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Abstract Graphene-based nanomaterials (graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene quantum dots, graphene-based nanocomposites, etc.) are emerging as an extremely important class of nanomaterials primarily because of their unique and advantageous physical, chemical, biological, and optoelectronic aspects. These features have resulted in uses across diverse areas of scientific research. Among all other applications, they are found to be particularly useful in designing highly sensitive biosensors. Numerous studies have established their efficacy in sensing pathogens and other biomolecules allowing for the rapid diagnosis of various diseases. Considering the growing importance and popularity of graphene-based materials for biosensing applications, this review aims to provide the readers with a summary of the recent progress in the concerned domain and highlights the challenges associated with the synthesis and application of these multifunctional materials.

Gliding is only present in six extant groups of mammals—interestingly, despite divergent evolutionary histories, all mammalian gliders are strictly nocturnal. Gliding mammals also seem to have relatively high rates of ultrasound use and ultraviolet-induced photoluminescence (UVP) in contrast with their close relatives. Therefore, we hypothesized that, despite diverging lineages, gliding mammals use similar modes of cryptic communication compared to their non-gliding counterparts. We developed two datasets containing the vocal range (minimum-maximum of the dominant harmonic; kHz) and UVP of 73 and 82 species, respectively; we report four novel vocal repertoires and 57 novel observations of the presence or absence of UVP. We complemented these datasets with information about body size, diel activity patterns, habitat openness, and sociality to explore possible covariates related to vocal production and UVP. We found that the maximum of the dominant harmonic was significant higher in gliding mammals when vocalizing than their non-gliding relatives. Additionally, we found that nocturnality was the only significant predictor of UVP, consistent with the previous hypothesis that luminophores primarily drive UVP in mammal fur. In contrast, however, we did not find UVP ubiquitous in nocturnal mammals, suggesting that some unknown process may contribute to variation in this trait.

The heterogenization of molecular catalysts within a porous solid acting as macroligand can advantageously open access to enhanced stability and productivity, and thus to more sustainable catalytic process. Herein, a porous organic polymer (POP) made through metal‐free polymerization using bipyridine repeating units is reported. This N‐rich POP is an efficient macroligand for the heterogenization of molecular rhodium complexes. The intrinsic catalytic activity of the heterogenized catalyst is slightly higher than that of its homogeneous molecular counterpart for formic acid production as a unique carbon‐containing product. The heterogenization of the rhodium catalysts enables recycling for a total productivity of up to 8.3 g of formic acid per gram of catalyst after 7 reuses using visible light as the sole energy source.

This paper examined financial literacy services provided by banks to agripreneurs and the associated problems. Participants were 500 agripreneurs and 250 bank managers, selected using a multi-stage sampling design in Assam, a north-eastern state of India. The result showed that out of 19 identified variables of financial literacy services, the degree of awareness of agripreneurs by banks is marked very low in 17 variables. In 7-point rating scale, average score of lack of manpower, difficulty in reaching the target group and poor coverage of topics was more than 3.5 which categorised them as major hindrances in conducting Financial Literacy Programme (FLP), particularly for agripreneurs. However, consideration of both organisational and operational approaches is suggested for better implementation of FLP for agripreneurs.

The digital library has gained significant importance in recent years as it provides a more suitable solution to access the knowledge or resources available anywhere and at any time. National Digital Library of India (NDLI) is a digital platform that provides access to substantial digital storage of resources and encourages and inspires learning among the nation's people. This study aimed to analyze the awareness of the National Digital Library of India (NDLI) among the students, teachers and research scholars of India and tried to assess its utilization and backdrops for further improvement. The empirical study was conducted in India, and the primary data were collected using Google Forms. Snowball sampling was used to collect data from 384 respondents, including students, research scholars and teachers. The study detected that the overall level of awareness of NDLI was low (39.3%) among the different groups, and students had the lowest (50.2%) level of awareness among other groups of respondents comparatively. A strong association was seen to exist between educational qualification and respondents’ level of awareness. Apart from these, the users found the NDLI app useful; 54% of respondents were able to access the required content using the app and 71% of the users rated ‘good’ the app's performance.https://dorl.net/dor/20.1001.1.20088302.2022.20.4.13.2

RationaleThe role of circulating fetal monocytes in bronchopulmonary dysplasia is not known. We utilized a humanized mouse model that supports human progenitor cell engraftment (MISTRG) to test the hypothesis that prenatal monocyte programming alters early lung development and response to hyperoxia.MethodsCord blood-derived monocytes from 10 human infants were adoptively transferred into newborn MISTRG mice at p0 (1 × 106 cells/mouse, intrahepatic injection) followed by normoxia versus hyperoxia (85% oxygen × 14 days). Lungs were harvested at p14 for alveolar histology (alveolar count, perimeter and area) and vascular parameters (vWF staining for microvessel density, Fulton's index). Human CD45 staining was conducted to compare presence of hematopoietic cells. Murine lung parameters were compared among placebo and monocyte-injected groups. The individual profiles of the 10 patients were further considered, including gestational age (GA; n = 2 term, n = 3 moderate/late preterm, and n = 5 very preterm infants) and preeclampsia (n = 4 patients). To explore the monocyte microenvironment of these patients, 30 cytokines/chemokines were measured in corresponding human plasma by multiplex immunoassay.ResultsAcross the majority of patients and corresponding mice, MISTRG alveolarization was simplified and microvessel density was decreased following hyperoxia. Hyperoxia-induced changes were seen in both placebo (PBS) and monocyte-injected mice. Under normoxic conditions, alveolar development was altered modestly by monocytes as compared with placebo (P

This paper examined financial literacy services provided by banks to agripreneurs and the associated problems. Participants were 500 agripreneurs and 250 bank managers, selected using a multi-stage sampling design in Assam, a north-eastern state of India. The result showed that out of 19 identified variables of financial literacy services, the degree of awareness of agripreneurs by banks is marked very low in 17 variables. In 7-point rating scale, average score of lack of manpower, difficulty in reaching the target group and poor coverage of topics was more than 3.5 which categorised them as major hindrances in conducting Financial Literacy Programme (FLP), particularly for agripreneurs. However, consideration of both organisational and operational approaches is suggested for better implementation of FLP for agripreneurs.

Competition is a driving factor in shaping ecological communities and may act directly or indirectly through apparent competition. We examined a classic example of parasite-mediated competition between northern (Glaucomys sabrinus) and southern flying squirrels (G. volans) via the intestinal nematode, Strongyloides robustus, and tested whether it could act as a species barrier in a flying squirrel hybrid zone. We live-trapped flying squirrels (G. sabrinus and G. volans), grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), and chipmunks (Tamias striatus) from June–September 2019 at 30 woodlots in Ontario, Canada. Fecal samples from squirrels were collected and analyzed for the presence of endoparasite eggs. For each individual, we calculated Scaled Mass Index (SMI) as a measure of body condition to assess the effect of S. robustus on squirrels. We found eggs of S. robustus in all species except chipmunks. Infection with S. robustus did not appear to affect body condition of southern flying squirrels and grey squirrels, but we did find a weak negative effect on northern flying squirrels and red squirrels. Despite a weak asymmetric effect of S. robustus on flying squirrels, we did not find any evidence that parasite-mediated competition could lead to competitive exclusion from woodlots. Furthermore, S. robustus eggs were common in feces of the red squirrel, a species largely sympatric with northern flying squirrel.

The Polycomb system via the methylation of the lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27) plays central roles in the silencing of many lineage-specific genes during development. Recent experimental evidence suggested that the recruitment of histone modifying enzymes like the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) at specific sites and their spreading capacities from these sites are key to the establishment and maintenance of a proper epigenomic landscape around Polycomb-target genes. Here, to test whether such mechanisms, as a minimal set of qualitative rules, are quantitatively compatible with data, we developed a mathematical model that can predict the locus-specific distributions of H3K27 modifications based on previous biochemical knowledge. Within the biological context of mouse embryonic stem cells, our model showed quantitative agreement with experimental profiles of H3K27 acetylation and methylation around Polycomb-target genes in wild-type and mutants. In particular, we demonstrated the key role of the reader-writer module of PRC2 and of the competition between the binding of activating and repressing enzymes in shaping the H3K27 landscape around transcriptional start sites. The predicted dynamics of establishment and maintenance of the repressive trimethylated H3K27 state suggest a slow accumulation, in perfect agreement with experiments. Our approach represents a first step towards a quantitative description of PcG regulation in various cellular contexts and provides a generic framework to better characterize epigenetic regulation in normal or disease situations.

Agribusiness is characterized by uncertain returns and thus it confronts the agricultural entrepreneurs with various situations that impede their capital requirement. This paper attempts to understand the financial problems of agricultural entrepreneurs and to make a relational analysis of their awareness of agricultural financing with their financial problems. The study was conducted in Assam, situated in the northeastern part of India. Multi-stage sampling was used to reach 96 agricultural entrepreneurs. It was found that the inadequate savings and cumbersome process in applying for a loan were the major causes of financial problems of agricultural entrepreneurs and 64% of agricultural entrepreneurs have medium level of awareness on agricultural financing. Analysing the influence of agricultural financing awareness of agricultural entrepreneurs on their financial problems it is concluded that with the increase in the agricultural financing awareness level of agricultural entrepreneurs their financial problems can be reduced to a great extent.

Background Conservation practitioners are often interested in developing land use plans that increase landscape connectivity, which is defined as the degree to which the landscape facilitates or impedes movement among resource patches. Landscape connectivity is often estimated with a cost surface that indicates the varying costs experienced by an organism in moving across a landscape. True, or absolute costs are rarely known however, and therefore assigning costs to different landscape elements is often a challenge in creating cost surface maps. As such, we consider it important to understand the sensitivity of connectivity estimates to uncertainty in cost estimates. Methods We used simulated landscapes to test the sensitivity of current density estimates from circuit theory to varying relative cost values, fragmentation, and number of cost classes (i.e., thematic resolution). Current density is proportional to the probability of use during a random walk. Using Circuitscape software, we simulated electrical current between pairs of nodes to create current density maps. We then measured the correlation of the current density values across scenarios. Results In general, we found that cost values were highly correlated across scenarios with different cost weights (mean correlation ranged from 0.87 to 0.92). Changing the spatial configuration of landscape elements by varying the degree of fragmentation reduced correlation in current density across maps. We also found that correlations were more variable when the range of cost values in a map was high. Discussion The low sensitivity of current density estimates to relative cost weights suggests that the measure may be reliable for land use applications even when there is uncertainty about absolute cost values, provided that the user has the costs correctly ranked. This finding should facilitate the use of cost surfaces by conservation practitioners interested in estimating connectivity and planning linkages and corridors.

Squirrels (Sciuridae) are a diverse group in behavior, morphology, and ecology. This variation is typified by the wide range of vocalizations spanning ground squirrels (Marmotini and Xerini), tree squirrels (Callosciurinae and Sciurini), and flying squirrels (Pteromyini). Squirrels produce calls that range in frequency, modulation, and function, with a complex set of social calls occurring across the family. We review the history of recording methods used in the development of squirrel vocalization repertoires, with emphasis on how the ecology and methodology impact the frequency values reported. The fundamental (F0 – the mean frequency of the fundamental harmonic), dominant (FDom – the frequency of maximum energy or amplitude), minimum (FMin – the minimum frequency of the fundamental harmonic), maximum (FMax – the maximum frequency of the dominant harmonic), and highest harmonic (FHarm – the mean frequency of the highest visible harmonic) frequencies were considered against popular hypotheses that have attempted to explain the evolution of vocal frequency characteristics in terrestrial mammals. These hypotheses include body size, predator avoidance, habitat type, and diel activity pattern. Phylogenetic generalized least squared modeling revealed that body mass and the frequency limits of the methods were the strongest drivers of high-frequency communication. Consistent with popular hypotheses, social squirrels exhibited a broader range of F0, FDom, and FMax than solitary squirrels while habitat openness promoted higher FDom and FHarm. Additionally, nocturnality was significantly associated with higher F0, FDom, and FMax, suggesting that flying squirrels, the only nocturnal squirrels, commonly use high-frequency acoustic signals, a finding that merits further investigation. In conclusion, our review provides a unique insight into the role of behavioral ecology on vocal repertoires and the importance of accurate equipment selection for sampling across a diverse taxon.

Objective: The aim of this study is to report early complications of diagnostic and therapeutic ureteroscopy and to grade each complication according to modified Clavien classification system (MCCS). Materials and Methods: Through a prospective study conducted from March to September 2017, all patients who underwent diagnostic and therapeutic semirigid ureteroscopy were evaluated. The procedure was performed by different surgeons. The recording data included patient demographics, ureteroscopy site (left, right, or bilateral), aim of ureteroscopy (diagnostic or therapeutic), operative time, additional intervention, stone-free rate, double J stent placement, and complications which were graded according to the modefied clavien classification system with their management. Results: One hundred and fifty patients were included in the study. The average age was 39.9 years and male-to-female ratio 2.3/1. The number of patients who underwent right, left, and bilateral ureteroscopy was 74 (49.3%), 64 (42.3%), and 12 (8%), respectively, so the overall number of ureteroscopy procedures was 162. Diagnostic ureteroscopy was done in 20 (13.3%) patients and therapeutic ureteroscopy in 130 (87.7%). Complications occurred in 37.3% of patients. According to MCCS, Grade I, II, IIIa, IIIb, IVa, IVb, and V complications were detected in 40 (26.6%), 6 (4%), 10 (6.7%), 14 (9.3), 0 (0.0%), 2 (1.3%), and 0 (0.0%) of cases, respectively. Conclusion: Ureteroscopy becomes the prevailing procedure for different ureteral pathologies mainly stones with a good safety and efficacy. It is important to adopt a precise classification system for reporting the complications of ureteroscopy. Most of the complications are of low grade and they are amenable to conservative management. The complications of ureteroscopy will continue to decline as the ureteroscopic technology evolved.

Knowledge of the within-host frequencies of resistance-associated amino acid variants (RAVs) is important to the identification of optimal drug combinations for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Multiple RAVs may exist in infected individuals, often below detection limits, at any resistance locus, defining the diversity of accessible resistance pathways. We developed a multiscale mathematical model to estimate the pre-treatment frequencies of the entire spectrum of mutants at chosen loci. Using a codon-level description of amino acids, we performed stochastic simulations of intracellular dynamics with every possible nucleotide variant as the infecting strain and estimated the relative infectivity of each variant and the resulting distribution of variants produced. We employed these quantities in a deterministic multi-strain model of extracellular dynamics and estimated mutant frequencies. Our predictions captured database frequencies of the RAV R155K, resistant to NS3/4A protease inhibitors, presenting a successful test of our formalism. We found that mutational pathway maps, interconnecting all viable mutants, and strong founder effects determined the mutant spectrum. The spectra were vastly different for HCV genotypes 1a and 1b, underlying their differential responses to drugs. Using a fitness landscape determined recently, we estimated that 13 amino acid variants, encoded by 44 codons, exist at the residue 93 of the NS5A protein, illustrating the massive diversity of accessible resistance pathways at specific loci. Accounting for this diversity, which our model enables, would help optimize drug combinations. Our model may be applied to describe the within-host evolution of other flaviviruses and inform vaccine design strategies.

Phase change material (PCM) based passive cooling of photovoltaics (PV) can be highly productive due to high latent heat capacity. However, the low rate of heat transfer limits its usefulness. Thus, the presented work aims at the improvement in PV cooling by using finned PCM (FPCM) heat sinks. In the present study, PCM heat sink and FPCM heat sinks were investigated numerically for PV cooling and the extracted heat is used for space heating. 4 kWp PV, PV-PCM and PV-FPCM systems were studied under the weather conditions of Southeast of England. It was observed that the PCM heat sinks can drop the peak PV temperature by 13 K, whereas FPCM heat sinks can enhance the PV cooling by 19 K. The PCM heat sinks can increase the PV electrical efficiency from 13% to 14%. Moreover, the daily electricity generation can be boosted by 7% using PCM and 8% by using FPCM heat sinks. In addition, 7 kWh of thermal output was achieved using the FPCM heat sink, and the overall efficiency of system increased from 13% to 19%.

Objetivo: establecer y evaluarla relevancia clínica de interacciones medicamentosas en el tratamiento de pacientes con hepatitis C genotipo 1. Método: se realizó una búsqueda en PubMed/MedLine de artículos publicados en inglés y en español, desde el diciembre de 2004 a diciembre de 2014, utilizando los términos Mesh: Hepatitis C AND drug interactions OR herb-drug interactions OR food-drug interactions, de estudios realizados en humanos. Además, la búsqueda se complementó con la revisión, en el mismo período, sobre interacciones de antiretrovirales y hepatitis C en humanos, utilizando los términos Mesh: (Anti-retroviral agents AND Hepatitis C AND drug interactions OR herb-drug interactions OR food-drug interactions). La relevancia clínica de las interacciones medicamentosas se definió y evaluó con base a la probabilidad de ocurrencia y la gravedad de la interacción. Resultados: se identificaron 228 artículos, de los que se pudo acceder al texto completo en 212. De estos, 62 aportaban interacciones, lo que permitió identificar 128 parejas de IM, de las cuales 120 (93,7%) fueron farmacocinéticas y 8 (6,3%) farmacodinámicas. Por su parte, de estas 128 parejas, 2 (1,6%) fueron valoradas de nivel 1: 110 (53,7%) de nivel 2; 16 (7,8%) de nivel 3; y 0 (0%) de nivel 4. Además, se identificaron 78 parejas agrupadas como interacciones con evidencia de ausencia de relevancia clínica. Conclusiones: más del 90% de las interacciones medicamentosas de relevancia clínica son farmacocinéticas asociadas a cambios del metabolismo hepático, el telaprevir fue el medicamento con mayor número de interacciones.

Purpose: Being a geographical indication certified fruit, Tezpur litchi enjoys the consumer price difference of Indian Rupees 10 per litchi from the common varieties of litchi. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the different aspects of price spread which will make a way out to provide maximum benefit to the litchi growers. With this motive, this study aimed to analyse the price spread and identify the pattern of marketing channels that would be feasible and give profitable returns to the litchi growers. Research Method: The empirical data were collected from 218 samples that included four channel members i.e., litchi growers, pre-harvesting contractors, retailers and final consumers who are mainly involved in the marketing and consumption of Tezpur litchi. The data were analysed using specific formulas of price spread, the share of channel members in consumer's price and marketing efficiency. Findings: Four patterns of marketing channels were identified for Tezpur litchi. Channel III which included litchi growers, retailers and final consumers was found the most feasible in the study area where 79% of litchi growers directly sell to retailers instead of pre-harvesting contractors. It was observed that price spread, the share of channel members in consumer's price and marketing efficiency shared an inverse relationship with the number of mediators in the marketing channel. However, from the practical point of view, channel III is suggested to the litchi growers for a feasible and profitable return. Research Limitations: Exact information on the distribution of Tezpur Litchi to the other states and countries was not available. Therefore, the geographical scope of the study is limited to Assam. Originality/ Value: Understanding price spread is considered very important to cognise the efficiency of the marketing channels operating for a product. An effective marketing channel not only meets the demand of the consumers but also creates a favourable environment for the growers and intermediaries to increase production and add value to the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La farmacovigilancia pretende satisfacer la necesidad de disponer de información relacionada con los resultados del uso de medicamentos, al tiempo que se convierte en una estrategia para prevenir riesgos y minimizar costos causados por efectos no deseados de la farmacoterapia. La realización de seguimiento farmacoterapéutico, utilizando el método Dáder, ha evidenciado que posibilita el cumplimiento de los objetivos de la farmacovigilancia. Sin embargo, se requiere de mayores soportes de la utilidad y beneficios alcanzados con su implementación en más instituciones. Por ello, se realiza un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo de los resultados del seguimiento farmacoterapéutico, utilizando el método Dáder, en instituciones de salud hospitalarias o ambulatorias, realizado por estudiantes matriculados en las asignaturas prácticas en farmacia clínica o prácticas profesionales, del programa de Química Farmacéutica de la Universidad de Antioquia, entre agosto de 2003 y noviembre de 2004. Durante este período se realizó el seguimiento a 4.556 pacientes, se detectaron 660 problemas relacionados con medicamentos y 3.581 problemas relacionados con la utilización. Estos resultados respaldan la utilidad y los beneficios adicionales de los programas de seguimiento farmacoterapéutico, utilizando el método Dáder, en la satisfacción de la necesidad de estructurar y desarrollar programas de farmacovigilancia en el sistema de salud de Colombia.The Pharmacovigilance pretends to satisfy the need of information related to the results of pharmacotherapy, at the same time, it turns into a tool for preventing risks and decreasing costs caused by the undesired effects of the pharmacotherapy. In Colombia, the DADER method for drug therapy follow-up has shown that it is possible to accomplish with the goals of pharmacovigilance. However, more support is required about the utility and benefits achieved with its implementation in a larger number of health institutions. In this sense, a retrospective descriptive study of the results of drug therapy follow-up by the Dader method, it is carried out both at ambulatory health institutions and at hospital health institutions, by students of the Pharmacy program, at the University of Antioquia, who participated in the courses of clinical pharmacy practices or professional practices, from august 2003 to november 2004. During this period: 4.556 patients were followed and 660 problems related to drugs and 3.581 problems related to the use of drugs were detected. These results confirm the usefulness and additional benefits of the drug therapy follow-up of patients by the DADER method, about the fulfillment of the necessity to arrange and to expand pharmacovigilance programs in the Colombia Health System.

The digital library has gained significant importance in recent years as it provides a more suitable solution to access the knowledge or resources available anywhere and at any time. National Digital Library of India (NDLI) is a digital platform that provides access to substantial digital storage of resources and encourages and inspires learning among the nation's people. This study aimed to analyze the awareness of the National Digital Library of India (NDLI) among the students, teachers and research scholars of India and tried to assess its utilization and backdrops for further improvement. The empirical study was conducted in India, and the primary data were collected using Google Forms. Snowball sampling was used to collect data from 384 respondents, including students, research scholars and teachers. The study detected that the overall level of awareness of NDLI was low (39.3%) among the different groups, and students had the lowest (50.2%) level of awareness among other groups of respondents comparatively. A strong association was seen to exist between educational qualification and respondents' level of awareness. Apart from these, the users found the NDLI app useful; 54% of respondents were able to access the required content using the app and 71% of the users rated 'good' the app's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pharmacovigilance pretends to satisfy the need of information related to the results of pharmacotherapy, at the same time, it turns into a tool for preventing risks and decreasing costs caused by the undesired effects of the pharmacotherapy. In Colombia, the DADER method for drug therapy follow-up has shown that it is possible to accomplish with the goals of pharmacovigilance. However, more support is required about the utility and benefits achieved with its implementation in a larger number of health institutions. In this sense, a retrospective descriptive study of the results of drug therapy follow-up by the Dader method, it is carried out both at ambulatory health institutions and at hospital health institutions, by students of the Pharmacy program, at the University of Antioquia, who participated in the courses of clinical pharmacy practices or professional practices, from august 2003 to november 2004. During this period: 4.556 patients were followed and 660 problems related to drugs and 3.581 problems related to the use of drugs were detected. These results confirm the usefulness and additional benefits of the drug therapy follow-up of patients by the DADER method, about the fulfillment of the necessity to arrange and to expand pharmacovigilance programs in the Colombia Health System.

Competition is a driving factor in shaping ecological communities and may act directly or indirectly through apparent competition. We examined a classic example of parasite-mediated competition between northern (Glaucomys sabrinus) and southern flying squirrels (G. volans) via the intestinal nematode, Strongyloides robustus, and tested whether it could act as a species barrier in a flying squirrel hybrid zone. We live-trapped flying squirrels (G. sabrinus and G. volans), grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), and chipmunks (Tamias striatus) from June–September 2019 at 30 woodlots in Ontario, Canada. Fecal samples from squirrels were collected and analyzed for the presence of endoparasite eggs. For each individual, we calculated Scaled Mass Index (SMI) as a measure of body condition to assess the effect of S. robustus on squirrels. We found eggs of S. robustus in all species except chipmunks. Infection with S. robustus did not appear to affect body condition of southern flying squirrels and grey squirrels, but we did find a weak negative effect on northern flying squirrels and red squirrels. Despite a weak asymmetric effect of S. robustus on flying squirrels, we did not find any evidence that parasite-mediated competition could lead to competitive exclusion from woodlots. Furthermore, S. robustus eggs were common in feces of the red squirrel, a species largely sympatric with northern flying squirrel. [Display omitted] • Strongyloides robustus was detected in 4 squirrel species. • The highest prevalence of S. robustus was found in red squirrels and northern flying squirrels. • Body condition was lowest in red squirrels and northern flying squirrels infected with S. robustus. • No evidence of parasite-mediated competition between sympatric flying squirrels leading to competitive exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Highly active antiretroviral therapy produces a significant decrease in HIV-1 replication and allows an increase in the CD4 T-cell count, leading to a decrease in the incidence of opportunistic infections and mortality. However, the cost, side effects and complexity of antiretroviral regimens have underscored the immediate need for additional therapeutic approaches. Statins exert pleiotropic effects through a variety of mechanisms, among which there are several immunoregulatory effects, related and unrelated to their cholesterol-lowering activity that can be useful to control HIV-1 infection. Methods/design Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled, single-center, phase-II clinical trial. One hundred and ten chronically HIV-1-infected patients, older than 18 years and naïve for antirretroviral therapy (i.e., without prior or current management with antiretroviral drugs) will be enrolled at the outpatient services from the most important centres for health insurance care in Medellin-Colombia. The interventions will be lovastatin (40 mg/day, orally, for 12 months; 55 patients) or placebo (55 patients). Our primary aim will be to determine the effect of lovastatin on viral replication. The secondary aim will be to determine the effect of lovastatin on CD4+ T-cell count in peripheral blood. As tertiary aims we will explore differences in CD8+ T-cell count, expression of activation markers (CD38 and HLA-DR) on CD4 and CD8 T cells, cholesterol metabolism, LFA-1/ICAM-1 function, Rho GTPases function and clinical evolution between treated and not treated HIV-1-infected individuals. Discussion Preliminary descriptive studies have suggested that statins (lovastatin) may have anti HIV-1 activity and that their administration is safe, with the potential effect of controlling HIV-1 replication in chronically infected individuals who had not received antiretroviral medications. Considering that there is limited clinical data available on this topic, all these findings warrant further evaluation to determine if long-term administration of statins may benefit the virological and immunological evolution in HIV-1-infected individuals before the use of antiretroviral therapy is required. Trial registration Registration number NCT00721305.

Background: People with visual impairment presents difficulties to access the labels information of medicines. In this sense, technological tools can contribute to improve access to this information and the appropriate use of medicines in this population. However, currently, in Colombia, there are no tools to facilitate this process.Objective: To design and development of a mobile app of drug information for people with visual impairment, which allows them to access information for the appropriate use of medicines.Methods: A user-centered design process is carried out in four phases was used: a) Identification the needs and barriers for appropriate use of medicines; b) Lifting of requirements, c) Interface design and prototyping, and development of the mobile app, and d) Usability test.Results: The study involved 48 people with visual disability, of which 69% required assistance for the use of medicines. The main barriers identified were access to information and dosing. A total of ten user requirements were identified, based on these and international accessibility standards FarmaceuticApp was designed and developed, incorporating the problems that were identified in the usability test.Conclusion: A mobile app of drug information for people with visual impairment using a user-centered design process was designed and developed, highlighting the importance of involving the users and other stakeholders in the design and development m-health technologies. FarmaceuticApp could contribute to the appropriate use of medicines and improve therapeutic adherence, as well as autonomy and independence in people with visual impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dots (CDs) synthesis has received much attention due to their considerable application potential. Natural compounds are efficient CD carbon precursors, exhibiting significant physical and chemical characteristics. In the present work, the hydrothermal method has successfully derived blue fluorescent N-doped carbon dots (NCDs) from Alstonia scholaris leaves and ethylenediamine. The synthesized NCDs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), fluorescence and UV–vis analysis. It exhibits better chemical and physical properties with a relatively good quantum yield of 21%. As-synthesized NCDs were applied for the FRET-based detection of Cr6+ and Mn7+ ions in water samples to investigate their suitability as fluorescent probes. The detection limit was 0.173 µM and 0.394 µM for Cr6+ and Mn7+, respectively. This study has illustrated an environmentally friendly approach for the facile synthesis of blue fluorescent NCDs with remarkable potential for further utilization in sensing devices. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Summary: Background: Evidence suggests that statins may modify the immune response against HIV. The aim was to evaluate the antiretroviral and immunomodulatory effects of lovastatin in HIV-infected patients, naïve for antiretroviral therapy. Methods: Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, phase-II clinical trial. Primary outcomes were plasma viral load and circulating CD4+ T cell count, after 6 and 12 months of treatment; secondary outcomes were CD8+ T cell count, expression of activation markers (CD38 and HLA-DR) on T cells, and clinical outcomes. With a power of 90% to detect both a decrease of 0.3 log10 in plasma HIV-1 RNA copies and an increase of 20% in the CD4+ T cell count, we estimated a required sample size of 110 HIV-infected patients (55 per group). The results were analyzed by a model of repeated measurements using Generalized Estimating Equations. Results: Patients were randomized to receive either lovastatin (n = 55) or placebo (n = 57). During the 12-month follow-up, there was no effect of lovastatin either on viral load (estimated average change = 0.157 copies/mL; CI 95% = −0.099 to 0.414), or on the CD4+ T cell count (estimated average change = −26.1 cells/μL; CI 95% = −89.8 to 37.6). Moreover, there were no significant differences in secondary outcomes. Conclusions: Daily administration of lovastatin (40 mg) for one year in HIV-infected patients, naïve for antiretroviral therapy, had no significant effect on HIV replication, the CD4+ T cell count, or the activation level of T cells. (www.clinicaltrials.gov; ID NCT00721305). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free InterApp ARV: The subsequent version of SIMARV® to analyse the clinical relevance of drug interactions with antiretroviral agents in patients with HIV/AIDS To update the information, we performed a comprehensive Medline/PubMed database search to identify antiretroviral drug interactions; then drug interactions were analyzed, assessed, and grouped into four levels of clinical relevance according to gravity and probability.[[4]] Furthermore, the level 5 was included to identify the drug interactions with evidence of absence of interaction; and the drug-food interactions, drug-drug of abuse interactions, and drug-disease interactions were classified as precautions in three levels: InterApp ARV contains information on 1988 pairs of drug-drug interactions, 130 pairs of drug-herbal drugs interactions, and 230 pairs of precautions of special conditions, drug of abuse and food. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: To (A) develop a method for measuring compliance with standards, and (B) implementation of the method in 12 rehabilitation centers in six low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: In part A, existing standards were compiled and operationalized into scores, organized into 5 'scorecards' and 15 'sub-scorecards', then tested and refined in an iterative process. In part B, 12 rehabilitation centers in 6 countries implemented the standards using the new method, revealing relative performance between centers, and across different standards. Internal consistency of scores within domains was computed using Chronbach's alpha. Results: A standardized method for scoring compliance with standards for rehabilitation was developed. The method evaluated compliance with standards in five domains of practice: user focused approach, service outputs, finances, staff, and general management. Multiple standards within domains were strongly related, with Chronbach's alpha >0.80 for all but the equipment and supplies domain. Overall, in the 12 rehabilitation centers examined, 36% of standards were met or exceeded. Compliance within each scoring domain was 56% (user-focused approach), 38% (service outputs), 27% (financial management), 30% (staff management), and 33% (general management). Two out of 12 (17%) of centers met more than two-thirds of the standards, 3 (25%) met more than one-third of standards, while the remaining 7 (58%) met less than one-third of standards. Conclusions: A new, standardized method for measuring performance of rehabilitation services in LMICs was developed. The method examines standards in five rehabilitation practice domains, and can be used to understand barriers to quality performance, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Implementation of the method demonstrated that current compliance with standards is modest. Ongoing interest in new standards for rehabilitation practice should be accompanied by measures to ensure they are used to strengthen quality in an emerging rehabilitation sector. Implications for rehabilitation We developed a method for measuring compliance with standards for rehabilitation, and implemented the method in 12 rehabilitation centers in low and middle income countries. We demonstrate modest compliance with an adapted list of known standards of practice. New standards, scoring methods and evidence of current performance may assist service providers and policy makers to implement standards, and methods to strengthen rehabilitation services. Modest compliance with current standards suggest new emphasis on quality performance of health-related rehabilitation is needed New emphasis on standards for rehabilitation should be accompanied by consideration of how performance against those standards can be measured and improved.