Psychometric Evaluation of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) in Azerbaijan

The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) is a globally recognized scale for the measurement of subjective well-being in more than thirty six languages. Currently there is no adapted version of the SWLS in Azerbaijani language. The aim of the present study was to complete forward and backward translations of the SWLS and maintaining equivalence to examine its psychometric properties in a sample of 374 subjects in Azerbaijan. The results showed that the Azerbaijani version of SWLS had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.81) with confirmatory factor analysis showing a single factorial structure. The findings suggest that theAzerbaijani version of the SWLS is a valid instrument to use among Azerbaijan samples

Insecticidal Effect of the Extracts of Cladonia foliacea (Huds.) Willd. and Flavoparmelia caperata (L.) Hale AgainstAdults of the Grain Weevil, Sitophilus granarius (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Four different concentrations of extracts, obtained from the two lichen species (Cladonia foliacea (Huds.) Willd. and Flavoparmelia caperata (L.) Hale), were tested against the grain weevil, Sitophilus granaries (L.) under laboratory conditions. Mortality rate of adults was determined at 24, 48, and 96 h. Obtained results showed that the extracts of C. foliacea and F. caperata had insecticidal effects on the adults of S. granarius in comparison with control. The insecticidal effect was influenced by the concentration of the extract and the exposure time. Higher concentrations and longer exposure time resulted to highest toxicity levels on S. granarius. Mortality rates after 96 h of treatment with highest concentration (20 mg.ml-1) of the extracts of F. caperata and C. foliacea were determined as 91 and 83%, respectively. Bioassay revealed that 96 h LC50 values were 0.107 and 0.354 mg.ml-1, respectively. The results suggest that lichen compounds could be useful as alternatives of pesticides

Effect of Dietary Oregano and Rosemary Essential Oil Supplementation on Growth Performance and Cecal Microbiota of Broilers

In this study, the effect of dietary supplementation of oregano and rosemary essential oils (EO) on growth performance and cecal microbiota of broilers were investigated. A total of 450 1-d-old male Ross-308 broilers were divided into 5-experimental groups (10 replicates of 9 chickens): a Control (C), fed a basal diet; four treatments, which received a basal diet supplemented with oregano and rosemary EOs individually (O, 300 mg/kg oregano EO; R, 300 mg/kg rosemary EO) and combined (OR1, 150 mg/kg oregano EO + 150 mg/kg rosemary EO; OR2, 200 mg/kg oregano EO + 200 mg/kg rosemary EO). Body weight (BW), feed intake (FI), body weight gain (BWG), feed conver-sion ratio (FCR), and cecal microbiota (coliforms, clostridia and lactobacilli) were determined weekly, and at 42 d, re-spectively. BW in R (p < 0.05) and OR2 (p < 0.001), and BWG and FCR in OR2 (p < 0.05) were significantly higher than C at 42 d, despite no difference in FI in any group during experimental period. Counts of cecal coliforms (p < 0.001) and clostridia (p < 0.01) decreased, and lactobacilli (p < 0.001) increased substantially between C and treatment groups. Results indicated that combined oregano and rosemary EO (200 mg/kg ea) supplementation significantly increased BW and BWG, improved FCR in 1-42 d, lowered coliform and clostridial, and increased lactobacilli counts suggesting a beneficial shift in cecal microbiota.Bursa Uludag Uni-versity Scientific Research Unit Grant [HDP (V) -2014/45]ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This study was funded by the Bursa Uludag Uni-versity Scientific Research Unit Grant, Project No: HDP (V) -2014/45

Urartian «Palace Pottery» at the Khudutepe Settlement (Azerbaijan)

The article presents samples of ceramic of the early Iron Age, found on the Khudutepe settlement in the Jalilabad district. In the course of archaeological excavations and during collecting of surface finds the so called «Palace pottery» of the Urartian state was discovered. «Palace pottery» («Toprakkale wares», «Van shards», «Bianili ceramics») – a term is used for monochromic ceramic wares (usually red burnished, bright cherry-coloured with a polished surface, made on a potter's wheel) of the Urartian state. The wares were found exclusively in fortresses, in small quantities, and belonged to the items, that were probably used, mainly, by the elite of the Urartian society. «Toprakkale wares» constituted just 5% of the total ceramic items of the Urartian state. Eight fragments of ceramic vessels of various shapes and purposes represent the materials. They probably belonged to two bowls, a cup/goblet, two trefoil jugs, two globular vessels. It should be noted, that ceramics of this kind are found for the first time in the southeastern region of Azerbaijan. Probably, «Bianili ceramics», revealed at Khudutepe, came here from the Urartian fortress in the territory of modern northwestern Iran, and it was a prestigious object for the local nobility, as presents and/or offerings and as pottery of one or another purpose. The finds of «Palace pottery» of the Urartian state confirm the ties of the ancient population of Azerbaijan with the Middle Eastern "Great Power" of that time

A problem with parameter for the integro-differential equations

The article proposes a numerically approximate method for solving a boundary value problem for an integro-differential equation with a parameter and considers its convergence, stability, and accuracy. The integro-differential equation with a parameter is approximated by a loaded differential equation with a parameter. A new general solution to the loaded differential equation with a parameter is introduced and its properties are described. The solvability of the boundary value problem for the loaded differential equation with a parameter is reduced to the solvability of a system of linear algebraic equations with respect to arbitrary vectors of the introduced general solution. The coefficients and the right-hand sides of the system are compiled through solutions of the Cauchy problems for ordinary differential equations. Algorithms are proposed for solving the boundary value problem for the loaded differential equation with a parameter. The relationship between the qualitative properties of the initial and approximate problems is established, and estimates of the differences between their solutions are given

Insulin Resistance and Contrainsular Response in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

BACKGROUND: The number of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is progressively increasing all over the world. Over the past three decades, the global burden of diabetes has increased from 30 million in 1985 to 382 million in 2015, and current trends indicate that the prevalence of diabetes grows progressively. The phenomenon of insulin resistance established in the majority of type 2 DM (T2DM) patients. T2DM is associated with β-cell deficiency, α-cell resistance to insulin, and reduced effects of incretin. However, the role of insulin and glucagon in the process of cardiovascular complications in diabetic patients is a matter of debate. AIM: Our study aims to estimate insulin resistance and the contrainsular response in patients with T2DM and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: The 104 T2DM patients aged 18–70 years participated in the observational study carried out in the Karaganda regional cardiosurgery hospital and ambulatory. The first group included 37 patients hospitalized for ACS in the first 24 h of admission. The second group included 67 patients without ACS. Determination of insulin resistance and contrainsular response was provided using a multiplex immunological assay with XMap technology on Bioplex 3D. RESULTS: During the research, we have discovered a decreased level of glucagon and increased homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in patients with T2DM diabetes and ACS. Evaluation of traditional correlation interactions of HOMA-IR and indicators of carbohydrate metabolism showed a positive correlation with fasting plasma glucose in both study groups (Group 1: R = 0.47, p = 0.003; Group 2: R = 0.41, p = 0.024). Glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 has a weak positive correlation with HOMA-IR only in the first group (R = 0.32, p = 0.006). Increased insulin resistance was associated with high GLP-1 levels and low glucagon. The logistic regression model established that an increased HOMA-IR index rises the chance of ACS by 10.6% (OR = 1.106 [95% CI 1.105–1.206], p = 0,021). The logistic regression model, reflecting the relation between glucagon and ACS, shows that increased glucagon reduces the ACS odds (OR = 0.989 [95% CI 0.979–0.999], p = 0.026). The adjusted regression model showed no significant influence of early presented factors on the probability of ACS. CONCLUSION: There is a trend toward elevated HOMA-IR insulin resistance index and decreased level of glucagon in diabetic patients with ACS

Exotic smooth structures on 4-manifolds with zero signature

For every integer $k\geq 2$, we construct infinite families of mutually nondiffeomorphic irreducible smooth structures on the topological $4$-manifolds $(2k-1)(S^2\times S^2)$ and (2k-1)(\CP#\CPb), the connected sums of $2k-1$ copies of $S^2\times S^2$ and \CP#\CPb.Comment: 6 page

Parental Efficacy Moderates the Association Between Empathy and Burden Among Parents of Children Admitted to a Psychiatric Ward

Empathy is considered a positive aspect of caregiving, although in certain circumstances, being empathic might increase the burden of caregivers. The current study assessed the associations between empathy, parental efficacy, and family burden among parents of children who were hospitalized in a psychiatric unit. Specifically, we examined whether the association between empathy and family burden was moderated by the parents' sense of self-efficacy. Seventy parents of children with psychiatric disorders, hospitalized in an inpatient psychiatric unit, filled out questionnaires of empathy, parental efficacy, and family burden. Results supported a moderating role of parental efficacy between empathy and family burden (interaction effect: beta = -1.72, p = .0406). Specifically, empathy was positively related to family burden among parents with low self-efficacy (conditional effect = 0.70, p = .032) and negatively related to family burden among parents with high self-efficacy (conditional effect = -0.39, p = N.S). Implications for practice include the importance of self-efficacy and address the possible negative implications of empathy among parents of children treated in a psychiatric hospital

An enhanced toolkit for the generation of knockout and marker-free fluorescent Plasmodium chabaudi.

The rodent parasite Plasmodium chabaudi is an important in vivo model of malaria. The ability to produce chronic infections makes it particularly useful for investigating the development of anti- Plasmodium immunity, as well as features associated with parasite virulence during both the acute and chronic phases of infection. P. chabaudi also undergoes asexual maturation (schizogony) and erythrocyte invasion in culture, so offers an experimentally-amenable in vivo to in vitro model for studying gene function and drug activity during parasite replication. To extend the usefulness of this model, we have further optimised transfection protocols and plasmids for P. chabaudi and generated stable, fluorescent lines that are free from drug-selectable marker genes. These mother-lines show the same infection dynamics as wild-type parasites throughout the lifecycle in mice and mosquitoes; furthermore, their virulence can be increased by serial blood passage and reset by mosquito transmission. We have also adapted the large-insert, linear PlasmoGEM vectors that have revolutionised the scale of experimental genetics in another rodent malaria parasite and used these to generate barcoded P. chabaudi gene-deletion and -tagging vectors for transfection in our fluorescent P. chabaudi mother-lines. This produces a tool-kit of P. chabaudi lines, vectors and transfection approaches that will be of broad utility to the research community

Rabies in the Republic of Kazakhstan: spatial and temporal characteristics of disease spread over one decade (2013–2022)

Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease that remains endemic in Kazakhstan despite the implementation of annual vaccination campaigns. Using data collected over a 10-year time period, the objective of this study was to provide updated information on the epidemiological situation of the disease in the country, and quantitative data on the species-specific spatial distribution of rabies and on the epidemiological features associated with that clustering. Five significant (p &lt; 0.05) clusters of disease were detected. Clusters in southern Kazakhstan were associated with companion animals, which are likely explained by the maintenance of a domestic cycle of the disease in the most densely populated region of the country. Livestock cases were most frequent in clusters in the eastern (where wildlife cases were also frequent) and western regions of Kazakhstan, with higher probability of occurrence in spring and summer, compared to the rest of the year. The results here are consistent with differential patterns for disease transmission in Kazakhstan and will contribute to the design and implementation of zoning approaches to support the progressive control of rabies in the country