Sociodemographic determinants associated with breastfeeding in term infants with low birth weight in Latin American countries

BACKGROUND A progressive decrease in exclusive breastfeeding(BF)is observed in Latin America and the Caribbean compared with global results.The possibility of being breastfed and continuing BF for>6 months is lower in low birth weight than in healthy-weight infants.AIM To identify factors associated with BF maintenance and promotion,with particular attention to low-and middle-income countries,by studying geographic,socioeconomic,and individual or neonatal health factors.METHODS A scoping review was conducted in 2018 using the conceptual model of social determinants of health published by the Commission on Equity and Health Inequalities in the United States.The extracted data with common characteristics were synthesized and categorized into two main themes:(1)Sociodemographic factors and proximal determinants involved in the initiation and maintenance of BF in low-birth-weight term infants in Latin America;and(2)individual characteristics related to the self-efficacy capacity for BF maintenance and adherence in low-birth-weight term infants.RESULTS This study identified maternal age,educational level,maternal economic capacity,social stratum,exposure to BF substitutes,access to BF information,and quality of health services as mediators for maintaining BF.CONCLUSION Individual self-efficacy factors that enable BF adherence in at-risk populations should be analyzed for better health outcomes.

Role of gene polymorphisms in gastric cancer and its precursor lesions:Current knowledge and perspectives in Latin American countries

Latin America shows one of the highest incidence rates of gastric cancer in the world,with variations in mortality rates among nations or even within countries belonging to this region.Gastric cancer is the result of a multifactorial complex process,for which a multistep model of carcinogenesis is currently accepted.Additionally to the infection with Helicobacter pylori,that plays a major role,environmental factors as well as genetic susceptibility factors are significant players at different stages in the gastric cancer process.The differences in population origin,demographic structure,socio-economic development,and the impact of globalization lifestyles experienced in Latin America in the last decades,all together offer opportunities for studying in this context the influence of genetic polymorphisms in the susceptibility to gastric cancer.The aim of this article is to discuss current trends on gastric cancer in Latin American countries and to review the available published information about studies of association of gene polymorphisms involved in gastric cancer susceptibility from this region of the world.A total of 40 genes or genomic regions and69 genetic variants,58%representing markers involved in inflammatory response,have been used in a number of studies in which predominates a low number of individuals(cases and controls)included.Polymorphisms of IL-1B(-511 C/T,14 studies;-31 T/C,10 studies)and IL-1RN(variable number of tandem repeats,17 studies)are the most represented ones in the reviewed studies.Other genetic variants recently evaluated in large metaanalyses and associated with gastric cancer risk were also analyzed in a few studies[e.g.,prostate stem cell antigen(PSCA),CDH1,Survivin].Further and better analysis centered in gene polymorphisms linked to other covariates,epidemiological studies and the information provided by meta-analyses and genome-wide association studies should help to improve our understanding of gastric cancer etiology in order to develop appropriate health programs in Latin America.

Dissemination of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Latin America and the Caribbean: the Cases of Peru, Chile, and Cuba

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) arrived from China to Latin America and the Caribbean in the 1840s due to the massive migration of Chinese people to the region. In a few years, the press noticed the presence of Chinese herbalists practicing in different cities and countries regardless of the demographic weight of the Chinese community. The fascination with Chinese doctors implicated not only the press but also the literature, a phenomenon particularly observed in Cuba. In the first decades of the 20th century, the reactivation of Chinese immigration to the region fostered an anti-Chinese climate that materialized in more significant migratory restrictions and control of their businesses, such as what happened with Chinese herbalists. These herbalists who practiced inside and outside the Chinese community started to object to criticism and persecution by the conservative press and professional doctors. Despite this, Chinese doctors will continue to maintain their support of a significant number of ill persons. This work seeks to illuminate the historical relevance of TCM in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on the cases of Peru, Chile, and Cuba. This last country was far from China culturally and geographically, but as in many other small towns in the region, Chinese medicine presented an alternative to the treatment of illnesses.

Comparative transcriptomes reveal the disjunction adaptive strategy of Thuja species in East Asia and North America

The genus Thuja is ideal for investigating the genetic basis of the East Asia-North America disjunction.The biogeographical background of the genus is debatable and an adaptive strategy is lacking.Through the analysis and mining of comparative transcriptomes,species differentiation and positively selected genes(PSGs)were identified to provide information for understanding the environmental adaptation strategies of the genus Thuja.De novo assembly yielded 44,397-74,252 unigenes of the five Thuja species with contig N50length ranging from 1,559 to 1,724 bp.Annotations revealed a similar distribution of functional categories among them.Based on the phylogenetic trees constructed using the transcriptome data,T.sutchuenensis was divided first,followed by T.plicata and T.occidentalis.The final differentiation of T.koraiensis and T.standishii formed a clade.Enrichment analysis indicated that the PSGs of the North American Thuja species were involved in plant hormone signal transduction and carbon fixation of photosynthetic organisms pathways.The PSGs of East Asian Thuja were related to phenolic,alkaloid,and terpenoid synthesis,important stress-resistant genes and could increase plant resistance to external environmental stresses.This study discovered numerous aroma synthetic-related PSGs including terpene synthase(TPS)genes and lipid phosphate phosphatase 2(LPP2),associated with the synthetic aroma of T.sutchuenensis.Physiological indicators,such as the contents of soluble sugars,total chlorophyll,total phenolics,and total flavonoids were determined,which are consistent with the PSGs enrichment pathways associated with adaptive strategies in the five Thuja species.The results of this study provide an important basis for future studies on conservation genetics.

On American Myth in Apocalypse Now

Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now(1979)was considered the first major studio release directly addressing Vietnam five years after the Vietnam War ended,and it had enjoyed remarkable but critical success in history.The main purpose of this paper is to examine this film in the aspects of myth and changing attitude of this nation towards the Vietnam War.It starts from a review,then analyses the plots and characters in it,giving the war its imaginative life and bringing the audiences to a broader view about American myth.

New patterns of the tree beta diversity and its determinants in the largest savanna and wetland biomes of South America

Clear and data-driven bioregionalizations can provide a framework to test hypotheses and base biodiversity conservation.Here we used occurrence and abundance data in combination with objective analytical methods to propose two bioregionalization schemes for tree species of the Cerrado and the Pantanal in South America.We also evaluated the contribution of three sets of determinants of the occurrence-and abundance-based subregions.We compiled data on tree species composition from 894 local assemblages based on species occurrences,and from 658 local assemblages based on species abundances.We used an unconstrained community-level modelling approach and clustering techniques to identify and map tree subregions for the occurrence and the abundance data sets,separately.Hierarchical clustering analyses were conducted to investigate floristic affinities between the subregions and to map broader floristic regions.We used multinomial logistic regression models,deviance partitioning,and rank-sum tests to assess the main subregion correlates.We identified 18 occurrence-and four abundance-based subregions in the Cerrado-Pantanal.The hierarchical classifications grouped the occurrence-based subregions into nine floristic zones and abundance-based subregions into two broad floristic zones.Variation in subregions were explained mainly by environmental factors and spatial structure in both occurrence and abundance data sets.The occurrence-and abundance-based subregions are complementary approaches to disentangle macroecological patterns and to plan conservation efforts in the Cerrado and the Pantanal.Our findings based on occurrence data revealed more complex and interdigitated boundaries between subregions of tree species than previously reported.The environment,historical stability,and human effects act in a synergetic way on the distribution of the subregions.Finally,the relevance of contemporary environmental factors to the subregion patterns we found alert us to the profound impact global warming may have on the spatial organization of the Cerrado-Pantanal tree flora.

Art in America:Now

■It is common in Shanghai to seeimpressive works of art from Chinese artists.What is not so common however,is thechance to see top quality works from aninternational field.MoCA's Art in America:Now exhibition goes

Are Polyploid Species Less Vulnerable to Climate Change? A Simulation Study in North American Crataegus

Understanding the mechanisms underlying plant responses to climate change is an important step toward developing effective mitigation strategies. Polyploidy is an important evolutionary trait that can influence the capacity of plants to adapt to climate change. The environmental flexibility of polyploids suggests their resiliency to climate change, however, such hypotheses have not yet received empirical evidence. To understand how ploidy level may influence response to climate change, we modeled the current and future distribution of 54 Crataegus species under moderate to severe environments and compared the range change between diploids and polyploids. The majority of studied species are predicted to experience considerable range expansion. We found a negative interaction between ploidy and ecoregions in determining the response to climate change. In extreme environments, polyploids are projected to experience a higher range expansion than diploids with climate change, while the opposite is true for moderate environments. The range expansion of Crataegus species can be attributed to their tolerance for a wide range of environmental conditions. Despite the higher tolerance of polyploids to extreme environments, they do not necessarily outperform diploids in moderate environments, which can be attributed to the varying nature of species interactions along a stress gradient.

Xi’s America Trip Injects Positive Energy into the International and Regional Landscape

President Xi Jinping’s America trip from November 14 to 17,including his talks with U.S.President Joe Biden and his attendance at the 30th APEC Economic Leaders’Meeting in San Francisco,is widely believed to have added stability to China-U.S.relations,brought new impetus to Asia-Pacific cooperation and injected positive energy into the international and regional landscape.

A Review on Clustering Methods for Climatology Analysis and Its Application over South America

South America’s climatic diversity is a product of its vast geographical expanse, encompassing tropical to subtropical latitudes. The variations in precipitation and temperature across the region stem from the influence of distinct atmospheric systems. While some studies have characterized the prevailing systems over South America, they often lacked the utilization of statistical techniques for homogenization. On the other hand, other research has employed multivariate statistical methods to identify homogeneous regions regarding temperature and precipitation, but their focus has been limited to specific areas, such as the south, southeast, and northeast. Surprisingly, there is a lack of work that compares various multivariate statistical techniques to determine homogeneous regions across the entirety of South America concerning temperature and precipitation. This paper aims to address this gap by comparing three such techniques: Cluster Analysis (K-means and Ward) and Self Organizing Maps, using data from different sources for temperature (ERA5, ERA5-Land, and CRU) and precipitation (ERA5, ERA5-Land, and CPC). Spatial patterns and time series were generated for each region over the period 1981-2010. The results from this analysis of spatially homogeneous regions concerning temperature and precipitation have the potential to significantly benefit climate analysis and forecasts. Moreover, they can offer valuable insights for various climatological studies, guiding decision-making processes in diverse fields that rely on climate information, such as agriculture, disaster management, and water resources planning.

欧美新污染物监测进展及启示

新污染物监测是新污染物环境和健康风险评估及管控的重要基础。欧美发达国家环保部门在20世纪70年代就开展了新污染物监测工作,并且2000年后形成了相应的监测制度,而我国新污染物监测工作正处于业务化起步阶段。通过深入调研欧美国家水中新污染物监测为主的发展历程、监测清单、监测要求等内容,总结出3个特点:建立动态更新的新污染物清单监测机制;将规范的新污染物监测方法作为开展监测的重要前提;充分考虑监测可行性和经济成本。结合我国现阶段新污染物监管需求及监测现状,提出我国新污染物监测工作的3点建议:明晰国家、地方新污染物监测的职责分工,建立优先监测新污染物清单动态更新机制;加强新污染物监测能力建设,建立新污染物监测标准体系;循序渐进开展新污染物监测,注重监测的可行性和可持续性。

数字化背景下美国青年学徒制:实施现状、应对策略及经验启示

美国青年学徒制旨在降低青年失业率和填补企业未满足的劳动力需求,获得社会广泛支持。数字化背景下,美国青年学徒制开发了系列指导原则,形成了以职业为导向、注重公平、学分可转换、强调适应性和建立问责制等特色。同时也面临着数据收集标准与范围不明确,各利益相关主体的角色及责任不清晰,数据收集基础设施建设不完善,数据访问和存储有待进一步优化等方面的问题。美国采取了数据收集和使用以学习者为中心、开发青年学徒制数据框架、促进雇主与行业的共同参与、把职业教育与青年学徒项目联系起来、加强青年学徒制的质量评估等应对策略。这对发展中国特色学徒制提供了经验启示:现代学徒制试点学校的课程设置要强调以学生为中心,建立学徒制信息数据平台,明确学校和企业职责,建立纵向贯通的就业和升学渠道,搭建全过程综合评价平台。

南美奥连特盆地白垩系Napo组Main-M1亚段沉积体系重建及油气勘探意义

厄瓜多尔奥连特盆地是南美安第斯前陆盆地群中最重要的含油气盆地之一,上白垩统Napo组Main-M1亚段是目前勘探开发的主力层位之一,其沉积环境一直存在争议,沉积体系及演化过程尚不明确。本研究基于岩心、测录井等资料,针对Main-M1亚段沉积时期的主要沉积微相类型、沉积体系及演化过程进行了研究。结果表明:研究区位于水动力条件复杂的海陆过渡环境,在东部发育潮汐三角洲,向西部逐渐过渡为浅海陆棚环境;研究区内主要识别出水下分流河道、水下分流河道间、潮汐水道、潮汐沙坝、潮汐沙坪、潮汐水道间等8类沉积微相。根据岩电特征,进一步将Main-M1亚段划分为3个小层。通过分析3个小层的岩性组合演变特征,确定在Main-M1亚段沉积时间内,Auca古隆起逐渐形成,同时挠曲作用导致相对海平面升高,3个小层在垂向上呈水体逐渐变深、潮汐三角洲前缘不断向陆地退缩的形式;基于对Main-M1亚段沉积时期潮汐三角洲—浅海陆棚沉积体系的重建,研究区东部的水下分流河道及前缘沙坝也被认为具有一定的岩性油气藏勘探潜力。

技术伦理视域下美国教育人工智能伦理问题审视:现实表征与规避策略

教育人工智能是一种新兴技术,在凸显其优越性的同时逐渐显现出诸多技术伦理问题。美国作为教育人工智能技术的先驱国家,其教育人工智能技术伦理问题表征和规避策略更具典型性。美国教育人工智能在使用过程中出现各种偏见、歧视:智能系统出现错误和技术漏洞时追责困难;海量数据搜集会侵犯学生多种权利;学生长时间使用智能系统可能面临发展障碍,出现“成事”与“成人”的价值冲突。为规避教育人工智能伦理风险,美国制定了教育人工智能相关标准,加强教育人工智能算法监管,出台数据保护指南和法案,并规范智能技术在教育中的应用。我国应借鉴美国教育人工智能伦理问题的治理策略,制定和完善教育人工智能相应政策,建立贯穿全生命周期的全员联动监管机制,研制教育人工智能伦理框架,培养和提升师生的人工智能素养。

项目驱动下的工程教育人才培养模式:欧美高校的实践与启示

当前新一轮科技革命和产业变革正在加速演进,在迈向中国式现代化的征程中,我国高等工程教育正肩负重要使命并迫切需要深化改革。项目驱动的人才培养模式作为工程教育改革的重要抓手,其影响力和应用范围正不断扩大。本文通过遴选三所工程教育具有传统优势并走在工程教育改革前沿的代表性欧美高校:麻省理工学院、代尔夫特理工大学和欧林工学院,从工程教育改革历程、人才培养理念和课程体系设置三个方面系统分析了三所高校的项目驱动人才培养模式,总结和分析了该模式以学生为中心的理念,在打破学科壁垒、培养工程技能、增强团队协作、体现人文素养等方面的特点,以及对我国工程教育改革的启示。

美国青少年幸福观培育:举措、特征及启示

在我国社会主义进入新时代的今天,党和国家越来越关注人民的满足感、幸福感,幸福观教育成为青少年教育中必须重视的环节。美国对青少年的幸福观培育发展较早,有很多值得我们反思与借鉴之处。美国幸福观培育举措良多,既有专门开设的“幸福课”,又有潜移默化的情绪引导和人格培养。通过梳理美国幸福观培育的举措,可以看出其幸福观培育呈现出目标淡化性、广泛渗透性、科际整合性、交流对话性、价值选择性、现实实用性等特征,对我国的幸福观教育有着重要的启示。但是由于国情、文化、环境等诸多要素的差异,我们必须在深刻反思之后,以扬弃的态度学习借鉴。

职普融通背景下的美国生涯与技术教育整合式课程建设及其对我国职业教育的启示——基于Jones和Weigel生涯准备理论框架

围绕帮助学生做好生涯准备的目标,在生涯与技术教育中实行职业性与学术性相融合的整合式教学,提升职业教育的学术性水平,是近年来美国教育的重要动向。加利福尼亚州开展的生涯与技术教育整合式课程建设,将标准化作为制度基础,推出整合性示范性课程,变革财政支持方式,贯通校际培养路径,使学生通过学习更好地掌握理论知识、提升职业技能、形成对待职业或专业的正确态度,从而做好全面的生涯准备。Jones和Weigel提出的生涯准备理论,建立了学术能力、职业能力、态度行为能力三个维度,为分析美国的整合式课程建设举措提供了框架。美国以职普融通为方向开展整合式课程建设的做法,对我国深化职业教育改革、推进职普融通具有一定的启示意义。

油气富集域早古生代以来的古地理演化及其对成藏的控制:南美-北非-中东-中亚特提斯域古地理与油气资源

鉴于中国的油气需求与国内外油气资源禀赋,合理有效利用国外油气资源以缓解国内能源需求压力,顺应能源转型与绿色发展趋势,成为国内各类油公司的时代责任与义务。地质研究是油气勘探开发的基础,因此组织了国外油气地质基础研究专栏。为便于读者更好地阅读领悟本期刊发的5篇海外区域研究论文,部分编者撰写了这篇关于5篇海外论文的整体研究背景、各自成果特色及其创新认识相关性的推介。

南美地区油气地质特征及常规油气资源潜力

在分析南美油气地质特征的基础上,进行南美主要含油气盆地待发现常规油气资源评价,总结待发现油气资源分布规律,探讨其勘探前景。结果表明,受4大板块碰撞影响,南美沉积盆地可分成弧前、弧后、前陆、内克拉通和被动陆缘盆地5种类型。南美油气成藏条件优越,烃源岩以中新生界海相-陆相泥岩为主,生烃潜力大。储层以白垩系和第三系碎屑岩和碳酸盐岩为主,分布广泛。盖层中新生界区域性泥岩和盐岩为主,封堵能力强。采用以成藏组合为基础评价单元的资源评价方法,将南美65个盆地共划分出152个成藏组合,并进行了资源评价。预测南美65个主要含油气盆地的待发现石油可采资源量为263 716 MMB,待发现凝析油可采资源量为7 405 MMB,待发现天然气可采资源量为559 020 BCF。待发现油气资源在平面上呈“两带”展布、“两中心”富集特征;在纵向上主要富集于白垩系和第三系。被动陆缘盆地和前陆盆地是南美未来油气勘探的两个重点领域,其中深海和前陆冲断带是主要勘探方向,巴西、委内瑞拉是重点关注国家。