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Background: Treating tooth root canal systems with Er:YAG laser together with irrigants has been shown to be effective in reducing biofilms formed by Enterococcus faecalis. This study investigated whether laser-activated irrigation (LAI) with side-firing Endo tip (LiteTouch™; Light Instruments, Yokneam, Israel) affects dentin mineral composition when used with common endodontic irrigants. Methods: Root canals of extracted human teeth were treated with Er:YAG laser using a side-firing Endo tip combined with 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and/or 2.5% NaOCl in continuous or intermittent mode for 60 s. Dentin mineral composition (Ca, P, O) in coronal, middle, and apical regions of root canals was examined by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Results: The use of LAI with continuous EDTA resulted in the largest reduction in Ca and P levels. A final NaOCl rinse mitigated the EDTA-mediated mineral loss in all root canal regions and increased the O content. Likewise, the reduced Ca/O and Ca/P ratios caused by continuous EDTA irrigation were reversed when combined with a final NaOCl rinse. Conclusions: LAI with Er:YAG Endo tip using continuous EDTA irrigation followed by NaOCl caused minimal dentin mineral loss and can therefore be considered to be a safe treatment module for cleaning root canals.

Abstract The present work aimed to investigate the impacts of tank color (transparent, light blue, and red), feed pellet types (floating and sinking), and their interaction on the performance and welfare of red hybrid tilapia juveniles with an initial average weight of 19.59 g for a 50 day trial period following a 3 × 2 factorial design. Fish were cultured randomly at a stoking rate of 10 juveniles/100‐L tank. Fish were fed 6 days per week at a rate of 4% biomass twice daily. Three replicates were performed for each measurement. A two‐way analysis of variance showed that using tanks of different colors (transparent, light blue, and red) has no impact on the growth, feed efficacy, survival rate, and blood composition (except for red blood cells, hematocrit, and triglycerides) of tilapia. Also, pellet types (floating and sinking) showed no significant alterations for the above variables except for glucose and hematocrit levels. Interestingly, the interaction between tank color and pellet type exhibited significant impacts on growth parameters, feed utilization, blood variables, and intestinal enzymes of red hybrid tilapia. Moreover, fish reared in transparent or light blue tanks and fed with floating diets performed the best for all evaluated parameters. Additionally, sinking pellets had better effects when combined with red (dark)‐colored tanks.

BackgroundThe Sleep Beliefs Scale (SBS) is a well-known tool to design and monitor personalized sleep health promotion at an individual and population level. The lack of an established French version limits the development of effective interventions targeting these populations. Thus, the aim of this study was to validate the French version of the SBS in a representative sample of the general population.MethodsQuota sampling was used to recruit 1,004 participants (18–65 years, mean age: 43 years, 54% of female) who underwent an online survey to complete the SBS, and to assess sleep schedules, sleep quality and disorders, and mental health. Cronbach’s α coefficient, confirmatory factor analysis, item-internal consistency (IIC), and item discriminant validity (IDV) of the SBS were computed to assess internal validity while bivariate associations with sleep schedules, sleep quality and disorders, and mental health were used to assess external convergent and discriminant validity.ResultsThe mean score on the SBS was 12.3 ± 4.9. Item 19 (“Quiet & Dark”) showed the highest rate of correct answers (n = 801, 79.8%), while item 20 (“Recovering sleep”) showed the lowest rate of correct answers (n = 246, 24.5%). Overall, the SBS showed satisfactory internal consistency (α = 0.87) and confirmed the three-factor structure proposed by the original study. All items were found consistent (IIC > 0.4) and discriminant (IIC > IDV) except for item 20 (“recovering lost sleep by sleeping for a long time”). Females, older participants, and subjects with short time-in-bed, poor sleep quality, insomnia, and circadian rhythm disorder had higher SBS scores while participants with depressive symptoms had lower SBS scores.ConclusionWe successfully translated and validated the French version of the SBS in a representative sample, making it a reliable instrument for researchers and clinicians to assess and target sleep beliefs. Correct answers vary from 25 to 80% which underlines the importance of continuing sleep health promotion campaigns by targeting poorly understood behaviors. Our findings also shed light on the fickleness of beliefs that are prone to vary within individuals across time, in step with societal changes. Several associated factors were identified, thus contributing to our understanding of sleep beliefs and offering insights for personalized approaches to enhance sleep health and overall well-being.

Background: Treating tooth root canal systems with Er:YAG laser together with irrigants has been shown to be effective in reducing biofilms formed by Enterococcus faecalis. This study investigated whether laser-activated irrigation (LAI) with side-firing Endo tip (LiteTouch™; Light Instruments, Yokneam, Israel) affects dentin mineral composition when used with common endodontic irrigants. Methods: Root canals of extracted human teeth were treated with Er:YAG laser using a side-firing Endo tip combined with 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and/or 2.5% NaOCl in continuous or intermittent mode for 60 s. Dentin mineral composition (Ca, P, O) in coronal, middle, and apical regions of root canals was examined by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Results: The use of LAI with continuous EDTA resulted in the largest reduction in Ca and P levels. A final NaOCl rinse mitigated the EDTA-mediated mineral loss in all root canal regions and increased the O content. Likewise, the reduced Ca/O and Ca/P ratios caused by continuous EDTA irrigation were reversed when combined with a final NaOCl rinse. Conclusions: LAI with Er:YAG Endo tip using continuous EDTA irrigation followed by NaOCl caused minimal dentin mineral loss and can therefore be considered to be a safe treatment module for cleaning root canals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser-activated irrigation (LAI) is used in endodontic treatment to remove the smear layer and kill bacteria in the root canal. However, this procedure can cause photo-thermal effects that harm the surrounding tissue. Therefore, it was important to study the temperature changes that occur at the outer tooth surface during activation of the Er:YAG laser using a side-firing spiral Endo tip in the root canal. Laser treatment was performed either in the absence of fluid in the root canal or in the presence of a 17% EDTA solution. Irrigation with 17% EDTA was either performed in a continuous mode for 60 s or in a segmented mode of 4 rinses with 17% EDTA for 15 s each. The temperature was measured every second during the treatment at three tooth surface sites: the cementoenamel junction, the middle region and the apical region. Our data show that the greatest temperature changes occurred when the laser was used alone without an irrigation solution, while minor temperature changes were observed with continuous irrigation. In conclusion, we would recommend applying the laser treatment with an irrigation solution to avoid excessive heating.

The present work aimed to investigate the impacts of tank color (transparent, light blue, and red), feed pellet types (floating and sinking), and their interaction on the performance and welfare of red hybrid tilapia juveniles with an initial average weight of 19.59 g for a 50 day trial period following a 3 × 2 factorial design. Fish were cultured randomly at a stoking rate of 10 juveniles/100‐L tank. Fish were fed 6 days per week at a rate of 4% biomass twice daily. Three replicates were performed for each measurement. A two‐way analysis of variance showed that using tanks of different colors (transparent, light blue, and red) has no impact on the growth, feed efficacy, survival rate, and blood composition (except for red blood cells, hematocrit, and triglycerides) of tilapia. Also, pellet types (floating and sinking) showed no significant alterations for the above variables except for glucose and hematocrit levels. Interestingly, the interaction between tank color and pellet type exhibited significant impacts on growth parameters, feed utilization, blood variables, and intestinal enzymes of red hybrid tilapia. Moreover, fish reared in transparent or light blue tanks and fed with floating diets performed the best for all evaluated parameters. Additionally, sinking pellets had better effects when combined with red (dark)‐colored tanks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was established to test the possibility of using exogenous digestive enzymes (EDE) in rabbitfish (Siganus rivulatus) diets. Five experimental diets containing 34% soybean meal were prepared and supplemented with EDE at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 g kg-1 diet. Fish with average initial weight (± 1.1 g) were fed the test diets for 74 days. Rabbitfish offered the diets with EDE supplements exhibited significantly (P0.05) differences were observed in carcass composition and somatic parameters index with EDE supplementation. The physiological condition of fish fed diets with EDE showed that the hematocrit (%), total plasma protein and total plasma globulin were significantly (P

Nile tilapia is known for its relative tolerance to some biotic and abiotic stressors. However, long-period water exchange may impair the health status and, thereby, the growth performance and feed utilization. In this regard, using herbal extracts may help to relieve the adverse impacts of low water quality on the productivity of this fish species. A 100-day feeding trial was designed to examine the effects of dietary supplements of Aloe vera leaves (AVE), and chamomile flowers, Matricaria chamomilla (CFE) extracts on water quality, growth performance, and well-being of Nile tilapia. Fish (3.95±0.05 g, n=1200) were distributed into five groups (15 fiberglass tanks, 2 m3) under a water exchange rate of 20% every two days for standard control (T0) without herbal supplements. Groups (T1, T2, T3, and T4) were exposed to a long water exchange period of 50% every month, wherein T1 (stressed control), T2, T3, and T4 groups were fed a diet supplemented with 0% herbal extract, 1% AVE, 1% CFE and 0.5% AVE +0.5% CFE, respectively. Results showed that feeding on a T2 diet exhibited a clear improvement under a long period of water exchange stress, and it is almost similar to their counterparts under normal conditions (T0) in terms of specific growth rate, survival rate, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and protein efficiency ratio. Moreover, the lowest levels of aspartate aminotransferase were obtained with T2 and T0. In addition, the highest white blood cell count and hemoglobin values were recorded with group T0, followed by T2, and T4, while there was no significant difference between T3 and T1. Fish under stressed conditions without herbal extracts (T1) showed the lowest performance and survival rate compared to T0 and T2 groups. In conclusion, feeding diet supplied with 1% A. vera extract to stressed fish restored their performance and well-being to the level of their counterparts under normal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil spills pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems and coastal regions, necessitating effective monitoring and analysis for environmental management and response planning. In response, this study focused on the detection and characterization of oil spills along the North coast of Egypt, specifically in the vicinity of Port Said and the northern entrance of the Suez Canal, using data acquired from the Sentinel-1 satellite and employing advanced remote sensing techniques and spatial analysis tools including the SNAP toolbox to process and analyze the data. Analysis of the oil spills monitored by the Sentinel-1 satellite in the Mediterranean Sea during 2018 and 2019 indicates the presence of a few larger spills with a significant impact. In 2018, the minimum area of an oil spill event was 0.512 Km^2, and the maximum area was 96.729 Km^2; while in 2019, the minimum and maximum areas of the oil spills were 0.679 km^2 and 46.866 km^2, respectively. Spatial distribution analysis utilizing GIS software demonstrates that oil spill events are not confined to specific areas but occur along the entire coast of the study area. Clustering of events is observed around Port Said, with a higher concentration in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, likely attributed to increased ship transportation activity. Temporal analysis reveals that oil spill events occur throughout the year, displaying variations in frequency and size. The findings of this study would provide valuable insights for environmental assessment and the development of mitigation strategies to minimize the impact of oil spills in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a system for predicting the hourly significant wave height at a specific wave measurement station in the middle of Israel's Mediterranean coast (Hadera). Our system uses an artificial neural network (ANN) composed of two sub-networks. We evaluate the importance of different inputs to the system. The input includes wind forecast data from the SKIRON atmospheric modeling system, wave forecast for the station's location given by the SWAN wave model, and observed wave data. Our system pre-processes the wind data using a spatial filtering scheme and then enters it into the first sub-network in the form of a multidimensional tensor. We take special care to interconnect the tensor elements through a dimensional permutation that leads the ANN to sum elements along all the tensor's dimensions. Our system groups the output of the first sub-network with the rest of the input and feeds it to the second sub-network that gives the prediction. Our ANN system outperforms the SWAN wave model in estimating wave heights over 1.5 meters. We obtain the best performance when either all input components are used or just wind and observations. Reimplementation of the system at Ashkelon yields smaller improvements due to insufficient training data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Bacterial translocation occurs in preseptic conditions such as intestinal obstruction through unclear mechanism. The C-reactive protein is an acute phase reactant and a marker of ischemia. METHODS: 45 albino male rats were divided into 3 groups each 15 rats. GI control, GII simple intestinal-obstruction and GIII strangulated obstruction. Outcome measures were: (1) Bacteriologic count and typing for intestinal contents, intestinal wall, liver, mesenteric lymph nodes and blood (cardiac and portal) (2) Histopathologic: mucosal injury score, inflammatory cell infiltrate in the wall, MLN, liver, (3) Biochemical: serum CRP, IL-10, mucosal stress pattern (glutathione peroxidase-malonyldialdhyde tissue levels). RESULTS: (1) Intestinal obstruction associates with BT precursors (Bact-overgrowth, mucosal-acidosis, immuno-incomptence), (2) Bacterial translocation (frequency and density) was found higher in strangulated I.O, that was mainly enteric (aerobic and anaerobic) and mostly E.coli, (3) The pathogen commonality supports the gut origin hypothesis but the systemic inflammatory response goes with the cytokine generating one. (4) The CRP median values for GI, II, III were 0.5, 6.9, 8.5 mg/L, for BT +ve 8 mg/L and 0.75 mg/L for BT -ve rats. CONCLUSION: Bacterial translocation occurs bi-directional (systemic-portal) in intestinal obstruction and the resultant inflammatory response pathogenesis is mostly 3 hit model. The CRP is a non selective marker of suspected I.O cases. However, it is a reliable marker of BT, BT density and vascular compromise during I.O.OBJETIVO: Translocação bacteriana ocorre em condições pré-sépticas como na obstrução intestinal por mecanismo não esclarecido. A proteína C-reativa é um marcador de ischemia em fase aguda. A proposição é investigar os possíveis efeitos da obstrução intestinal no equilíbrio ecológico microbiano. MÉTODOS: 45 ratos machos albinos foram distribuídos em três grupos de 15 ratos. GI controle, GII obstrução intestinal simples e GIII obstrução estrangulada. As medidas adotadas foram: (1) Contagem bacteriológica do conteúdo intestinal, parede intestinal, fígado, linfonodos mesentéricos e sangue (coração e portal) (2) Avaliação histopatológica da lesão da mucosa, infiltrado celular inflamatório da parede, linfonodos mesentéricos, fígado, (3) Avaliação bioquímica. RESULTADOS: (1) Obstrução intestinal está associada a precursora translocação bacteriana (crescimento bacteriano, acidose da mucosa, imuno-incompetência), (2) Translocação bacteriana (freqüência e densidade) foi maior na obstrução intestinal estrangulada, principalmente entérica (aeróbios e anaeróbios), sobretudo E.coli, (3) A ocorrência comum é de origem intestinal. CONCLUSÃO: A translocação bacteriana na obstrução intestinal é bi-direcional (sistêmica e portal) A proteina C-reativa não é um marcador seletivo na suspeita de obstrução intestinal. Contudo é marcador confiável da translocação bacteriana, na densidade e comprometimento durante a obstrução intestinal.

Erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser-activated irrigation (LAI) is used in endodontic treatment to remove the smear layer and kill bacteria in the root canal. However, this procedure can cause photo-thermal effects that harm the surrounding tissue. Therefore, it was important to study the temperature changes that occur at the outer tooth surface during activation of the Er:YAG laser using a side-firing spiral Endo tip in the root canal. Laser treatment was performed either in the absence of fluid in the root canal or in the presence of a 17% EDTA solution. Irrigation with 17% EDTA was either performed in a continuous mode for 60 s or in a segmented mode of 4 rinses with 17% EDTA for 15 s each. The temperature was measured every second during the treatment at three tooth surface sites: the cementoenamel junction, the middle region and the apical region. Our data show that the greatest temperature changes occurred when the laser was used alone without an irrigation solution, while minor temperature changes were observed with continuous irrigation. In conclusion, we would recommend applying the laser treatment with an irrigation solution to avoid excessive heating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) is intrinsically resistant to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and exhibits reduced susceptibility to several of the protease inhibitors used for antiretroviral therapy of HIV-1. Thus, there is a pressing need to identify new classes of antiretroviral agents that are active against HIV-2. Although recent data suggest that the integrase strand transfer inhibitors raltegravir and elvitegravir may be beneficial, mutations that are known to confer resistance to these drugs in HIV-1 have been reported in HIV-2 sequences from patients receiving raltegravir-containing regimens. To examine the phenotypic effects of mutations that emerge during raltegravir treatment, we constructed a panel of HIV-2 integrase variants using site-directed mutagenesis and measured the susceptibilities of the mutant strains to raltegravir and elvitegravir in culture. The effects of single and multiple amino acid changes on HIV-2 replication capacity were also evaluated. Our results demonstrate that secondary replacements in the integrase protein play key roles in the development of integrase inhibitor resistance in HIV-2. Collectively, our data define three major mutational pathways to high-level raltegravir and elvitegravir resistance: i) E92Q+Y143C or T97A+Y143C, ii) G140S+Q148R, and iii) E92Q+N155H. These findings preclude the sequential use of raltegravir and elvitegravir (or vice versa) for HIV-2 treatment and provide important information for clinical monitoring of integrase inhibitor resistance in HIV-2-infected individuals.

Antiretroviral therapy for HIV-2 infection is hampered by intrinsic resistance to many of the drugs used to treat HIV-1. Limited studies suggest that the integrase inhibitors (INIs) raltegravir and elvitegravir have potent activity against HIV-2 in culture and in infected patients. There is a paucity of data on genotypic variation in HIV-2 integrase that might confer intrinsic or transmitted INI resistance.We PCR amplified and analyzed 122 HIV-2 integrase consensus sequences from 39 HIV-2-infected, INI-naive adults in Senegal, West Africa. We assessed genetic variation and canonical mutations known to confer INI-resistance in HIV-1.No amino acid-altering mutations were detected at sites known to be pivotal for INI resistance in HIV-1 (integrase positions 143, 148 and 155). Polymorphisms at several other HIV-1 INI resistance-associated sites were detected at positions 72, 95, 125, 154, 165, 201, 203, and 263 of the HIV-2 integrase protein.Emerging genotypic and phenotypic data suggest that HIV-2 is susceptible to the new class of HIV integrase inhibitors. We hypothesize that intrinsic HIV-2 integrase variation at "secondary" HIV-1 INI-resistance sites may affect the genetic barrier to HIV-2 INI resistance. Further studies will be needed to assess INI efficacy as part of combination antiretroviral therapy in HIV-2-infected patients.

Copyright of Journal of Animal & Poultry Production is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present study was conducted to create a new strategy for increasing the transport efficiency of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) brood-stock using clove and mint oils for 3.5 h. The fish study was exposed to conditions simulating those normally used in transporting. This study was performed in a fish research center of the Arish University. The average initial weight of the brood-stock was 117.07 ± 09.07g (± standard error). The brood-stock was randomly distributed into 10 clear plastic aquaria (30 liters capacity) with a stocking density of one brood-stock/3.75 liters of water. The present study examined two concentrations of clove oil as a deep anesthetic for 5 min and two concentrations of mint oil as a sedative. It included five treatments in duplicate, namely, the control group, G1: clove and mint oil at 100 and 20 μL/L, respectively; G2: 100 and 10 μL/L of clove and mint oil, respectively; G3: 50 and 20 μL/L of clove and mint oil, respectively; and G4: 50 and 10 μL/L of clove and mint oil, respectively. Blood samples were taken from all groups before transporting from a random sample and after transporting. Results confirmed that G1 had the best parameters of water quality and blood indicators with the highest survival rate followed by G2. Moreover, using clove and mint oil improved the transport efficiency and survival rate after 24 h of fish transporting compared to that of the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The common cuttlefish ( Sepia officinalis Linnaeus 1758) is consider one of the most important invertebrates (Class: Cephalopods) fishery resources that caught from the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. In Egypt, S. officinalis has distinct importance from other fishes that come from natural resources, not only for its abundance in the total catch but for its marketable value as well. This study is the first investigation deal with the fishery status of common cuttlefish as a base on comparison with other main species, also to include catches analysis of 19 main species from the North Sinai fishery. North Sinai Fishery statistics for the period between 1997 and 2017 revealed that cuttlefish is the main cephalopod recourse exploited by the fleet in the southeast of the Mediterranean Sea. During the last few seasons, cuttlefish production is increased with the increase of its value, marketable demand, and high price, where it raised from 37 tons in 1997 to 60.7 tons in 2017. Purse seine gear landings represent almost 50 % of the total catch follows by trammel net and long line, however, trawl is not registered gear in North Sinai as it produced 30% of the total catch. It could be concluded from the current study that fisheries in North Sinai need integrated management for the important species to accomplish a maximum sustainable production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectral properties of the structural function of atmospheric turbulence can differ in the vertical and horizontal directions. Taking into account the influence of this anisotropy on the signal along the direction of propagation at an angle ${\gamma }$ , to the horizon, can be useful in modeling and interpreting the results of measurements. Usually when modeling the propagation of an electromagnetic signal in the anisotropic turbulent atmosphere, the effective anisotropic parameter ${\eta }$ is introduced. In the latter case, the dependence of the wave vector is given by the expression $k=\sqrt {\eta k_{\rho }^{2}{+}{k}_{z}^{2}} $ , where ${k}_{z}$ is a vertical component of ${k,}$ and ${k}_{\rho }$ is horizontal. However, the spectral index of the structural function, ${\alpha,}$ remains constant and independent of ${\gamma }$. Here, we consider the structural function of atmospheric turbulence with dependence on the propagation angle ${\gamma }$. The existing experimental data show that the spectral index ${\alpha }$ is a function of height and ${\gamma }$. The dependence of the ${\alpha }$ parameter on ${\gamma }$ is introduced, and it is determined from the experimental measurements of atmospheric turbulent spectra. As an example of using the proposed approach, we present the results of calculations of the log-amplitude variance and propagation of a Gaussian beam through the anisotropic turbulent atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Algerian Journal of Environmental Science & Technology is the property of Algerian Journal of Environmental Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Forensic anthropology plays an important role in investigation of deaths that involves skeletal remains. In cases, where the bodies are severely decomposed, mutilated or dismembered, identification of victims by means of physical appearance are almost impossible. Thus, the scientific basis of the investigators' knowledge will be useful to categorize unknown human remains into certain age, sex, race and stature groups to help in the identification of possible victims. Aim: The aim of this study was to develop a formula to estimate stature by using upper limb measurements in the Malaysian population. Materials and methods: Five parameters, which comprised hand length, hand breadth, forearm maximum length, arm maximum length and upper limb maximum length were measured from 81 male deceased persons received at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, Hospital Kuala Lumpur. Measurements were made on body surface based on anatomical landmarks by measuring tape, ruler and calipers. Results: Maximum upper limb length showed the strongest correlation with stature (R = 0.8) followed by arm length (R = 0.75) by Pearson's correlation. Linear regressions were developed by using the parameters for stature estimation. Upper limb length exhibited the lowest standard error of estimates (SEE = 4.33). The estimated and true stature showed good approximation of values by paired t-test. Conclusion: In brief, linear regressions produced were useful for estimation of stature in the Malaysian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There is an urgent need for safe and effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) for human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) infection. We undertook the first clinical trial of a single-tablet regimen containing elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (E/C/F/TDF) to assess its effectiveness in HIV-2–infected individuals in Senegal, West Africa. Methods HIV-2–infected, ART-naive adults with World Health Organization stage 3–4 disease or CD4 count <750 cells/μL were eligible for this 48-week, open-label trial. We analyzed HIV-2 viral loads (VL), CD4 counts, clinical and adverse events, mortality, and loss to follow-up. Results We enrolled 30 subjects who initiated E/C/F/TDF. Twenty-nine subjects completed 48 weeks of follow-up. The majority were female (80%). There were no deaths, no new AIDS-associated clinical events, and 1 loss to follow-up. The median baseline CD4 count was 408 (range, 34–747) cells/μL, which increased by a median 161 (range, 27–547) cells/μL at week 48. Twenty-five subjects had baseline HIV-2 VL of <50 copies/mL of plasma. In those with detectable HIV-2 VL, the median was 41 (range, 10–6135) copies/mL. Using a modified intent-to-treat analysis (US Food and Drug Administration Snapshot method), 28 of 30 (93.3%; 95% confidence interval, 77.9%–99.2%) had viral suppression at 48 weeks. The 1 subject with virologic failure had multidrug-resistant HIV-2 (reverse transcriptase mutation: K65R; integrase mutations: G140S and Q148R) detected at week 48. There were 8 grade 3–4 adverse events; none were deemed study related. Adherence and acceptability were good. Conclusions Our data suggest that E/C/F/TDF, a once-daily, single-tablet-regimen, is safe, effective, and well tolerated. Our findings support the use of integrase inhibitor–based regimens for HIV-2 treatment. Clinical Trials Registration NCT02180438. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this communication, we propose a new model for describing the anisotropy of turbulence relative to the vertical and horizontal directions, through the anisotropy of the structure function exponent. Using the obtained anisotropy spectrum, we calculate various parameters such as log-amplitude variance for various atmospheric communication channels with comparison to the classical Kolmogorov model and newer models developed in previous works. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]