• Investigating the rhythmic abilities of people who stutter and to identify which processes potentially are impaired:

1. beat perception and reproduction
2. the execution of movements, in particular their initiation
3. or, sensorimotor integration

• People who stutter (PWS) were able to reproduce an isochronous pattern (aka occuring at the same time) on their own, without external auditory stimuli, with similar accuracy as the people who do not stutter (PNS), but with increased variability
• This group difference in variability was observed immediately after passive listening, without prior motor engagement, and was not enhanced or reduced after several seconds of tapping
• However, PWS showed increased tapping variability in the reproduction and synchronization tasks, this timing variability did not correlate significantly with the variability in reaction times or tapping force
• PWS exhibited larger negative mean asynchronies, and increased synchronization variability in synchronization tasks
• These group differences were not affected by beat hierarchy (i.e., “strong” vs. “weak” beats), pattern complexity (non-isochronous vs. isochronous) or presence versus absence of external auditory stimulus (1:1 vs. 1:4 isochronous pattern)
• Differences between PWS and PNS were not enhanced or reduced with sensorimotor learning, over the first taps of a synchronization task
• We hypothesize a deficit in neuronal oscillators coupling in production, but not in perception, of rhythmic patterns, and a larger delay in multi-modal feedback processing for PWS

• In paced tapping tasks, i.e., when tapping in synchrony with an external metronome or musical excerpt, previous studies reported a greater tapping variability in PWS. In addition, when tapping along with a metronome marking a simple isochronous sequence, PWS tend to tap more ahead of the beat, i.e., they show a greater “Negative Mean Asynchrony” (NMA)
• Differences in movement behavior originate from deficits at more than one level e.g., paced tapping involves:
• (1) the skill to perceive a periodic beat
• (2) the capacity to initiate and execute movements to reproduce that beat
• (3) and the ability to monitor and update movement timing on-line, using sensory feedback

• What exactly is the reason for difficulties at the motor execution stage? For example:
• (1) muscle functioning can be impaired
• (2) inaccurate, unstable, or insufficiently activated internal representations
• Stuttering frequency is influenced by task complexity or speed
• In the current study, we investigated: To what extent is the increased timing variability and decreased timing accuracy of PWS related to difficulties in motor planning and execution?

• “Beat” perception refers to the internal representation of periodicity when listening, seeing, or feeling a regular sequence of stimuli
• “Oscillators Coupling Hypothesis” suggests that beat perception involves the in phase tuning of endogenous neuronal oscillations in the brain, with external physical periodic or oscillatory phenomena. The observation that steady state-evoked potentials appear in the delta frequency range [0.5–4 Hz] in subjects who were passively listening to a rhythmic sequence at 2.4Hz, provides support for this hypothesis
• “Active Sensing” hypothesis: it extends the Oscillators Coupling Hypothesis by incorporating the role of the motor cortex. It proposes that the tuning of neuronal oscillations in the auditory cortex (which happens in the delta frequency range) is influenced by similar oscillations in the motor cortex. When perceiving beats in the delta frequency range (0.5–4 Hz), there is a coordinated tuning of oscillations between the auditory and motor cortices. This suggests an interaction between sensory perception (hearing the beats) and motor processing (possibly related to movement or rhythm)

• It is uncertain to what extent the motor system influences or is intrinsically involved in timing processes
• Previous studies found some brain activity in motor regions during passive listening to a rhythmic pattern, without any movement, supporting the idea that beat perception intrinsically involves the motor system
• The coupling of neuronal oscillations to an external beat frequency, observed in passive listening to rhythm, is enhanced when gestures, like finger tapping, are simultaneously produced
• These observations support the idea that people build an internal representation of the beat by detecting the periodicity in sensory inputs without actual movement, but that this internal representation is nevertheless consolidated with engaging the motor system

• This study found no significant differences between people who stutter (PWS) and people who do not stutter (PNS) in terms of average finger reaction time and its variability
• No correlation was found between reaction times and the severity of stuttering or synchronization accuracy
• Suggesting that movement initiation difficulties are not a contributing factor to stuttering in externally triggered movements
• The study concluded that timing differences observed between PWS and PNS were not due to difficulties in initiating movements

• The study found no correlation between timing and force variability, suggesting that the observed differences were not due to inaccurate internal models or neural noise

• PWS demonstrated the ability to tap an isochronous sequence without external auditory reference and predict regular events, showing no significant acceleration or deceleration. They maintained acceptable levels of periodicity error and tapping variability, indicating accurate beat perception and transfer to motor actions
• Suggesting no strong deficit in tuning neuronal oscillations with the external beat in PWS
• PWS showed no significant difference in periodicity error during beat reproduction tasks but exhibited greater tapping variability. This indicates that PWS can perceive the beat accurately but have difficulty reproducing it consistently
• The study proposes that timing differences are not due to impaired motor execution but might be explained by the Oscillators Coupling Hypothesis
• PWS showed no difference in marking beat hierarchy compared to PNS. Both groups tapped stronger beats with greater force, indicating that beat hierarchy perception was intact

• Current research findings exclude the idea that NMA is a compensation for motor delays or an underestimation of intervals
• PLV also varied with external auditory stimuli and task complexity, indicating that tapping variability in synchronization tasks involves additional sensorimotor variability. However, this was not significantly different between PWS and PNS, suggesting no deficit at this stage
• Improvement in synchronization consistency was observed for both groups over time, but not in accuracy. This excludes a sensorimotor learning deficit in PWS for consolidating internal beat representations

• address the impairment in rhythmic abilities regarding beat perception and reproduction, the execution of movements, in particular their initiation, and sensorimotor integration
• address the increased variability when reproducing an isochronous pattern without external auditory stimuli
• address the prior motor engagement
• address the larger negative mean asynchronies (NMA), and increased synchronization variability (NMA refers to: a common phenomenon observed in synchronization tapping tasks is the tendency, even in typical individuals, to anticipate the beat, i.e., demonstrating a Negative Mean Asynchrony) (NMA depends on feedback modalities and is reduced when direct auditory feedback is available compared to information provided by only tactile-kinesthetic feedback. NMA reflects a slower processing and integration of tactile feedback than auditory or visual feedback)
• address the deficit in neuronal oscillators coupling in production (but not in perception) of rhythmic patterns, and address the larger delay in multi-modal feedback processing
• address the significant differences in movement duration, movement timing and reaching accuracy in upper limb and non-speech orofacial movements
• address the larger variability and disrupted timing across and within moving components, such as limbs and articulators (which is suggesting a timing deficit)
• address the dysfunctional dopamine receptors and address the disrupted basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical network (which is affecting both motor control and time processing)
• address the motor delays and variability at the speech motor execution stage
• address the longer voice reaction times
• address the longer movement durations, peak velocity latencies, and lower peak velocities for finger flexion
• address the longer durations between the peak EMG of lip muscles and the speech onset
• learn to rely more on the feedforward and automatized mode of motor control, rather than mainly relying on sensory feedback (leading to inducing additional processing delays and eventually leading to unstable movement behavior of different effectors, especially at fast rate) (For example: Using sensory feedback for on-line monitoring and correcting timing errors. Resulting in delays in the pathway linking motor commands and their sensory consequences that need to be compensated)
• address the peak in beta oscillations in the basal ganglia after the stimulus occurred (which is interpreted as an increased attention and prediction of an event after the stimulus occured)
• address the potential deficit in recovering an underlying beat (which results in increased difficulties to add and remove events (or musical notes) within a periodic pattern. In contrast, if you struggle with the underlying beat, these tasks become harder because you lack the regular reference points, and therefore it becomes more difficult to perceive and reproduce complex rhythms, as well as meter. For example: a triple meter is a waltz (1-2-3, 1-2-3), with one strong beat followed by two weaker ones)
• address the movement initiation difficulties (contributing to stuttering in internally triggered movements)
• address the impairment of (1) the medial premotor circuit (associated with self-triggered actions (in contrast, the lateral premotor circuit - associated with externally triggered actions - is intact in stutterers). Understand that research found no significant timing differences in periodicity error in tasks mediated by the medial premotor circuit, rather they found significant differences in negative mean asynchrony - suggesting overreliance on the lateral premotor circuit involving on external triggers
• address the greater variability in movement amplitude and timing
• address the increased timing variability during simple synchronization tasks
• address the greater tapping variability (PWS can perceive the beat accurately but have difficulty reproducing it consistently)
• address the deficit in coupling neuronal oscillators driving the motor system (that leads to increased variability in beat reproduction)
• address the increased errors in reproducing complex non-isochronous patterns (rather than beat hierarchy perception as this was shown to be intact)
• address the reduced accuracy and consistency in synchronization tasks - with greater negative mean asynchrony (NMA) and lower phase locking values (PLV)
• address the variations in phase angles depended on beat strength, external auditory stimuli, and task complexity
• Ask yourself: What compensations do I implement for motor delays or an underestimation of intervals?
• address the slower processing of tactile and proprioceptive information (leading to increased integration delays between auditory and kinesthetic feedback - which explains why PWS perform taps in advance of the beat to synchronize sensory inputs accurately)
• address the NMA compensatory strategy for slower tactile feedback accumulation

• Your primary Solar Panel array (bottom left in the picture) charge your primary grid Batteries and power the Transformers for LV1. During the day, everything runs as normal.
• The fuel switch in the top left of the picture fills with fuel.
• At night, Solar stops producing so your Batteries start draining. Once they're depleted and LV1 has no power, the fuel switch is activated.
• LV1 running out of energy disables the input Load to the Logistics Container. This backs up the second Balancer which then starts feeding fuel to the Boilers. Because LV2 is powered by its own separate Solar + Battery grid, the Loaders for the Boilers are always powered, and the Boilers start running as soon as the fuel reaches them.
• The Boilers run, the Turbines start, and power is restored to your grid.
• Because power was restored to LV1, the input Loader in the fuel switch starts working again, which cuts off fuel to the Boilers. The remaining fuel in the Boilers is burned, charging the batteries and running your production. Once the fuel in the Boilers is burned, the Batteries start depleting. After they deplete, the fuel switch is activated again and the process repeats.

• Because the Turbines are also recharging the Batteries, they will run at 100% until either the Batteries are charged or their fuel is depleted. This means it's not a perfect system of only running the Turbines when the Solar Panels are offline and Batteries are depleted - more fuel than strictly required will be burned ie the Turbines starting an "on" cycle just as the sun is coming up.
  
• Power goes out during the transition period. This should only be a few seconds in a well-designed system, set by the distance between the fuel switch and the boilers, but it's still a factor.
  

1. Loser has to buy a meal of some sort to the winner
2. Winner gets to change the name of loser's team (and/or discord name) for X weeks
3. Loser has to write a daily complimentary speech of at least 250 characters to the winner praising his/her greatness
4. Loser buys a subscription loot box of some kind for the winner.

If you folks have any cool ideas for what a wager outcome could be, or for what the wager could be placed specifically on (the whole scoring period, a specific NHL game, or specific NHL players), then I want to hear them!

• Number 1: Even though it’s incredibly hard to do in the beginning, if you feel a pain so heavy you can’t function, you’re human. You were in love, and that part of you in pain is the care and hope you wanted to provide to your partner. Honor yourself for feeling your connection—honor yourself for the level of love you were willing to give. Keep it simple. Not everyone can love so strongly, yet here you are.
• Number 2: Reassess what you did. Ask yourself what you were proud of in that relationship and what you weren’t. Really be thorough. I learned that I was very anxious and had anxiety attacks a lot. Maybe you made a mistake, and it’s hard to forget, but remember the things hardest to forget are the strongest lessons learned. Your goal here is not to feel better. I know it’s crazy, but how can I expect you to feel better, especially if the breakup just happened or if it’s still on your mind every day? Instead, view it as learning who you are, changing who you are, taking responsibility for your shortcomings, and appreciating yourself for the things you did very well. Experience comes from taking responsibility for the things you aren’t willing to admit, but also the things you are proud of.
• Number 3: LOVE DOESN’T GO AWAY. Despite what happened, I love her. I had a connection to her, to always do my best for her. Think of love as clay. The love you feel is sculpted to resemble your partner, but as time goes on with no maintenance to the clay, the sculpture fades. Its sharp edges become smooth bevels, its most standout features erode over time, ultimately becoming something else, a blob if you will. But that clay doesn’t leave; it just lacks direction at this point. So, what if the clay started to resemble you? What if you took time after you’ve gone through what you did wrong and actually walked away improving yourself? I know hearing “work on yourself” is common advice, but no one tells you why. Imagine yourself learning how to cope with your insecurities, giving yourself the love and care you gave to your partner. You know you wouldn’t have given up on them, so why give up on yourself? Imagine yourself conquering your trials, much happier. What can negativity do to you if you’re proud of your trials? Seriously, ask yourself that question: what can bad moments do to a version of you that can’t be defeated by tough moments? All in all, that same blob of clay that was sculpted and molded to envision your love for your partner is now molded into strength for yourself. Love went from them and became love for you.
• Number 4: Listen. Simple, just listen. Listen to those who are always supporting you. I’m sure they know of your circumstance, but in their efforts to help you, take a moment to be a third person. More often than not, the support they give reflects the type of person they think you are. If they tell you to keep pushing and keep going, they know you are someone who can take hits and keep fighting. If they tell you “I know it hurts,” it’s because they trust you to be stronger. Support comes from connection, and connection comes from knowing. If you’re the type of person, like me, who struggles to understand yourself, just listen to those who are supporting you, for in their words to help, you may just see your true reflection.
• Number 5: PROTOTYPE. This is an interesting phase. With everything you’ve learned, what types of things would you like to do differently? What about your personality have you learned? Experiment with your mind, prototype your new personality, introduce new morals, and if they don’t fit, introduce new morals, new ideas, new hobbies! When you have a stronger sense of self, you know what experiments in your mind will lead to better results.
• Number 6: Execute. After all you’ve learned, after all you’ve observed, take command of your life, take your life BACK! Execute your plan to get better, and once you start doing things out of love for yourself, if you just give yourself even just six months of doing things that let you feel better and more accomplished, I promise you will see change. So, if a basic six months can make you feel better, imagine a whole year. Execute your plan.
• Number 7: The most important of all: PATIENCE. This is all going to take time. The ultimate advice I can give you, the only cure to a broken heart, is the one you make for yourself by refusing to be stuck where you are and delving into your life. There is not a one-day cure or a cool mental trick. Take your time, slow down, and remember this is going to make you better.

• They are worried that they will be unjustly reported, despite having done nothing wrong (this is based on many cases where professionals misunderstand mandatory reporting laws and report someone to the police just for disclosing their attraction)
• They do not want to be judged by the provider (many therapists, social workers, etc. have intensely negative reactions to clients disclosing their attractions and draw inaccurate conclusions about them based on that disclosure)
• They do not believe their own goals will be met (providers often make CSA prevention the main focus, even when this is not the client’s stated goal. This treats clients as if they are “ticking time bombs” and is not person-centered)
• They do not want to be subjected to attempts to “cure” them of their attractions, or to convert them into teleiophiles, which is shown to be ineffective and harmful

1. It emphasizes attraction over action. The word ‘pedophile’ has become so conflated with ‘offender’ in every sector of our society, that most people assume a behavioral component when they hear the word. ‘Minor attracted person’, on the other hand, emphasizes that we are talking about those with an attraction, which includes both those who do and those who do not act on it.

1. ‘MAP’ is also a more accurate, all-encompassing way to refer to the community as a whole. This includes people with infantophilia, pedophilia, and (ep)hebephilia. It would not make sense, for example, to call someone who is primarily attracted to 15-18 year olds a pedophile.

• Many studies do not account for hebephilia (primary attraction to pubescent children)
• There is usually a focus on men, despite the fact that many MAPs are women
• Some people choose not to disclose their attractions in the first place

• Increased incidence of mental health issues (such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation)
• More difficulty in refraining from offending (for some MAPs; others are not at risk to begin with)

• https://www.b4uact.org/
• https://asapinternational.org/index.php/introduction/about_asapinternational
• https://www.stopitnow.org/
• https://safersociety.org/store/live-online-training-providing-treatment-to-minor-attracted-people/
• https://theglobalpreventionproject.org/maps

• https://virped.org/
• https://www.mapresources.info/
• https://mapsupport.club/

1. Beliefs ≠ Actions — An individual has the right to make any sort of conclusions towards anything, since we're all equal, no one can claim moral superiority or enlightenment. With that said, actions that can result from racist beliefs are NOT unethical BECAUSE of racism but INDEPENDENTLY from it. EX: Murder (It's not racism that makes murder unethical), insults (it's not racism that makes offensive speech unethical), discrimination (It's not racism that makes treating another as inferior that makes that act itself unethical).
   
2. The notion of racism necessarily implies the existence of race — When anti-racist people speak out against racism, they do so refuting the core notion that "there are no superior races", this will lead to no results since it leads to it being a matter of difference of information and experience (Racists have, in their heads, good and tangible reasons to be racists that can be pointed out). HOWEVER, the rebuttal of this core notion has a VALIDATING effect for racists because it makes their main assumption that race exists LEGITIMATE. Since it's not that assumption that is being tackled the racist will comfortably believe that if the anti-racist had been through similar experiences they'd understand why a certain race is inferior. Meanwhile, if the concept of race was refuted as a whole, there'd be no space for those conclusions. One thing to be considered is that the existence of the race DOES necessarily imply superior and inferior (EX: if there are races, then there are groups that are genetically different, which means that they will necessarily have different IQs, one higher, one lower), at most it can be argued that this superiority and inferiority is context-dependant, but this does not matter for the racist who WILL use the info in those exact contexts.
   
3. Anti-racism oftentimes further propagates racism — A quick example is enough. When new movies, or other forms of media, come out featuring black individuals in prominent roles, many ardent anti-racists start dissecting the traits and plot points attributed to these black characters, to make sure there is no racism. This has a dehumanizing effect since it necessarily implies that are certain actions/behaviors/plot points that can ONLY happen to blacks if a racist screenwriter decides so. With anti-racism, the focus is constantly on race, taking the individual out of the equation and judging him solely through a racial viewpoint. I was watching a video by Metatron where he reacts to a video by an historian analysing a scene from the movie 300, the historian states that it is ableist for a deformed character to be represented as deceitful and a traitor. This is not about race but is a similar enough theme. What happens here is that the experience of the deformed character is completely dismissed (they have reasons to be deceitful) and its free-will completely ignored because the focus is on its appearance and body by the very people who criticise it. It's also implying that deformed people cannot be traitors. Why wouldn't they? If we're all the same?
   
4. It has an ostracising effect — Very often people forget that racists have REASONS to be racist. If they have had a disproportionate amount of bad experiences with people of a certain race, it's NATURAL to adapt to this experience with misguided conclusions. The same way that, on a larger scale, women can develop a generalised fear of men due to sexual harassment. When morality is brought to the topic, it further separates and alienates racists by DISMISSING THEIR EXPERIENCE. This is wrong because it's demanding that people be more rational than they are capable of on their own and invalidating their fears and natural adaptations, and all of this because people either seek the moral highground, want to virtue signal, or are lazy in actually tackling racist issues. No conflict will EVER be solved by further alienating someone by attributing to them immoral qualities. No one is born immoral, everyone is malleable. But treating them as monsters most certainly ensures they'll remain monsters. It is extremely counter-productive to alienate racists, as if one could solve problems of discrimination by preaching to those that are already converted. Needless to say, any actions need to be punished or rewarded accordingly, regardless of the person behind them.
   
5. It doesn't tackle the core issues — It happens INSANELY often that people reject actual facts about reality in order to avoid racism and bigotry. Using as an example the 13/50 statistic. This statistic IS real. People immediately want to hide or quickly "disprove" it away because of its danger, but again, this is counter-productive and lazy. If a racist sees this statistical fact, and sees that anti-racists delusionally reject it, his view WILL BE LEGITIMISED. Applying a moral layer to a matter of INFORMATION is a terrible, terrible idea. No one is immoral for trying to understand a statistic, but if they are treated as such, they will be such.
   

1. The experience of racists should be openly validated, tackled and EXPLAINED. Carefully demonstrating what the 13/50 means for racists has, potentially, very positive effects. Not only could such an explanation, if done effectively, be enough to stop it from being used for racists conclusions, it could have the complete opposite effect and make racists more aware of the experience of blacks from the perspective of economical and societal issues (of which human GREED is the main source). This should be done WITHOUT any morality involved. It takes work, strength, courage, knowledge and reasoning, so of course it is harder than merely preaching, but it is the only thing that can work. It requires open-minded, detached and precise counter-arguments for the exact things racists say, instead of generalised moralistic statements or attempts and censoring.
2. There should be a wider spread of GENUINE black role models and positive actions, as well as history. This has, in my opinion, never be started and has had a counter-productive effect since what media has done is take away stories from caucasians, for example, and trade those with blacks, as well as constantly trying to force formulaic and generic examples of black strength that have no effect because they aren't true (EX: Wakanda). Whites have little access to true and inspiring stories from other cultures. A movie like "the boy who harnessed the wind", for example, which tells a real and authentic story about an african family, has 10000x more power than the modern "ACCEPT THAT OTHER RACES ARE GOOD AND YOU'RE A DEMONIC WHITE" media.
3. Make an actual effort to finally NOT SEE COLOR, which used to be the main goal. Even if others do see color, if you try to tackle it from their perspective, you won't win. Offer a different perspective, an alternative worldview, and don't challenge theirs. No one is special.

TLDR

• CS graduate.
• Never worked in tech.
• But building web apps 7+ years as hobby and freelancer.
• Want to kick off my web dev career.
• What do I put on my resume?

Portfolio

• not really relevant to the role I want (mostly WordPress, landing pages)
• something not so easily demonstratable
• under NDA and cannot disclose

Qualifications

• I hold a BSc Hons in Computer Science (graduated in 2011)

GitHub

• haven't contributed to open-source projects
• have 6+ years of commits (mostly Laravel) - more than happy to open-source a couple of big projects

Technologies

GameStop (GME) Deep Dive (DD)

Potential Failure of the LULD Mechanism and Its Impact on a MOASS

How the LULD Mechanism Can Fail

1. Extreme Market Volatility:
   
   • Rapid Successive Halts: During periods of extreme volatility, the price of a stock like GME can hit the upper limit repeatedly, causing successive trading halts. This can exacerbate panic and volatility rather than calming the market.
   • Example: If GME’s price rapidly moves from $100 to $150 within a short period, hitting multiple LULD halts, it can create a feedback loop of volatility.
2. Algorithmic Trading and High-Frequency Trading (HFT):
   
   • Algorithmic Pressure: High-frequency trading algorithms can push prices rapidly, triggering the LULD bands frequently. If these algorithms continue to trade aggressively, they can cause more volatility.
   • Market Manipulation: There’s a theoretical risk that traders could manipulate prices by coordinating trades to trigger LULD bands, although such actions are illegal.
3. Technical Glitches:
   
   • System Failures: Technical issues or outages can disrupt the LULD mechanism. If trading systems fail during high volatility, it could lead to unmanaged price spikes.
4. Market Fragmentation:
   
   • Inconsistent Application: With trading occurring across multiple venues, discrepancies in how LULD bands are applied can lead to inconsistent trading halts and market confusion.

Impact on MOASS

1. Short Covering and Buy Pressure:
   
   • Short Interest: If GME has a high short interest (e.g., 64.37 million shares shorted), a rapid price increase can trigger margin calls for short sellers. They will be forced to buy back shares to cover their positions, adding to the buying pressure.
   • Example Calculation:
     • Initial Price: $20
     • Short Interest: 64.37 million shares
     • Price Increase: If the price increases to $100, short sellers might need to cover, buying back 64.37 million shares.
2. Buying Pressure Dynamics:
   
   • Mathematics of Covering:
     • If short sellers need to cover 64.37 million shares and the average daily trading volume is 10 million shares, it would take 6.437 trading days to cover without additional buying pressure.
     • However, in a MOASS scenario, buying pressure can skyrocket, reducing the time frame significantly.
3. Example Scenario:
   
   • Price Movement and Halts:
     • Day 1: Price moves from $20 to $50, triggering multiple LULD halts.
     • Day 2: Price moves from $50 to $100 due to continued buying pressure and short covering.
     • Mathematical Implication:
     • Short sellers covering 64.37 million shares at an average price of $75 would need $4.828 billion.
     • If the price moves to $200 due to continued pressure, the required funds double to $12.874 billion for covering the same short interest.

Potential for Exponential Price Increase

• Feedback Loop: As the price increases, more short sellers are forced to cover, leading to further price increases. This feedback loop can cause exponential growth in the stock price.
• Limitations of LULD: If the LULD mechanism fails to contain the volatility, the price can move rapidly, triggering more short covering and buy pressure.

Conclusion

Sources:

• FINRA
• Nasdaq Trader
• SEC.gov
• CNBC

Key Factors Influencing GME's Stock Price

1. Fundamental Analysis
   • Earnings Reports: GME's quarterly earnings can significantly impact the stock price. The next earnings report on June 5, 2024, is crucial. Strong financial performance or strategic announcements can boost investor confidence.
   • Revenue and Profitability: GME has reported $5.27 billion in revenue over the past 12 months with a net income of $6.70 million. Monitoring these indicators is essential for long-term valuation.
   • Debt Levels: ### Debt-to-Equity Ratio Calculation

• Short-term debt: $11 million
• Long-term debt: $23.6 million
• Total Debt: $34.6 million
• Total Equity: $1,267.2 million

Summary

• Total Debt: $34.6 million
• Total Equity: $1,267.2 million
• Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 0.027

Explanation

Current Creditors

1. Technical Analysis
   • Support and Resistance Levels: Key support levels are around $20, while resistance levels are between $50 and $60. Breaking through these levels can indicate potential price movements.
   • Volume: High trading volumes can signal strong investor interest. Monitor volume spikes for potential price actions.
   • Patterns: Watch for technical patterns like the descending triangle, which is typically bearish. However, a breakout above resistance could indicate a bullish reversal.

Adjusted Float and Short Interest

Potential Use of Warrants and Preferred Stock

Impact of 45 Million New Shares

Response to the Theory on GME's Recent S-3 Filing:

What’s Happening:

1. S-3 Filing History:
   • GameStop filed a Form S-3 to potentially issue up to 1 billion shares, with 300 million currently outstanding. This is similar to a move they made in December 2020 before the January 2021 short squeeze. The S-3 allows GameStop to register securities quickly and respond swiftly to market conditions.
   • Source: www.investing.com

Why This Matters:

1. Two Possible Outcomes for Shorts:
   • Accept the Offer: Shorts could buy the offered shares, admitting their positions and potentially converting to longs.
   • Decline the Offer: If shorts don’t accept, it exposes the extent of their naked short positions, revealing potential fraud.

Strategic Implications:

1. Regulator Signal:
   • This filing signals to the SEC that GameStop is willing to resolve the situation constructively, placing the onus on shorts to reveal their positions. This strategic move puts pressure on shorts and highlights the transparency and compliance of GameStop’s management.

Relevant Data and Comparisons:

1. Historical Context and Data:
   
   • December 2020 Example: Before the January 2021 short squeeze, GameStop made a similar filing. The shorts didn’t cover, leading to a massive price surge. For instance, the stock price skyrocketed from around $20 to an intraday high of $483 on January 28, 2021.
   • Current Short Interest: As of May 2024, GME’s short interest remains high, with 64,373,343 shares short, representing 20.55% of the float. This high short interest indicates a significant potential for another short squeeze if the shorts are forced to cover.
   • Sources: www.tradingview.com, www.investing.com
2. Market Reactions and Patterns:
   
   • Volume and Price Data: Recent high trading volumes and price surges, such as GME’s rise to $80 in pre-market trading, suggest strong market reactions to strategic filings and movements. This pattern mirrors past events and indicates potential future volatility.
   • Source: www.tradingview.com

Comparisons to Other Companies:

1. Tesla (TSLA):
   
   • Similar Scenario: Tesla faced significant short interest and skepticism but managed to drive its stock price up through strong financial performance and strategic moves. Retail investor support played a crucial role, forcing shorts to cover and leading to a massive short squeeze. For instance, Tesla's stock price increased from around $50 in 2019 to over $800 in 2021.
   • Result: Tesla's market cap increased substantially, showcasing the power of strategic corporate actions combined with retail investor momentum.
2. Volkswagen (VW) 2008:
   
   • Historical Short Squeeze: Volkswagen became the world’s most valuable company briefly in 2008 during a short squeeze when Porsche revealed it had a majority stake in VW. This forced short sellers to cover their positions at significantly higher prices, causing the stock price to soar from around €210 to over €1,000 within a few days.
   • Impact: The stock price soared, illustrating the potential power of strategic moves and market reactions, similar to what could happen with GameStop if shorts are forced to cover.

Conclusion:

1. Dilution Effect:
   
   • Outstanding Shares Increase: The total outstanding shares would increase from 306.19 million to 351.19 million if all 45 million shares are issued.
   • Adjusted Float Calculation: ``` 351.19 million (New Outstanding Shares)
     • 75.5 million (DRS)
     • 87.17 million (Institutional Holdings)
     • (61.46 million + 36.847 million) (Insider Holdings including Cohen's) = 90.213 million ```
2. Revised Short Interest Percentage: (64.37 million / 90.213 million) * 100 ≈ 71.37%
   

Upcoming Key Dates

• May 24, 2024: FINRA CAT Reporting - Ensuring all material inconsistencies are resolved.
• May 31, 2024: FINRA CAT Full CAIS Compliance Go-Live - Enhancing market transparency.
• June 5, 2024: GME Q1 2024 Earnings Report - Potential for strategic announcements.
• June 21, 2024: LEAPS expiration date - Options with significant open interest can create volatility as market makers hedge their positions.
• September 5, 2024: GME Q2 2024 Earnings Report.
• December 5, 2024: GME Q3 2024 Earnings Report.
• January 2, 2025: SEC Rule Implementation - Increased transparency in short selling.

Recent Technical Analysis Insights

Projected Movements

LEAPS and Other MOASS Theories

New Data: Ryan Cohen's Insider Transactions

Conclusion

Verified Sources

• Fintel: fintel.io
• MarketBeat: marketbeat.com
• Stock Analysis: stockanalysis.com
• FINRA: finra.org
• SEC: sec.gov

Theoretical MOASS (Mother of All Short Squeezes) and Potential Prices for GME

Key Factors

1. Short Interest and Float: The higher the short interest relative to the float, the more pressure on short sellers to cover their positions, potentially driving the price up.
2. Buy-In Pressure: Retail investors holding and buying more shares can create scarcity, driving the price higher as shorts scramble to cover.
3. Market Dynamics and Liquidity: As the price rises, liquidity becomes a significant factor. Higher prices may lead to increased volatility and rapid price swings.

Short Interest and Float Calculation

Theoretical MOASS Price Calculation

Scenario 1: Moderate Short Covering

• Assumption: Shorts begin covering at higher prices but still face resistance from retail holders.
• Estimated Price Range: $200 to $1,000 per share

Scenario 2: High Short Covering Pressure

• Assumption: Increased buying pressure as shorts are forced to cover more aggressively.
• Estimated Price Range: $1,000 to $5,000 per share

Scenario 3: Extreme MOASS Scenario

• Assumption: Significant short covering with extremely limited float due to strong retail holding.
• Estimated Price Range: $5,000 to $50,000+ per share

Important Considerations

1. Regulatory Impact: Changes in regulations, such as those from the SEC or FINRA, could impact the dynamics of short selling and buying pressure.
2. Market Sentiment: Market sentiment and external factors like news, earnings reports, and strategic announcements can significantly impact the stock price.
3. Psychological Factors: The psychological impact on both retail investors and institutional players can lead to irrational price movements, either upwards or downwards.

Conclusion

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   • Get free practice test questions for CompTIA certification exams
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   • Join online communities (e.g., CompTIA_) to connect with others studying for the exam
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   • Channels like Professor Messer and CompTIA offer video study materials

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4. Join Online Communities
   • Connect with others studying for the exam to stay motivated and get help when needed

1. CompTIA Certification Website
2. CompTIA Study Guides
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Preparation

General PEARLs

• Pre-surgical rehab is an essential part of recovery and can improve immediate outcome so if it is a resource available to you- use it!
• Learn the basics of your procedure such as reconstruction technique, graft type, surgeons recovery timeline, where you will do your rehab, and what you should expect going into and coming out of surgery. Knowledge is power and can give a sense of control and set reasonable expectations in a situation that is otherwise out of your control.
• Seek out positive experiences and recovery stories from other people who have had your procedure and gather as much advice as possible from resources such as ACL. Know that some people will have negative experiences, everyone is an individual, and that much of your long term recovery is in your control.
• Expect and learn to advocate for yourself or the person you are taking care of. Be vocal and honest with any needs you may have and understand that issues may come up in the immediate post-operative time that you as a patient or caregiver may have to contact your surgeon to resolve. Familiarize yourself with who to call and when *before* you leave after surgery, as well as being quick to call with any questions or problems that arise. It is better to be told that what you are experiencing is normal than to sit with the anxiety of the unknown.
• Create a folder with all relevant information: Surgeons name, procedure information, follow-up appointment dates and times, phone numbers, emergency contacts, facility of choice in an emergency situation, and any other important information. Maintain this folder throughout your recovery and add paperwork as it comes.

Days Leading Up To Surgery

• Contact support people and confirm any arrangements that have been made including but not limited to: Who is taking you to/from surgery, child or pet care, transportation to first PT appointments, meals, etc.
• Recommended Items we found essential:
  • Ice Machine (Polarcube, etc) if at all possible
    • Recommend checking facebook marketplace or other second hand options, as they cost hundreds new but can be found for $40 or so used.
    • Studies have shown these do actually reduce pain and lend to earlier mobilisation and our experience has shown this to be essential not just immediately post-op but in the weeks and months afterwards so if you *can* obtain one you absolutely should.
  • Large sweatshirt and oversized shorts for surgery day, especially if you wear a bra, as putting clothes on after surgery can be a struggle and it’s easiest to just throw on a sweatshirt and shorts that fit over your post-op bandages and brace.
    • In particular, we found a blanket hoodie to be very useful both for going home and the first few days as it could stay on when moving around/when napping.
  • Neck Pillow
    • Helps with reading or other activities during long hours spent in bed or on the couch and really helped in the first two days to prevent neck strain and provide head positioning during napping.
  • Large pillows for body positioning and elevation of the leg
    • We found cheap, giant, dog beds from places like TJ Max or Marshalls to be more affordable than specialty products
    • A large, thin, dog bed (or blanket) rolled into a tube and secured with stretch bandage or tape around the surgical leg and brace helped significantly with comfort during sleep so that the leg was padded, comfortable, and the other leg didn’t get roughed up from the brace.
  • A shower chair
    • Can be found used at second hand stores like Goodwill, or cheap online
    • Easy substitute is a chair covered in a trash bag
    • Allowed showering the second day post-op which was a huge mental boost and relieved physical discomfort and achy muscles
  • Extra large leg cast cover
    • Can be found cheap online
    • Placed around outside of brace covering the entire leg initially, we then found it easier to place on the leg and place the brace outside of the cover for the remaining healing period for the incisions: We did this after the first PT appointment when it was safe to take off the brace for short periods while laying down. We acquired a second post op brace from a friend (you can find on eBay for cheap) and it was amazing to have, as we could let it dry after showering and immediately put her post op brace back on.
  • Foldable stool
    • Great for elevating the leg during transfers, while on the toilet, etc.
  • Lap Desk
    • Great for eating on the couch or in bed, but we also found it useful as a side table for holding drinks/meds/remotes/books that could be taken to whatever room they landed in at the time
    • A small table works as well, really just anything that can be used to set things on within arms reach
  • Assortment of sodas, water, seltzers, snacks, etc.
    • There is no way to know what you will want and when, but when you want it it’s nice to *have* it available
    • Appetite often decreases after surgery so make sure to have favourites on hand so that when you *are* hungry you have it immediately before your body changes its mind
  • A big bucket
    • We used a soft plastic beach type bucket from the dollar store, it was extremely useful to have to put small items in, a small towel, a spare water bottle, extra meds, baby wipes, etc.
    • Also doubled as an emergency puke bucket, as you never know when a sudden bout of nausea might hit in the first day or two after surgery
  • Extra reusable ice packs and bags of ice
    • Your home ice maker will not be able to keep up with the demands of constant icing the first week or so
    • Reusable ones are great for ‘hot spots’ and short trips where you can’t take the ice machine
  • Extra steri-strips and assortment of bandages
    • Sometimes there’s extra leakage, sometimes your steri-strips come off and you need to slap a new one on, sometimes you’re allergic to the ones they put on you at the hospital. Always consult a medical professional, but it’s handy to have these on hand just in case.
    • We also used a bulky padded bandaid to keep the brace off the healing incisions once the large post-op dressing was taken off which helped immensely.
  • Compression sleeves
    • Aside from helping with swelling these also provided a layer of protection under the post-op brace
    • We found cheap ones at Wal-Mart (copper brand) but also just bought a cheap pair of leggings a size down and cut off one of the legs to use before getting a more expensive one once swelling had fully subsided after a few weeks. Your leg will change so cheap works great at first, then you can get something a bit more substantial when you know what you’ll need long term. Now she wears high compression socks to sleep 3 months out.
  • Slide on shoes
    • Self explanatory, bending down to put on shoes becomes a chore after surgery. Avoid flip flops or other styles that can become a trip hazard.
  • Baby Wipes/Dude Wipes/etc.
    • Wiping down after you get home from surgery can help prevent that icky feeling and restore some sense of normalcy, then can be used over the next few days before you can shower more normally
  • Lotion and chapstick
    • Hospitals dry out your skin big time, and lips are often cracked post surgery from intubation/LMA placement
  • Small, easily labelled tupperware containers
    • Regular pill containers are too small to hold pain meds, OTC pain meds, anticoagulants such as aspirin, supplements, and edibles or other small things you take with your medication. We got small tupperware boxes with lids from the dollar store.
    • We found it very convenient to have six sets of meds set up and labelled with times which meant we never missed doses and could leave the next dose of meds at bedside, take them with us when going to appointments, and keep up with what had been given and when.
  • Small notebook to record med times and other important information
  • Two extra changes of clothes already setup and ready to go
  • Compression device
    • We are athletes so we already had leg compression sleeves but these days off brand versions can be bought online cheap. Studies have shown these lead to reduced pain, increased mobilisation, reduced the chance of blood clots, and there is even some evidence they help with bone healing.
    • We used it 3 days post op and beyond and her range of motion was significantly improved after the first time.
  • A yoga strap
    • Excellent for strapping to the brace and moving the surgical leg
• If possible, pick up post-op medications prior to surgery to prevent any unexpected delay in obtaining them. If this is not possible, verify that the prescription can be filled the day of the surgery by your selected pharmacy and that it has been filled prior to leaving after your surgery. Controlled substances cannot be transferred to another pharmacy without a new prescription sent directly from the provider. You do not want to be trying to get in contact with a physician in the hours after surgery, unable to manage pain, before the pharmacies close for the night.
• Do a thorough clean of your living area, it will make the time after surgery when you cannot independently do normal activities more bearable and a neat organised space is easier to function in when your body is not cooperating. Take special attention to removing tripping hazards and clearing a wide path from wherever you plan to spend your recovery and the bathroom.
• Plan to spend the first couple of days in one spot and on one floor and set up that area the day before surgery. If you have a downstairs bathroom a floor mattress or well setup couch can be your landing pad until you are more mobile and is the easiest during the immediate post-op period. That being said, if you don’t, it’s easier to get upstairs by sliding up on your bum immediately post-op when your pain is still well controlled than realise that you have no bathroom downstairs a few hours later when the pain has started to set in. Wherever you intend to land, plan on staying there at least a couple of days and bring all your supplies to that area. Plan to lay with your surgical leg on the outside of what you are laying on, this makes transferring easier.
• Have your recovery bed setup the day before surgery and prepared for when you return before you leave the day of, including blankets and your supply table setup.
• Meal prep, whether that means cooking or getting easy to make microwave meals is up to you. You won’t feel like cooking and neither will your caretaker the first few days. High protein, easy to eat meals are key! We had chicken and broccoli casserole, egg and sausage frittata, and lots of applesauce the first few days and it was a lifesaver not to have to think about meals.
• Spend some time mentally preparing for the long haul of recovery and make long term plans that fit within your timeline. For example, we planned to attend a rugby game five days after surgery *but* planned nothing else for that day and the next day. We also planned hiking trips the next fall, and other events appropriate for her timeline along the way that could be looked forward to and keep up morale. Remember that this is temporary and that it is okay to be recovering and resting, expect hard moments and days but keep things planned so you don’t get stuck in those down places.
• Eat your favourite meal and eat well the day before surgery. Your body needs fuel to recover and fasting the day of surgery sucks. As weird as it sounds, after multiple surgeries, the pre-surgery night meal of whatever I want is one shiny thing in a crappy situation to hold on to.
• Plan for what you want your first meal to be and consider making a playlist for the ride to and from surgery. Small things, again, help maintain a sense of control and comfort in a situation where you are largely out of control and these things can be done with friends or support people in the days leading up to reduce anxiety and pass time.
• Hit the gym, take a walk, do a hike, visit places or do things you enjoy but won’t be able to do in immediate recovery! We took my partners knee to one last tournament before her surgery, it helped pass time and kept spirits high.

Day Of And Immediate Post-Surgery Phase

• Maintain fasting starting at whatever hour you are told. Some people can drink clear liquids up to a certain point, others are completely nothing by mouth. Your instructions will guide you on this.
• Before leaving home double check that everything is set up how you need it and place a blanket, pillow, drink, and snack of choice in the car. You may or may not need it but if you do it is important to have. Make sure your ice packs are in the freezer ready to go!
• Bring your own post-op snack if you are picky or have food allergies, otherwise you’re stuck with whatever graham cracker and applesauce combo the facility gives you.
• Go with the flow, or as I always say “surrender”. Feel what you feel, have a cry in the car before you go in, listen to your playlist, bring your blanket or other comfort items into pre-op, tell your support person what’s going through your mind, tell your pre-op staff how you’re doing, ask all the questions, and most importantly just do what you have to do. For some people surgery can be overwhelming and the loss of control frightening, but fighting only makes it worse, so whatever you are just be it. I’m pre-op pacer myself, but some people just snuggle up under some warm blankets and wait. Either way, just let the waves take you where they go and know you’re along for the ride. Remember that future you with a healthy joint thanks you for what you’re doing today.
• Speak frankly with your anesthesiologist and utilise any pain control or anxiety control options given to you. There is no award for least meds taken or toughest patient of the day. If a nerve block is available, know that you can request sedation for its placement, and utilise that option if at all possible.
• Caregivers should bring something to keep them entertained and be prepared for a long period without update once surgery has started. Honour your feelings as well, it can be tough to watch someone you care about go through this! Consider having someone to act as a support person for you as well through text or phone, that way you can divert your own worries or struggles to them and away from the person having surgery while still making sure you are also taken care of.
• Make sure that pain is well controlled before leaving after surgery. You have more options there than you will at home and getting things under control once pain has become unbearable can be very difficult.
• Make sure you note when the next dose of medication is due, what medication they should be taking, and write it down.
• Double check contacts from your surgeons office and add any post op paperwork to your folder in case you need the information later.
• If your post-op meal requires picking up, or your prescription, try and do that immediately after leaving surgery even if you are not hungry yet. This is the most comfortable you will be for a while and your support person will be unable to leave for at least that day and night. I have been known to peruse the big gas station after surgery in search of snacks, my partner however simply waved to the nice people at the drive through and napped the rest of the way home before eating some hours later.
• Once you get home crash wherever you plan on spending the rest of the time. Don’t have friends or family over that first day. Just go ahead and sleep through the rest of the anaesthesia and get comfortable.
• Try and keep your home cool, and consider keeping the room dim for the first few hours if not days. Sleep is precious and pain meds can make you hot, and getting hot can lead to nausea. It is better to have the home cool and the person snuggled under blankets and comfortable than be trying to cool someone down who just had surgery and got too hot and is now dizzy, nauseous, and miserable. The least stimulation for the first little while the better, and naps will happen throughout the rest of the day and over the next few days. A cool, dim place lets this happen much easier than a bright, warm place where they might be overstimulated or awakened by noise or activity.
• If allowed, try and activate the quad muscle immediately after returning home and once every few hours by having them squeeze it and feeling for contraction while in the brace. Some people will be able to begin range of motion exercises immediately and if so, make sure to do them as soon as allowed even if that means just helping them by doing gentle manual range of motion movements in the brace.
• If it’s not already on, begin continuous icing as soon as you come out of surgery either by meticulously timing the replacement of ice packs or with the ice machine. Make sure to check the ice machine, replace ice as often as needed, and keep it on *continuously* for the next few days. For us this meant I checked it at every medication dose throughout the night and added ice during that time as well. We went through frozen mini water bottles and bags of ice like crazy the first week.
• Elevate the surgical leg as high as possible, placing support under the heel and calf but not directly under the knee to promote extension and prevent more headaches with gaining range of motion later on.
  • We found that icepacks directly under the knee helped tremendously with the discomfort associated with this.
• Anticipate that bathroom trips will not be fun or easy and take them extremely slow. As a caregiver allow the person to guide you on what they need and don’t need your help with and avoid grabbing or moving someone unexpectedly. Standing, acclimating to being upright, and then proceeding to the bathroom is the best way to do things and rushing will only result in frustration for both of you. A rolling chair or wheelchair can be helpful, but for some people standing up and sitting down is harder than just moving on to the bathroom. Pay attention as a caregiver and know that it is possible they may need your help getting off the toilet or back from the bathroom so be close by and available should that happen. For the first few days do not lock the bathroom door in case of an emergency.
• Place chairs or things to sit on around your path to the bathroom, kitchen, etc. And consider a small backpack or using a rolling chair to carry items around the house.
• Once you know when your next dose is, set alarms for each time your doses are due. If using the med boxes this makes doing meds and keeping track very easy, as they are each labelled with a time and all we had to do was open the box and take the meds instead of finding each bottle and dosing each med individually each time. As the days went on we were able to re-label and time the boxes as needed and remove meds as needed or adapt to what was needed when sleeping or up during the day.
  • For example day 1 would look like:
    • First post-op doses at 4pm box: 250mg tylenol, 10mg oxycodone, 5mg edible.
    • 8pm box: 250mg tylenol, 10mg oxycodone, 800mg ibuprofen, 10mg edible, 12.5mg diphenhydramine (itching and sleep), stool softener, and regular night time meds.
    • Midnight box: 250mg tylenol, 5mg oxycodone, 5mg edible.
    • 4AM: 250mg tylenol, 5mg oxycodone, 800mg ibuprofen, edible (if nauseas or restless).
    • 8AM box (preparing to get up): 250mg tylenol, 10mg oxycodone, 5mg edible, aspirin, stool softener, normal morning meds.
    • 12pm: 250mg tylenol, 10mg oxycodone, 5mg edible, 800mg ibuprofen.
    • Repeated on time, reducing pain med dose as tolerable, and refilling boxes 1x a day.
• If possible do scheduled tylenol (paracetamol) and ibuprofen (or another NSAID), alternating them on the dosing schedule, and take them religiously even through the night. This also goes for additional pain medications, which you will also need to wake to take through the night if you are prescribed for at least the first night.
• Staying on schedule might mean waking up in the night, but it’s better to be awoken to take meds than to wake up in pain and spend several hours trying to get it under control. You may find you seldom need them if your nerve block is in place, or you may just not need very much at all during your recovery. It is easier to trial run this after the first day by stretching out the time between doses from 4 to 6 to 8 and then potentially off entirely, but everyone will have their preferences.
• Eat a small snack with every med dose and keep emergency meds (extra pain med doses, nausea meds, etc.) at bedside as well as the next set of meds due so they can be taken when it is time.
• We found that edibles were a great addition to pain and nausea control after surgery. There are medication options available and having at least one option for nausea is advisable for the first few days after surgery when anaesthesia and medication can really make you want to puke.
• Expect absolutely nothing in the first few days post-op. Some people will feel well enough to move around, others will not be able to do anything but get up to use the bathroom. Expecting nothing is better than expecting more and being disappointed or frustrated. I would highly suggest not making plans until your first follow up 7 or so days after surgery.
• Be obsessive about icing, meds, any PT you have been given, and keeping track of appointments. Give yourself the best start to your recovery that you can and you will thank yourself later!

Until the turn of the millennium, Swedish men who married across national borders usually chose women from Norway and Finland. In the early 2000s, a change in men's marriage patterns crystallised. Partly because of increased international travel, Thai women became the most common group of foreign women to marry Swedish men. However, Swedish women are rarely in relationships with Thai men.

We restrict the native population to the non-Hispanic of European descent born in the United States. Similarly for Spain, we restrict the native population to people born in Spain whose parents are also born in Spain. These restrictions are intended to minimize the impact that cross-national couples between international migrants and descendants of migrants of the same origins might have in our analyses (ex. Mexicans in the United States or Moroccans in Spain).

Sociologist Annika Elwert has previously studied marriage patterns in Sweden and, in a recent article, examined statistical databases of Spanish and American men and women who have a foreign partner. Their marriage patterns are similar to those of Swedes.
In the US, it is common to have a partner from neighbouring countries or Europe, but many American men also have a partner or wife from the Philippines. However, American women rarely marry Filipino men, preferring Germans and Mexicans. Among Spaniards, marriages with people from France, Germany and Argentina are common. Spanish women also choose partners from Senegal and Morocco, which is rare among Spanish men. Statistically, they prefer women from Romania and Colombia.
Although there are many commonalities in the marriage patterns of men and women, differences remain. Men more often marry much younger women from countries with lower education and living standards. The general trend is that the greater the difference in development between countries, the greater the age difference between the native man and the foreign woman. If the women come from countries with a similar level of development, the age difference is comparatively small.
“It is difficult to say why this is the case. One possible explanation is that when men have a preference for much younger women, it can be challenging to realise this preference in the domestic marriage market. It may be easier if she comes from a less developed country, where, for example, the marital age gap is usually larger," says Annika Elwert.
The same phenomenon is visible when considering countries' gender equality. Men from Spain or the US are more likely to marry partners from countries with low gender equality. In contrast, Spanish and American women rarely marry men from countries with low gender equality. An exception is American women. They are often in relationships with Mexican men.

When women from the US or Spain marry foreign men, the age difference is generally small. However, Annika Elwert's research shows that it has become more common for Swedish and Spanish women to have younger partners from less developed countries. This is not the case among American women.