A New Cynodont from the Late Triassic Los Colorados Formation (Argentina, South America) Reveals a Novel Paleobiogeographic Context for Mammalian Ancestors

Probainognathia is a derived lineage of cynodonts which encompass Mammalia as their crown-group. The profuse record of probainognathians from the Carnian of Argentina contrasts with their Norian representation, with only one named species. Here we describe a new probainognathian, Tessellatia bonapartei gen. et sp. nov., from the Norian Los Colorados Formation of the Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin of Argentina. The new taxon, represented by a partial cranium with articulated lower jaws, was analyzed through neutron and X-rays micro-tomography (µCT). The high-resolution neutron µCT data allowed the identification of a unique character state combination, including features inaccessible through traditional techniques. We constructed the largest phylogenetic data-matrix of non-mammalian cynodonts. The new species and its sister-taxon, the Brazilian Therioherpeton, are recovered as probainognathians, closely related to Mammaliamorpha. We conducted the first quantitative paleobiogeographic analysis of non-mammalian cynodonts, focusing in probainognathians. The results indicate that Probainognathia and Mammaliamorpha originated in Brazil, which was an important center of diversification during the Triassic. Finally, China is identified as the ancestral area of Mammaliaformes. These new findings, besides adding to the knowledge of the poorly represented Norian cynodonts from the Los Colorados Formation, are significant to improve our understanding of probainognathian diversity, evolution, and paleobiogeographic history.

Investigation of association between ABO blood groups and COVID-19 clinical severity

Objective: COVID-19 has been detected in Turkey since March 11, 2020. Istanbul has become an important center of the pandemic in Turkey. Various risk factors for COVID-19 infection, mortality, and morbidity are under investigation. Recent studies have suggested that certain blood groups are risk factors for the disease. The aim of this study is the evaluation the relationship between blood groups and the risk of contracting COVID-19 disease, clinical severity of the disease, and CT (computed tomography) imaging findings. Material and Methods: Age, gender, blood group data, clinical severity and CT images of 300 patients who were positive with RT PCR (Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) and were followed up in the clinic were retrospectively scanned and recorded. The clinical severity of the disease and CT imaging findings were scored, and the data were evaluated statistically. Results: While the incidence of COVID-19 was high in the A blood group, it was low in the 0 blood group. Although there was no significant difference between blood types and clinical severity, the involvement in the B blood group was more severe on CT imaging. Conclusion: People with A blood group should pay more attention to protection and isolation. Investigating this difference and underlying pathogenic mechanisms can guide science with advanced studies.

The Remaining Buddhist Architecture in Fu’an, the Core Hinterland of the Changxi River Basin

The Changxi River Basin is a small root-like watershed, surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the sea to the southeast. It is located on the border between Fujian and Zhejiang on the southeast coast of China. The area gave rise to the Changxi Culture that began in the Sui and Tang Dynasties and flourished in the Song Dynasty. Buddhism in the Changxi Basin was introduced no later than the 9th century. As the core hinterland of the Changxi Basin, Fu’an has always been an important center for Buddhism in Eastern Fujian. It reached its peak in the 10th to 13th centuries during the Song Dynasty. This article conducts a comprehensive investigation and study of the existing Buddhist temple sites and relics in Fu’an. It highlights these structures’ single-bay pattern of construction, based on rectangular plans in which the longitudinal axis extends along the plan’s direction of depth. This is a pattern rarely seen in the history of Chinese Buddhist architecture. The paper also summarizes a common element in these temples, their petal-shaped corrugated stone pillars which are divided into eight segments. Lastly, it illustrates the evolution of the temples in the Changxi River Basin from single-bay layouts to those with widths of multiple bays and indicates the unique status and associated values of single-bay Buddhist temples in the history of southern Buddhist architecture. The study examines new local findings and ideas for the study of Chinese Buddhist architectural history, providing academic support for the protection and research of Buddhist architectural heritage in Southeast China.

THE CITY OF SAMARRA UNDER THE ABBASID STATE, A BRIGHT HISTORY AND IMMORTAL RELICS

My research was marked (The city of Samarra under the Abbasid state, a bright history and immortal relics). The city of Samarra is considered one of the archaeological historical sites in Iraq. This city - with the testimony of ancient and modern sources, and the immortality of a number of its lofty monuments - played a dangerous role in the political and urban fields - throughout the era that I stayed there as the capital of the Abbasid state. Eight of the Abbasid caliphs settled in it, and its mother was scholars and writers. Every craftsman and artist differed in it, and it became - rightly - the first Abbasid city in various aspects of life. Which prompted me to choose this topic and write about it, because of my feeling and my feeling that this city has neglected its right, and has not prepared for it what it should have of study and investigation. I specify my studies either in the history of the city or its antiquities, but after reading it became clear to me that history is the immortalized antiquities, so this topic stopped me to research it. The basic structure of this research consisted of two sections preceded by an introduction and a preface and followed by a conclusion. The first topic came under the title (Samarra in the shadow of the Abbasid state), this research dealt with Samarra in the shadow of the Abbasid caliphs, showing the role of each caliph in this city. Part of its ruins are still tilted until today and the other part has been subjected to destruction and extinction, and then I ended the research with a conclusion in which I showed the most important findings of the research, including its adoption of the largest Islamic empire for half a century, that this city has a clear personality in the urban and historical fields, and it is the Islamic city Which was replete with many palaces and luxurious buildings in that era, it was able to occupy an important center for the duration of its stay as the capital of the Abbasids. And after I ask God Almighty that I have succeeded in presenting this topic in a satisfactory manner, for perfection is for God Almighty and from Him we derive help and success‎‎. Keywords: Abbasid State, The City of Samarra, Immortalized Antiquities

A new archival hub at Wits University

For some years, the archives in South Africa have faced a series of unprecedented challenges that threaten the high quality of the documentation and the functioning of the centers that maintain them. The crises facing the State Archives reflect problems in the state more generally including inadequate strategic investment and lack of training, which jeopardise the potential renewal of archivists. At the same time, the wide array of political activities and social movements, the dynamics of civil society organizations and activism require more than ever to curate documentation and expand the archives’ capacities. To answer this paradox, a team working in two independent archives and a research center at Wits University is experimenting with a new “hub” to constitute an important center of independent archives in South Africa. Noor Nieftagodien, director of the Wits History Workshop - the research center that has played a role in the creation of the hub - and a member of the board of the South African Historical Archives, sheds light on the new enterprise.

In Vitro Regeneration of Muscari racemosum Mill. Using Twin Bulb Scales, Primary Bulbs, and Leaf Bases

Turkey is an important center of diversity for many plants species including bulbs, rhizomes, tubers, and other plants of high agricultural and horticultural importance. These species have a special importance as ornamental plants. However, due to urbanization and related factors, many of them are under threat. One of these species is the endemic Muscari racemosum Mill. The current study aimed to develop an efficient in vitro commercial bulblet propagation procedure using different explants. Twin-scale bulb explants were regenerated on MS medium having several doses of Kinetin+NAA (1-Naphthaleneacetic acid). The best regeneration was exhibited on 4.65 μM Kinetin+5.37 μM NAA at the end of 10 weeks with induction of 4.08 bulblets/explant with a mean diameter of 0.31 cm. The primary bulblets were cultured on MS medium having 18.60 μM Kinetin+5.37 μM NAA. About a 2.5-fold increase in the diameter of the bulbs (0.76 cm) was exhibited on the regenerated bulblets. The bulblets were regenerated on leaf bases taken from MS medium having several doses of BAP (6-Benzylaminopurine) + NAA. The regenerated bulbs were rooted on MS medium having 4.90 μM IBA (Indole-3-butyric acid) followed by their transference to a greenhouse for acclimatization. This study provided important information on commercial clonal propagation of M. racemosum and the importance of explants and growth regulators in plant regeneration.

LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES APPLIED TO A BUDDHIST CARVED ROCK SCULPTURE

The Swat valley (Pakistan) has always been considered an important center of Gandhara art. Due to the unfavourable conditions, this artistic phenomenon has long been almost ignored or underestimated, but its documentation is essential for study the symbolism of the figures, their spatial organization, their stylistic variation and their conservative state. The methodology proposed in this project starts form the 3D acquisition with a structured light system in order to obtain a 3D high resolution model of Buddhist carved rock sculpture. From the 3D geometry, The Digital Elevation Model is produced. This DEM is the starting points for the surface analysis using Remote Sensing approaches for classify landforms using pattern recognition. The surface is considered as a landscape, where carved are valleys bordered by slopes and crests. Hillshading, slope analysis and geomorphons are used in order to highlight the surface feature, to “read” all the details not visible due to the bad condition and to map surface state of conservation.

THE FUNСTIONING OF MARKETS IN THE EMIRATE OF BUKHARA IN THE END OF 19TH–END OF THE 20THCENTURIES

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Emirate of Bukhara was known among the eastern countries as an important center of trade. Due to its favorable economic and geographical location, Bukhara connects the east and south of Asia with its north and west, and through Russia with European countries.The following article provides information about the popularity of the Emirate of Bukhara as the most important center of trade among the countries of the East in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the abundance of majestic markets for various goods produced in the countries of the world. It is also separately provided about the division of markets by type, the performance of their role in economic life, their specialization in trade, the establishment of separate markets where various goods are sold and the high development of the culture of trade.Index Terms:market, trade, commerce, merchant, dome, tim, trade house, batman, foreign firm, intermediary, product.

Charitable Activity of Bulgarians in the South of Ukraine (The Middle of the XIX Century – The Early XX Century)

Based on a comprehensive analysis of the materials of the State Archives of Odessa Region, periodicals, charters of Bulgarian charitable societies, reports of the Bulgarian Board of Trustees in Odessa, and scientific literature, the article comprehensively reflects the charitable activities of Bulgarians in the South of Ukraine in the mid-nineteenth – early twentieth century. The main attention in the research is paid to the creation and activity of the “Bulgarian Board of Trustees in Odessa”. Based on the information of the charter, the society’s reports and archival materials, the participation, status and nationality of the society’s benefactors, the directions of its activities, revenues and expenditures have been reproduced. The activities of the society were aimed at supporting Bulgarian Orthodox churches, providing scholarships to Bulgarian pupils, purchase and sending of church and secular literature to Bulgaria, translation and publication of books in Bulgarian. In the second half of the 1870s, the Board of Trustees allocated significant funds for the uniforms of Bulgarian volunteers, the formation of a militia of Bulgarians fleeing to Odessa after the Serbo-Turkish War and their military training in army regiments, the purchase of weapons, and assistance to soldiers. It is noted that the Board of Trustees became an important center of patronage and education and maintained ties with other charitable societies in the South of Ukraine, as well as with all-Russian and Bulgarian societies. Bulgaria’s position in the First World War led to the liquidation of all Bulgarian charitable societies in southern Ukraine by the imperial government. It is noted that Bulgarians were not co-opted into the society of Southern Ukraine and focused most of their efforts on helping Balkan compatriots, training teachers for Bulgarian schools, and not on the development of Bulgarian education in the South of Ukraine.

المرصد الفلكي لمدينة اربيل – دراسة في ضوء النصوص المسمارية

ملخص البحث :المقدمة:تزودنا النصوص المسمارية عن العديد من الاشارات حول اهتمام الفكر الجغرافي العراقي القديم بالدراسات الفلكية، وقد تناولت الدراسات الخاصة بالفلك جوانب متعددة من الحياة اليومية لسكان بلاد الرافدين، وفي مقدمة ذلك حساب الوقت وتحديد الطالع وغيرها من الامور المتعلقة بالفلك، ولكي يتحقق هذا الاهتمام كان لابد من وجود مراصد فلكية تؤدي الغرض اعلاه في اغلب المدن، واذا كانت الزقورة في المدن السومرية والبابلية قد استخدمت في احد اغراضها للرصد الفلكي على ارجح احتمال، نظرا لارتفاعها النسبي عن الارض المحيطة بها، فان الارتفاع الطبيعي لمدينة أربيل جعلها مركزاً مهما للرصد الفلكي حيث أشارت العديد من النصوص المسمارية الى وجود مثل هكذا مرصد فلكي سيكون محور بحثنا.الهدف:على الرغم من شحة المعلومات الواردة حول المراصد الفلكية كبناء معماري، الا ان المعلومات التي يمكن ان نجدها في الالواح المسمارية تشير الى وجود المراصد الفلكية وانها كنت تقوم بدور مهم في الحياة اليومية للسكان، بيد ان طبيعة هذا العمل وحقيقة وجود المرصد الفلكي كمعلم بنائي في مدينة اربيل يحتاج الى شيء من التوضيح والدراسة لاسيما وان المدينه لم تشهد تنقيبات وكشوفات واسعة وانها تحوي العديد من طبقات الابنية المتعاقبة عليها، بحيث من الصعب الجزم بالكشف عن المرصد الفلكي في مدينة اربيل في القريب العاجل. لذا فان الهدف من هذا البحث هو تسليط الضوء على المرصد الفكي في مدينة اربيل وابراز مكانته الحقيقية باعتبارة معلما من المعالم الحضارية للمدينة اضافة الى كونه واحد من ابرز الابنية التي تدل على ازدهار العلوم والمعارف في المدينة بشكل خاص وحضارة بلاد الرافدين بشطل عام.الاشكالية:من الامور المسلم بها من خلال ادلة الكتابات المسمارية، ان مدينة اربيل كانت تحوي مرصدا فلكيا، فهل كان هذا المرصد مختصا برصد الظواهر الفلكية كخسوف القمر وكسوف الشمس وحركة الكواكب والنجوم؟ وهل كانت عملية الرصد في مرصد مدينة اربيل تتميز بالدقة قياسا بالمراصد الاخرى في المدن المجاورة كمراصد مدينة نينوى وآشور؟هذا ما سنحاول الاجابة عليه من خلال اعادة ترجمة وتحليل النصوص المسمارية الوارد ذكرها عن المرصد الفلكي لمدينة اربيل.العناصر:يتناول البحث مجموعة من العناصر الرئيسة والثانوية يمكن إدراجها كالآتي:أولاً- مدخل تاريخي المراصد الفلكية واغراض التنجيم في حضارة بلاد الرافدين.ثانياً- مدينة اربيل ودور معبد عشتار الأربيلية في المرصد الفلكي.ثالثاً- اهم النصوص المسمارية الخاصة بالمرصد الفلكي لمدينة أربيل(إعادة تحليل وترجمة).Abstract:Introduction:Provide us with cuneiform texts from many references about the care of the old Iraqi geographical thought astronomical studies; studies have dealt with astronomy own multiple aspects of daily life for residents of Mesopotamia. In the introduction to the expense of time and determine the luck and other things related to astronomy , and in order to achieve this interest had to be there Observatories astronomer serve their purpose above in most cities , and if the ziggurat in cities Sumerian and Babylonian have been used in one of its objectives for astronomical observation due to the high relative from the land surrounding , the natural rise in the city of Erbil make it an important center for astronomical observation where indicated many cuneiform texts to the existence of such an observatory.Objective:Despite the scarcity of information about astronomical observatories such as the building architect, but the information that can be found in the cuneiform tablets indicate the presence of astronomical observatories and it's you play an important role in the daily life of the population. However, the nature of this work and the fact that the presence of the Astronomical Observatory in the city of Erbil needs to be something of clarification and study, especially since the city has not seen excavations and coupes wide and it contains many layers of buildings successive it, so that it is difficult to say for sure detects astronomical observatory in the city of Erbil in the near future. Therefore, the objective of this research is to shed light on the maxillary observatory in the city of Erbil and highlight its rightful place as a milestone of the landmarks of the city, in addition to being one of the most prominent buildings that show the prosperity of science and knowledge in the city.Problematic:Things for granted that the city of Erbil, containing an astronomical observatory, does this observatory was competent to monitor the astronomical phenomena such as lunar and solar eclipses and the movement of the planets and the stars? Were the monitoring process in the city of Erbil Observatory characterized accuracy? Compared to other observatories in neighboring cities such as observatories city of Nineveh and Assyria?That's what we’ll try to answer it through a re - translation and analysis of cuneiform texts mentioned for the Astronomical Observatory of the city of ErbilElements: Find addresses a range of major and minor elements can be incorporated as follows:1-The definition Astronomical Observatory in Mesopotamia civilization.2-The importance of the city of Erbil, and its geographical location as an astronomical observatory.3-The most important cuneiform texts Astronomical Observatory of the city of Erbil (re- analysis and translation).