bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fasting plasma glucose in the first trimester is related to Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and adverse pregnancy outcomes
Authors: Tong Jia-Ning , Wu Lin-Lin , Chen Yi-Xuan , Guan Xiao-Nian , Tian Fu-Ying , Zhang Hua-Fan , Liu Kan , Yin Ai-Qi , Wu Xiao-Xia , Niu Jian-min
Published: April 2021

PurposeTo investigate and identify first-trimester fasting plasma glucose (FPG) is related to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and other adverse pregnancy outcomes in Shenzhen population.MethodsWe used data of 48,444 pregnant women that had been retrospectively collected between 2017 and 2019. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluated the associations between first-trimester FPG and GDM and adverse pregnancy outcomes, and used to construct a nomogram model for predicting the risk of GDM. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated by using ROC and calibration curves. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to determine the clinical usefulness of the first-trimester FPG by quantifying the net benefits at different threshold probabilities.ResultsThe mean first-trimester FPG was 4.62±0.42 mmol/L. A total of 6998(14.4%) pregnancies developed GDM.489(1.01%) pregnancies developed polyhydramnios, the prevalence rates of gestational hypertensive disorder (GHD), cesarean section, primary cesarean section, preterm delivery before 37 weeks (PD) and dystocia was 1130(2.33%), 20426(42.16%), 7237(14.94%), 2386(4.93%) and 1865(3.85%), respectively. 4233(8.74%) of the newborns were LGA, and the number of macrosomia was 2272(4.69%), LBW was 1701(3.51%) and 5084(10.49%) newborns had admission to the ICU, which all showed significances between GDM and non-GDM groups (all P<0.05). The univariate analysis showed that first-trimester FPG was strongly associated with risks of outcomes including GDM, cesarean section, macrosomia, GHD, primary cesarean section and LGA (all OR>1, all P<0.05), furthermore, the risks of GDM, primary cesarean section and LGA was increasing with first-trimester FPG as early as it was at 4.19-4.63 mmol/L. The multivariable analysis showed that the risks of GDM (ORs for FPG 4.19-4.63, 4.63-5.11 and 5.11-7.0 mmol/L were 1.137, 1.592 and 4.031, respectively, all P <0.05) increased as early as first-trimester FPG was at 4.19-4.63 mmol/L,and first-trimester FPG which was also associated with the risks of cesarean section, macrosomia and LGA (OR for FPG 5.11-7.0 mmol/L of cesarean section: 1.128; OR for FPG 5.11-7.0 mmol/L of macrosomia: 1.561; OR for FPG 4.63-5.11 and 5.11-7.0 mmol/L of LGA: 1.149 and 1.426, respectively, all P <0.05) and with its increasing, the risks of LGA increased. Furthermore, the nomogram had a C-indices 0.771(95%CI: 0.763~0.779) and 0.770(95%CI:0.758~0.781) in training and testing validation respectively, which showed an acceptable consistency between the observed, validation and nomogram-predicted probabilities, the DAC curve analysis indicated that the nomogram had important clinical application value for GDM risk prediction.ConclusionsFPG in the first trimester was an independent risk factor for GDM which can be used as a screening test for identifying pregnancies at risk of GDM and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Preparation And Characterization Of g-C3N4 @ L-Arginine As A Highly - Efficient And Recyclable Catalyst For The Synthesis of 1, 4-Dihydropyridine, 4H-Chromene, And 2, 3-Dihydro Quinazoline Derivatives
Authors: Tajik Zeinab , Ghafuri Hossein , Ghanbari Nastaran , Hanifehnejad Payman
Published: April 2021

In this work, the nanocatalyst of g-C3N4@L-arginine was prepared that synthesis of it in comparison with the synthesis of other catalysts was convenient; initially, this prepared nanocatalyst was evaluated and verified by FT-IR, EDX, XRD, TGA, and FESEM analysis, and in the next step, the performance of nanocatalyst in the synthesis of 1, 4-dihydropyridine, 4H-chromene, and 2, 3-dihydro quinazoline derivatives were examined with high yield. Properties such as high thermal stability, easy separation of reaction media, use in various multicomponent reactions, and reusability have caused that this novel nanocatalyst was changed into a unique catalyst in its own age.
Synthesis, Molecular Docking, and Evaluation of Triazole and Chalcone Conjugate As Antitubercular Agent
Authors: Kaur Harpreet , Singh Rakesh , kant Rishi
Published: April 2021

The aim of this work was to be combine two pharmocophoric nuclei viz, triazole and chalcone and evaluate their antitubercular activity. Propargylated vanillin was condensed with differently substituted acetophenones to produce various chalcones (3a-c). Propargyl chalcones were then made to react with benzyl azides (2a-d) using the technique of Click chemistry and this reaction yielded triazole-chalcone hybrids (4a-l) in good yields, ranged from 34 to 93%. These hybrids were evaluated for their antitubercular activity, from the results it was found that triazole and chalcone on combination exhibited enhanced bioactivity thereby supported the theory of synergistic effect. The conjugate 4a and 4f were found to be most potent with MIC of 1.6 µg/ml. Molecular docking studies of bioactive compounds were in good congruence with in-vitro studies.
Transcriptome-wide association study identifies novel susceptibility genes contributing to hearing impairment
Authors: Xie Chengyong , Niu Yuguang , Ping Jie , Zhang Qian , Zhang Zheng , Wang Yahui , Yang Chenning , Zhou Gangqiao , Li Yuanfeng
Published: April 2021

Hearing impairment (HI) is a growing public health issue of global concern, which may lead to decreased work efficiency, social withdrawal and depression. However, the knowledge of the genetic basis of HI is limited. We conducted a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) on risk of HI by combining an European cohort (578 cases and 583 controls) with a Chinese cohort (89 cases and 209 controls). We identified that 46 genes show transcriptome-wide significant associations with the HI risk in the meta-analyses of the European and the Chinese cohorts (all P < 3.96 ×10− 6). Of these 46 candidate genes, four genes (ARL6IP6, TMEM127, TOMM7 and JAM3) showed nominal evidence of association in both cohorts (all P < 0.05). Among these four genes, two ones (ARL6IP6 and TMEM127) revealed strong, colocalized, and potentially causal associations with HI. Pathway enrichment analyses showed that the ciliary landscape (P = 5.55 × 10− 4), cholesterol biosynthesis (P = 7.09 × 10− 3), glycerophospholipid metabolism (P = 9.65 × 10− 3) and IL-4 (P = 1.11 × 10− 2) signaling pathways are significantly associated with HI. Our findings identified several novel susceptibility genes contributing to HI, and emphasized the power of TWAS in identifying putatively causal genes for common diseases.
A COVID-19 Pretest Probability Calculator
Authors: Hayden Frederick
Published: April 2021

Background: COVID-19 presents with a wide variety of symptoms which also vary in severity. Clinical gestalt is required to help distinguish between COVID-19 and other viral illness. As the pandemic heads into the second year, patient compliance with isolation and quarantine precautions is starting to diminish. The COVID-19 Pretest Probability Calculator is proposed to help offer pre-test probability of COVID-19 to assist in medical decision making. Methods: Patient’s presenting with COVID-19 like illness were grouped to high, intermediate, or low pretest probability risk based on total scores from reported criteria, which was correlated with the resulting SARS-CoV-2 PCR nasal swab. The calculator was applied in both a prospective and retrospective fashion. Results: A total of 412 patients were recorded, with a total of 132 positive results. Of low-risk patients, only one patient resulted as positive, while 85% or 111 of total positive results being categorized as high-risk. Overall demonstrated sensitivity was 99% with 50% specificity. Individual criteria were analyzed with anosmia and dysgeusia being the most significant. These symptoms demonstrated 92% specificity, and no low-risk patients reported these symptoms. Conclusion: The COVID calculator demonstrates strong rule-out capability for patients who are low risk. Furthermore, 85% of positive patients were high risk which suggests the need for longer isolation or retesting especially when an alternative diagnosis cannot be established. If a patient reports anosmia or dysgeusia a higher index of suspicion for COVID-19 should be considered.
Prediction of Repeated Intravenous Immunoglobulin Resistance in Children With Kawasaki Disease
Authors: Lu Yaheng , Chen Tingting , Wen Yizhou , Si Feifei , Wu Xindan , Yang Yanfeng
Published: April 2021

Background: Repeated intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance prediction is one of the pivotal topics in Kawasaki disease (KD). Those non-responders of repeated IVIG treatment might be improved by an early-intensified therapy to reduce coronary artery lesion and medical costs. This study investigated predictors of resistance to repeated IVIG treatment in KD.Methods: A total of 94 children with IVIG-resistant KD treated at our hospital between January 2016 and August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the therapeutic effect of a second dose IVIG treatment, the children were divided into repeated IVIG-responsive group and repeated IVIG-resistant group, and the clinical and laboratory data were compared. Predictors of repeated IVIG resistance and the optimal cut-off value were determined by multiple logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results: The laboratory data of the percentage of neutrophils (N%) and levels of serum procalcitonin (PCT), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) on admission were significantly higher in repeated IVIG-resistant group compared with repeated IVIG-responsive group, while levels of serum sodium (Na+) and albumin (ALB) were significantly lower (P<0.05). The clinic data showed no significant differences between the two groups. PCT exhibited the largest AUC (0.751) in predicting repeated IVIG resistance in KD compared with N%, Na+, ALB, and NT-proBNP. PCT>1.81ng/ml was an independent predictor of repeated IVIG resistance in KD (OR 4.161, 95% CI 1.441~12.017, P=0.008). Conclusions: Our study illustrates the serum PCT level before initial IVIG treatment could be used to predict repeated IVIG resistance in KD.
A multi-level scenario-based predictive analytics framework to model community mental health—built environment nexus
Authors: Mukherjee Sayanti , Boamah Emmanuel Frimpong , Ganguly Prasangsha , Botchwey Nisha
Published: April 2021

Understanding the complex community mental health—built environment nexus remains vital to building healthy and sustainable cities. The recent commission report on mental health and sustainable development goals elevates concerns about understanding these complex relationships for informed-policy actions. However, there are limited analytical and methodological frameworks to unpack these relationships. Here, we develop a multi-level scenario-based predictive analytics framework (MSPAF) to address this limitation. We employ rigorously validated interpretable machine learning algorithms and scenario-based sensitivity analyses to explore the relationship between community mental health, and socio-economic/physical aspects of built environment across the US metropolitan areas. Our results suggest that declining socioeconomic conditions (e.g., poverty, low income, unemployment) are significantly associated with increased reported mental health disorders. The results also contribute to the insurance-mental health debate by showing decreased access to public health insurance is associated with increase in reported mental disorders. Finally, adults report increased mental health disorders as travel costs or housing vacancies increase, but this does not hold across all the metropolitan areas, illustrating a mixed effect of built environment’s physical aspects on mental health. We conclude by highlighting future opportunities of incorporating other micro-/macro-level data into the MSPAF framework to examine the mental health—built environment nexus further.
Intracranial Capillary Hemangioma – a Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Goel Aimee , Cuthbert Hadleigh , Joseph Jooly , Albanese Erminia
Published: April 2021

BackgroundCapillary hemangiomas of the central nervous system are exceedingly rare. These are benign tumour-like lesions that usually occur in the skin and soft tissues of mainly children. We report the case of an extra-axial capillary hemangioma mimicking a tentorial meningioma.Case presentationA 46-year old female patient presented with headaches. Imaging revealed an avidly enhancing tentorial lesion with a wide dural base, features suggestive of a meningioma. Intra-operatively, an extra-axial heavily vascular tumour was found and was radically resected en bloc. Histology revealed thin-walled capillary-sized vessels arranged in closely packed lobules, and a diagnosis of capillary hemangioma was made. At one year follow up, the patient was asymptomatic and no tumour recurrence was noted.ConclusionsA literature review showed that capillary hemangiomas may be misdiagnosed as other extra-axial dural-based lesions such as meningiomas, schwannomas, hemangiopericytomas and inflammatory granulomatous lesions. Diagnosis should be considered especially in radiologically atypical cases. Complete excision is curative. Stereotactic radiosurgery on its own or in conjunction with surgery also achieves good results while partial excision or biopsy alone often leads to recurrence.
Tag-less Back-Translation
Authors: Abdulmumin Idris , Galadanci Bashir Shehu , Garba Aliyu
Published: April 2021

An effective method to generate a large number of parallel sentences for training improved neural machine translation (NMT) systems is the use of the back-translations of the target-side monolingual data. The standard back-translation method has been shown to be unable to efficiently utilize the available huge amount of existing monolingual data because of the inability of translation models to differentiate between the authentic and synthetic parallel data during training. Tagging, or using gates, has been used to enable translation models to distinguish between synthetic and authentic data, improving standard back-translation and also enabling the use of iterative back-translation on language pairs that underperformed using standard back-translation. In this work, we approach back-translation as a domain adaptation problem, eliminating the need for explicit tagging. In the approach - tag-less back-translation - the synthetic and authentic parallel data are treated as out-of-domain and in-domain data respectively and, through pre-training and fine-tuning, the translation model is shown to be able to learn more efficiently from them during training. Experimental results have shown that the approach outperforms the standard and tagged back-translation approaches on low resource English-Vietnamese and English-German neural machine translation.
Odour-Mediated Interactions Between an Apex Reptilian Predator and its Mammalian Prey
Authors: Dickman Christopher R. , Fardell Loren L. , Hills Nicole
Published: April 2021

An important but understudied modality for eavesdropping between predators and prey is olfaction, especially between non-mammalian vertebrate predators and their prey. Here we test three olfactory eavesdropping predictions involving an apex reptilian predator, the sand goanna Varanus gouldii, and several species of its small mammalian prey in arid central Australia. Firstly, as expected, we found that small mammals recognised and avoided the faecal odour of sand goannas, feeding less intensively at food patches where the odour of V. gouldii was present than at patches with no odour or a pungency control odour. Secondly, V. gouldii was attracted to the odour of small mammals in artificial burrows, and dug more frequently at burrows containing the odour of species that were energetically profitable than at those of species likely to yield diminished returns. Our third prediction received mixed support. Rates of movement of three species of small mammals were no different where V. gouldii was present or absent, but burrow fidelity in two of these species increased as expected in an area where V. gouldii had been removed. We conclude that olfaction plays a key role in the dynamic interaction between V. gouldii and its mammalian prey, with the interactants using olfaction to balance their respective costs of foraging and reducing predation risk. We speculate that the risk of predation from this apex reptilian predator drives the marked and highly unusual burrow-shifting behaviour that characterises many of Australia's small desert mammals.
A case report of late-onset schizophrenia differentiated from a dementing disorder
Authors: Shimada Takamitsu , Uehara Takashi , Nagasawa Tatsuya , Hasegawa Mitsuru , Maeda Yoshiki , Kawasaki Yasuhiro
Published: April 2021

Background
With the increase in life expectancy and the subsequent increase in the older population, the clinical importance of late-onset psychosis also increases. Neuropathological findings play an important role in the differential diagnosis of dementing disorders in older adults. Herein, we report a case of late-onset schizophrenia that required differentiation from a dementing disorder.
Case presentation:
The patient was an 83-year-old woman who had experienced auditory hallucinations since she was 67 years old. She was hospitalized for treatment of her psychosis. Initially, various examinations were performed to consider the possibility that she had a dementing disorder such as dementia with Lewy bodies. 123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine myocardial scintigraphy revealed no decrease in iodine accumulation in the myocardium, and 123I-ioflupane dopamine transporter imaging revealed no decrease in dopamine transporter accumulation in the striatum. The patient had an elevated concentration of total tau (488 pg/mL), a cerebrospinal fluid biomarker. After comprehensive testing, the patient was diagnosed with late-onset schizophrenia. Her psychiatric symptoms such as auditory hallucinations diminished after the administration of the recommended first-line drug risperidone (3 mg/day), and she was discharged on day 90.
Conclusions
This case was identified as late-onset schizophrenia. However, an elevated total tau concentration was observed, indicating that neurofibrillary tangles and neuronal death, which are characteristic of Alzheimer 's disease, may also have been present. Late-onset schizophrenia should be treated based on an appropriate differential diagnosis, including neuropathological consideration of dementing disorders.
Fermentation Quality and Aroma Profile of Winter Cereals and Italian Ryegrass Plus Winter Cereal Mixture Silages
Authors: Babu Alemayehu Worku , Tóth Tamás , Orosz Szilvia , Fébel Hedvig , Kacsala László , Húth Balázs , Hoffmann Richárd , Yakubu Haruna Gado , Bazar George , Tóthi Róbert
Published: April 2021

During silage making microbial fermentation produces an array of end products which can influence the odour of the final silage and can also change many nutritive aspects of a forage. The objective of this study was to evaluate the fermentation quality and aroma profile of winter cereals and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam., IRG) plus winter cereal mixture silages detected with an electronic nose. Four mixtures (mixture A: triticale, oats, barley and wheat; mixture B: triticale, barley and wheat; mixture C: IRG and oats; mixture D: IRG, oats, triticale, barley and wheat) were harvested, wilted and ensiled in laboratory-scale silos (n = 80) without additives. Mixture C had higher (P < 0.05) mold and yeast (Log10 CFU (colony forming unit)/g) counts compared to mixture B. Mixture B and C had higher acetic acid (AA) content than mixture A and D. The lactic acid (LA) content was higher for mixture B than mixture C. At the end of 90 days fermentation winter cereal mixture silages (mixture A and B) had similar aroma pattern, and mixture C was also similar to winter cereal silages. However, mixture D had different aromatic pattern than other ensiled mixtures. Both the principal component analysis (PCA) score plot for aroma profile and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classification revealed that mixture D had different aroma profile than other mixture silages. The difference was caused by the presence of high ethanol and LA in mixture D. Ethyl esters such as ethyl 3-methyl pentanoate, 2-methylpropanal, ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate and ethyl-3-methylthiopropanoate were found at different retention indices in mixture D silage. The low LA and higher mold and yeast count in mixture C silage caused off odour due to the presence of 3-methylbutanoic acid, a simple alcohol with unpleasant camphor-like odor. In general, the electronic nose (EN) results revealed that the ensiled mixtures were dominated by ethyl ester likely producing pleasant fruity odors which could increase the intake of ensiled mixtures. However, the technology is suitable in finding off odor compounds of ensiled forages that may likely reduce feed intake.
Assessment of IDH1 Genotype and Cell Proliferation in Gliomas Using Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Xie Yan , Li Shihui , Shen Nanxi , Gan Tongjia , Zhang Shun , Liu Weiyin Vivian , Zhu Wenzhen
Published: April 2021

Purpose

To compare the efficacy of parameters from mono-, bi- and stretch-exponential diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) for prediction of IDH1 genotype and assessment of cell proliferation in gliomas.
Methods

91 patients with pathologically confirmed gliomas underwent DWI, multi-b-value DWI and DKI/NODDI on 3.0T MRI. The ROIs were manually placed to obtain measurements including apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), slow ADC (D), fast ADC (D*), perfusion fraction (f), distributed diffusion coefficient (DDC), heterogeneity index (α), fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), mean kurtosis (MK), orientation dispersion index (ODI) and intracellular volume fraction (ICVF).
Results

In LrGGs, IDH1 wild-type group showed significantly lower ADC, D, f, DDC, α, MD and higher D*, MK, ODI and ICVF values than IDH1-mutant group (P < 0.05). Among them, α has the highest AUC value (0.846). In GBMs, no difference between IDH1-mutant and IDH1 wild-type group was found. For IDH1-mutant group, all parameters, except for FA and D*, significantly discriminated LrGGs from GBMs (P < 0.05). However, for IDH1 wild-type group, only ADC and DDC statistically discriminated LrGGs from GBMs (P = 0.039 and 0.046, respectively). In addition, MK has maximal correlation coefficient (r = 0.612, P < 0.001) and D* has the minimal correlation coefficient (r = 0.146, P = 0.176) with Ki-67 LI.
Conclusion

The α may be the most effective diffusion MRI marker for predicting IDH1 genotype in LrGGs, and MK has shown great potential in assessing glioma cell proliferation.
Modeling the Impact of Climate and Non-Climatic Factors on Cereal Production: Evidence from Indian Agriculture
Authors: Chandio Abbas Ali , Jiang Yuansheg , Amin Asad , Akram Waqar , Ozturk Ilhan , Sinha Avik , Ahmad Fayyaz
Published: April 2021

The underpinned study examines the effects of climatic and non-climatic factors on Indian agriculture, cereal production, and yield using the country-level time series data of 1965–2015. With the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach, the long-term equilibrium association among the variables has been explored. The results reveal that climatic factors like CO2 emissions and temperature adversely affect agricultural output, while rainfall positively affects it. Likewise, non-climatic factors, including energy used, financial development, and labor force, affect agricultural production positively in the long run. The estimated long-run results further demonstrate that CO2 emissions and rainfall positively affect both cereal production and yield, while temperature adversely affects. The results exhibit that the cereal cropped area, energy used, financial development, and labor force significantly and positively impact the long-run cereal production and yield. Finally, pairwise granger causality test confirmed that both climatic and non-climatc factors are significantly influencing agriculture and cereal production in India. Based on these results, policymakers and governmental institutions should formulate coherent adaptation measures and mitigation policies to tackle the adverse climate change effects on agriculture and its production of cereals.
Use of Site-Specific Data for Modeling Selenium Bioaccumulation by Terrestrial Animals
Authors: Santolo Gary , Yamamoto Julie , Ohlendorf Harry
Published: April 2021

We developed a bioaccumulation model from an extensive set of monitoring data to predict selenium (Se) concentrations in biota within a terrestrial system (Kesterson Reservoir, CA). The model uses water-extractable Se concentrations in soil to estimate the expected range of mean Se concentrations in biota at Kesterson for future scenarios. Biological monitoring data collected at Kesterson Reservoir from 1988 to 1994 were used to parameterize the initial model. The model was tested and updated with additional sample results from 1995 through 2001 biological monitoring and validated and calibrated using Se concentrations from sampling conducted in 2004 and 2006. Minor adjustments were made to the model based on each additional year’s results and the model was used in 2014 to assess whether there were continuing threats to wildlife at Kesterson. The model predicts Se concentrations in small mammals, bird blood, and bird eggs in common species found at Kesterson. This model was used for the final assessment of Kesterson in 2014 and performed well, but there was variability in results due to differences in individual diets and feeding ranges of animals. In the comparisons of 2014 predicted to measured Se, only whole-body mice, deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), and kestrel blood were significantly different. The trophic transfer factors and regression equations should be applicable to other Se-contaminated sites; adjusting weighting factors based on diet and range allows the model to be adapted and used at other sites.
Hydrogen Sorption Behaviors on Lithium Doped MIL@53-Al at Non-Cryogenic Temperatures.
Authors: Konni Madhavi , Karnena Manoj Kumar
Published: April 2021

The current research work reports the methods that have been developed to dope the Lithium nanoparticles to the MIL@53-Al surface frameworks without inducing the structures. The prepared MIL@53-Al MOFs and Li/MIL/53-Al were characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM, BET, and TGA. The developed Lithium doped MIL@53-Al and MIL@53-Al were measured for the hydrogen sorption capacities at 298 and 253 K under a pressure of 75 bar. The study reports revealed that sorption capacities of MIL@53-Al enhanced significantly due to the doping of lithium ions; however, doping of these ions should be controlled for obtaining good uptake capacities as the higher concentrations of lithium might damage the frameworks of the synthesized materials. The lithium doping enhances the hydrogen uptake from 1.37 to 1.75 wt % at 253 K and 75 bar pressure.
Characterizing Alternative and Emerging Tobacco Product Transition of Use Behavior on Twitter
Authors: Bardier Cortni , Yang Joshua S. , Li Jiawei , Mackey Tim Ken
Published: April 2021

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop an inductive coding approach specific to characterizing user-generated social media conversations about transition of use of different tobacco and alternative and emerging tobacco products (ATPs). Results: A total of 40,206 tweets were collected from the Twitter public API stream that were geocoded from 2018-2019. Using data mining approaches, these tweets were then filtered for keywords associated with tobacco and ATP use behavior. This resulted in a subset of 5,718 tweets, with 657 manually annotated and identified as associated with user-generated conversations about tobacco and ATP use behavior. The 657 tweets were coded into 9 parent codes: inquiry, interaction, observation, opinion, promote, reply, share knowledge, use characteristics, and transition of use behavior. The highest number of observations occurred under transition of use (43.38%, n=285), followed by current use (39.27%, n=258), opinions about use (0.07%, n=46), and product promotion (0.06%, n=37). Other codes had less than ten tweets that discussed these themes. Results provide early insights into how social media users discuss topics related to transition of use and their experiences with different and emerging tobacco product use behavior.
DFT Study of Electric Capacity for Composites Building by Phosphomolybdic Acid with Nitrogen－Doped Graphene
Authors: Zhou Caihua , Wang Chao , Fan Guang
Published: April 2021

Three kinds of composites were built by nitrogen-doped grapheme and phosphomolybdic acid. Based on the density functional theory, the combined energies, charge populations, orbital distributions and densities of states (DOS) were calculated. The results show that the short rage interaction can be formed between oxygen atom and nitrogen atom, and the charge can be transferred from phosphomolybdic acid to graphene. It is found that the conductive bands (CB) of phosphomolybdic acid move to lower level energy and there are more valence bands (VB) in composites from DOS. It is revealed that composites have the higher electric capacity due to nitrogen-doped graphene can receive more electrons from phosphomolybdic acid.
Biomechanical Study of Transsacral-transiliac Screw Fixation Versus Lumbopelvic Fixation and Bilateral Triangular Fixation for “H”- and “U”-type Sacrum Fractures With Traumatic Spondylopelvic Dissociation: a Finite Element Analysis Study
Authors: Peng Ye , Zhang Gongzi , Zhang Shuwei , Ji Xinran , Li Junwei , Du Chengfei , Zhao Wen , Zhang Lihai
Published: April 2021

Objective: To compare the biomechanical stability of transsacral-transiliac screw fixation and lumbopelvic fixation for “H”- and “U”-type sacrum fractures with traumatic spondylopelvic dissociation.Methods: Finite element models of “H”- and “U”-type sacrum fractures with traumatic spondylopelvic dissociation were created in this study. The models mimicked the standing position of a human. Fixation with transsacral-transiliac screw fixation, lumbopelvic fixation, and bilateral triangular fixation were simulated. Biomechanical tests of instability were performed, and the fracture gap displacement, anteflexion, rotation, and stress distribution after fixation were assessed.Results: For H-type fractures, the three kinds of fixation ranked by stability were bilateral triangular fixation > lumbopelvic fixation > transsacral-transiliac screw fixation in the vertical and anteflexion directions, bilateral triangular fixation > transsacral-transiliac S1 and S2 screw fixation > lumbopelvic fixation in rotation. The largest displacements in the vertical, anteflexion and rotational directions were 0.57234 mm, 0.37923 mm and 0.13076 mm, respectively. For U-type fractures, these kinds of fixation ranked by stability were bilateral triangular fixation > lumbopelvic fixation > transsacral-transiliac S1 and S2 screw fixation > transsacral-transiliac S1 screw fixation in the vertical, anteflexion and rotational directions. The largest displacements in the vertical, anteflexion and rotational directions were 0.38296 mm, 0.33976 mm and 0.05064 mm, respectively.Conclusion: All these kinds of fixation met the mechanical criteria for clinical applications. The biomechanical analysis showed better bilateral balance with transsacral-transiliac screw fixation. The maximal displacement for these types of fixation was less than 1 mm. Percutaneous transsacral-transiliac screw fixation can be considered the best option among these kinds of fracture fixation.
The Biological-promoting Function of Dietary Nano-selenium, Seaweed Gracilaria Lemaneiformis and Nano-selenium-enriched Gracilaria Lemaneiformis on Growth Performance, Antioxidant and Immunity Systems and Meat Quality of Grouper (Epinephelus Coioides)
Authors: Ye Changpeng , Yu Jiaojiao , Huang Yuying , Zhang Chaowen , Wu Min , Wang Zibin , Zou Yi , Zhao Jiangang , Xu Delin , Cui Miao
Published: April 2021

Background: Nano-Se-enriched Gracilaria lemaneiformis (G. lemaneiformis) as feed ingredient on aquatic animals remained largely unknown. Feeding experiment was conducted for a total of 45 days to research the biological impacts of nano-selenium (Nano-Se) (group N), G. lemaneiformis (group G) and Nano-Se-enriched G. lemaneiformis (group NG) on growth, selenium concentration, oxidation, immunity and nutrition of Epinephelus coioides.Results: At each tested time point, the weight gain rate, specific growth rate and feed conversion rate of group N, group G and group NG were significantly increased in contrast to those of the control group (group C). A remarkable increase of the hepatosomatic index (HSI) and viscerosomatic index (VSI) was observed in group N and group NG. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) of fish in group N, group G and group NG were significantly enhanced relative to those in group C. The immune system was also activated by showing an elevated expression level of various immunological genes including Immunoglobulin M, tumor necrosis factor-α and Interleukin -8. The muscle Se content in group N and group NG was 31- and 40.5-fold that of the control group (group C), respectively. The liver Se value of group N and group NG was 1.06 and 2.50 times higher than that of group C, respectively. The lipid and moisture values of group N and group NG are increased and reduced, respectively, in comparison to that of group C. The diet supplementation of Nano-Se-enriched G. lemaneiformis led to significant increase of the protein content, delicious amino acids along with total amino acids content in grouper. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate a great application potential of Nano-Se-enriched G. lemaneiformis as dietary additive in grouper.
Ramatroban, an orally bioavailable immunomodulator and antithrombotic agent for treatment of COVID-19 disease: A Case Report
Authors: Agarwal MS MBBS Ashutosh , Chiang Kate Chander , Agarwal MS MBBS Aditya
Published: April 2021

SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and COVID-19 disease are characterized by a maladaptive immune response and prothrombotic state. The Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus unleashes a storm of lipid mediators with very high levels of thromboxane B2 and prostaglandin D2 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. DPr2 receptors for prostaglandin D2 and TPr receptors for thromboxane A2 have been proposed as therapeutic targets in COVID-19 in order to decrease viral load and inhibit platelet dependent thrombosis, respectively. Ramatroban is an oral, dual receptor antagonist of the DPr2 and TPr receptors with established safety profile, having been used in Japan for the treatment of allergic rhinitis for over 20 years. We report two patients, an 88-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man, both with COVID-19 pneumonia who were successfully treated in ambulatory setting with oral ramatroban, leading to rapid improvement in oxygen saturation from about 80–82% to about 90–95% over 24–48 hours followed by gradual recovery from the disease. The mechanism of action of ramatroban and its efficacy reported here supports clinical trials on this drug as a potential treatment for COVID-19.
Depression as a symptom of cerebrovascular diseases: A review.
Authors: Abykayev Nurtai , Kulmanov Marat , Lurye Arman , Zhumanbayeva Dinara
Published: April 2021

Depression can be prodromal symptom of brain diseases, but this association remains poorly studied with regards to cerebrovascular diseases. The aim of this review was to analyze the relationship between cerebrovascular diseases and depression. The objectives of the current review were: 1 – to assess the relationship between structural changes in brain and depression; 2 – to evaluate the connection between cognitive performance and cerebrovascular impairment; 3 – to assess the relationship between biological correlates of brain diseases and depression. A search of PubMed database was conducted focusing on papers published until 4th March, 2021. The following terms were used: brain diseases and depression/pathology. A depressive disorder might have relationship with structural or biological changes in the brain. However, this does not give the precise conclusion that depression definitely appears while person has cerebrovascular disease. Nevertheless, people with cerebrovascular diseases were observed to have high depression scales scores, while depression and cerebrovascular diseases had inflammation, cognitive change, or dopamine and serotonin changes in common. This is an overall limit concerning the definition of depression and cerebrovascular diseases. So, in this review we observed all the possible connections between depression and brain diseases. Depression seems to be associated with cerebrovascular changes in people. They might have structural changes in hippocampus, white matter, cortex and other parts, as well as inflammatory processes, neuromediators changes, and cognitive decline. Thus, it is essential to evaluate depressive disorders in people with brain diseases as precisely as possible.
Selected ‘Starter Kit’ energy system modelling data for Central African Republic (#CCG)
Authors: Allington Lucy , Cannone Carla , Pappis Ioannis , Barron Karla Cervantes , Usher Will , Pye Steve , Brown Edward , Howells Mark , Taliotis Constantinos , Sundin Caroline , Sridha Vignesh , Ramos Eunice , Brinkerink Maarten , Deane Paul , Gritsevskyi Andrii , Moura Gustavo , Rouget Arnaud , Wogan David , Barcelona Edito , Rogner Holger , Cronin Jen , Hirmer Stephanie
Published: April 2021

Energy system modelling can be used to assess the implications of different scenarios and support improved policymaking. However, access to data is often a barrier to starting energy system modelling in developing countries, thereby causing delays. Therefore, this article provides data that can be used to create a simple zero order energy system model for Central African Republic, which can act as a starting point for further model development and scenario analysis. The data are collected entirely from publicly available and accessible sources, including the websites and databases of international organizations, journal articles, and existing modelling studies. This means that the dataset can be easily updated based on the latest available information or more detailed and accurate local data. These data were also used to calibrate a simple energy system model using the Open Source Energy Modelling System (OSeMOSYS) and three stylized scenarios (Fossil Future, Least Cost and Net Zero by 2050) for 2020–2050. The assumptions used and results of these scenarios are presented in the appendix as an illustrative example of what can be done with these data. This simple model can be adapted and further developed by in-country analysts and academics, providing a platform for future work.
Selected ‘Starter Kit’ energy system modelling data for Equatorial Guinea (#CCG)
Authors: Allington Lucy , Cannone Carla , Pappis Ioannis , Barron Karla Cervantes , Usher Will , Pye Steve , Brown Edward , Howells Mark , Taliotis Constantinos , Sundin Caroline , Sridha Vignesh , Ramos Eunice , Brinkerink Maarten , Deane Paul , Gritsevskyi Andrii , Moura Gustavo , Rouget Arnaud , Wogan David , Barcelona Edito , Rogner Holger , Hirmer Stephanie
Published: April 2021

Energy system modelling can be used to assess the implications of different scenarios and support improved policymaking. However, access to data is often a barrier to starting energy system modelling in developing countries, thereby causing delays. Therefore, this article provides data that can be used to create a simple zero order energy system model for Equatorial Guinea, which can act as a starting point for further model development and scenario analysis. The data are collected entirely from publicly available and accessible sources, including the websites and databases of international organizations, journal articles, and existing modelling studies. This means that the dataset can be easily updated based on the latest available information or more detailed and accurate local data. These data were also used to calibrate a simple energy system model using the Open Source Energy Modelling System (OSeMOSYS) and two stylized scenarios (Fossil Future and Least Cost) for 2020–2050. The assumptions used and results of these scenarios are presented in the appendix as an illustrative example of what can be done with these data. This simple model can be adapted and further developed by in-country analysts and academics, providing a platform for future work.
Selected ‘Starter Kit’ energy system modelling data for Eritrea (#CCG)
Authors: Cannone Carla , Allington Lucy , Pappis Ioannis , Barron Karla Cervantes , Usher Will , Pye Steve , Brown Edward , Howells Mark , Walker Miriam Zachau , Ahsan Aniq , Charbonnier Flora , Halloran Claire , Hirmer Stephanie , Taliotis Constantinos , Sundin Caroline , Sridha Vignesh , Ramos Eunice , Brinkerink Maarten , Deane Paul , Gritsevskyi Andrii , Moura Gustavo , Rouget Arnaud , Wogan David , Barcelona Edito , Rogner Holger , Cronin Jen
Published: April 2021

Energy system modelling can be used to assess the implications of different scenarios and support improved policymaking. However, access to data is often a barrier to starting energy system modelling in developing countries, thereby causing delays. Therefore, this article provides data that can be used to create a simple zero order energy system model for Eritrea, which can act as a starting point for further model development and scenario analysis. The data are collected entirely from publicly available and accessible sources, including the websites and databases of international organizations, journal articles, and existing modelling studies. This means that the dataset can be easily updated based on the latest available information or more detailed and accurate local data. These data were also used to calibrate a simple energy system model using the Open Source Energy Modelling System (OSeMOSYS) and three stylized scenarios (Fossil Future, Least Cost and Net Zero by 2050) for 2020–2050. The assumptions used and results of these scenarios are presented in the appendix as an illustrative example of what can be done with these data. This simple model can be adapted and further developed by in-country analysts and academics, providing a platform for future work.
A field analysis trial comparing the turnaround times of routine and STAT red blood cell immunohematology testing
Authors: Sackett K. , Kjell A. , Schneider A.M. , Cohn C.S.
Published: April 2021

The turnaround time (TAT) for pre-transfusion testing is important for prompt clinical decision-making. TAT includes the time between the arrival of the sample and the initiation of testing, plus the processing time (PT) required to generate and report a result. The TAT in larger blood banks is mostly dependent upon the capability of the analyzer used. In smaller blood banks, where manual work is often performed, the TAT is dependent on availability and experience of staff, testing resources, and workload. Our site performed a comparative analysis of the ORTHO VISION® (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan, NJ) and the Echo® (Immucor, Norcross, GA) blood bank analyzers, using the TAT and PT of standard blood bank tests as the outcome metrics. Tests were run in various combinations to reflect the standard workflow of a busy hospital transfusion service and under routine and immediate or STAT conditions. We also compared manual versus automated processing TATs for a variety of pre-transfusion tests and antibody titers. We found that the capacity of the VISION to load and run new samples, even while several other tests were ongoing, allowed for faster overall TAT when compared with samples run on the Echo. The PTs of the two analyzers (from load to result) were also compared, and we found them to be equivalent. These findings highlight the inherent flaw in considering only PT when assessing a laboratory’s ability to efficiently and consistently make results available to best meet customer and patient needs. In addition, we observed a tighter distribution of TATs and PTs when the VISION was compared with the Echo analyzer, providing a higher level of predictability for availability of results. Finally, when compared with manual antibody titer testing, the VISION analyzer showed a faster PT.
Immunohematology

2017;33:1–5.
Use of standard laboratory methods to obviate routine dithiothreitol treatment of blood samples with daratumumab interference
Authors: Lintel N.J. , Brown D.K. , Schafer D.T. , Tsimba-Chitsva F.M. , Koepsell S.A. , Shunkwiler S.M.
Published: April 2021

Daratumumab is an antibody currently used in the treatment of patients with refractory multiple myeloma. Blood samples from patients being treated with daratumumab may show panreactivity during pre-transfusion testing. To facilitate the provision of blood components for such patients, it is recommended that a baseline phenotype or genotype be established prior to starting treatment with daratumumab. If patient red blood cells (RBCs) require phenotyping after the start of daratumumab treatment, dithiothreitol (DTT) treatment of the patient’s RBCs should be performed. The medical charts of four patients treated with daratumumab were reviewed. The individual number of doses ranged from 1 to 14; patient age ranged from 55 to 78 years; two men and two women were included in the review. Type and screen data were obtained from samples collected over 33 encounters with a range of 1 to 13 encounters per patient. All samples were tested initially by automated solid-phase testing. Any reactivity with solid phase led to tube testing with either low-ionic-strength saline, polyethylene glycol, or both. If incubation failed to eliminate the reactivity, the sample was sent to a reference laboratory for DTT treatment and phenotyping. Of the 33 samples tested, 23 (69.7%) samples had reactivity in solid-phase testing. In 8 of the 10 samples that did not react in solid-phase, testing was conducted more than four half-lives after the last dose of daratumumab. Of the 23 that had reactivity in solid-phase, 16 (69.6%) samples demonstrated loss of reactivity using common laboratory methods. For the seven patients whose sample reactivity was not initially eliminated, six were provided with phenotypically matched blood based on prior molecular testing. Only one sample was sent out for DTT treatment. These results suggest that daratumumab interference with pre-transfusion testing can be addressed using common laboratory methods. This finding could save time and money for laboratories that do not have DTT available.
Immunohematology

2017;33:22–26.
Recognizing and resolving ABO discrepancies
Authors: Meny G.M.
Published: April 2021

Patient samples are routinely typed for ABO prior to transfusion. Determining the ABO group requires both red blood cell (RBC) antigen typing for A and B (forward type) and testing for anti-A and anti-B in the plasma (reverse type). An ABO discrepancy exists when the result of an ABO RBC typing, or forward type, does not agree with the result of the plasma typing, or reverse type. This brief review examines several causes of ABO discrepancies encountered in the clinical transfusion service. Options for resolving these discrepancies are presented, including a discussion of which discrepancies should be resolved using molecular testing. Finally, case studies illustrate transfusion options in patients with ABO discrepancies. Discrepancies can also be encountered when ABO typing is performed on samples from blood or tissue donors, although those discrepancies will not be discussed in this review.
Immunohematology

2017;33:76–81.