• Title/Summary/Keyword: African Studies

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Quantitative Analysis for Win/Loss Prediction of 'League of Legends' Utilizing the Deep Neural Network System through Big Data

  • No, Si-Jae;Moon, Yoo-Jin;Hwang, Young-Ho
    • Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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    • v.26 no.4
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    • pp.213-221
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    • 2021
  • In this paper, we suggest the Deep Neural Network Model System for predicting results of the match of 'League of Legends (LOL).' The model utilized approximately 26,000 matches of the LOL game and Keras of Tensorflow. It performed an accuracy of 93.75% without overfitting disadvantage in predicting the '2020 League of Legends Worlds Championship' utilizing the real data in the middle of the game. It employed functions of Sigmoid, Relu and Logcosh, for better performance. The experiments found that the four variables largely affected the accuracy of predicting the match --- 'Dragon Gap', 'Level Gap', 'Blue Rift Heralds', and 'Tower Kills Gap,' and ordinary users can also use the model to help develop game strategies by focusing on four elements. Furthermore, the model can be applied to predicting the match of E-sports professional leagues around the world and to the useful training indicators for professional teams, contributing to vitalization of E-sports.

A genomic and bioinformatic-based approach to identify genetic variants for liver cancer across multiple continents

  • Muhammad Ma'ruf;Lalu Muhammad Irham;Wirawan Adikusuma;Made Ary Sarasmita;Sabiah Khairi;Barkah Djaka Purwanto;Rockie Chong;Maulida Mazaya;Lalu Muhammad Harmain Siswanto
    • Genomics & Informatics
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    • v.21 no.4
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    • pp.48.1-48.8
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    • 2023
  • Liver cancer is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Well-known risk factors include hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus, along with exposure to aflatoxins, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Genomic variants play a crucial role in mediating the associations between these risk factors and liver cancer. However, the specific variants involved in this process remain under-explored. This study utilized a bioinformatics approach to identify genetic variants associated with liver cancer from various continents. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with liver cancer were retrieved from the genome-wide association studies catalog. Prioritization was then performed using functional annotation with HaploReg v4.1 and the Ensembl database. The prevalence and allele frequencies of each variant were evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients. Two variants, rs2294915 and rs2896019, encoded by the PNPLA3 gene, were found to be highly expressed in the liver tissue, as well as in the skin, cell-cultured fibroblasts, and adipose-subcutaneous tissue, all of which contribute to the risk of liver cancer. We further found that these two SNPs (rs2294915 and rs2896019) were positively correlated with the prevalence rate. Positive associations with the prevalence rate were more frequent in East Asian and African populations. We highlight the utility of this population-specific PNPLA3 genetic variant for genetic association studies and for the early prognosis and treatment of liver cancer. This study highlights the potential of integrating genomic databases with bioinformatic analysis to identify genetic variations involved in the pathogenesis of liver cancer. The genetic variants investigated in this study are likely to predispose to liver cancer and could affect its progression and aggressiveness. We recommend future research prioritizing the validation of these variations in clinical settings.

8q24 rs4242382 Polymorphism is a Risk Factor for Prostate Cancer among Multi-Ethnic Populations: Evidence from Clinical Detection in China and a Meta-analysis

  • Zhao, Cheng-Xiao;Liu, Ming;Xu, Yong;Yang, Kuo;Wei, Dong;Shi, Xiao-Hong;Yang, Fan;Zhang, Yao-Guang;Wang, Xin;Liang, Si-Ying;Zhao, Fan;Zhang, Yu-Rong;Wang, Na-Na;Chen, Xin;Sun, Liang;Zhu, Xiao-Quan;Yuan, Hui-Ping;Zhu, Ling;Yang, Yi-Ge;Tang, Lei;Jiao, Hai-Yan;Huo, Zheng-Hao;Wang, Jian-Ye;Yang, Ze
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.15 no.19
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    • pp.8311-8317
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    • 2014
  • Background: Evidence supporting an association between the 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism and prostate cancer (PCa) risk has been reported in North American and Europe populations, though data from Asian populations remain limited. We therefore investigated this association by clinical detection in China, and meta-analysis in Asian, Caucasian and African-American populations. Materials and Methods: Blood samples and clinical information were collected from ethnically Chinese men from Northern China with histologically-confirmed PCa (n=335) and from age-matched normal controls (n=347). The 8q24 (rs4242382) gene polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-high-resolution melting analysis. We initially analyzed the associations between the risk allele and PCa and clinical covariates. A meta-analysis was then performed using genotyping data from a total of 1,793 PCa cases and 1,864 controls from our study and previously published studies in American and European populations, to determine the association between PCa and risk genotype. Results: The incidence of the risk allele was higher in PCa cases than controls (0.222 vs 0.140, $P=7.3{\times}10^{-5}$), suggesting that the 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism was associated with PCa risk in Chinese men. The genotypes in subjects were in accordance with a dominant genetic model (ORadj=2.03, 95%CI: 1.42-2.91, $Padj=1.1{\times}10^{-4}$). Presence of the risk allele rs4242382-A at 8q24 was also associated with clinical covariates including age at diagnosis ${\geq}65$ years, prostate specific antigen >10 ng/ml, Gleason score <8, tumor stage and aggressive PCa, compared with the non-risk genotype ($P=4.6{\times}10^{-5}-3.0{\times}10^{-2}$). Meta-analysis confirmed the association between 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism and PCa risk (OR=1.62, 95%CI: 1.39-1.88, $P=1.0{\times}10^{-5}$) across Asian, Caucasian and African American populations. Conclusions: The replicated data suggest that the 8q24 rs4242382-A variation might be associated with increased PCa susceptibility in Asian, Caucasian and African American populations. These results imply that this polymorphism may be a useful risk biomarker for PCa in multi-ethnic populations.

Seed Quality, Germinability and Initial Growth of Pterocarpus erinaceus (African Rosewood). How Important are Mother Tree Size, Source and Timing of Fruit Harvest?

  • Tiika, Richard J.;Issifu, Hamza;Baatuuwie, Bernard Nuoleyeng;Nasare, Latif Iddrisu;Husseini, Rikiatu
    • Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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    • v.35 no.2
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    • pp.69-77
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    • 2019
  • Pterocarpus erinaceus is a multipurpose tree species indigenous to semi-arid and Guinean-savanna woodlands of Africa. Natural regeneration on the savanna is being hampered by higher fire frequencies and other land use changes. Simultaneously, demand for timber from the species on the international market is on the rise, raising conservation concerns. To ensure sustainability, good quality seeds, sources of which have not received much research focus, are needed for afforestation. This study investigated how seed quality, germinability and initial seedling growth of P. erinaceus might be influenced by land-use type, mother tree size as well as source and timing of fruit harvest, using both correlational and experimental approaches. The results showed that up to 94.6% of all harvested fruits contained seeds, with no differences found between fruits harvested from cultivated and non-cultivated lands. Percentage of (sound) unblemished seeds was found to be higher for fruits harvested early March (47.3%) than fruits from late April (39.5%). Percentage sound seeds was 41.4% for dispersed fruits (i.e. detached fruits picked from under mother trees) which was not found to differ from undispersed fruits (i.e. fruits harvested while still attached to mother trees) at 45.5%. Also, the influence of fruit harvest time was not found to be different for dispersed and undispersed fruits. Correlations between seed set (proportion of fruits containing seeds) and mother tree size (both tree height and DBH) were found to be very low and non-significant for both dispersed and undispersed fruits. Across mother trees, mean emergence percent was 79.7%, and mean seedling height at three weeks following emergence was 5.32 cm. Both emergence percentage and seedling height were not found to differ among mother trees, but seeds from dispersed fruits had a higher emergence percent (85%) than seeds from undispersed fruits (74%). Implications of findings are discussed.

Further Evidence for the Role of Cantharidin in the Mating Behaviour of Blister Beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae)

  • Nikbakhtzadeh, Mahmood Reza;Hemp, Claudia;Ebrahimi, Babak
    • Animal cells and systems
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    • v.11 no.2
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    • pp.141-146
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    • 2007
  • Cantharidin is produced by blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) and smaller oedemerid beetles (Coleopetra: Oedemeridae) and is found in hemolymph and various tissues. The function of cantharidin in the courtship behaviour of meloids had never been fully established. Our studies show a correlation between density of cuticular pores and cantharidin titre of the scape and pedicel segments of male specimens of the East African species of Epicauta nyassensis (Haag-Rutenberg, 1880) (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Light microscopy of semi-thin cross sections of the male scape and pedicel indicates that there are many canal shaped structures that stretch from the antennal hemolymph to the antennomere surface. These structures may be tubules, which transport cantharidin circulating in the hemolymph to the surface, where the compound can be released via cuticular pore openings. Analyses of the head capsule and antennal segments of E. nyassensis females which had been copulated with males revealed low titre of cantharidin in the first two antennal segments. The density of the scape and pedicel pores of females was to some extent higher than the density of these pores on flagellum; however it was considerably lower than that of the males. Interestingly, no tubular cell or other transport structures were found in the cross sectioning of the female antennomeres or on the integument surface. During mating, male antennomeres, as well as cantharidin containing pores which are located on the $1^{st}\;and\;2^{nd}$ antennomeres, come into direct contact with the female antennae and may release cantharidin to their surface. Female E. nyassensis may be able to discriminate the opposite sex with abundant reserves of cantharidin prior to mating. This is another evidence that cantharidin function in close range sexual selection.

Teak (Tectona grandis Linn. f.): A Renowned Commercial Timber Species

  • Palanisamy, K.;Hegde, Maheshwar;Yi, Jae-Seon
    • Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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    • v.25 no.1
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    • pp.1-24
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    • 2009
  • Teak (Tectona grandis) is one of the most valuable timber yielding species in the world, with predominant distribution in tropical or sub-tropical countries. However, natural teak available only in few countries like India, Myanmar, Laos People's Democratic Republic and Thailand. Teak grows well in deep, well-drained alluvial soils, fairly moist, warm, tropical climate with pH ranges from 6.5-7.5. Teak is cultivated in many Asian, African and South American countries for timber production. The global teak plantations are estimated to be three million hectare with major share in India (44%) followed by Indonesia (33%). India is considered as richest genetic resources of teak with large areas of natural teak bearing forests (8.9 million ha), plantations (1.5 million ha), clonal seed orchards (1000 ha) and seed production areas (5000 ha). The studies on diversity of teak populations showed that teak is an out crossing species with major portion of diversity present within the populations. The productivity and quality of teak timber varies depending upon the site and environmental conditions. Teak wood is moderately heavy, strong and tough,straight grained, coarse textured and ring porous with specific gravity varies from 0.55 to 0.70. The sapwood is white to pale yellow in colour and clearly demarcated while heartwood is dark brown or dark golden yellow in colour. Teak is one of the most durable timbers in the world, practically, impervious to fungus and white ant attack and resistant to decay. Teak wood is used in ship and boat constructions, furnitures and aesthetic needs. Genetic improvement programmes have been undertaken in countries like Thailand, India, Malaysia and Indonesia. The programme includes provenance identification and testing, plus tree selection and clonal multiplication, establishment of seed orchards and controlled hybridization. Several aspects like phenology, reproductive biology, fruit characteristics, silvicultural practices for cultivation, pest and diseases problems, production of improved planting stock, harvesting and marketing, wood properties and future tree improvement strategy to enhance productivity have been discussed in this paper.

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Redescription of Australocirrus shii and First Report of Afrokeronopsis aurea (Ciliophora: Spirotrichea: Sporadotrichida) from South Korea

  • Kabir, Ahmed Salahuddin;Bharti, Daizy;Shin, Mann Kyoon
    • Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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    • v.34 no.1
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    • pp.37-49
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    • 2018
  • Two hypotrich ciliates, Australocirrus shii (Shi et al., 1997) Kumar & Foissner, 2015 and Afrokeronopsis aurea (Foissner & Stoeck, 2008) Foissner et al., 2010 isolated from freshwater habitats in Korea and were studied based on the specimens from live and after protargol impregnation. Australocirrus shii is redescribed based on morphology and 18S rRNA gene sequence, whereas Af. aurea is the first record for Korea. Main morphological features of the Korean population of Au. shii are as following: body size $100-200{\times}40-80{\mu}m$ in vivo; elongate to ellipsoidal or slightly elongate obovate, dorsoventrally flattened; transverse cirri arranged in (3+2) pattern, anterior pretransverse ventral cirrus distantly anterior of the first transverse cirrus; eight or nine dorsal kineties; and three caudal cirri. Main morphological features of the Korean population of Af. aurea are as following: body size $230-375{\times}70-145{\mu}m$ in vivo; shape elongate obovate or ellipsoidal, widest at the mid-body; undulating membranes in Australocirrus pattern with a buccal depression; and three caudal cirri. The Korean population of A. shii is similar in morphology with previous descriptions except for the presence of indentation at the posterior end in the Korean population. The Korean population of A. aurea is slightly shorter than the South African population and has slightly less marginal and mid-ventral cirri. The phylogenetic analysis of present two Korean hypotrichs and relevant species based on 18S rRNA gene sequences generated almost similar tree topologies compared with previous studies.

Comparison of SNP Variation and Distribution in Indigenous Ethiopian and Korean Cattle (Hanwoo) Populations

  • Edea, Zewdu;Dadi, Hailu;Kim, Sang-Wook;Dessie, Tadelle;Kim, Kwan-Suk
    • Genomics & Informatics
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    • v.10 no.3
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    • pp.200-205
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    • 2012
  • Although a large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified from the bovine genome-sequencing project, few of these have been validated at large in Bos indicus breeds. We have genotyped 192 animals, representing 5 cattle populations of Ethiopia, with the Illumina Bovine 8K SNP BeadChip. These include 1 Sanga (Danakil), 3 zebu (Borana, Arsi and Ambo), and 1 zebu ${\times}$ Sanga intermediate (Horro) breeds. The Hanwoo (Bos taurus) was included for comparison purposes. Analysis of 7,045 SNP markers revealed that the mean minor allele frequency (MAF) was 0.23, 0.22, 0.21, 0.21, 0.23, and 0.29 for Ambo, Arsi, Borana, Danakil, Horro, and Hanwoo, respectively. Significant differences of MAF were observed between the indigenous Ethiopian cattle populations and Hanwoo breed (p < 0.001). Across the Ethiopian cattle populations, a common variant MAF (${\geq}0.10$ and ${\leq}0.5$) accounted for an overall estimated 73.79% of the 7,045 SNPs. The Hanwoo displayed a higher proportion of common variant SNPs (90%). Investigation within Ethiopian cattle populations showed that on average, 16.64% of the markers were monomorphic, but in the Hanwoo breed, only 6% of the markers were monomorphic. Across the sampled Ethiopian cattle populations, the mean observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.314 and 0.313, respectively. The level of SNP variation identified in this particular study highlights that these markers can be potentially used for genetic studies in African cattle breeds.

National trends in radiation dose escalation for glioblastoma

  • Wegner, Rodney E.;Abel, Stephen;Horne, Zachary D.;Hasan, Shaakir;Verma, Vivek;Ranjan, Tulika;Williamson, Richard W.;Karlovits, Stephen M.
    • Radiation Oncology Journal
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    • v.37 no.1
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    • pp.13-21
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    • 2019
  • Purpose: Glioblastoma (GBM) carries a high propensity for in-field failure despite trimodality management. Past studies have failed to show outcome improvements with dose-escalation. Herein, we examined trends and outcomes associated with dose-escalation for GBM. Materials and Methods: The National Cancer Database was queried for GBM patients who underwent surgical resection and external-beam radiation with chemotherapy. Patients were excluded if doses were less than 59.4 Gy; dose-escalation referred to doses ≥66 Gy. Odds ratios identified predictors of dose-escalation. Univariable and multivariable Cox regressions determined potential predictors of overall survival (OS). Propensity-adjusted multivariable analysis better accounted for indication biases. Results: Of 33,991 patients, 1,223 patients received dose-escalation. Median dose in the escalation group was 70 Gy (range, 66 to 89.4 Gy). The use of dose-escalation decreased from 8% in 2004 to 2% in 2014. Predictors of escalated dose were African American race, lower comorbidity score, treatment at community centers, decreased income, and more remote treatment year. Median OS was 16.2 months and 15.8 months for the standard and dose-escalated cohorts, respectively (p = 0.35). On multivariable analysis, age >60 years, higher comorbidity score, treatment at community centers, decreased education, lower income, government insurance, Caucasian race, male gender, and more remote year of treatment predicted for worse OS. On propensity-adjusted multivariable analysis, age >60 years, distance from center >12 miles, decreased education, government insurance, and male gender predicted for worse outcome. Conclusion: Dose-escalated radiotherapy for GBM has decreased over time across the United States, in concordance with guidelines and the available evidence. Similarly, this large study did not discern survival improvements with dose-escalation.

An Analytical Research on Exotic Tastes Reflected in Contemporary Men's Fashion - Focused on Collections from 2001 to 2010 - (현대 남성 패션에 나타난 이국적 취향(Exotic Taste)에 관한 분석 연구 - 2001년부터 2010년까지 발표된 컬렉션 중심으로 -)

  • Shin, Myung-Jin;Nam, Yoon-Sook
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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    • v.61 no.10
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    • pp.104-118
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    • 2011
  • The purpose of this study is to examine the recent various developments of men's fashion by analyzing how exotic tastes were presented in men's modern fashion from 2001 to 2010. For this purpose, a researcher reviewed relevant studies to identify the styles of exotic tastes that were reflected in men's modern fashion specifically in Chinese, Japanese, Indian, East Asian, American, North American and South American styles. Findings of this study is summarized as follows. Main examples of men's modern fashion were found in Chinese-style apparel such as the magwae, queue, coolie hat and the Mao jacket. The Kimono and the samurai robe, both of which best represent Japanese apparel and the Japanese traditional patterns also had an influence on men's modern fashion Indian style clothing such as dhoti, veshti and lungi which cover the lower body, vajani as loose trousers, kurta of full-over tunic form and turban also had an effect as well. The men's modern fashion is also impacted by Middle Asian styles that includes the thobe, sirwaal, futah, which is sort of a skirt that is long enough to cover the calf and whose front parts overlap each other, turbans and the hempen hood which is fixed with the agal. Exotic elements such as animal skins, body painting, tattoos and head dresses found in African styles can also be found in men's modern fashion. Parts of North American style influence come from the applications of Indians' costume and head dress. The surveyed men's modern fashion of the South America style was represented by the applications of natives' costume and Andean tunic, loincloth and shawl. In all of the exotic styles found in men's modern fashion, historicity, eclecticism, aestheticism and nature-orientation are implied. They are the source of inspirations that promote changes and diversity in men's modern fashion.