Mass spectrometry with paper spray ionization in analysis of the Arrabidaea chica leaf tea

The species Arrabidaea chica (Humb. & Bonpl.) B. Verl. (Bignoniaceae) is a plant native to tropical forests, popularly known as pariri or crajiru, and it is widely used in folk medicine to treat inflammatory diseases, anemias, skin diseases and to assist in the treatment of leukemia. Because of the widespread use of the plant, concern with its quality and effectiveness is fundamental. This study demonstrates the application of mass spectrometry with ionization by paper spray (PS-MS) as a chemical characterization method to evaluate the presence of the active principles in teas prepared by infusion from commercial samples of the medicinal plant Arrabidaea chica by infusion. The analyses of the samples were performed in two periods: 24 hours and 15 days after the preparation of the teas. Compounds referring to the class of substances 3-deoxythocyanidins were detected without any pre-treatment of the sample or chromatographic separation to provide valuable information for the evaluation and quality control of this product. Significant changes in the m/z signals of greater intensity, referring to the class of 3-deoxythocyanidins, were observed in the mass spectra, and multivariate analysis corroborated the degradation of this class of substances with time, resulting in a probable loss of the quality and effectiveness of the tea.

FORMATION OF DRAINAGE PROJECTS TO CHANGE THE PURPOSE AS A MECHANISM TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF UNITED TERRITORAL COMMUNITY

The creation of united territorial communities took place in a hurry, is still going on, and often contrary to the requirements of the proposed methodology, which determines the norms according to which the optimal formation of a viable territorial community is possible. It should be noted that "capacity" is rather understood as an economic concept, while in the proposed methodology the focus was more on geographical and infrastructural indicators. Therefore, communities are often created and operate without complying with the requirements of the methodology, and as a result there is a significant differentiation between the levels of their capacity. The key issue for the territorial community to exercise its powers is closely related to the filling of its budget. This increases the interest of local governments in increasing revenues, finding reserves to fill them, improving the efficiency of administration of taxes and fees, and so on. One of the five eligibility criteria is community size. Most communities in this respect are landless with a high population density, sometimes with difficult natural conditions. This leads to the search for approaches to the efficient use of available land resources, the basis of which is almost everywhere the category of agricultural land. Very often, these lands contain objects that correspond to other categories of lands, in particular the nature reserve fund and other nature protection, recreational, health and historical and cultural purposes. This creates a number of problematic issues related to: reduction of land tax revenues; probable loss of useful properties due to improper use and practical complexity of the mechanism of protection of such objects. Alternatively, it is proposed to divide the land plots with the separation of such objects and change their purpose. The article reveals the expected effect of the implementation of such measures. Note that increasing the level of capacity of communities is the key to improving the success of the state.

Clinical and Molecular Cytogenetic Characteristics of Five Cases with Isodicentric Y Chromosome

Isodicentric Y chromosome [idic(Y)] is one of the most common structural abnormalities of the Y chromosome and has been observed in patients with reproductive disorders and in patients with disorders of sexual development. Most idic(Y) chromosomes are found in mosaic form with a 45,X cell line. These chromosomes are highly unstable during mitosis due to the presence of 2 centromers, which explains their probable loss in early mitosis or mitosis of the embryo and therefore the presence of the 45,X line. It has been hypothesized that the proportion of 45,X cells in various tissues probably influences the phenotypic sex of individuals carrying an idic(Y) chromosome, ranging from infertile men, hypospadias, ambiguous genitalia, and Turner syndrome to sex reversal. In this article we present 5 cases of patients with idic(Y) referred for suspected disorder of sex development (DSD), 3 with a male assignment and 2 with a female assignment. All cases have variable clinical characteristics, which were assessed by the transdisciplinary group of Disorders of Sex Development of the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá, Colombia. Patients were analyzed by conventional and molecular cytogenetics using high-resolution G-band and FISH techniques. Our findings highlight the importance of cytogenetic studies in the diagnosis of DSD patients.

An Investigation of the Underlying Linguistic Problems in the Translation of Surah Quraish into English: A Comparative Syntactic and Semantic Study

The current study aims at exploring some syntactic and semantic underlying problems in three English translations of the meanings of Surat Quraish; that is in English translations of Abdel-Haleem, Khan and Mohammed Taj Al-Din Al-Hilai and Pickthall. Also, the study aims at probing how the three translators deal with some syntactic and semantic underlying problems and constrains in their renderings of the meanings of Surat Quraish into English. Four Ayahs of Surat Quraish were purposefully selected to address the research questions and categorized into semantic, and syntactic problems. The study shows that there are some syntactic, and semantic underlying problems in the translation of the meaning of Surat Quraish into English rendered by Abdel-Haleem, Khan and Mohammed Taj Al-Din Al-Hilai and Pickthall. Moreover, the types of the syntactic, and semantic underlying problems are lack of cohesion and coherence as well as the translation strategies employed by the three translators. The study also recommends that translators of the Holy Quran must adopt footnotes, paraphrase, modulation, transposition and transliteration, and other translation strategies to avoid a probable loss of the intended meaning of the Message.

Shifting faunal baselines through the Quaternary revealed by cave fossils of eastern Australia

Fossils from caves in the Manning Karst Region, New South Wales, Australia have long been known, but until now have never been assessed for their palaeontological significance. Here, we report on late Quaternary faunal records from eight caves in the region. Extinct Pleistocene megafaunal taxa are recognised in two systems and include giant echidnas (Tachyglossidae gen. et sp. indet.), devils (Sarcophilus laniarius), koalas (Phascolarctos stirtoni), marsupial ‘lions’ (Thylacoleo carnifex), and kangaroos (Macropus giganteus titan). Some caves contain skeletal remains of introduced exotics such as sheep and dogs, but also provide a rich record of small-bodied native species including Eastern Bettongs (Bettongia gaimardi), Eastern Chestnut Mice (Pseudomys gracilicaudatus), and White-footed Rabbit Rats (Conilurus albipes). These endemics are either locally extirpated or have suffered total extinction in the historic period. Their skeletal and dental remains were recorded as unmineralised surface specimens in the caves, indicating that they are recent in age. Extant populations have never been recorded locally, thus, their probable loss from the region in historic times had gone unnoticed in the absence of palaeo-evidence. Our findings suggest that the supposed habitat tolerances of such species have been substantially underestimated. It is highly likely that modern populations have suffered niche contraction since the time of European colonisation of the continent. The local extirpations of several species of digging mammal has likely led to decreased functionality of the current ecosystem.

TECHNOCENTRISM AS A PROBLEM OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY: CONFLICT BETWEEN HUMANISM AND TECHNOLOGY

In contemporary Ukraine conflict studies are primarily deal with historical, political, and cultural sciences. The proposed research outlines the features of a global conflict, to which all countries will be involved in the future. It is a conflict of humanism, which for centuries was the basis of world culture, philosophy, and ethics on the one hand, and technology on the other. The main problem is the probable loss of human identity through cybernation. The article analyzes the fundamental works of philosophers and futurologists, and also outlines ways to resolve the conflict with help of new ethics that should be evaluated by humanity. The special role of Ukrainian and cultural studies in higher-level academic education is emphasized. Within the framework of these scientific disciplines, a new ethics should be developed. Philosophical, psychological and futurological theories of the 20th and 21st centuries analyze the present, and foresee the future. Researchers seek to figure out a new global challenge for humanity that provokes to rethink its course of action. Contemporary world is filled with robots and technologies. The position of human in this world has changed and it requires new features of humanism. Spiritual searches of past eras opposed man and nature. But today man is opposed to technology. It means that the future of man is becoming unclear. New spiritual, economic, political and environmental confrontations waiting for man on his way. This subject is many-sided and interdisciplinary, it demands knowledge in humanities, philosophy, futurology, bioethics and technical disciplines.

Population monitoring of small and declining brush-tailed rock wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) colonies at the extreme of their range using faecal DNA sampling

Obtaining much-needed information on population parameters such as abundance and genetic diversity can be difficult for small and declining populations. The brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) is an endangered and cryptic species with many colonies in decline. The Warrumbungle National Park (NP) in New South Wales contains a declining metapopulation of P. penicillata at the western (inland) extreme of the species’ current range. Loss of these colonies would cause substantial range contraction and probable loss of regional genetic diversity in the Central Evolutionary Significance Unit (ESU). We used non-invasive genetic methods to identify individuals from faecal DNA from five colonies in the Warrumbungle NP. We identified a minimum of 21 individuals, with the largest colony containing seven individuals. The Warrumbungle NP colonies showed significant intercolony structuring and we were able to detect a single dispersal event. Comparison of genetic diversity to other Central ESU colonies shows that loss of the Warrumbungle NP population will result in loss of unique diversity from this region. The minimum number of animals and genetic diversity information obtained in this study was used to support management actions of herbivore control and translocation in the Warrumbungle NP population.

Development of innovative methods for risk assessment in high-rise construction based on clustering of risk factors

The article analyses risks in high-rise construction in terms of investment value with account of the maximum probable loss in case of risk event. The authors scrutinized the risks of high-rise construction in regions with various geographic, climatic and socio-economic conditions that may influence the project environment. Risk classification is presented in general terms, that includes aggregated characteristics of risks being common for many regions. Cluster analysis tools, that allow considering generalized groups of risk depending on their qualitative and quantitative features, were used in order to model the influence of the risk factors on the implementation of investment project. For convenience of further calculations, each type of risk is assigned a separate code with the number of the cluster and the subtype of risk. This approach and the coding of risk factors makes it possible to build a risk matrix, which greatly facilitates the task of determining the degree of impact of risks. The authors clarified and expanded the concept of the price risk, which is defined as the expected value of the event, 105 which extends the capabilities of the model, allows estimating an interval of the probability of occurrence and also using other probabilistic methods of calculation.

The Economics of Cognitive Impairment: Volunteering and Cognitive Function in the HILDA Survey

Background: The economic impact of older-age cognitive impairment has been estimated primarily by the direct and indirect costs associated with dementia care. Other potential costs associated with milder cognitive impairment in the community have received little attention. Objective: To quantify the cost of nonclinical cognitive impairment in a large population-based sample in order to more fully inform cost-effectiveness evaluations of interventions to maintain cognitive health. Methods: Volunteering by seniors has economic value but those with lower cognitive function may contribute fewer hours. Relations between hours volunteering and cognitive impairment were assessed using the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey data. These findings were extrapolated to the Australian population to estimate one potential cost attributable to nonclinical cognitive impairment. Results: In those aged ≥60 years in HILDA (n = 3,127), conservatively defined cognitive impairment was present in 3.8% of the sample. Impairment was defined by performance ≥1 standard deviation below the age- and education-adjusted mean on both the Symbol Digit Modalities Test and Backwards Digit Span test. In fully adjusted binomial regression models, impairment was associated with the probability of undertaking 1 h 9 min less volunteering a week compared to being nonimpaired (β = -1.15, 95% confidence interval -1.82 to -0.47, p = 0.001). In the population, 3.8% impairment equated to probable loss of AUD 302,307,969 per annum estimated by hours of volunteering valued by replacement cost. Conclusion: Nonclinical cognitive impairment in older age impacts upon on the nonmonetary economy via probable loss of volunteering contribution. Valuing loss of contribution provides additional information for cost-effectiveness evaluations of research and action directed toward maintaining older-age cognitive functioning.

Effects of Earthquake on Urbanization in Dhaka City

Recent earthquakes with low to moderate magnitude very close to Dhaka are certainly indications of its earthquake source and vulnerability. The study was conducted to bring out the present earthquake vulnerability status of 10 wards, out of 91 wards, in Dhaka and to assume the probable loss of lives and property by studying the previous records in the city and getting respondents opinion about it. The ward no. 15 show higher building density with older age of building i.e. more than 30 years of age, and present more unreinforced buildings than other wards which might be the cause of increased vulnerability to earthquake. Among the 10 wards, the ward no. 13 and 17 are more vulnerable to earthquake due to highest soft storey buildings, heavy overhang, presence of short columns and poor physical condition of buildings. The result of the survey found that more than half (64%) of the respondents considered Dhaka city as the highly vulnerable to earthquake because of most of the infrastructures were built without maintaining the building code and also without keeping proper spaces among them. Besides these, 40% respondents stated that the impact would be obvious on life as there would not be enough time to escape people from the high rise buildings to safer places during the earthquake. Almost all the respondents (86%) consider that the southern part of Dhaka city is more vulnerable than other parts of the city due to the increasing urbanization and poorly structured old buildings.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v6i1.22049 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 6(1): 107-112 2013