bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bridging the Gap for Subnational Tailoring: Towards a More Accurate Assessment of Malaria Burden
Authors: Baig Nelofer , Ali Zakir , Ahmed Muhammad , Jamal Wafa Zehra , Rehman Saqib ur , Ahmed Zafar , Rahoojo Riaz Hussain , Jagirani Javed Ali , Usmani Bilal Ahmed , Fatmi Zafar 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background: Accurate estimates of malaria burden are crucial for allocating resources and designing effective control strategies. However, global reports often underestimate the burden in low- and middle-income countries due to limitations in surveillance systems. This study addresses this gap by providing a detailed analysis of malaria burden and spatio-temporal distribution in Sindh province, Pakistan.
Methods: We utilized data on monthly suspected malaria cases reported from 1,211 primary healthcare facilities across twenty-three districts (excluding Karachi city) for an 11-year period (2012-2022). Facility weighted and population-weighted estimates calculated to account for variations in population size across districts.
Findings: An incidence of 76 per 1000 population per annum suspected malaria cases were reported at primary public healthcare facilities. Pooled estimates of 1.16 million cases occurred annually. Marked heterogeneity observed in malaria burden across districts and high burden districts were identified. The study revealed a distinct seasonal pattern with peaks coinciding with the wet season and post-monsoon period. Malaria persisted heavily in few districts over the last decade.
Conclusions: These findings highlight the substantial malaria burden in Sindh, particularly in specific high-burden districts. Since 60-70% of population seek healthcare from private providers, the reported figures are gross underestimate. Also, the analysis suggest that sub-national analysis and tailoring of strategies are needed. The underestimation by global reports emphasizes the need for country-level and subnational analyses for informed decision-making. By addressing these gaps and refining burden estimates, Pakistan can develop more targeted strategies towards malaria control.
Bone marrow adipogenic lineage precursors are the major regulator of bone resorption in adult mice
Authors: Qin Ling , Lu Jiawei , He Qi , Wang Huan , Yao Lutian , Duffy Michael , Guo Hanli , Braun Corben , Lin Yuewei , Zhou Yilu , Liang Qiushi , Bandyopadhyay Shovik , Tan Kai , Choi Yongwon , Liu Sherry 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Bone resorption by osteoclasts is a critical step in bone remodeling, a process important for maintaining bone homeostasis and repairing injured bone. We previously identified a bone marrow mesenchymal subpopulation, marrow adipogenic lineage precursors (MALPs), and showed that its production of RANKL stimulates bone resorption in young mice using Adipoq-Cre. To exclude developmental defects and to investigate the role of MALPs-derived RANKL in adult bone, we generated inducible reporter mice (Adipoq-CreER Tomato) and RANKL deficient mice (Adipoq-CreER RANKLflox/flox, iCKO). Single cell-RNA sequencing data analysis, lineage tracing, and in situ hybridization revealed that Adipoq+ cells contain not only MALPs but also late mesenchymal progenitors capable of osteogenic differentiation. However, RANKLmRNA was only detected in MALPs, but not in osteogenic cells. RANKL deficiency in MALPs induced at 3 months of age rapidly increased trabecular bone mass in long bones as well as vertebrae within 1 month due to diminished bone resorption but had no effect on the cortical bone. Ovariectomy (OVX) induced trabecular bone loss at both sites. RANKL depletion either before OVX or at 6 weeks post OVX protected and restored trabecular bone mass. Furthermore, bone healing after drill-hole injury was delayed in iCKO mice. Together, our findings demonstrate that MALPs play a dominant role in controlling trabecular bone resorption and that RANKL from MALPs is essential for trabecular bone turnover in adult bone homeostasis, postmenopausal bone loss, and injury repair.
Evaluating the Predictors of Endoscopic Balloon Dilation Failure, Success and Surgery Prevention in Crohn's Disease-related Strictures
Authors: Baker Brittany , Iyengar Meera , Rahal Mahmoud , Beran Azizullah , DO Matthew Bohm 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background: Long-term outcomes after endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) for managing fibro-stenotic strictures in patients with Crohns disease (CD) are poorly defined in the literature. Aims of this study are to evaluate the efficacy of EBD in delaying surgery for the treatment of CD-related strictures and identify clinical, endoscopic, and stricture-related factors associated with avoidance of surgery after five years of EBD.
Methods: Retrospective cohort study including patients with CD undergoing EBD at a tertiary academic center from 01/2007-12/2021. Demographics, surgical and medication history, disease and stricture characteristics, need for surgical intervention, time to surgical intervention, and need for re-dilation were collected. Outcomes were followed from index dilation up to five years post-dilation.
Results: 422 patients with CD (53.3% female, mean age 45) underwent EBD during the study period (813 total dilations). Location of the stricture was upper gastrointestinal in 24 patients (7%), and ileal (37.3%), colonic (13.2%), ileocolonic (47.8%) in others. 135 participants (32%) required surgery for CD-related stricture during the 5-year follow-up period. 181 patients (42.9%) required re-dilation. Prednisone therapy was a predictor for progression to surgery post-EBD (p=0.002). Patients with De Novo strictures were more likely to undergo surgery compared to those with anastomotic strictures (p=0.004). Eight patients (2%) had complications, with 3 of those requiring surgery.
Conclusion: 68% of patients who underwent EBD avoided surgery. Steroid therapy was predictive of surgical resection within 5 years. Similar to existing literature, anastomotic strictures had better outcomes than De Novo.
Effect of tranexamic acid solution in warm, cold, and room temperature irrigation fluid on complications during and after TURP surgery: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial
Authors: salehi masoomeh , imani behzad , zandi shirdel , haghiabi hamed , souri somayh 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background and purpose: Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is a surgical technique commonly used for benign prostatic hyperplasia. The most significant complications of this surgery are bleeding intraoperatively and shivering postoperatively. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of tranexamic acid (TXA) solution in warm, cold, and room-temperature irrigation fluid on these complications during and after TURP surgery.
Materials and Methods: This study was a double-blind clinical trial conducted in Iran; 100 candidates for TURP surgery were selected using the Convenience sampling method and based on the intraoperative irrigation method: intervention group A (TXA compound solution in cold irrigation fluid), intervention group B (composition of TXA dissolved in room temperature irrigation fluid), intervention group C (TXA compound solution in cold irrigation fluid) and group control (routine irrigation). Intraoperative bleeding was measured with a photometer, hemoglobin was measured with a blood cell counter (Cell-Dyn3200), and post-operative shivering was measured using the Crossley and Mahajan scale.
Findings: The amount of postoperative bleeding in the TXA solution in the cold irrigation fluid group was significantly lower than in the other groups. Post-operative shivering was significantly lower in the TXA solution group in warm irrigation fluid and the highest in the cold group. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 16.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the composition of TXA in the cold irrigation solution potentially reduces intraoperative bleeding, but the amount of shivering postoperatively is more significant than in the warm solution and at room temperature.
Minimal linear codes based on weakly regular bent functions over finite fields
Authors: Erleblebici İlksen Acunalp , Sınak Ahmet , Yayla Oğuz 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Linear codes with few weights hold significant practical value and find application in a wide range of systems.The construction of linear codes from functions has been a thoroughly investigated research domain in existing literature. In this paper, we study the application of cryptographic functions in coding theory, and we derive several few-weight linear codes with good parameters by employing weakly regular bent functions over the finite fields of odd characteristics. Besides, we observe that all constructed codes are minimal codes according to the Ashikhmin-Barg sufficient condition. Lastly, some proposed codes are (almost) optimal due to the Griesmer bound.
MSC Classification: 94A60 , 94B05 , 11T23 , 11T71 , 68R01
Diversity analysis and genome-wide association studies of seed weight trait in Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) using DArTseq-derived SNP markers
Authors: Muturi Phyllis , Kyallo Martina , Gasura Edmore , Yao Nasser 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Bambara groundnut is an indigenous legume cultivated in Africa and referred to as ‘poor man’s crop. Seed weight is an important trait that end-users consider in Bambara groundnut because it is associated with better yield. The crop is drought tolerant compared to other legumes. In Kenya, the crop is grown by women and the diversity of the accessions grown is unknown. Lack of information on the crop’s diversity and population structure make selection and genetic improvement of the crop difficult. The objective of this study was to: i. determine the genetic diversity and population structure of 86 Bambara groundnut accessions from western and coastal Kenya using 4,399 SNP markers and ii) identify SNPs associated with the seed weight of the Bambara groundnut collection. The DArT complexity reduction approach in combination with Illumina short-read sequencing (HiSeq 2000) was applied. Population structure analysis revealed three distinct genetic clusters implying that the accessions were from three major gene pools. Analysis of molecular variance showed a low level of differentiation among the populations implying the need to broaden the genetic base of the collection tested in this study. The study revealed 8 significant DArTseq derived SNP markers (P < 0.05) distributed across Bambara groundnut contigs 1, 2, 3, and 5 associated with seed weight. The study demonstrated low genetic variation among the populations but a high genetic variability within population. There will be a need to validate the generated markers and conduct whole genome association studies with other economically important traits in Bambara groundnut.
The development process of hospital beds in Iran during the fourth to sixth national development plans and Its forecast until 2030.
Authors: Sharahi Nahid Chazani- , Hosseini Seyed Mojtaba , Alimohammadzadeh Khalil , Khamseh Alihassan Shaban , Bahadori Mohammadkarim 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Paying attention to the results of the latest sustainable development report in 2023,The large gap of the sustainable development index in the world compared to the process required to achieve the sustainable development goals for the coming years and the horizon of 2030 is worrying. Therefore,This study was conducted with the aim of The development process of hospital beds in Iran during the fourth to sixth national development plans and its forecast until 2030.
Materials and methods
This descriptive and analytical study was conducted with a retrospective look at the trend of the common indicators of the 3 periods of the development program. The data were obtained from the reports published by the Planning Organization, Ministry of Health, Iran Statistics Center and analyzed by time series method.
Results
The indicators of the number of active beds, the bed occupancy rate, the ratio of beds to 1000 population and the number of hospitals show an increasing trend in the three periods of the development program in Iran.It is expected that by 2030, the number of active beds will reach 181,843, the bed occupancy rate will reach 71.01%, the number of beds per thousand population will reach 2.20%, and the number of hospitals will reach 1201.
Conclusion
Policymakers and senior managers of the health system must decide on how to properly allocate limited resources to the unlimited needs of the people. The efficient use of limited available resources to meet the unlimited needs of the people should be considered by policymakers and managers.
Structural flexibility and shape similarity contribute to exclusive functions of certain ATG8 isoforms in the autophagy process
Authors: Bulgakov Elijah , Rayevsky Alexey , Blume Yaroslav , Karpov Pavel , Stykhylias Mariia , Ozheredov Sergey , Spivak Svetlana 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

One of them relates to the curious interactions between certain ATG8 isoforms and its receptors/adaptors in plants during the autophagy process. These proteins ultimately regulate the initiation, expansion and maturation of the phagophore, which acts as a docking platform for numerous autophagy proteins. The bioinformatician analysis of the human, yeast and plant amino acid sequences allowed us to split them into groups and determine the head-liners taking the experimental data into account. We conducted a structure-based study aimed to identify some hidden reasons for the differences in selectivity of ATG8 isoforms. A series of molecular dynamics simulations were run in attempt to explain the ATG8s’ stage-dependent functionality. The canonic secondary structure organization and folding of all ATG8 proteins and therefore almost identical PPI interface areas make this investigation particularly important and interesting. Aware of the dual role of the ATG8 interacting motif (W/F/Y-X-X-X-L/I/V) in autophagosome biogenesis and the recruitment of an anchored selective autophagy receptor (SAR), we conducted a mobility domain analysis. To this end, sequence of amino acids associated with the LDS interface was localized and underwent an RMSD-based clustering analysis. The resulting ATG8-peptide complexes reflected significant binding preferences of different ATG8 isotypes.
Overview of haematophagous flies involved in the transmission of vector-borne diseases in cattle
Authors: TIBA Aristide , Yeo Nawolo , SORO Ouation Souleymane , OUSSOU Koan Alexi , N’DRI Fréderic Kan , BI Zahouli Faustin ZOUH , Koné Soumaïla , Karamoko Yahaya 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify the hematophagous flies that contribute to disease transmission in cattle. This work took place in the department of Kounahiri (Côte d'Ivoire), 520 km from the city of Abidjan in December 2022. It took place over 08 days. Tabanidae and Stomoxyinae were caught using Vavoua traps. The insects collected were then placed in a freezer for twenty minutes to kill any insects that were still alive before being stored in a vial containing 70° ethanol. The identification of the different Stomoxyinae species was then developed using the determination keys of Zumpt and the additional morphological character to better separate S. calcitrans and S. niger niger. The Tabanidae were identified using the identification keys published by Oldroyd. The Tabanidae were divided into two genera: three (03) Philipotabanus elviae and thirty-one (31) Tabanus taeniola. On the other hand, among the Stomoxyinae, we identified 18 Stomoxys indicus and 25 Stomoxys calcitrans. The apparent density (AD) was 3.208 flies per day. As for the assessment of specific densities as a function of species composition, Tabanus taeniola had a higher specific density, at 40.26%, with 31 individuals out of a total of 77 flies. In addition, the diversity of haematophagous flies in relation to the biotope gave Margalef’s diversity indices of 0.612 for Stomoxes and 0.652 for Tabanidae. We can conclude from this research that, the inclusion of mechanical vectors in vector control strategies should help to minimise the impact of biting flies on livestock.
Approach for Explainable AI Method Agreement for Disagreement Problem
Authors: Parashar Gaurav , Chaudhary Alka , Pandey Dilkeshawar 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

The disagreement problem arises when multiple explainability (XAI) methods provide different local and global explanations for a machine learning model. This inconsistency can leave practitioners uncertain about which method to trust. This work explores approaches for identifying regions within the dataset where XAI methods are more likely to agree. Our findings indicate that XAI methods tend to agree more in the local areas than if applied to the entire dataset. Increased agreement among XAI methods enhances the transparency and trustworthiness of the model if deployed in the real world. We discuss the concept of explainability, the disagreement problem, and the metrics devised to measure agreement. We then present the results of our experiments and conclude with insights and implications for future research.
Zinc speciation promotes distinct effects on dinoflagellate growth and coral trypsin-like enzyme activity
Authors: Neto Lúcio Lourenço Freitas , Santos Rudã Fernandes Brandão , Silva Maria Angélica , Bezerra Ranilson Souza , Saldanha-Corrêa Flávia , Espósito Breno Pannia 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Zinc is an essential metal to living organisms, including corals and their symbiotic microalgae (Symbiodiniaceae). Both Zn(II) deprivation and overload are capable of leading to dysfunctional metabolism, coral bleaching, and even organism death. The present work investigated the effects of chemically defined Zn species (free Zn, ZnO nanoparticles, and the complexes Zn-histidinate and Zn-EDTA) over the growth of the dinoflagellates Symbiodinium microadriaticum, Breviolum minutum, and Effrenium voratum, and on the trypsin-like proteolytic activity of the hydrocoral Millepora alcicornis. B. minutum was the most sensitive strain to any form of added Zn. For the other strains, the complex [Zn(His)2] better translated metal load into growth. This complex was the only tested compound that did not interfere with the trypsin-like activity of Millepora alcicornis extracts. Also, histidine was able to recover the activity of the enzyme inhibited by zinc. [Zn(His)2] is a potential biocarrier of zinc for microalgae or coral cultivation. These findings suggest that the control of chemical speciation of an essential metal could lead to useful compounds that assist autotrophy, while not affecting heterotrophy, in the coral holobiont.
Evaluating Potential of Sr-Doped Bioactive Borosilicate Glasses in Improving Bioactivity and Corrosion Resistance of SS-316L Implants
Authors: Logavi Amol , Dua Mansi , Shah Kunjal 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

The pursuit of improved implant materials for biomedical applications has prompted the development of hybrid inorganic-organic sol-gel methods to coat SS-316L implants. This study focuses on enhancing corrosion resistance and bioactivity through the integration of bioactive particles, particularly investigating the versatility of silicate-based bioactive glasses. By manipulating the chemical composition, especially through the incorporation of strontium (Sr), this research aims to control dissolution rates and bioactivity properties. A series of bioactive borosilicate glasses with increasing Sr concentrations were synthesized using a quick alkali sol-gel method. These glasses underwent in vitro testing with simulated body fluid (SBF) to evaluate their bioactive behavior concerning escalating Sr content. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the emergence of hydroxyapatite (HA) alongside a presence of calcite phase (CaCO3) after 7 days. Notably, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showcased the presence of HA and calcite crystals. However, at higher Sr concentrations (Sr = 6, 8 mol %), the formation of calcite was significantly suppressed, potentially due to the larger ionic size of Sr hindering the movement and release of other ions required for calcite formation. Based on these outcomes, the Sr-6 glass was selected for coating SS-316L substrates using a sol-gel dip coating method, successfully achieving a 1µm thick bioactive layer. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) studies confirmed the formation of a bioactive layer on the surface, demonstrating its capability to form HA. Electrochemical tests conducted illustrated the protective behavior of the coating, markedly enhancing the corrosion resistance of SS-316L plates. This research highlights the potential of Sr-doped bioactive glass coatings to not only improve the corrosion resistance of SS-316L implants but also promote bioactivity, offering a promising avenue for advanced implant materials in biomedical applications. The tailored chemical composition of these glasses holds significant promise in fine-tuning properties critical for implant success, presenting avenues for further exploration and development in the field of biomaterials for medical devices.
SCN2A-linked myelination deficits and synaptic plasticity alterations drive auditory processing disorders in ASD
Authors: Kim Jun Hee , Bae Han-Gyu , Wu Wan-Chen , Nip Kaila , Gould Elizabeth 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by complex sensory processing deficits. A key unresolved question is how alterations in neural connectivity and communication translate into the behavioral manifestations seen in ASD. Here, we investigate how oligodendrocyte dysfunction alters myelin plasticity and neuronal activity, leading to auditory processing disorder associated with ASD. We focus on the SCN2A gene, an ASD-risk factor, to understand its role in myelination and neural processing within the auditory nervous system. Through transcriptional profiling, we identified alterations in the expression of myelin-associated genes in Scn2a conditional knockout mice, highlighting the cellular consequences engendered by Scn2a deletion in oligodendrocytes. The results reveal a nuanced interplay between oligodendrocytes and axons, where Scn2a deletion causes alterations in the intricate process of myelination. This disruption instigates changes in axonal properties, presynaptic excitability, and synaptic plasticity at the single cell level. Furthermore, oligodendrocyte-specific Scn2a deletion compromises the integrity of neural circuitry within auditory pathways, leading to auditory hypersensitivity. Our findings reveal a novel pathway linking myelin deficits to synaptic activity and sensory abnormalities in ASD.