bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analysing the Nexus Between Public Health Spending, Health Outcomes, Labour Productivity and Economic Growth: Evidence from Nigeria
Authors: Adekunle Wasiu , Collins Olutosin , Omo-Ikirodah Beatrice 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

This study seeks to determine the impact of public health financing on health outcomes, and also, determine the impact of health outcomes on labour productivity and economic growth by collecting data on the relevant variable between 1981 and 2021 and employing the Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) approach. The study found that: rising public health spending significantly improves health outcomes including infant mortality, neonatal mortality and under-five mortality; improved health outcomes enhance labour productivity, but the neonatal mortality rate has the largest labour productivity elasticity. This suggests that a persistent decline in child deaths would contribute to building healthy individuals who grow up to become a healthy and productive workforce. In addition, the study established that improved health outcomes stimulate economic growth. This reflects the magnified impact of good health on labour productivity with multiplier effects on national output. The study suggests some measures and policy options.JEL Codes: H51; I12; J11, J24; J33; O40
Indigenous medicinal plants used in folk medicine for malaria treatment in Kwara State, Nigeria: An ethnobotanical study
Authors: Evbuomwan Ikponmwosa Owen , Adeyemi Oluyomi Stephen , Oluba Olarewaju Michael 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

BackgroundFolk medicine is crucial to healthcare delivery in the underdeveloped countries. It is frequently used as a primary treatment option or as a complementary therapy for malaria treatment. Malaria is a deadly disease which greatly threatens global public health, claiming incredible number of lives yearly. The study was aimed at documenting the medicinal plants used for malaria treatment in folk medicine in Kwara State, Nigeria.MethodsEthnobotanical information was collected from selected consenting registered traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs) through oral face-to-face interviews using in-depth, semi-structured questionnaires. Data were analysed and discussed in relation to published literature on the documented plants.ResultsSixty-two indigenous medicinal plants including 13 new plants used for malaria treatment were identified in this study. The TMPs preferred decoction in aqueous solvent (34%) and steeping in decaffeinated soft drink (19%) for herbal preparations. Oral administration (74%) was the main route of administration, while leaves (40%) and stem barks (32%) were the most dominant plant parts used in herbal preparations. The most cited families were Fabaceae (15%) and Rutaceae (6%), whileMangifera indica(77.14%),Enantia chlorantha(65.71%),Alstonia boonei(57.14%) followed byCymbopogon citratus(54.29%) were the most used plants. Besides, the antimalarial activities of many of the plants recorded and their isolated phytocompounds have been demonstrated. Furthermore, the conservation status of 4 identified plants were Vulnerable.ConclusionThe study showed strong ethnobotanical knowledge shared by the TMPs in the State and provides preliminary information that could be explored for discovery of more potent antimalarial compounds.
Structure basis rational engineering of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Corynebacterium glutamicum for dual NAD/NADP cofactor specificity
Authors: Kim Kyung-Jin , Son Hyeoncheo , Yu Hyeonjeong , Hong Jiyeon , Lee Donghoon , kim Il-Kwon 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Since the discovery of L-glutamate-producing Corynebacterium glutamicum, it has evolved to an industrial workhorse. For bio-based chemical production, suppling sufficient amounts of the NADPH cofactor is crucial. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GapDH), a glycolytic enzyme that converts glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P) to 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate and produces NAD(P)H, is a major prospective solution for the cofactor imbalance issue. In this study, we determined the crystal structure of GapDH from C. glutamicum ATCC13032 (CgGapDH). This structural information was used to construct rational protein engineering strategies. We generated four CgGapDH variants that can produce both NADH and NAPDH. The final CgGapDHL36S/T37K/F100V/P192S variant showed a 212-fold increase in enzyme activity for NADP as well as 200% and 30% increased activity for the G3P substrate under NAD and NADP cofactor conditions, respectively. In addition, crystal structures of CgGapDH variants in complex with NAD(P) permit elucidation of differences between wild-type CgGapDH and variants in relation to cofactor stabilization.
Optimization of Cutting Parameters for Milling Enset Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composite
Authors: Muche Abebe Muluye , Workneh Henok Zewdu , Zewge Mesfin Gizaw 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Machining of composite materials is accompanied by sever challenges. Fiber pullouts, fiber breakages, delamination of laminates, matrix burnings are some of the challenges, which brings significant quality and performance reductions of the product. These challenges able to be reduced with controlled or optimized machining parameters. This study investigates the optimization of cutting parameters for end milling of enset fiber reinforced epoxy composite materials to obtain optimum surface roughness and material removal rate simultaneously. The experimental runs designed based on Taguchi L9 (33 ) orthogonal arrays. The influence of cutting parameters is determined by the analysis of variance (ANOVA). Optimization is performed by coupling grey relational analysis and principal component analysis. The results revealed that depth of cut has greater contributions followed by spindle speed and feed rate respectively on the gray relational grades (GRG). The optimum values of surface roughness and material removal rate were obtained at spindle speed of 1000rpm, feed rate of 300mm/min and depth of cut of 1.5mm.
The influence of abscess location on surgical methods of non-lactation mastitis
Authors: zhang wenjie , ren hailiang , wu jian 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
The aim of the present study was to compare the characteristics and presentation of posterior space and non-posterior space abscesses of non-lactation mastitis and to determine the optimal surgical treatment for posterior space abscesses. A set of 98 cases diagnosed with non-lactational mastitis with abscess admitted to the Third People's Hospital of Chengdu from March 2014 to December 2020. According to the the presence or absence of posterior breast space with abscess, 40 patients were assigned to the posterior space abscess group and 58 patients were assigned to the non-posterior space abscess group. The clinical data of the two groups were compared, VAS scores before operation in posterior space abscess group was significent higher than that of the non-posterior space abscess group (p <�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
Multi-Agent Collision Avoidance with Provident Agents using Deep-Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Karkevandi Mohammad Bahrami , Semnani Samaneh Hosseini 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Autonomous path planning is becoming more demanding, as the number of robotic agents in pedestrian-rich environments is gradually increasing. Collision-free navigation is an essential requirement for autonomous agents in a pedestrian-rich environment. In this paper, we will build upon the GA3C-CADRL algorithm to train agents that take the near future into consideration while moving around the environment. Specifically, we will introduce a new reward function and a novel rewarding mechanism to train provident agents that always prioritize finding a collision-free path. Agents that are trained with the new method will be shown to be more cautious of their surrounding environment and tend to avoid actions that may be seen as threatening by pedestrians. We will show that the new proposed algorithm outperforms the previous state-of-the-art algorithm, GA3C-CADRL, in terms of successful navigation throughout the entire test set.
Prostate Image Segmentation using Video Internet of Things (VIoT) applications in Biomedical Engineering depending on Deep Learning algorithms pre and during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Abduljabbar Heamn Noori , Rashid Ameer Sardar Kwekha , Tout Kifah , Abdulrahim Ezamin Noori , Öztürk Bilal , Ismail Haidar Jalal , Mashohor Syamsiah N. , Suppiah Subapriya Noori , Yakan Ammar 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
This study highlights the role of imaging modalities through prostate image segmentation, using various algorithms depending on segmentation accuracy, and (VIoT) impact on improving imaging, via analyzing relevant articles to prostate segmentation during 2018–2021, from Springer, Science Direct, MDPI, IEEE, Nature Portfolio, Hindawi, with Taylor and Francis pre and during COVID-19. This study deals with 20 articles. Findings illustrated MRI was involved in (90%) of the articles in pre-COVID-19, while during COVID-19 declined to (60%). Furthermore, CNN algorithm was the most dependent method for prostate segmentation which was (50%) of the articles rather than other models. Whereas (80%) of the articles were depended on (DSC). In conclusion, the (VIoT) shows a significant role in all imaging modalities specifically MRI due to the real-time imaging. COVID-19 had impact on prostate segmentation research with the publishers was considerable in pre and during the pandemic. In addition, the best-utilized imaging modality was MRI due to its high image quality and ease applicable for (VIoT). Nevertheless, there is no study considered transabdominal ultrasound database as imaging modality for prostate segmentation. On the other hand, the segmentation performance referred to (DSC) that has a significant influence on prostate image segmentation Quality and performance.
Spatial position selection during collective movement in a nonhuman primate species with a multilevel social structure (Rhinopithecus roxellana)
Authors: wang chengliang , Wu Tong , Zhao Hongtao , Li Wei , Su Ziyi , Zhao Haitao , Ren Yi , Fu Weiwei , Wang Yan , Wang Xiaowei , Pan Ruliang , Li Baoguo 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

Substantial phylogenetic differences in the evolution of decision-making in group-living animals are observed in the animal kingdom. Decision-making is vital for maintaining a cohesive social structure, health, survival, and reproductive fitness. Thus, exploring such mechanisms in diverse social species living in the wild, especially nonhuman primates, provides insight into the coordinating rules, behaviors, regulations, and laws in human society. The golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is characterized by a multilevel social system. The present study investigated individual spatial positioning during collective movements at departure and determination of consensus during decision-making. The results indicate that individuals traveling in the front of the group determine whether a collective movement succeeds or fails. These front positions provide various benefits and are typically occupied by adults in one-male units (OMUs). In addition to the hypotheses of protection and food resource competition proposed for species with a single-level social system, we suggest that communication between and within OMUs also plays an essential role in achieving consensus decisions. Social affiliations among individuals also significantly influence decision-making via mediation effects, a phenomenon observed in sophisticated multilevel societies. Thus, these findings illuminate avenues for further research on how communications between and within groups contribute to consensus decisions and how such decisions are initiated at lower levels and developed at higher levels in a multilevel society. Such avenues can provide insight for primatologists and social anthropologists.
Evaluation of T Cell Repertoire in Primary Immunodeficiencies With Dna Repair Defects
Authors: Karaaslan Betul Gemici , Demirkale Zeynep Hizli , Turan Isilay , Aydemir Sezin , Meric Zeynep , Taskin Zuleyha , Kilinc Ozgur Can , Burtecene Nihan , Topcu Birol , Yucel Esra , Aydogmus Cigdem , Kiykim Ayca , Cokugras Haluk 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

Inborn errors of immunity include multiple genetic abnormalities affecting different components of the innate and adaptive immune systems. More than 450 genes have been described so far including DNA repair defects which may result in predisposition to infections, but also malignancies, neurologic abnormalities and growth retardation. The group of patients with DNA repair and methylation defects exhibit impaired adaptive immunity, which increases susceptibility to infections due to impaired repertoire diversity. In this context, we aimed to investigate the TCRvβ repertoire and its interaction with clinical entities in a group of IEI patients with DNA repair defects including ATM, DCLRE1C, DNA-PRKDC, DNA ligase-4, and BLM. Thirty-nine patients with evidence of DNA repair defects and radiosensitivity and 15 age-matched healthy controls were included in this study. Peripheral lymphocyte subset and TCR-vβ repertoire analyses were performed by flow cytometry. To contrast TCR-repertoire in patients with DNA repair defects to healthy controls, we extracted data on lymphocyte phenotype, thymic function, immunoglobulins, and analysis of the TCRvβ repertoire from a prior study. The entire TCR-vβ repertoire was detected in all patients. However, compared with the control group, 9 of 24 clones (37.5%) were statistically significantly lower, whereas only 3 clones had high levels (p < 0.05). In addition, 62.5% of all clones had lower values than the control group. Some unique vβ clones have been associated with some clinical entities. Clonotypes associated with infections, autoimmunity and lymphoid proliferation were detected in the patient group. Lower TCR-vβ-9 and TCR-vβ23, higher TCR-vβ7.2 were detected in the patients with pneumonia (n = 13) (respectively p = 0.018, p = 0.044 p = 0.032). In addition, AT patients with pneumonia (n = 10) had a lower TCR-vβ-9 clone than patients without pneumonia (n = 25) (p = 0.008). In summary, we observed skewed clonal proliferation of most TCR-vβ clones in DNA repair defects, especially AT. In addition, our study demonstrated that some TCR-vβ clones might be predictive of some clinical entities. To further investigate the impact of the diversity of the TCR repertoire on the clinical phenotype, future studies should focus on the analysis of naïve and memory T cells, the detection of the source of oligoclonality, and the relationship between clonality and clinical entities.
Interobserver and Intraobserver Reliability of a new prognostic classification for foot and ankle Charcot arthropathy
Authors: Elghazy Mohamed Abdelaziz , Ali Samer , El-Hawary Ahmed , El-Mowafi Hani , Kandil Yasser Roshdy 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background
Recently, a new prognostic classification for foot and ankle Charcot arthropathy (Mansoura Classification) was published. The aim of this study was to evaluate both interobserver and intraobserver reliability of Mansoura classification for foot and ankle Charcot arthropathy.
Methods
Mansoura classification for foot and ankle Charcot arthropathy was presented to participants at an international foot and ankle course, then participants were given colored printed copy of the classification table and diagrams. Thereafter, twenty cases of foot and ankle Charcot were presented to participants and they were asked to rate each case according to the classification. Furthermore, six raters who were specialized in foot and ankle surgery were asked to repeat the classification of the cases after three weeks from the initial evaluation. Kappa statistics was used to evaluate both interobserver and intraobserver reliability using STATA 14.2 program.
Results
Sixty-one participants with different level of experience completed the evaluation of the twenty cases of foot and ankle Charcot. The interobserver reliability for all participants was moderate (Kappa = 0.5). Further analysis according to the level of experience based on the years of practice of orthopedic surgery showed similar moderate reliability (range, 0.4–0.57). Intraobserver reliability was excellent for all six participants (range, 0.81–0.93). Further analysis of the interobserver reliability of the former six raters who were specialized in foot and ankle surgery showed substantial reliability; Kappa = 0.67.
Conclusion
Mansoura classification for Charcot arthropathy of foot and ankle has an excellent intraobserver reliability. The overall interobserver reliability among orthopedic surgeons was moderate and comparable to other classifications, and the interobserver reliability for orthopedic surgeons who were specialized in foot and ankle surgery was substantial. Therefore, Mansoura classification for foot and ankle Charcot has an acceptable reliability and could be promising in the evaluation and guiding the management of such cases.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV case series
Postoperative intestinal fistula in Chinese patients with Crohn’s disease: a multicenter case-control study
Authors: Liu Zhongcheng , Yang Qingfan , Fu Xiuling , Long Meichun , Peng Bo , Xiao Zhiming , Guo Qin 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background This study aimed to 1) assess the independent factors affecting patients with postoperative intestinal fistula from Crohn’s disease by analyzing preoperative clinical data, 2) establish a nomogram prediction model for this condition based on these factors, and 3) validate this model and evaluate its accuracy.Methods In this retrospective multicenter case-control study, the clinical data of 240 patients with Crohn’s disease admitted for surgical treatment between September 2017 and September 2019 at three centers were collected. Patients were randomly divided into a training set (168 patients) and a validation set (72 patients). Univariate analysis was performed for relevant factors, and statistically significant factors were then analyzed by multivariate logistic regression to determine the independent influencing factors. A nomogram model for predicting postoperative intestinal fistula in patients with Crohn’s disease was constructed and its accuracy of the model evaluated using calibration curves.Results Univariate analysis showed that disease behavior, abdominal abscess, intestinal perforation, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, systemic immunoinflammatory index, and prognostic nutrition index were factors affecting postoperative intestinal fistula in patients with Crohn’s disease. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, prognostic nutrition index, disease behavior, and Crohn's disease activity index score were independent influencing factors. After assessing the validation set, the area under the curve was 0.899, indicating good predictive accuracy of the nomogram model.Conclusions The prediction model developed in this study can effectively predict the risk of postoperative intestinal fistula.
A new GNSS-acoustic positioning software implementing multiple positioning functions considering nadir total delays
Authors: Tomita Fumiaki , Kido Motoyuki 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Global Navigation Satellite System–acoustic (GNSS-A) positioning is an important geodetic observation technique for detecting seafloor crustal deformation. After the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake, GNSS-A observational networks were extended along various subduction zones, and observational systems have been improved, especially for sea-surface platforms, such as the introduction of an unmanned vehicle, the Wave Glider. The aforementioned development of GNSS-A observations has provided a large amount of observational data. Furthermore, GNSS-A positioning methods were recently developed considering the lateral heterogeneity of the sound speed structure. Thus, it is important to develop a software that makes it easy for widespread use of the latest GNSS-A positioning methods. However, there is currently only one open-source GNSS-A positioning software, which may hinder the entry of various researchers into GNSS-A positioning analyses. Here, we developed a new GNSS-A positioning software, henceforth called “SeaGap” (Software of enhanced analyses for GNSS-acoustic positioning), that executes various positioning methods from the conventional kinematic positioning technique to the latest Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC)-based static positioning technique. We introduce their methodology and demonstrate its application to actual observational data. The software newly added optional prior distributions to the unknown parameters expressing the heterogeneity of a sound speed structure into the MCMC-based static positioning method, and we also applied the new method to actual observational data. In addition to the positioning functions, the software contains various auxiliary functions, including drawing. The developed software is written using the “Julia” language and is distributed as an open-source software.
Robust immobilized enzyme reactor based on hybrid monolithic chip incorporated with mesoporous molecular sieve SBA-15
Authors: Wei Qin , Fan Pei-Ru , Sun Xuan , Huang Yan-Ping , Liu Zhao-Sheng 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
A robust microfluidic immobilized enzyme reactor (IMER) based on organic monolithic matrix incorporated with mesoporous molecular sieve SBA-15 was developed. poly(glycidyl methacrylate-ethylene dimethacrylate) (GMA-EDMA) copolymer was prepared as supported matrix with the doping of SBA-15 and the trypsin was immobilized on amino-modified SBA-15 by using glutaraldehyde as coupling reagent. The preparation conditions including SBA-15 content and immobilization mode of enzyme were optimized. The digestion of BSA on the IMERs can be achieved in 5 minutes with sequence coverage rates of 73.8%. The chip-IMER was fabricated on a microchip which contained two serpentine channels that used for online denaturation and digestion of proteins. By digestion of the proteins extracted from mouse livers with the microfluidic platform, 734 proteins and 3,067 peptides were identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The hybrid chip-IMER based on SBA-15 incorporated organic monolith withstands remarkably high pressures near 500 bar and retains its activity for several weeks, and has great potential in a platform for further development into a fully contained micro total analysis system for proteomics.