Journal articles on the topic 'ARF Western Region'
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Pathak, Harshavardhana Sunil, Sreedharan Krishnakumari Satheesh, Krishnaswamy Krishna Moorthy, and Ravi Shankar Nanjundiah. "Assessment of regional aerosol radiative effects under the SWAAMI campaign – Part 2: Clear-sky direct shortwave radiative forcing using multi-year assimilated data over the Indian subcontinent." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 20, no. 22 (November 23, 2020): 14237–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14237-2020.
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Abstract. Clear-sky, direct shortwave aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) has been estimated over the Indian region, for the first time employing multi-year (2009–2013) gridded, assimilated aerosol products, as an important part of the South West Asian Aerosol Monsoon Interactions (SWAAMI) which is a joint Indo-UK research field campaign focused at understanding the variabilities in atmospheric aerosols and their interactions with the Indian summer monsoon. The aerosol datasets have been constructed following statistical assimilation of concurrent data from a dense network of ground-based observatories and multi-satellite products, as described in Part 1 of this two-part paper. The ARF, thus estimated, is assessed for its superiority or otherwise over other ARF estimates based on satellite-retrieved aerosol products, over the Indian region, by comparing the radiative fluxes (upward) at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) estimated using assimilated and satellite products with spatiotemporally matched radiative flux values provided by CERES (Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System) single-scan footprint (SSF) product. This clearly demonstrated improved accuracy of the forcing estimates using the assimilated vis-à-vis satellite-based aerosol datasets at regional, subregional and seasonal scales. The regional distribution of diurnally averaged ARF estimates has revealed (a) significant differences from similar estimates made using currently available satellite data, not only in terms of magnitude but also the sign of TOA forcing; (b) the largest magnitudes of surface cooling and atmospheric warming over the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) and arid regions from north-western India; and (c) negative TOA forcing over most parts of the Indian region, except for three subregions – the IGP, north-western India and eastern parts of peninsular India where the TOA forcing changes to positive during pre-monsoon season. Aerosol-induced atmospheric warming rates, estimated using the assimilated data, demonstrate substantial spatial heterogeneities (∼0.2 to 2.0 K d−1) over the study domain with the IGP demonstrating relatively stronger atmospheric heating rates (∼0.6 to 2.0 K d−1). There exists a strong seasonality as well, with atmospheric warming being highest during pre-monsoon and lowest during winter seasons. It is to be noted that the present ARF estimates demonstrate substantially smaller uncertainties than their satellite counterparts, which is a natural consequence of reduced uncertainties in assimilated vis-à-vis satellite aerosol properties. The results demonstrate the potential application of the assimilated datasets and ARF estimates for improving accuracies of climate impact assessments at regional and subregional scales.
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Quinn, Anthony, Kent Ward, Vincent A. Fischetti, Mark Hemric, and Madeleine W. Cunningham. "Immunological Relationship between the Class I Epitope of Streptococcal M Protein and Myosin." Infection and Immunity 66, no. 9 (September 1, 1998): 4418–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/iai.66.9.4418-4424.1998.
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ABSTRACT The class I epitope of streptococcal M protein is an epidemiological marker for acute rheumatic fever (ARF)-associated serotypes of group A streptococci and is recognized by anti-M protein monoclonal antibody (MAb) 10B6. Using MAb 10B6, we determined the relationship between the class I epitope of M protein and the α-helical coiled-coil protein myosin. MAb 10B6 reacted by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blotting with human cardiac myosin and rabbit skeletal myosin and its heavy meromyosin (HMM) subfragment. Overlapping synthetic peptides of M5 protein were used to identify the region of M5 protein recognized by MAb 10B6. Two C repeat peptides (C2A and C3) containing the amino acid sequence KGLRRDLDASREAK reacted with MAb 10B6. Partial sequence identity, RRDL, was found in the HMM fragment of myosin, which reacted with MAb 10B6. However, not all peptides of M5 protein and myosin containing the RRDL sequence reacted with MAb 10B6. ARF sera and sera from uncomplicated pharyngitis (UNC) reacted with C repeat region peptides of M protein, while acute glomerulonephritis sera were not as reactive. Affinity-purified human antibody to peptide C3 reacted with myosin. The data demonstrate that the class I epitope of M protein is immunologically cross-reactive with myosin and the HMM subfragment, and antibodies to peptide C3 and myosin were present in ARF and UNC sera.
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O’Neil, Jennifer, Joelle Tchinda, Alejandro Gutierrez, Lisa Moreau, Keith McKenna, Richard Maser, Kwok-Kin Wong, et al. "Large Scale Copy Number Variation Upregulates the Expression of MYB in Human T-ALL." Blood 108, no. 11 (November 16, 2006): 1408. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood.v108.11.1408.1408.
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Abstract Using comparative genome hybridization (array CGH), we have discovered a small area of increased copy number on the long arm of chromosome 6 in 8 out of 20 (40%) T-ALL cell lines. The region of increased copy number is very small, containing only one gene, MYB, the cellular homolog of the avian oncogene v-myb. By performing fiber-FISH on these cell lines, we have shown that the increased copy number results from a discrete tandem duplication of the MYB gene on one allele. Although myb is a frequent target of retroviral insertional activation in screens for oncogenes whose overexpression accelerates the onset of murine T-ALL, its overexpression and increased copy number has not previously been implicated in human T-ALL. Using gene expression profiling and Western blotting, we have demonstrated that the duplication in human T-ALL results in increased levels of MYB expression. Furthermore, using quantitative PCR we have confirmed that this tandem duplication occurs in primary human T-ALL samples. In our studies to date, MYB tandem duplication and overexpression appears to occur as part of the major multistep molecular pathway in T-ALL that affects a majority of cases, in which the leukemic cells also have TAL1/SCL and LMO1/2 overexpression, and NOTCH1 gene activating mutations, together with homozygous deletion of the INK4A/ARF locus. We are currently determining the mechanism through which MYB overexpression contributes to the pathogenesis of T-ALL by siRNA knockdown in T-ALL cell lines. Our finding of MYB tandem gene duplication differs from classic forms of oncogene amplification involving double minutes or homogenously staining regions. It is possible that MYB copy number is increased through a novel somatic mechanism of allele-specific, tandem duplication of a small genomic region during the process of malignant transformation. Another possibility is suggested by recent studies documenting that inherited large-scale copy number variation (CNV) accounts for much of the phenotypic diversity within human populations. Further studies will be needed to determine whether MYB tandem duplication is present in the germline DNA of T-ALL patients, which if identified, would provide the first example of an inherited CNV functioning as a mechanism of cancer susceptibility.
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Gaikwad, Sushma, and Tabassum Khan. "PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PLANT ZIZIPHUS RUGOSA LAM." Indian Drugs 60, no. 03 (April 7, 2023): 40–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.53879/id.60.03.13631.
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Ziziphus rugosa Lam. a member of the Rhamnaceae family, is found in the semi-evergreen forests of the Western Ghat region, India. This plant is used in many traditional formulations owing to its benefits in miscarriage, misconception, syphilis, tachycardia, diarrhea, flatulence, dropsy, skin diseases, boils, mouth ulcer and hysteria. Successive extracts of Z. rugosa Lam. leaves were prepared using solvents of increasing polarity ranging from petroleum ether (60-80 °C) to water using the Soxhlet extraction method. The methanol extract of the leaves was used to prepare alkaloid rich fraction as per reported method and the total alkaloid content determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The extracts and the ARF were screened for antibacterial activity using selected Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial strains and ciprofloxacin as the reference standard. HR-LCMS was performed to identify the phytoconstituents present in the alkaloid rich fraction. Phytochemical studies of the extracts indicated the presence of tannins, phenolics, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids and glycosides. The antimicrobial screening data indicated the extracts to exhibit concentration dependent inhibition of the test bacteria. The alkaloid rich fraction exhibited the best activity, significantly better than the solvent extracts across the selected panel of bacteria. The methanol and aqueous extracts showed moderate activity while the dichloromethane, pet ether and the ethyl acetate extracts were weakly active. HR-LCMS studies of the alkaloid rich fraction indicated the presence of several alkaloids detected for the first time in this plant. The observed bioactivity and traditional use warrants more investigations on this plant that would result in isolation and identification of new actives from this plant of immense traditional utility and maximizing its spectrum of utility.
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Swaminathan, Srividya, Chuanxin Huang, Bjorn Titz, Maike Buchner, Huimin Geng, Thomas G. Graeber, Cheryl L. Willman, Kazuhiko Igarashi, Ari Melnick, and Markus Muschen. "BACH2 Mediates Early B Cell Differentiation and Oncogene-Induced Senescence in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia." Blood 118, no. 21 (November 18, 2011): 562. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood.v118.21.562.562.
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Abstract Abstract 562FN2 Background: The BACH2 (BTB and CNC homology, basic leucine zipper transcription factor 2) transcription factor is required for class-switch recombination and somatic hypermutation of immunoglobulin genes during affinity maturation of mature germinal center B cells. Interestingly, we and others found that BACH2 is strongly upregulated in BCR-ABL1-transformed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) cells upon treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). Results: Bach2 mRNA levels are significantly lower in Ph+ ALL (n=72) compared to normal human bone marrow pre-B cells (n=10). We next studied 49 samples pairs from patients with childhood ALL at diagnosis and relapse. In 44 of these sample pairs, the relapse sample showed drastically reduced mRNA levels of Bach2 (p=0.019), suggesting that loss of BACH2 expression is associated with relapse of childhood ALL. Consistent with these findings, an independent study (Children's Oncology Group; NCT00005603) demonstrated that BACH2 mRNA levels in childhood ALL samples at diagnosis negatively correlated with early minimal residual disease (MRD) findings on day 29 (n=207; p<0.0001). Compared to normal pre-B cells (n=5), CpG islands in the BACH2 promoter were hypermethylated in Ph+ ALL cells (n=70). A detailed sequence analysis of the BACH2 coding region in 10 primary cases of Ph+ ALL revealed 7 unique point mutations including 5 amino acid changes in the BACH2 BTB domain. These findings suggest that BACH2 is affected by somatic mutations in a fraction of cases of Ph+ ALL. To study the role of Bach2 in pre-B ALL in a genetic experiment, we transformed pre-B cells from Bach2−/− mice with BCR-ABL1. An Affymetrix GeneChip analysis revealed that many of the genes that are differentially expressed between Bach2+/+ and Bach2−/− ALL cells are shared with a common gene expression signature reflecting TKI-treatment and inducible deletion of Myc or Stat5a/Stat5b. Interestingly, Bach2−/− normal pre-B cells lack the ability to upregulate expression of Rag1 and Rag2. The two Rag enzymes are required for Vk-Jk gene recombination and as a consequence, Bach2−/− pre-B cells fail to differentiate into k light chain expressing B cells. Besides this unexpected role in early B cell differentiation, quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot confirmed that Bach2 is also required for expression of the tumor suppressors Cdkn2a (Arf), p53 and Btg2. Consistent with extremely low protein levels of Arf and p53 in Bach2−/− leukemia cells, Bach2−/− ALL cells are more resistant to Imatinib-treatment, more actively proliferating (increased S-phase; p=0.02) and exhibit a ∼90-fold increased ability to form colonies in methyl cellulose (p=0.001). While BCR-ABL1-transformed pre-B ALL cells already express Myc at high levels, forced overexpression of Myc through a retroviral vector results in oncogene-induced senescence (OIS; senescence-associated b-galactosidase+) and subsequent apoptosis (Annexin V+). Whereas Bach2+/+ leukemia cells are non-permissive to forced Myc expression and die within four days following OIS, Bach2−/− ALL cells tolerate forced expression of Myc and evade OIS and subsequent cell death. Similarly, overexpression of Myc alone fails to transform Bach2+/+ pre-B cells. By contrast, retroviral overexpression of Myc results in rapid transformation and growth factor-independence of Bach2−/− pre-B cells. Bach2−/− Myc-high pre-B cells cause fatal leukemia in 100% of recipient mice within 22 days, whereas all mice that received Bach2+/+ Myc-high pre-B cells survived without signs of disease until day 67, when all mice were sacrificed and analyzed for MRD by flow cytometry and PCR. No evidence of MRD was detected in most mice injected with Bach2+/+ Myc-high pre-B cells. Three mice had positive MRD PCR findings, however, at 4 log orders below findings in mice injected with Bach2−/− Myc-high pre-B cells. Conclusions: These findings collectively identify Bach2 as a barrier mechanism against malignant transformation of pre-B cells. Bach2 is required for induction of Arf and p53 expression in the context of OIS. BACH2 is often hypermethylated at its promoter or somatically mutated in regions encoding its BTB domain. Consistent with these findings, lack of Bach2 mRNA expression is predictive of positive MRD at day 29 and associated with relapse of childhood ALL. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
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Lin, Min, Erin Trottier, and John Pasick. "Antibody Responses of Pigs to Defined Erns Fragments after Infection with Classical Swine Fever Virus." Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology 12, no. 1 (January 2005): 180–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/cdli.12.1.180-186.2005.
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ABSTRACT Antibody responses of pigs to defined Erns fragments, after classical swine fever virus (CSFV) infection, were studied by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Selection of various Erns fragments was based on an immunodominant Erns region encompassing three overlapping antigenic regions, amino acids 65 to 145 (Erns aa 65-145) (AR1), 84 to 160 (Erns aa 84-160) (AR2), and 109 to 220 (Erns aa 10 9-220) (AR3), identified earlier by our group (M. Lin, E. Trottier, J. Pasick, and M. Sabara, J. Biochem., in press). Defined Erns fragments, including AR1, AR2, AR3, Erns aa 65-160 (AR12), Erns aa 84-220 (AR23), Erns aa 65-220 (AR123), Erns aa 109-145 (the consensus region defined by the three overlapping regions), and Erns aa 109-160 (a fragment 15 amino acids larger than the consensus region), were expressed in Escherichia coli, purified by nickel chelate affinity chromatography, and used to measure antibody responses in 20 sera serially collected from pigs experimentally infected with CSFV. Based on the optimum cutoffs determined by receiver operating characteristic analysis after testing 238 negative field sera from Canadian sources, all the Erns fragments were capable of distinguishing positive from negative antibody responses with sensitivities ranging between 75 and 90% and specificities ranging between 83.2 and 100%. Detection of antibody responses to refolded Erns aa 109-145 and Erns aa 109-160 by ELISA (this study) but not by Western blots (Lin et al., in press) indicated that the epitopes within the consensus region are conformational. When cutoff values were raised to give a specificity of 100%, four Erns fragments (AR2, AR23, Erns aa 109-145, and Erns aa 109-160) offered much higher sensitivities (75 to 90%) than those obtained with other fragments (20 to 65%). Erns aa 109-145 and Erns aa 109-160 were capable of detecting antibody responses in infected pigs as early as 7 days postinfection. Demonstration of antibody responses to either one of the four fragments can thus be an alternative to use of the full-length protein in ELISA for serological diagnosis of CSFV infection. An advantage of such a test would be its utilization for serological survey in a classical swine fever-free country (e.g., Canada) in biocontainment level 2 laboratories.
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Skorokhod, Iryna, Petro Skrypchuk, Halyna Shpak, Vasyl Chemerys, and Roman Yakubiv. "Assessment of efficiency of the organic production development in Western Polissia regions." Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal 8, no. 4 (December 20, 2022): 134–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.51599/are.2022.08.04.06.
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Purpose. The purpose of the article is to assess the socio-ecological and economic efficiency of the organic land-use through the economic substantiation of the organic production development in the Western Polissia regions and its impact on the population health.
Methodology / approach. We used general scientific and special research methods for the study. With methods of comparisons, extrapolations, correlations and the regression analysis, we could give an ecological and economical estimate for costs using for the organic land-use engineering and for the feasibility evaluation of the organic production development. The synthesis method was useful in determining the socio-economic efficiency of growing organic products. The State Statistics Service data, collections of health indicators and the activities of medical institutions in the Rivne region became the initial basis for the present study.
Results. We made the scientific rationale for the organic production development in the Western Polissia, namely, in Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr and Kyiv regions, determined the stabilizing costs for the quality condition of 1 hectare of agricultural land. Moreover, the absence of a direct and close relationship between the agro-ecological indicators of soils and the rate of land certification was proved. It was proposed to use the economic criteria for the agricultural land suitability relative to the organic production, as they are defined as informational rather than restrictive. Mathematical modeling helped to evidence the existence of a relationship between the volume of mineral fertilizers applied per hectare of sown area and the level of the population oncological morbidity exemplified by Rivne region, resulting in mathematical models obtained and applied for the predictive estimates of health problems among the population in Rivne region for the coming years.
Originality / scientific novelty. For the first time, the assessment of the socio-economic efficiency of the organic land use was carried out with the involvement of economic justification for the development of organic production in Western Polissia regions and its impact on the population health.
Practical value / implications. Key results of the study are primarily actionable for determining the ecological and economic substantiation of the development advisability of the organic production through the implementation of the ecological and economic appraisal of costs using for the organic land-use engineering. In addition to it, another key result is to set the level of reduction in the population morbidity due to a decrease in mineral fertilizers applicable per hectare of sown area.
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Naty, Alexander. "Environment, Society and the State in Western Eritrea." Africa 72, no. 4 (November 2002): 569–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/afr.2002.72.4.569.
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AbstractThis article examines the relationship between the environment, society and the state in the Gash–Setit region of western Eritrea. Through an analysis of the environmental narrative of the local communities and the state, it explores the factors that have contributed to the environmental crisis in the region. These factors include population resettlement, the agricultural development policy of the state, war, drought and the collapse of traditional management of the environment. The combined effects have created environmental stresses which have far-reaching implications for state–society and inter-community relations. The analysis draws on historical, cultural and political dimensions in seeking to understand relations between the environment, society and the state.
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Zhao, Heng, Midori A. Yenari, Danye Cheng, Odmara L. Barreto-Chang, Robert M. Sapolsky, and Gary K. Steinberg. "Bcl-2 Transfection via Herpes Simplex Virus Blocks Apoptosis-Inducing Factor Translocation after Focal Ischemia in the Rat." Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism 24, no. 6 (June 2004): 681–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.wcb.0000127161.89708.a5.
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Apoptosis plays a critical role in many neurologic diseases, including stroke. Cytochrome c release and activation of various caspases are known to occur after focal and global ischemia. However, recent reports indicate that caspase-independent pathways may also be involved in ischemic damage. Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is a novel flavoprotein that helps mediate caspase-independent apoptotic cell death. AIF translocates from mitochondria to nuclei where it induces caspase-independent DNA fragmentation. Bcl-2, a mitochondrial membrane protein, protects against apoptotic and necrotic death induced by different insults, including cerebral ischemia. In the present study, Western blots confirmed that AIF was normally confined to mitochondria but translocated to nuclei or cytosol 8, 24, and 48 hours after onset of ischemia. Overall, AIF protein levels also increased after stroke. Confocal microscopy further demonstrated that nuclear AIF translocation occurred in the peri-infarct region but not in the ischemic core where only some cytosolic AIF release was observed. Our data also suggest that AIF translocated into nuclei after cytochrome c was released into the cytosol. Bcl-2 transfection in the peri-infarct region blocked nuclear AIF translocation and improved cortical neuron survival.
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Biermann, Olivia, Knut Lönnroth, Maxine Caws, and Kerri Viney. "Factors influencing active tuberculosis case-finding policy development and implementation: a scoping review." BMJ Open 9, no. 12 (December 2019): e031284. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031284.
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ObjectiveTo explore antecedents, components and influencing factors on active case-finding (ACF) policy development and implementation.DesignScoping review, searching MEDLINE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the World Health Organization (WHO) Library from January 1968 to January 2018. We excluded studies focusing on latent tuberculosis (TB) infection, passive case-finding, childhood TB and studies about effectiveness, yield, accuracy and impact without descriptions of how this evidence has/could influence ACF policy or implementation. We included any type of study written in English, and conducted frequency and thematic analyses.ResultsSeventy-three articles fulfilled our eligibility criteria. Most (67%) were published after 2010. The studies were conducted in all WHO regions, but primarily in Africa (22%), Europe (23%) and the Western-Pacific region (12%). Forty-one percent of the studies were classified as quantitative, followed by reviews (22%) and qualitative studies (12%). Most articles focused on ACF for tuberculosis contacts (25%) or migrants (32%). Fourteen percent of the articles described community-based screening of high-risk populations. Fifty-nine percent of studies reported influencing factors for ACF implementation; mostly linked to the health system (eg, resources) and the community/individual (eg, social determinants of health). Only two articles highlighted factors influencing ACF policy development (eg, politics). Six articles described WHO’s ACF-related recommendations as important antecedent for ACF. Key components of successful ACF implementation include health system capacity, mechanisms for integration, education and collaboration for ACF.ConclusionWe identified some main themes regarding the antecedents, components and influencing factors for ACF policy development and implementation. While we know much about facilitators and barriers for ACF policy implementation, we know less abouthowto strengthen those facilitators andhowto overcome those barriers. A major knowledge gap remains when it comes to understanding which contextual factors influence ACF policy development. Research is required to understand, inform and improve ACF policy development and implementation.
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Xu, Daolong, Xiaowen Yu, Jin Chen, Haijing Liu, Yaxin Zheng, Hanting Qu, and Yuying Bao. "Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Fungi Diversity in the Root–Rhizosphere–Soil of Tetraena mongolica, Sarcozygium xanthoxylon, and Nitraria tangutorum Bobr in Western Ordos, China." Agronomy 13, no. 6 (May 28, 2023): 1485. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13061485.
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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are considered to be an essential indicator of ecosystem biodiversity and can increase a plant’s ability to withstand arid conditions. Despite the obvious significance of AMF in the root and rhizosphere system, little is known about how the AMF variety varies between the soil and roots of endangered plants and how this varies depending on habitats in dry and semiarid regions. This study aimed to address this research gap by investigating the characteristics and diversity of AMF colonization in Zygophyllaceae. Using Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing, indigenous AMF in the roots and rhizosphere soil of three endangered plants (Tetraena mongolica, Sarcozygium xanthoxylon, and Nitraria tangutorum Bobr) were investigated. The three threatened plants had different AMF populations in their root and rhizosphere soils, according to a hierarchical clustering analysis. AMF communities in rhizosphere soil were more sensitive to LDA than root AMF communities based on linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe). Glomus, Septoglomus, and Rhizophagus were seen to function as dominant fungi as the soil and root AMF populations carried out their various tasks in the soil and roots as a cohesive collective. Distance-based redundancy analysis (db-RDA) showed that pH, total phosphorus, and accessible potassium were closely associated with AMF communities. The pH of the soil appears to be an important factor in determining AMF community stability. These findings can serve as a guide for the use of AM fungus in the rehabilitation of agricultural land in arid regions. In summary, our work contributed new knowledge for the scientific preservation of these endangered plant species and for the further investigation of the symbiotic link between AMF and endangered plant species.
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Hadi, Mehdi, Mohamad Vahidinia, and Nasrollah Abbassi. "Ilerdian–cuisian Alveolinids from the Western Alborz and Eastern Iran Zones: Systematic and Biostratigraphic Implications." Journal of Foraminiferal Research 49, no. 2 (April 18, 2019): 141–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.2113/gsjfr.49.2.141.
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Abstract The alveolinid taxa, found in three stratigraphic sections of Eocene shallow-marine successions in the western Alborz (Baghdareh and Gheynarjeh sections) and eastern Iran (Chenesht section) regions, have been studied to determine their systematics and biostratigraphy for the first time. The rich alveolinid assemblages in these regions are correlated with coeval faunas (in shallow benthic zones) of the Tethyan province. The 29 species of alveolinids identified include: Glomalveolina lepidula, Alveolina ellipsoidalis, A. moussoulensis, A. subpyrenaica, A. aff. sakaraensis, A. tumida, A. decipiens, A. pisiformis, A. aragonensis, A. laxa, A. ilerdensis, A. rotundata, A. gr. guidonis, A. elliptica nuttalli, A. citrea, A. cf. citrea, A. cf. rugosa, A. cf. distefanoi, A. cf. montanarii, A. cremae, A. gr. cremae, A. cf. minuta, A. canavarii, A. oblonga, A. decastroi, A. aff. haymanensis, A. bayburtensis, A. frumentiformis, and A. aff. palermitana. On the basis of their distribution ranges, five Tethyan foraminiferal biozones have been recorded from the middle Ilerdian and Cuisian (SBZ7–8 and SBZ10–12) sedimentary successions. The data imply a close affinity between the studied area and other localities in the western Tethyan province.
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Cassol, Henrique L. G., Lucas G. Domingues, Alber H. Sanchez, Luana S. Basso, Luciano Marani, Graciela Tejada, Egidio Arai, et al. "Determination of Region of Influence Obtained by Aircraft Vertical Profiles Using the Density of Trajectories from the HYSPLIT Model." Atmosphere 11, no. 10 (October 9, 2020): 1073. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/atmos11101073.
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Aircraft atmospheric profiling is a valuable technique for determining greenhouse gas fluxes at regional scales (104–106 km2). Here, we describe a new, simple method for estimating the surface influence of air samples that uses backward trajectories based on the Lagrangian model Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT). We determined “regions of influence” on a quarterly basis between 2010 and 2018 for four aircraft vertical profile sites: SAN and ALF in the eastern Amazon, and RBA and TAB or TEF in the western Amazon. We evaluated regions of influence in terms of their relative sensitivity to areas inside and outside the Amazon and their total area inside the Amazon. Regions of influence varied by quarter and less so by year. In the first and fourth quarters, the contribution of the region of influence inside the Amazon was 83–93% for all sites, while in the second and third quarters, it was 57–75%. The interquarter differences are more evident in the eastern than in the western Amazon. Our analysis indicates that atmospheric profiles from the western sites are sensitive to 42–52.2% of the Amazon. In contrast, eastern Amazon sites are sensitive to only 10.9–25.3%. These results may help to spatially resolve the response of greenhouse gas emissions to climate variability over Amazon.
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Onyeka-Ubaka, J. N., M. A. Halid, and R. K. Ogundeji. "Optimal Stochastic Forecast Models of Rainfall in South-West Region of Nigeria." International Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Optimization: Theory and Applications 7, no. 2 (November 16, 2021): 1–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.52968/28306097.
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Rainfall estimates are important components of water resources applications, especially in agriculture, transport constructing irrigation and drainage systems. This paper aims to stochastically model and forecast the rainfall trend and pattern for a city, each purposively selected in five states of the South-Western Region of Nigeria. The data collected from Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) website are captured with fractional autoregressive integrated moving average (ARFIMA) and seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) models. The autocorrelation function (ACF) and partial autocorrelation function (PACF) are used for model identification, the models selected are subjected to diagnostic checks for the models adequacy. Several tests: Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF), Ljung Box and Jarque Bera tests are used for investigating unit root, serial autocorrelation and normality of residuals, respectively; the mean square error, root mean square error and mean absolute error are employed in validating the optimal stochastic model for each city in all states, in which the model with the lowest error of forecasting of all competing models is suggested as the best. The analyses and findings suggest SARIMA(1,0,1)(1,1,0) [12], SARIMA(3,0,2)(1,0,0) [12], SARIMA(1,0,0)(1,1,0) [12], SARIMA(2,0,2)(2,1,0) [12] and SARIMA(0,0,1)(1,1,0) [12] for (Ibadan) Oyo State, (Ikorodu) Lagos State, (Osogbo) Osun State, (Abeokuta) Ogun State and (Akure) Ondo state, respectively. The seasonal ARIMA (SARIMA) model was proven to be the best optimal stochastic forecast model for forecasting rainfall in the selected cities. The SARIMA model was, therefore, recommended as a veritable technique that will assist decision makers (Government, Farmers, and Policymakers) to establish better strategies “aprior” on the management of rainfall against upcoming weather changes to ensure increase in agricultural yields for the betterment of the citizenry and general economic growth.
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Djeugap, Joseph Fovo, Arielle Lina Ella Meyia, Marie Solange Mandou, Henry Chotangui Asafor, Nicky Joliesse Koagne Nouteka, Solange Meka, and Souleymanou Adamou. "Growth, late blight and yield response of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation in West region of Cameroon." Agricultura Tropica et Subtropica 56, no. 1 (January 1, 2023): 163–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/ats-2023-0018.
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Abstract The crop protection system in Cameroon is mainly based on the use of chemical pesticides which can lead to human and environmental health problems. Biological control is a low-cost and eco-friendly alternative control method that could be used to boost the production of quality potatoes. This study aims to test a biological control approach for potato growth, late blight, and yield using arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) inoculants. To achieve this, a split-plot experimental design consisting of two factors: potato varieties (Pamela and Cipira) and AMF dose (0 g, 20 g, and 40 g per plant) was used. Results showed that the interaction between variety and AMF doses was significant for growth variables for the treatment Cipira × 20 g AMF/plant showing the highest plant height (48.0 cm) at the 4th week after sowing (WAS). In addition, the combination of variety and AMF doses significantly reduced late blight incidence and severity, with the best result exhibited by Pamela variety × 40 g AMF/plant (53% and 10%, respectively). The treatments also showed a significant effect on root colonization, with Pamela × 40 g AMF/plant exhibiting the highest arbuscular content in the root system (93%). In terms of yield, the interaction between variety and AMF doses had a significant effect on tuber yields, with a yield of 50 and 55 t/ha recorded for Pamela at 20 g of AMF/plant and 40 g of AMF/plant, respectively. These results show that farm management practices based on AMF inoculations could efficiently increase potato productivity in the Western Highlands of Cameroon.
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Doyle, Shane. "The Cwezi-Kubandwa Debate: Gender, Hegemony and Pre-Colonial Religion in Bunyoro, Western Uganda." Africa 77, no. 4 (November 2007): 559–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/afr.2007.77.4.559.
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AbstractThe Cwezi-kubandwa cult was the most prominent form of religious belief in the interlacustrine region of East Africa during the pre-colonial period. It has long been regarded as providing ideological support to monarchical regimes across the region. Recently, though, scholars have contrasted the hegemonic ambitions of the state with evidence that Cwezi-kubandwa also provided opponents of pre-colonial authority structures with both ideological and organizational resources. In particular historians of the cult have hypothesized that Cwezi-kubandwa offered women a refuge from patriarchal political and domestic institutions, and that Cwezi-kubandwa was dominated by women in terms of its leadership, membership and idioms. This article challenges the new orthodoxy by suggesting that both traditional religion's hegemonic and counter-hegemonic roles may have been over-estimated. A re-examination of the Nyoro sources indicates instead that Cwezi-kubandwa was far from homogeneous and dominant, that kubandwa was not obviously oppositional to other, supposedly male-dominated, religious beliefs, and that Cwezi-kubandwa brought female exploitation as well as empowerment. These findings require either a re-evaluation of the nature of Cwezi-kubandwa across the region, or recognition that the cult was much more geographically diverse than has hitherto been believed.
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Tropeano, Maria Pia, Riccardo Spaggiari, Hernán Ileyassoff, Kee B. Park, Angelos G. Kolias, Peter J. Hutchinson, and Franco Servadei. "A comparison of publication to TBI burden ratio of low- and middle-income countries versus high-income countries: how can we improve worldwide care of TBI?" Neurosurgical Focus 47, no. 5 (November 2019): E5. http://dx.doi.org/10.3171/2019.8.focus19507.
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OBJECTIVETraumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global public health problem and more than 70% of trauma-related deaths are estimated to occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Nevertheless, there is a consistent lack of data from these countries. The aim of this work is to estimate the capacity of different and heterogeneous areas of the world to report and publish data on TBI. In addition, we wanted to estimate the countries with the highest and lowest number of publications when taking into account the relative TBI burden.METHODSFirst, a bibliometric analysis of all the publications about TBI available in the PubMed database from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2018, was performed. These data were tabulated by country and grouped according to each geographical region as indicated by the WHO: African Region (AFR), Region of the Americas (PAH), South-East Asia Region (SEAR), European Region (EUR), Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), and Western Pacific Region (WPR). In this analysis, PAH was further subdivided into Latin America (AMR-L) and North America (AMR-US/Can). Then a “publication to TBI volume ratio” was derived to estimate the research interest in TBI with respect to the frequency of this pathology.RESULTSBetween 2008 and 2018 a total of 8144 articles were published and indexed in the PubMed database about TBI. Leading WHO regions in terms of contributions were AMR-US/Can with 4183 articles (51.36%), followed by EUR with 2003 articles (24.60%), WPR with 1507 (18.50%), AMR-L with 141 articles (1.73%), EMR with 135 (1.66%), AFR with 91 articles (1.12%), and SEAR with 84 articles (1.03%). The highest publication to TBI volume ratios were found for AMR-US/Can (90.93) and EUR (21.54), followed by WPR (8.71) and AMR-L (2.43). Almost 90 times lower than the ratio of AMR-US/Can were the ratios for AFR (1.15) and SEAR (0.46).CONCLUSIONSAn important disparity currently exists between countries with a high burden of TBI and those in which most of the research is conducted. A call for improvement of data collection and research outputs along with an increase in international collaboration could quantitatively and qualitatively improve the ability of LMICs to ameliorate TBI care and develop clinical practice guidelines.
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Martin, Elinor R., and Courtney Schumacher. "The Relationship between Tropical Warm Pool Precipitation, Sea Surface Temperature, and Large-Scale Vertical Motion in IPCC AR4 Models." Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 69, no. 1 (January 1, 2012): 185–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/jas-d-11-0104.1.
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Abstract A regime sorting analysis is used to identify Caribbean and western Pacific precipitation, sea surface temperature, and large-scale vertical circulation relationships and biases within coupled and uncoupled Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC AR4) general circulation models. This analysis shows that an oversensitivity of precipitation to both SST and vertical circulation (as represented by ω500) is inherent in the atmospheric models in both regions, with models using a spectral-type convective parameterization performing best in the Caribbean, but less separation between convective parameterization groups is seen in the western Pacific. The error in magnitude of precipitation for a given SST and vertical circulation causes uncoupled models to overestimate Caribbean and western Pacific mean precipitation. In coupled models, however, errors in the frequency of occurrence of SSTs (the distribution is cold biased in both regions) and deep convective vertical circulations (reduced frequency) lead to an underestimation of Caribbean and western Pacific mean precipitation. In the western Pacific, increased frequency of subsidence regimes in coupled models leads to an overestimation of precipitation at ω500 values above 0 hPa day−1. The varied ability of convective parameterization groups in the two warm pool regions suggests that deficiencies in parameterization groups differ between the two regions, with improvements needed particularly in the deep convective regime in the Caribbean and subsidence regimes in the western Pacific.
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Beridze, Berika, Katarzyna Sękiewicz, Łukasz Walas, Irina Danelia, Vahid Farzaliyev, Giorgi Kvartskhava, Janusz Szmyt, and Monika Dering. "Niche modelling suggests low feasibility of assisted gene flow for a Neogene relict tree, Castanea sativa Mill." Dendrobiology 90 (October 11, 2023): 58–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.12657/denbio.090.005.
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Abstract: As many tree species populations are being degraded by climate change, adaptive conservation, and forest management, such as assisted gene flow (AGF), can provide the genetic variation needed to adapt to climate change. The core of this strategy is to assist the adaptation process in populations at risk of climate maladaptation by introducing individuals with beneficial alleles to cope with expected climate changes. Castanea sativa Mill. (sweet chestnut) is an essential component of natural forests in the Mediterranean and Caucasian regions, with a long history of cultivation. Current climate change may seriously threaten the long-term persistence of the species, particularly in the Caucasus region, where the largest range reductions are predicted. Here, we used Species Distribution Models (SDMs) to assess the feasibility of AGF in European and Caucasian populations of Castanea sativa. Bioclimatic variables for present (1981–2010) and future (2071–2100) conditions were obtained from the CHELSA climate database. The final models of future species ranges were averaged across three climate models (IPSL-CM6A-LR, MPIESM1-2-HR and UKESM1-0-L) and three climate change scenarios – SSP1-2.6, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5. There are marked differences in the climatic niches of the Iberian, Alpine-Apennine, Balkan, and Caucasian populations, with significant implications for AGF. The most suitable European areas for the Caucasian populations were found only in the Adriatic region. The Iberian populations were not compatible with the predicted future climate in the Caucasus in any of the scenarios tested. Suitable areas for Alpine-Apennine populations within the AGF strategy were predicted in the Colchic lowlands, the eastern Pontic mountains and the Hyrcanian forests in the SSP1-2.6 and SSP3-7.0 climate change scenarios. In contrast, the Balkan populations would be compatible at most with the western Pontic mountains and, to a lesser extent, with the Hyrcanian forests. According to the most damaging climate scenario SSP5-8.5, the potential of AGF in the Caucasus with Alpine-Apennine and Balkan populations could be very limited. Our study showed limited applicability of AGF for Castanea sativa between the European and Caucasian populations due to low climate match. Genomic modelling is needed to fully assess the feasibility of this strategy in the species.
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Cailleux, Florentin, Lars W. van den Hoek Ostende, and Peter Joniak. "The late Miocene Erinaceidae and Dimylidae (Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from the Pannonian region, Slovakia." Journal of Paleontology 97, no. 4 (July 2023): 777–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2023.50.
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Abstract The families Erinaceidae and Dimylidae are represented in the late Miocene localities of Slovakia (Borský Svätý Jur, Krásno, Pezinok, Šalgovce, Studienka, and Triblavina) by at least six hedgehog species—‘Schizogalerix’ voesendorfensis (Rabeder, 1973); Schizogalerix cf. S. moedlingensis (Rabeder, 1973); Lantanotherium sanmigueli Villalta and Crusafont, 1944; Atelerix cf. A. depereti Mein and Ginsburg, 2002; Atelerix aff. A. depereti, cf. Postpalerinaceus sp. indet., and Erinaceinae gen. indet. sp. indet.—and two dimylid species—Plesiodimylus chantrei Gaillard, 1897; and Metacordylodon aff. M. schlosseri (Andreae, 1904). Material of L. sanmigueli from the western Carpathians was investigated, revealing broad variability in all samples. Additionally, the deciduous premolars of Lantanotherium Filhol, 1888 are described here for the first time. Erinaceid species are frequent in the Vallesian but their abundance strongly declined afterward. As an exception, Schizogalerix Engesser, 1980 re-entered the Danube and Vienna basins during MN11, likely from eastern Europe. Members of Erinaceinae display low diversity during the late Miocene of central Europe, which tends to support a pan-European diversity phenomenon. The humidity-dependent Dimylidae spp. were abundant during the late Vallesian. Rare finds of Plesiodimylus Gaillard, 1897 confirm the survival of this family into the early MN11 in the Pannonian region.
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Petrillo, Teodolinda, Cornelis Van 't Veer, and Rodney M. Camire. "Characterization of the Interaction between Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor α (TFPIα) and Factor V Species." Blood 134, Supplement_1 (November 13, 2019): 485. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood-2019-130589.
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Activation of factor V (FV) involves removal of its central B-domain following proteolysis at R709, R1018 and R1545. Two evolutionary conserved regions (basic region; BR; residues 964-1008 and acidic region 2; AR2; residues 1493-1538) of the B-domain play an essential role in keeping FV inactive. FV derivatives lacking the BR but retaining AR2 (FVAR) have cofactor-like properties while the BR fragment added in trans blocks their procoagulant function. Physiological important forms of FVAR include: platelet FV, FXa activated FV and FV-short. The latter is a splice variant lacking most of the B-domain, including the BR, yet retains AR2. In normal plasma, FV-short represents <2% of the total FV but is overexpressed in patients affected by the East-Texas bleeding disorder due to a single point mutation or deletion in exon 13. In plasma, FV-short forms a complex with tissue factor pathway inhibitor α (TFPIα) through a high affinity interaction between AR2 and the basic C-terminal region of TFPIα (TFPIα-BR; residues 249-264) which is homologous to FV-BR. It has also been found that FV interacts with TFPIα via its BR, albeit with reduced affinity compared to FVAR. Furthermore, TFPIα and FV levels in plasma appear linked suggesting FV may act as carrier for TFPIα. Collectively these results are puzzling considering the mechanism by which these proteins are thought to interact. How can FV, with its endogenous BR engaged in interactions with AR2, simultaneously interact with TFPIα? To gain more insight into this question, we characterized the binding of TFPIα to different physiologic FV species including full-length (fl) FV, FVa, FV-short and other FVAR species. In direct binding measurements, we found that fluorescently labelled TFPIα-BR (OG488-TFPIα-BR) bound FV-short with high affinity (Kd = 0.66 nM). Unlabeled TFPIα and TFPIα-BR displaced OG488-TFPIα-BR from FVshort equivalently indicating specific binding of the BR region of TFPIα to FV-short. No detectable binding was observed to FVa and the OG488-TFPIα-BR also failed to bind fl-FV. These data indicated that AR2 is required for binding to TFPIα-BR and that the endogenous BR in fl-FV is associated with AR2 and precludes binding to TFPIα-BR. In support of this, thrombin cleavage of FV-short over time during binding measurements showed a gradual and marked decreased in fluorescence which correlated with cleavage at R1545 and release of AR2 as observed by western blotting. Cleavage of fl-FV by thrombin during the binding assay transiently increased fluorescence, indicating that TFPIα-BR binds to cleaved FV which correlated with removal of the endogenous BR (cleavage at R709 and R1018) as shown by western blotting. Subsequent cleavage at R1545 resulted in a decrease in fluorescence and hence binding. Using a FV-derivative that cannot be cleaved at R1018 (R1018Q), no binding of TFPIα-BR could be detected upon thrombin incubation, despite cleavage at R709. Together these data indicate that 1) cleavage of FV at R709 has little, if any influence on disrupting the BR-AR2 interaction; 2) cleavage at R1018 releases endogenous FV BR allowing TFPIα to engage via AR2; and 3) cleavage at R1545 removes AR2 eliminating TFPIα binding. Our data suggests that intramolecular binding of FV BR to AR2 has high affinity. To further assess the difference in apparent affinity of the intramolecular BR for AR2 compared to TFPIα-BR, we compared rates of FV-short activation (± TFPIα-BR) by thrombin to fl-FV and monitored cleavage at R1545. Based on the data, we estimate that intramolecular FV BR binds at least 25-50-fold tighter compared to TFPIα-BR binding to FV-short. Overall, we conclude that TFPIα via its BR binds to FV-short and cleaved forms of FV which retain AR2 but have its BR removed. TFPIa binding to these FV species not only blocks procoagulant function but also delays further cleavage at R1545. FVa and fl-FV do not bind TFPIα and are not regulated by this anticoagulant. Fl-FV must first be cleaved at R709 and R1018 prior to any possible TFPIα binding/regulation. Our data support the findings that TFPIα regulates the procoagulant function of FV-short and dampens thrombin generation by delaying the generation of FVa by tuning the activity of FVAR during the initiation of coagulation. This is especially evident when the coagulation stimulus is weak (e.g. low tissue factor), and much less important with a strong stimulus (e.g. high tissue factor) where other anticoagulant mechanisms dominate. Disclosures Camire: Pfizer: Research Funding.
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AHUJA, VINEET, CHHAVI P. PANDEY, LOKESH K. JOSHI, HEMWATI NANDAN, and PARMANAND P. PATHAK. "Extreme value analysis of precipitation and temperature over Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in western Himalaya, India." MAUSAM 75, no. 1 (December 31, 2023): 149–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.54302/mausam.v75i1.6133.
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Climate change has become a major issue for the world today. Small changes in the climate in the Himalayan region can have a significant impact on the delicate ecosystem, which is very sensitive to such changes. Recent investigations into climate change in the Western Himalayas have provided compelling evidence that these regions are especially susceptible to a wide variety of catastrophic occurrences. In the current scenario, the threat posed by climate change to human existence in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), as well as the region of Ladakh, has grown more tangible and evident. Temperature and precipitation statistics could be used to observe this regional climatic shift. This study analyses and forecasts long-term spatio-temporal variations in precipitation and temperature using a century-long dataset from 1901 to 2002 over 14 districts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test and the Kwiatkowski-Phillips-Schmidt-Shin (KPSS) test of stationarity on the data show that the time series is stationary. Extreme Value Theory (EVT), which is an outstanding statistical method to interpret the records for the estimation of the future probability of the occurrence of extremes, is utilised in this study. Further, precipitation and temperature extremes are forecasted for 50, 80, 100, 120, 200, 250, 300, and 500 year return periods respectively and results reveal that the districts- Jammu, Rajouri, Leh, Srinagar, Baramulla and Poonch will be more prone to extreme weather events phenomenon.
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Gahlot, Alok, Pooja Gahlot, and Jitendra Acharya. "A Hospital Based Cross-sectional Study on Demographic Distribution of Both Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Patients an Art at Westren Region of Rajasthan." Academia Journal of Medicine 2, no. 2 (July 24, 2019): 11–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.21276/ajm.2019.2.2.4.
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Kim, J. C., B. P. Mullan, P. H. Simmins, and J. R. Pluske. "Variation in the chemical composition of wheats grown in Western Australia as influenced by variety, growing region, season, and post-harvest storage." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 54, no. 6 (2003): 541. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar02183.
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Two experiments were conducted to examine varietal and environmental influences on physical characteristics and chemical content in a cohort of wheats grown in Western Australia. In Expt 1, a 3 × 3 × 2 factorial experiment examined the relationships between wheat variety (Arrino, Stiletto, and Westonia), growing region (high, medium, and low rainfall zone), and 2 harvest years (1999 and 2000). In Expt 2, the effect of storage for 6�months on the chemical composition of the wheats was examined. Wide variations in the content of crude protein (CP, CV 19.4%), total starch (CV 5.45%), total non-starch polysaccharides (NSP, CV 9.4%), insoluble NSP (CV 10.4%), and soluble NSP (CV 20.7%) were observed. The crude protein content of wheat was inversely related to total starch content (r = –0.779, P < 0.001). Variety influenced fast digestible starch (P < 0.001), acid detergent fibre (ADF, P < 0.01), total NSP (P < 0.05), insoluble NSP (P < 0.05), and in vitro extract viscosity (P < 0.05). The annual precipitation level (mm) irrespective of growing region was correlated to bushel weight (r = –0.683, P�<�0.01), CP (r = –0.631, P < 0.01), total starch (r = 0.526, P < 0.05), ADF (r = –0.687, P < 0.01), lignin (r�=�–0.863, P < 0.001), soluble NSP (r = 0.826, P < 0.001), and free sugar contents (r = –0.795, P < 0.001), indicating the importance of annual rainfall for accumulation of protein, carbohydrates, and lignin in wheats. Harvest year had a strong influence on chemical composition (P < 0.05 to <0.001) and bushel weight (P < 0.001) of wheat. Storage for 6 months decreased soluble NSP (P < 0.01), ADF (P < 0.05), and lignin content (P < 0.01), and increased free sugar content (P < 0.001).
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Tatebe, Hiroaki, Masao Kurogi, and Hiroyasu Hasumi. "Atmospheric Responses and Feedback to the Meridional Ocean Heat Transport in the North Pacific." Journal of Climate 30, no. 15 (August 2017): 5715–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-16-0055.1.
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Atmospheric responses and feedback to meridional ocean heat transport (OHT) have been investigated using a global climate model that is interactively connected with a high-resolution regional ocean model embedded in the western North Pacific. Compared with a global climate model without the regional model, the net heat supply into the Kuroshio–Oyashio Extension (KOE) region is increased as a result of the increase of the mean northward ocean heat transport (OHT) by the western boundary currents and mesoscale eddies. Resultant sea surface temperature (SST) rise sharpens the meridional SST gradient and reinforces the cross-frontal difference of the surface heat flux and thereby enhances lower-tropospheric baroclinicity. These changes cause northward deflection and strengthening of the wintertime storm track over the North Pacific, which leads to the Pacific–North American (PNA)-like pattern anticyclonic response of the mean westerly jet. The increase of the eddy northward atmospheric heat flux (AHF) associated with the enhanced storm-track activity is compensated by the decrease of the mean northward AHF. The changes of the atmospheric circulations reduce the mean northward OHT in the eastern North Pacific that compensates the increase of the mean northward OHT in the KOE region. The atmospheric responses, which have once been excited by the SST fronts in the KOE region, stabilize the trans–North Pacific OHT. The modeling results herein suggest that basinwide Bjerknes-like compensation works in air–sea coupled processes for the formation of the climatic mean state in the North Pacific.
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Kadye, Tafadzwa, Muhammad S. Jamil, Cheryl Johnson, Rachel Baggaley, Magdalena Barr-DiChiara, and Valentina Cambiano. "Country uptake of WHO recommendations on differentiated HIV testing services approaches: a global policy review." BMJ Open 14, no. 3 (March 2024): e058098. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058098.
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ObjectivesIn 2015 and 2016, WHO issued guidelines on HIV testing services (HTS) highlighting recommendations for a strategic mix of differentiated HTS approaches. The policy review examines the uptake of differentiated HTS approaches recommendations in national policies.MethodsData were extracted from national policies published between January 2015 and June 2019. The WHO-recommended HTS approaches included facility-based testing, community-based testing, HIV self-testing and provider-assisted referral (or assisted partner notification). Other supportive recommendations include pre-test information, post-test counselling, lay provider testing and rapid testing. Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine inclusion of recommendations in national policies.ResultsOf 194 countries worldwide, 65 published policies were identified; 24 WHO Africa region (AFR) countries (51%, 24/47), 21 WHO European region (EUR) (40%, 21/53), 6 WHO Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR) (29%, 6/21), 5 Pan-American region (AMR) (14%, 5/35), 5 Western Pacific Region (WPR) (19%, 5/27) and 4 WHO South East Asia Region (SEAR) (36%, 4/11). Only five countries included all recommendations. 63 included a minimum of one. 85% (n=55) included facility-based testing for pregnant women, 75% (n=49) facility-based testing for key populations, 74% (n=48) community-based testing for key populations, 69% (n=45) rapid testing, 57% (n=37) post-test counselling, 45% (n=29) lay provider testing, 38% (n=25) HIV self-testing, 29% (n=19) pre-test information and 25% (n=16) provider-assisted referral. The proportion in each region that included at least one recommendation were: 100% AFR (24/47), 100% EMR (6/6), 100% AMR (5/5), 100% WPR (5/5), 100% SEAR (4/4) and 95% EUR (20/21). AFR followed by EMR included the highest number of reccomendations.ConclusionThere was substantial variability in the uptake of the WHO-differentiated HTS recommendations. Those in EMR included the most WHO-differentiated HTS recommendation followed by AFR. Countries within AMR included the least number of recommendations. Ongoing advocacy and efforts are needed to support the uptake of the WHO-differentiated HTS recommendations in country policies as well as their implementation.
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Zhao, He, Xuanzhen Li, Zhiming Zhang, Yong Zhao, Jiantao Yang, and Yiwei Zhu. "Species diversity and drivers of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in a semi-arid mountain in China." PeerJ 5 (December 8, 2017): e4155. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4155.
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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an essential role in complex ecosystems. However, the species diversity and composition of AMF communities remain unclear in semi-arid mountains. Further, it is not well understood if the characteristics of AMF community assemblies differ for different habitat types, e.g., agricultural arable land, artificial forest land, natural grassland, and bush/wood land. Here, using the high-throughput technology by Illumina sequencing on the MiSeq platform, we explored the species diversity and composition of soil AMF communities among different habitat types in a semi-arid mountain (Taihang Mountain, Mid-western region of China). Then, we analyzed the effect of nutrient composition and soil texture on AMF community assembly. Our results showed that members of the Glomus genera were predominated in all soil types. The distance-based redundancy analysis indicated that the content of water, available phosphorus, and available potassium were the most crucial geochemical factors that significantly affected AMF communities (p < 0.05). The analysis of the soil texture confirmed that AMF diversity was negatively correlated with soil clay content. The comparison of AMF diversity among the various habitat types revealed that the artificial forest land had the lowest AMF diversity in comparison with other land types. Our findings suggest that there were differences in species diversity and composition of soil AMF communities among different habitat types. These findings shed new light on the characteristics of community structure and drivers of community assembly in AMF in semi-arid mountains, and point to the potential importance of different habitat types on AMF communities.
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Kong, D., T. M. Choo, P. Narasimhalu, P. Jui, T. Ferguson, M. C. Therrien, K. M. Ho, and K. W. May. "Variation in starch, protein, and fibre of Canadian barley cultivars." Canadian Journal of Plant Science 75, no. 4 (October 1, 1995): 865–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/cjps95-143.
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Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a major feed in the Maritime region of Canada, but information on the chemical composition of barley cultivars grown in the Maritimes is lacking. Therefore, a study was undertaken to determine if starch, protein, neutral-detergent fibre (NDF), and acid-detergent fibre (ADF) of barley vary from region to region in Canada and to determine if barley cultivars that originated from Eastern Canada exhibit different chemical composition than those that originated from Western Canada. The chemical composition of two-row and six-row, covered and hulless, and feed and malting cultivars were also compared. Seventy-five cultivars were tested in eight environments (i.e. Charlottetown, Ottawa, Brandon, and Bentley in 1991 and 1992). These cultivars were classified into eight classes in four comparisons: eastern vs. western, two-row vs. six-row, hulless vs. covered, and feed vs. malting. Charlottetown grains were relatively low in protein, high in starch, and intermediate in NDF and ADF in comparison with grains produced at the other three locations. This suggests that more research in cultivar development and crop management is needed to increase the protein concentration of barley in the Maritimes. On average, two-row cultivars contained more starch and less fibre than six-row cultivars. Eastern two-row cultivars contained more protein than western two-row cultivars. As expected, hulless barleys contained more starch and protein, but less fibre than covered barleys. Canadian barley cultivars exhibited considerable variation in chemical composition. The cultivar x environment interaction was much smaller than the cultivar effect. Therefore, it is important to identify barley cultivars with high nutritional quality for use in commercial production. Key words: Barley, Hordeum vulgare L., cultivars, starch, protein, fibre
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Yoshikura, Hiroshi. "Epidemic Curves of COVID-19 in the World which are Similar Within but not Across Regions." Epidemiology International Journal 8, no. 1 (2024): 1–5. http://dx.doi.org/10.23880/eij-16000276.
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The number of the COVID-19 patients (P), that of the deaths (D) and the case-fatality rate (D/P) were followed daily from 3 January 2020 till 22 December 2023 for countries in Western Pacific, European, American and African regions. The shape of the epidemic curves was similar within but not across the regions. The number of the patients was proportional to the population size and case-fatality rate was around 0.01 for all the countries except African countries where the number of the patients was not correlated with the population size.
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Singha, A., N. Pramanick, and R. Acharyya. "Implication of Applying IPCC AR4 and AR5 Framework for Drought-based Vulnerability and Risk Assessment in Bankura and Purulia Districts, West Bengal." IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1164, no. 1 (April 1, 2023): 012009. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1164/1/012009.
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Abstract In the districts of Purulia and Bankura, this study offers a methodology for spatial assessment of vulnerable and risk-prone areas. These districts are adjacent in space and have identical geographic characteristics (other than the eastern portion of Bankura district). Vulnerability and risk assessment could be used to measure the interactions between individuals and their surroundings. This research aims to pinpoint the areas in these two districts that are particularly susceptible to natural, social, and meteorological disasters. The natural and climate-induced factors considered are rainfall distribution and vegetation conditions. The social factors are agricultural dependence, percentage of farmers, female population, labor dependence on agriculture, and literacy rate. The potential impacts of developmental and environmental degradation processes can be examined and assessed by classifying regions according to their vulnerability and risk levels. The fundamental factors impacting susceptibility and risk, which are recognized, and the associated thematic-based outputs are produced in this study based on the persistent phenomenon of drought within these two districts. The elements of vulnerability selected for this study are exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity (IPCC AR4) and risk, which is the combined outcome of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability (IPCC AR5). The aim of this research is to create a simplified, scalable assessment model for evaluating both vulnerabilities and threats, which can help with drought mitigation. It has been observed from the results that the western portion of the study area (Arsha, Purulia-I, Baghmundi blocks of Purulia district) with relatively higher risk and vulnerability needs more attention for reducing the vulnerability and risk than the eastern part. As a result, this research can serve as a platform for district-level prioritizing efforts, emergency response protocols, and policy interventions aimed at reducing disaster susceptibility (mostly drought) in Bankura and Purulia districts.
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Moody, J. L., W. C. Keene, O. R. Cooper, K. J. Voss, R. Aryal, S. Eckhardt, B. Holben, J. R. Maben, M. A. Izaguirre, and J. N. Galloway. "Flow climatology for physicochemical properties of dichotomous aerosol over the western North Atlantic Ocean at Bermuda." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 13, no. 8 (August 29, 2013): 22383–444. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-13-22383-2013.
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Abstract. Dichotomous aerosols (nominal super- and sub-μm-diameter size fractions) in sectored on-shore flow were sampled daily from July 2006 through June 2009, at the Tudor Hill Atmospheric Observatory (THAO) on the western coast of Bermuda (32.27° N, 64.87° W) and analyzed for major chemical and physical properties. Flexpart retroplumes were calculated for each sampling period and aerosol properties were stratified accordingly based on transport from different regions. Transport from the northeastern United States (NEUS) was associated with significantly higher (factors of 2 to 3 based on median values) concentrations of bulk particulate non-sea-salt (nss) SO42−, NO3−, and NH4+ and associated scattering and absorption at 530 nm, relative to transport from Africa (AFR) and the Oceanic background. These differences were driven primarily by higher values associated with the sub-μm size fraction under NEUS flow. We estimate that 75 (± 3)% of the NEUS nss SO42− was anthropogenic in origin, while only 25 (± 9)% of the AFR nss SO42− was anthropogenic. Integrating over all transport patterns, we estimate the contribution of anthropogenic sulfate has dropped 14.6% from the early 1990's. Bulk scattering was highly correlated with bulk nss SO42− in all flow regimes but the corresponding regression slopes varied significantly reflecting differential contributions to total scattering by associated aerosol components. Absorption by super-μm aerosol in transport from the NEUS versus AFR was similar although the super-μm aerosol size fraction accounted for a relatively greater contribution to total absorption in AFR flow. Significantly greater absorption angstrom exponents (AAEs) for AFR flow reflects the wavelength dependence of absorption by mineral aerosols; lower AAEs for NEUS flow is consistent with the dominance of absorption by combustion-derived aerosols. Higher AOD associated with transport from both the NEUS and AFR relative to Oceanic background flow results in a top of atmosphere direct radiative forcing on the order of −1.6 to −2.5 W m−2, respectively, showing these aerosols drive cooling. The dominance of transport from the NEUS on an annual basis coupled with the corresponding decreases in anthropogenic nss SO42− aerosols since the early 1990's implies that emission reductions in the US account for a decline in atmospheric cooling over the western North Atlantic Ocean during this period.
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Moody, J. L., W. C. Keene, O. R. Cooper, K. J. Voss, R. Aryal, S. Eckhardt, B. Holben, J. R. Maben, M. A. Izaguirre, and J. N. Galloway. "Flow climatology for physicochemical properties of dichotomous aerosol over the western North Atlantic Ocean at Bermuda." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 14, no. 2 (January 22, 2014): 691–717. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-691-2014.
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Abstract. Dichotomous aerosols (nominal super- and sub-μm-diameter size fractions) in sectored on-shore flow were sampled daily from July 2006 through June 2009, at the Tudor Hill Atmospheric Observatory (THAO) on the western coast of Bermuda (32.27° N, 64.87° W) and analyzed for major chemical and physical properties. FLEXPART retroplumes were calculated for each sampling period and aerosol properties were stratified accordingly based on transport from different regions. Transport from the northeastern United States (NEUS) was associated with significantly higher (factors of 2 to 3 based on median values) concentrations of bulk particulate non-sea-salt (nss) SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+ and associated scattering and absorption at 530 nm, relative to transport from Africa (AFR) and the oceanic background. These differences were driven primarily by higher values associated with the sub-μm size fraction under NEUS flow. We estimate that 75(±3)% of the NEUS nss SO42- was anthropogenic in origin, while only 25(±9)% of the AFR nss SO42- was anthropogenic. Integrating over all transport patterns, the contribution of anthropogenic sulfate has dropped 14.6% from the early 1990s. Bulk scattering was highly correlated with bulk nss SO42- in all flow regimes but the corresponding regression slopes varied significantly reflecting differential contributions to total scattering by associated aerosol components. Absorption by super-μm aerosol in transport from the NEUS versus AFR was similar although the super-μm aerosol size fraction accounted for a relatively greater contribution to total absorption in AFR flow. Significantly greater absorption Ångström exponents (AAEs) for AFR flow reflects the wavelength dependence of absorption by mineral aerosols; lower AAEs for NEUS flow is consistent with the dominance of absorption by combustion-derived aerosols. Higher AOD associated with transport from both the NEUS and AFR relative to oceanic background flow results in a top of atmosphere direct radiative forcing on the order of −1.6 to −2.5 W m−2, respectively, showing these aerosols drive cooling. The dominance of transport from the NEUS on an annual basis coupled with the corresponding decreases in anthropogenic nss SO42- aerosols since the early 1990s implies that emission reductions in the US account for a decline in atmospheric cooling over the western North Atlantic Ocean during this period.
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Hamash, Mahmoud, Hanan Ghreir, and Hasnah Mohamed. "Examining school leaders’ perceptions of school readiness for data-driven leadership in the UAE: A mixed-methods approach." Journal of Autonomous Intelligence 7, no. 5 (May 15, 2024): 1547. http://dx.doi.org/10.32629/jai.v7i5.1547.
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<p>A growing demand for data-driven leadership (DDL) has emerged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Despite the use of implementation frameworks to guide DDL implementation, there is a lack of application of this concept in the context of UAE schools. This study aims to evaluate the readiness of public schools in the Western region, specifically cycle two and three, for DDL implementation. Using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design based on the active implementation framework (AIF) drivers, the researcher conducted a qualitative scoping review of sixty-three literature sources and a quantitative survey of sixteen school principals from nineteen schools, selected through simple random sampling. Descriptive analysis and thematic analysis were performed to analyze the collected data. Findings suggest that organizational drivers receive greater emphasis in DDL readiness compared to competency drivers among school principals. However, the overall readiness for DDL remains uncertain, with ratings for this driver falling between the highest and middle-scoring categories. The school principals have identified competency, organizational, and technical leadership as essential drivers for successful DDL implementation in their schools. Further research is recommended to examine the role of adaptive leadership in DDL implementation. Overall, this study offers valuable insights into DDL implementation in Western region public schools and underscores the significance of AIF drivers in achieving successful DDL implementation.</p>
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Bousserez, N. "Space-based retrieval of NO<sub>2</sub> over biomass burning regions: quantifying and reducing uncertainties." Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions 6, no. 4 (July 22, 2013): 6645–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/amtd-6-6645-2013.
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Abstract. The quality of space-based nitrogen dioxide (NO2) retrievals from solar backscatter depends on a priori knowledge of the vertical profiles of NO2 and aerosol optical properties. This information is contained in an air mass factor (AMF), which accounts for atmospheric scattering and is used to convert the measured line-of-sight "slant" columns into vertical columns. In this study we investigate the impact of biomass burning emissions on the AMF in order to quantify NO2 retrieval errors in the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) products over these sources. Sensitivity analyses are conducted using the Linearized Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer (LIDORT) model and the GEOS-Chem chemistry-transport model with an improved daily biomass burning emission inventory. Aircraft in situ data collected during two field campaigns, Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) and Dust and Biomass-burning Experiment (DABEX), are used to evaluate the modeled aerosol optical properties and NO2 profiles over Canadian boreal fires and western Africa savanna fires respectively. Biomass burning aerosols increase the AMF by 3 to 15% over boreal fires, while they decrease the AMF by −10 to −30% over savanna fires. The presence of an elevated aerosol layer over west Africa due to the Harmattan front explains the negative aerosol effect over this area. The impact of fires on the AMF is driven by the NO2 shape profile perturbations, which decrease the AMF by −10 to −60% over both regions. Aerosol and shape factor effects are most sensitive to surface reflectance and clouds. In particular, retrieval errors associated with shape factor uncertainties can increase by a factor of 2 due to the presence of clouds. In contrast with conclusions from previous studies, we demonstrate that in the presence of pre-existing clouds, the effect of aerosols on the AMF cannot be fully accounted for through the modified retrieved cloud parameters. Finally, a new method that uses slant column information to correct for shape factor error in the retrieval is proposed and tested over west African fires.
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Ashworth, Sharon L., Ruben M. Sandoval, Melanie Hosford, James R. Bamburg, and Bruce A. Molitoris. "Ischemic injury induces ADF relocalization to the apical domain of rat proximal tubule cells." American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology 280, no. 5 (May 1, 2001): F886—F894. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajprenal.2001.280.5.f886.
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Breakdown of proximal tubule cell apical membrane microvilli is an early-occurring hallmark of ischemic acute renal failure. Intracellular mechanisms responsible for these apical membrane changes remain unknown, but it is known that actin cytoskeleton alterations play a critical role in this cellular process. Our laboratory previously demonstrated that ischemia-induced cell injury resulted in dephosphorylation and activation of the actin-binding protein, actin depolymerizing factor [(ADF); Schwartz, N, Hosford M, Sandoval RM, Wagner MC, Atkinson SJ, Bamburg J, and Molitoris BA. Am J Physiol Renal Fluid Electrolyte Physiol 276: F544–F551, 1999]. Therefore, we postulated that ischemia-induced ADF relocalization from the cytoplasm to the apical microvillar microfilament core was an early event occurring before F-actin alterations. To directly investigate this hypothesis, we examined the intracellular localization of ADF in ischemic rat cortical tissues by immunofluorescence and quantified the concentration of ADF in brush-border membrane vesicles prepared from ischemic rat kidneys by using Western blot techniques. Within 5 min of the induction of ischemia, ADF relocalized to the apical membrane region. The length of ischemia correlated with the time-related increase in ADF in isolated brush-border membrane vesicles. Finally, depolymerization of microvillar F-actin to G-actin was documented by using colocalization studies for G- and F-actin. Collectively, these data indicate that ischemia induces ADF activation and relocalization to the apical domain before microvillar destruction. These data further suggest that ADF plays a critical role in microvillar microfilament destruction and apical membrane damage during ischemia.
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Lin, Jia-Lin, Klaus M. Weickman, George N. Kiladis, Brian E. Mapes, Siegfried D. Schubert, Max J. Suarez, Julio T. Bacmeister, and Myong-In Lee. "Subseasonal Variability Associated with Asian Summer Monsoon Simulated by 14 IPCC AR4 Coupled GCMs." Journal of Climate 21, no. 18 (September 15, 2008): 4541–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/2008jcli1816.1.
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Abstract This study evaluates the subseasonal variability associated with the Asian summer monsoon in 14 coupled general circulation models (GCMs) participating in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). Eight years of each model’s twentieth-century climate simulation are analyzed. The authors focus on the three major components of Asian summer monsoon: the Indian summer monsoon (ISM), the western North Pacific summer monsoon (WNPSM), and the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM), together with the two dominant subseasonal modes: the eastward- and northward-propagating boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSIO) and the westward-propagating 12–24-day mode. The results show that current state-of-the-art GCMs still have difficulties and display a wide range of skill in simulating the subseasonal variability associated with Asian summer monsoon. During boreal summer (May–October), most of the models produce reasonable seasonal-mean precipitation over the ISM region, but excessive precipitation over the WNPSM region and insufficient precipitation over the EASM region. In other words, models concentrate their rain too close to the equator in the western Pacific. Most of the models simulate overly weak total subseasonal (2–128 day) variance, as well as too little variance for BSIO and the 12–24-day mode. Only 4–5 models produce spectral peaks in the BSIO and 12–24-day frequency bands; instead, most of the models display too red a spectrum, that is, an overly strong persistence of precipitation. For the seven models with three-dimensional data available, five reproduce the preconditioning of moisture in BSIO but often with a too late starting time, and only three simulate the phase lead of low-level convergence. Interestingly, although models often have difficulty in simulating the eastward propagation of BSIO, they tend to simulate well the northward propagation of BSIO, together with the westward propagation of the 12–24-day mode. The northward propagation in these models is thus not simply a NW–SE-tilted tail protruding off of an eastward-moving deep-tropical intraseasonal oscillation.
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Rintoul, Andrew, and Rebecca Trowman. "OP12 2017 Health Technology Assessment International Asia Policy Forum: The Importance Of Universal Health Care." International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care 34, S1 (2018): 5–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0266462318000776.
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Introduction:The fifth Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) Asia Policy Forum (APF) was held in Beijing, November 2017. The topic of the meeting was ‘Universal Health Care in the Asia Region: Overcoming the Barriers using HTA and Real World Data’. This presentation will focus on the goal of achieving universal health care (UHC) in the Asia region, and specifically the perspective of the World Health Organization (WHO).Methods:The 2017 HTAi APF had senior representatives from HTA agencies, academia, industry active in the region plus representatives from the WHO Geneva office and the Western Pacific Regional Office. A keynote presentation was delivered by the WHO representative and there were guided breakout group discussions.Results:UHC is a key component of the overall aims and objectives of the WHO; universal access to safe, effective, quality and affordable medicines and vaccines for all is at the heart of this. Pharmaceutical spending varies widely across the Asia region and all countries in the region share common problems in attaining UHC. These include inadequate financing, inefficiencies in procurement and supply chain management, limited use of effective pricing policies and negotiations, substandard quality of medicines and widespread inappropriate prescribing and use.Conclusions:HTA can be used to help countries in the Asia region to achieve UHC; it is a tool to support good decision making and hence can help promote more efficient allocation of limited resources. Affordability, however, needs to be at the center of any decision to invest or disinvest, and incremental cost effectiveness ratios should not be used as the sole basis for decision making.
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ZHYVYUK, Andrii. "EXCESSES DURING THE ARRESTS AND INTERROGATIONS OF OUN MEMBERS BY THE NKVD-NKGD CO-WORKERS IN THE RIVNE REGION (1940–1941)." Contemporary era 11 (2023): 55–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.33402/nd.2023-11-55-67.
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It is indicated that to solve the task in the western regions of the Ukrainian SSR, methods and personnel tested during the «great terror» of the 1930s in the USSR were used. The management and operational staff of the NKVD-NKGB involved in the «clearing» operation, their professional training, and work methods were considered. Emphasis is placed on the use during the Sovietization of Western Ukraine of a significant number of new appointees in the NKVD–NKGB system, graduates of departmental schools who trained personnel for state security agencies. The origin, education, origins of national consciousness, motivation for the actions of individual members of the OUN underground are clarified, and their sacrifice is characterized. Dramatic clashes between members of the OUN and NKVD–NKGB employees during border crossings, arrests, staging, and imprisonment are highlighted. It is noted that in the confrontation between the Soviet repressive bodies and the participants of the Ukrainian national liberation movement, the former had state, military, economic, political institutions and tools at their disposal, while the opposing side could count on the solidarity of the members of their organization, their own knowledge and experience, and moral stability. Keywords Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, People’s Commissariat of Internal Aff airs, People’s Commissariat of State Security, Rivne region, Sovietization, repression, arrests, interrogations, resistance, armed clashes, escapes, Sectoral State Archive of the Security Service of Ukraine.
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Ventura, Marco, Ivana Jankovic, D. Carey Walker, R. David Pridmore, and Ralf Zink. "Identification and Characterization of Novel Surface Proteins in Lactobacillus johnsonii and Lactobacillus gasseri." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 68, no. 12 (December 2002): 6172–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.68.12.6172-6181.2002.
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ABSTRACT We have identified and sequenced the genes encoding the aggregation-promoting factor (APF) protein from six different strains of Lactobacillus johnsonii and Lactobacillus gasseri. Both species harbor two apf genes, apf1 and apf2, which are in the same orientation and encode proteins of 257 to 326 amino acids. Multiple alignments of the deduced amino acid sequences of these apf genes demonstrate a very strong sequence conservation of all of the genes with the exception of their central regions. Northern blot analysis showed that both genes are transcribed, reaching their maximum expression during the exponential phase. Primer extension analysis revealed that apf1 and apf2 harbor a putative promoter sequence that is conserved in all of the genes. Western blot analysis of the LiCl cell extracts showed that APF proteins are located on the cell surface. Intact cells of L. johnsonii revealed the typical cell wall architecture of S-layer-carrying gram-positive eubacteria, which could be selectively removed with LiCl treatment. In addition, the amino acid composition, physical properties, and genetic organization were found to be quite similar to those of S-layer proteins. These results suggest that APF is a novel surface protein of the Lactobacillus acidophilus B-homology group which might belong to an S-layer-like family.
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Jakobs, G. K. "New occurrences of Leukadiella and Paroniceras (Ammonoidea) from the Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) of the Canadian Cordillera." Journal of Paleontology 69, no. 1 (January 1995): 89–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022336000026949.
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Previous studies of the Toarcian of the North American Cordillera have mentioned the rare occurrence of Paroniceras in the Queen Charlotte Islands. Recent work has identified the presence of Leukadiella in the Middle Toarcian of the Queen Charlotte Islands, the Spatsizi area, and the Hazelton area. They occur with Rarenodia planulata, Peronoceras pacificum, Peronoceras verticosum, and Phymatoceras cf. P. pseudoerbaense. The Leukadiella specimens are well preserved and generally larger than those found in the Mediterranean region. Taxa present in North America include Paroniceras sternale, Leukadiella ionica, Leukadiella amuratica, Leukadiella aff. L. helenae, and Leukadiella aff. L. ionica. Morphologically Leukadiella is closely related to such genera as Hildaites and Hildoceras and is more suitably placed within the subfamily Hildoceratinae rather than the Bouleiceratinae. The distribution of Leukadiella and Paroniceras indicates the influence of the Hispanic Corridor linking western Tethys and the eastern Pacific during the Middle Toarcian.
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Wassall, Gregory H. "The Role of Cultural Assets in European and United States Urban Regeneration." Advanced Engineering Forum 11 (June 2014): 323–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/aef.11.323.
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This paper compares the role that cultural economic development has played in countries on both sides of the Atlantic. It evaluates reasons why the United States and Western European countries have pursued contrasting policies, and whether both have benefited from the paths they have taken. Although the dichotomy is not perfect, Western European countries have relied more on heritage goods, while the United States is more renowned for its intellectual property industries. The paper concludes with an argument that each regions strategy may be optimal, given its endowments and constraints.
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Adilbyek, Mushyelkhan. "Монгол Алтайн хадны зураг дахь зарим нарийн зураасан зураг." Mongolian Journal of Anthropology, Archaeology and Ethnology 13, no. 1 (May 10, 2024): 65–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.22353/mjaae.2024130105.
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This article discuss a comparative analysis of the detailed images, methods, thematic compositions, and chronological context of incised graffiti found in the rock art of Tsagaan Salaa-Baga Oigor of Ulaankhus soum, Shiveet Khairkhan of Tsengel soum, and Khoid Khöltsööt in Buyant soum of the Bayan-Olgii Province, in the western region of the Mongolian Altai. At these three sites, a total of 24 incised images are present, showcasing depictions such as deer, which are frequently encountered in petroglyphs, alongside representations of humans and chariots. Chronologically, these carvings range from the Bronze Age to the Turkic period.
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Acosta-Galvis, Andrés R., Mauricio Torres, and Paola Pulido-Santacruz. "A new species of Caecilia (Gymnophiona, Caeciliidae) from the Magdalena valley region of Colombia." ZooKeys 884 (October 30, 2019): 135–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.884.35776.
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A new species of the genus Caecilia (Caeciliidae) from the western foothills of the Serranía de los Yariguíes in Colombia is described. Caecilia pulchraserranasp. nov. is similar to C. degenerata and C. corpulenta but differs from these species in having fewer primary annular grooves and a shorter body length. With this new species, the currently recognized species in the genus are increased to 35. Mitochondrial DNA sequences, including newly sequenced terminals representing two additional, previously unanalyzed species, corroborate the phylogenetic position of the new species within Caecilia and the monophyly of the genus. This analysis also included newly sequenced terminals of Epicrionops aff. parkeri (Rhinatrematidae) and trans-Andean Microcaecilia nicefori (Siphonopidae). Evidence was found for the non-monophyly of the family Siphonopidae and the siphonopid genera Microcaecilia and Siphonops. The implications of these results for caecilian systematics are discussed and the status of the trans-Andean populations of Caecilia degenerata is commented upon.
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Curry, Charles L., and Francis W. Zwiers. "Examining controls on peak annual streamflow and floods in the Fraser River Basin of British Columbia." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 22, no. 4 (April 16, 2018): 2285–309. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2285-2018.
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Abstract. The Fraser River Basin (FRB) of British Columbia is one of the largest and most important watersheds in western North America, and home to a rich diversity of biological species and economic assets that depend implicitly upon its extensive riverine habitats. The hydrology of the FRB is dominated by snow accumulation and melt processes, leading to a prominent annual peak streamflow invariably occurring in May–July. Nevertheless, while annual peak daily streamflow (APF) during the spring freshet in the FRB is historically well correlated with basin-averaged, 1 April snow water equivalent (SWE), there are numerous occurrences of anomalously large APF in below- or near-normal SWE years, some of which have resulted in damaging floods in the region. An imperfect understanding of which other climatic factors contribute to these anomalously large APFs hinders robust projections of their magnitude and frequency. We employ the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) process-based hydrological model driven by gridded observations to investigate the key controlling factors of anomalous APF events in the FRB and four of its subbasins that contribute nearly 70 % of the annual flow at Fraser-Hope. The relative influence of a set of predictors characterizing the interannual variability of rainfall, snowfall, snowpack (characterized by the annual maximum value, SWEmax), soil moisture and temperature on simulated APF at Hope (the main outlet of the FRB) and at the subbasin outlets is examined within a regression framework. The influence of large-scale climate modes of variability (the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation – ENSO) on APF magnitude is also assessed, and placed in context with these more localized controls. The results indicate that next to SWEmax (univariate Spearman correlation with APF of ρ^ = 0.64; 0.70 (observations; VIC simulation)), the snowmelt rate (ρ^ = 0.43 in VIC), the ENSO and PDO indices (ρ^ = −0.40; −0.41) and (ρ^ = −0.35; −0.38), respectively, and rate of warming subsequent to the date of SWEmax (ρ^ = 0.26; 0.38), are the most influential predictors of APF magnitude in the FRB and its subbasins. The identification of these controls on annual peak flows in the region may be of use in understanding seasonal predictions or future projected streamflow changes.
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Orziev, Makhmud Zaynievich. "THE CHANNEL FROM SIRD ANNEL FROM SIRDARYA TO BUKHARA: TRUTH OR ARA: TRUTH OR FRAUD." Scientific Reports of Bukhara State University 3, no. 1 (January 30, 2019): 234–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.52297/2181-1466/2019/3/1/5.
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This article considers the "Turkistan Collection" and the historical literature about the channel that flows from Syrdarya to Bukhara and supplies the north-western region of the oasis with water. We hope that in the future our archeologists will reveal the problems related to the Syrdarya and its tributaries, canals, their direction, water capacity, water consumption, the volume of irrigated crops.
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N. Adham, Aveen, Mohamed Elamir F. Hegazy, Alaadin M. Naqishbandi, and Thomas Efferth. "Induction of Apoptosis, Autophagy and Ferroptosis by Thymus vulgaris and Arctium lappa Extract in Leukemia and Multiple Myeloma Cell Lines." Molecules 25, no. 21 (October 29, 2020): 5016. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/molecules25215016.
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Thymus vulgaris and Arctium lappa have been used as a folk remedy in the Iraqi Kurdistan region to deal with different health problems. The aim of the current study is to investigate the cytotoxicity of T. vulgaris and A. lappa in leukemia and multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines and determine the mode of cell death triggered by the most potent cytotoxic fractions of both plants in MM. Resazurin assay was used to evaluate cytotoxic and ferroptosis activity, apoptosis, and modulation in the cell cycle phase were investigated via Annexin V-FITC/PI dual stain and cell-cycle arrest assays. Furthermore, we used western blotting assay for the determination of autophagy cell death. n-Hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and butanol fractions of T. vulgaris and A. lappa exhibited cytotoxicity in CCRF-CEM and CEM/ADR 5000 cell lines at concentration range 0.001–100 μg/mL with potential activity revealed by chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions. NCI-H929 displayed pronounced sensitivity towards T. vulgaris (TCF) and A. lappa (ACF) chloroform fractions with IC50 values of 6.49 ± 1.48 and 21.9 ± 0.69 μg/mL, respectively. TCF induced apoptosis in NCI-H929 cells with a higher ratio (71%), compared to ACF (50%) at 4 × IC50. ACF demonstrated more potent autophagy activity than TCF. TCF and ACF induced cell cycle arrest and ferroptosis. Apigenin and nobiletin were identified in TCF, while nobiletin, ursolic acid, and lupeol were the main compounds identified in ACF. T. vulgaris and A. lappa could be considered as potential herbal drug candidates, which arrest cancer cell proliferation by induction of apoptosis, autophagic, and ferroptosis.
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Hettiarachchi, S. N., K. Suban, S. Himaanthri, S. D. F. Aththachchi, C. N. Wickramarachchi, and T. S. G. Peiris. "Time Series Model to Forecast Fresh Coconut Exports from Sri Lanka." SLIIT Business Review 3, no. 2 (February 27, 2024): 107–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.54389/oftv3875.
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Coconut accounts for approximately 12% of all agricultural produce in Sri Lanka with the total land area under cultivation covering 409, 244 hectares ranking second to rice production. The primary regions for coconut cultivation are the Puttalam and Kurunegala districts in North-Western Province and Gampaha district in the Western Province, forming what is known as the Coconut Triangle. This region accounts for 232,270 hectares (50.94%) of the overall coconut cultivation area. The remaining coconut cultivation areas are found in the Southern Province, specifically in the districts of Galle (13,833 hectares), Matara (14,946 hectares), and Hambantota (25,837 hectares), and in non-traditional regions of the Eastern and Northern provinces. The annual coconut production varies between 2,800 to 3,000 million nuts. Having advanced knowledge of exporting coconuts offers numerous advantages to Sri Lanka, particularly in terms of establishing forward contracts with other countries. Based on secondary data of annual fresh coconut exports from 1981 to 2020 obtained from the Coconut Development Authority (CDA) of Sri Lanka, the paper developed ARIMA (2,1,0) model to forecast export. The model was selected out of three parsimonious models which were identified from the Sample Autocorrelation Function (ACF) and Partial Autocorrelation Function (PACF) of the stationary series and a comparison of significant parameters and lowest values of Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), Schwarz Bayesian Information Criterion (SBIC) and Hannan-Quinn Information Criterion (HQIC). The errors of the fitted model were found to be random and constant variance. The model was validated using 2021 and 2022 data. The percentage errors for 2021 and 2022 are 20.23% and -29.57% respectively. The predictions for 2023 and 2024 are 14696 and 15052 respectively. The model can be used effectively by the Coconut Development Authority for decision-making. However, it is suggested to develop the model further to reduce the percentage error. Keywords: ARIMA model, Forecast, Fresh Coconut Exports and Validate
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Shojaee, Seyedmehdi, Maike Buchner, Huimin Geng, Ari Melnick, Sigal Gery, Jeffery Molkentin, Phillip Koeffler, and Markus Muschen. "DUSP6-Mediated Negative Feedback to Oncogenic Tyrosine Kinase Signaling Prevents Excessive Accumulation of ROS and Enables Leukemia Cell Survival." Blood 118, no. 21 (November 18, 2011): 1479. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood.v118.21.1479.1479.
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Abstract Abstract 1479 Background: Negative feedback signaling has been described as a mechanism to prevent oncogene-induced senescence in RAS-driven tumor cells. Here we studied mechanisms of negative feedback signaling in response to oncogenic tyrosine kinases in solid tumors (EGFR, Her2; n=5), myeloid leukemia (CML/BCR-ABL1, AML/FLT3-ITD; n=6) and B cell lineage leukemia (Ph+ ALL/BCR-ABL1; n=4). Results: Studying gene expression changes in response to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment, we found that the DUSP6 (dual specificity phosphatase 6) represents an integral component of negative feedback signaling in a wide array of malignancies including solid tumors, myeloid and B cell lineage leukemia. As shown by Western blot, DUSP6 protein levels are high in all 10 cases of patient-derived Ph+ ALL studied. By contrast, normal pre-B cells (n=3) and B lymphoma cells lacking oncogenic tyrosine kinase activity (n=4) also lack expression of DUSP6 protein. A comprehensive CpG methylation analysis of the DUSP6 promoter region (HELP assay) revealed that CpG methylation levels observed in normal pre-B cells (n=12) are significantly increased in various types of B cell lymphomas (No tyrosine kinase; n=68) but drastically reduced in Ph+ ALL (BCR-ABL1 kinase; n=83; p=0.013). To study the role of Dusp6 in a genetic experiment, we transformed bone marrow progenitor cells from Dusp6−/− and Dusp6+/+ mice with BCR-ABL1 to model human Ph+ ALL and CML. While Dusp6−/− leukemia cells show normal growth kinetics, they are prone to cellular senescence (11-fold increase of β-galactosidase+ cells; p=0.0001) and fail to form colonies in methylcellulose (p=0.0002). Strikingly, flow cytometry staining using DCF dye revealed drastic accumulation of ROS in Dusp6−/− leukemia cells. While protein levels of p27 and Arf were similar between Dusp6+/+ and Dusp6−/− B cell lineage leukemia cells, protein levels of p53 and p21 were significantly increased, which is consistent with high ROS levels, cellular senescence and failure to form colonies in methyl cellulose. To test whether Dusp6-mediated negative feedback signaling represents a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of tyrosine kinase-driven leukemias, we tested the Dusp6 small molecule inhibitor 2-benzylidene-3-(cyclohexylamino)-1-Indanone hydrochloride (BCI). At 3 umol/l, BCI induces significant accumulation of ROS and cell death in Dusp6+/+ but not Dusp6−/− leukemia cells. The effect of BCI is dependent on Ncf1, the regulatory cytosolic p47 subunit of the NAPH oxidase, suggesting that ROS-accumulation represents the main pathway of cytotoxity when Dusp6 function is inhibited. We next studied the effect of BCI on patient derived Ph+ ALL cells from five patients, including two patients with T315I mutation. As expected, Imatinib had no measurable effect on patient-derived Ph+ ALL cells. In contrast, in all 5 cases Ph+ ALL cells were sensitive to BCI treatment (IC50 2.8 umol/l). In a panel of B cell lymphoma cell lines (No tyrosine kinase; n=11), BCI had no significant effect, indicating that the effects of pharmacological inhibition of Dusp6 are selective for tyrosine kinase-driven leukemia cells. To test in vivo efficacy of BCI, two patient-derived samples of Ph+ ALL carrying the T315I mutation were xenografted into sublethally irradiated NOD/SCID recipient mice. Mice were treated ten times with either vehicle, 75 mg/kg Nilotinib (oral gavage) or 25 mg/kg BCI (via tail vein injection). Repeated intravenous injection of BCI results in local toxicity and necrosis of tail tissue in a number of cases. As expected, Nilotinib-treatment had no effect on overall survival compared to vehicle. Treatment with BCI, by contrast resulted in significant prolongation of overall survival (BCI vs vehicle p=0.008; BCI vs Nilotinib p=0.01). Conclusion: Our studies identify DUSP6-mediated negative feedback signaling in tyrosine kinase-driven leukemias as a novel therapeutic target. Inactivation of DUSP6-mediated negative feedback leads to massive accumulation of ROS, activation of p53, loss of leukemia self-renewal and propensity to cellular senescence. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of Dusp6 is equally active on patient-derived Ph+ ALL that carry the T315I mutation, which evades treatment with all currently available TKI. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
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Jefferson, P. G., W. P. McCaughey, K. May, J. Woosaree, and Li McFarlane. "Forage quality of seeded native grasses in the fall season on the Canadian Prairie Provinces." Canadian Journal of Plant Science 84, no. 2 (April 1, 2004): 503–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/p03-145.
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There is renewed interest in re-seeding native grasses in the prairie region of western Canada but there is limited information on their forage quality for fall grazing. We evaluated forage quality in early fall of nine native and one introduced grass species for 2 to 4 yr at five locations. The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was high due to the advanced growth stage of the plants but varied among grass species at all sites . Western wheatgrass, Pascopyrum smithii, exhibited the lowest NDF and highest in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD). Northern wheatgrass, Elymus lanceolatus, exhibited the highest crude protein while western wheatgrass ranked second highest for crude protein. Indiangrass, Sorghastrum nutans, exhibited the highest P and Ca concentrations, while green needle grass, Nasella viridula, and mammoth wildrye, Leymus racemosus, exhibited the lowest concentrations. Acid detergent fiber (ADF) was not highly correlated to IVOMD, presumably due to the mature phenological stage at sampling. Western wheatgrass forage was nutritionally adequate to maintain a dry beef cow during the second trimester of pregnancy. Other species did not “cure on the stem” as had been previously reported and would require supplementary energy and protein to be utilized for fall pastures. Key words: Forage quality, fiber, protein, P, C4 grasses, C3 grasses
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Pavlenchyk, Nataliia, Fedir Horbonos, Anatoliі Pavlenchyk, Ruslan Skrynkovskyy, and Grzegorz Pawlowski. "Increasing the competitiveness of enterprises based on the use of marketing management tools." Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal 7, no. 3 (September 20, 2021): 77–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.51599/are.2021.07.03.05.
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Purpose. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the need to use marketing management tools to increase the competitiveness of the enterprise and create a model of interaction of tools in the implementation of marketing strategies.
Methodology / approach. The research was conducted on the base of sociological methods by means of statistical questioning of 200 respondent-entrepreneurs, owners, or runners of small business in the Western Region of Ukraine. Using the analysis of variance, the authors of the article studied variation of the results of the sociological investigation on marketing management tools, used for implementation of different strategies of business development. The factorial analysis was used to describe the factor structure of the marketing management tools. The calculations are made with application of the software Statistica 8.
Results. Substantiation of the use of marketing tools to increase the competitive advantage of enterprises based on the results of the conducted sociological interviewing of 200 respondent-entrepreneurs, owners or managers of small and medium-sized businesses. Referring to the results of the factorial analysis of marketing management tools, used for implementation of different strategies of business development, the researchers specify three factors.
Originality / scientific novelty. For the first time, the model of interaction of marketing management tools in the context of implementation of marketing strategies is formed, and it is investigated a structure of marketing tools at implementation of various strategies of business development to increase competitiveness of the enterprises.
Practical value / implications. The main purpose of using marketing management tools is determined, which will allow enterprises to coordinate their marketing activities, optimally allocate resources at all its stages and, as a result, will directly influence the formation and increase the level of competitiveness. The research results can be applied at enterprises of the Western region of Ukraine to provide substantiation of management decisions regarding improving competitiveness on the basis of marketing management.