bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optical Coherence Tomography of Adult-Onset Foveomacular Vitelliform Dystrophy Concomitant with Diabetic Cystoid Macular Edema
Authors: Tekin Kemal , Uzel Mehmet Murat , Teke Mehmet Yasin 
Published: May 2019

Purpose:
To report an unusual appearance on Spectralis optical coherence tomography (OCT) finding: bilateral adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy (AFVD) concomitant with diabetic cystoid macular edema.

Case Description:
Fundus examination of a 55 year-old patient demonstrated a round, elevated yellowish lesion centered by a pigmented spot, widespread intraretinal microaneurysms and dot-blot hemorrhages with a small number of hard exudates in the both eyes. OCT scans of both eyes disclosed that the foveal retina was raised by a hyperreflective material which was located between the retina pigment epithelium and the photoreceptor layer with a persistent posterior hyaloid attachment, exerting adhesion on the fovea in the both eyes. Moreover, multiple hyperreflective retinal dots which had shadowing effects and cystoid macular edema without subretinal fluid were revealed in OCT images. Additionally, fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging demonstrated that the vitelliform lesions were hyper-autofluorescence in the fovea which were compatible with accumulation of lipofuscin while the hemorrhages were seen as hypo-autofluorescence dots in both eyes.

Conclusion:
Diabetic cystoid macular edema may rarely accompany AFVD; OCT and FAF are helpful diagnostic imaging techniques to identify this condition.
The Effect of Processing on Ascorbic Acid and Dehydroascorbic Acid in Different Varieties of Yam
Authors: Ola O. I. , Opaleye S. O. 
Published: May 2019

The effect of some processing method on the ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid content of two cultivars of yam (Dioscorea rotundata and D. cayenensis) were investigated. The processing method adopted were cooking, frying and roasting. The assay of ascorbic acid in the two cultivars ranged from (5.0 – 9.2 mg / 100 g fresh tissue). The moisture contents of the processed samples ranged from 40-55% for D. rotundata and 48-60% for D.cayenensis except for roasted samples which had a moisture content of 30% for the two cultivars of yam. The pH values were similar in all the varieties examined. The level of ascorbic acid after 0 - 8 days of storage ranged from 5.2 - 7.3 mg / 100 g fresh tissue on a moisture -free basis (mfb). The dehydroascorbic acid content varied from 5.0 - 9.2 mg / 100 g fresh tissue on a moisture- free basis. The retention in ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid of the various treatments ranged from 4.9 - 6.2 mg / 100 g and 5.2 - 8.9 mg / 100 g respectively. Thus, different processing methods has contributed to the loss of ascorbic acid with the highest loss observed when the yam samples were roasted and least loss when they were fried.
Screening for Hypertension and Diabetes in an Underserved Population through Community Outreach; A Case of Rural Community in Enugu State, Nigeria
Authors: Obinna C. Onodugo , Elias C. Aniwada , Nkeiru P. Onodugo 
Published: May 2019

Introduction: Hypertension and Diabetes are the commonest co-morbidity of each other and are among the principal cause of the burden of non-communicable diseases in developing countries. It is important to identify patients with these conditions early in the disease process. This study was
to determine the prevalence of elevated Blood Pressure (BP) and elevated Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) as well as relate it to the characteristics of the study participants in a rural community in Enugu State, Nigeria.
Methods: Community based cross-sectional study in form of outreach was done. The study was conducted over 1 week period among participants aged 18 years and above. Proforma was used in collecting information on characteristics of participants including age, sex and occupation. Measurements of BP, FBS and BMI were done. Chi square test and Binary Logistic Regression were used for analysis.
Results: Majority of participants were aged > 45 years 127(56.7%), and females 139(62.1%),Mean(SD) 46.89((21.84) Elevated BP 55(24.6%), elevated FBS 42(18.8%), both elevated BP and FBS. 13(5.8%). higher proportion of those aged > 45 years had elevated BP 51(92.7%) and elevated FBS 37(88.1%). More Females had elevated BP 35(63.6%) and elevated FBS 28(66.7%). Predictors were; age >45 years for elevated BP (AOR 18.4; 95% CI 5.7-59.5) and for have elevated FBS (AOR 8.9; 95% CI 3.0-26.5).
Conclusion: Prevalence of raised BP and FBS as well as co-morbid condition was high. It was more among females and older age. Age was a predictor of both raised BP and FBS. This calls for interventional programmes that will assist in limiting the increasing burden of the diseases in rural communities.
Socio-demographic and Obstetric Variations of T. gondii and HIV-1 Co-infection among Pregnant Women in Cameroon
Authors: Abongwa Lem Edith , Signang Alberic , Tibi Sharon , Ngenwi Annabella 
Published: May 2019

Aim: This study, aimed to identify the seroprevalence of T. gondii and HIV-1 co-infection in pregnant women in the Northwest Region of Cameroon.
Study Design: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 606 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in the Northwest region of Cameroon.
Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out at the Bamenda Regional Hospital from May 2017 to December 2017.
Methodology: Venous blood samples were collected for the detection of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies using rapid test kits while HIV was determine using Alere Determine™HIV-1/2 test kit and OraQuick HIV 1/2 Rapid Antibody Test kit for confirmation. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 statistical package. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The mean (SD) age was 27.3 (5.3) years. The prevalence of T. gondii and HIV-1 was 139 (22.9%) and 70(11.6%) respectively, while that of T. gondii and HIV-1 co-infection was 31(5.1%). With the exception of age group and gestational age that was significant (p<0.05) for HIV, socio-demographic and obstetrical characteristics of T. gondii, HIV-1 and T. gondii and HIV-1 co-infection prevalence did not show any significant differences (p>0.05).
Conclusions: The high prevalence of T. gondii and HIV-1 co-infection seen in this study demonstrates the need for routine antenatal screening for both infections. In addition, data from this study will be useful in designing control and prevention strategies against these diseases. Furthermore, the result will also be used as baseline data for further research on T. gondii and HIV-1 co-infection.
Phytochemical Study and Antidepressant Effect of Essential Oil of Apium graveolens L.
Authors: Shahrani Mehrdad , Asgharzadeh Najmeh , Amini- Khoei Hossein , Mirzaeian Zahra , Ahmadi Ali , Goeini Zahra Lori 
Published: May 2019

Background and Purpose: Depression is a common and debilitating disease.The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition of Apium graveolens essential oil and its anti-depressant effect in mice and the effect on motor balance, serum and brain antioxidant capacity.
Materials and Methods: 60 mice were randomly divided into 6 groups (N=10), Control, reserpine 5 mg/kg IP, reserpine + fluoxetine 20mg/kg, reserpine + essential oil (50, 75 and 100 mg/kg). The intervention group received 5 mg/kg reserpine and 18 hours later, essential oil (50, 75 and 100 mg/kg). Assessment of depression done with forced swimming and open field tests and motor balance with a Rotarod. Serum and brain antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde levels were measured.
Results: Reserpin increased the immobilization time in the forced swimming test, the number of motor units in the open field test, serum and brain malondialdehyde and reduced the antioxidant capacity and the motor balance. Fluoxetine and essential oil of Apium graveolens 50 and 75 mg/kg reduced the time of immobilization time, number of motor units, serum and brain malondialdehyde and increased serum and brain antioxidant capacity and motor balance. Apium graveolens essential oil 100 mg/kg increased serum antioxidant capacity and reduced number of motor units.
Conclusion: Chemical compounds of essential oil of Apium graveolens have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and regulating of chemical neurotransmitters properties that are known mechanisms of depression.
Secondary monitor unit calculations for VMAT using parallelized Monte Carlo simulations
Authors: Bhagroo Stephen , French Samuel B. , Mathews Joshua A. , Nazareth Daryl P. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractWe have developed a fast and accurate in‐house Monte Carlo (MC) secondary monitor unit (MU) check method, based on the EGSnrc system, for independent verification of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment planning system dose calculations, in accordance with TG‐114 recommendations. For a VMAT treatment plan created for a Varian Trilogy linac, DICOM information was exported from Eclipse. An open‐source platform was used to generate input files for dose calculations using the EGSnrc framework. The full VMAT plan simulation employed 107 histories, and was parallelized to run on a computer cluster. The resulting 3ddose matrices were converted to the DICOM format using CERR and imported into Eclipse. The method was evaluated using 35 clinical VMAT plans of various treatment sites. For each plan, the doses calculated with the MC approach at four three‐dimensional reference points were compared to the corresponding Eclipse calculations, as well as calculations performed using the clinical software package, MUCheck. Each MC arc simulation of 107 particles required 13–25 min of total time, including processing and calculation. The average discrepancies in calculated dose values between the MC method and Eclipse were 2.03% (compared to 3.43% for MUCheck) for prostate cases, 2.45% (3.22% for MUCheck) for head and neck cases, 1.7% (5.51% for MUCheck) for brain cases, and 2.84% (5.64% for MUCheck) for miscellaneous cases. Of 276 comparisons, 201 showed greater agreement between the treatment planning system and MC vs MUCheck. The largest discrepancies between MC and MUCheck were found in regions of high dose gradients and heterogeneous densities. By parallelizing the calculations, point‐dose accuracies of 2‐7%, sufficient for clinical secondary checks, can be achieved in a reasonable amount of time. As computer clusters and/or cloud computing become more widespread, this method will be useful in most clinical setups.
Prevalence of Opioid and Benzodiazepine Prescriptions for Osteoarthritis
Authors: Alamanda Vignesh K. , Wally Meghan K. , Seymour Rachel B. , Springer Bryan D. , Hsu Joseph R. ,   the Prescription Reporting With Immediate Medication Utilization Mapping Group
Published: May 2019

ObjectiveOpioids and benzodiazepines are commonly used for management of osteoarthritis, despite evidence‐based recommendations to the contrary. This study aimed to quantify the prevalence of opioid and benzodiazepine prescribing for osteoarthritis. Additionally, we aimed to characterize risk factors for prescription drug misuse, abuse, and diversion among this population.MethodsWe conducted a descriptive analysis of adult outpatient encounters with a primary diagnosis of osteoarthritis during a 1‐year period at a large health care system, excluding cancer and outpatient procedures. Demographic data, prescription data, and patient‐specific risk factors were collected. Descriptive analysis was conducted to characterize arthritis patients who received and did not receive prescription opioids.ResultsDuring 1 year, our system had 31,123 outpatient encounters for osteoarthritis. Opioids and benzodiazepines were prescribed for nearly 27% of the encounters (n = 8,420). In all, 43% of the encounters involved patients age ≥65 years. Hydrocodone‐acetaminophen was the most common medication prescribed (34.3%). Most prescriptions were written by pain specialists (53%). A total of 35.5% of patients had a risk factor for prescription misuse, the most prevalent being early refill and a history of receiving ≥3 prescriptions in the past month.ConclusionPrescriptions for opioids and benzodiazepines continue to be written for osteoarthritis. These prescriptions may pose a risk for adverse outcomes since >1 in 5 patients receiving prescriptions had a risk factor for misuse. Continued efforts to improve compliance with evidence‐based guidelines as well as multimodal and alternative pain management pathways are critical to help curb the use of opioids for management of osteoarthritis‐related pain. Level of evidence: level IV.
Polyhedron Transformation toward Stable Narrow‐Band Green Phosphors for Wide‐Color‐Gamut Liquid Crystal Display
Authors: Liao Hongxu , Zhao Ming , Zhou Yayun , Molokeev Maxim S. , Liu Quanlin , Zhang Qinyuan , Xia Zhiguo 
Published: May 2019

AbstractA robust and stable narrow‐band green emitter is recognized as a key enabler for wide‐color‐gamut liquid crystal display (LCD) backlights. Herein, an emerging rare earth silicate phosphor, RbNa(Li3SiO4)2:Eu2+ (RN:Eu2+) with exceptional optical properties and excellent thermal stability, is reported. The resulting RN:Eu2+ phosphor presents a narrow green emission band centered at 523 nm with a full width at half maximum of 41 nm and excellent thermal stability (102%@425 K of the integrated emission intensity at 300 K). RN:Eu2+ also shows a high quantum efficiency, an improved chemical stability, and a reduced Stokes shift owing to the modified local environment, in which [NaO8] cubes replace [LiO4] squares in RbLi(Li3SiO4)2:Eu2+ via polyhedron transformation. White light‐emitting diode (wLED) devices with a wide color gamut (113% National Television System Committee (NTSC)) and high luminous efficacy (111.08 lm W−1) are obtained by combining RN:Eu2+ as the green emitter, K2SiF6:Mn4+ as the red emitter, and blue‐emitting InGaN chips. Using these wLEDs as backlights, a prototype 20.5 in. LCD screen is fabricated, demonstrating the bright future of stable RN:Eu2+ for wide‐color‐gamut LCD backlight application.
Liquid Polydimethylsiloxane Grafting to Enable Dendrite‐Free Li Plating for Highly Reversible Li‐Metal Batteries
Authors: Meng Junwei , Chu Fulu , Hu Jiulin , Li Chilin 
Published: May 2019

AbstractLi‐metal is considered as the most promising anode material to advance the development of next‐generation energy storage devices owing to its unparalleled theoretical specific capacity and extremely low redox electrochemical potential. However, safety concerns and poor cycling retention of Li‐metal batteries (LMBs) caused by uncontrolled Li dendrite growth still limit their broad application. Herein, liquid polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) terminated by –OCH3 groups is proposed as a graftable additive to reinforce the anode dendrite suppression for LMBs. Such a grafting triggers the formation of a conformal hybrid solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) with increased fractions of LiF and Li–Si–O‐based moieties, which serve as a rigid barrier and ionic conductor for uniform Li‐ion flow and Li‐mass deposition. The grafting protected anode endows Li/Li symmetric cells with a long lifetime over 1800 h with a much smaller voltage gap (≈25 mV) between Li plating and stripping, than the naked anode. The coulombic efficiency values for Li/Cu asymmetric cells in carbonate electrolyte can reach up to 97% even at a high current density of 3 mA cm−2 or high capacity up to 4 mAh cm−2. The liquid PDMS additive shows advantage over solid siloxane additives with poor grafting ability in terms of Li surface compaction and SEI stabilization.
Ultrasound‐Induced Wireless Energy Harvesting for Potential Retinal Electrical Stimulation Application
Authors: Jiang Laiming , Yang Yang , Chen Ruimin , Lu Gengxi , Li Runze , Xing Jie , Shung K. Kirk , Humayun Mark S. , Zhu Jianguo , Chen Yong , Zhou Qifa 
Published: May 2019

AbstractRetinal electrical stimulation for people with neurodegenerative diseases has shown to be feasible for direct excitation of neurons as a means of restoring vision. In this work, a new electrical stimulation strategy is proposed using ultrasound‐driven wireless energy harvesting technology to convert acoustic energy to electricity through the piezoelectric effect. The design, fabrication, and performance of a millimeter‐scale flexible ultrasound patch that utilizes an environment‐friendly lead‐free piezocomposite are described. A modified dice‐and‐fill technique is used to manufacture the microstructure of the piezocomposite and to generate improved electrical and acoustic properties. The as‐developed device can be attached on a complex surface and be driven by ultrasound to produce adjustable electrical outputs, reaching a maximum output power of 45 mW cm−2. Potential applications for charging energy storage devices and powering commercial electronics using the device are demonstrated. The considerable current signals (e.g., current >72 µA and current density >9.2 nA µm−2) that are higher than the average thresholds of retinal stimulation are also obtained in the ex vivo experiment of an implanted environment, showing great potential to be integrated on implanted biomedical devices for electrical stimulation application.
Human Platelet Membrane Functionalized Microchips with Plasmonic Codes for Cancer Detection
Authors: Kumar Sumit , Han Jae‐A , Michael Issac J. , Ki Dongyeob , Sunkara Vijaya , Park Juhee , Gautam Shreedhar , Ha Hong Koo , Zhang Liangfang , Cho Yoon‐Kyoung 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe possibility of functional roles played by platelets in close alliance with cancer cells has inspired the design of new biomimetic systems that exploit platelet–cancer cell interactions. Here, the role of platelets in cancer diagnostics is leveraged to design a microfluidic platform capable of detecting cancer‐derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) from ultrasmall volumes (1 µL) of human plasma samples. Further, the captured EVs are counted by direct optical coding of plasmonic nanoprobes modified with EV‐specific antibodies. Owing to the inherent properties of platelets for multifaceted interaction with cancer cells, the microfluidic chip equipped with a biologically interfaced platelet membrane‐cloaked surface (denoted “PLT‐Chip”) can capture a significantly higher number of EVs from multiple types of cancer cell lines (prostate, lung, bladder, and breast) than the normal cell‐derived EVs. Furthermore, this chip allows the monitoring of the growth of tumor spheroids (100 µm–2.5 mm) and clearly distinguishes the plasma of cancer patients from that of normal healthy controls. This robust, multifaceted, and cancer‐specific binding affinity, coupled with excellent biocompatibility, is a unique feature of platelet membrane‐cloaked surfaces, which therefore represent promising alternatives to antibodies for application in EVs‐based cancer theranostics.
On the Role of Interfaces on Spin Transport in Magnetic Insulator/Normal Metal Heterostructures
Authors: Fontcuberta Josep , Vasili Hari Babu , Gàzquez Jaume , Casanova Fèlix 
Published: May 2019

AbstractSpin currents have emerged as a new tool in spintronics, with promises of more efficient devices. A pure spin current can be generated in a nonmagnetic metallic (NM) layer by a charge current (spin Hall effect). When the NM layer is placed in contact with a magnetic material, a magnetoresistance (spin Hall magnetoresistance) develops in the former via the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE). In other novel spin‐dependent phenomena, such as spin pumping or spin Seebeck effect, spin currents are generated by magnetic resonance or thermal gradients and detected via ISHE in a neighboring normal metal layer. All cases involve spin transport across interfaces between nonmagnetic metallic layers and magnetic materials; quite commonly, magnetic insulators. The structural, compositional, and electronic differences between these materials and their integration to form an interface, challenge the control and understanding of the spin transport across it, which is known to be sensitive to sub‐nanometric interface features. Here, the authors review the tremendous progress in material's science achieved during the last few years and illustrate how the spin Hall magnetoresistance can be used as a probe for surface magnetism. The authors end with some views on concerted actions that may allow further progress.
Silicanes Modified by Conjugated Substituents for Optoelectronic Devices
Authors: Nakano Hideyuki , Tanaka Yuki , Yamamoto Kazuaki , Kadowaki Haruna , Nakashima Makoto , Matsui Takayuki , Shirai Soichi , Ohashi Masataka , Ohshita Joji 
Published: May 2019

AbstractSilicanes are predicted to be a candidate for next‐generation (opto‐)electronics nanomaterials. However, their low carrier or hole densities hinder their practical use in electronic materials. If conjugated substituents (e.g., electron donators or electron acceptors) could be attached to the surfaces of silicanes, these would be effective channel materials for phototransistors and exhibit the corresponding characteristic optoelectronic properties. Herein, the synthesis of silicanes modified by conjugated substituents is reported, and the performances of organo‐modified silicanes/graphene hybrid phototransistors are also evaluated. The room temperature hole mobility of the demonstrated phototransistors is ≈5 cm2 V−1 s−1. In this phototransistor, electron transfer from organo‐modified silicanes to graphene is observed after irradiation with visible light. This approach is applicable to other group IV elemental 2D materials, including germanane and stanane.
The cost of forward contracting in the Mississippi barge freight river market
Authors: Isbell Bradley , McKenzie Andrew M. , Wade Brorsen B. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBarges on the Mississippi River system are traded via a forward market. We find that risk premiums to use this market vary by season and in terms of which party bares the cost of forward contracting. During the summer season barge operators pay a risk premium. Yet during the rest of the year, elevator operators pay a premium to lock in rates.
Carbon‐Support‐Based Heterogeneous Nanocatalysts: Synthesis and Applications in Organic Reactions
Authors: Bahuguna Ashish , Kumar Ajay , Krishnan Venkata 
Published: May 2019

AbstractCarbon‐based‐materials, owing to their wide availability and low cost, have been utilized for a variety of applications including heterogeneous catalysis. Various carbonaceous materials have been used as supports for transition metals or other materials. These support materials have shown their potential for development of green and sustainable approaches to heterogeneous catalysis. In this review, we discuss the utilization of carbon‐based materials as supports for heterogeneous catalysts, especially in organic transformations. We have focused our discussions predominantly on four categories of carbonaceous supports, namely graphene (including, graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO)), graphitic carbon nitride (GCN), carbon nanotubes (CNT) and activated carbon (AC) for various organic transformation reactions. Several approaches for the synthesis of these materials along with their application as heterogeneous catalysts for organic transformation reactions have been elaborated in detail. In addition, different aspects of organic synthesis, including hydrogenation, oxidation, reduction, condensation, and multi‐component reactions, catalyzed by these materials have been discussed. Furthermore, organic transformations leading to the sustainable synthesis of valuable products from biomass have also been discussed. Finally, after a brief summary, the future perspectives of this very interesting class of materials are provided.