Genetic relationships of cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) genotypes as studied by morphological and molecular markers

Fifteen (15) morphological traits and three different types of molecular markers [inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR), simple sequence repeat (SSR) and expressed sequence tag (EST) markers] were used to study the genetic relationships among 24 cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) genotypes (commercial varieties and new germplasm). High significant differences were observed among the genotypes for all the studied traits and the interaction between genotypes and years ranged from highly significant to significant for the most studied traits. The value of phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was higher than genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all studied traits which means that the apparent variation is not only due to genotypes but also due to the influence of environmental factors. The cluster analysis of the 24 cotton genotypes depending upon the morphological traits divided them into two main groups (A and B) while molecular data divided them into six groups. The cotton genotypes were distributed according to principal coordinate analysis (PCOORDA) analysis of both morphological traits and molecular markers regardless of their fiber characteristics. According to this analysis, the cotton genotypes were distributed into three distinct parts. Most molecular markers showed polymorphism in their patterns. The highest number of total and polymorphic bands was generated from ISSR markers while the least number of total and polymorphic bands was obtained from the ESTSSR markers. According to both morphological and molecular analyses, the following genotypes could be used to hybridize and produce high growth and yield potential: Giz87, Giza45, Giza88 and Giza70 as a first parent and Karshansky, Giza80, Giza83, Australian10229 and Russian6022 as a second parent in the cross.Keywords: Cotton, simple sequence repeat (SSR), expressed sequence tag (EST), inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR), morphological traits, cluster analysis, principal coordinate analysis (PCOORDA).African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(30), pp. 4736-474

Active learning-based classification in automated connected vehicles

Machine learning has emerged as a promising paradigm for enabling connected, automated vehicles to autonomously cruise the streets and react to unexpected situations. A key challenge, however, is to collect and select real-time and reliable information for the correct classification of unexpected, and often uncommon, events that may happen on the road. Indeed, the data generated by vehicles, or received from neighboring vehicles, may be affected by errors or have different levels of resolution and freshness. To tackle this challenge, we propose an active learning framework that, leveraging the information collected through onboard sensors as well as received from other vehicles, effectively deals with scarce and noisy data. In particular, given the available information, our solution selects the data to add to the training set by trading off between two essential features: quality and diversity. The results, obtained using realworld data sets, show that our method significantly outperforms state-of-the-art solutions, providing high classification accuracy at the cost of a limited bandwidth requirement for the data exchange between vehicles

Prevalence and Predictors of Relapse among Patients with Schizophrenia at Psychiatric Healthcare Institutions in North-Western Nigeria

Background: Nigerians with Schizophrenic disorder are experiencing multiple relapses during the course of the illness. Relapse is disabling and  distressing, associated with progressive functional deterioration as well as worsening treatment response and clinical prognosis. Aim: Thestudy aims to assess the prevalence and predictors of relapse among patients with Schizophrenia in North-western Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed to conduct the study in Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Kaduna, Kano State  Psychiatric Hospital Dawanau, and Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Kware, Sokoto States. The Population of the study constitutes all patients with  schizophrenia attending the outpatient units of the Hospitals with a sample size of 464 patients a crossed the facilities. A purposive sampling  technique was used in the study to recruit respondents. Self -structure Questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. Data collected were  analyzed using SPSS Version 23 and presented using mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentages. Regression analysis was used at a 0.05  level of significance to determine predictors of relapse.. Results: Findings revealed that from the year 2018 to 2020, the prevalence of relapse  among patients with schizophrenia is very high in the year  2020 with 71% relapse in Kano state, 40% relapse in Sokoto state, and 14% relapse in Kaduna state. The study shows that co-morbid illness, stressful  life events, and inadequate mental health services are predictors of relapse (p<0.05). Conclusion: The study concludes that personal, social, and health facility factors are predictors of relapse among patients with Schizophrenia in  North-west Nigeria. Recommendations: Emotional and social support like halfway home, assertive community therapy, self -help groups should be provided to patients  with schizophrenia, as these can play a vital role in their response to the ailment thereby reducing relapse and the prevalence of the  disease

Functional characterizations of trace spaces in Lipschitz domains

Using a factorization theorem of Douglas, we prove functional characterizations of trace spaces $H^s(\partial \Omega)$ involving a family of positive self-adjoint operators. Our method is based on the use of a suitable operator by taking the trace on the boundary $\partial \Omega$ of a bounded Lipschitz domain $\Omega \subset \mathbb R^d$ and applying Moore--Penrose pseudo-inverse properties together with a special inner product on $H^1(\Omega)$. Moreover, generalized results of the Moore--Penrose pseudo-inverse are also established.Comment: This is a preprint of a paper whose final and definite form is with 'Banach J. Math. Anal.', ISSN: 1735-8787, available at [https://projecteuclid.org/info/euclid.bjma]. Submitted 21-Aug-2018; Article accepted on 30-Nov-201

3-Aminopyrroles and their application in the synthesis ofpyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidine (9-deazapurine) derivatives

3-Aminopyrrole derivatives have been synthesized from 3-anilino-2-cyanoacrylonitrile using Thorpe-Ziegler cyclization. These substituted pyrroles are readily converted into 5H-pyrrolo[3,2- d]pyrimidine (9-deazapurines).FEDERFundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT

Heterocyclic synthesis with nitriles: synthesis of pyridazine and pyridopyridazine derivatives

The reaction of MND with aryldiazonium chlorides followed by cyclization afforded the pyridazinimine derivatives. Reaction of the latter with another mole of malononitrile produce only pyrido[3,2-c]pyridazine derivatives. Reaction of 4-aminopyridazinone-3- carboxylic acid esters with malononitrile gave only pyridazine-3-carboxylic acid.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - POCTI-SFA-3-686, SFRH/BPD/31490/2006Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER

Synthesis of some novel pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives

Reaction of ethyl imidates derived from N-aryl-5-amino-4-cyanopyrazoles with amines or arylhydrazines gave only 4-substituted pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines, resulting from cyclization followed by Dimroth rearrangement. From the reaction with arylhydrazines, a mixture of the hydrazines and their oxidized forms, the azo products, was obtained. This was proven by an independent synthesis starting from the corresponding 4-chloropyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines as starting material. The structures of the compounds obtained were confirmed by mass spectrometry, 1H and 13C NMR.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) - POCTI-SFA-3-686, SFRH/BPD/31490/2006FEDE

Surgical treatment of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fracture using a single small lateral approach

The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcome of semi-open reduction and minimal internal fixation through a single small lateral approach as a minimally invasive technique for treatment of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures. This prospective study was conducted on eighteen patients (16 men and 2 women). The average age was 37.7 (22–55). The most common cause of injury was a fall from height in fourteen patients. Patients were operated on within a mean time of 4.8 days of admission (1–11 days) and were followed up for an average period of 24.1 months (6–39 months). Patients were evaluated clinically using the Creighton-Nebraska Heath Foundation Assessment score of Crosby and Fitzgibbons (J Bone Joint Surg (Am) 72-A:852–859, 1990). The scoring system proposed by Knirk and Jupiter was used for radiological assessment of the posterior subtalar joint (Knirk and Jupiter in J Bone Joint Surg (Am) 68-A: 647–659, 1986). The skin incision healed in all cases without necrosis, infection, or sural nerve injury. All fractures healed after an average of 8 weeks (7–10 weeks), and patients returned to the routine daily activities after an average time of 4.3 months (3–7 months). In conclusion, semi-open reduction and minimal internal fixation through a small lateral approach is an effective treatment for carefully selected cases of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures

Optimizing diagnostic imaging data using LI-RADS and the Likert scale in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose: The study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS), which incorporates fixed criteria, and the Likert scale (LS), which mainly depends on an overall impression in liver lesion diagnosis. Material and methods: Diagnostic data of 110 hepatic nodules in 103 high-risk patients for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were included. Data including diameter, arterial hyperenhancement, washout, and capsule were reviewed by 2 readers using LI-RADS and LS (range, score 1-5). Inter-reader agreement (IRA), intraclass agreement (ICA), and diagnostic performance were determined by Fleiss, Cohen's k, and logistic regression, respectively. Results: There were 53 triphasic enhanced computed tomography (CT) and 50 dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) examinations. Overall, IRA was excellent (k = 0.898). IRA was good for arterial hyperenhancement (k = 0.705), washout (k = 0.763), and capsule (k = 0.771) and excellent for diameter (k = 0.981) and tumour embolus (k = 0.927). Overall, ICA between LI-RADS and LS was fair 0.32; ICA was good for scores of 1 (k = 0.682), fair for scores of 2 (k = 0.36), moderate for scores of 5 (k = 0.52), but no agreement was found for scores of 3 (k = –0.059) and 4 (k = –0.022). LIRADS produced relatively high accuracy (87.3% vs. 80%), relatively low sensitivity (84.3% vs. 98%), and significantly higher specificity (89.83% vs. 64.4%) and positive likelihood ratio (+LR: 8.29 vs. 2.75) compared to LS approach. Conclusions: LI-RADS revealed higher diagnostic accuracy as compared to LS with statistical proof higher specificity and +LR showing its ability to foretell malignancy in high-risk patients. We recommend the practical application of the LI-RADS system in the detection and treatment response monitoring of patients with HCC