Search

Objective: We had previously shown that long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA) injections fully protected macaques from vaginal simian HIV (SHIV) infection. Here, we reassessed CAB-LA efficacy in the presence of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate and multiple sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that are known to increase HIV susceptibility in women. Design: Two macaque models of increasing vaginal STI severity were used for efficacy assessment. Methods: The first study (n = 11) used a double STI model that had repeated exposures to two vaginal STI, Chlamydia trachomatis and Trichomonas vaginalis. Six animals were CAB-LA treated and five were controls. The second study (n = 9) included a triple STI model with repeated exposures to C. trachomatis, T. vaginalis and syphilis, and the contraceptive, depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA). Six animals were CAB-LA treated and three were controls. All animals received up to 14 vaginal SHIV challenges. A survival analysis was performed to compare the number of SHIV challenges to infection in the drug-treated group compared with untreated controls over time. Results: All six CAB-LA treated animals in both models, the double STI or the triple STI-DMPA model, remained protected after 14 SHIV vaginal challenges, while the untreated animals became SHIV-infected after a median of two challenges (log-rank P

2-hydroxypropyl-s-cyclodextrin (HPsCD) nanofiber films have high surface-to-volume ratio and show high dissolution rate of hydrophobic drugs. However, the solubility-enhancement effect of HPsCD films may not be enough to include an effective dose in a sublingually administrable film. Moreover, unmodified HPsCD films are very brittle and difficultly transported and/or handled. So, the addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a plasticizer was suggested to improve their ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and solubilization of hydrophobic drugs. Accordingly, six nanofiber films were developed and characterized, using three molecular weights of PEG (400, 1500 and 6000 Da) with two concentrations each (1:100 and 2:100 PEG:HPsCD), in addition to the unmodified HPsCD nanofibrous film. The results revealed that adding 1:100 of PEG 400 increases the UTS (∼2-fold) and the average fiber diameter (AFD) (∼3-fold). Moreover, the addition of PEG 400 significantly increased the solubility of two hydrophobic model drugs; coumarin (up to 7.7-fold of the original solubility) and 2-nitroimidazole (up to 1.6-fold of the original solubility). However, with higher PEG concentration/molecular weight, both AFD and UTS of the films decreased. On the other hand, it was noted that the solubility of the two model drugs decreased upon using 1500-Da PEG, and then increased with 6000-Da PEG.

Phenolic pollutants are very toxic and their removal from aquatic resources is very important. Adsorption by activated carbon, AC, is the best method for removal of phenols from solutions. However, the high cost of AC and difficulty of its regeneration after phenol adsorption puts high demand on low price AC materials. Therefore, sugarcane bagasse as a sustainable, bulky and fibrous biomass was selected for the purpose of low-price AC formation for phenols adsorption. Sugarcane bagasse derived activated carbon, BAC, was achieved via an environmental thermo-chemical activation process using ZnCl2 followed by pyrolysis at different temperatures (400–600 °C). The formed BAC materials were characterized by elemental analysis, simultaneous TGA–DTA, ATR-FTIR, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM, and nitrogen adsorption/desorption techniques. The BAC materials showed several enhanced characteristics including extra high specific surface area (up to 2046 m2/g), improved meso-/microporosity dual system and nanostructured graphitic-like structure composed of few graphene layers. Adsorption removal of phenol as an industrial waste pollutant was investigated from solutions of wide range of concentrations (50–1000 mg/L). The adsorption processes were characterized by (L2) class of adsorption isotherm, Langmuir isotherm model, physical-adsorption thermochemical parameters and pseudo-second-order kinetics. Adsorptions of two other substituted phenols (resorcinol and pyrogallol) were investigated. The adsorption capacity was increased with increasing of intramolecular bonding of the adsorbate in the order of phenol

For the last 20 years, undergraduate medical education has seen a major curricular reform movement toward integration of basic and clinical sciences. The rationale for integrated medical school curricula focuses on the application of knowledge in a clinical context and the early ability to practice key skills such as critical thinking and clinical problem-solving. The method and extent of discipline integration can vary widely from single sessions to entire programs. A challenge for integrated curricula is the design of appropriate assessments. The goal of this review is to provide a framework for clinical anatomy educators with definitions of integration, examples of existing integration models, strategies, and instructional methods that promote integration of basic and clinical sciences.

Consensus algorithms are popular in the field of multiagent systems due to their wide application in formation control, distributed estimation, sensor networks, etc. Generally, for certain classes of undirected graphs, with an increase in the network size, the second smallest eigenvalue of the graph Laplacian decreases toward zero, which leads to a slow convergence rate. We present a scalable consensus algorithm using proportional derivative (PD) control where the eigenvalues of the closed-loop Laplacian matrix are invariant with respect to the size of the network for general directed graphs. The PD controller is realized using a high-gain observer. We show that the trajectories of the closed-loop system when the high-gain observer is used can be brought arbitrarily close to the trajectories under the PD controller. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm.

Background/Aim: The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of sustained virological response (SVR) after two sofosbuvir (SOF) containing regimens on the clinical outcomes, non invasive markers of hepatic fibrosis and liver stiffness. Patients and Methods: The study included 200 patients with compensated HCV cirrhosis. Group 1: received SOF and Ribavirin (RBV) for 6 months, Group 2: received SOF, Daclatsvir (DAC) and RBV for 3 months. Hepatitis C Virus Ribonucleic Acid (HCV RNA) by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was done at baseline, end of treatment (EOT), SVR12, SVR48. Model for end stage liver disease (MELD) score was calculated, the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) and Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) scores were done. FibroScan was done at baseline and SVR48. Results: SVR12 occured in 75% and 96% in group 1 and 2, respectively. There was improvement in both of APRI and FIB-4 scores at EOT in the two groups, and maintained to SVR48. A significant improvement in mean liver stiffness (LS) occurred at SVR48 compared to baseline in the study groups. Improvement in LS was observed more in group 2. There was a significant decrease in the mean value of MELD score in group 2 and non-significant decrease in group 1 at SVR48 in comparison to pre-treatment mean value. Conclusion: SOF/DAC/RBV was effective treatment regimen in compensated liver cirrhosis. This regimen resulted in significant improvement in MELD score, and liver stiffness at SVR48.