Prey preference of the common long-armed octopus Octopus minor(Cephalopoda: Octopodidae) on three different species of bivalves

Octopus minor is widely distributed along the northern coast of China. To date, there is little information on the prey selection process of this species. To understand this process, several experiments were carried out. Three types of bivalves, namely, Ruditapes philippinarum , Mactra chinensis , and Mytilus galloprovincialis , were used to observe the prey selection of O . minor and to analyze the potential causes of prey selection from three aspects: prey profi tability, adductor muscle tension and handling time. Under single-prey conditions, we found that the average (±SD) predation rates of O . minor on R . philippinarum , M . chinensis , and M . galloprovincialis were 1.73±0.50, 1.27±0.42, and 0.8±0.2/d, respectively. Under diff erent prey combinations, octopods actively selected one type of prey over the other(s), and the order of prey preference was R . philippinarum , followed by M . chinensis and lastly M. galloprovincialis . Furthermore, the shells of the consumed prey showed that O . minor only consumed bivalves by pulling them apart since there was no evidence of drill holes on the shells. The prey selection of O . minor was related to the prey profi tability and handling time;O . minor appeared to select preys with a higher profi tability and a shorter handling time. However, the diffi culty in opening the bivalve was not consistent with the prey preference of the octopods. These results suggest that O . minor prefers to consume R . philippinarum possibly due to a high profi tability and a short handling time that supports the optimum Foraging Theory.

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.

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.

Genetic Differentiation Among Populations of Octopus minor Based on Simple Sequence Repeats Mined from Transcriptome Data

Octopus minor(Sasaki 1920)is an important commercial cephalopod species in China.This species has declined sharply in recent years.Hence,genetic studies of O.minor are imperative to exploit and manage the wild resource.In this study,46192 microsatellite loci were discovered in 70174 unigenes from the transcriptomic data.Among all of the simple sequence repeat(SSR)unit categories,di-nucleotide and tri-nucleotide SSRs accounted for 45.26%and 14.49%,respectively.A total of 108 SSRs were tested,of which 21 were neutral and polymorphic.Seven SSRs were selected for genetics analyses of the O.minor populations in the Bohai Sea,the Yellow Sea,and the southwest coast of the Taiwan Strait region.Significant pairwise F_(st) values were detected among the samples.The UPGMA tree based on genetic distances suggested that the sampling locations could be arranged in three clusters.These markers are evidence that the populations in this region may be structured,with samples from Penghu differing remarkably from those in northern China.The present study characterized genetic markers for population assessment,management,and conservation of O.minor.

Estimated Genetic Variance Explained by Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of Different Minor Allele Frequencies for Carcass Traits in Japanese Black Cattle

Japanese Black cattle are a beef breed and well known to excel in carcass quality, but the details of genetic architectures for carcass traits in beef breeds including this breed are still poorly understood. The objective of this study was to estimate the degree of additive genetic variance explained by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker groups with different levels of minor allele frequency (MAF) for marbling score and carcass weight in Japanese Black cattle. Phenotypic data on 872 fattened steers with the genotype information about 40,000 autosomal SNPs were analyzed using two different statistical models: one considering only SNPs selected based on MAF (model 1) and the other also considering all remaining SNPs as the different term (model 2). All available SNPs were classified into 10 groups based on their MAFs. For both traits, the estimated proportions of additive genetic variance explained by SNPs selected based on their MAFs using model 1 were always higher than the estimated ones using model 2. For carcass weight, relatively high values of the proportion of the additive genetic variance were estimated when using SNPs with MAFs which were in the ranges of 0.20 to 0.25 and 0.25 to 0.30, which may be partly due to the three previously-reported quantitative trait loci candidate regions. The results could have provided some information on the genetic architecture for the carcass traits in Japanese Black cattle, although its validity may be limited, mainly due to the sample size and the use of simpler statistical models in this study.

Spatial differentiation pattern of interregional migration in ethnic minority areas of Yunnan Province, China

Interregional migration has broad and far-reaching impacts on regional urbanization process in ethnic minority areas of Southwest China.The previous literature of interregional migration paid less attention on the ethnic minority areas with fragile geographical feature and marginal socio-economic context in the developing world due to the dearth of reliable data.Based on the 2015 national 1%population sampling survey at the village/community scale,taking Yulong Naxi Autonomous County,Yunnan Province,China as the case study,this paper analyzed the spatial differentiation pattern.The results showed that:(1)migration in Yulong Naxi Autonomous County exhibited obvious spatial differentiation characteristics in terms of population aggregation,population loss,migration direction,and migration activity;(2)the overall spatial differentiation of migration exhibited a"layer+sector"pattern in Yulong Naxi Autonomous County:the first layer was active areas with net inflows(<20 km from the seat of the county government),the second layer was inactive areas(within 20–60 km of the seat of the county government),and the third layer was a mixed"layer+sector"zone(>60 km to the seat of the county government),comprised of inactive areas and active areas with net outflows;(3)the spatial differentiation pattern of migration was highly correlated with the regional contexts including the regional economic development,regional transportation accessibility and regional social development,while regional physical geographical factors had insignificant relationships with the migration pattern.

On the Laws and Causes of Socio-economic Territorial Differentiation in Minority Areas in China

On the basis of applying quantitative and qualitative approaches as well as GIS technology, this paper established an index system to make a comprehensive evaluation on socio-economic development of minority areas in China. The result showed that socio-economic development in minority area presents a series of characteristics that the north is high and the south is low, center-margin pattern is obvious and the areas with middle and lower development indices are distributed centrally and continuously. However, the causes of the socio-economic characteristics mainly include natural conditions, economic development basic, population cultural quality, re-gional combination and development conditions of mineral and energy resources, informal institutional factors and distribution of major traffic lines..

Turning into a “Godparent”: How adult volunteers negotiate their personal life to become a mentor for “Unaccompanied Refugee Minors”

This article looks into how volunteers deal with their biographies and social embeddedness to make sense of their engagement in mentoring before they are matched. It draws on a qualitative investigation on a community-based pilot youth mentoring program for “unaccompanied refugee minors” in Austria. This article reveals how already trained, local adults actively relate to “family,”“migration” and “previous activities” in their meaning-making. It shows how they negotiate their personal life and existing relationships in the process of turning into a future “godparent.” The discussion of findings against the state of the art leads the way to two heuristic claims: firstly, the study provides grounded arguments for an extension of the conventional mentoring concept on the side of the mentor. Secondly, for a more relational and processual approach towards the mentors’ side, both biographical and social network dimensions need to be integrated in methods and designs of youth mentoring research.

Risk and benefit from clinical trials in minors:Making the case for transparent and consistent publications

Rationale, aim and objectives: The European (EU) regulation on medicinal products for pediatric use (EC 1901/2006), which became effective in 2007, aimed to stimulate the clinical testing of medications in minors in order to reduce off-label use. In consequence, the number of minors taking part in randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) is likely to increase. Clinical trials in minors require a complex methodological design, a careful consideration of risks and benefits and a high level of ethical reflection. Unfortunately, as to the quality of clinical trials and their publications in minors little is known. Therefore, we assessed published reports of randomized, controlled clinical trials in minors, focusing on a common disease (asthma) and a defined spectrum of lifethreatening diseases (malignant diseases). Method: In an exploratory design, we scanned the publications for methodological aspects as well as indicators of ethical soundness, e.g., statements that informed consent had been obtained before the start of the trial or that a Data and Safety Monitoring Board ensured the patients’ safety during the trial. We also looked for passages reflecting the debate on equipoise or other forms of weighing risks and benefits. Results: We found that many of these aspects, which according to the scientific literature and generally acknowledged guidelines are essential to ensure good-quality trials and trial reports, were not considered in the publications analyzed. Conclusion: Therefore, we call for a more transparent and consistent presentation of the trials, especially of safety aspects, relying on a more critical and transparent ethical reflection.

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).

Overcoming Challenges in COVID-19 Vaccination among Ethnic Minority Groups in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Exploration

This study aimed to explore the barriers affecting COVID-19 vaccine uptake among ethnic minorities and to propose strategies to strengthen government initiatives for inclusive vaccination. Grounded in social constructivism, this qualitative study was conducted in the greater Sylhet Division, where many ethnic communities live. Using purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 49 participants, including ethnic men and women, community leaders, and healthcare providers. Two focus group discussions (FGDs) were also conducted to ensure data validation, and the results were analyzed using thematic analysis, which revealed several factors, such as free vaccinations, media, close community-knit healthcare centers, informal communication that positively influenced vaccine uptake, such as awareness campaigns, informal communication, media involvement, and free vaccine availability. However, socio-economic and technological barriers pose significant challenges, including misconceptions about vaccines, limited access to technology, long distances to vaccination centers, inconvenient service hours, and reliance on traditional medicine. To promote inclusive vaccination, the study recommends establishing localized vaccine camps, improving technological infrastructure such as the Internet and network access, enhancing communication strategies, providing special services for women, the elderly and disabled individuals, and ensuring a reliable vaccine supply. Future researchers could apply longitudinal studies, including a lager study area and broader range of participants to address the missing perspectives in the current study.

Accelerating Asteroidal Period and Pole Inversion from Multiple Lightcurves Using Parallel Differential Evolution and Cellinoid Shape Model

Determining asteroid properties provides valuable physical insights but inverting them from photometric lightcurves remains computationally intensive.This paper presents a new approach that combines a simplified Cellinoid shape model with the Parallel Differential Evolution(PDE)algorithm to accelerate inversion.The PDE algorithm is more efficient than the Differential Evolution algorithm,achieving an extraordinary speedup of 37.983 with 64 workers on multicore CPUs.The PDE algorithm accurately derives period and pole values from simulated data.The analysis of real asteroid lightcurves validates the method’s reliability:in comparison with results published elsewhere,the PDE algorithm accurately recovers the rotational periods and,given adequate viewing geometries,closely matches the pole orientations.The PDE approach converges to solutions within 20,000 iterations and under one hour,demonstrating its potential for large-scale data analysis.This work provides a promising new tool for unveiling asteroid physical properties by overcoming key computational bottlenecks.

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.

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.

A Case Study on Ideological and Political Teaching Mode of College English Course in Minority Classes

Based on the characteristics of College English teaching in minority classes,this paper analyzes the ideological and political teaching cases of College English courses in ethnic minority classes from four aspects:before-class,in-class(flipped classroom teaching),after-class,and teaching design feedback(feedback on students’learning situation,teaching content and methods),starts from the three aspects of knowledge impartation,ability improvement,and value guidance,and integrates the course ideology and politics into the theme,language,and reality,so as to form a“one point and three sides”course ideological and political teaching model.

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.

新时代中小学法治教育的法理基础、现实检视与未来展望

新时代加强中小学法治教育不仅是响应国家依法治国战略的必然要求,更是培育法治意识、规则意识和权责意识相统一的未来公民的关键举措。社会契约精神、当代中国人权观、公民教育与道德发展理念等共同构筑了新时代中小学法治教育的法理基础。现阶段中小学法治教育总体发展良好,但在法治信仰、法律知识、法治情感与法治实践的教育方面还存在引导不深入、系统性不足、效果不显著、平台不完善的问题。建议:筑牢中小学法治教育的思想根基,凝聚中小学法治教育的情感共识,推进中小学法治教育一体化路径,汇聚社会合力,提升中小学法治教育实效。