Comparison of HemoCue® hemoglobin-meter and automated hematology analyzer in measurement of hemoglobin levels in pregnant women at Khartoum hospital, Sudan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Assessment of hemoglobin is one of the most reliable indicators for anemia, and is widely used to screen for anemia among pregnant women. The HemoCue^®has been widely used for as a point-of-care device for hemoglobin estimation in health facilities. Previous studies showed contradictory results regarding the accuracy of HemoCue^®.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a hospital-based cross sectional study carried- out among pregnant women at Khartoum hospital in Sudan to find out whether the measurement of hemoglobin concentration by HemoCue^®using venous or capillary samples was comparable to that of the automated hematology analyzer as standard. Bland and Altman method was used to compare the measurements with an acceptable difference of ± 1.0 g/dl.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among the 108 subjects in this study the mean (SD) level of hemoglobin level using HemoCue^®venous sample, HemoCue^®capillary sample and automated hematology analyzer were 12.70 (1.77), 12.87 (2.04) and 11.53 (1.63) g/dl, respectively. Although the correlations between the measurements were all significant there was no agreement between HemoCue^®and automated hematology analyzer. The bias + SD (limits of agreement) for HemoCue^®venous versus hematology analyzer was 1.17 ± 1.57 (-1.97, 4.31) g/dl, HemoCue^®capillary versus hematology analyzer was 1.34 ± 1.85 (-2.36, 5.04) g/dl, and HemoCue^®venous versus HemoCue^®capillary samples was 017 ± 1.90 and (3.97-3.63) g/dl.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Hemoglobin concentration assessment by HemoCue^®using either venous or capillary blood samples has shown unacceptable agreement with automated hematology analyzer.</p> <p>Virtual slides</p> <p>The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: <url>http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/8797022296725036</url></p

A Comparative Analysis of E-Scooter and E-Bike Usage Patterns: Findings from the City of Austin, TX

E-scooter-sharing and e-bike-sharing systems are accommodating and easing the increased traffic in dense cities and are expanding considerably. However, these new micro-mobility transportation modes raise numerous operational and safety concerns. This study analyzes e-scooter and dockless e-bike sharing system user behavior. We investigate how average trip speed change depending on the day of the week and the time of the day. We used a dataset from the city of Austin, TX from December 2018 to May 2019. Our results generally show that the trip average speed for e-bikes ranges between 3.01 and 3.44 m/s, which is higher than that for e-scooters (2.19 to 2.78 m/s). Results also show a similar usage pattern for the average speed of e-bikes and e-scooters throughout the days of the week and a different usage pattern for the average speed of e-bikes and e-scooters over the hours of the day. We found that users tend to ride e-bikes and e-scooters with a slower average speed for recreational purposes compared to when they are ridden for commuting purposes. This study is a building block in this field, which serves as a first of its kind, and sheds the light of significant new understanding of this emerging class of shared-road users.Comment: Submitted to the International Journal of Sustainable Transportatio

Alternative routes for a proposed Nigerian superhighway to limit damage to rare ecosystems and wildlife

The Cross River State Government in Nigeria is proposing to construct a "Cross River Superhighway" that would bisect critical remaining areas of tropical rainforest in south eastern Nigeria. We offer and evaluate two alternative routes to the superhighway that would be less damaging to forests, protected areas, and biological diversity. The first alternative we identified avoids intact forests entirely while seeking to benefit agriculture and existing settlements. The second alternative also avoids intact forests while incorporating existing paved and unpaved roads to limit construction costs. As currently proposed, the superhighway would be 260 km long, would intersect 115 km of intact forests or protected areas, and would cost an estimated US$2.5 billion to construct. Alternative Routes 1 and 2 are only slightly longer (290 and 353 km, respectively) and have markedly lower estimated construction costs (US$0.92 billion). Furthermore, the alternative routes would have negligible impacts on forests and protected areas and would be better aligned to benefit local communities and agriculture. We argue that alternative routings such as those we examined here could markedly reduce the economic and environmental costs, and potentially increase the socioeconomic benefits, for the proposed Cross River Superhighway

BCR-ABL Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors as Candidates for the Treatment of COVID-19: Molecular Docking, Pharmacophore Modeling, ADMET Studies

The novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has affected more than 53 million individuals worldwide. Currently, there is a dire need to develop or find potential drugs that can treat SARS-CoV-2 infection. One of the standard methods to accelerate drug discovery and development in pandemics is to screen currently available medications against the critical therapeutic targets to find potential therapeutic agents. The literature has pointed out to the 3CLpro and RdRp proteins as the most important proteins involved in viral replications. In the present study, we used an in-silico modeling approach to examine the affinity of six tyrosine kinases inhibitors (TKIs), Imatinib, Ponatinib, Nilotinib, Gefitinib, Erlotinib, and Dasatinibagainst the 3CLpro and RdRp by calculating the energy balance. The six tested TKIs had energy balance values of more than -7 Kcal/mol for both viral target proteins. Nilotinib and Ponatinib showed the highest affinity for 3CLpro (-8.32, -8.16, respectively) while Dasatinib, Ponatinib, and Imatinib presented the strongest binding toRdRp(-14.50, -10.57, -9.46, respectively). Based on these findings, we recommend future evaluations of TKIs for SARs-CoV-2 infection in-vitro and further testing in clinical trials

Effect of different polishing techniques on surface roughness and bacterial adhesion of three glass ionomer-based restorative materials : in vitro study

Although many reports concluded that polishing of glass ionomers is crucial for smoother surface and limiting the adhesion of cariogenic bacteria, there is no specific surface treatment protocol recommended. A novel material in the same category was released recently claimed to have surface smoothness comparable to resin composite and bacterial adhesion less than other types of glass ionomers. In this study, different polishing systems were tested with three glass ionomers one of them is the novel material to find the most appropriate polishing protocol. Objectives: To evaluate and compare the surface roughness and bacterial adhesion to resin modified glass ionomer, bioactive ionic resin and conventional glass ionomer restorative materials after different polishing protocols in vitro. The materials tested includes resin modified glass ionomer, bioactive ionic resin, and conventional glass ionomer. The polishing protocols were divided into four groups: group 1 = (Mylar matrix strips, Control), group 2 = (one-step, PoGo), group 3 = (two-step, Prisma Gloss) and group 4 = (three-step, Sof-Lex). From each material, eleven cylindrical specimens were prepared for each group according to the manufacturers? instructions. The surface roughness for all specimens was measured using atomic force microscope in tapping mode. the same specimens were subjected to bacterial adhesion testing after being coated with artificial saliva. Data were analyzed with two-way analysis of variance followed by Post hoc multiple comparisons. The highest Ra and S. mutans adhesion values were recorded for all materials in two-step group. The lowest Ra and S. mutans adhesion values were seen in one-step and three step groups. One-step polishing system was more effective and may be preferable for polishing of the three studied glass ionomer-based materials compared to two-step and three-step systems

Effect of Stress Level of Surrounding Soil on Bored Pile Capacity in Sand

This study deals with assessing the effect of stress level on bearing capacity factor , distribution of shear stresses at soil-pile interface along pile shaft, and presence of critical depth concept for bored piles axially loaded in compression and embedded in dense sand. These investigations are made using finite element method with the employment of a wide range of stresses by using piles with dimensions starting from laboratory dimensions and goes towards field dimensions with embedment ratio range from (15-40). The soil and the interface behavior is modeled using Duncan-Chang hyperbolic soil model with empirical equations account for reduction of angle of internal friction ø with increasing in stress level. Bored pile is modeled as a linear elastic material. The results showed a dramatic decrease in bearing capacity factor as length of pile increase. It was also found that the embedment ratio has a significant effect in increasing bearing capacity factor , and the distribution of shear stresses at soil-pile interface is not linear and does not tend to take a constant value beyond a certain depth of pile nor decreases after a certain depth along pile shaft. The fallacy of critical depth also noticed and discussed in this paper

The Effectiveness of Online Course Intervention to Improve Knowledge of Antimicrobial Resistance among Dental Students, in Comparison to Reference Group Using a Randomized Controlled Trial

AIM: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a recognised antimicrobial resistance (AMR) online module on knowledge and perception among dental students, using a randomised controlled trial study design. METHODS: Dental students (n = 64, aged 21-25 years) in clinical years agreed to participate in this triple-blinded, parallel, randomised controlled trial. There were 34 students in the study group and 30 students in the control group. The study group participated in an online course covering information about AMR, while students in the control group received another online course about microorganisms in dentistry. Both groups were assessed three times using online questionnaires: before the intervention (T1), after the intervention (T2), and two months later (T3). Each one of T1, T2 and T3 had 22 questions. The questions were repeated each time in T1, T2, and T3 asking about AMR but with different question format, to avoid the possibility of students to memorise the answers. RESULTS: The mean (m) of correct answers for all students on T1 was 12.56, with standard deviation (SD) of 3.2. On T2, m = 14.03 and SD = 3.85, and on T3, m = 14.36 and SD = 3.71. Scores ranged from 0 to 22. The participants in the study and control groups showed significant score improvements from T1 to T2, immediately after the intervention, but there was no significant difference between T2 and T3. The study group students’ scores did not improve significantly from T1 to T3, in contrast to the control group students’ scores. More importantly, there was no significant difference in improvement from T1 to T2 when comparing the study and control groups. CONCLUSION: Online courses might not be reliable learning methods for ensuring the optimal levels of AMR knowledge that are needed by dental practitioners

Ultrasonography in Detection of Renal Calculi in Children; a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Introduction: Although numerous studies have been done to evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrasonography in diagnosis of renal calculi in children, there is still no consensus. Therefore, in the present systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography in identifying renal stones in children. Methods: A comprehensive search of the electronic databases including Medline, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science was conducted up to July 2019. Diagnostic accuracy studies in children were included. Data was summarized and pooled. Area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic score and diagnostic odds ratio were reported with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: Data from 7 articles were included. Pooled analysis showed that the area under the curve of ultrasonography in diagnosis of pediatric renal calculi was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.92 to 0.96). The sensitivity and specificity of this diagnostic modality were 0.80 (95% CI: 0.70 to 0.87) and 1.00 (95% CI: 0.84 to 1.00), respectively. Diagnostic score and diagnostic odds ratio of ultrasonography in detection of renal calculi were 110.32 (95% CI: 2.88 to 19.76) and 82362.41 (95% CI: 17.80 to 3.8 × 108), respectively. Conclusion: Overall, the low level of evidence indicates that sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography in detecting renal calculi in children are 80% and 100%, respectively. However, due to the serious limitations of the included studies, well-designed prospective diagnostic accuracy studies are recommended for future studies