returned.Main Outcome MeasuresSuccess of recruitment was evaluated as number of enrolled participants and return rate for DNA samples.Results263 OFC-affected individuals completed the screening process in the first 12 months of recruitment. 162 of 263 affected subject DNA samples were returned within 12 months of sending, for a return rate of 62%. Approximately two-thirds (66.3%) of all returned samples were sent back within the first 6 weeks after receiving DNA kits.ConclusionsUnpaid SM advertising enabled the recruitment of a large cohort of participants in a short time (12 months). SM recruitment was inexpensive and effective for recruiting participants for a genetic study.

The concept of the activities of officials of border authorities in the conduct of an administrative investigation in cases of administrative offenses

. In this article, based on the analysis of the main elements of the activities of officials of border agencies in the conduct of administrative investigation in cases of administrative offenses, its general and specific characteristics are highlighted, which together allowed the author to propose a definition of the investigated type of activity. Not only the current legal regulation in the field of application of the administrative investigation specified in Article 28.7 of the Administrative Code, but also the inconsistency of the emerging scientific-categorical apparatus of the affected subject area are subjected to critical consideration.

The Grammar of Subjectivity

There is a commonly agreed way to articulate the logical form of a conscious state: it a state such that there is something it is like for a subject to be in it. This formula has the important virtue that it enables us to separate out two distinct aspects in the phenomenology of an experience: what is experienced, the ‘quality’ of the experience; and how it is experienced, that it is experienced as being for-a-subject. A careful examination of the syntax of the ‘what it’s like …’ construction reveals that the colloquial phrase ‘subject of experience’ is polysemic. On the one hand it might mean the subject in whom the experience is occurring. Let me call this the ‘locative of manifestation’. This host self, an inhabited self, is more commonly identified with the physical human being, or the human being’s brain or neuropsychological state, but Pessoa gives instead a phenomenological interpretation of the notion. The phrase might also mean the subject affected by the experience. The affected subject is the one to whom the experience is addressed, so I will call this the ‘accusative of manifestation’. The accusative of manifestation is, evidently, conceptually distinct from the locative of manifestation. Finally, the phrase might mean the subject who is undergoing the experience, the one who lives through the experience, the ‘dative of manifestation.’

Reconstructing the PIE causative in a cross-linguistic perspective

This paper examines the function and distribution of *CoC-éye/o- presents (traditionally labelled as causatives/iteratives) in PIE in the light of recent theoretical and typological contributions on causative formations crosslinguistically. In particular, this paper argues that: 1. The oldest function of CoC-éye/o- presents in PIE is to derive causative presents to unaccusative base verbs, as well as to some transitive verbs with an affected subject. The development of the iterative meaning is secondary and einzelsprachlich. 2. In the daughter languages, the category developed in two different directions (following Shibatani & Pardeshi’s causative continuum), depending on its degree of productivity. In Greek and Latin, the category became unproductive and underwent a “causative/non-causative” split, whereby the iterative meaning developed under certain conditions. A parallel development of the causative morpheme in the Mayan language K’iche’ is discussed into detail. 3. In Vedic and Proto-Germanic, the category became more productive and did not develop iterative semantics.

Reconstructing the PIE causative in a cross-linguistic perspective

This paper examines the function and distribution of *CoC-éye/o- presents (traditionally labelled as causatives/iteratives) in PIE in the light of recent theoretical and typological contributions on causative formations crosslinguistically. In particular, this paper argues that: 1. The oldest function of CoC-éye/o- presents in PIE is to derive causative presents to unaccusative base verbs, as well as to some transitive verbs with an affected subject. The development of the iterative meaning is secondary and einzelsprachlich. 2. In the daughter languages, the category developed in two different directions (following Shibatani & Pardeshi’s causative continuum), depending on its degree of productivity. In Greek and Latin, the category became unproductive and underwent a “causative/non-causative” split, whereby the iterative meaning developed under certain conditions. A parallel development of the causative morpheme in the Mayan language K’iche’ is discussed into detail. 3. In Vedic and Proto-Germanic, the category became more productive and did not develop iterative semantics.

Mutation in the MICOS subunit gene APOO (MIC26) associated with an X-linked recessive mitochondrial myopathy, lactic acidosis, cognitive impairment and autistic features

BackgroundMitochondria provide ATP through the process of oxidative phosphorylation, physically located in the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). The mitochondrial contact site and organising system (MICOS) complex is known as the ‘mitoskeleton’ due to its role in maintaining IMM architecture. APOO encodes MIC26, a component of MICOS, whose exact function in its maintenance or assembly has still not been completely elucidated.MethodsWe have studied a family in which the most affected subject presented progressive developmental delay, lactic acidosis, muscle weakness, hypotonia, weight loss, gastrointestinal and body temperature dysautonomia, repetitive infections, cognitive impairment and autistic behaviour. Other family members showed variable phenotype presentation. Whole exome sequencing was used to screen for pathological variants. Patient-derived skin fibroblasts were used to confirm the pathogenicity of the variant found in APOO. Knockout models in Drosophila melanogaster and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were employed to validate MIC26 involvement in MICOS assembly and mitochondrial function.ResultsA likely pathogenic c.350T>C transition was found in APOO predicting an I117T substitution in MIC26. The mutation caused impaired processing of the protein during import and faulty insertion into the IMM. This was associated with altered MICOS assembly and cristae junction disruption. The corresponding mutation in MIC26 or complete loss was associated with mitochondrial structural and functional deficiencies in yeast and D. melanogaster models.ConclusionThis is the first case of pathogenic mutation in APOO, causing altered MICOS assembly and neuromuscular impairment. MIC26 is involved in the assembly or stability of MICOS in humans, yeast and flies.