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In this case report, we present a 63-year-old man with a history of diabetes mellitus and kidney transplantation who was diagnosed with nasal myiasis. The patient presented with symptoms of nasal myiasis infestation, including epistaxis, nasal obstruction, nasal discharge, and the presence of larvae. The patient had risk factors for poor wound healing, such as hyperglycemia, and the presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and kidney transplantation indicated the presence of predisposing factors for myiasis. The myiasis was observed subsequent to the traumatic insertion of a nasogastric tube. The patient exhibited symptoms of myiasis infestation in the nasal region, including epistaxis, nasal obstruction, and nasal discharge, along with the presence of larvae. Our findings highlight the occurrence of nasal myiasis in a patient with a complex medical history, and emphasize the need for clinicians to remain vigilant for this infection. Axial CT scan showed no mucosal thickening, and T1 weighted cervical MRI showed no abnormal signal intensity, except for spondylopathy and modic changes. Diffusion Weighted-MRI (DWI) revealed no abnormal signal in the brain parenchyma. Our findings suggest the importance of clinicians being vigilant for nasal myiasis in patients with predisposing risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus and kidney transplantation. Managing nasal myiasis can be challenging, particularly in patients with multiple conditions. The management of nasal myiasis can be challenging, particularly in patients with multiple comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV), as an autoimmune disease including mucosa and the skin, is associated with several complications and comorbidities. The present study planned to determine the effect of L-carnitine (LC) supplementation on biomarkers of oxidative stress (OS), antioxidant capacity and lipid profile in PV patients. Subjects/Methods Fifty two control and patients with PV, participated in the current randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The patients were allocated randomly to receive 2 g per day LC tartrate subdivided into two equal doses of 1 g before breakfast and dinner (n=26) or placebo (n=26) for 8 weeks. Anthropometric, lipid profile and OS values were determined at baseline and end of intervention period. Results: LC intake significantly reduced serum levels of triglycerides, total-, LDL- cholesterol and oxidative stress index (OSI; P [less than] 0.05). In addition, supplementation with LC resulted to a meaningful increase in levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (P=0.05) and serum carnitine (P [less than] 0.001). LC intake revealed non-significant change in serum total oxidant capacity (P=0.15) and HDL- cholesterol (P=0.06) in comparison to the placebo. Conclusions: LC consumption may have favorable results on TAC, OSI and lipid profiles in patients with PV. The results were in line with the idea that LC supplementation can be associated with positive effects on metabolic status and OS of patients with PV. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2018) 72, 99-104; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2017.131; published online 23 August 2017, Author(s): H Mohammadi [1]; M Djalali [1]; M Daneshpazhooh [2]; N M Honarvar [1]; C Chams-Davatchi [2]; F Sepandar [1]; Z Fakhri [1]; E Yaghubi [1]; M Zarei [1]; M [...]

This research introduces an optimal adaptive fuzzy controller consisting of two fuzzy systems each including 1 output, 2 inputs, and 25 fuzzy rules. The designed fuzzy sytems, in turn, comprises Gaussian membership functions and applies the singleton fuzzifier, center average defuzzifier, and product inference engine. Moreover, the Gravitational Search Algorithm (GSA) is utilized to ascertain the optimum parameters of the controller. The body acceleration and the relative displacement between the tire and the sprung mass are utilized to form a proper objective function in the optimization procedure. Results show the dominance of the proposed approach over the conventional controllers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The prevalence of obesity is rising among people living with HIV, which may synergistically increase inflammation and the risk of associated diseases. Disruption of gut bacterial communities may be one of the key drivers of this inflammation; however, the combined effects of HIV and obesity on the microbiome have not been explored. Methods: This study included 381 men who have sex with men. Thirty‐nine were HIV‐positive and obese (H+O+), 143 were HIV‐positive and nonobese, 64 were HIV‐negative and obese, and 135 were HIV‐negative and nonobese. Microbiome composition was assessed by targeted sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene using rectal swab samples. Inverse probability of treatment‐weighted marginal structural models were used to investigate differences in microbial composition between groups while controlling for numerous clinical and behavioural confounders. Results: Significant variability in microbial composition was explained by the combination of HIV and obesity, over and above each condition alone (R2 for the marginal contribution of the H+/O+ group = 0.008; P = 0.001). H+O+ participants had the highest ratios of Prevotella to Bacteroides, a pro‐inflammatory enterotype that has been described in HIV infection and obesity independently. H+O+ participants had lower levels of Bacteroides and Veillonella than all other groups, suggesting a synergistic effect of HIV and obesity on these genera. Conclusions: Our findings support the hypothesis that HIV and obesity act together to disrupt gut microbial communities, which may help explain higher levels of generalized inflammation among people living with both HIV and obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Informing the children living with HIV (CLH) about their disease (disclosure) is important from the perspective of disease treatment and overall psychosocial development. There are no published studies that qualitatively explored HIV disclosure-related issues among CLH in India. Our aim was to provide insights into the perceptions of informal caregivers of CLH regarding childhood disclosure. Methods Children were defined as those aged <16 years. In-depth interviews were conducted with 34 primary caregivers of CLH aged 8 to 15 years old who were residing in West Bengal, India. The participants were recruited with the help of a community-based organization that provides need-based services to people living with HIV. Results We obtained caregivers' perspectives on the motivators and barriers of childhood disclosure. Health benefits such as medication adherence emerged as an important motivator, while distress caused by disclosure and potential for stigma were identified as barriers. Health care providers were the preferred disclosers for most caregivers, followed by the caregivers themselves. Some caregivers wanted their child to learn about his/her HIV status by him/herself. There was no consensus among the caregivers about the ideal age for disclosure. Many preferred to wait until the child attained maturity or was of marriageable age. Discussion Disclosure of HIV status to children is an emotional issue, both for the caregiver and the child. Like most low-or middle-income countries, no standardized, age-appropriate disclosure guidelines exist in India. Our findings advocate adoption of a multi-faceted approach, including increased availability of social and familial support, for childhood HIV disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructured medical-grade stainless steel powders with the chemical composition of ASTM F2581 were liquid-phase sintered with 6 wt.% Mn–Si additive at different temperatures ranging from 1000 °C to 1300 °C. The effect of sintering temperature on the structure and mechanical properties of the samples was investigated. Structural characteristics like porosity, austenite crystallite/grain size, and retained ferrite were analyzed by optical microscopy, Archimedes densitometry, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and ferritometry. The corresponding results showed that residual porosity in the sintered specimens was reduced by increasing the sintering temperature; in contrast, the crystallite/grain sizes were enhanced. The study of the mechanical properties, including hardness, compressive, and abrasive wear behaviors, of the samples indicated that the optimum mechanical properties were obtained for the sintering temperature of 1150 °C, which were superior to those of AISI 316L stainless steel used as a conventional biomaterial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the structure and mechanical properties of powder metallurgy stainless steels (Fe–Cr–Mn–Mo–Si–N–C) developed for biomedical applications. The samples were prepared by mechanical alloying and subsequent liquid-phase sintering with a eutectic Mn–Si alloy additive. By changing the sintering aid content, the pore configuration, compressive strengths, and impact properties of the samples were assessed. The Rietveld X-ray diffraction analysis showed after sintering at 1050 °C for 60 min followed by water-quenching, a nanocrystalline austenitic structure was formed in the material. According to the mechanical experiments, by increasing the additive content from 0 wt% to 6 wt%, sintering densification, yield stress, compression strength, and absorbed impact energy were improved, where spoiling occurred when adding 8 wt% additive. Also, as realized from the impact fracture surface features, despite the presence of some unmelted additive particles, the role of the pore elimination in toughness prevailed over that of these particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Cu-Sn alloy was electrodeposited from aqueous electrolytic bath onto Mo electrode. Before electrodeposition, some calculations using MATLAB software to obtain the dominant complex of Cu-citrate in different pH values and cyclic voltammetry (CV) experiments was performed. The potential range in which the alloy electrodeposition process could be carried out in a solution containing CuSO, SnSO, and NaCHO was determined by CV. In addition, the effects of boric acid and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant on codeposition potential were studied. The microstructural properties and alloy composition were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. Alloy composition up to 49.5 at.% of Sn was obtained. Alloy composition of 33 at.% Sn corresponding to CuSnS was obtained at solution containing 0.04 M SnSO, 0.02 M CuSO and 0.4 M NaCHO at Potential −0.75 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure Zn and Zn matrix composite coatings containing nano-sized SiC particles with an average size of 50 nm were prepared from the zinc sulphate bath. The effect of the particle concentration and current density on the amount of particles embedded was examined. Electron microscopic studies revealed that the coating morphology was modified by the presence of SiC nanoparticles. Corrosion resistance properties of the coatings were studied using a potentiodynamic polarisation technique in 1M NaCl solution. It was established that agglomeration of nanoparticles worsens corrosion resistance properties of Zn-SiC coatings. However, the presence of well dispersed nanoparticles significantly improves the corrosion resistance of the zinc. Incorporation of SiC nanoparticles also improves the microhardness of the zinc matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic disorder in humans, and its incidence is increasing rapidly worldwide. Although polyunsaturated fatty acids have beneficial effects on diabetes mellitus, previous data regarding the possible positive effects of n-3 fatty acids on glycaemic indices were inconclusive. We conducted a double-blind randomised clinical trial to determine the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, on overweight patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods: This double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial was conducted on a total of 67 overweight patients with T2DM for a duration of three months. Of these 67 patients, 32 received 2 g purified EPA daily, while 35 received a placebo of 2 g corn oil daily. The patients' fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum insulin, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and insulin sensitivity indices were assessed.Results: After three months of EPA supplementation, the group that received EPA showed significant decreases in FPG (p < 0.001), HbA1c (p = 0.01) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (p = 0.032), when compared to the placebo group. EPA supplementation resulted in decreased serum insulin levels, with the levels between the EPA and placebo groups showing a significant difference (p = 0.004).Conclusion: The results of our study indicate that EPA supplementation could improve insulin sensitivity. It was able to decrease serum insulin, FPG, HbA1c and HOMA-IR. EPA could have beneficial effects on glycaemic indices in patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence and correlates of rectal sexually transmitted infections are well described among men who report receptive anal intercourse (AI); however, little is known about the epidemiology of rectal sexually transmitted infections among women.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of women attending public sexually transmitted disease clinics in Los Angeles County, California. Women were eligible for inclusion in this study if they reported AI in the previous 90 days, were tested for rectal chlamydia and gonorrhea, and were seen between January 2008 and December 2010.Results: Among the 2084 clinic visits by women in this analysis, chlamydia and gonorrhea percent positivity by anatomic site was 12% (n = 144) for urogenital chlamydia, 14.6% (n = 171) for rectal chlamydia, 3.3% (n = 66) for urogenital gonorrhea, and 3.0% (n = 60) for rectal gonorrhea, with 25% of chlamydia cases and 19% of gonorrhea cases having rectal-only infections. Among women 25 years or younger, rectal infections were higher in visits in which women reported sex with an injection drug user (46.5% vs. 15.5%; P < 0.01) or sex with a HIV-positive partner (66.7% vs. 15.8%; P = 0.02). Among women older than 25 years, rectal infections were higher in visits where women reported substance use (10.6% vs. 5.8%; P ≤ 0.01). In multivariable models controlling for age and the presence of a urogenital infection, these associations remained.Conclusions: Chlamydia and gonorrhea positivity was high among women reporting AI, and a large proportion of these cases would be missed in the absence of rectal testing. The high-risk behaviors of women with rectal infections highlight the need for rectal screening recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is common among young adult relationships, and is associated with significant morbidity, including sexually transmitted infections (STI). This study measured the association between IPV victimization and perpetration and prevalent STIs and STI-risk behaviors among a sample of young women.Methods: This analysis uses wave 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and was restricted to the 3548 women who reported on a sexual relationship that occurred in the previous 3 months and agreed to STI testing. A multivariate random effects model was used to determine associations between STI and STI-risk behaviors and IPV.Results: The IPV prevalence over the past year was 32%-3% victim-only, 12% perpetrator-only, and 17% reciprocal. The STI prevalence was 7.1%. Overall, 17% of participants reported partner concurrency and 32% reported condom use at last vaginal intercourse. In multivariate analysis, victim-only and reciprocal IPV were associated with not reporting condom use at last vaginal intercourse. Perpetrator-only, victim-only, and reciprocal IPV were associated with partner concurrency. Victim-only IPV was associated with a higher likelihood of having a prevalent STI (odds ratio: 2.1; 95% confidence interval: 1.0-4.2).Conclusions: This analysis adds to the growing body of literature that suggests that female IPV victims have a higher STI prevalence, as well as a higher prevalence of STI-risk behaviors, compared with women in nonviolent relationships. Women in violent relationships should be considered for STI screening in clinics, and IPV issues should be addressed in STI prevention messages, given its impact on risk for STI acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: AIDS is a lethal disease, for which there is no treatment or any vaccine to prevent it. The injection-drug use and unprotected sexual behavior are two factors important in HIV transmission. This study was conducted to determine changes in high-risk sexual and injection-drug use behaviors associated with HIV among drug users referring to Methadone Maintenance Treatment centers in Shiraz, Iran. Materials and Methods: This before-after interventional study with no control group included drug-users (n=694) referring to all the 7 MMT centers in Shiraz, Iran in 2009. The data were collected by interviewing patients and using a questionnaire. The software used for data analysis was SPSS 15, the statistical test being the Wilcoxon test. Results: The average age of the clients was 36.5 ± 9.5 years. Most of them were males (% 92.1) and single (% 43.1). 37.3 % of them being injection-drug users. The proportion of the injectiondrug users having had at least one shared injection one week before referring to an MMT center was 23.3%, which decreased to 9.2% after one week. Analysis of the data also showed that 25.2% of the addicts had had at least one unprotected sexual contact during the previous month; the proportion decreased to 21.0% one month after referring to an MMT center. The reductions in the mean numbers of both shared injections and unprotected sexual contacts were statistically significant (p <0.001). Conclusion: Considering the effectiveness of the MMT centers in reducing risky behaviors of injection-drug users, it is essential to expand these centers at both the national and regional levels quantitatively and qualitatively and encourage drug-users to refer to them and seek help. This will help greatly in the prevention of HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study on the elasticity solution of the functionally graded (FG) shell with two piezoelectric layers is presented. In this article, the structure is finitely long, simply supported, and FG with two piezoelectric layers under pressure and electrostatic excitation. The equations of equilibrium, which are coupled partial differential equations, are reduced to ordinary differential equations (o.d.e.) with variable coefficients by means of trigonometric function expansion in the longitudinal direction. The resulting o.d.e. are solved by the Galerkin finite-element method and the Newmark method. Numerical results are presented for a FG cylindrical shell with a piezoelectric layer as an actuator in the external surface and a piezoelectric layer as a sensor in the internal surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, dynamic analysis of functionally graded (FG) plates integrated with two piezoelectric layers has been carried out. The rectangular plate is simply supported at four edges and exposed to dynamic excitation. Three-dimensional elasticity equations have been considered. Using a series expansion of mechanical and electrical displacements, the partial differential equations have been reduced to ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with variable coefficients. The solution of the resulting system of ODEs has been carried out using the Galerkin method. The final result is obtained by taking just one termin the series expansion. The Newmark method has been used to move forward in the time domain for a dynamic solution. Finally, numerical results have been presented for a simply supported rectangular FG plate integrated with two piezoelectric layers. In some cases, results have been compared to previously published works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto commercial acrylic fibers (PAN) has been studied using Azobis(isobutyro)nitrile (AIBN) as an initiator. MMA grafting initiated by radicals formed from thermal decomposition of AIBN. In this study, the effects of monomer and initiator concentration, time and temperature reaction on the grafting yield have been investigated. The optimum conditions for this grafting reaction were obtained with an MMA concentration of 0.7 M, an AIBN concentration of 0.0073 M, a reaction temperature of T=85°C and with a 60 min reaction time. The fiber structure has been investigated by different experimental techniques of characterization such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), calorimetric analysis (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water absorption and the physical and mechanical properties has also been investigated in this study. The thermal analysis data showed that by increasing grafting yield, little changes have occurred in fibers samples up to 13.5% of grafting yield and the thermal transitions of grafted fibers have approximately the same behavior compared with the raw fibers sample. Grafting also slightly affected the fiber morphology. The experimental data of mechanical properties clearly show that by increasing grafting yield, max extension will decrease but this change up to 13.5% grafting yield is barely noticeable. Grafting of poly MMA improved water absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some original histamine membrane sensors were prepared by incorporating thiopyrilium (TP) derivative as an excellent charged carrier. Among these sensors, TP2 shows the best response to histamine in a wide concentration range from 2.5×10-6 to 1.0×10-1 mol L-1 with a slope of 55.6±0.7 mV decade-1 and with a detection limit of 1.0 µmol L-1 (∼0.1 ppm). The interference between histamine and several amino acids and common inorganic anions was negligible as shown by the potentiometric selectivity coefficient data. The prepared electrode was used for the determination of histamine in a human serum synthetic sample. Theoretical calculations were carried out to find the best interactions between histamine and different ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the result of a study on the epidemiology of gonorrhea in eight western U.S. states that reported large increases in gonorrhea incidence rates from 2000 to 2005. The study found that both sexes and all specified age and racial/ethnic groups experienced increases in gonorrhea rates. According to the authors, these increases may have resulted from a combination of increases in the number of tests performed, trends in the types of test performed and actual increases in disease occurrence.

Background: Neither pre-exposure nor post-exposure chemo-prophylaxis agents are currently available to prevent COVID-19. On the other hand, high loads of SARS-CoV-2 are shed from the nasal cavity before and after symptoms onset.Objective: To conduct a scoping review on the available evidence on tolerable nasal disinfectants with encouraging health outcomes against SARS-CoV-2, i.e., agents effective against at least two different viruses beyond SARS-CoV-2.Methods: Online databases were searched to identify papers published during 2010-2020. Publications were selected if they were relevant to the scoping review. The review was narrative, describing for each treatment the mechanism(s) of action, tolerability, in vitro and in vivo evidence of the effects against SARS-CoV-2 and whether the product had been marketed.Results: Eight treatments were scrutinized: hypothiocyanite, lactoferrin, N-chlorotaurine, interferon-alpha, povidone-iodine, quaternary ammonium compounds, alcohol-based nasal antiseptics and hydroxychloroquine. In vitro viricidal effect against SARS-CoV-2 was reported for ethanol, alcohol-based hand sanitizers and povidone-iodine. Inhibition of other coronaviruses was described for lactoferrin, ethanol, hydroxychloroquine and quaternary ammonium compound. No treatment has been tested against SARS-CoV-2 in randomized controlled clinical trials thus far. However, interferon-alpha, lactoferrin and hydroxychloroquine were tested in one-arm open label uncontrolled clinical trial. Oxidant activity (hypothiocyanite, N-chlorotaurine and povidone-iodine), enhancement of endocytic and lysosomal pH (quaternary ammonium compounds and hydroxychloroquine) and destruction of the viral capsid (quaternary ammonium compounds, alcohol-based nasal antiseptics) were the main mechanisms of action. Lactoferrin and interferon-alpha have subtle biological mechanisms. With the exception of N-chlorotaurine, all other products available on the market.Conclusions: Effective and safe chemo-prophylactic drugs against SARS-CoV-2 do not exist yet but most eligible candidates are already in the market. Whilst the human nasal cavity is the port of entry for SARS-CoV-2, the mouth is involved as exit site through emission of respiratory droplets. The well-known hand-to-nose-to-hand cycle of contamination requires appropriate additional strategies for infection control. To narrow down the subsequent laboratory and clinical investigations, a case-control approach could be employed to compare the use of candidate drugs among individuals testing positive and negative to COVID-19 swabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports global developments related to AIDS disease as of March 2000. Incidence of hyperinsulinemia in HIV; Effects of hypogonadism and testosterone administration of depression indices on HIV; Assessment of zinc protoporphyrin levels in advanced AIDS.

Acute coronary syndrome patients on dual antiplatelet therapy needing emergent or urgent cardiac surgery are at risk of major bleeding, which can impair post-operative outcomes. Results from the PSA showed that CytoSorb has a high probability of being cost saving (99% in emergent cardiac surgery and 53%-77% in urgent cardiac surgery, depending on the comparators). Implementation of CytoSorb intraoperatively for patients on ticagrelor undergoing emergent or urgent cardiac surgery is a cost-saving strategy, yielding improvement in perioperative and postoperative outcomes and decreased health resource use. [Extracted from the article]

In this research work, the effects of pulse electroplating parameters on the microstructure, crystallographic texture and corrosion resistance of electrodeposited nickel−nanodiamond composite coatings are studied. The nickel coatings containing diamond nanoparticles were obtained from an additive-free Watts bath. It was found that increasing duty cycle, pulse frequency and applied current density encourages free growth mode (i.e. [100] direction). Microstructure coarsening was observed at high duty cycles, pulse frequencies and applied current densities associated with a development of [100] texture. Due to minimum crystal size, maximum residual stress was observed for the composites obtained at i p = 1 A/dm 2 and f = 1 Hz. Incorporation of the ND particles shifts corrosion potential in positive direction, reduces corrosion current, enlarges the passive zone and considerably decreases the passive corrosion current density. Ni-nanodiamond coatings obtained at 1 A/dm 2 had best corrosion resistance performance in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Zn and Zn–SiC coatings were obtained under different electrodeposition pulse conditions. [•] Effects of duty cycle, pulse frequency and applied current on SiC incorporation were investigated. [•] Potentiodynamic polarization tests were conducted to investigate corrosion behavior of coatings. [•] SiC incorporation enhances coatings corrosion behavior by filling gaps and defects. [•] Increasing pulse frequency and decreasing applied current favors SiC incorporation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]