bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Review on geology and mineralization of North Korea (I: Precambrian)
Authors: Lee Bum Han , Koh Sang‐Mo , Kim Namhoon , You Byoung‐Woon
Published: September 2021

In this review, we introduce the geology and mineralization of the northern part of the Korean Peninsula based on recently published data in North Korea. Geological characteristics and events are described in order of geological period and the representative mineral deposits are presented according to the geologic period to show the relationship between the geology and mineralization. In particular, we rearrange the stratigraphy of the Precambrian basement and reset the timing of intrusion and mineralization based mainly on the reported zircon U–Pb age data. The Precambrian geotectonic provinces of North Korea contain continental cores and massifs, active continental margins, and rift zones. The Precambrian strata between the eastern North China Craton (NCC) and North Korea are newly correlated considering rearranged stratigraphy in this review. The Precambrian strata of North Korea are characterized by the depletion of the Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic strata compared to the NCC from 1.8 to 1.5 Ga. It may indicate that the northern part of the Korean Peninsula was the passive continental margin environment during this period. The common occurrences of bimodal igneous suites (mafic‐felsic and alkaline‐subalkaline) are also characteristic of North Korea. The bimodal magmatism is well explained by the progressive tectonic evolution from oceanic crust‐continent subduction (2.0–2.2 Ga) and island arc–continent collision (~1.9 Ga) to post collisional extension (1.82–1.87 Ga) in the NCC including North Korea. The Precambrian geological similarities between Northeastern China and North Korea would have resulted in the same or similar mineralization. For example, Algoma type banded iron formations of the Fe deposits of the Anshan–Benxi area in China and Musan Fe deposit in North Korea were formed during the Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic. Sedimentary exhalative type Pb–Zn and metasedimentary type magnesite deposits were formed within the Jiao‐Liao‐Ji belt extending from the Liaoning Rift Zone of China (Pb–Zn deposits in the Qingchenzi orefield and magnesite deposits in Dashiqiao magnesite belt) to the Macheollyeong Rift Zone of North Korea (Geomdeok Pb–Zn deposit and Daeheung–Ryongyang magnesite deposits) during Paleoproterozoic. The geotectonic, geological and metallogenic similarities between Northeastern China and North Korea indicate that the Precambrian continental massifs of North Korea might be evolved in accordance with the NCC evolution. This review is expected to be helpful for understanding the geotectonics, geology, and related mineralization of the northern part of Korean Peninsula and correlating with those of the NCC.
Preliminary Study on the Effect of Nitrogen and Potassium Fertilization on Phytochemical Content Quality of Gynura procumbens
Authors: Mohamad Bukhori Mohamad Fhaizal , Jaafar Hawa ZE , Ghasemzadeh Ali , Sinniah Uma Rani , Karipaya Gayatri
Published: September 2021

Gynura procumbens is an herbaceous plant. Despite the progressive reports on the pharmacological properties, many are overlooking at the importance of agronomic requirements, such as fertilization, to produce high phytochemical content which have not been conclusively concluded.
La asegurabilidad del suicidio en el Derecho contemporáneo
Authors: Jaramillo Mor Carlos Esteban
Published: September 2021

El propósito fundamental del presente escrito estriba, como su nombre lo revela, en el desarrollo de un estudio panorámico y generalizado del suicidio y su particular proyección en el ámbito del Derecho aseguraticio, temática que, como podrá evidenciar el lector, cuenta con una extensa, y no del todo coincidente trayectoria histórica, a lo que se suma la complejidad de este tema, de por sí espinoso como lo es en efecto el atinente al suicidio, en el que convergen líneas discursivas de diversa índole y naturaleza.

Dicha cuestión, por su parte, ha puesto a prueba la misma lógica, tanto desde la perspectiva teórica  y jurídica, como también de la práctica y la funcional del contrato de seguro, pues el suicidio representa un suceso que, al inscribirse en el marco de la voluntariedad, a priori pareciese escapar de la esfera que comprende el concepto de ‘riesgo asegurable’, pero que, debido a las nefastas consecuencias que una inclinación en tal dirección podría aparejar para los beneficiarios, la experiencia ha confirmado que, tanto el sector empresarial y también el legislativo y judicial, a través de diversos instrumentos y mecanismos, hayan  abierto un conveniente camino orientado a la asegurabilidad del riesgo en mención, desde luego supeditada a determinadas exigencias, lo que refrenda la destacada función social atribuida al seguro.
Atención odontológica de un paciente con autismo (tea), bajo el modelo psicoeducativo. Descripción de un caso
Authors: Barbosa Orjuela Rocio Andrea
Published: September 2021

Antecedentes: La Psicoeducación mejora las adaptaciones de las personas con autismo a nuevos ambientes o actividades a través de procesos de aprendizaje. Descripción del caso: Intervención interdisciplinaria para desarrollar habilidades y capacidades en un paciente con autismo - trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA) - en la consulta odontológica. Paciente masculino de 19 años con diagnóstico Trastorno generalizado del desarrollo (TGD), autismo típico. Al examen clínico intraoral presenta placa bacteriana calcificada generalizada y lesiones iniciales de caries activas.  Las intervenciones propuestas tienen como propósito mejorar comportamiento y ansiedad del paciente, potenciar la tolerancia en la consulta odontológica del paciente ante procedimientos bucodentales y mejorar las condiciones de salud bucal en el paciente. El tratamiento incluyo estrategias de anticipación, rutinas, extinción, ambientación del espacio en las que se programan, procedimientos de protección específica, periodoncia y operatoria básica. Conclusiones: El modelo propuesto en este documento para facilitar la atención odontológica de personas con TEA propone diversas estrategias dentro de las corrientes en psicología y educación especial. Las sesiones con apoyo de estrategias psicoeducativas culminan con resultados positivos para la salud bucal del paciente y un mejoramiento progresivo en el comportamiento del paciente.
Youth Basketball Coaches’ Perceptions and Implementation of Fundamental Movement Skills Training: Toward a Realist Evaluation
Authors: Williams Mark David , Hammond Andrew M. , Moran Jason
Published: September 2021

Purpose: To investigate youth basketball coaches’ perceptions and implementation of fundamental movement skills training. Method: Snowball and criterion-based sampling approaches were used to survey youth basketball coaches (n=79) beliefs and experiences relating to their perceptions and implementation of nonbasketball-specific skills and fundamental movement skills into practice. Realist evaluation inspired the analysis of descriptive statistics (means and frequencies) and reflexive qualitative thematic analysis to inform the results. Results: It was found that the participants had a comprehension of fundamental movement skills and acknowledge their value in the long-term development of youth players. However, there appeared to be varying levels of uptake among the surveyed coaches. Discussion: Based on these findings, coaches appear to hold sports specialization in a higher regard than the broader aspects of player development, illustrating a dichotomized perspective of fundamental movement skills and basketball. Conclusion: The findings suggest there is a need for governing bodies to develop innovative strategies to persuade youth basketball coaches to adopt nonsports-specific movement skills to improve their practice.
Comparative Analysis of Bile-Salt Degradation in
Sphingobium
sp. Strain Chol11 and Pseudomonas stutzeri Strain Chol1 Reveals Functional Diversity of Proteobacterial Steroid Degradation Enzymes and Suggests a Novel Pathway for Side Chain Degradation
Authors: Feller Franziska Maria , Richtsmeier Phil , Wege Maximilian , Philipp Bodo
Published: September 2021

This study highlights the biochemical diversity of bacterial degradation of steroid compounds in different aspects. First, it further elucidates an unexplored variant in the degradation of bile-salt side chains by sphingomonads, a group of environmental bacteria that is well-known for their broad metabolic capabilities.
Intra- and Inter-cellular Modeling of Dynamic Interaction between Zika Virus and Its Naturally Occurring Defective Viral Genomes
Authors: Sharov Vadim , Rezelj Veronica V. , Galatenko Vladimir V. , Titievsky Avi , Panov Julia , Chumakov Konstantin , Andino Raul , Vignuzzi Marco , Brodsky Leonid
Published: September 2021

One of the ideas for lessening Zika pathogenicity is the addition of its natural or engineered defective virus genomes (DVGs) (have no pathogenicity) to the infection pool: a DVG is redirecting the wild-type (WT)-associated virus development resources toward its own maturation. The mathematical model presented here, attuned to the data from interplays between WT Zika viruses and their natural DVGs in mammalian and mosquito cells, provides evidence that the loss of uninfected cells is attenuated by the DVG development processes.
Effects of Recreational Boating on Microbial and Meiofauna Diversity in Coastal Shallow Ecosystems of the Baltic Sea
Authors: Iburg Sven , Izabel-Shen Dandan , Austin Åsa N. , Hansen Joakim P. , Eklöf Johan S. , Nascimento Francisco J. A.
Published: September 2021

With the increase of recreational boating activity and development of boating infrastructure in shallow, wave-protected areas, there is growing concern for their impact on coastal ecosystems. In order to properly assess the effects and consider the potential for recovery, it is important to investigate microbial and meiofaunal communities that underpin the functioning of these ecosystems.
MCR-5-Producing Colistin-Resistant Cupriavidus gilardii Strain from Well Water in Batna, Algeria
Authors: Cherak Zineb , Loucif Lotfi , Ben Khedher Mariem , Moussi Abdelhamid , Benbouza Amel , Baron Sophie Alexandra , Rolain Jean-Marc
Published: September 2021

Colistin resistance mediated by
mcr
genes in Gram-negative bacteria has gained significant attention worldwide. This is due to the ability of these genes to be horizontally transferred between different bacterial genera and species.
Palliative medicine in the emergency department: symptom control and aggressive care
Authors: de Oliveira Raquel , Lobato Carolina B. , Maia-Moço Leonardo , Santos Mariana , Neves Sara , Matos Maria Francisca , Cardoso Rosa , Cruz Carla , Silva Cátia Araújo , Dias Joana , Maçães André , Almeida Soraia , Gonçalves António Pedro , Gomes Barbara , Freire Elga
Published: September 2021

Objectives

Identifying the prevalence of palliative care (PC) needs among patients who die at the emergency department (ED) and to assess symptom control and aggressiveness of care.

Methods

We conducted a decedent cohort study of adults deceased at the ED of a Portuguese teaching hospital in 2016. PC needs were identified using the National Hospice Organization terminality criteria and comorbidities measurement by the Charlson’s Index.

Results

384 adults died at the ED (median age 82 (IQR 72–89) years) and 78.4% (95% CI 73.9% to 82.2%) presented PC needs. Only 3.0% (n=9) were referred to the hospital PC team. 64.5%, 38.9% and 57.5% experienced dyspnoea, pain and confusion, respectively. Dyspnoea was commonly medicated (92%), against 56% for pain and 8% for confusion. Only 6.3% of the patients were spared from aggressive interventions, namely blood collection (86.0%) or intravenous fluid therapy (63.5%). The burden of aggressive interventions was similar between those with or without withhold cardiopulmonary resuscitation order (median 3 (2–4) vs 3 (2–5)), p=0.082.

Conclusions

Nearly four out of five adults who died at the ED had PC needs at the time of admission. Most experienced poor symptom control and care aggressiveness in their last hours of life and were mostly unknown to the PC team. The findings urge improvements in the care provided to patients with PC needs at the ED, focusing on patient well-being and increased PC referral.
Preparing Decoherence-Recoherence Times of a Qubit with Special Nonselective Measurement Schemes
Authors: Giraldi Filippo
Published: August 2021

The appearance of decoherence-recoherence events is analyzed in a dephasing model of a qubit which interacts with a bosonic environment. The initial condition is prepared from the thermal state of the whole system by performing a nonselective measurement on the qubit. Decoherence-recoherence events appear in the reduced dynamics of the qubit uniquely if special nonselective preparation measurements are adopted and the spectral density of the system fulfills determined conditions. General lower bounds are found for the number of decoherence-recoherence events in terms of the properties of the measurement scheme and of the spectral density. The number is finite for canonical spectral densities which are super-ohmic, perturbed super-ohmic, or ohmic at low frequencies and are arbitrarily tailored at high frequencies. The number is infinite in the sub-ohmic regime and for perturbations of the sub-ohmic or ohmic regime. Decoherence-recoherence times are evaluated, analytically and numerically, for ohmic-like spectral densities with exponential high-frequency cutoffs.
Machine Learning-based Mist Computing Enabled Internet of Battlefield Things
Authors: Shahid Huniya , Shah Munam Ali , Almogren Ahmad , Khattak Hasan Ali , Din Ikram Ud , Kumar Neeraj , Maple Carsten
Published: September 2021

The rapid advancement in information and communication technology has revolutionized military departments and their operations. This advancement also gave birth to the idea of the Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT). The IoBT refers to the fusion of the Internet of Things (IoT) with military operations on the battlefield. Various IoBT-based frameworks have been developed for the military. Nonetheless, many of these frameworks fail to maintain a high Quality of Service (QoS) due to the demanding and critical nature of IoBT. This study makes the use of mist computing while leveraging machine learning. Mist computing places computational capabilities on the edge itself (mist nodes), e.g., on end devices, wearables, sensors, and micro-controllers. This way, mist computing not only decreases latency but also saves power consumption and bandwidth as well by eliminating the need to communicate all data acquired, produced, or sensed. A mist-based version of the IoTNetWar framework is also proposed in this study. The mist-based IoTNetWar framework is a four-layer structure that aims at decreasing latency while maintaining QoS. Additionally, to further minimize delays, mist nodes utilize machine learning. Specifically, they use the delay-based K nearest neighbour algorithm for device-to-device communication purposes. The primary research objective of this work is to develop a system that is not only energy, time, and bandwidth-efficient, but it also helps military organizations with time-critical and resources-critical scenarios to monitor troops. By doing so, the system improves the overall decision-making process in a military campaign or battle. The proposed work is evaluated with the help of simulations in the EdgeCloudSim. The obtained results indicate that the proposed framework can achieve decreased network latency of 0.01 s and failure rate of 0.25% on average while maintaining high QoS in comparison to existing solutions.
Sign-rank Can Increase under Intersection
Authors: Bun Mark , Mande Nikhil S. , Thaler Justin
Published: September 2021

The communication class
UPP
cc
is a communication analog of the Turing Machine complexity class
PP
. It is characterized by a matrix-analytic complexity measure called sign-rank (also called dimension complexity), and is essentially the most powerful communication class against which we know how to prove lower bounds.

For a communication problem
f
, let
f
∧
f
denote the function that evaluates
f
on two disjoint inputs and outputs the AND of the results. We exhibit a communication problem
f
with
UPP
cc
(
f
) =
O
(log
n
), and
UPP
cc
(
f
∧
f
) = Θ (log
2
n
). This is the first result showing that
UPP
communication complexity can increase by more than a constant factor under intersection. We view this as a first step toward showing that
UPP
cc
, the class of problems with polylogarithmic-cost
UPP
communication protocols, is not closed under intersection.

Our result shows that the function class consisting of intersections of two majorities on
n
bits has dimension complexity
n
Omega

Ω(log
n
)

. This matches an upper bound of (Klivans, O’Donnell, and Servedio, FOCS 2002), who used it to give a quasipolynomial time algorithm for PAC learning intersections of polylogarithmically many majorities. Hence, fundamentally new techniques will be needed to learn this class of functions in polynomial time.
Angiotensin II-Treated Cardiac Myocytes Regulate M1 Macrophage Polarization via Transferring Exosomal PVT1
Authors: Cao Feng , Li Zhe , Ding Wenmao , Yan Ling , Zhao Qingyan
Published: September 2021

Atrial fibrillation (AF) seriously reduces the health and life quality of patients. It is necessary to explore the pathogenesis of AF and provide a new target for the treatment. Here, exosomes were identified using transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracing analysis. Western blotting assay was performed to detect the expression of exosomal surface markers, extracellular matrix-related proteins, and IL-16. The expression of genes was measured using qRT-PCR. Flow cytometry was performed to examine the percentages of CD86- and CD163-positive macrophages. Besides, luciferase activity assay was performed to explore the combination between PVT1 and miR-145-5p and the combination between miR-145-5p and IL-16 3’UTR. The combination between PVT1 and miR-145-5p also was examined using RIP assay. In our study, we isolated human cardiac myocyte- (HCM-) derived exosomes successfully. Ang-II-treated HCM-derived exosomes (Ang-II-Exo) promoted M1 macrophage polarization. PVT1 was highly expressed in Ang-II-Exo. Ang-II-Exo induced macrophage to M1 polarization through transferring PVT1. Furthermore, our data showed that PVT1 increased the expression of IL-16 via sponging miR-145-5p. Finally, we proved that exosomal PVT1 could boost the extracellular matrix remodeling of atrial fibroblasts. Overall, our data demonstrated that Ang-II-Exo promoted the extracellular matrix remodeling of atrial fibroblasts via inducing M1 macrophage polarization by transferring PVT1. PVT1 facilitated M1 polarization macrophage via increasing IL-16 expression by sponging miR-145-5p. Our results provided a new evidence for PVT1 which might be a treatment target of AF.
Multiobjective Optimization of Turbine Coolant Collection/Distribution Plenum Based on the Surrogate Model
Authors: Chai Junsheng , Wang Zhenyu , Zhao Xuanling , Wang Chunhua
Published: September 2021

The turbine coolant collection/distribution chamber, as an important component of the secondary air system, undertakes the task of collecting and distributing coolant for guide vanes. To improve the outflow uniformity and reduce the flow loss, a multiobjective optimization method is developed for geometric parameters of turbine chamber. Numerical experiments were designed by Latin hypercube sampling and solved by the CFD method. Based on these data sampling, least square support vector machine (LS-SVM) was used for the surrogate model, and a kind of chaotic optimization algorithms was used for searching for the Pareto solution set. The results show that the streamline change in the optimized chamber is smoother, and the jet impingement effect of the coolant from the inlet tube was significantly weakened. At the condition that each goal has the weight of 0.5, the optimized discharge coefficient increases by 26%, and the outflow nonuniformity decreases by 79% compared with reference structure.
Fractional-Order Adaptive
P
-Laplace Equation-Based Art Image Edge Detection
Authors: Chen Ming
Published: September 2021

In recent years, with the rapid development of image processing research, the study of nonstandard images has gradually become a research hotspot, for example, fabric images, remote sensing images, and gear images. Some of the remote sensing images have a complex background and low illumination compared with standard images and are easy to be mixed with noise during acquisition; some of the fabric images have rich texture information, which adds difficulty to the related processing, and are also easy to be mixed with noise during acquisition. In this paper, we propose a fractional-order adaptive

P

-Laplace equation image edge detection algorithm for the problem of image edge detection in which the edge and texture information of the image is lost. The algorithm can apply for the order adaptively to filter the noise according to the noise distribution of the image, and the adaptive diffusion factor is determined by both the fractional-order curvature and fractional-order gradient of the iso-illumination line and combined with the iterative approach to realize the fine-tuning of the noisy image. The experimental results demonstrate that the algorithm can remove the noise while preserving the texture and details of the image. A fractional-order partial differential equation image edge detection model with a fractional-order fidelity term is proposed for Gaussian noise. The model incorporates a fractional-order fidelity term because this fidelity term smoothes out the rougher parts of the image while preserving the texture in the original image in greater detail and eliminating the step effect produced by other models such as the Perona-Malik (PM) and Rudin-Osher-Fatemi (ROF) models. By comparing with other algorithms, the image edge detection effect is measured with the help of evaluation metrics such as peak signal-to-noise ratio and structural similarity, and the optimal value is selected iteratively so that the image with the best edge detection result is retained. A convolutional mask image edge detection model based on adaptive fractional-order calculus is proposed for the scattered noise in medical images. The adaption is mainly reflected in the model algorithm by constructing an exponential parameter relation that is closely related to the image, which can dynamically adjust the parameter values, thus making the model algorithm more practical. The model achieves the scattering noise removal in four steps.
A Study on the Durability of Dispersive Soils Improved by Alum in Western Jilin Province of China
Authors: Yuan Xiaoqing , Wang Xi , Chen Hui’e , Shi Zhiyong , Shi Bin , Niu Cencen
Published: September 2021

Dispersive soil, which has the characteristics of low erosion resistance and high dispersibility in water, is the main reason for the channel slope failure that happened in the planning area of the Western Alkaline Treatment project in Jilin Province. Therefore, the study focused on the improvement of dispersive soil. In this research, pinhole test and crumb test were conducted on the soil under varying percentages of alum (1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, and 3%). Results indicated that alum can reduce the dispersivity of soil distinctly, and the optimal content of alum was 2.5%. This research also investigated the durability of 2.5%-alum-improved dispersive soil for dispersibility under the condition of freeze-thaw cycle. The soil samples with 2.5% alum content were subjected to pinhole test, crumb test, double hydrometer test, and percentage of exchangeable sodium ion test under the different number of freeze-thaw cycles. The results showed that the 2.5%-alum-improved soil was unaffected by the number of freeze-thaw cycles, which illustrated that alum can be used to improve soil dispersivity in engineering practice.
Positive Retrospective SARS-CoV-2 Testing in a Case of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome of Unknown Etiology.
Authors: Burkett A. , McElwee S. , Margaroli C. , Bajpai P. , Elkholy A. , Manne U. , Wille K. , Benson P.
Published: September 2021

In order to elucidate the cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome of unknown etiology in a pre-pandemic patient, molecular techniques were used for detection of SARS-CoV-2. We used a SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein immunofluorescence stain to retrospectively identify an individual with diffuse alveolar damage on autopsy histology who had negative respiratory virus panel results in February, 2020, in Birmingham, Alabama. In situ hybridization for SARS-CoV-2 RNA revealed evidence of widespread multiorgan SARS-CoV-2 infection. This death antecedes the first reported death of a State of Alabama resident diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 by 26 days.
Dental Pulp Mesenchymal Stem Cells Attenuate Limb Ischemia via Promoting Capillary Proliferation and Collateral Development in a Preclinical Model
Authors: Li Youfeng , Zhang Yuning , Wang Hua , Sun Chengfeng , Liu Dongmei , Liu Hongying , He Jia , Chen Furong , Wang Weiting , Jiang Xi , Wu Chu-tse , Yang Yuefeng
Published: September 2021

Critical limb ischemia (CLI), an end-stage manifestation of peripheral artery disease (PAD), still lacks effective therapeutic strategies. Recently, dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DP-MSCs) have been attracting more and more attentions in therapeutic applications due to their high proliferation ability, powerful osteogenic differentiation potential, and effective anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we compared the therapeutic effects of MSCs derived from different sources in a femoral artery-ligated preclinical ischemic model. We found that treatments with MSCs, including bone marrow- (BM-), adipose- (AD-), dental pulp- (DP-), and umbilical cord- (UC-) derived MSCs, improved limb functions, reduced inflammatory responses, increased angiogenesis, and promoted regeneration of muscle fiber. Among them, DP-MSCs and BM-MSCs produced much more impressive effects in restoring limb functions and promoting angiogenesis. The flow velocity restored to nearly 20% of the normal level at 3 weeks after treatments with DP-MSCs and BM-MSCs, and obvious capillary proliferation and collateral development could be observed. Although neovascularization was induced in the ischemic limb after ligation, MSCs, especially DP-MSCs, significantly enhanced the angiogenesis. In vitro experiments showed that serum deprivation improved the expression of angiogenic factors, growth factors, and chemokines in DP-MSCs and UC-MSCs, but not in BM-MSCs and AD-MSCs. However, DP-MSCs produced stronger therapeutic responses than UC-MSCs, which might be due to the higher expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 α (HIF-1α). We speculated that DP-MSCs might stimulate angiogenesis and promote tissue repair via expressing and secreting angiogenic factors, growth factors, and chemokines, especially HGF and HIF-1α. In conclusion, DP-MSCs might be a promising approach for treating CLI.
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice towards Prevention and Control of Malaria in Halaba Town, Southern Ethiopia, 2017
Authors: Menjetta Tadesse
Published: September 2021

Background. Malaria is one of the primary public health problems in Ethiopia. Therefore, assessment of situation of the disease and communities’ knowledge and perceptions about this disease is necessary to introduce appropriate preventive and control measures. Hence, this study was aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards malaria in Halaba town, SNNPR, Ethiopia. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Halaba town from June 2017 to September 2017. A multistage random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. A total of 421 were interviewed to assess their knowledge, attitude, and practice towards malaria. Results. About 280 (66.5%) respondents had ever heard of malaria. Most of the respondents (63.4%) attributed the cause of malaria to mosquito bites. However, some of the respondents (36.6%) mentioned contact with malaria patients, lack of personal hygiene, staying together, and transmission via breathing as the causes of malaria. Sleeping under mosquito nets, draining stagnant water, and indoor residual spraying were the most frequently mentioned malaria preventive measures perceived and practiced by the respondents. Conclusions. A high level of knowledge about the cause, transmission, and preventive methods of malaria was detected among the community in Halaba town. However, a significant proportion had misconceptions about the cause and transmission of malaria suggesting the necessity of health education to raise the community’s awareness about the disease.
Quantitative Determination of 15 Active Components in Lepidium meyenii with UHPLC-PDA and GC-MS
Authors: Xu Yao-qing , Qiao San-yang , Wang Zi-qian , Cui Meng-yao , Tan Dao-peng , Feng Hong , Mei Xing-sha , Li Geng , Cheng Long
Published: September 2021

In this study, a method using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array (UHPLC-PDA) was established and validated for the simultaneous quantification of 10 active components, including eight macamides and two glucosinolates, in Lepidium meyenii (maca). A gas chromatographic mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) method was used to determine the levels of three benzyl isothiocyanates and two sterols in maca. Liquid chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters Acquity UHPLC HSS T3 column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.8 μm) with gradient elution over 15 min. The mobile phase was (B) acetonitrile-(A) 10 mM aqueous ammonium phosphate, and the detection wavelength was 210 nm. The gas chromatographic separation was performed on an SH-Rxi-1 MS column, and the ionization mode was electron ionization (EI). Two methods were confirmed to have desirable precision (RSD < 1.58%), repeatability (RSD < 1.97%), stability (RSD < 1.76%), and good linearity (R2 ≥ 0.999) within the test range. The recoveries were in the range of 96.79–109.99%, with an RSD below 2.39%. We applied the established methods and successfully analyzed 15 compounds in maca processed under different drying conditions, providing a comprehensive reference for maca processing method of development. In summary, this study provided two rapid and effective methods for the quantification of 15 active components, which contributed to the in-depth maca quality control and provided a reference for the development of maca products.
Comparison of Rat Connective Tissue Response to BioMTA, Angelus MTA, and Root MTA
Authors: Alimohammadi Marzieh , Mirzaee-Rad Sina , Feizi Farideh , Shirzad Juybari Hadi , Saeidi Akam , Gholinia Hemmat
Published: September 2021

Due to the widespread use of MTA in dentistry and various brands of this product, we decided to compare the three brands available in the country market by their biocompatibility. We divided 20 male Wistar rats into four groups. After local anesthesia and washing, we made two incisions on both sides (4 incisions in total). The experimental groups were Angelus MTA (Angelus, Brazil), BioMTA (CERKAMED, Poland), Root MTA (Dr. Lotfi, Tabriz, Iran), and the control group. The resulting paste was placed in a tube and implanted subcutaneously into male Wistar rats. Wistar rats were sacrificed 7, 15, 30, and 60 days later, with high anesthetic doses. The sample implanted in 10% formalin was stabilized after tissue processing and H&E staining under a microscope. The inflammatory reaction in the tissues received different scores at the beginning of the tube opening. BioMTA had the highest inflammatory response among the groups, but the difference was not statistically significant (

p

 > 0.05). Also, there was no significant difference between the groups’ granulation and calcification (

p

 < 0.05). There was a significant difference between BioMTA, Angelus MTA, Root MTA, and control groups in fibrous capsule formation (

p

 < 0.05). Angelus MTA showed the lowest mean fibrous capsule formation in all periods. The effects of Angelus MTA, Root MTA, and BioMTA on connective tissue were investigated and compared. According to this study, these materials have good biocompatibility. According to the findings and statistical analysis, Angelus MTA has the most biocompatibility.
Pore Structure Differentiation between Deltaic and Epicontinental Tight Sandstones of the Upper Paleozoic in the Eastern Linxing Area, Ordos Basin, China
Authors: Deng Jimei , Zeng Huan , Wu Peng , Du Jia , Gao Jixian , Zhao Fei , Jiang Zhixun
Published: September 2021

Research on tight gas reservoirs in the eastern margin of the Ordos Basin, China, has recently become a hot spot. This paper mainly studies the reservoir characteristics of tight sandstone in the north-central area close to the provenance in eastern Linxing. Cast thin section, scanning electron microscopy, high-pressure mercury injection, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were applied to discriminate the tight sandstone reservoir differences between the Permian Taiyuan and Shanxi formations in the study area. The results show that the deltaic tight sandstones in the Shanxi Formation are dominated by lithic quartz sandstone and lithic sandstone with an average porosity of 2.3% and permeability of 0.083 mD. The epicontinental tight sandstones in the Taiyuan Formation are mainly lithic sandstone and lithic quartz sandstone, with average porosities and permeabilities of 6.9% and 0.12 mD, respectively. The pore type is dominated by secondary dissolution pores, containing a small number of primary pores, and fractures are not developed. The capillary pressure curves of the Taiyuan Formation sandstone are mainly of low displacement pressure, high mercury saturation, and mercury withdrawal efficiency, while the Shanxi Formation sandstone is mainly of high displacement pressure, low mercury saturation, and withdrawal efficiency. The diagenetic evolution of sandstone in the Shanxi Formation is in meso-diagenesis stage A, and the Taiyuan Formation has entered meso-diagenesis stage B. The siliceous cement in the Taiyuan Formation sandstone enhanced the sandstone resistance to compaction and retained some residual intergranular pores. The pore types in the Shanxi Formation sandstone are all secondary pores, while secondary pores in the Taiyuan Formation sandstone account for approximately 90%. The results can be beneficial for tight gas production in the study area and similar basins.
Traditional Houses and Projective Geometry: Building Numbers and Projective Coordinates
Authors: Chen Wen-Haw , Ja’faruddin
Published: September 2021

The natural mathematical abilities of humans have advanced civilizations. These abilities have been demonstrated in cultural heritage, especially traditional houses, which display evidence of an intuitive mathematics ability. Tribes around the world have built traditional houses with unique styles. The present study involved the collection of data from documentation, observation, and interview. The observations of several traditional buildings in Indonesia were based on camera images, aerial camera images, and documentation techniques. We first analyzed the images of some sample of the traditional houses in Indonesia using projective geometry and simple house theory and then formulated the definitions of building numbers and projective coordinates. The sample of the traditional houses is divided into two categories which are stilt houses and nonstilt house. The present article presents 7 types of simple houses, 21 building numbers, and 9 projective coordinates.
Kolorektales Karzinom: Resektable Metastasen resezieren!
Authors: Raab Hans-Rudolf
Published: September 2021

Background: Tumor assessments after first-line therapy of RAS wild-type mCRC with cetuximab (cet) versus bevacizumab (bev) in combination with FOLFIRI were evaluated for factors influencing resectability, conversion to resectability, and survival after best response. Methods: Conversion to resectability was defined as conversion of initially unresectable to resectable disease at best response as determined by retrospective assessment. Univariate and multivariate logistic models were fitted with resectability at best response as response variable. A Cox model comparing the survival from best response was used to measure the influence of treatment, resectability at best response, and resection. Interaction of resection and treatment arm on survival was tested by likelihood ratio test. Results: Overall, 270 patients were evaluable (127 cet-arm, 143 bev-arm). Lung metastases (odds ratio [OR] 0.35, 95% confidence response [CI] 0.19–0.63), BRAF mutation (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.12–0.82), and elevated alkaline phosphatase (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.18–0.9) before randomization were associated with less chance of successful conversion and were integrated into a nomogram. Early tumor shrinkage (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.06–3.3; p 0.034) and depth of response (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01–1.03; p < 0.001) were associated with successful conversion therapy. Resection of metastases improved post-best-response survival (hazard ratio 0.53, 95% CI 0.29–0.97; p = 0.039), predominantely in cet-treated patients (interaction test, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Conversion to resectability is significantly associated with baseline characteristics that can be used in a nomogram to predict conversion. Moreover, early efficacy parameters (ETS and DpR) are associated with successful conversion therapy. In FIRE-3, resection of metastases was associated with improved post-best response survival, this effect originated predominantly from the cetuximab-based study arm.
Significados e interpretaciones del trabajo infantil en contexto rural y urbano
Authors: Avendaño Jenny , Castillo-Caicedo Maribel
Published: September 2021

(analítico)El artículo propicia la comprensión del problema del trabajo infantil rural y urbano desde perspectiva interpretativa, a partir de los significados y las conceptualizaciones de las acciones de la práctica del trabajo, propias de niños y niñas en una zona rural del municipio de Tello y en la ciudad de Neiva en el departamento del Huila, Colombia.El enfoque metodológico empleado es una aproximación a la teoría fundamentada, configurada a partir de tres substanciales categorías: el capital social, el reconocimiento y el enfoque de capacidades. Se producen hallazgos respecto a la diferenciación sobre la lectura que los niños y niñas construyen sobre el significado de trabajo infantil remunerado, doméstico y relacionado con la dinámica y los vínculos que se tejen en el hogar y el entorno escuela.
Palabras clave: Capital social, reconocimiento, capacidades, trabajo infantil.Tesauro de Ciencias Sociales de la Unesco.
Medische Ontwikkelingssamenwerking in Centraal-Afrika
Authors: De Schaepdryver André
Published: August 2021

Medical Development-Cooperation in Central Africa

The author describes the Project of Medical Cooperation between the Medical Faculties of the University of Ghent and the National University of Rwanda in Butare.

The objectives of this project, which started in 1966, were the following:

(1) to organize and dispense the theoretical education and practical training at the G.P.-level;

(2) to structure the postgraduate education of alumni selected for higher education posts;

(3) to take care of the postgraduate training of specialists;

(4) to organize the continuing education of health personnel;

(5) to promote and participate in medical research.

The results of the Project were, in 1984:

(1) at the level of health personnel: the education and training of 220 physicians, 19 university lecturers and 15 specialists;

(2) at the level of the infrastructure: the building of the Medical Faculty facilities, the pediatric and medical policlinics and clinics, the community health service for adults; the adaptation of the gynecological-obstetrical policlinic and clinic and of the community health service for children; the founding of the Faculty library, secretariat and workshop,

(3) at the research level: the founding and development of the University Center for Research on Traditional Pharmacopoeia and Medicine, aiming at:

a) the valorization and integration of traditional medicine;

b) the study of Rwandese medicinal plants;

c) the local production of pharmaceutical preparations of plant origin and organic raw materials.

The attention is drawn to the importance of the postgraduate education in Belgium, for periods of 5 years, of 25 Rwandese medical alumni, which resulted in 15 Ph.D. -theses and a nearly complete rwandization of the Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital in Butare.

A pairing Agreement Butare-Ghent has taken the relief of the Project, insuring its continuity through visiting lecturers, and the coaching of trainees and of research projects in various fields of the local pathology.
Ethnicity, voting and the promises of the independence movement in Mwanza, Tanzania
Authors: Malipula Mrisho Mbegu
Published: August 2021

This report explores influences of ethnicity on determining voters’ choices in Tanzania. It questions the dominant neo-patrimonial and hybrid approaches to African politics, which argue that primordial (traditional) ways of organising politics inform ethnic voting. This study deviates from ethnic structure theorists arguing that outcomes of elections are determined by the ability of ethnic groups to form minimum winning coalitions (MWCs). Instead, it looks at the ideational structure of nationalisation, driven mainly by the promises of the independence movement (PslM). The movement created an experiential and discursive framework that emphasises depoliticisation of ethnicity, peacefulness and national unity as ‘Tanzanian’ national values. The frame is intact despite Tanzania’s ethnic diversity and liberal socio-economic as well as political reforms it has undergone overtime. The report critically divulges this capacity to build a political organisation encompassing the political leaders, ideals of the independence movement and the people in informing voters’ choices.
A new species of Myxia (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cixiidae) collected on palms from the Reserva Privada el Silencio de Los Angeles Cloud Forest in Costa Rica
Authors: ECHAVARRIA MARCO A. ZUMBADO , BARRANTES EDWIN A. BARRANTES , BARTLETT CHARLES R. , HELMICK ERICKA E. , BAHDER BRIAN W.
Published: September 2021

A new species of Myxia Bahder & Bartlett (Cixiidae: Cixiinae: Oecleini) is established as Myxia hernandezi sp. n. collected from native palms in cloud forest habitat in Costa Rica. Placement in the genus Myxia is supported by molecular analysis of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 18S loci as well as morphological characters.
Recent changes in the atmospheric circulation patterns during the dry-to-wet transition season in south tropical South America (1979-2020): Impacts on precipitation and fire season
Authors: Espinoza Jhan-Carlo , Arias Paola A. , Moron Vincent , Junquas Clementine , Segura Hans , Sierra-Pérez Juan Pablo , Wongchuig Sly , Condom Thomas
Published: August 2021

We analyze the characteristics of atmospheric variations over tropical South America using the pattern recognition framework of weather typing or atmospheric circulation patterns (CPs). During 1979-2020, nine CPs are defined in the region, using a k-means algorithm based on daily unfiltered 850 hPa winds over 0035°N-30°S, 90°W-30°W. CPs are primarily interpreted as stages of the annual cycle of the low-level circulation. We identified three “winter” CPs (CP7, CP8 and CP9), three “summer” CPs (CP3, CP4 and CP5) and three “transitional” CPs (CP1, CP2 and CP6). Significant long-term changes are detected during the dry-to-wet transition season (July-October) over south tropical South America (STSA). One of the wintertime patterns (CP9) increases from 20% in the 1980s to 35% in the last decade while the “transitional” CP2 decreases from 13% to 7%. CP9 is characterized by enhancement of the South American Low-Level Jet and increasing atmospheric subsidence over STSA. CP2 is characterized by southerly cold-air incursions and anomalous convective activity over STSA. The years characterized by high (low) frequency of CP9 (CP2) during the dry-to-wet transition season are associated with a delayed South American Monsoon onset and anomalous dry conditions over STSA. Consistently, a higher frequency of CP9 intensifies the fire season over STSA (1999-2020). Over the Brazilian states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Goiás and São Paulo, the seasonal frequency of CP9 explains around 35%-44% of the interannual variations of fire counts.
Hematologic cancers in individuals infected by HIV
Authors: Carbone Antonino , Vaccher Emanuela , Gloghini Annunziata
Published: September 2021

HIV infection increases cancer risk and is linked to cancers associated to infectious agents classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Lymphomas represent one of the most frequent malignancies among individuals infected by HIV. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma remains a leading cancer after the introduction of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). The incidence of other lymphomas including Burkitt lymphoma, primary effusion lymphomas, and plasmablastic lymphoma of the oral cavity remain stable, whereas the incidence of Hodgkin lymphoma and Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)-associated multicentric Castleman disease has increased. The heterogeneity of lymphomas in individuals infected by HIV likely depends on the complexity of involved pathogenetic mechanisms (ie, HIV-induced immunosuppression, genetic abnormalities, cytokine dysregulation, and coinfection with the gammaherpesviruses Epstein-Barr virus and KSHV) and the dysregulation of the immune responses controlling these viruses. In the modern cART era, standard treatments for HIV-associated lymphoma including stem cell transplantation in relapsed/refractory disease mirror that of the general population. The combination of cART and antineoplastic treatments has resulted in remarkable prolongation of long-term survival. However, oncolytic and immunotherapic strategies and therapies targeting specific viral oncogenes will need to be developed.
A globally diverse reference alignment and panel for imputation of mitochondrial DNA variants
Authors: McInerney Tim W. , Fulton-Howard Brian , Patterson Christopher , Paliwal Devashi , Jermiin Lars S. , Patel Hardip R. , Pa Judy , Swerdlow Russell H. , Goate Alison , Easteal Simon , Andrews Shea J. ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: September 2021

Background

Variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) identified by genotyping microarrays or by sequencing only the hypervariable regions of the genome may be insufficient to reliably assign mitochondrial genomes to phylogenetic lineages or haplogroups. This lack of resolution can limit functional and clinical interpretation of a substantial body of existing mtDNA data. To address this limitation, we developed and evaluated a large, curated reference alignment of complete mtDNA sequences as part of a pipeline for imputing missing mtDNA single nucleotide variants (mtSNVs). We call our reference alignment and pipeline MitoImpute.

Results

We aligned the sequences of 36,960 complete human mitochondrial genomes downloaded from GenBank, filtered and controlled for quality. These sequences were reformatted for use in imputation software, IMPUTE2. We assessed the imputation accuracy of MitoImpute by measuring haplogroup and genotype concordance in data from the 1000 Genomes Project and the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). The mean improvement of haplogroup assignment in the 1000 Genomes samples was 42.7% (Matthew’s correlation coefficient = 0.64). In the ADNI cohort, we imputed missing single nucleotide variants.

Conclusion

These results show that our reference alignment and panel can be used to impute missing mtSNVs in existing data obtained from using microarrays, thereby broadening the scope of functional and clinical investigation of mtDNA. This improvement may be particularly useful in studies where participants have been recruited over time and mtDNA data obtained using different methods, enabling better integration of early data collected using less accurate methods with more recent sequence data.