Global Patterns of Ruler Conversion to Islam and the Logic of Empirical Religiosity

Islamisation ◽  
2017 ◽  
pp. 21-55
Author(s):  
Alan Strathern

The first great expansion of Islam owed little to the conversion of rulers but instead followed, albeit slowly, in the footsteps of strikingly rapid military conquest. Yet, in the second millennium, Islam expanded further and faster by means of ruler conversions than its proselytising rivals, Christianity and Buddhism. The principal regions where this held true were Sub-Saharan Africa and maritime Southeast Asia, though Central Asia also saw numerous conversions of the Mongol and Turkic elites that poured into the region.1 This was the period, then, in which Islam broke out of its Mediterranean and West Asian base to penetrate new territories to the south and the far east of the old world.

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 322
Author(s):  
Stefano De Benedetti ◽  
Flavio Di Pisa ◽  
Enrico Mario Alessandro Fassi ◽  
Marina Cretich ◽  
Angelo Musicò ◽  
...  

The human parasitic disease Schistosomiasis is caused by the Schistosoma trematode flatworm that infects freshwaters in tropical regions of the world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, and the Far-East. It has also been observed as an emerging disease in Europe, due to increased immigration. In addition to improved therapeutic strategies, it is imperative to develop novel, rapid, and sensitive diagnostic tests that can detect the Schistosoma parasite, allowing timely treatment. Present diagnosis is difficult and involves microscopy-based detection of Schistosoma eggs in the feces. In this context, we present the 3.22 Å resolution crystal structure of the circulating antigen Serine protease inhibitor from S. mansoni (SmSPI), and we describe it as a potential serodiagnostic marker. Moreover, we identify three potential immunoreactive epitopes using in silico-based epitope mapping methods. Here, we confirm effective immune sera reactivity of the recombinant antigen, suggesting the further investigation of the protein and/or its predicted epitopes as serodiagnostic Schistosomiasis biomarkers.


BMC Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Filippo Trentini ◽  
Giorgio Guzzetta ◽  
Margherita Galli ◽  
Agnese Zardini ◽  
Fabio Manenti ◽  
...  

Abstract Background COVID-19 spread may have a dramatic impact in countries with vulnerable economies and limited availability of, and access to, healthcare resources and infrastructures. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, a low prevalence and mortality have been observed so far. Methods We collected data on individuals’ social contacts in the South West Shewa Zone (SWSZ) of Ethiopia across geographical contexts characterized by heterogeneous population density, work and travel opportunities, and access to primary care. We assessed how socio-demographic factors and observed mixing patterns can influence the COVID-19 disease burden, by simulating SARS-CoV-2 transmission in remote settlements, rural villages, and urban neighborhoods, under school closure mandate. Results From national surveillance data, we estimated a net reproduction number of 1.62 (95% CI 1.55–1.70). We found that, at the end of an epidemic mitigated by school closure alone, 10–15% of the population residing in the SWSZ would have been symptomatic and 0.3–0.4% of the population would require mechanical ventilation and/or possibly result in a fatal outcome. Higher infection attack rates are expected in more urbanized areas, but the highest incidence of critical disease is expected in remote subsistence farming settlements. School closure contributed to reduce the reproduction number by 49% and the attack rate of infections by 28–34%. Conclusions Our results suggest that the relatively low burden of COVID-19 in Ethiopia observed so far may depend on social mixing patterns, underlying demography, and the enacted school closures. Our findings highlight that socio-demographic factors can also determine marked heterogeneities across different geographical contexts within the same region, and they contribute to understand why sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a relatively lower attack rate of severe cases compared to high-income countries.


2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 405-426
Author(s):  
I. F. Skirina ◽  
N. A. Tsarenko ◽  
F. V. Skirin

This paper presents the results of the study of lichen flora in swamp complexes of Sakhalin Island, obtained during expeditionary research in 2005–2009 and 2014–2020. The revealed species composition of lichens includes 172 species. The 28 of them are new for Sakhalin and 93 are new for the island swamp complexes. Bryocaulon pseudosatoanum is included in the regional and federal Red lists. Lecidea nylanderi is new to the south of the Far East. The information about substrates, habitats and locations is given for all species. The data on the distribution in the south of the Far East and, in some cases for all Far East, are listed for selected species that are new for Sakhalin Island and the south of the Far East. For the first time, a characteristic of the distribution of lichens in oligotrophic, eutrophic and mesotrophic bogs of Sakhalin Island is given.


Author(s):  
B. Badamdorj ◽  

The insect fauna of Mongolia includes about 12,000 species belonging to 24 orders. The only order, Orthoptera, is richer in species in Mongolia than in the Far East of Russia. All other units show greater diversity in the Russian Far East than in Mongolia. There are a significant number of very interesting endemics. Tizanuras of the family Machilidae are relic insects, represented by five species in Mongolia. As examples of widespread Central Asian insects, a number of species of darkling beetles and weevils can be indicated, most of which are endemic to Mongolia or Central Asia.


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