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National levels of personal health-care access and quality can be approximated by measuring mortality rates from causes that should not be fatal in the presence of effective medical care (ie, amenable mortality). Previous analyses of mortality amenable to health care only focused on high-income countries and faced several methodological challenges. In the present analysis, we use the highly standardised cause of death and risk factor estimates generated through the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) to improve and expand the quantification of personal health-care access and quality for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015. We mapped the most widely used list of causes amenable to personal health care developed by Nolte and McKee to 32 GBD causes. We accounted for variations in cause of death certification and misclassifications through the extensive data standardisation processes and redistribution algorithms developed for GBD. To isolate the effects of personal health-care access and quality, we risk-standardised cause-specific mortality rates for each geography-year by removing the joint effects of local environmental and behavioural risks, and adding back the global levels of risk exposure as estimated for GBD 2015. We employed principal component analysis to create a single, interpretable summary measure–the Healthcare Quality and Access (HAQ) Index–on a scale of 0 to 100. The HAQ Index showed strong convergence validity as compared with other health-system indicators, including health expenditure per capita (r=0·88), an index of 11 universal health coverage interventions (r=0·83), and human resources for health per 1000 (r=0·77). We used free disposal hull analysis with bootstrapping to produce a frontier based on the relationship between the HAQ Index and the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a measure of overall development consisting of income per capita, average years of education, and total fertility rates. This frontier allowed us to better quantify the maximum levels of personal health-care access and quality achieved across the development spectrum, and pinpoint geographies where gaps between observed and potential levels have narrowed or widened over time. Between 1990 and 2015, nearly all countries and territories saw their HAQ Index values improve; nonetheless, the difference between the highest and lowest observed HAQ Index was larger in 2015 than in 1990, ranging from 28·6 to 94·6. Of 195 geographies, 167 had statistically significant increases in HAQ Index levels since 1990, with South Korea, Turkey, Peru, China, and the Maldives recording among the largest gains by 2015. Performance on the HAQ Index and individual causes showed distinct patterns by region and level of development, yet substantial heterogeneities emerged for several causes, including cancers in highest-SDI countries; chronic kidney disease, diabetes, diarrhoeal diseases, and lower respiratory infections among middle-SDI countries; and measles and tetanus among lowest-SDI countries. While the global HAQ Index average rose from 40·7 (95% uncertainty interval, 39·0–42·8) in 1990 to 53·7 (52·2–55·4) in 2015, far less progress occurred in narrowing the gap between observed HAQ Index values and maximum levels achieved; at the global level, the difference between the observed and frontier HAQ Index only decreased from 21·2 in 1990 to 20·1 in 2015. If every country and territory had achieved the highest observed HAQ Index by their corresponding level of SDI, the global average would have been 73·8 in 2015. Several countries, particularly in eastern and western sub-Saharan Africa, reached HAQ Index values similar to or beyond their development levels, whereas others, namely in southern sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and south Asia, lagged behind what geographies of similar development attained between 1990 and 2015. This novel extension of the GBD Study shows the untapped potential for personal health-care access and quality improvement across the development spectrum. Amid substantive advances in personal health care at the national level, heterogeneous patterns for individual causes in given countries or territories suggest that few places have consistently achieved optimal health-care access and quality across health-system functions and therapeutic areas. This is especially evident in middle-SDI countries, many of which have recently undergone or are currently experiencing epidemiological transitions. The HAQ Index, if paired with other measures of health-system characteristics such as intervention coverage, could provide a robust avenue for tracking progress on universal health coverage and identifying local priorities for strengthening personal health-care quality and access throughout the world. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Leishmaniasis is a major public health problem that causes by parasite of the genus Leishmania. The pentavalent antimonial compounds that used for treatment are not safe or effective enough. The aim of the present study was preparation and evaluation of the efficacy of green synthesized silver nanoparticles against Leishmania major (L. major) in vitro. To synthesis silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs), ginger extract was added to the 0.2mM AgNO3 aqueous solution (1:20). Effects of different concentrations of Ag-NPs on the number of L. major promastigotes were investigated using counting assay. The MTT test was applied to determine the toxicity of Ag-NPs on promastigotes of L. major, as well as, macrophage cells. Then, to evaluate the anti-amastigotes effects of Ag-NPs, parasites within the macrophages were counted by light microscope. Furthermore, to determine the induced apoptosis and necrotic effects of Ag-NPs on promastigotes, flow cytometry method was employed using annexin staining. The effect of Ag-NPs on promastigotes and amastigotes of L. major was effective and has a reverse relationship with its concentration. According to the results of anti-amastigote assay, the IC50 value of this nanoparticle was estimated 2.35 ppm after 72h. Also, Ag-NPs caused Programmed Cell Death (PCD) in promastigotes of L. major and showed 60.18% of apoptosis. Based on the mentioned results, it can be concluded that Ag NPs has a beneficial effect on promastigote and amastigote forms of L. major in vitro. Hence, these nanoparticles could be applied as promising antileishmanial agents for treatment of Leishmania infections.

At Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory, scientists have spent years studying kindness, connection and empathy. But those can all seem in short supply at a time of deep divisions. But the head of that lab offers a data-driven reason to be hopeful about each other and the future. Amna Nawaz spoke with Jamil Zaki about his latest book, \"Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness.\"

Kunu zaki is a traditional non-alcoholic fermented beverage produced from major cereals such as sorghum, white pearl millet and guinea corn. Overdependence on some popular cereal grains such as maize, pearl millet and sorghum, especially in the production of fermented beverages, has called for research into more indigenous, nutritious, and underutilized cereals such as gero , maiwa , acha white, acha black and finger millet to prevent them from going into extinction. This study, therefore, investigated the quality of kunu zaki produced from some selected Nigeria underutilized cereals grains. Kunu zaki was produced from five varieties ( maiwa , acha white, acha black and finger millet where gero kunu zaki served as control) of underutilized cereal, and each sample was analysed for its vitamin, mineral and amino acid contents. The ranges of values obtained for vitamins B I , B 2, B 6 and B 12 were 7.40–11.30, 13.35–27.60, 1.05–46.85 and 0.55–7.91 (µg/100 g), respectively. The calcium, iron, potassium, and manganese concentrations ranged from 11.12 to 19.16, 3.68–5.65, 0.13–0.88 and 0.00-14.36 ppm, respectively. The amino acid contents identified were lysine (0.02–8.74 mg/100 g), valine (12.21–18.58 mg/100 g), threonine (2.17–6.68 mg/100 g), tryptophan (0.16–11.03 mg/100 g), isoleucine (15.41–23.73 mg/100 g), histidine (0.24–36.22 mg/100 g), leucine (0.06–22.98 mg/100 g) and methionine (0.47–0.73 mg/100 g). Kunu zaki produced from non-conventional cereals ( maiwa , acha white, acha black and finger millet) showed better nutritional composition than the conventional pearl millet ( gero ) kunu . Hence, underutilized local cereals can be exploited in kunu zaki production to increase their utilization and reduce over-dependence on pearl millet.

Sedimentation is an undesirable phenomenon that complicates the design of microsystems that exploit dense microparticles as delivery tools, especially in biotechnological applications. It often informs the integration of continuous mixing modules, consequently impacting the system footprint, cost, and complexity. The impact of sedimentation is significantly worse in systems designed with the intent of particle metering or binary encapsulation in droplets. Circumventing this problem involves the unsatisfactory adoption of gel microparticles as an alternative. This paper presents two solutions—a hydrodynamic solution that changes the particle sedimentation trajectory relative to a flow-rate dependent resultant force, and induced hindered settling (i-HS), which exploits Richardson–Zaki (RZ) corrections of Stokes’ law. The hydrodynamic solution was validated using a multi-well fluidic multiplexing and particle metering manifold. Computational image analysis of multiplex metering efficiency using this method showed an average reduction in well-to-well variation in particle concentration from 45% (Q = 1 mL/min, n = 32 total wells) to 17% (Q = 10 mL/min, n = 48 total wells). By exploiting a physical property (cloud point) of surfactants in the bead suspension in vials, the i-HS achieved a 58% reduction in the sedimentation rate. This effect results from the surfactant phase change, which increases the turbidity (transient increase in particle concentration), thereby exploiting the RZ theories. Both methods can be used independently or synergistically to eliminate bead settling in microsystems or to minimize particle sedimentation

Background Zaki syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by pathogenic variants in the WLS gene, which is essential for Wnt signaling. Altered Wnt signaling disrupts fetal development, organ formation, and tissue regeneration, leading to bone abnormalities and distinctive facial features. Key clinical characteristics of Zaki syndrome include specific facial features, microcephaly, skeletal anomalies, and eye malformations. However, the identification and diagnosis of Zaki syndrome remain challenging. Methods The prenatal data and clinical information of a patient suspected of Zaki syndrome were retrospectively collected. Genetic testing and functional analysis were conducted to confirm the diagnosis of Zaki syndrome. Additionally, we conducted a literature search and review on Zaki syndrome. Results A missense variant c.271G > A (p.Val91Met) and a splice site variant c.1279-1G > C in the WLS gene were identified. The diagnosis of Zaki syndrome was confirmed through genetic analysis and functional studies. Through the literature review, the clinical features of Zaki syndrome were refined. Further genotype–phenotype analysis suggested possible links between variant location and clinical features. Missense variants in the transmembrane region were associated with more cases of wide mouth and fewer cases of long fingers or toes. Variants near the ER signaling motif appeared more often with broad distal phalanges of the fingers. Conclusion Our study expanded the genetic and phenotypic spectrum of Zaki syndrome. It provided new insights into the prenatal and postnatal impact of WLS mutations and highlighted the early identification and intervention for Zaki syndrome.

In the current era of disruption, causality cannot be opposed to religion, so the independence of reason can contribute to the development of contemporary global thought in the Islamic world. This paper seeks to uncover the roots of the periodization of the philosophy of Islamic rationalism in the view of Zaki Naquib Mahmud. The primary data source is three books titled Arabiy baina Tsaqafatain, Tajdid Al-Fikr Al-Arabi, and Al-Ma’qul wa al-La Ma’qul fi Turatsina al-Fikribaik. Research data is a discourse that contains elements of religion and rationalism. The process of collecting data in this study is by studying literature and tracking various references related to the study’s focus. Data analysis techniques are carried out by the method of content analysis. Data validity using a triangulation model, by comparing data and relevant theory. The result of this study is that there are five phases of periodization of the philosophy of Islamic rationalism in the perspective of Zaki Naquib Mahmud, namely simple thinking [misykat] represented by Ali ibn Abi Talib; the lamp of reason [misbah] is characterized by the occurrence of philosophical debates about leadership and the great sin; the lamp glass [Zujajah al Misbah] is marked by the appearance of Bayt al-Ḥikmah in Baghdad; the luminous star [kaukab durriy] represented by the emergence of the Brotherhood of ash Shafa; and the endowed tree [syajarah mubarakah]. In this last phase, Zaki Naquib Mahmud positioned Ibn Rushd’s rationalism as an appropriate representation so as not to regress, even allowing for the realization of the renaissance in the Islamic world. This reflection of thought is expected to be able to inspire the millennial generation of Muslims about the importance of the philosophy of rationalism in the Islamic traditionContributionThis article contributed to the goal of HTS Theological Studies to promote transdisciplinary aspects of religious studies in the international theological arena on philosophy in literary texts.

Hindered settling, the process by which the settling of sediment particles becomes impeded due to the proximity of other sediment particles, can be an important process for the coastal modeller, especially in highly muddy environments. It is also a significant process in other disciplines such as chemical engineering, the modelling of debris flow, the study of turbidites, piping of slurries and the understanding of processes occurring within a dredger hopper. This study first examines the hindered settling behaviour of monodisperse suspensions in order to create a framework for polydisperse hindered settling that works for both non-cohesive and cohesive suspensions. The Richardson–Zaki equation is adapted to make it compatible with the changes with viscosity that occur near the point at which suspensions become solid. The modified monodisperse settling equation is then compared to data for hindered settling of cohesive suspensions and shown to be consistent with the transition between hindered settling and the initial permeability phase of consolidation. Based on the monodisperse framework developed initially, this paper proposes a hindered settling model for sand/mud mixtures which is based on a modification of the Masliyah ( 1979 ) and Lockett and Bassoon ( 1979 ) hindered settling equation. The model is shown to reproduce the hindered settling of a variety of different sediment mixtures whilst reducing the extent of empiricism often associated with the modelling of polydisperse hindered settling of mud/sand mixtures.

This study assessed the physicochemical and sensory properties of ‘probiotic’ drink from blends of milk analogues from African yam bean, soybean and coconut. Milk analogues were blended at ratios of 1:1:1, 3:1:1 and 5:1:1 (African yam bean: soybean: coconut) as samples A, B and C respectively. These samples were fermented for 24 h at 43°C using Lactobacillus delbrueckii. The results showed that the fermented milk analogue of ratio 1:1:1 was the most acceptable in terms of sensory parameters. The pH of the milk analogues ranged from 5.07 to 5.85. The sample B1 (fermented (1:1:1) African yam bean: soybean: coconut) had a crude protein of 2.38%, potassium of 80.13 mg/100g, phytate of 2.85 mg/100g and saponin was 0.19 mg/100g. The study concluded that the sample with equal ratio of African yam bean, soybean and coconut adjudged the most acceptable by tasters.

Benue State in North Central Nigeria has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates of 9.3%, among children and adults aged 13-45 years. To improve the survival of mothers and children and to identify the major challenges in scaling-up PMTCT services, a descriptive, study was conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes and barriers to the uptake of PMTCT by 384 women attending antenatal clinics (ANC) in Uyam, Zaki-Biam, a semi-urban area of Benue State. A standard questionnaire was used for data collection. A high number of subjects knew that unprotected sexual intercourse is a risk factor for transmission, with most 281 (73.2%) of them aware that an HIV infected woman could get pregnant; while 275 (71.6%) knew that infection can be transmitted from the mother to her unborn child. Only 214 (55.7%) of the study participants had done the HIV test in pregnancy because of, inadequate VCT centers, issues of stigma and absence of family support including attitudes of staff. Age, parity and socio-economic status, as well as location influenced the responses of respondents. In spite of the increasing public awareness in Nigeria about HIV/AIDS, there still exist gaps as a result of different levels of education and access to information, coupled with lack of trained personnel and adequately equipped health care facilities. To improve survival and probably eliminate HIV/AIDS, the integration of PMTCT into primary health care services in Nigerian communities should be considered. L'Etat de Benue dans le Centre-Nord du Nigéria a l'un des taux de prévalence les plus élevés du VIH / SIDA de 9,3%, chez les enfants et les adultes âgés de 13 ans-45 ans. Afin d'améliorer la survie des mères et des enfants et d'identifier les défis majeurs en vue d'augmenter les services de PTME, une étude descriptive a été réalisée pour évaluer la connaissance, des attitudes et des obstacles ? l'adoption de la PTME par 384 femmes qui fréquentent la SCP ? Uyam, Zaki-Biam, une zone semi-urbaine de l'Etat de Benue, du 21 mars au 20 juillet, 2011. Un questionnaire standard a été utilisé pour collecter des données. Un grand nombre de sujets savaient que les rapports sexuels non protégés est un facteur de risque pour la transmission, avec la plupart d'entre elles 281 (73,2%) étant conscientes qu'une femme séropositive peut tomber enceinte, tandis que 275 (71,6%) savaient que l'infection peut être transmise par le mère ? son enfant ? naître. Seulement 214 (55,7%) des participantes ? l'étude avaient subi l'analyse pour déterminer la présence du VIH pendant la grossesse en raison de manque de centres de CDV, les problèmes de la stigmatisation et le manque de soutien de la famille y compris les attitudes du personnel. L'âge, la parité et la situation socioéconomique, ainsi que le milieu social ont influencé les réponses des interviewées. En dépit de la prise de conscience croissante du public au Nigéria sur le VIH /SIDA, il existe encore des lacunes ? cause de différents niveaux d'éducation et d'accès ? l'information, ajoutés au manque de personnel qualifié et d'établissements de santé suffisamment équipés. Pour améliorer la survie et probablement pour éliminer le VIH / SIDA, l'intégration de la PTME dans les services de santé primaire dans les communautés nigérianes devrait être envisagée.