bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Features of technology for manufacturing cast toolbills from rapid-cutting steel R6M5
Authors: Rudnitsky F. I. , Dolgiy L. P.
Published: December 2020

The article presents the results of computer simulation of the crystallization of castings from high-speed steel R6M5, intended for the manufacture of cutters and gear shaping tools in the conditions of OJSC “Minsk Gear Plant”. The use of modeling made it possible to optimize the gating system, reduce this volume of the profitable part by 30–35 % and increase the yield of suitable casting, which made it possible to reduce the consumption of expensive alloying elements introduced into the melt to compensate for burnout during melting and casting.
Factors and Predictive Model Associated With Perioperative Complications After Long Fusion in the Treatment of Adult Non-Degenerative Scoliosis
Authors: Wu Nan , Zhang Zhen , Shao Jiashen , Wang Shengru , Li Ziquan , Zhao Sen , Yang Yang , Liu Lian , Yu Chenxi , Liu Sen , Zhao Zhengye , Du You , Zhang Yuanqiang , Wang Lianlei , Zhao Yu , Yu Keyi , Zhao Hong , Shen Jianxiong , Qiu Guixing , Wu Zhihong , Zhang Jianguo
Published: December 2020

IntroductionAdult non-degenerative scoliosis accounts for 90% of spinal deformities in young adults. However, perioperative complications and related risk factors of long posterior instrumentation and fusion for the treatment of adult non-degenerative scoliosis have not been adequately studied.MethodsWe evaluated clinical and radiographical results from 180 patients with adult non-degenerative scoliosis who underwent long posterior instrumentation and fusion. Preoperative clinical data, intraoperative variables, and perioperative radiographic parameters were collected to analyze the risk factors for perioperative complications. Potential and independent risk factors for perioperative complications were evaluated by univariate analysis and logistic regression analysis.Results180 adult non-degenerative scoliosis patients were included in our study. There were 31 perioperative complications for 25 (13.9%) patients, 11 of which were cardiopulmonary-related complications, five of which were infection, six of which were neurological-related complications, three of which were gastrointestinal-related complications, and six of which were incision-related problems. The independent risk factors for development of perioperative complications included change in Cobb angle (odds ratio [OR]=1.058, 95% CI=1.011~1.108, P=0.015), change in central vertical axis (CVA) (OR=1.066, 95% CI=1.019-1.116, P=0.006) and red blood cell (RBC) transfusion (OR=5.631, 95% CI=1.676~18.924, P=0.005). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve based on predicted probability of the logistic regression was 0.746.ConclusionsBlood transfusion, Cobb change, and CVA change were independent risk factors for perioperative complications after long-segment posterior instrumentation and fusion in adult non-degenerative scoliosis patients.
Cloning and Expression of Staphylococcus Simulans Lysostaphin Enzyme Gene in Bacillus Subtilis WB600
Authors: Far Babak Elyasi , Ragheb Mehran , Rahbar Reza , Mafakher Ladan , Nojookambari Neda Yousefi , Achinas Spyridon , Yazdansetad Sajjad
Published: December 2020

Background: Lysostaphin is a glycylglycine endopeptidase, secreted by Staphylococcus simulans, capable of specifically hydrolyzing pentaglycine crosslinks present in the peptidoglycan of the Staphylococcus aureus cell wall. In this paper, we describe the cloning and expression of the lysostaphin enzyme gene in Bacillus subtilis WB600 host using pWB980 expression system.Results: Plasmid pACK1 of S. simulans was extracted using alkaline lysis method. Lysostaphin gene was isolated by PCR and cloned into pTZ57R/T-Vector, then transformed into Escherichia coli DH5α. The amplified gene fragment and uncloned pWB980 vector were digested using PstI and XbaІ enzymes and purified. The restricted gene fragment was ligated into the pWB980 expression vector by the standard protocols, then the recombinant plasmid was transformed into B. subtilis WB600 using electroporation method. The recombinant protein was evaluated by the SDS-PAGE method and confirmed by western immunoblot. Analysis of the target protein showed a band corresponding to an about 27-kDa r-lysostaphin. Protein content was estimated 91µg/ml by Bradford assay.Conclusions: The recombinant lysostaphin represented 90% of its maximum activity at 40℃ and displayed good thermostability by keeping about 80% of its maximum activity at 45℃. Heat residual activity assay of recombinant lysostaphin demonstrated that the enzyme stability was up to 40℃ and showed good stability at 40℃ for 16 h incubation.
Origin and control of ionic hydration patterns in nanopores
Authors: Barabash Miraslau , Gibby William , Guardiani Carlo , Smolyanitsky Alex , Luchinsky Dmitry , McClintock Peter
Published: December 2020

In order to permeate a nanopore, an ion must overcome a dehydration energy barrier caused by the redistribution of surrounding water molecules. The redistribution is inhomogeneous, anisotropic and strongly position-dependent, resulting in complex patterns that are routinely observed in molecular dynamics simulations. We now address the questions of the physical origin of these patterns and of how they can be predicted and controlled. We introduce an analytic model able to predict the patterns in terms of experimentally accessible radial distributions functions, yielding results that agree well with molecular dynamics simulations. We show that the patterns are attributable to a complex interplay of ionic hydration shells with water layers adjacent to the membrane and with the hydration cloud of the nanopore rim atoms, and we discuss ways of controlling them. Our findings pave the way to designing required transport properties into nanoionic devices by optimising the structure of the hydration patterns.
Assessment of Genetic Diversity in Traditional Landraces and Improved Cultivars of Rice
Authors: Zahra Nageen , Naeem Muhammad Kashif , Saleem Bilal , Aqeel Muhammad , Ajmal Wajya , Zafar Syed Adeel , Naveed Shahzad Amir , Khan Muhammad Ramzan
Published: December 2020

Background: Rice is the staple food for more than half of the world's population. Rice cultivation needs expansion to meet the increasing food demands across the globe. Genetic diversity is desired for crop breeding because it serves as the backbone for improving cultivars. The process of domestication and modern plant breeding technologies applied to rice has contributed to the erosion of genetic diversity. Current breeding programs have extensively shaped the genetic diversity of elite rice cultivars to no small extent. Results: We explored the genetic diversity of traditional landraces and improved cultivars by inspecting the whole genome SNP markers of 20 rice accessions. We found a higher number of genetic variations (76.70%) and observed heterozygosity (0.024) in landraces than improved cultivars. The principal component analysis also revealed the higher genetic diversity among the landraces. While population structure based on the phylogenetic tree suggested the population's structure according to rice subspecies. The genetic diversity parameter, FST, was applied to estimate the genetic differentiation of rice, which revealed week genetic differentiation (0.121) and nucleotide diversity (0.314) in modern rice cultivars. Genome-wide genetic differentiation (FST) analysis identified the two domesticated genes: Kala4 (pericarp color) and Ghd7 (heading date), and eight improvement genes: Sd1, Ghd8, GW2, NRT1.1b, GW6a, and Hd3a, that coincide with the candidate selective sweeps. Inbreeding depression (0.68617) among the modern cultivars suggests no genetic gain in future breeding efforts and compels exotic material utilization in the breeding programs. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that modern cultivars have a narrow genetic base compared to landraces. Therefore, exploring the genome of landraces at a large scale to identify the genes responsible for stability and adaptation to abiotic stresses can help design varieties that can survive vulnerable climates.
Which Contraceptive Methods are Used for Stopping Childbearing in India? Levels, Patterns and Determinants
Authors: ROY AVIJIT , RAHAMAN MARGUBUR , KAPASIA NANIGOPAL , CHOUHAN PRADIP
Published: December 2020

Background: This study aims to examine patterns and socio-economic correlates of using contraceptives for limiting childbirths in India. Methods: The study is based on data from the fourth round of the National Family Health Survey considering 339,537 currently married, non-pregnant and fecund women. Bivariate and three separate binary logistic regression model were carried out to accomplish the research objectives. Results: Most of the women stated to postpone their childrearing after age 25 years and after achieved children 2 or more in India. Still, 13.5% women were not using any contraceptive to satisfy their demand for postpone childbearing and 8% women were using traditional contraceptive to postpone their childbearing and using traditional contraceptive to postpone childrearing was higher among women aged 15-19 years, illiterate, poor, Muslims and belong from central and northeast region. Women’s age, parity, year of schooling, wealth status, religion, caste, mass media and region found to be strong determinants of met need for limiting childbearing and using traditional contraceptives in India. Conclusion: The met need for demand of spacing methods was fur lagging to desire goals of SDG-3.7.The government should needs to focus on women with high unmet need for limiting and use traditional methods for limiting.
Antibiotic Resistance and Plasmid Analysis of Enterobacteriaceae Isolated From Retail Meat in Lagos Nigeria
Authors: Uzeh Roseline Ekiomado , Odumosu Bamidele Tolulope , Adewumi Fadekemisola
Published: December 2020

Background The presence of antibiotic resistant microorganisms in food is of great concern globally. This research was carried out to detect and characterize plasmid carriage and profiles among members of Enterobacteriaceae from different meat types in Nigeria. Method From a total of 80 meat samples comprising of mutton, pork, beef and chicken, organisms belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae were isolated by standard procedures and identified by API 20E system. Antibiotics susceptibilities testing (AST) against selected classes of antimicrobial agents and plasmid extraction was carried out by disc diffusion and alkaline lysis methods respectively. Results One-hundred and ten Enterobacteriaceae were isolated, species identification revealed isolates belonging to 7 genera comprising of Escherichia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Citrobacter, Proteus, Salmonella and Serratia. Overall resistance of the organisms to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid was 91 (82.7%), streptomycin 85 (75.7%) and perfloxacin 74 (67.2%) while ofloxacin had the highest susceptibility rate (91.8%). Plasmids profiling revealed ranges of plasmids from 1 to 3 copies with estimated sizes range of 700bp to 1.1kb among E. coli, K. pneumoniae, E. aerogenes and Proteus mirabilis. All the isolates with plasmids were multidrug resistant and were isolated from chicken except a strain of E. coli from pork which harboured a single plasmid copy suggesting these meat as reservoirs for antibiotic resistant bacteria. Conclusion Our findings revealed high level of meat contamination with antibiotic resistant Enterobacteriaceae harbouring resistant plasmids. An integrated surveillance system and safety practice must be ensured among the processors and retailers
Influencing Factors and Management of Occupational Burnout Among Clinical Research Associates in China
Authors: Fu Zhiying , Yuan Yannan , Jiang Min
Published: December 2020

Objective We firstly assessed the extent and nature of occupational burnout among clinical research associates (CRAs) in China for the first time, and evaluated influencing factors in view of developing effective countermeasures. Methods CRAs were evaluated using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and a self-designed questionnaire. Detected occupational burnout was used as the index. We examined possible influencing factors of burnout using wilcoxon rank test, KW rank and Spearman correlation analysis; influencing factors were screened out with multivariate ordinal logistic regression modelling. Results Overall, 438 surveys were completed. Results indicated that 82.2% of participating CRAs had some degree of job burnout; among those, 19.9% had mild burnout, 49.8% had moderate burnout, and 12.5% had severe burnout. A total of 76.7% suffered from emotional exhaustion, 65.5% experienced depersonalization, and 15.3% felt a low sense of accomplishment. For all categories of burnout, statistically significant influencing factors were: work mode, working hours, whether the hospital provided work support and likelihood of promotion (p <0.05). Conclusion Occupational burnout was common among Chinese CRAs. To alleviate this situation and ensure the quality of clinical trials, companies and hospitals should take effective measures to establish support systems involving both hardware and software.
Endotracheal Obstruction by A Giant Blood Clot Following Tonsil Hemorrhage: A Case Report
Authors: Ren Binbin , Wang Qing , Ni Hongying , Chang Jie , Chen Kun , Chen Lin
Published: December 2020

Background: Clot formation along airway can lead to airway obstruction, causing life-threatening condition to the patient. However, blood from the oral cavity flowing down the endotracheal tube and forming a giant blood clot in the airway is rarely reported.Case presentation: Here we present a case of central airway obstruction by a blood clot due to tonsil bleeding, which was managed with timely procedure. Conclusions:The case do give us further educational meaning when such patient presented.
Selective Inhibition of Soluble TNF Using Xpro1595 Relieves Pain and Attenuates Cerulein-induced Pancreatic Pathology in Mice, With a Possible Link to Central Pain Processing
Authors: Rhandi Rajasa , Damon Melissa , Dixon Kirsty
Published: December 2020

Treatment of acute pancreatitis remains a challenge, with therapy focused on supportive care and treatment of the inciting etiology. Individuals with pancreatitis may experience severe upper abdominal pain, although pain mechanisms in patients with pancreatitis are incompletely understood and likely multifactorial, with possible pain processing occurring in the central nervous system, a process known to be associated with the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines. Inflammation plays a prominent role in the induction of acute pancreatitis, with the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) both exacerbating cell death, pro-inflammatory signaling and edema, as well as promoting reparative and restorative mechanisms. This duality of function can be explained by different forms of the TNF ligand preferentially activating different receptor subtypes, whereby the uncleaved transmembrane form of the ligand (tmTNF) preferentially activates TNFR2 promoting restorative functions, but once cleaved the soluble form of TNF (solTNF) preferentially activates TNFR1 promoting detrimental pathology. For this reason, the traditional TNF inhibitors that inhibit both TNFR1 and TNFR2 have shown modest success in patients, but come with numerous side-effects, including immunological dysfunction and heart failure. Therefore, we sought to assess the effect of a novel selective inhibitor of solTNF (XPro1595) on pancreatic pathology and associated neuropathic pain in a mouse model of acute pancreatitis, and observe its effect on an area of the brain (the hippocampus) known to play a role in neuropathic pain processing. XPro1595 administration began after the initial peak in serum amylase to maximize clinical relevance. Administration of XPro1595 prevented pancreatic immune cell infiltration, that subsequently prevented tissue disruption and acinar cell death. These improvements in pathology were associated with a significant reduction in mechanical hypersensitivity (neuropathic pain). XPro1595 treatment also prevented an increase in hippocampal astrocyte reactivity, that may be associated with the prevention of neuropathic pain in this mouse model. Overall, we observed that selectively inhibiting solTNF using XPro1595 improved the pathophysiological and neurological sequelae of cerulein-induced pancreatitis in mice, which provides support of its use in patients with pancreatitis. This is the first study of its kind to identify a possible connection between hippocampal and pancreatic pathology and warrants further investigation.
Potential Plasma Metabolic Biomarkers of Tourette Syndrome Discovery Based on Integrated Non-Targeted and Targeted Metabolomics Screening
Authors: Xi Leying , Zhou Fuqiong , Sha Huan , Zhu Weina , Hu Xueling , Ruan Jie , Huang Yaruo , Zhang Yajie , Long Hongyan
Published: December 2020

Background Tourette syndrome (TS) is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder, characterized by abnormal movements and phonations, tics, but accurate TS diagnosis remains challenging and indeed depends on its description of clinical symptoms. Our study was to identify some metabolites biomarkers based on non-targeted and targeted metabolomics. Methods We conducted untargeted ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography -quadrupole time-off light mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS) for preliminary screening of potential biomarkers from 30 TS patients and 10 healthy controls. And then performed validation experiments based on targeted ultra-high-performance liquid Chromatography-Triple Quadrupole-MS (UHPLC/MS/MS).Results 1775 differentially metabolites were identified by partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), fold change analysis, T-tests, and hierarchical clustering analysis (Adjusted p-value < 0.05 and |logFC| >1). TS plasma samples were found differentiated from healthy samples in our approach. Further, the aspartate and asparagine metabolism pathway was considered as a significant enrichment pathway in TS progression based on the metabolite pathway enrichment analysis. For the 8 metabolites involved in this pathway that we detected, we then performed validation experiments based on targeted UHPLC/MS/MS from 35 TS patients and 14 healthy controls. T-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used to determine potential biomarkers. Ultimately, L-Arginine and L-Pipecolic acid were validated as significantly differentiated metabolites (p<0.05) with an AUC of 70% and 87%.Conclusions L-Arginine and L-Pipecolic acid were defined as potential biomarkers for TS diagnosis by the combined application of non-targeted and targeted metabolomics analysis.
ALA-PDT Amplifies Intense Inflammatory Response in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris via CXCL8
Authors: Zhang Lingling , Yang Jiayi , Liu Xiaojing , Xu Detian , Shi Lei , Liu Jia , Zeng Qingyu , Wang Xiuli
Published: December 2020

Background: Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory cutaneous disease. 5-Aminolaevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) is a novel and effective therapy for severe acne vulgaris. However, the specific mechanism of ALA-PDT for acne still remain unclear. Here, we investigate the possible mechanism of intense inflammatory response of ALA-PDT for acne vulgaris. Results: It appeared that ALA-PDT suppresses proliferation and lipid secretion of primary human sebocytes. And ALA-PDT could up-regulate the expression of CXCL8 in vivo and in vitro, amplifying inflammatory response by recruiting T cells, B cells, neutrophils and macrophages. We also found that ALA-PDT elevated the expression of CXCL8 via p38 pathway. SB203580, a p38 pathway inhibitor, decreased the expression of CXCL8 after ALA-PDT in sebocytes. Conclusion: ALA-PDT amplifies intense inflammatory response in the treatment of acne vulgaris via CXCL8. Our data deciphers the mechanism of intense inflammatory response after ALA-PDT for acne vulgaris.
Classification of Tick Species and Detection of Tick-borne Pathogens in Yanbian, China
Authors: Li Jixu , Zhang Shuang , Liang Wanfeng , Zhao Shaowei , Wang Hao , Yang Bingy , Zhang Xuancheng , Zhang Zhen , Li Jialin , Jia Lijun
Published: December 2020

BackgroundYanbian is located at the junction between China, Russia, and North Korea. We aimed to determine the species distribution and pathogens carried by ticks in Yanbian.MethodsA total of 2673 unattached ticks were collected from eight counties and cities in Yanbian and classified morphologically. Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae (CRT), spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR), severe fever thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), Theileria, and other pathogens were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction followed by phylogenetic and genotypic analyses.ResultsAccording to the morphological classification, the main tick species in Yanbian were Haemaphysalis longicornis, Ixodes persulcatus, Dermacentor silvarum, Haemaphysalis japonica, and Haemaphysalis concinna. Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae, spotted fever group Rickettsia, severe fever thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, and Theileria orientalis were detected in H. longicornis, Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae, spotted fever group Rickettsia, and severe fever thrombocytopenia syndrome virus were detected in I. persulcatus, H. japonica, and D. silvarum, but only severe fever thrombocytopenia syndrome virus was detected in H. concinna. Mixed infection with Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae and severe fever thrombocytopenia syndrome virus was found in I. persulcatus and H. japonica. The gene sequences of all tested pathogens exhibited 95.7%–100% homology with sequences registered in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis showed that different spotted fever group Rickettsia and severe fever thrombocytopenia syndrome virus genotypes were closely related to the Korean strains. We provide the first evidence for the presence of the spotted fever group Rickettsia genotypes of Candidatus Rickettsia longicornii, ompA, ompB, sca4, and rrs, in Haemaphysalis longicornis in Yanbian. Conclusions﻿These results provide epidemiological data to support the prevention and control of ticks and tick-borne diseases in the border areas of China, North Korea, and Russia.
The Impact of an All-Female Healthcare Environment on Mentorship and Empowerment of Female Healthcare Professionals in LMICs
Authors: Munabi Naikhoba , Auslander Allyn , Xepoleas Meredith D. , Bunker Libby D. , Vangsness Kella L. , Koualla Sara , Magee Kathy S. , Magee William P. , Yao Caroline A.
Published: December 2020

Background: Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have the greatest need for additional healthcare providers, and women outside the workforce could help address the need. Women in healthcare need more mentorship and leadership training to advance their careers. This study evaluates how women working together on a medical team impacts mentorship, leadership and empowerment. Methods: An all-female volunteer team participating in a cleft surgery mission in Oujda, Morocco were surveyed before and after the mission. Responses were analyzed according to country of origin, national gender equality ranking, volunteer role, and prior mentorship experiences. Statistical analysis with student’s t-test or chi-squared were performed with significance defined as p<0.05. Results: 95 female volunteers from 23 countries participated and 85% completed surveys. Volunteers from HICs (32%) and LMICs (68%) had similar mission roles (p=0.58) and duration of volunteerism (p=0.69). Experience as a mission volunteer (p=0.47), team leader (p=0.28), and educator (p=0.18) were equivalent between cohorts. 73% of women had previously received mentorship but 98% wanted more. 75% had previously mentored others, but 97% wanted to be mentors. Over 90% of past mentor-mentee relationships were between women. 73% of volunteers who had no prior mentorship found their first mentor during the mission. All participants found a long-term peer relationship and felt motivated to mentor women at home. All volunteers felt empowered and enjoyed the mission. Over 95% were inspired to pursue leadership positions, advance professionally, and work with other women at home.Conclusion: Female healthcare professionals in HICs and LMICs desire more mentorship than is available. An all-female healthcare environment can provide opportunities for mentorship and create lasting motivation to teach, lead, and advance professionally. Increasing the visibility of female professionals may effectively empower women in healthcare.
Immunogenicity of a New Enhanced Tetanus-reduced Dose Diphtheria-acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccine Against Bordetella Pertussis in a Murine Model
Authors: Kang Kyu Ri , Huh Dong Ho , Kim Ji Ahn , Kang Jin Han
Published: December 2020

BackgroundThe necessity of the tetanus-reduced dose diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine in adolescence and adults has been emphasized since the resurgence of small-scale pertussis in Korea and worldwide due to the waning effect of the vaccine and variant pathogenic stains in the late 1990s. GreenCross Pharma (GC Pharma), a Korean company, developed the Tdap vaccine GC3111 in 2010. Recently, they enhanced the former vaccine GC3111 to reinforce the antibody response against filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA). In this study, the immunogenicity and efficacy of the enhanced Tdap vaccine were compared and evaluated between the former Tdap vaccine GC3111 and the commercially available Tdap vaccine in a murine model.MethodsBalb/C mice were primed with two doses of the diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine followed by a single booster Tdap vaccine at 6 weeks using the commercially available Tdap vaccine or 2 Tdap vaccines from GC Pharma (GC3111, enhanced GC3111). Humoral response was assessed 1 week before and 2 and 4 weeks after Tdap booster vaccination. The INF-γ (Th1), IL-5 (Th2), and IL-17 (Th17) cytokines were assessed 4 weeks after booster vaccination by stimulation with three simulators: heat inactivated Bordetella pertussis (hBp), vaccine antigens, and hBp mixed with antigens. An intranasal challenge test was performed 4 weeks after booster vaccination.ResultsThe enhanced GC3111 generated a humoral response to filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) that was comparable to that of the commercial vaccine. Regarding cell-mediated immunity, cytokine secretion differed among the three simulators. However, no difference was found between the groups. All the vaccinated groups indicated a Th1/Th2 response. The mean value of INF-γ in the control and study groups (simulated with hBp mixed with antigens) was 12,551.69, and the mean value of IL-5 (simulated with antigens) was 1,782.47 pg/mL. On Day 5 post-intranasal challenge, B. pertussis colonies were absent in the lungs in all groups.ConclusionsOur results confirmed the immunogenicity of GC Pharma’s Tdap vaccine; enhanced GC3111 was equivalent to the presently used commercial vaccine in terms of humoral response as well as cell-mediated cytokine expression.
Association Between Risk of VTE and Mortality in Patients with COVID-19
Authors: Chen Shujing , Zheng Tianqi , Wang Sihua , Yu Yongfu , Wang Peng , Yu Qing , Xue Yuan , Song Yuanlin , Jiang Jinjun
Published: December 2020

Background: Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 appeared high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which exhibited the predictor of mortality in non-COVID-19 patients. Objectives: We aimed to investigate the association between risk of VTE with 30-day mortality in COVID-19 patients.Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 1030 consecutive hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were recruited in two hospitals of Wuhan, China. We collected baseline data on demographics, SOFA parameters, and VTE risk assessment models (RAMs) including Padua Prediction Score (PPS), IMPROVE and Caprini RAM. The primary outcome of the study was 30-day mortality. Results: Thirty-day mortality increased progressively from 2% in patients at low risk of VTE to 63% in those at high risk defined by PPS. Similar findings were also observed for risk of VTE defined by IMPROVE and Caprini score. Progressive increases in VTE risk also were associated with higher SOFA score. Our findings showed that the presence of high risk of VTE was independently associated with 30-day mortality regardless of adjusted gender, smoking status and some comorbidities with hazard ratios of 29.19, 37.37, 20.60 for PPS, IMPROVE and Caprini RAM, respectively (P< 0.001 for all comparisons). Predictive accuracy of PPS (AUC, 0.900), IMPROVE (AUC, 0.917) or Caprini RAM (AUC, 0.861) as the risk of 30-day mortality was markedly well.Conclusions: The presence of high risk of VTE identifies a group of patients with COVID-19 at higher risk for 30-day mortality. Furthermore, there is higher accuracy of VTE RAMs to predict 30-day mortality in these patients.
Strong Anisotropic Enhancement of Photoluminescence in WS2 Integrated With Plasmonic Nanowire Array
Authors: Han Chunrui , Wang Yu , Zhou Weihu , Ye Jianting
Published: December 2020

Layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have shown great potential for a wide range of applications in photonics and optoelectronics. Nevertheless, valley decoherence severely randomizes its polarization which is important to a light emitter. Plasmonic metasurface with a unique way to manipulate the light-matter interaction may provide an effective and practical solution. Here by integrating TMDCs with plasmonic nanowire arrays, we demonstrate strong anisotropic enhancement of the excitonic emission at different spectral positions. For the indirect bandgap transition in bilayer WS2, multifold enhancement can be achieved with the PL polarization either perpendicular or parallel to the long axis of nanowires, which arises from the coupling of WS2 with localized or guided plasmon modes, respectively. Moreover, PL of a high linearity is obtained in the direct bandgap transition benefiting from, in addition to the plasmonic enhancement, the directional diffraction scattering of nanowire arrays. Our method with enhanced PL intensity contrasts to the conventional form-birefringence based on the aspect ratio of nanowire arrays where the intensity loss is remarkable. Our results provide a prototypical plasmon-exciton hybrid system for anisotropic enhancement of the PL at the nanoscale, enabling simultaneous control of intensity, polarization and wavelength toward practical ultrathin photonic devices based on TMDCs.
The Lipid Metabolites Profile in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer: A Controlled Study of Cancer Tissue Versus Matched Para-Cancer Tissue
Authors: Hong Xu , Sun Jian , Zhou Ling , Zhu Hui Ying , Zhou De Hua , Qiu Guang Ting , Cheng Ming , Chen Yang , Yu Hua , Dou Ning , He Chen Xiang , Wang Xin Yu
Published: December 2020

Background and objectives: Most patients with pancreatic cancer were diagnosed at a late stage because identifying pancreatic cancer early was difficult. Therefore, it was of great significance to screen specific biomarkers in early stage of pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the profile and characteristics of lipid metabolites in patients with pancreatic cancer and to correlate the expression level of these metabolites with the tumor.Methods: A total of 9 tissue samples from patients with pancreatic cancer were collected and divided into cancer group and para-cancer group according to different sites. All patients’ samples were performed a metabolomics analysis based on Liquid Tandem Chromatography Quadrupole Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry.Results: PCA based on lipidomics analysis could clearly distribute in different regions. OPLS-DA analysis could filter out the irrelevant variables in metabolites and obtain more reliable information about the intergroup differences of metabolites. The volcano plot was used to visualize all variables with VIP>1 and presented the important variables with P<0.05 and |FC|>2. Euclidean distance matrix was calculated for the quantitative values of the differential metabolites, and the differential metabolites were clustered by using the full linkage method and heat map was used to demonstrate. The different metabolites of each group were compared and analyzed by radar map, the corresponding ratio of the quantitative value of differential metabolites were calculated. Heatmap of correlation analysis showed the correlation coefficient between different metabolites. Bar plot visualized the variation degree and classification information of metabolites. Bubble plot showed the variation degree, difference significance degree and classification information of metabolites.Conclusion: The tissue samples of pancreatic cancer had the characteristics of lipidomics, and the difference of lipid metabolites could be used as potential tumor markers of pancreatic cancer.
Understanding the Impact of Histology on the Post-Surgery Prognosis for Patients 70 Years and Older With I A Stage Non-Small Lung Cancer
Authors: Hao Bo , Feng Hao Jie , Wan Xiao Xia , Zhang Lin , Lu Zi Long , Liu Bohao , He Ru Yuan , Meng Heng , Fan Tao , Jiang Wen Yang , Geng Qing
Published: December 2020

Objectives: Few studies investigated whether the types of histology had an influence on the postsurgical prognosis for patients 70 years and older with Ⅰ A stage non-small lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: The study population in our study were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.Results: A total of 10,376 eligible patients were included in our study. In both lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSQCC) patients with TS ≤10 mm, sublobar resection (SR) achieved similar overall survival (OS) (LUAD: HR=0.843, 95% CI (0.673, 1.062), P=0.149; LSQCC: HR=0.799, 95 %CI (0.615, 0.036), P=0.091) and LCSS (LUAD: HR=1.074, 95% CI (0.626, 1.843), P=0.795; LSQCC: HR=0.987, 95 % CI (0.532, 1.833), P=0.967) to lobectomy (LT). For LUAD patients with TS >10 mm &≤20 mm, LT was associated with better OS (HR=0.785, 95% CI (0.703, 878), P<0.001) but not LCSS (HR=0.962, 95% CI (0.766, 1.209), P=0.741); while for LSQCC, LT yielded similar OS (HR=0.864, 95% CI (0.746, 1.005), P=0.051) and LCSS (HR=0.872, 95% CI (0.675, 1.128), P=0.297). LUAD patients with TS>20 mm &≤30 mm received SR were at a significant risk of reduction of OS (HR=0.816, 95% CI (0.709, 0.938), P=0.004) but not LCSS (HR=0.954, 95% CI (0.732, 1.244), P=0.729); while for LSQCC, patients received LT had a better OS (HR=0.742, 95% CI (0.624, 0.883), P<0.001) but not LCSS (HR=0.776, 95% CI (0.563, 1.071), P=0.123). Conclusion: The postsurgical prognosis differed in patients with different histology, and SR maybe acceptable for elderly LUAD patients with TS ≤10 mm and LSQCC patients with TS ≤20 mm.
Effect of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) and pregnancy planning on Bayley-III Screening Test subscales in preterm infants at 12 months of corrected age: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Szele Anna Szabina , Gáll József Mihály , Nagy Beáta Erika
Published: December 2020

Background

The association between medically assisted reproduction and pregnancy planning on overall developmental outcomes of infants has been studied in relatively few studies. The availability of accurate tools for the early detection of developmental delays is a major issue. The purpose of this study is describing the average neurodevelopment of preterm infants and assessing the association between medically assisted reproduction, pregnancy planning and neurodevelopmental outcomes among Hungarian preterm infants.
Methods

Cross-sectional study of preterm infants with low birth weight (< 2500 g) and gestational age < 37 weeks (N = 171) who underwent developmental assessment using Bayley-III Screening Test (Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Screening Test – Third Edition) in three developmental domains (cognitive, language, motor) at 12 months of corrected age. We examined the developmental pattern of infants and the potential effects of medically assisted reproduction and pregnancy planning on Bayley-III Screening Test subscales. Information on the mode of conception and pregnancy planning was obtained through parental anamnesis.
Results

Concerning developmental delay, the language and motor subscales were the most affected. Examination of the mode of conception and developmental outcomes revealed higher neurodevelopmental skills in infants who were conceived through medically assisted reproduction. Significantly lower cognitive and language skills were found to be associated with unplanned pregnancies. Multi-way analysis of variance was conducted in order to assess the impact of the mode of conception and pregnancy planning on subscales.
Conclusions

We cannot unambiguously conclude that MAR and pregnancy planning had a solely positive effect on the development of preterm and low birth weight infants at 12 months of corrected age, but our results are vital for the design and implementation of further research.
Barriers to and Facilitators of HIV Serostatus Disclosure to Sexual Partners among Postpartum Women Living with HIV in South Africa
Authors: Adeniyi Oladele Vincent , Nwogwugwu Charlotte , Ajayi Anthony Idowu , Lambert John
Published: December 2020

Background: Disclosure of HIV serostatus to sexual partner facilitates partner's support and testing, and correlates with better treatment outcomes. Studies examining changes in the rate of serostatus from delivery and postpartum periods are scarce. Our study fills this gap by using a follow-up survey of postpartum women with HIV to examine if disclosure prevalence has improved compared to the proportion recorded at childbirth. We further assessed the reasons for non-disclosure and correlates of serostatus disclosure to sexual partners. Methods: We conducted telephonic interviews with a final sample of 485 postpartum women with HIV drawn from the East London Prospective Cohort study database between January and May 2018. Disclosure of HIV status to partner was based on self-reporting. We fitted adjusted and unadjusted logistic regression models and also conducted descriptive statistical analyses. Sampling weights were used to correct for sampling errors. Results: Overall, 81.8% of women in the study cohort had disclosed their status to their partners, representing a 7.4 percentage point increase since child delivery. After adjusting for important covariates, women were more likely to disclose their status if they were married [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 3.10; 95% confidence interval (CI):1.39-6.91] but were less likely to disclose if they use alcohol [AOR: 0.61; 95% CI:0.37-0.99] or reported sub-optimal adherence [AOR: 0.59; 95% CI:0.36-0.96]. Fear of rejection, stigma or being judged, new or casual relationships, and having a violent partner were the main reasons for not disclosing HIV status to sexual partners. Conclusion: We found a relatively higher rate of HIV status disclosure in the cohort compared to the rate recorded at childbirth, suggesting the likelihood of positive effect of post-delivery counselling. Also, complicated relationship dynamics and fear of social exclusion still constitute barriers to HIV status disclosure to sexual partners despite patients' counselling.
Evaluation of successfulness of a capacity building workshop on smokeless tobacco and areca nut cessation conducted among Dental Surgeons of Sri Lanka: A cross sectional study 
Authors: Jayasinghe Ruwan Duminda , Jayasooriya PR , Amarasinghe H , Hettiarachchi PVKS , Siriwardena BSMS. , Wijerathne UKYGDM , Kithalawarachchi SK. , Tilakaratne WM
Published: December 2020

Background- Prevalence of smoking in Sri Lanka shows a gradual reduction whilst the use of smokeless tobacco and areca nut shows an increasing trend. At present, to the best of our knowledge only a few well-structured smokeless tobacco (SLT)/areca nut (AN) cessation programmes are conducted in Sri Lanka, which is a gross underachievement considering that betel chewing related oral squamous cell carcinoma being the commonest cancer in Sri Lankan males. As General Dental Practitioners (GDP) do not contribute significantly to SLT/AN cessation activities at present, capacity building programmes on SLT/AN control were carried out. The study evaluated the knowledge, attitude and practices related to SLT/AN control among dental surgeonsMethods: Following an one day capacity building programme/workshop on smokeless tobacco / areca nut control, two self-administered questionnaires were used to assess the improvement of knowledge and change of attitudes among 663 GDPs . Results - 27.1% of the participants had received formal tobacco cessation training in the past. Majority had a good knowledge on harmful effects of SLT but not on areca nut. Their knowledge on the current legislation on SLT control in Sri Lanka and carcinogenicity of areca nut was not satisfactory. Almost all agreed that proper counseling leads to patient quitting the habit, a formal training is necessary to conduct tobacco control activities and it should be the part of the regular treatment modalities. More than 80% of the participants believed that they should support strict legislation. Almost 50% agreed on tobacco and areca nut free environment in their dental clinics. Most important factors leading to poor involvement in tobacco cessation activities were lack of expertise and inadequate educational material, not breach of patient privacy and lack of financial incentives. Surprisingly, 20.1% of the dental surgeons had consumed smokeless tobacco / areca nut products in the past and only a few were current users of tobacco and/or areca nut. Conclusions - Well planned workshops are efficient in improving knowledge, practices and attitudes of dental surgeons towards SLT/AN cessation.
Case of successful hybrid revascularization and limb salvage in patient with CLI after multiply ABF thrombosis and absence of outflow arteries
Authors: Kharazov A. F. , Luchkin V. M. , Basirova N. M. , Kulbak V. A. , Maslov A. I.
Published: December 2020

Patients with CLI often present multilevel disease. They underwent multiply revascularization procedures aiming to save thelimb. The main obstacle is absence or poor outflow arteries. Inability to restore bloodflow usuallyleads to ischemia progression and consequent amputation. We describe two cases of successful treatment of patient with CLI after multiply ABF thrombosis and absence of outflow arteries.The first 63 years old patient developed the third case of ABF thrombosis as a result of profunda and superficial femoral arteries chronic occlusion. We performed mechanical recanalization and angioplasty of anterior tibial, popliteal, subintimal recanalization and angioplasty of superficial femoral arteries. After that the ABFleg was sutured to subintimal space of femoral artery. The next case was another 63 years old patient with total chronic occlusion of iliac, femoral, popliteal and tibioperoneal trunk. We performed mechanical recanalization and angioplasty of anterior tibial, popliteal, subintimal recanalization and angioplasty of superficial femoral arteries. And then extra anatomy femoro-femoral autovenous bypass, distal anastomosis was performed by using subintimal artery space also. Thelong term period was 27 months for the first case and 20 months - for the second one. All bypasses were patient.Therefore this described above approach of hybrid open and endovascular surgery could give additional chance forlowlimb revascularization in this so-called hopeless group with criticallimb ischemia.
Revisiting the history of Takayasu's disease studies and surgical techniques used in its treatment
Authors: Zotikov A. E. , Kulbak V. A. , Abrosimov A. V. , Lavrentyev D. A.
Published: December 2020

Nonspecific aortoarteritis is a systemic disease, which has been referred to the group of vasculitis affecting elastic and muscular arteries oflarge and medium calibre with the inflammatory processlocalized in the media and adventitia. The article presents the history of development of ideas about clinical manifestations, morphological changes and the course of the disease from 1761 to the present day, the timeline of medical advances in this disease studies. The genuine interest in nonspecific aortoarteritis arose at the beginning of thelast century, when the Japanese ophthalmologist Mikito Takayasu reported unusual changes in the retinal vessels of a 21-year-old Japanese girl suffering from recurrent bouts of syncope. The first publications dealt with clinical manifestations in the patients, who had only brachiocephalic arterial involvement. In the early 60s, it was found that nonspecific aortoarteritis (Takayasu's disease) can affect not only the branches of the aortic arch, but also the thoracic aorta, renal and visceral arteries. It was the mosaic clinical manifestations in patients with various forms of Takayasu's disease that caused the presentation of the disease in theliterature until the mid-1970s under various terms such as “pulseless disease”, “arteritis of young women”, “brachiocephalic arteritis”, “atypical coarctation of aorta”, “Martorell's syndrome”, “syndrome of obliteration of the supra-aortic trunks”, “panaortitis” or “panarteritis”, “aortitis syndrome”, “mid-aortic syndrome”, “occlusive thromboarteriopathy”. The review details the epidemiology and prevalence of this disease. Views not only on the etiology and pathogenesis, but also on the methods of treating this disease have changed since M. Takayasu's publication in 1908. Much attention is paid to the historical aspect of the first surgical procedures. Starting in 1951, the surgical method has firmly taken the lead in the treatment of stenosis of the carotid arteries, thoracic aorta, renal and visceral arteries. Surgical concepts changed, but the literature data indicate the sustainability of the basic principle of treatment: combination of surgical interventions and various antiinflammatory therapy regimens.
Sharia accounting on Indonesian Financial Accounting Standard on zakat and waqf take on industrial revolution 4.0 and society era 5.0
Authors: Arwani Agus
Published: December 2020

Purpose - The aims to point out the challenges and expectations towards sharia accounting profession on zakat and waqf in facing the industrial revolution.Method - This research used a qualitative approach by systematically explaining various sources of literature.  Result - The results of the research shows that the era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and Society 5.0 offers convenience and speed, making people turn into super fast and human-centered. Both professional and sharia accountants need a pattern of self-management on the basic functions of sharia accounting which will, in turn, increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their work and the results can be shown in real-time.Implication - Research implication shows that some companies have developed this because of the support gained from the adequate standardization of financial management processes and standardization information systems architecture and by the demands of the fourth-generation industry proving that crucial competencies are needed for sharia accountants of zakat and waqf.Originality - The research shows that Islamic accountants must understand Indonesian Financial Accounting Standard 109 on Zakat, Infaq and Sadaqah, and Indonesian Financial Accounting Standard 112 on Waqf which is based on information technology in the era of Industrial Revolution 4.0 and Society Era 5.0.