Cardiovascular diseases in European ethnic minorities: Beyond the traditional cardiovascular risk factors

This editorial is intended to be a reflection on cardiovascular disease(CVD)burden in European ethnic minorities.In some European countries,ethnic minority realities,due to their recent appearance,are still to be studied in depth.The experience of several European countries,where the migration processes started earlier,even more than a century ago,can help by being an example.Many studies have shown that major differences in CVD burden exist not only between countries,but also within the same country when considering different social strata and ethnic groups.The CV risk factors underlying heart disease have been well established.Important epidemiological studies have helped us understand that the underlying causes of heart disease as well as the behaviors that can help prevent them are the same.We are now well aware that CVD should be treated by considering a holistic approach.This is why the social determinants(SDs)of health that may worsen the disease burden or that,vice versa,may improve the treatment,and even more significantly,the prognosis of a patient’s illness should be taken into consideration.For ethnic minority patients,this holistic,hermeneutic approach is of importance.Several SDs of health that influence CVDs have been identified but their relevance for the health of ethnic minorities has not yet been clearly defined.In some European countries,most ethnic minorities are largely also religious minorities.Only a few studies have evaluated the role of religion,which is an important SD that affects the probability of having CV risk factors and diseases.Adolescents,particularly those belonging to the second generation,seem to be the weak link.If we believe that these young people are really citizens of their country of birth,then a way of recognizing their belonging to the community starts from a will to better understand their condition,in order to assist them while they grow physically and mentally.Thinking about safeguarding the health of this population should be more than a health task,rather a goal of social justice.

Predictive modeling for postoperative delirium in elderly patients with abdominal malignancies using synthetic minority oversampling technique

BACKGROUND Postoperative delirium,particularly prevalent in elderly patients after abdominal cancer surgery,presents significant challenges in clinical management.AIM To develop a synthetic minority oversampling technique(SMOTE)-based model for predicting postoperative delirium in elderly abdominal cancer patients.METHODS In this retrospective cohort study,we analyzed data from 611 elderly patients who underwent abdominal malignant tumor surgery at our hospital between September 2020 and October 2022.The incidence of postoperative delirium was recorded for 7 d post-surgery.Patients were divided into delirium and non-delirium groups based on the occurrence of postoperative delirium or not.A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors and develop a predictive model for postoperative delirium.The SMOTE technique was applied to enhance the model by oversampling the delirium cases.The model’s predictive accuracy was then validated.RESULTS In our study involving 611 elderly patients with abdominal malignant tumors,multivariate logistic regression analysis identified significant risk factors for postoperative delirium.These included the Charlson comorbidity index,American Society of Anesthesiologists classification,history of cerebrovascular disease,surgical duration,perioperative blood transfusion,and postoperative pain score.The incidence rate of postoperative delirium in our study was 22.91%.The original predictive model(P1)exhibited an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.862.In comparison,the SMOTE-based logistic early warning model(P2),which utilized the SMOTE oversampling algorithm,showed a slightly lower but comparable area under the curve of 0.856,suggesting no significant difference in performance between the two predictive approaches.CONCLUSION This study confirms that the SMOTE-enhanced predictive model for postoperative delirium in elderly abdominal tumor patients shows performance equivalent to that of traditional methods,effectively addressing data imbalance.

Simultaneous purification of minor components in natural products using twin-column recycling chromatography with a step solvent gradient

The isolation of minor components from complex natural product matrices presents a significant challenge in the field of purification science due to their low concentrations and the presence of structurally similar compounds.This study introduces an optimized twin-column recycling chromatography method for the efficient and simultaneous purification of these elusive constituents.By introducing water at a small flowing rate between the twin columns,a step solvent gradient is created,by which the leading edge of concentration band would migrate at a slower rate than the trailing edge as it flowing from the upstream to downstream column.Hence,the band broadening is counterbalanced,resulting in an enrichment effect for those minor components in separation process.Herein,two target substances,which showed similar peak position in high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)and did not exceed 1.8%in crude paclitaxel were selected as target compounds for separation.By using the twin-column recycling chromatography with a step solvent gradient,a successful purification was achieved in getting the two with the purity almost 100%.We suggest this method is suitable for the separation of most components in natural produces,which shows higher precision and recovery rate compared with the common lab-operated separation ways for natural products(thin-layer chromatography and prep-HPLC).

Weak influence of natural vegetation in urban green spaces compared to agricultural ecosystems on House Martin populations:Insights from nationwide citizen science data in the Czech Republic

The House Martin(Delichon urbicum)is a common farmland bird species in the European landscape,yet its population numbers are currently in decline.However,it is not yet sufficiently explained why this long-term decline occurs.To fill this gap in our knowledge,we investigated how land cover composition affects the abundance of House Martins on the landscape scale by using nationwide citizen science data.Utilizing a generalised linear mixed-effect model(GLMM),we evaluated 12,094 records from the Czech Republic spanning 2009-2017.Our analysis underscores the significance of land cover type in shaping House Martin abundance.More specifically,our results indicate that within agricultural land covers“naturally managed arable lands”exhibited significant positive effect,while forests,orchards,and vineyards were deemed less favourable for House Martin populations.Within urban land covers,we found a clear distinction in the impact on House Martin populations,with a positive effect observed in urban infrastructure,development areas,and post-industrial sites(i.e.,UrbanAreas),while an indifferent impact was noted within urban green spaces and landscaped areas(i.e.,GreenUrban).Notably,our findings suggest that the simple spatial,age,and species structure typical of forests in Europe,and similarly,the uniform structure of parks and gardens,may be responsible for the decline in the abundance of the House Martin.We advocate for the preservation or enhancement of urban greenery,expansion of natural vegetation in rural areas and adoption of ecological management practices in orchards and vineyards to mitigate further declines in House Martin populations.

中日音乐术语的形成、传播与演变——以major和minor的译法为例

文章对英语major和minor相关的音乐术语在中日两种语言中的形成、传播与演变过程进行了梳理和分析。日源“长/短X”类术语于20世纪初进入汉语,传播路径为“洋→日→中”。汉语“大/小X”类术语最早由萧友梅使用,传播路径为“洋→中”路径。两类术语在经过竞争和淘洗后于20世纪50年代末统一为后者。汉语术语的形成过程中有日本术语的影响,术语更替的原因有语义占位、术语规范化等。

4-连通P0-Minor-Free图的特征

设H和G是两个图,如果图H可以通过从图G的一个子图中收缩边然后删除产生的环和平行边得到,我们就把图H叫做图G的一个minor。如果图G没有同构于图H的minor,我们称图G为H-minor-free图。图论中很多猜想都与H-minor-free图有关,例如Hadwiger猜想和Tutte 4-流猜想等。为了推动这些猜想的解决,我们目前非常关注Petersen-minor-free图的结构。由于它们都是15条边的3-连通图,直接刻画起来比较困难。因此为了刻画Petersen-minor-free图,许多学者尝试对每个边数小于15的3-连通图进行刻画去接近Petersen-minor-free图。记P0为Petersen收缩两条完美匹配边和一条非完美匹配边得到的子图基础上添加一条边得到的13条边的图。本文下面将给出完整的4-连通P0-minor-free图的刻画。

Spiritual Forests—A Nature Conservation Model of Ethnic Minority Communities in Central Viet Nam

This paper aims to analyze and evaluate a model of forest conservation and management of ethnic minority (or indigenous) people in central Vietnam, often referred to as the spiritual forest. These forests, called sacred forest or ghost forests by the ethnic minority people in Thua Thien Hue province, have existed for a long time among forest residents. However, they have recently declined, both in quality and quantity, due to various factors, including changes in society, economy, environment, and perception, among other reasons. Based on research conducted in A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province with household interviews, group discussions, and field surveys, we find that spiritual forest retains religious and human significance. They are also often among the last remaining natural forests left due to deforestation by human activities. The research results indicate challenges that conservation of spiritual forest may face, while giving recommendations derived from communities for sustainable forest development and conservation in the region.

Critical Success Factors for Citizen Development

The purpose of the research was to assess the impact of Citizen Development activities on digital transformation. The research identified eight categories that contribute to the success of Low-code No-code (LCNC) projects: 1) Strategy;2) Infrastructure;3) Technology;4) Processes & Procedures;5) Governance;6) Culture;7) People;8) Goals & Metrics and selected six critical success factors from these categories: 1) Operational Efficiency;2) Time Savings;3) Timeframe to Realize Value;4) Employee Engagement;5) Participation;6) Number of Sponsored Ideas. End users of the digital transformation efforts through Citizen Development were asked to assess the six critical success measures in terms of performance and importance criteria. The research results identified that focus should be applied to improving “Timeframe to Realize Value”, on “Operational Efficiency”, and on “Time Savings” to deliver success.

Status and Citizenship Rights of Minorities and Coexistence in Islam

the more attention is paid to rights of minorities, the more grounds will be there for peaceful coexistence. This paper will first discuss theoretical and ideological bases of status and citizenship rights of minorities before focusing on ＂citizenship status of minorities＂ and ＂citizenship rights of minorities＂ from the viewpoint of Islam. Islam here means the collection of Quran, Prophet Muhammad＇s （S） Sunnah, and Imam Ali＇s （AS） conduct. The main question of this paper is ＂what status and rights have been considered by Islam for minorities to allow peaceful coexistence in a Muslim society？＂ ＂Minority＂ here includes both religious and non-religious minorities. ＂Rights＂ here means that part of ＂assets,＂ ＂means,＂ ＂political and social leverages,＂ ＂privileges,＂ and ＂conditions＂ which the majority is bound to by law, religious and common sense to provide for minorities. The word ＂status＂ here means to respect, serve, and provide suitable conditions which are provided just out of respect for human values not due to legal compulsion. In this paper, we will first discuss theoretical and ideological fundaments of minorities＇ rights before discussing ＂citizenship status of minorities＂ and ＂citizenship rights of minorities＂ from the viewpoint of Islam. By Islam, we mean Quran as well as Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad （S） and conduct of Imam All （AS）.

Analysis of Citizen Participation in Urban Planning of Comala,Colima,Mexico-A Secondary Publication

The objective of this study was to determine the degree of citizen participation in urban planning processes in the municipality of Comala,Colima,Mexico to have a broader vision of the citizens and the environment in which they live.An instrument was designed specifically to perform this study and the instrument was validated by calculating Cronbach’s Alpha.The results showed that citizens were highly involved in issues concerning their urban environment,and the main problems of the public spaces were also identified.

Research on the Employment View of Acupuncture and Tuina Undergraduates in Minority Border Areas from Students’ Perspective

With the popularization of higher education in China,the employment situation of college students is more complex and severe.This paper adopts the questionnaire method to explore the employment view of acupuncture and tuina undergraduates of Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.The employment concept of acupuncture and tuina undergraduates in the minority border areas has changed greatly.After graduation,97.95%of students choose to work in fields related to medicine and acupuncture,prefer positions close to home,and are attracted to high-salary companies,among other factors.Therefore,enhancing the competitive advantages of medical students by guiding their career planning,providing employment selection advice,fostering innovation and entrepreneurship,improving basic skills,and offering graduate entrance examination guidance is crucial for broadening their employment opportunities.

Application of Chinese Ethnic Minority Themes in Contemporary Figurative Sculpture Creation

In the field of contemporary sculpture creation,the rich culture and historical depth of Chinese ethnic minorities have attracted the widespread attention of artists.These creations not only emphasize external features such as ethnic costumes,totems,or life scenes but also touch deep spiritual contents including historical stories,religious beliefs,and living habits of ethnic minorities.This paper discusses the integration process of Chinese ethnic minority themes in figurative sculpture creation and the inheritance of the profound spirit of ethnic groups in this process.At the same time,this paper also places the diversified expression and innovative practice of these themes in sculpture art in the context of the new era for investigation and explores the far-reaching influence of its development on promoting cultural inheritance and artistic innovation.

Diversity of Macro Invertebrates of the River Rwizi in Western Uganda: A Citizen Science-BioBlitz Approach

This study elucidates the pivotal role of citizen science-BioBlitz methodologies for rapid assessment of the macro-invertebrate taxa within the threatened River Rwizi of South-western Uganda. Utilizing a comprehensive mixed-methods approach, the investigation focused on six distinct river segments to demonstrate the efficacy of participatory citizen science-BioBlitz approaches conducted by experts, students and community volunteers. BioBlitz events included rigorous macro-invertebrate sampling at each of the selected sites along River Rwizi on nine occasions, incorporating collaborative taxonomic identification procedures involving experts, students, and the local community. Analyzing pollution concerns, diversity metrics, and community narratives yielded insights into river health and socio-ecological dynamics. A total of 43 macro-invertebrate families across 17 orders were documented with class Insecta dominating. Participants in BioBlitz events expressed predominantly positive sentiments, emphasizing satisfaction, education, and heightened awareness, besides negative sentiments rooted in historical mistrust. Intriguingly, the study unveiled an unforeseen trend in macro-invertebrate taxa richness, rising from upstream to urban sprawl and diminishing at peri-urban downstream sites. The study underscores the potential of citizen science-BioBlitz methodologies in advancing community science education and unraveling the intricate dynamics of threatened river ecosystems. The insights offered are invaluable for policymakers and conservationists seeking effective strategies to address challenges in the River Rwizi and comparable ecosystems. .

Genetic Relationships Among Four Minorities in Guangxi Revealed by Analysis of 15 STRs

The aim of this study is to investigate the genetic diversity in 15 STRs （short tandem repeats） loci of four minorities in Guangxi Province and to probe into the genetic variation and relationships among these ethnic groups. Allele frequencies of 15 STR loci were collected from 766 unrelated Mulao, Maonan, Miao, and Yao ethnic individuals by PCR-STR and sequencing, and their allele-frequency distribution were compared with each other. The genetic parameters and genetic distances were calculated, and the phylogenetic tree was constructed. Based on the results from this study, 135, 134, 148, and 145 alleles and 424, 432, 445, and 436 genotypes for 15 STR loci were observed in the Mulao, Maonan, Miao, and Yao minorities, respectively. The average heterozygosity of all ethnic groups analyzed was above 0.7; the cumulative power of discrimination （DP）, the probabilities of paternity exclusion （EPP）, and the polymorphic information content （PIC） were greater than 0.99999. Comparison of the allele-frequency distribution indicated that there were significant differences at most loci between Maonan vs. Miao, Yao vs. other groups, but no distinct differences between Mulao vs. Maonan, and Mulao vs. Miao minorities. The NJ tree based on the genetic distance showed that the four minorities were separated into two groups. Mulao and Maonan were clustered into one group, whereas Miao and Yao into the other. Our results revealed that 15 STR loci of the four minorities possessed high genetic diversities. Therefore, the combination of these 15 STRs is a powerful tool for forensic individual identification and paternity investigation, as well as anthropologic and genetic researches. The genetic variation and relationships among the 4 populations revealed by 15 STRs are basically consistent with their linguistic culture and ethical history.

Study on Tourism Development and Community Participation in Villages of the Minorities ——With the Dong Village in Zhaoxing,Southeast Guizhou Autonomous Prefecture of Miao and Dong Nationalities,China

Based on basic theories of community participation in tourism development,questionnaires were designed for the field investigation in one of the largest Dong Villages in China,the Dong village in Zhaoxing.Community participation in tourism development of the Dong Village was analyzed from the perspectives of residents' participation in decision-making and management,reception and catering services,group performance,making and selling ethnic artworks,protection of village tourist resources and environment.And meanwhile,problems were pointed out as "still maintaining in the early stage of its tourism development,fewer opportunities for its residents participating in tourism development,resource protection being divorced from tourism benefits and so on",on the basis of which corresponding solutions were offered as "expanding the field of participation,improving the level of participation,increasing benefits of local residents;insisting on the principle of "not participating intentionally is the best way of their participation,guaranteeing economic compensation for rural residents;enhancing infrastructure construction;establishing a museum of folk-custom materials;creating a favorable atmosphere of folk cultures;enhancing cooperation with its neighboring villages in tourism development,and creating a "local industrial chain";establishing a research center of cultural tourism development of the Dong Minority.

Study on the Tourism Development in Micro Settlements of Ethnic Minorities

Through comprehensively analyzing the development status and existing problems of tourism resources in micro settlements of ethnic minorities,this study aimed to put forward the significance of promoting economic development through primarily developing tourism industry in these areas,and relevant countermeasures to culture feature tourism into the 'growth point' of economy,so as to promote the economic development of ethnic minorities' settlements and the realization of a prosperous society in an all around way.

Spices and Food Culture in Native Minorities of Dehong

Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture is located in western Yunnan.Due to special natural environment and multi-ethic settlement,the unique cultural environment and folk customs have been formed in this area.This paper investigated on and collated the traditional cultures and edible spices in native minorities of Dehong.In addition,the special spices those form the special flavor and their application in food with ethic characteristics were proposed.

Diabetes in migrants and ethnic minorities in a changingWorld

On a worldwide scale, the total number of migrants exceeds 200 million and is not expected to reduce, fuelled by the economic crisis, terrorism and wars, generating increasing clinical and administrative problems to National Health Systems. Chronic non-communicable diseases(NCD), and specifically diabetes, are on the front-line, due to the high number of cases at risk, duration and cost of diseases, and availability of effective measures of prevention and treatment. We reviewed the documents of International Agencies on migration and performed a Pub Med search of existing literature, focusing on the differences in the prevalence of diabetes between migrants and native people, the prevalence of NCD in migrants vs rates in the countries of origin, diabetes convergence, risk of diabetes progression and standard of care in migrants. Even in universalistic healthcare systems, differences in socioeconomic status and barriers generated by the present culture of biomedicine make high-risk ethnic minorities under-treated and not protected against inequalities. Underutilization of drugs and primary care services in specific ethnic groups are far from being money-saving, and might produce higher hospitalization rates due to disease progression and complications. Efforts should be made to favor screening and treatment programs, to adapt education programs to specific cultures, and to develop community partnerships.

Current Status and Correlates of Modern Family Planning Utilization in Hard to Reach Ethnic Minorities: The Case of Gumuz, Northwest Ethiopia

Cognizant of multifaceted challenge of unwanted pregnancy, Ethiopia strives to increase utiliza-tion of modern family planning across the nation. Therefore, update on the current status of family planning utilization especially in hard to reach ethnic minorities is critical. The objective of this study was to assess level, and correlates of modern contraceptive utilization in a hard to reach ethnic minorities. A community based study was conducted in Dangur District, Beneshangul Gumuz Regional State July, 2013. A total of 530 married women were included in the study. Structured questionnaire was data collection tool. Data was analysed using SPSS version 20 for windows. Possible association and their strength were measured using odds ratio at 95% CI. Family planning utilization was 18.7% while nearly 27% of study participants had ever used family planning methods. The following variables were predictors of family planning utilization: number of alive children [AOR: 3.31, 95% CI (1.41 - 7.20)], good knowledge [AOR: 2.18, 95% CI (1.35 - 3.52)] and positive attitude [AOR: 1.58, 95% CI (1.03 - 2.50)]. The most outstanding finding of this study was that more than 80% of study participants still believe that many children means high income, and nearly 60% of them believe that family planning utilization decreases confidence among couples. This study witnessed how successful Ethiopia is in addressing reproductive health service inequalities in hard to reach communities. However, misconceptions surrounding family planning, and culture associated desire to have large family size should be addressed in a culture sensitive manner so that this success would further bear fruits.

Brief Analysis of Religious Sacrificial Activities in Agricultural Production of Ethnic Minorities in China

China is vast in territory and there are 55 ethnic minorities. Due to the geographical location,the experience in the development process and the stage of cultural development,ethnic minorities show great differences with Han people in many aspects,so that in the process of obtaining food,they manifest different cultural characteristics,especially the religious sacrifices and taboos present in the agricultural production process show more uniqueness and retain more primitive features.