Demographic and Human Development in the Middle East and North Africa

In this book, we study demographic developments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In the past, the demographic developments in the Middle East and North Africa have been described as "peculiar" and "unique". In particular, the development of fertility got attention from a western point of view because it did not show the sharp decline with increasing development as the western countries did. Moreover, the growing population size and the bulk of young people caused worries, particularly in Europe, where a discussion about "the death of the West" has started. Thus, the demographic processes in the Middle East and North Africa call for a closer inspection of the recent levels and tends. Surprisingly, there is not much literature on these countries, leading us to compile essential descriptive findings. In the present book, we evaluate the current state and recent demographic developments in the MENA countries by presenting comparable and recent data on changes since 1950 and on the current characteristics of the population in the 22 countries of the Arab League (Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, State of Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen) plus three neighboring countries (Israel, Turkey, and Iran) using databases of various United Nations agencies and the World Bank. We deliberately refrain from discussing population forecasts which, due to assumptions underlying to them, would be worth to be discussed separately

Phases of Enhanced Exhumation During the Cretaceous and Cenozoic Orogenies in the Eastern European Alps: New Insights From Thermochronological Data and Thermokinematic Modeling

Austroalpine nappes in the Eastern European Alps have preserved the record of orogenies in the Cretaceous and Cenozoic but their cooling and exhumation history remains poorly constrained. Here we use low-temperature thermochronology and thermokinematic modeling to unravel the exhumation history of the Austroalpine nappes in the Gurktal Alps. Our data reveal marked differences between the exhumation of units located at different positions within the nappe stack and relative to the Adriatic indenter. Units located at a high structural level and farther away from the indenter cooled through the zircon fission track closure temperature in the Late Cretaceous and have resided at depths of ≤5–6 km since the Oligocene, as indicated by apatite fission track ages of 35–30 Ma. Thermokinematic modeling constrained that these units experienced enhanced exhumation (∼0.60 km/Ma) between ∼99 and ∼83 Ma due to syn- to late-orogenic Late Cretaceous extension. After a phase of slow exhumation (∼0.02 km/Ma), the exhumation rate increased to ∼0.16 km/Ma at ∼34 Ma due to the onset of the Europe-Adria collision. In contrast, zircon fission track ages from units at a lower structural level and near the indenter indicate cooling during the Eocene; apatite fission track ages cluster at ∼15 Ma. These units were rapidly exhumed (∼0.76 km/Ma) from ∼44 to ∼39 Ma during an Eocene phase of shortening prior to the Europe-Adria collision. After slow exhumation (∼0.13 km/Ma) between ∼39 and ∼18 Ma, the exhumation rate increased to ∼0.27 km/Ma in the wake of Miocene escape tectonics in the Eastern Alps

LGM ice extent and deglaciation history in the Gurktal and Lavantal Alps (eastern European Alps): first constraints from 10Be surface exposure dating of glacially polished quartz veins

Compared with the western European Alps, the ice extent during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the subsequent deglaciation history of the eastern Alps east of the Tauern Window remain less well constrained. Also, considerable discrepancies exist between the mapped LGM ice margin and the ice extent predicted by ice-sheet models. Here we present the first 10Be surface exposures ages from two regions east of the Tauern Window (the Gurktal and Lavantal Alps), which provide constraints on the LGM ice extent and the deglaciation history. Our results show that the deglaciation of the Gurktal Alps occurred between 16 and 14 ka, which agrees with the predictions from ice-sheet models. In contrast, the 10Be ages from the Lavantal Alps located farther east are either LGM in age or predate the LGM, indicating that these regions were ice free or only partially covered by LGM ice. This finding suggests that ice-sheet models may have overestimated the LGM ice extent in the easternmost Alps. In conclusion, our study highlights the need for more age data from the eastern Alps to refine the location of the LGM ice margin and the deglaciation history, which is also crucial for climate-evolution and postglacial-rebound models

Cretaceous to Miocene cooling of Austroalpine units southeast of the Tauern Window (Eastern Alps) constrained by multi-system thermochronometry

The cooling history of the Polinik and Kreuzeck Blocks of the Austroalpine units to the southeast of the Tauern Window are reexamined in the light of new mica Ar/Ar-, zircon fission track and apatite fission track data. Our new data demonstrate that the two blocks experienced a significantly different thermal evolution during Mesozoic-Cenozoic times: The Polinik Block revealed Late Cretaceous Ar/Ar ages (87.2–81.6 Ma), which reflect cooling subsequent to the thermal peak of Eo-Alpine metamorphism. The Kreuzeck Block, in contrast, shows early Permian Ar/Ar ages (295–288 Ma) that reflect post-Variscan extension and cooling. Late Cretaceous zircon fission track ages (67.8 and 67.3 Ma) found in the Kreuzeck Block are interpreted to reflect post-metamorphic exhumational cooling after the Eo-Alpine metamorphism. Miocene apatite fission track ages (21.3–8.7 Ma) and transdimensional inverse thermal history modelling results suggest that the Polinik Block cooled rapidly through the apatite partial annealing zone and exhumed to near surface temperatures in the middle Miocene. The Kreuzeck Block, in contrast, cooled and exhumed to near surface temperatures already in the Oligocene and early Miocene as evidenced by apatite fission track ages (29.1–16.4 Ma) and thermal history modelling results. Based on the temperature difference between the uppermost and lowermost samples from steep elevation profiles, calculated paleo-geothermal gradients are in the range between 47 and 43 °C/km for the late Oligocene and middle Miocene periods. These high values likely resulted from an elevated heat flow associated with magmatism in the area and from the fast exhumation of hot Penninic domains during Oligocene and Miocene times

Using Interleukin 6 and 8 in Blood and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid to Predict Survival in Hematological Malignancy Patients With Suspected Pulmonary Mold Infection.

Background: Molds and other pathogens induce elevated levels of several cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8. The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of IL-6 and IL-8 as well as fungal biomarkers in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) for overall survival in patients with underlying hematological malignancies and suspected mold infection. Methods: This cohort study included 106 prospectively enrolled adult cases undergoing bronchoscopy. Blood samples were collected within 24 h of BAL sampling and, in a subset of 62 patients, serial blood samples were collected up until 4 days after bronchoscopy. IL-6, IL-8, and other cytokines as well as galactomannan (GM) and β-D-glucan (BDG) were assayed in blood and BAL fluid and associations with overall mortality were assessed at the end of the study using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: Both blood IL-8 (AUC 0.731) and blood IL-6 (AUC 0.699) as well as BAL IL-6 (AUC 0.763) and BAL IL-8 (AUC 0.700) levels at the time of bronchoscopy were predictors of 30-day all-cause mortality. Increasing blood IL-6 levels between bronchoscopy and day four after bronchoscopy were significantly associated with higher 90-day mortality, with similar findings for increasing IL-8 levels. In ROC analysis the difference of blood IL-8 levels between 4 days after bronchoscopy and the day of bronchoscopy had an AUC of 0.829 (95%CI 0.71-0.95; p < 0.001) for predicting 90-day mortality. Conclusions: Elevated levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in blood or BAL fluid at the time of bronchoscopy, and rising levels in blood 4 days following bronchoscopy were predictive of mortality in these patients with underlying hematological malignancy who underwent bronchoscopy for suspected mold infection

ОБОБЩЕНИЕ РЕЗУЛЬТАТОВ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ МАГНИТНОЙ ВОСПРИИМЧИВОСТИ СОСТАВЛЯЮЩИХ БАЗАЛЬТОВОГО СЫРЬЯ

Объектом исследований являлись базальты Волыни, поскольку здесь ве-дется их интенсивная карьерная разработка. Внимание исследователей привле-кает уникальный состав базальтов и возможность их более рационального ис-пользования. В настоящее время базальт используется в основном как строи-тельный материал в виде щебня, в небольших количествах – для производства теплоизоляционной ваты. Однако исследования, выполненные геологами, уче-ными различных организаций, показали [1-4], что базальт является ценным ми-неральным сырьем и требует комплексной переработки для извлечения полез-ных компонентов, содержащихся в количествах, представляющих промышлен-ный интерес, и технологическую возможность их извлечения. Наличие приме-сей в массиве базальта в виде лавобрекчий и туфов не снижает актуальности и ценности идеи комплексной переработки, поскольку эти ингредиенты в своем составе содержат те же полезные компоненты, что и базальт. Основными из них являются самородная медь, железо и титан [4]. Более глубокие исследования показали, что в них содержатся окислы меди, редкие и ценные металлы, извле-чение которых требует более тонких технологий

Adrenergic/Cholinergic Immunomodulation in the Rat Model—In Vivo Veritas?

For several years, our group has been studying the in vivo role of adrenergic and cholinergic mechanisms in the immune-neuroendocrine dialogue in the rat model. The main results of these studies can be summarized as follows: (1) exogenous or endogenous catecholamines suppress PBL functions through alpha-2-receptor-mediated mechanisms, lymphocytes of the spleen are resistant to adrenergic in vivo stimulation, (2) direct or indirect cholinergic treatment leads to enhanced ex vivo functions of splenic and thymic lymphocytes leaving PBL unaffected, (3) cholinergic pathways play a critical role in the “talking back” of the immune system to the brain, (4) acetylcholine inhibits apoptosis of thymocytes possibly via direct effects on thymic epithelial cells, and may thereby influence T-cell maturation, (5) lymphocytes of the various immunological compartments were found to be equipped with the key enzymes for the synthesis of both acetylcholine and norepinephrine, and to secrete these neurotransmitters in culture supernatant