Screening Of Donor Research Articles

Molecular Design and High‐Throughput Virtual Screening of Electron Donor and Non‐fullerene Acceptors for Organic Solar Cells

The complicated trilateral relationships among molecular structures, properties, and photovoltaic performances of electron donor and acceptor materials hinder the rapid improvement of power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs). Herein, the database of 310 donor and non‐fullerene acceptor pairs is constructed and 39 molecular structure descriptors are selected. Four kinds of machine learning (ML) algorithms random forest (RF), extra trees regression, gradient boosting regression trees, and adaptive boosting are applied to predict photovoltaic parameters. The coefficient of determination, Pearson correlation coefficient, mean absolute error, and root mean square error are adopted to evaluate ML performance. The results show that the RF model exhibits the best prediction accuracy. The Gini important analysis suggests the fused ring and aromatic heterocycles are critical fragments in determining PCE. The molecular unit sets are constructed by cutting each donor and acceptor molecules in database. The 31 752 D‐π‐A‐π type donor molecules and 5 455 164 A‐π‐D‐π‐A type acceptor molecules are designed by recombination of molecular units, and 173 212 367 328 donor–acceptor pairs are generated by combining the newly designed donor and acceptor molecules. Based on the predicted PCE using the trained RF model, 42 donor–acceptor pairs exhibit the predicted PCE > 16%, in which the highest PCE is 16.24%.

Prevalence of HBV Co-infections with HCV and HIV among Blood Donors in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria

Blood is a life-saving resource. Despite the significance of blood transfusion in saving a millions life in emergencies and medical treatment, the safety of blood transfusion faced challenges of transmitting life threatening transfusion transmissible infectious agents such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The study was carried out to determine the sero-prevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV and co-infections among blood donors in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. A total of five hundred (500) prospective blood donors age ranged from 18 to 60 years attending Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital between May to November, 2019 were recruited for the study. Prospective study was based on questionnaires administered to generate socio-demographics and a 5ml venous blood samples were obtained from each blood donors and the plasma was used for determination of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HCV using immunoassay rapid test kit (RTK) Diaspot, Belgium and HIV-1 and HIV-2 Determine Alere Medical ,Japan and further tested with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) Biorad Monolisa, France). The prevalence of HBV, HCV and HIV were 4.8%, 1.2% and 1.8% respectively, while co-infections with HBV/ HIV and HBV/HCV were 0.2% and 0.2% respectively and there was no case of triple infections among the blood donors. The incidence rate was high in HBV followed by HIV and HCV. The use of RTK and ELISA for screening of blood donor for HBsAg, anti HCV and HIV in terms of their sensitively and specificity showed that ELISA is more sensitive than RTK while RTK is more specific than ELISA. From the retrospective study age and gender distribution was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). A significance difference was observed between married blood donors and HIV infection (P < 0.05) and also blood donors with history of blood transfusion showed statistical significant to HBV and HCV (P < 0.05). The prevalence of HBV, HCV and HIV infections among blood donors were found to be statistically associated with smoking, alcohol consumption, surgical operation, multiple sex partners and tattooing (P < 0.05). This study shows that the prevalence of HBV infection in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State ,Nigeria was higher than HCV and HIV, hence there is need to increase public awareness of the socio-cultural practices that contribute to the transmission of infection.

Epidemiology and Management of Infections in Liver Transplant Recipients.

Background: Improvements in liver transplant (LT) outcomes are attributed to advances in surgical techniques, use of potent immunosuppressants, and rigorous pre-LT testing. Despite these improvements, post-LT infections remain the most common complication in this population. Bacteria constitute the most common infectious agents, while fungal and viral infections are also frequently encountered. Multi-drug-resistant bacterial infections develop because of polymicrobial overuse and prolonged hospital stays. Immediate post-LT infections are commonly caused by viruses. Conclusions: Appropriate vaccination, screening of both donor and recipients before LT and antiviral prophylaxis in high-risk individuals are recommended. Antimicrobial drug resistance is common in high-risk LT and associated with poor outcomes; epidemiology and management of these cases is discussed. Additionally, we also discuss the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and monkeypox in the LT population.

Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantations in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) using metagenomic sequencing.

Gastrointestinal disease is a leading cause of morbidity in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under managed care. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) holds promise as a therapeutic tool to restore gut microbiota without antibiotic use. This prospective clinical study aimed to develop a screening protocol for FMT donors to ensure safety, determine an effective FMT administration protocol for managed dolphins, and evaluate the efficacy of FMTs in four recipient dolphins. Comprehensive health monitoring was performed on donor and recipient dolphins. Fecal samples were collected before, during, and after FMT therapy. Screening of donor and recipient fecal samples was accomplished by in-house and reference lab diagnostic tests. Shotgun metagenomics was used for sequencing. Following FMT treatment, all four recipient communities experienced engraftment of novel microbial species from donor communities. Engraftment coincided with resolution of clinical signs and a sustained increase in alpha diversity. The donor screening protocol proved to be safe in this study and no adverse effects were observed in four recipient dolphins. Treatment coincided with improvement in clinical signs.

Design and virtual screening of donor and non-fullerene acceptor for organic solar cells using long short-term memory model

In this study, we trained long short-term memory models to predict photovoltaic performance parameters. Additionally, we cleaved and reorganized molecules to obtain novel high-performance donor–acceptor pairs.

Complete blood and absolute CD4+ve T lymphocyte counts of whole blood donors at a hospital blood center in Nigeria

Background: Comprehensive routine screening and adequate selection of the prospective whole blood donor protects his health and safety as well as that of the recipient. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to determine the complete blood and absolute CD4+ T lymphocyte cell counts of apparently healthy prospective whole blood donors. Participants and Methods: This was a hospital based prospective study. A form was designed by the researchers for data collection. The socio demographic status, complete blood cells and absolute CD4+vel counts of apparently healthy whole blood donors who had tested seronegative for HIV, hepatitis B and C markers was captured . Obtained data was analysed with the statistical package for the social scientist software version 20 Results: One hundred male (97.1%) and three female (2.9%) apparently healthy prospective whole blood donors were studied. The median age of study subjects was 30 years. Obtained median blood cell values were 13g/dl, 40%, 4.9/nl and 203.9/nl for haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit, total white cell and platelet counts respectively. The median values for the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of studied blood donors were 32.6g/dl,27.7pg and 85.7fl respectively. Observed prevalence of subnormal blood cell counts for haemoglobin concentration, total white cells and platelets were 12.6%, 25.2%, 13.6% respectively. Also subnormal values for MCHC, MCH, and MCV were 11.7%, 26.2%, 16.5% respectively among studied whole blood donors. No higher than normal blood cell count values were observed. Median values for erythrocyte sedimentation rate and CD4+ T lymphocytes were 8.4mm/hr and 876.2cells/µl respectively. The percentage of subnormal CD4+T lymphocyte count was18.4% Conclusion: A significant percentage of apparently healthy prospective whole blood donors had subnormal blood cell and CD+ve T lymphocyte values. Obtained normal values were comparable with local reference range reports from previous studies in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

New cost-effective human leukocyte antigen testing algorithm for screening of human leukocyte antigen-matched related donor in thalassemia major patient pretransplant workup

Introduction: India has a huge disease burden of thalassemia major with an estimated 40 million carriers and over a million thalassemia major patients. Very few patients are optimally treated, and the standard of care “hematopoietic stem cell transplant” (HSCT) is out of reach for most patients and their families. The cost of HSCT is significant, and a substantial proportion of it goes to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) testing of family members (HLA screening) in hope of getting a matched related donor (MRD) for HSCT. The aim of this study was to establish that a new proposed testing algorithm of HLA typing would be more cost-effective as compared to the conventional HLA screening within MRD families for possible HSCT. Material and Methods: Buccal swab samples of 177 thalassemia patients and their prospective family donors (232) were collected. Using a new HLA testing algorithm, samples were tested for HLA typing in a sequential manner (first HLA-B, then HLA-A, and finally HLA-DR) using the sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe method on the Luminex platform. Results: The new sequential HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-DRB1 testing algorithm showed a 49.1% reduction in cost compared to the conventional HLA testing algorithm. Furthermore, 40 patients (22.59%) were found to have HLA-MRD within the family among other samples that were tested. Conclusion: The new HLA testing algorithm proposed in the present study for identifying MRD for HSCT resulted in a substantial reduction in the cost of HSCT workup.

Preparing for Transplant - Screening and Prophylaxis of Donor and Recipients before Solid Organ Transplantation

Infections are major cause of morbidity and mortality after transplantation. Although many infections are common worldwide, there are differences in various geographic locations. South Asia and India, in particular, has a very active transplant program for kidney and liver transplantation, however, there are no guidelines as how to screen and provide prophylaxis to solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients and donors for both specific infections prevalent in this region along with usual infections. Keeping this in mind, a working group was created comprising transplant physicians, surgeons, and infectious disease specialists from South Asia as well as experts from other countries. This working group developed guidelines based on published evidence, unpublished data from large centers in this region, along with expert opinion. This section of the guidelines deals with pretransplant screening of donors and recipients, which should be useful in dealing with transplants performed in this region for patients belonging to these countries, for those coming for transplantation from other countries, and for programs outside of South Asia who are screening donors and recipients from this region or who have spent significant time in this region.

An alternate proficiency testing tool for a point of care hemoglobinometer: Hemocue

Background: Pre-donation hemoglobin screening, to determine donor fitness, can be done via different modalities [from crude copper sulphate solutions to point-of-care (POC) hemoglobinometers to automated cell counters]. Primary aim of the study was to develop and implement strategies for quality control for a Hemocue (a POC device) for the pre – donation hemoglobin screening. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was done in properly stored 200 EDTA samples from April 2020 to October 2020. Daily two samples were analyzed using Hemocue and Automated hematology analyzer (Sysmex XN- 550) and compared by plotting their differences on Levey-Jennings (LJ) charts. Results: 100 samples were >12.5gm/dL and 100 samples were 12.5, 13.7± 0.75 for hemocue > 12.5 and 11.13 ± 0.96 for sysmex < 12.5, 11.37 ± 0.97 for hemocue < 12. No major outliers (differences outside 2 SD) were found in the LJ Plots. Conclusion: Sample rerun could be used as a safer alternative to running costly commercial controls for screening of donor with POC hemoglobinometers.

Altruistic Donation of Surplus Embryos to Known and Unknown Recipients, The Dutch Approach.

Background:Previous studies have shown that embryo donation can be a successful treatment for infertile couples, however the willingness of Dutch couples to donate or accept embryos was unknown. The aim of this article is to describe the protocol and results for altruistic embryo donation of the only embryo bank in the Netherlands.Materials and Methods:This is a descriptive study. Since 2011, donated cryo-embryos from couples that have undergone in vitro-fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) treatments, are being stored in our embryo bank. The majority of the donated embryos were frozen on day 3 or 4 by slow freezing techniques. We perform a thorough medical and psychological screening of donor couples and recipients, according to the protocol drawn up in close collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of Health.Results:Up to June 2021, 54 women have received embryos from our embryo bank, all single embryo transfers. While the clinical pregnancy rate in ‘unknown’ embryo donations was relatively high (25.3%), the live birth rate shows limited success (12.6%), partly due to high pregnancy loss through miscarriage. In known donation procedures, the recipients tend to undergo more procedures, depending on the number of donated cryo-embryos. Twentyeight women received embryos from known donors, with a clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer of 24%, and live birth rate of 14%. In total, 82 recipients were granted donated cryo-embryos, twenty had an ongoing pregnancy (24.4%), nineteen of whom have given birth to a healthy child (23%).Conclusion:Altruistic embryo donation of embryos appears to be satisfying for the donors, as they are not obliged to destroy their embryos, but instead help others build a family. Although success rates are still limited, partly due to the relatively high miscarriage rates and inferior freezing techniques, to this date nineteen out of 82 recipients have given birth to a healthy child.

Prediction of non-radiative voltage losses in organic solar cells using machine learning

One of the major hurdles that are preventing organic solar cells (OSCs) from leading the efficiency chart is non-radiative voltage loss (ΔVNR). So far, however, not much effort is made to predict voltage losses and unravel the correlation of losses with electronic and structural descriptors. From the literature, we create a dataset consisting of 154 unique donor:acceptor combinations with reported ΔVNR. The dataset includes information about frontier molecular orbitals (FMO), optical bandgap (Eg), molecular descriptors, and molecular fingerprints. Four machine learning (ML) algorithms (random forest regressor, gradient boosting regressor, support vector regressor, and artificial neural network) are used to predict non-radiative voltage loss and the results obtained are compared on the basis of Pearson rs, root mean squared errors, and mean absolute percentage errors. Best results are obtained with gradient boosting regressor by using FMO + Eg + RDKit descriptors (Pearson r = 0.859) and FMO + Eg + MACCS fingerprints (Pearson r = 0.857). We have also applied these ML models by using only molecular descriptors and only molecular fingerprints and got impressive results (Pearson r = 0.78 and 0.726). These results indicate that ML models can be effectively used for the prediction of ΔVNR and virtual screening of promising donor:acceptor combinations with reduced ΔVNR.

Infections in the solid-organ transplant recipients

The advancement in the field of transplant has led to the increasing number of solid-organ transplant recipients (SOTRs). This success leads to novel confronts in communicable infections, which are compound by the emergence of newly contagious and antimicrobial drugs resistant microorganisms. The prevention of infections is a cornerstone of any modern solid organ transplantation program. Understanding the fundamentals of these infections with early detection is crucial for improving the outcomes of such patients and lowers the probable extra complications. The probability of critical infections in SOTRs is established by relations between the patient’s epidemiological exposures and the net condition of immune repression. A timeline was formed to build up a discrepancy diagnosis of infection in SORTs. The improvement in screening, the investigations including imaging and molecular techniques and prophylactic intervention protocols, has made it promising to limit the penalty of infections and act towards better patient endurance. Pre-transplant screening of the prospective organ donor and recipient provides a chance to evaluate the viability and wellbeing of transplantation, to decide the prophylaxis and protective approaches developed post-transplant, to find out and entirely treat active infection in the possible recipient proceeding to transplant, to renovate the vaccination condition of the potential recipient.

S2441 Acute Liver Failure Due to Toxoplasmosis After Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

INTRODUCTION: Solid organ transplant recipients are at risk for a wide range of opportunistic infections, the most common being Cytomegalovirus (CMV). These infections may occur as re-activation of latent disease, donor-derived or de novo. Though less common, infection with Toxoplasma gondii may also present in patients following solid organ transplantation. We present a case of acute liver failure secondary to toxoplasmosis following orthotopic liver transplantation. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: A 61-year-old female presented five weeks after orthotopic liver transplantation with altered mental status and fatigue. Her immunosuppression regimen included tacrolimus, mycophenolic acid, and prednisone. In addition, she was on prophylactic acyclovir for CMV. However, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis was held 4 weeks prior due to renal dysfunction. Upon presentation, laboratory data revealed acute kidney injury and elevated liver tests (total bilirubin 1.2 mg/dL, alanine aminotransferase 69 U/L, aspartate aminotransferase 101 U/L, alkaline phosphatase 286 U/L). She was found to have elevated CMV PCR in the blood (679,198 IU/mL) and cerebrospinal fluid (>2,000,000 IU/mL), as well as biopsy proven CMV hepatitis. CMV infection resolved with intravenous ganciclovir. However, she subsequently developed acute liver failure due to toxoplasmosis, which is hypothesized to be donor derived, and expired. Postmortem histological studies performed during the acute illness showed hepatic necrosis and intrahepatic protozoa, consistent with Toxoplasma bradyzoites. Immunohistochemical stain for Toxoplasma performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Toxoplasma infection. DISCUSSION: Infection with Toxoplasma may be asymptomatic in the immunocompetent host. However, in immunocompromised hosts, such as solid organ transplant recipients, this infection can be life threatening. Though prophylaxis with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole may prevent infection with Toxoplasma, it is often held for renal dysfunction, hyperkalemia, or other side effect, placing patients at risk. With 13 cases now reported, routine screening of donor and recipient for Toxoplasma exposure may be warranted. Although disseminated toxoplasmosis is rare in the post orthotopic liver transplant patient, 61% of reported cases have resulted in death of the patient.Figure 1.: CMV viral inclusion (Hematoxylin and Eosin stain at 600x original magnification).Figure 2.: Intrahepatic protozoa (∼1–2 um in diameter), consistent with Toxoplasma cyst with bradyzoites (Hematoxylin and Eosin stain at 600x original magnification).Figure 3.: Immunohistochemical stain for Toxoplasma gondii confirms the diagnosis. It shows multiple intrahepatocytic protozoa that are arranged individually, consistent with Toxoplasma tachyzoites infection. (IHC at 200X). Inset box at 630x original magnification).

Seroprevalence of transfusion transmissible viral infections in blood donors of tertiary health care hospital in Karnataka

Backgraound: Blood transfusion and its components are significant in saving millions of lives around the worldwide every year. Few, but serious complications are associated with Blood transfusion such as exposure to transfusion -transmissible infections (TTI), in particular: Human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)Hepatitis B Virus(HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV). Therefore, methodical pre transfusion testing of blood units for transfusion transmissible diseases is compulsory as per National Aids Control Organization (NACO) guidelines. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of transfusion transmissible viral infections among blood donors in our tertiary health care hospital in Bangalore, Karnataka. Materials and Methods: The study comprised of retrospective analysis of blood donor’s records covering from January 2015 to December 2018 (4 years) in the department of Blood bank, Sanjay Gandhi institute of trauma and orthopedics, Bangalore. Results: A total of 8728 blood donors were screened for TTIs between 2015 to 2018. Conclusion: Although there were a smaller number of transfusion transmissible viral infection among blood donors, methodical and comprehensive screening of donor’s blood for HIV, HBV and HCV using standard methods are essential to ensure the safety of blood to the recipients. Keywords: Sero prevalence, Transfusion transmitted infections, Blood donors.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: Screening and Selection to Choose the Optimal Donor.

In the past decade, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has rapidly spread worldwide in clinical practice as a highly effective treatment option against recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection. Moreover, new evidence also supports a role for FMT in other conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, functional gastrointestinal disorders, or metabolic disorders. Recently, some studies have identified specific microbial characteristics associated with clinical improvement after FMT, in different disorders, paving the way for a microbiota-based precision medicine approach. Moreover, donor screening has become increasingly more complex over years, along with standardization of FMT and the increasing number of stool banks. In this narrative review, we discuss most recent evidence on the screening and selection of the stool donor, with reference to recent studies that have identified specific microbiological features for clinical conditions such as Clostridioides difficile infection, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and metabolic disorders.

Clinical Approach to the Management of Infections before and after Liver Transplantation

The infectious complications before and after liver transplant (LT) are affected by the severity of liver disease and immunosuppression intensity after transplantation. Both cirrhosis and immunosuppression contribute to dysfunction of defensive mechanisms of the host. When a patient is evaluated for transplantation, the opportunity arises to assess the individual’s risk for infection and how one may modify those risks through prophylactic and therapeutic strategies. Pretransplant infectious disease evaluation focuses on exposure history, prior infections, serologic testing for latent infections, distant exposures, identify colonization patterns of MDRO, and administration of vaccines. The risk of acquiring rare infections are increasing because of greater global mobility. Additional evaluation should be considered for some endemic infectious diseases, beyond recommended standard testing for transplant candidates and donors. It is important to have knowledge of risk factors, local epidemiology and resistance pattern of organisms for management of infections in post-transplant period. Infections are often recipient or donor derived or can be associated with surgical and nosocomial complications during 1st month after LT. Opportunistic infections are common during first year after transplantation due to higher intensty of immunosuppression, while the risk goes down with time but is never zero as intermittent augmentation of immunosuppression can bring the risk back. The risk factors for infection after LT is both donor and recipient derived, as well as aspects related to the transplant operation. In recent studies genetic polymorphisms in the innate immune system , from both donor and recipient, have been identified as important risk factor for infection after LT. Early diagnosis of infections using advanced diagnostic approaches, closer surveillance and targeted treatment protocols are required to manage infectious complications in LTR. Rigorous screening of both donor and recipient for latent and active infections is essential for best outcome after liver transplantation. Most of the liver transplant centers have dedicated physicians with expertise in transplant infectious disease and it is advisable if these experts are consulted when the patients admitted to non transplant centers.

Screening of cadaver cornea donor for infections in the eye bank of the Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution

Objective : to analyze negative laboratory results of cadaver cornea donor screening during preparation of corneas for transplantation according to data from the internal registry of donors of the eye bank (EB) of the Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution and the European Eye Bank Association (EEBA) from 2011 through 2015. Materials and methods . Data analysis was carried out using the internal registry of EB donors and the EEBA annual directories. The analyzed data included the number of eyeballs obtained, the frequency of incomplete tests (hemolysis for EB) and positive serological results for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1 and HIV-2), viral hepatitis B, viral hepatitis C and syphilis. Results . In just 5 years, the EB received 3,479 eyeballs. After hemolysis of donor blood samples, 13.9% (n = 486) of corneas were excluded from the EB. EEBA recorded fewer inconclusive tests during the same period. After hemolysis and positive serological tests, 19.4% (n = 676) of corneas were excluded from the EB. Overall, the number of positive serological tests in EBs was far higher than in the EEBA data. Frequency of positive HIV tests (HIV-1 and HIV-2) and syphilis in EB showed low variability annually, while incidence of hepatitis B increased in 2015. For the analyzed period, positive serology for hepatitis C was found to be prevalent among EB donors. Mixed infections were quite often recorded in blood samples. Conclusion . Based on analysis conducted, positive serology and hemolysis were the main contraindications and led to exclusion of 33.3% (n = 1162) of cadaver donor corneas received in EB. Frequency of positive serological tests for indicated infections in EB was higher than in the EEBA data, with significant predomination of hepatitis C.

Evaluation of different criteria for blood donor deferral in a hospital affiliated with teaching institute

Objective: The only objective of our present study is evaluation of the rate and major reasons of blood donor deferrals in our institute. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was done at the blood bank, GMERS Medical College &amp; Hospital, Junagadh (Gujarat) over a period of 4 years from January 2015 to December 2018. Donor eligibility criteria were followed according to the National guidelines for blood donation. Donors deferred were analysed according to their age, sex, type of donor, type of deferral, and reasons for deferral. Result: Of 26610 blood donors, 98.07% were eligible for donation and 1.93% were deferred. The deferral rates among male population and female population were 1.32% and11.92% respectively. Temporary deferral was more common than permanent one (52.92% vs 47.08%). Leading causes of deferral were hypertension (40.08% cases), anemia (21.98% cases) and hypotension (14.40% cases). Anemia was the commonest cause for temporary deferral, whereas hyper­tension was the commonest for permanent deferral. Maximum number of deferrals were observed in the age group of 36–50 years (41.25% cases). Conclusion: Rejection or Deferral play a pivot role in good and healthy donor selection. Both temporary and permanent criteria must be kept in mind while pre-transfusion screening of a blood donor. Inappropriate selection and unnecessary deferral are always hazardous in transfusion medicine, because both of them reduce the availability of healthy blood donors.

Screening of donor and candidate prior to solid organ transplantation—Guidelines from the American Society of Transplantation Infectious Diseases Community of Practice

This updated section of the guideline from the Infectious Diseases Community of Practice of the American Society of Transplantation reviews the screening of donor and candidate prior to solid organ transplantation. Screening of donor and candidate is vital for optimizing post-transplant outcomes. Risk assessment based on detailed history and appropriate diagnostic evaluation is essential. Serologic screening for certain viral infections is important and aids in immunization counseling and risk mitigation of recipients. In addition to serology, nucleic acid testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus has been required for deceased and living donors. Certain endemic exposure may warrant additional evaluation beyond recommended standard testing. Diagnosed infection in the donor or recipient warrants treatment as well as additional testing and/or prophylaxis to mitigate risk for post-transplant complications. Certain infections in the immediate pre-transplant period may warrant delay of transplantation.

Theoretical screening of promising donor and π-linker groups for POM-based Zn–porphyrin dyes in dye-sensitized solar cells

A series of Zn-porphyrin dyes with different donor and π-linker groups based on the dye SM315 were systematically investigated to screen highly efficient candidates based on density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations. Compared with SM315, dye 1 not only has stronger and broader absorption spectra and larger intramolecular charge transition (ICT) parameters, but also has a larger maximum short circuit density (JmaxSC) and an open-circuit photovoltage (VOC) due to the insertion of polyoxometalate (POM). In addition, dye 3 with an electron donor 3-ethynyl-7-(4-methoxyphenyl)-10-methyl-10,10a-dihydro-4aH-phenothiazine (D3) exhibits better photovoltaic performance among dyes 1-3 due to its broadest absorption spectra and largest JmaxSC, hence, D3 can act as a promising donor candidate for the construction of efficient dyes. Furthermore, the performance can be further improved by replacing the π-linker 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (dye 3) with benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']difuran-2,6-dione (dye 4) and pyrrolo[2,3-f]indole-2,6(1H,5H)-dione (dye 5). Compared with dye 3, dyes 4 and 5 possess broader absorption spectra and light harvesting efficiency curves, larger ICT parameters, JmaxSC and conduction band energy shift. In particular, dye 4 might obtain a larger short-circuit photocurrent density, and dye 5 might obtain a larger VOC.