A new series of quinazolin-4（3H）-one derivatives containing a（1 3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl） core with substituents at the 2-position and aromatic or heteroaromatic substituents at the 3-position were synthesized u...A new series of quinazolin-4（3H）-one derivatives containing a（1 3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl） core with substituents at the 2-position and aromatic or heteroaromatic substituents at the 3-position were synthesized using an L-proline catalyzed one-pot multi-component reaction approach.All the synthesized compounds were characterized and screened for their antimicrobial,antifungal and anti-tubercular activities.展开更多
Bangladesh is a deltaic country with a 710 km coastline and numerous newly accreted offshore islands in the central and eastern coastal regions. Natural mangrove forest (the Sundarbans) occupies about 100 km of coastl...Bangladesh is a deltaic country with a 710 km coastline and numerous newly accreted offshore islands in the central and eastern coastal regions. Natural mangrove forest (the Sundarbans) occupies about 100 km of coastline in the southwest, which protects the lives and properties of the coastal population of that area. The depletion of the forest stock of the Sundarbans was reported in 1875 due to the large-scale clearings by the woodcutters and uncertainty in natural regeneration. The restoration of the Sundarbans in the name of enrichment plantation and assisted natural regeneration was formally introduced in 1959 with Excoecaria agallocha followed by the introduction of mangrove and mainland (non-mangrove) species in the moderate to high saline zone and raised lands in the freshwater zone, respectively in 1975. Chakaria Sundarbans, the second largest natural mangrove forest on the east coast, was highly degraded with the rapid expansion of aquaculture between 1976 and 1989. Tremendous human interferences significantly altered the site condition, interrupting natural recovery. Coastal afforestation was initiated in 1966 with two pioneer mangrove species (Sonneratia apetala and Avicennia officinalis). Some afforested sites require attention for restoration due to natural and manmade causes. Bangladesh Forest Department adopted restoration activities with the technical support of the Bangladesh Forest Research Institute and other agencies. However, all the restoration activities for the Sundarbans, Chakaria Sundarbans, and coastal afforested sites had some success and failure stories. The success and failure of a mangrove restoration activity depends on planning (active or passive restoration), selection of suitable sites and species, planting materials, local community involvement, monitoring, evaluation and plantation management.展开更多
Objective:Intimate partner violence(IPV)among people living with the human immune deficiency virus(PLHIV)poses a significant threat to efforts to reduce the spread of human immune deficiency virus(HIV)and achieve the ...Objective:Intimate partner violence(IPV)among people living with the human immune deficiency virus(PLHIV)poses a significant threat to efforts to reduce the spread of human immune deficiency virus(HIV)and achieve the sustainable development goals.In Ghana,scholarly research on the forms and prevalence of IPV is available,however knowledge of the prevalence of IPV among PLHIV is limited.To understand the prevalence of IPV among PLHIV and the intersectional factors that contribute to it,this study examined the overall prevalence of IPV among PLHIV and the associated sociodemographic factors across ten regions of Ghana.Methods:We administered face-to-face survey questionnaires to 661 randomly selected antiretroviral therapy(ART)clients using Research Electronic Data Capture tools.We used descriptive statistics(mean,standard deviation,minimum,and maximum),pairwise correlation,and multivariate regression analysis to look at the data.Results:The clients of ART experienced various forms of IPV,including sexual,physical,emotional,and economic violence and controlling behaviour.The overall prevalence of IPV among PLHIV was 27.5%.This result,although on par with the global IPV average(27%),is 1.5%higher than the national rate(26%).The Upper West Region had the highest prevalence in all the categories of IPV analysed,followed by Oti Region in second place and the Upper East Region in third,except for the prevalence of sexual violence,where Greater Accra Region ranks second.In specific regions of Ghana,sociodemographic factors shaped by patriarchal and economic considerations contribute to a higher prevalence of IPV among people living with HIV.Conclusion:The findings have implications for developing policies and interventions that address the specific factors associated with HIV-induced IPV in different regions of Ghana.These interventions should also include screening PLHIV receiving ART for their IPV status regardless of gender and deploying culturally appropriate education at the community level to foster empathy towards intimate partners living with HIV.展开更多
A series of 5-substitued-3-（5-（4-（furan-2-yl）-6-methyl-2-oxo/thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidin-5-yl）-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2- ylimino）indolin-2-one derivatives were synthesized,characterized and were screened for an...A series of 5-substitued-3-（5-（4-（furan-2-yl）-6-methyl-2-oxo/thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidin-5-yl）-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2- ylimino）indolin-2-one derivatives were synthesized,characterized and were screened for anti-bacterial,anti-fungal and antitubercular activity.展开更多
The principle and technique were reported here to produce lignin-based sand stabilizing material （LSSM） using extracted lignin from black liquor of straw paper mills. Field tests using LSSM to stabilize and green sa...The principle and technique were reported here to produce lignin-based sand stabilizing material （LSSM） using extracted lignin from black liquor of straw paper mills. Field tests using LSSM to stabilize and green sand dunes were started in 2002. The field experiment was carded out in August 2005 when the newly formed plant community was 3 years old. The results from the comprehensive field experiment demonstrated that unlike polyvinyl acetate or foamed asphalt commonly used for dune stabilization, LSSM was plant- friendly material and could be used in combination with seeding and planting of desert species. With the help of LSSM, the desert species （i.e., Agriophyllum squarrosum （L.） Moq. and Artemisia desertorum Spreng. etc.） could be used to form community in 2-3 yeas and to stabilize sand dune effectively. The newly formed community was sustainable under an extremely dry climate condition. The organic matter and total nitrogen in the soil increased significantly as the community were formed, while the change in P and K contents in the soil was negligible.展开更多
Grinding is one of the most widely used material removal methods at the end of many process chains.Grinding force is related to almost all grinding parameters,which has a great influence on material removal rate,dimen...Grinding is one of the most widely used material removal methods at the end of many process chains.Grinding force is related to almost all grinding parameters,which has a great influence on material removal rate,dimensional and shape accuracy,surface and subsurface integrity,thermodynamics,dynamics,wheel durability,and machining system deformation.Considering that grinding force is related to almost all grinding parameters,grinding force can be used to detect grinding wheel wear,energy calculation,chatter suppression,force control and grinding process simulation.Accurate prediction of grinding forces is important for optimizing grinding parameters and the structure of grinding machines and fixtures.Although there are substantial research papers on grinding mechanics,a comprehensive review on the modeling of grinding mechanics is still absent from the literature.To fill this gap,this work reviews and introduces theoretical methods and applications of mechanics in grinding from the aspects of modeling principles,limitations and possible future trendencies.展开更多
Social challenges from rival conspecifics are common in the lives of animals, and changes in an animal＇s social environment can influence physiology and behavior in ways that appear to be adaptive in the face of cont...Social challenges from rival conspecifics are common in the lives of animals, and changes in an animal＇s social environment can influence physiology and behavior in ways that appear to be adaptive in the face of continued social instability （i.e. social priming）. Recently, it has become clear that testosterone, long thought to be the primary mediator of these effects, may not always change in response to social challenges, an observation that highlights gaps in our understanding of the proximate me- chanisms by which animals respond to their social environment. Here, our goal is to address the degree to which testosterone me- diates organismal responses to social cues. To this end, we review the behavioral and physiological consequences of social chal- lenges, as well as their underlying hormonal and gene regulatory mechanisms. We also present a new case study from a wild songbird, the dark-eyed junco Junco hyemalis, in which we find largely divergent genome-wide transcriptional changes induced by social challenges and testosterone, respectively, in muscle and liver tissue. Our review underscores the diversity of mechani- sms that link the dynamic social environment with an organisms＇ genomic, hormonal, and behavioral state. This diversity among species, and even among tissues within an organism, reveals new insights into the pattern and process by which evolution may alter proximate mechanisms of social priming.展开更多
Content-based language teaching(CBLT)has come to be known as an effective and motivating way to develop higher levels of communicative ability than more traditional grammar-based approaches.Whereas traditional methods...Content-based language teaching(CBLT)has come to be known as an effective and motivating way to develop higher levels of communicative ability than more traditional grammar-based approaches.Whereas traditional methods isolate the target language from any substantive content except for the mechanical workings of the language itself,CBLT enriches classroom discourse in a way that provides both a cognitive basis for language learning and a motivational basis for purposeful communication.CBLT,how ever,does not preclude language instruction but instead promotes its integration through a counterbalanced approach that entails a dynamic interplay betw een language and content.Drawing on classroom-based research,this paper illustrates the feasibility and effectiveness of a counterbalanced approach to CBLT whose flexibility has the potential to accommodate a range of instructional settings.展开更多
A series of 5-substituted-3-[{5-（6-methyl-2-oxo/thioxo-4-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidin-5-yl）-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl}-imino] -1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one were synthesized,characterized and screened for their anti-t...A series of 5-substituted-3-[{5-（6-methyl-2-oxo/thioxo-4-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidin-5-yl）-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl}-imino] -1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one were synthesized,characterized and screened for their anti-tubercular and antimalarial activity.展开更多
Manufacturers face challenges when dealing with abrasives that lose roundness,wear excessively,and suffer from pitting of the surface of the grinding wheel that needs rectification using dressing techniques.Nanostruct...Manufacturers face challenges when dealing with abrasives that lose roundness,wear excessively,and suffer from pitting of the surface of the grinding wheel that needs rectification using dressing techniques.Nanostructured abrasive grits manufactured by hybrid fusion processes and by sintering/extrusion/printing processes are found to reduce pitting quite significantly.The phenomenon of wheel collapse is increasing and cycle times developed during the grinding of aerospace alloys are much smaller compared to using conventional materials.This paper reviews the phenomenon of wheel collapse induced by pitting and takes a critical look at the production and analysis of hybrid fused and printed/sintered abrasives.A mathematical analysis is carried out of the diffusion of primary and secondary phases due to mechanical and ultrasonic agitation with the aim of producing abrasive grits with improved strength and retention.Current developments in extruded,printed,and sintered grits for use in precision grinding applications are critically reviewed.The paper concludes by explaining how such abrasives are used in practice by industrial manufacturers of high-precision products.展开更多
Objective: To explore the antiproliferative activity and apoptosis in cells caused by active compounds present in plants using different techniques. Methods: We investigated the antiproliferative effects of methanolic...Objective: To explore the antiproliferative activity and apoptosis in cells caused by active compounds present in plants using different techniques. Methods: We investigated the antiproliferative effects of methanolic extracts from different parts of seven plants on A-549(lung cancer) cells and primary cell culture(chick embryo fibroblast cells, as normal cells) using MTT assay and the potent plant was fractioned further. All these fractions were screened again for anti-proliferative activity. DNA fragmentation and DAPI staining were used to study apoptosis. Quantitative real-time was used to investigate the expression of apoptoticrelated genes. LC-MS and 1 H-NMR techniques were used to identify the active compounds present. EnzCheck caspase-3 assay kit was used to measure caspase-3 activity. Results: Methanolic extract of Vitex negundo(V. negundo) was selected as a potent fraction. Among all fractions screened, ethylacetate fraction of V. negundo was selected as the most potent antiproliferative fraction and phytochemical analysis of the extract revealed the presence of secondary metabolites. Ethaylacetate fraction of V. negundo was found to cause characteristic apoptotic morphological changes and generation of ROS in A-549 cells. Ethaylacetate fraction of V. negundo also induced apoptosis in A-549 which was supported by DNA fragmentation and DAPI staining. To investigate the molecular mechanism behind the cytotoxic effect of ethaylacetate fraction of V. negundo, quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure expression levels of p53, bax, bcl2, casp-3 and casp-9. Using LC-MS and 1 H-NMR techniques, cytotoxic compounds(luteolin and p-hydroxy benzoic acid) were identified which increased casp-3 activity in a dose and time-dependent manner in A-549 treated cells. Conclusions: It is concluded from the present study that V. negundo is capable of triggering growth-inhibitive and apoptosis effects in A-549 cells, signifying that V. negundo may possesses anti-lung cancer activity.展开更多
The sheaths of a plasma containing two species of positive ion generated in a low pressure discharge （- mTorr） are studied using a fluid model. It is shown analytically that for the weakly collisional presheath, as ...The sheaths of a plasma containing two species of positive ion generated in a low pressure discharge （- mTorr） are studied using a fluid model. It is shown analytically that for the weakly collisional presheath, as long as the ion-ion streaming instability is absent, each ion species enters the sheath satisfying each individual Bohm criterion. The fluid equations of electrons and ions, including the time derivative terms, are solved numerically to follow the temporal evolution of the plasma and sheath. Our numerical results show that in the parameter range explored, the ion-ion streaming instability is not observed, and each ion species has its own Bohm criterion independent of the relative concentrations of the two ion species. In addition, the RF sheath is studied numerically and the similar conclusion is drawn.展开更多
For the past several decades, climate change has been driving vegetation dynamics in arid regions worldwide. This study investigates vegetation dynamics and their links to climate from 1990 to 2020 in Xinjiang, China,...For the past several decades, climate change has been driving vegetation dynamics in arid regions worldwide. This study investigates vegetation dynamics and their links to climate from 1990 to 2020 in Xinjiang, China, using data from 30-m resolution land use and cover change, remote sensing, and climate reanalysis. Our approach encompasses a range of analytical techniques, including transfer matrix analysis, modeling, correlation, regression,and trend analysis. During the study period, there were major vegetation conversions from grassland to forestland in the mountains, and from cropland to grassland in the plains. Climate change emerged as an important trigger of these changes, as evidenced by the increase in net primary productivity in most vegetation types, except for cropland-grassland and grassland-cropland conversions. Precipitation and soil moisture were the most influential climatic factors, contributing 15.1% and 15.2%, respectively, to natural vegetation changes.The study also found that evapotranspiration serves as a key mechanism for moisture dissipation in the hydrological cycle of vegetation dynamics. The interplay between precipitation,soil moisture, and evapotranspiration is a critical pattern of climatic influence that shapes vegetation dynamics across zones of intersection, increase, decrease, and change. These insights are invaluable for informing vegetation conservation and development strategies in Xinjiang and other similar environments facing climate-driven ecological transitions.展开更多
<span style="font-family:Verdana;">Background: Herbal medicines use has prevailed over the past decades in both low-middle-income and high-income countries over the years. The use among women has incre...<span style="font-family:Verdana;">Background: Herbal medicines use has prevailed over the past decades in both low-middle-income and high-income countries over the years. The use among women has increased with increased risks of ill-health. There is extensive literature on herbal medicine use among women in pre/pregnancy, labour, and the postpartum periods. Therefore, this study aimed to understand women’s purposes, experiences, and motivation for using herbal medicines during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum, and the experiences associated with the use. Methods: Four critical databases were predetermined and searched: CINAHL, Medline, Web of Science, and EMBASE. These databases were chosen for their comprehensiveness and relevance to the review aims. We considered peer-reviewed published articles from January 2000 to December 2018. We chose these databases because we found that they are dominant in the medical and healthcare-related literature. All references were pooled to Endnote reference management software for screening. Quality appraisal of articles was conducted using the Mixed-Method Assessment Tool (MMAT). Content analysis approach was used to extra the data from the articles. Globally, twenty-one articles met the inclusion criteria, and thus, formed the dataset for this review. Results: Most articles (n = 10, 47.6%) reported solely HM uses on only pregnancy whiles the rest evaluated HM uses in labour, pre-pregnancy, and the postpartum periods. The results have shown that the majority of women received information about HM from friends, family, the “black markets,” and drug outlets. Overall, the results were presented in seven broad themes: 1) sociodemographic characteristics of HM users, 2) perceived threat of health problem, 3) sources and quality of the information received, 4) susceptibility to health complications, 5) potential limitations to the use of HM, 6) the motivation for HM utilization, 7) concerns on the combined use of herbal and allopathic medicines. Conclusion: The study recommends the further research into the toxicity of herbal products, to ensure that accurate information can be provided to women before use.展开更多
This study proposes two new regime-switching volatility models to empirically analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hotel stock prices in Japan compared with the US,taking into account the role of stock marke...This study proposes two new regime-switching volatility models to empirically analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hotel stock prices in Japan compared with the US,taking into account the role of stock markets.The first model is a direct impact model of COVID-19 on hotel stock prices;the analysis finds that infection speed negatively affects Japanese hotel stock prices and shows that the regime continues to switch to high volatility in prices due to COVID-19 until September 2021,unlike US stock prices.The second model is a hybrid model with COVID-19 and stock market impacts on the hotel stock prices,which can remove the market impacts on regime-switching volatility;this analysis demonstrates that COVID-19 negatively affects hotel stock prices regardless of whether they are in Japan or the US.We also observe a transition to a high-volatility regime in hotel stock prices due to COVID-19 until around summer 2021 in both Japan and the US.These results suggest that COVID-19 is likely to affect hotel stock prices in general,except for the influence of the stock market.Considering the market influence,COVID-19 directly and/or indirectly affects Japanese hotel stocks through the Japanese stock market,and US hotel stocks have limited impacts from COVID-19 owing to the offset between the influence on hotel stocks and no effect on the stock market.Based on the results,investors and portfolio managers should be aware that the impact of COVID-19 on hotel stock returns depends on the balance between the direct and indirect effects,and varies from country to country and region to region.展开更多
Several studies have shown that sickle cell disease (SCD) is made worse by infections;it was necessary to carry out this study to ascertain the occurrence of intestinal parasitic infections to the number of SCD patien...Several studies have shown that sickle cell disease (SCD) is made worse by infections;it was necessary to carry out this study to ascertain the occurrence of intestinal parasitic infections to the number of SCD patients infected compared to Non-SCD patients, the impact of the infections on Pack cell volume (PCV) of the SCD patients in Nigeria populace. A total of 140 stool samples were collected from both SCD patients and Non-SCD patients. 3 ml of venous blood, seventy samples in total were collected from the SCD patients only. The blood and stool samples were collected from September 2005 to November 2005;structured questionnaire was administered to each of the patient that gave consent to be part of the study alongside with questionnaire interview. The stool samples were analysed macroscopically and microscopically using saline, iodine and formal-ether concentration technique. The blood samples were analysed by micro-heamatocrit method. The findings showed that a total of six parasites were identified among the SCD patients and a total of thirteen parasites were identified among Non-SCD patients. Although the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections was low among the research participates, the identified parasites fell into the 4 major categories of intestinal parasites, an indication that SCD patients can be susceptible to any of the intestinal worms/protozoa. Despite a low prevalence of intestinal parasites among the studied individual at the time of this study, it is however, necessary for regular laboratory investigations for intestinal worm/protozoa since they are still a public health problem.展开更多
<em>Xylocarpus mekongensis</em> Pierre is the important tree species of the Sundarbans. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of salinity on the survival and growth of <em>X. mekonge...<em>Xylocarpus mekongensis</em> Pierre is the important tree species of the Sundarbans. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of salinity on the survival and growth of <em>X. mekongensis</em> seedlings. The distributional patterns of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and carbon in seedling parts were also examined in relation to salinity. Comparatively higher survival (95%) of seedlings was observed at non-saline to slightly saline conditions (0-5 PSU) and it was decreased to 78% at 35 PSU salinity. The relative growth rate (RGR) was higher at non-saline to slightly saline (0 to 5 PSU) conditions compared to higher salinity. Nutrients, sodium, and carbon concentration are found to vary significantly (p < 0.05) among the parts of seedlings. Comparatively (p < 0.05) highest concentration of nitrogen (20 to 34 mg/g), phosphorus (0.50 to 0.75 mg/g), potassium (9 to 27 mg/g) and sodium (7 to 36 mg/g) were found in leaves, while the highest concentration of carbon (42% to 45%) was detected in the stem. However, nitrogen, potassium, and carbon concentration in different parts of seedlings showed significant (p < 0.05) negative correlations with salinity levels. It can be concluded that <em>X. mekongensis</em> has the capacity to tolerate higher saline condition but they grow well in non-saline to less saline conditions.展开更多
The traditional degradation of organic pollutants is based on the sacrifice of chemical or biological reagents. In this study, a purely physical technique was developed to break the chemical bonds and consequently dec...The traditional degradation of organic pollutants is based on the sacrifice of chemical or biological reagents. In this study, a purely physical technique was developed to break the chemical bonds and consequently decompose macromolecules in aqueous solution. Assisted with a high-speed mechanical blade, refined quartz sand grains with particularly sharp nanoscale edges can act as ‘nano-knives', which are able to cut the long chain of carboxymethyl cellulose(CMC, as a model molecule). High performance size exclusion chromatography measurements evidenced that the original CMC molecules(41,000 Da) were decomposed into a series of smaller molecules(460, 1000, 2200, 21,000, 27,000 and 31,000 Da). Consequently, the initial viscosity of the CMC solution(2 g/L) rapidly decreased by approximately 50% after 3 min treatment by the nano-knife materials along with the mechanical blade. Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectra indicated that the original functional groups were still present and new functional groups were not produced after shearing. The intensity of the main functional groupβ-1-4-glycosidic bond(wavenumber 1062 cm-1) was observed to markedly decrease after shearing. These results indicated that the long-chain CMC was cleaved into short-chain CMC. A degradation mechanism was proposed whereby the cutting force generated by the rapid motion of the nano-knives may be responsible for the breakage of β-1-4-glycosidic bonds in the macromolecular cellulose backbone. These results provide support for a potentially more affordable and environment-friendly strategy for physical-based decomposition of recalcitrant organic pollutants from aqueous solution without the need of chemical or biological reagents.展开更多
We investigate the effects of kinetic ions on double-tearing modes(DTMs) using the gyrokinetic particle-in-cell simulation code GEM with a gyrokinetic ion/fluid electron hybrid model. It is found that the ion kinetic ...We investigate the effects of kinetic ions on double-tearing modes(DTMs) using the gyrokinetic particle-in-cell simulation code GEM with a gyrokinetic ion/fluid electron hybrid model. It is found that the ion kinetic effects can decrease the growth rate of the DTMs. This effect is more significant for stronger coupling of DTMs with smaller distance between the rational surfaces. Kinetic ions can also enhance the coupling effect between the two rational surfaces. Energy transfer analyses between particles and wave fields show that the stabilizing effect of kinetic ions comes mainly from the perpendicular magnetic drift of ions in the coupling region and around the outer rational surface.展开更多
文摘A new series of quinazolin-4（3H）-one derivatives containing a（1 3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl） core with substituents at the 2-position and aromatic or heteroaromatic substituents at the 3-position were synthesized using an L-proline catalyzed one-pot multi-component reaction approach.All the synthesized compounds were characterized and screened for their antimicrobial,antifungal and anti-tubercular activities.
文摘Bangladesh is a deltaic country with a 710 km coastline and numerous newly accreted offshore islands in the central and eastern coastal regions. Natural mangrove forest (the Sundarbans) occupies about 100 km of coastline in the southwest, which protects the lives and properties of the coastal population of that area. The depletion of the forest stock of the Sundarbans was reported in 1875 due to the large-scale clearings by the woodcutters and uncertainty in natural regeneration. The restoration of the Sundarbans in the name of enrichment plantation and assisted natural regeneration was formally introduced in 1959 with Excoecaria agallocha followed by the introduction of mangrove and mainland (non-mangrove) species in the moderate to high saline zone and raised lands in the freshwater zone, respectively in 1975. Chakaria Sundarbans, the second largest natural mangrove forest on the east coast, was highly degraded with the rapid expansion of aquaculture between 1976 and 1989. Tremendous human interferences significantly altered the site condition, interrupting natural recovery. Coastal afforestation was initiated in 1966 with two pioneer mangrove species (Sonneratia apetala and Avicennia officinalis). Some afforested sites require attention for restoration due to natural and manmade causes. Bangladesh Forest Department adopted restoration activities with the technical support of the Bangladesh Forest Research Institute and other agencies. However, all the restoration activities for the Sundarbans, Chakaria Sundarbans, and coastal afforested sites had some success and failure stories. The success and failure of a mangrove restoration activity depends on planning (active or passive restoration), selection of suitable sites and species, planting materials, local community involvement, monitoring, evaluation and plantation management.
基金supported by the Christian Health Association of Ghana under Global Fund New Funding Model 3(NFM 3)HIV/TB Community Systems Strengthening programme(CSS)。
文摘Objective:Intimate partner violence(IPV)among people living with the human immune deficiency virus(PLHIV)poses a significant threat to efforts to reduce the spread of human immune deficiency virus(HIV)and achieve the sustainable development goals.In Ghana,scholarly research on the forms and prevalence of IPV is available,however knowledge of the prevalence of IPV among PLHIV is limited.To understand the prevalence of IPV among PLHIV and the intersectional factors that contribute to it,this study examined the overall prevalence of IPV among PLHIV and the associated sociodemographic factors across ten regions of Ghana.Methods:We administered face-to-face survey questionnaires to 661 randomly selected antiretroviral therapy(ART)clients using Research Electronic Data Capture tools.We used descriptive statistics(mean,standard deviation,minimum,and maximum),pairwise correlation,and multivariate regression analysis to look at the data.Results:The clients of ART experienced various forms of IPV,including sexual,physical,emotional,and economic violence and controlling behaviour.The overall prevalence of IPV among PLHIV was 27.5%.This result,although on par with the global IPV average(27%),is 1.5%higher than the national rate(26%).The Upper West Region had the highest prevalence in all the categories of IPV analysed,followed by Oti Region in second place and the Upper East Region in third,except for the prevalence of sexual violence,where Greater Accra Region ranks second.In specific regions of Ghana,sociodemographic factors shaped by patriarchal and economic considerations contribute to a higher prevalence of IPV among people living with HIV.Conclusion:The findings have implications for developing policies and interventions that address the specific factors associated with HIV-induced IPV in different regions of Ghana.These interventions should also include screening PLHIV receiving ART for their IPV status regardless of gender and deploying culturally appropriate education at the community level to foster empathy towards intimate partners living with HIV.
文摘A series of 5-substitued-3-（5-（4-（furan-2-yl）-6-methyl-2-oxo/thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidin-5-yl）-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2- ylimino）indolin-2-one derivatives were synthesized,characterized and were screened for anti-bacterial,anti-fungal and antitubercular activity.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40675040, 30771687, and90302015)the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2006CB400505)
文摘The principle and technique were reported here to produce lignin-based sand stabilizing material （LSSM） using extracted lignin from black liquor of straw paper mills. Field tests using LSSM to stabilize and green sand dunes were started in 2002. The field experiment was carded out in August 2005 when the newly formed plant community was 3 years old. The results from the comprehensive field experiment demonstrated that unlike polyvinyl acetate or foamed asphalt commonly used for dune stabilization, LSSM was plant- friendly material and could be used in combination with seeding and planting of desert species. With the help of LSSM, the desert species （i.e., Agriophyllum squarrosum （L.） Moq. and Artemisia desertorum Spreng. etc.） could be used to form community in 2-3 yeas and to stabilize sand dune effectively. The newly formed community was sustainable under an extremely dry climate condition. The organic matter and total nitrogen in the soil increased significantly as the community were formed, while the change in P and K contents in the soil was negligible.
基金co-supported by the Enterprise Innovation and Development Joint Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. U20B2032)National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51875135)
文摘Grinding is one of the most widely used material removal methods at the end of many process chains.Grinding force is related to almost all grinding parameters,which has a great influence on material removal rate,dimensional and shape accuracy,surface and subsurface integrity,thermodynamics,dynamics,wheel durability,and machining system deformation.Considering that grinding force is related to almost all grinding parameters,grinding force can be used to detect grinding wheel wear,energy calculation,chatter suppression,force control and grinding process simulation.Accurate prediction of grinding forces is important for optimizing grinding parameters and the structure of grinding machines and fixtures.Although there are substantial research papers on grinding mechanics,a comprehensive review on the modeling of grinding mechanics is still absent from the literature.To fill this gap,this work reviews and introduces theoretical methods and applications of mechanics in grinding from the aspects of modeling principles,limitations and possible future trendencies.
文摘Social challenges from rival conspecifics are common in the lives of animals, and changes in an animal＇s social environment can influence physiology and behavior in ways that appear to be adaptive in the face of continued social instability （i.e. social priming）. Recently, it has become clear that testosterone, long thought to be the primary mediator of these effects, may not always change in response to social challenges, an observation that highlights gaps in our understanding of the proximate me- chanisms by which animals respond to their social environment. Here, our goal is to address the degree to which testosterone me- diates organismal responses to social cues. To this end, we review the behavioral and physiological consequences of social chal- lenges, as well as their underlying hormonal and gene regulatory mechanisms. We also present a new case study from a wild songbird, the dark-eyed junco Junco hyemalis, in which we find largely divergent genome-wide transcriptional changes induced by social challenges and testosterone, respectively, in muscle and liver tissue. Our review underscores the diversity of mechani- sms that link the dynamic social environment with an organisms＇ genomic, hormonal, and behavioral state. This diversity among species, and even among tissues within an organism, reveals new insights into the pattern and process by which evolution may alter proximate mechanisms of social priming.
文摘Content-based language teaching(CBLT)has come to be known as an effective and motivating way to develop higher levels of communicative ability than more traditional grammar-based approaches.Whereas traditional methods isolate the target language from any substantive content except for the mechanical workings of the language itself,CBLT enriches classroom discourse in a way that provides both a cognitive basis for language learning and a motivational basis for purposeful communication.CBLT,how ever,does not preclude language instruction but instead promotes its integration through a counterbalanced approach that entails a dynamic interplay betw een language and content.Drawing on classroom-based research,this paper illustrates the feasibility and effectiveness of a counterbalanced approach to CBLT whose flexibility has the potential to accommodate a range of instructional settings.
文摘A series of 5-substituted-3-[{5-（6-methyl-2-oxo/thioxo-4-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidin-5-yl）-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl}-imino] -1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one were synthesized,characterized and screened for their anti-tubercular and antimalarial activity.
基金The author thanks Dr. Subramanian, STIMS Institute (Fig. 1)Dr. Michael Hitchiner of Saint-Gobain Abrasives (Figs. 13-16)Drs. Bhateja and Lindsay of Saint-Gobain Abrasives and SME(Figs. 2 and 3).
文摘Manufacturers face challenges when dealing with abrasives that lose roundness,wear excessively,and suffer from pitting of the surface of the grinding wheel that needs rectification using dressing techniques.Nanostructured abrasive grits manufactured by hybrid fusion processes and by sintering/extrusion/printing processes are found to reduce pitting quite significantly.The phenomenon of wheel collapse is increasing and cycle times developed during the grinding of aerospace alloys are much smaller compared to using conventional materials.This paper reviews the phenomenon of wheel collapse induced by pitting and takes a critical look at the production and analysis of hybrid fused and printed/sintered abrasives.A mathematical analysis is carried out of the diffusion of primary and secondary phases due to mechanical and ultrasonic agitation with the aim of producing abrasive grits with improved strength and retention.Current developments in extruded,printed,and sintered grits for use in precision grinding applications are critically reviewed.The paper concludes by explaining how such abrasives are used in practice by industrial manufacturers of high-precision products.
文摘Objective: To explore the antiproliferative activity and apoptosis in cells caused by active compounds present in plants using different techniques. Methods: We investigated the antiproliferative effects of methanolic extracts from different parts of seven plants on A-549(lung cancer) cells and primary cell culture(chick embryo fibroblast cells, as normal cells) using MTT assay and the potent plant was fractioned further. All these fractions were screened again for anti-proliferative activity. DNA fragmentation and DAPI staining were used to study apoptosis. Quantitative real-time was used to investigate the expression of apoptoticrelated genes. LC-MS and 1 H-NMR techniques were used to identify the active compounds present. EnzCheck caspase-3 assay kit was used to measure caspase-3 activity. Results: Methanolic extract of Vitex negundo(V. negundo) was selected as a potent fraction. Among all fractions screened, ethylacetate fraction of V. negundo was selected as the most potent antiproliferative fraction and phytochemical analysis of the extract revealed the presence of secondary metabolites. Ethaylacetate fraction of V. negundo was found to cause characteristic apoptotic morphological changes and generation of ROS in A-549 cells. Ethaylacetate fraction of V. negundo also induced apoptosis in A-549 which was supported by DNA fragmentation and DAPI staining. To investigate the molecular mechanism behind the cytotoxic effect of ethaylacetate fraction of V. negundo, quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure expression levels of p53, bax, bcl2, casp-3 and casp-9. Using LC-MS and 1 H-NMR techniques, cytotoxic compounds(luteolin and p-hydroxy benzoic acid) were identified which increased casp-3 activity in a dose and time-dependent manner in A-549 treated cells. Conclusions: It is concluded from the present study that V. negundo is capable of triggering growth-inhibitive and apoptosis effects in A-549 cells, signifying that V. negundo may possesses anti-lung cancer activity.
文摘The sheaths of a plasma containing two species of positive ion generated in a low pressure discharge （- mTorr） are studied using a fluid model. It is shown analytically that for the weakly collisional presheath, as long as the ion-ion streaming instability is absent, each ion species enters the sheath satisfying each individual Bohm criterion. The fluid equations of electrons and ions, including the time derivative terms, are solved numerically to follow the temporal evolution of the plasma and sheath. Our numerical results show that in the parameter range explored, the ion-ion streaming instability is not observed, and each ion species has its own Bohm criterion independent of the relative concentrations of the two ion species. In addition, the RF sheath is studied numerically and the similar conclusion is drawn.
基金The Key Laboratory Opening Foundation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,No.2023D04048Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Science and Technology Partnership and International S&T Cooperation Program,No.2023E01022China Scholarship Council (CSC)。
文摘For the past several decades, climate change has been driving vegetation dynamics in arid regions worldwide. This study investigates vegetation dynamics and their links to climate from 1990 to 2020 in Xinjiang, China, using data from 30-m resolution land use and cover change, remote sensing, and climate reanalysis. Our approach encompasses a range of analytical techniques, including transfer matrix analysis, modeling, correlation, regression,and trend analysis. During the study period, there were major vegetation conversions from grassland to forestland in the mountains, and from cropland to grassland in the plains. Climate change emerged as an important trigger of these changes, as evidenced by the increase in net primary productivity in most vegetation types, except for cropland-grassland and grassland-cropland conversions. Precipitation and soil moisture were the most influential climatic factors, contributing 15.1% and 15.2%, respectively, to natural vegetation changes.The study also found that evapotranspiration serves as a key mechanism for moisture dissipation in the hydrological cycle of vegetation dynamics. The interplay between precipitation,soil moisture, and evapotranspiration is a critical pattern of climatic influence that shapes vegetation dynamics across zones of intersection, increase, decrease, and change. These insights are invaluable for informing vegetation conservation and development strategies in Xinjiang and other similar environments facing climate-driven ecological transitions.
文摘<span style="font-family:Verdana;">Background: Herbal medicines use has prevailed over the past decades in both low-middle-income and high-income countries over the years. The use among women has increased with increased risks of ill-health. There is extensive literature on herbal medicine use among women in pre/pregnancy, labour, and the postpartum periods. Therefore, this study aimed to understand women’s purposes, experiences, and motivation for using herbal medicines during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum, and the experiences associated with the use. Methods: Four critical databases were predetermined and searched: CINAHL, Medline, Web of Science, and EMBASE. These databases were chosen for their comprehensiveness and relevance to the review aims. We considered peer-reviewed published articles from January 2000 to December 2018. We chose these databases because we found that they are dominant in the medical and healthcare-related literature. All references were pooled to Endnote reference management software for screening. Quality appraisal of articles was conducted using the Mixed-Method Assessment Tool (MMAT). Content analysis approach was used to extra the data from the articles. Globally, twenty-one articles met the inclusion criteria, and thus, formed the dataset for this review. Results: Most articles (n = 10, 47.6%) reported solely HM uses on only pregnancy whiles the rest evaluated HM uses in labour, pre-pregnancy, and the postpartum periods. The results have shown that the majority of women received information about HM from friends, family, the “black markets,” and drug outlets. Overall, the results were presented in seven broad themes: 1) sociodemographic characteristics of HM users, 2) perceived threat of health problem, 3) sources and quality of the information received, 4) susceptibility to health complications, 5) potential limitations to the use of HM, 6) the motivation for HM utilization, 7) concerns on the combined use of herbal and allopathic medicines. Conclusion: The study recommends the further research into the toxicity of herbal products, to ensure that accurate information can be provided to women before use.
文摘This study proposes two new regime-switching volatility models to empirically analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hotel stock prices in Japan compared with the US,taking into account the role of stock markets.The first model is a direct impact model of COVID-19 on hotel stock prices;the analysis finds that infection speed negatively affects Japanese hotel stock prices and shows that the regime continues to switch to high volatility in prices due to COVID-19 until September 2021,unlike US stock prices.The second model is a hybrid model with COVID-19 and stock market impacts on the hotel stock prices,which can remove the market impacts on regime-switching volatility;this analysis demonstrates that COVID-19 negatively affects hotel stock prices regardless of whether they are in Japan or the US.We also observe a transition to a high-volatility regime in hotel stock prices due to COVID-19 until around summer 2021 in both Japan and the US.These results suggest that COVID-19 is likely to affect hotel stock prices in general,except for the influence of the stock market.Considering the market influence,COVID-19 directly and/or indirectly affects Japanese hotel stocks through the Japanese stock market,and US hotel stocks have limited impacts from COVID-19 owing to the offset between the influence on hotel stocks and no effect on the stock market.Based on the results,investors and portfolio managers should be aware that the impact of COVID-19 on hotel stock returns depends on the balance between the direct and indirect effects,and varies from country to country and region to region.
文摘Several studies have shown that sickle cell disease (SCD) is made worse by infections;it was necessary to carry out this study to ascertain the occurrence of intestinal parasitic infections to the number of SCD patients infected compared to Non-SCD patients, the impact of the infections on Pack cell volume (PCV) of the SCD patients in Nigeria populace. A total of 140 stool samples were collected from both SCD patients and Non-SCD patients. 3 ml of venous blood, seventy samples in total were collected from the SCD patients only. The blood and stool samples were collected from September 2005 to November 2005;structured questionnaire was administered to each of the patient that gave consent to be part of the study alongside with questionnaire interview. The stool samples were analysed macroscopically and microscopically using saline, iodine and formal-ether concentration technique. The blood samples were analysed by micro-heamatocrit method. The findings showed that a total of six parasites were identified among the SCD patients and a total of thirteen parasites were identified among Non-SCD patients. Although the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections was low among the research participates, the identified parasites fell into the 4 major categories of intestinal parasites, an indication that SCD patients can be susceptible to any of the intestinal worms/protozoa. Despite a low prevalence of intestinal parasites among the studied individual at the time of this study, it is however, necessary for regular laboratory investigations for intestinal worm/protozoa since they are still a public health problem.
文摘<em>Xylocarpus mekongensis</em> Pierre is the important tree species of the Sundarbans. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of salinity on the survival and growth of <em>X. mekongensis</em> seedlings. The distributional patterns of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and carbon in seedling parts were also examined in relation to salinity. Comparatively higher survival (95%) of seedlings was observed at non-saline to slightly saline conditions (0-5 PSU) and it was decreased to 78% at 35 PSU salinity. The relative growth rate (RGR) was higher at non-saline to slightly saline (0 to 5 PSU) conditions compared to higher salinity. Nutrients, sodium, and carbon concentration are found to vary significantly (p < 0.05) among the parts of seedlings. Comparatively (p < 0.05) highest concentration of nitrogen (20 to 34 mg/g), phosphorus (0.50 to 0.75 mg/g), potassium (9 to 27 mg/g) and sodium (7 to 36 mg/g) were found in leaves, while the highest concentration of carbon (42% to 45%) was detected in the stem. However, nitrogen, potassium, and carbon concentration in different parts of seedlings showed significant (p < 0.05) negative correlations with salinity levels. It can be concluded that <em>X. mekongensis</em> has the capacity to tolerate higher saline condition but they grow well in non-saline to less saline conditions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21277161, 41573114)the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2017YFA0207204)
文摘The traditional degradation of organic pollutants is based on the sacrifice of chemical or biological reagents. In this study, a purely physical technique was developed to break the chemical bonds and consequently decompose macromolecules in aqueous solution. Assisted with a high-speed mechanical blade, refined quartz sand grains with particularly sharp nanoscale edges can act as ‘nano-knives', which are able to cut the long chain of carboxymethyl cellulose(CMC, as a model molecule). High performance size exclusion chromatography measurements evidenced that the original CMC molecules(41,000 Da) were decomposed into a series of smaller molecules(460, 1000, 2200, 21,000, 27,000 and 31,000 Da). Consequently, the initial viscosity of the CMC solution(2 g/L) rapidly decreased by approximately 50% after 3 min treatment by the nano-knife materials along with the mechanical blade. Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectra indicated that the original functional groups were still present and new functional groups were not produced after shearing. The intensity of the main functional groupβ-1-4-glycosidic bond(wavenumber 1062 cm-1) was observed to markedly decrease after shearing. These results indicated that the long-chain CMC was cleaved into short-chain CMC. A degradation mechanism was proposed whereby the cutting force generated by the rapid motion of the nano-knives may be responsible for the breakage of β-1-4-glycosidic bonds in the macromolecular cellulose backbone. These results provide support for a potentially more affordable and environment-friendly strategy for physical-based decomposition of recalcitrant organic pollutants from aqueous solution without the need of chemical or biological reagents.
基金supported by the National MCF Energy R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2019YFE03060001)the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFE0300406)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11975272 and 11905257)supported by the SciDAC Center Advanced Tokamak Modeling Environment (AToM) (Grant No. DE-SC0017992)。
文摘We investigate the effects of kinetic ions on double-tearing modes(DTMs) using the gyrokinetic particle-in-cell simulation code GEM with a gyrokinetic ion/fluid electron hybrid model. It is found that the ion kinetic effects can decrease the growth rate of the DTMs. This effect is more significant for stronger coupling of DTMs with smaller distance between the rational surfaces. Kinetic ions can also enhance the coupling effect between the two rational surfaces. Energy transfer analyses between particles and wave fields show that the stabilizing effect of kinetic ions comes mainly from the perpendicular magnetic drift of ions in the coupling region and around the outer rational surface.
