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ACTS has been used as a tracking toolkit at experiments such as ATLAS, sPHENIX, FASER, ALICE, etc. and has shown very promising tracking performance in terms of both physics performance and time performance. So far, the applications of ACTS are mainly focusing on silicon-based tracking systems. However, its application for the Beijing Spectrometer (BESIII) and gaseous tracking detectors, for example, drift chamber, is very limited. The extension of ACTS for drift chambers and its application for two future electron–positron collision experiments, i.e. Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) and Super Tau Charm Factory (STCF), are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paul proclaimed, "God made of one [blood] every ethnicity of humans ..." (Acts 17:26). Most early sources read " of one blood " here, including 453 Greek manuscripts, many ancient language manuscripts, plus Irenaeus, Chrysostom, and Augustine. A few other manuscripts read simply "of one," including Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, and P74. This Part A paper appraises the Greek manuscript readings for this passage, in the context of the attested readings at other Acts passages. Compared to other Acts passages with a distinctly Byzantine reading, this "of one blood" Byzantine reading at Acts 17:26 exhibits the most attestation, support, and connectivity. Our appraisal employs Editio Critica Maior III, the ECM computer apparatus, ECM's Coherence Based Genealogical Method (CBGM) Flow Diagram, and other sources. Another Part B companion paper (Cannon 2025) focuses on patristic witnesses and other ancient language manuscripts at these Acts passages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article utilizes narrative-critical analysis to examine the ten appearances of the adverb ὁμοθυμαδόν ("with one accord/purpose/impulse") in the book of Acts. By situating each use of the adverb within the structure and plot of Acts, this article contends that Luke uses the adverb to characterize two distinct collective bodies—the church and its adversaries—and to exhort his audience toward unified perseverance amidst rising hostility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toward the end of the Noahide commandment pericope in the Talmud (b. Sanh. 56–60), we find a sugya (pericope) featuring the prohibition on meat consumption imposed on Adam and its permission to the Noahides. This unique sugya pieces together halakic and haggadic sources that reinterpret the Garden of Eden story and address the complex relationship between humans and animals. This article will examine this sugya , focusing on its closing story, which describes a pietist who merits a gift of heavenly flesh. I will demonstrate that the story has many levels of meaning, grounded in both its immediate and wider contexts, and claim that it conceals a polemic with a similar Christian story (Acts 10), which describes impure meat that descends from the sky, undermining the cultural and halakic divisions between Jews and non-Jews. The comparison between the two stories reveals opposing worldviews with regard to law and lawlessness, utopia and redemption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article responds to Ekaputra Tupamahu's article that offers an alternative pentecostal reading of the book of Acts. Tupamahu challenges mainstream pentecostal interpretations that regard missionaries as pivotal characters in the Acts narrative. Alternatively, he suggests an interpretation focusing on migrants as the primary characters in the Acts narrative. In this article, these two opposing views are framed using an approach known as contrapuntal reading. The goal is not harmonization to reduce the tension between the two but to expand the horizon of the readers of Acts through the uniqueness of each reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This response to the article by our friend and colleague Ekaputra Tupamahu expresses features of both appreciation and dissent. We should note at the outset, however, that a key part of the difference is likely semantic: how "mission" is defined. It may be more a specific model of mission to which Dr. Tupamahu objects, rather than every model of mission. In fact, as dialogue provides clarification, I suspect we have significant common ground. The colonial model of mission followed the model of Paul's rivals in Galatia; Paul proclaimed the kingdom good news in a way that did not impose extrabiblical Jewish culture on gentiles. Indeed, Acts includes a clearly Asian mission to bring the good news to Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is twofold: first, to challenge the white reading of the book of Acts, and second, to offer an alternative reading by placing the story of the marginalized people, the colonized people, at the center. The first part of this article interrogates how white pentecostal scholars read the book of Acts as a missionary book and identify themselves with the disciples in the book of Acts. After presenting the problems with this reading, I propose an alternative interpretation of the movement in Acts as a migration movement instead of a missionary movement. Reading it from a migration point of view centers on the story of a marginalized group of people trying to find a safe place to live because of the sociopolitical instability in their homeland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Malaria continues to be a significant global health challenge. The efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) has declined in many parts of the Greater Mekong Subregion, including Vietnam, due to the spread of resistant malaria strains. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy of the Dihydroartemisinin (DHA)–Piperaquine (PPQ) regimen in treating uncomplicated falciparum malaria and to conduct molecular surveillance of antimalarial drug resistance in Binh Phuoc and Dak Nong provinces. Materials and Methods: The study included 63 uncomplicated malaria falciparum patients from therapeutic efficacy studies (TES) treated following the WHO treatment guidelines (2009). Molecular marker analysis was performed on all 63 patients. Methods encompassed Sanger sequencing for pfK13 mutations and quantitative real-time PCR for the pfpm2 gene. Results: This study found a marked decrease in the efficacy of the DHA-PPQ regimen, with an increased rate of treatment failures at two study sites. Genetic analysis revealed a significant presence of pfK13 mutations and pfpm2 amplifications, indicating emerging resistance to artemisinin and its partner drug. Conclusions: The effectiveness of the standard DHA-PPQ regimen has sharply declined, with rising treatment failure rates. This decline necessitates a review and possible revision of national malaria treatment guidelines. Importantly, molecular monitoring and clinical efficacy assessments together provide a robust framework for understanding and addressing detection drug resistance in malaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article builds on the first in the trilogy, 'What's in a Name? An Examination of Current Definitions of Resource Churches', by evaluating narratives in current literature about the origins of resource churches. These will be assessed according to the criteria, highlighted through the perspective of Foucault and Arendt on origin stories, of believability in their depiction of historical events, application to the manifest properties of contemporary resource churches, teleological purpose, and attentiveness to conflict. The origin, or creation, stories to be examined particularly consider the formation and development of resource churches in relation to the first century and Anglo-Saxon England, as well as following the start of the parish system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This article examines the many occurrences of dying and death in the Acts of the Apostles. While Acts often refers to the death and resurrection of Jesus, it also speaks of the resurrection of the dead in general, of death as a form of divine judgement, of the prospect of death and the actual deaths of persons who believe in Christ, and other forms and instances of natural and violent dying and death. While there are instances of death and references to it in many chapters, the emphasis in Acts lies on different divine and human ways of being saved from death or its threat, and on the resurrection of the dead. Fully acknowledging the reality and tragedy of death, Acts nonetheless proclaims a message of life and salvation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a feminist hermeneutic, this essay analyzes three examples of kyriarchal relationships in the New Testament found in stories of women who were enslavers who enslaved women. The first example is from Galatians where Paul rereads the story of Sarah and Hagar and uses the enslaver/enslaved relationship as an allegory. The second example is found in Acts 12, which is the clearest case of a woman enslaver who enslaved a woman: Mary and Rhoda. Finally, I analyze the character of Lydia found in Acts 16 and argue that she is also an enslaver who enslaved women. Each of these biblical characters was entangled in the kyriarchal pyramid of antiquity through their own oppression due to gender, yet they participated in kyriarchy due to status and class. Adding evidence from material culture, I analyze an example of a woman who enslaved another woman as depicted on an ancient funerary monument. This essay also considers the ethical ramifications of biblical texts that endorse slavery and have been used to support white supremacy and systemic oppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study of a current current in biblical research surveys and appraises an interpretative trend that associates future-oriented Son of Man sayings in Luke's Gospel with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 ce. After contextualizing this interpretative tradition, the views of several recent advocates of this interpretative trend are surveyed and compared. Subsequently, a means of appraising this interpretative stance is proposed, which involves discussion of two sets of Lukan passages: first, four pericopes in which the destruction of Jerusalem is clearly referenced or implied (Lk. 13:31–35; 19:41–44; 21:20–24; and 23:26–31); and second, a series of passages containing future-oriented Son of Man sayings, with special reference to the key Son of Man saying in Lk. 21:27. The upshot of this survey and appraisal is that no future-oriented Son of Man saying in Luke's Gospel plausibly relates to Jerusalem's destruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to explore, how Luke presents the narrative portrayal of Philip in Acts utilizing Social Network Analysis (SNA) and presents an interdisciplinary study combining methods from Theology, Social Sciences, and Computer Science. First, we provide a detailed methodological discussion that highlights the overlap between narrative criticism and SNA. Combining both, we present results in a mathematical computational social networks using exegetical methods. SNA presents different perspectives on one of those minor actors, which Luke presents in more detail, and his relation to the nascent Christian movement in Acts. This study shows that it is in the relational aspects and the crossing of social, cultural, and religious distances that are key to understanding Luke's story of Philip's ministry. In particular, he presents Philip as a dynamic pioneering missionary. These results also raise new questions for further research, and show new perspective on biblical texts [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Malaria continues to be a significant global health challenge. The efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) has declined in many parts of the Greater Mekong Subregion, including Vietnam, due to the spread of resistant malaria strains. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy of the Dihydroartemisinin (DHA)–Piperaquine (PPQ) regimen in treating uncomplicated falciparum malaria and to conduct molecular surveillance of antimalarial drug resistance in Binh Phuoc and Dak Nong provinces. Materials and Methods: The study included 63 uncomplicated malaria falciparum patients from therapeutic efficacy studies (TES) treated following the WHO treatment guidelines (2009). Molecular marker analysis was performed on all 63 patients. Methods encompassed Sanger sequencing for pfK13 mutations and quantitative real-time PCR for the pfpm2 gene. Results: This study found a marked decrease in the efficacy of the DHA-PPQ regimen, with an increased rate of treatment failures at two study sites. Genetic analysis revealed a significant presence of pfK13 mutations and pfpm2 amplifications, indicating emerging resistance to artemisinin and its partner drug. Conclusions: The effectiveness of the standard DHA-PPQ regimen has sharply declined, with rising treatment failure rates. This decline necessitates a review and possible revision of national malaria treatment guidelines. Importantly, molecular monitoring and clinical efficacy assessments together provide a robust framework for understanding and addressing detection drug resistance in malaria.

While surviving the shipwreck and the viper bite in Acts 28.1–6 have often been recognised as symbolic assertions of Paul's innocence, the viper may hold further symbolic significance. Following his act of matricide in 59 ce, Nero was linked to Aeschylus' portrayal of Orestes, who, in turn, was linked to a tradition that understood a viper's birth as matricidal. Thus, through his encounter with the viper, Paul symbolically 'appears before' the emperor Nero—something that is anticipated yet never happens overtly in the narrative of Acts itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bible in Acts 6 records that Stephen was the prototype of the first deacon in the early history of God's church ministry on this earth. The researcher will describe Stephen as a transformative deacon prototype based on Acts 6:1-7:9-10 among the seven deacons in the early congregation who were chosen by the congregation to carry out the tasks of diaconal (social) service in the early congregation. This study aims to analyze the concept of Stephen's ministry as a transformative deacon prototype model based on Acts 6:1-7:9-10. The research method used is qualitative implementation of the concept of Stephen's ministry, a transformative deacon prototype model based on Acts 6:1-7:910 as principles and formulas. The results of the research state that the prototype model of transformative deacon applied is charismatic, reformative and transformative diaconia. Therefore, steps must be rethought to make the relevance of reformative and transformative diaconal services in the form of a touch in all fields as a whole and crosssectoral which causes the transformation of life. This transformation primarily brings souls to enter the Kingdom of God as mandated by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20. steps must be rethought to make the relevance of reformative and transformative diaconal services in the form of a touch in all fields as a whole and cross-sectoral which causes the transformation of life. This transformation primarily brings souls to enter the Kingdom of God as mandated by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20. steps must be rethought to make the relevance of reformative and transformative diaconal services in the form of a touch in all fields as a whole and cross-sectoral which causes the transformation of life. This transformation primarily brings souls to enter the Kingdom of God as mandated by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is an attempt to highlight the geographical perspective that was current in the New Testament world: a hodological understanding of space, which represents the ancient people's worldview, and can be a clue to interpreting Acts also. This article argues that Acts reveals the linearity of hodological space through the geographical movement of the apostles to the end of earth. Luke constructs a linear narrative, that is, a straight line on which he arranges a number of cities and places. Acts is composed of a series of paths from the preface to the final scene, but those paths are condensed within a single path from Jerusalem to Rome. From this hodological reading, the essay claims that Luke guides his audience to the final destination of Rome, which is hidden away as a surprise. That might be a reason why Luke places Rome at the end of Paul's entire itinerary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fight against malaria is a continuum as the epidemic is not abating. For proper deployment of tools in the fight against malaria, an assessment of the situation is necessary. This work assessed the level of antimalarial drug treatment failure in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Both survey and in vitro analyses were adopted. The survey was used to obtain qualitative information from both the malaria subjects and the pharmacies where antimalarial drugs are sourced. The results from the survey were complemented by an in vitro assay of the level of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the commonly used artemisinin combination in Nigeria; artemether/lumefantrine. Results from the survey revealed that artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) remain the mainstay in the treatment of malaria, even though other non-artemisinin drugs are still used. It also revealed that many patients still self-medicate, although, this may not be connected to the treatment failure seen among some malaria subjects. The in vitro assay showed that ACT contains the right quantity of APIs. Further surveillance is, therefore, necessary to understand the real cause of treatment failure among malaria subjects in Nigeria.

The article deals with descriptions of the Russian monastery of St. Panteleimon and the Serbian monastery of Hilandar on Mount Athos in the monumental work “Athonias” (1848-1865) by Athonite monk and historiographer Iakobos Neasketiotes. A comparison of the texts of the two most recent and complete manuscript copies of the work allows us not only to see the thematic expansion and the addition of the documents, but also to conceptually revise our insights into the history of Athonite monasteries. The six available Athos versions, including the Koutloumousiou codex gr. 516 and the non-catalogued codex Neasketiotes of 1842, both Greek autographs of Iakobos Neasketiotes, allow us to trace the expansion and deepening of Hilandarian themes in his fundamental historiographical work, “Athonias”.

Malaria is among the tropical diseases that cause the most deaths in Africa. Around 500,000 malaria deaths are reported yearly among African children under the age of five. Chloroquine (CQ) is a low-cost antimalarial used worldwide for the treatment of Plasmodium vivax malaria. Due to resistance mechanisms, CQ is no longer effective against most malaria cases caused by P. falciparum. The World Health Organization recommends artemisinin combination therapies for P. falciparum malaria, but resistance is emerging in Southeast Asia and some parts of Africa. Therefore, new medicines for treating malaria are urgently needed. Previously, our group identified the 4-aminoquinoline DAQ, a CQ analog containing an acetylenic bond in its side chain, which overcomes CQ resistance in K1 P. falciparum strains. In this work, the antiplasmodial profile, drug-like properties, and pharmacokinetics of DAQ were further investigated. DAQ showed no cross-resistance against standard CQ-resistant strains (e.g., Dd2, IPC 4912, RF12) nor against P. falciparum and P. vivax isolates from patients in the Brazilian Amazon. Using drug pressure assays, DAQ showed a low propensity to generate resistance. DAQ showed considerable solubility but low metabolic stability. The main metabolite was identified as a mono N-deethylated derivative (DAQM), which also showed significant inhibitory activity against CQ-resistant P. falciparum strains. Our findings indicated that the presence of a triple bond in CQ-analogues may represent a low-cost opportunity to overcome known mechanisms of resistance in the malaria parasite.

A document containing unique information about the seals on medieval acts that were stored in the early 18th century in the archives of the “Moscow” (i. e. Kremlin) monasteries is examined and published in the article. It has been established that this description was compiled by the Monastyrskii Prikaz in 1709 in response to the request of Tsar Peter I and was attached to the letter of I. A. Musin-Pushkin, the Prikaz’s Head. The document was not found and was considered lost, when the Letters and Papers of Emperor Peter the Great were published in 1709. The description contains information about official seals from the archives of two of the four Kremlin monasteries that existed that time — Chudov and Afanasievsky (the courtyard of the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery). Four seals were discovered, described and drawn in the Chudov archive, and one in the Afanasevsky archive. The author considers the description as the origins of scientific sphragistics, since the compilation of this document is clearly out of the scope of practical tasks (identification of the act in the monastic archive and indication of its proper certification).

Smith shoots Jones intentionally but kills Jones unintentionally. How can a single act be both intentional and unintentional? Fine’s theory of embodiment construes the compatibility of intentional shooting with unintentional killing through a pluralist framework of qua objects that distinguishes the act qua being a shooting from the act qua being a killing as two distinct qua objects. I compare this pluralist account with a more traditional monist take on qua modification according to which there is only one item there, a single act which is intentional qua being a shooting and unintentional qua being a killing. According to the latter monist view, to be intentional is to bear a relation to a qua property. I argue that consideration of our moral practices from a participant standpoint gives the monist view a clear advantage over its pluralist rival. I end by sketching a monist alternative superior to both.

Many church fathers have been identified as having held a xenolalic view on the gift of tongues. Scholars who have shown evidence of this have, however, omitted to give sufficient attention to the scope of the tongues the church fathers detailed. Many of these church fathers, referenced, identify the gift of tongues as the ability to speak all languages. This supernatural ability to speak all languages has been appropriately designated as pan-xenolalia. This article aimed to highlight the existence and prevalence of the pan-xenolalic view among the church fathers and examined the works of the relevant church fathers to determine how they gave expression to their view, which passages of Scripture they applied their view to and how they motivated their view. The pan-xenolalic sentiments of many church fathers could be confirmed though they used various phrases to express it. These references to pan-xenolalia were used in the context of both Acts and 1 Corinthians. Their possible motivations for holding this view seemed to have come from sources outside of the text itself, with tradition, expectation and purpose of tongues from their perspective being the most likely influences. Contribution: The patristic perspective on tongues were not merely xenolalic but pan-xenolalic. Pan-xenolalia as interpretive key to 1 Corinthians 12–14 provides a fresh perspective to reading the text, which may pose some significant challenges to how the text is interpreted. Establishing the veracity of the pan-xenolalic view lays the foundation for scholars to evaluate a reading of 1 Corinthians 14 from this perspective.

This article examines the commonly held conception that Paul was released after his first Roman imprisonment, went to Spain and was eventually reimprisoned and executed in Rome. After examining the available evidence it is concluded that the theory of a release of a release and second imprisonment of Paul is ill founded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a misuse of the argument from silence to deny historical detail in New Testament study. It starts with a description of the argument from silence and its misuse, followed with an example to show its fallacious nature. Then it outlines two specific case studies of the misuse with respect to studies of 1 Thessalonians: the existence of Jews and a synagogue in Thessalonica, and the supposed non-Pauline interpolation of 1 Thess 2:13–16. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How can one respond except with gratitude to those who have laboured to think through Being Political published twenty years ago? I call this labour of love performing a/the right to philosophy (understood as a style of thought and a critical activity). Recognising the impossibility of discussing in detail the questions raised about Being Political by seven articles and nine authors, I discuss a few for further reflection. The questions raised are essential questions and concern not only Being Political but also the most urgent questions of being political in our times including domination, emancipation, resistance, acts, actions, subjectivity, objectivity, affect, polity, and power. Moreover, the authors urge us to think about ourselves, our standpoint, and our positions when we are thinking about and acting on these questions. That citizenship as a concept and an institution of domination and emancipation elicits and provokes these questions indicates that citizenship remains a central question of our times as it has been for at least three thousand years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In faith and practice, Pentecostals put emphasis on practical issues as well as spiritual experience in their theological understanding and doctrinal teachings. The Pentecostals take their doctrine from certain empirical events. One of the spiritual experiences often underlined is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In interpreting the Book of Acts , Pentecostals tend to emphasise the theological character of the narratives and seldom their historical uniqueness. That is why Pentecostals stress the normative theological intent of the historical record for contemporary Christian experience. This article therefore examines critically Pentecostal paradigm of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, deriving examples from the Acts of the Apostles. It is concluded that the practice of the baptism of the Holy Spirit carried out by Christians today, arguably, has no biblical basis. This is because, there is nowhere the Bible commands people to seek baptism in the Holy Spirit. The observation is that, all the events or experiences of Christians baptised in the Holy Spirit in Acts are not necessarily universal normative for every Christian and for this reason, there is no need to be dogmatic. Contribution: This article challenges the practice of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in church today. This study supports the fact that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a universal experience for every Christians and there is no need to be dogmatised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of how Paul’s visits to Jerusalem noted in Galatians, line up with Luke’s record in Acts, is well known and the debate over this has been going on for a very long time. After exploring a range of papers on this issue that span a century and a half, this paper briefly introduces the reader to Willis J. Beecher, and summarises his thesis. Beecher proposed that the Galatians 1 visit, is the first visit the converted Paul made to Jerusalem, but it is not recorded in the book of Acts. The Galatians 2 visit is then seen to be the visit Luke records in Acts 9. This unique and creative approach to the two documents demands a rethink of the chronology from Paul’s conversion to the first missionary journey. There are also some new questions that arise because of this alignment and the author grapples with these as well. The article concludes with an appeal: it is time to ignore this theory no longer, but rather we should allow it to be seriously considered when the questions arise concerning the way Galatians and Acts inform our understanding of the converted Paul’s early years of activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the era of pre-historic times, the ancient Indians and the Greeks highlighted the importance of body and organ donations thereby emphasizing the need for anatomical sciences in medicine through the use of effective dissections for the same. However, after the Renaissance, there was a surge in dissections throughout the world, particularly in Europe, as a result of which various laws were enacted by governments concerning the procurement of bodies for the purpose of scientific dissections, which were later promulgated throughout the world through various anatomical acts. The situation in India was quite similar to that of Britain until its independence in 1947, after which different Indian states formulated their own anatomy acts that had their own merits and pitfalls. Hence, this literature review serves to highlight the various acts throughout history and would serve as a guide to emphasize the future perspectives of formulating a centralized unified anatomy act for the Indian nation that could possibly be the need of the hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is ancient readers rather than the biblical authors who are responsible for the order of the books in the NT canon. The authors of Acts, Romans, 2 Peter, and James did not intend their compositions to play a specific canonical role or to occupy a set position in the lineup of NT books. By putting the books of the NT canon in a certain order, early readers provided a paratextual frame for the biblical text, reflecting a certain way of understanding the text. The placing of books in order puts an external constraint on the text of Scripture, albeit an inescapable one when texts of diverse origin are collected in a literary corpus, but the processes of composition and compilation are separate in origin and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fight against malaria is a continuum as the epidemic is not abating. For proper deployment of tools in the fight against malaria, an assessment of the situation is necessary. This work assessed the level of antimalarial drug treatment failure in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Both survey and in vitro analyses were adopted. The survey was used to obtain qualitative information from both the malaria subjects and the pharmacies where antimalarial drugs are sourced. The results from the survey were complemented by an in vitro assay of the level of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the commonly used artemisinin combination in Nigeria; artemether/lumefantrine. Results from the survey revealed that artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) remain the mainstay in the treatment of malaria, even though other non-artemisinin drugs are still used. It also revealed that many patients still self-medicate, although, this may not be connected to the treatment failure seen among some malaria subjects. The in vitro assay showed that ACT contains the right quantity of APIs. Further surveillance is, therefore, necessary to understand the real cause of treatment failure among malaria subjects in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Thromboembolic events are a common complicated health problem. Although anticoagulants have several positive effects on these conditions, they also have several characteristics that strongly affect compliance and satisfaction. The purpose of this investigation is to explore the association between treatment satisfaction and self-efficacy in a sample of patients using anticoagulation therapy and determine the influence of sociodemographic and clinical factors on both aspects. Methods This was a cross-sectional exploratory study carried out in Palestine. The Arabic version of the Anti-Coagulant Treatment Satisfaction Scale (ACTS) assessed treatment satisfaction. In addition, the Arabic version of the 6-Item Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Diseases (SES6C) was used to assess self-efficacy. Results A total of 300 patients using anticoagulants (average age 51.95 and SD 17.98) were included. There is a modest correlation between treatment satisfaction and self-efficacy (r = 0.345; p

This article examines the role of the performance of frankness in the work of Philo of Alexandria and in the book of Acts. With respect to Philo, the differences are highlighted in the use of παρρησία between the various series of his writings. With respect to Acts, the role of scripture is emphasized in authorizing the frankness of the disciples. Comparing both, it is argued that the performance of frankness functions as a means to display inner freedom for Jews in the Roman Empire (for Philo) and for Christians within Jewish synagogues in the Roman Empire (for Acts), a freedom that consists of a sense of dignity and status. The comparison demonstrates the extent to which Philo and the book of Acts participate in a shared Roman discourse from Jewish perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jerusalem Council is one of the most significant events narrated in the book of Acts, presenting the interpreter with a variety of challenges including the meaning of James's rationale in Acts 15:21 for the apostolic prohibitions. This text has often been viewed as a crux interpretum, and an examination of over thirty commentaries from the last half-century suggests that this is still the case. This article provides a fivefold taxonomy of interpretive views of this perplexing and challenging text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria is among the tropical diseases that cause the most deaths in Africa. Around 500,000 malaria deaths are reported yearly among African children under the age of five. Chloroquine (CQ) is a low-cost antimalarial used worldwide for the treatment of Plasmodium vivax malaria. Due to resistance mechanisms, CQ is no longer effective against most malaria cases caused by P. falciparum. The World Health Organization recommends artemisinin combination therapies for P. falciparum malaria, but resistance is emerging in Southeast Asia and some parts of Africa. Therefore, new medicines for treating malaria are urgently needed. Previously, our group identified the 4-aminoquinoline DAQ , a CQ analog containing an acetylenic bond in its side chain, which overcomes CQ resistance in K1 P. falciparum strains. In this work, the antiplasmodial profile, drug-like properties, and pharmacokinetics of DAQ were further investigated. DAQ showed no cross-resistance against standard CQ -resistant strains (e.g., Dd2, IPC 4912, RF12) nor against P. falciparum and P. vivax isolates from patients in the Brazilian Amazon. Using drug pressure assays, DAQ showed a low propensity to generate resistance. DAQ showed considerable solubility but low metabolic stability. The main metabolite was identified as a mono N -deethylated derivative (DAQ M), which also showed significant inhibitory activity against CQ -resistant P. falciparum strains. Our findings indicated that the presence of a triple bond in CQ -analogues may represent a low-cost opportunity to overcome known mechanisms of resistance in the malaria parasite. [Display omitted] • 4-aminoquinoline antimalarial candidates containing a triple bond did not show in vitro cross-resistance against CQ -resistant strains. • DAQ showed a low propensity to generate resistant mutants in vitro after 90 days of drug pressure. • DAQ was active against Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax field isolates from Brazilian Amazon. • DAQ M , the main metabolite of DAQ , also potently inhibited both CQ -sensitive and CQ -resistant strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Since the introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in Ghana in 2005 there has been a surveillance system by the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) and the University of Ghana Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (UG-NMIMR) to monitor the therapeutic efficacy of ACTs for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in the country. We report trends and determinants of failure following treatment of Ghanaian children with artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ) and artemether-lumefantrine (AL) combinations. Methods Per protocol analyses as well as cumulative incidence of day 28 treatment failure from Kaplan Meier survival analyses were used to describe trends of failure over the surveillance period of 2005–2018. Univariable and multivariable cox regression analyses were used to assess the determinants of treatment failure over the period. Results Day 28 PCR-corrected failure, following treatment with ASAQ, significantly increased from 0.0% in 2005 to 2.0% (95% CI: 1.1–3.6) in 2015 (p = 0.013) but significantly decreased to 0.4% (95% CI: 0.1–1.6) in 2018 (p = 0.039). Failure, following treatment with AL, decreased from 4.5% (95% CI: 2.0–9.4) in 2010 to 2.7% (95% CI: 1.4–5.1) in 2018, though not statistically significant (p = 0.426). Risk of treatment failure, from multivariable cox regression analyses, was significantly lower among children receiving ASAQ compared with those receiving AL (HR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.11–0.53; p

Artemisinin resistance was first identified in Cambodia in 2008. In the Mekong region, once artemisinin resistance has spread widely, it is often followed by resistance to its associated drugs, leading to failure of combination therapy. This resistance is associated with parasites carrying genetic mutations. Despite a denial of resistance to artemisinin and other antimalarials in Africa by the World Health Organization and other institutions such as the Pasteur Institute, health professionals are still alerted to this resistance. In this article, we present a non-exhaustive literature on the reports of resistance to Artemisinin and other antimalarials in Africa. The researchers point out that the emergence of partial artemisinin resistance in Africa is an alarm of a great public health danger, if these resistance to related drugs spread rapidly in Africa, the effectiveness of treatment could be compromised. Recent data from Africa suggest that we are on the verge of clinically significant artemisinin resistance. That African policy makers and researchers reflect on alternative malaria treatments in Africa. We need to accelerate research on medicinal plants including Artemisia annua and afra in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the course of the transmission of the text of the New Testament variants in the text emerged many times and in different ways. This article shows the importance of the study of corrections in the course of building theories about the emergence of specific variants. It presents some exemplary results of the examination of corrections of a few manuscripts of Acts. The article shows that examining all the corrections in a work in an individual manuscript can give important hints on the emergence of specific variants because it allows to make judgement about the character of the copying and the correcting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with a system view of logistic processes within the system of waste collection and treatment in the conditions of the upcoming legislation. The ambition of the authors is to achieve a system that is universally applicable within circular logistics. Such a system is based on existing mostly autonomous systems with the aim of defining a multipurposed and optimized system where individual companies or associations of companies can act as individual subjects in the logistics chain. The authors' approach is based on a system of common defined interfaces in both the handling and transport processes as well as in their information support processes, so that they can be used in the planning of sustainable logistics systems easily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paul's speech to the Areopagus in Acts 17 places the apostle in philosophical dialogue with Stoics and Epicureans. This article identifies important points of contact between Paul's speech and Middle Platonic exegesis of a famous Platonic phrase from Timaeus 28c. There, the philosopher declares that the maker and father of the world is hard to find, and even more difficult to talk about. Many later interpreters of Plato commented on the dictum. Middle Platonists such as Plutarch mused about the theological implications of naming god both "maker" and "father." Jewish and Christian interpreters like Philo and Justin employed Plato's phrase to describe their access to divine revelation. The first portion of this article argues that the Areopagus speech contains evidence of similar exegesis, both in its references to god's roles as maker and father and in Paul's claim to declare the unknown god. These resonances do more than clarify the author's philosophical background; they also have previously unexplored implications for our understanding of Paul's characterization in Acts 17. The second half of the article argues that in aligning Paul with the Platonic tradition, the author participates in an established Greco-Roman practice of depicting the Platonists, Stoics, and Epicureans in theological dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the mid-19th century the existence of a large number of native prostitutes in the British military cantonments confirmed the widespread prevalence of state-authorised prostitution in colonial India. The colonial administration induced new laws that tried to restrict prostitution as a practice exclusively for the service of the British military men and also made it a sanctioned part of the military establishment. Consequently, a new form of regulated military prostitution evolved that radically changed the nature of prostitution as it used to be in the pre-colonial period. In this article, I have tried to explore the causes behind the emergence of regulated military prostitution and how it was implemented and systematised in British India. It would also focus on a new pattern of brothel life which emerged throughout military cantonments and finally the women's life in cantonments that would provide a glimpse of their daily chores and challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of clerical work and the development of the administrative apparatus in the Moscow principality from the 14th century to the early 16th century are discussed. A characteristic feature of the Muscovite state, the basis of its administrative apparatus, was the prikaz system. Of interest is the stage of its "hidden" functioning, the period of its origin, and the causes and prerequisites for its appearance. The forerunners of the state apparatus of the Muscovite period were the princely treasury and the chancellery. The study of the activities of these institutions and their evolution can go in two directions: an analysis of their direct product, that is, the documents originating from these chancelleries, or clarification of the biographies of the employees of chancelleries and their areas of competence, social ties, and status. The systematization of this information shows that the development of clerical work in Moscow was more intensive than in the other principalities of the region. During the 14th–15th centuries, significant changes took place in almost all areas related to clerical work. Some of the innovations were accepted in the chancelleries of other principalities, some were never implemented. The key to Moscow's success in the struggle for dominance in Northeastern Russia was the intensive search for new solutions that increased the efficiency of clerical work, information protection, and attention to the distribution of areas of competence and specialization. During the 14th–15th centuries we see the examples of the implementation and use of various certification technologies and options for improving or optimizing clerical work processes. The appearance of paper in Russia was the key moment, the starting point for the implementation of these experiments and the introduction of innovations. Cheap writing material made it possible to benefit more than in the past from the expansion of controlled territories. Taken together, all the consequences of the emergence of paper and increased management efficiency led to the dominance of the Kalitovichs in Northeastern Russia and the creation of a strong, effective regular state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria remains a major vector borne disease globally, with the majority of the casualties reported in Africa. Despite this fact, there is drastic reduction in malaria infection using Artemisinin combined therapies (ACTs). Malaria is characterized by significant inconsistency in different geographical locations due to different confounding factors. There is need to identify zone-specific malaria trends and interventions to completely eliminate the disease. Thus the study was aimed at assessing the 11-year trend of microscopically confirmed malaria cases in Kisii County, Kenya, so as to devise area-specific evidence-based interventions, informed decisions, and to track the effectiveness of malaria control programs. Methods: This was a retrospective study carried out to determine 11-year malaria trend rates centered on the admission and laboratory records from health facilities located at four Sub-Counties in Kisii County, Kenya. Parasitological positivity rates of malaria were determined by comparing with the register records in health facilities which recorded confirmed malaria cases with the total number of monthly admissions over the entire year. Data was analyzed by using descriptive tools and chi-square test. Results: There were 36,946 suspect cases, with 8449 (22.8%) confirmed malaria cases reported in this study. The overall malaria slide positivity rate over the last 11 years in the study area was 22.6%. The months of April and August showed the largest number of malaria cases (63%). The age group of ≥ 18 years contained the most positive confirmed cases, having a prevalence rate of 2953 (35.45%). Out of the confirmed malaria cases, 2379 (28.1%) were males and 6070 (71.9%) were females The highest malaria prevalence rate was recorded in 2014, with Marani Sub-County recording the highest positivity rate of 37.94%. Conclusion: From the observed trends, malaria prevalence and transmission still remains stable in the study area. Thus more interventions need to be scaled up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theory of embodiment is used in providing an account of the identity of acts and in providing solutions to various puzzles concerning acts.