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Antecedentes: el tratamiento antirretroviral (TARV) mejora la calidad de vida y supervivencia de las personas con virus de inmunodeficiencia humana; sin embargo, su uso prolongado genera efectos metabólicos y hematológicos a largo plazo. Además, intervienen aspectos alimentarios y de la propia infección. Objetivo: analizar el estado nutricional y la ingesta de macro y micronutrientes de personas con VIH bajo este tratamiento. Materiales y métodos: estudio descriptivo, transversal y correlacional. Participaron 59 adultos con VIH bajo TARV con linfocitos T CD4 ≥ 200/mm3 y sin otra patología de base, que asistieron al servicio de infectología del Hospital Rawson de Córdoba, Argentina, en el período 2019-2020. Se registraron datos demográficos, bioquímicos (< 12 meses), inicio de TARV y esquema actual, estado nutricional antropométrico e ingesta alimentaria. Resultados: el 57,6 % presentó exceso de peso; 25,4 %, hipertrigliceridemia; 41,5 %, colesterol HDL bajo; y 27,6 %, hiperglucemia.Se registró en la mayoría de las personas una ingesta excesiva de calorías (49,2 %), lípidos (54,3 %) y sodio (57,6 %), y deficitaria en potasio (44,1 %), calcio (77,9 %), zinc (20,3 %), vitaminas A (42,4 %) y C (35,6 %). Conclusión: la alta prevalencia de sobrepeso/obesidad junto a las alteraciones lipídicas y glucémicas requiere un abordaje integral en el cual una alimentación adecuada complemente el TARV.

Abstract Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a novel interleukin-7-like cytokine, triggers dendritic cell-mediated inflammatory responses ultimately executed by T helper cells of the Th2 subtype. TSLP emerged as a central player in the development of allergic symptoms, especially in the airways, and is a prime regulatory cytokine at the interface of virus- or antigen-exposed epithelial cells and dendritic cells (DCs). DCs activated by epithelium-derived TSLP can promote naïve CD4+ T cells to adopt a Th2 phenotype, which in turn recruite eosinophilic and basophilic granulocytes as well as mast cells into the airway mucosa. These different cells secrete inflammatory cytokines and chemokines operative in inducing an allergic inflammation and atopic asthma. TSLP is, thus, involved in the control of both an innate and an adaptive immune response. Since TSLP links contact of allergen with the airway epithelium to the onset and maintainance of the asthmatic syndrome, defining the signal transduction underlying TSLP expression and function is of profound interest for a better understandimg of the disease and for the development of new therapeutics.

Purpose: To quantitatively investigate the microstructural properties of the optic nerve (ON) in vivo using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) tractography in an elderly population and to determine the differences between the ON diffusion properties stratified by basic demographics. Methods: We measured fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) of the intraorbital ON in cognitively normal controls selected from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 3 database (n =104; mean age = 73. 8 ± 8.1 years) using dMRI probabilistic tractography and evaluated the correlation between diffusion parameters and demographic factors. Diffusion parameters were measured in 20 equidistant nodes along the tract, and the data from proximal 70% (14 nodes) of the intraorbital ON were averaged. Results: The mean FA of the intraorbital ON was 0.392 ± 0.063, and the mean MD was 1.163 ± 0.165 μm2/s. The mean RD was 0.882 ± 0.152 μm2/s, and the mean AD was 1.693 ± 0.183 μm2/s. The multiple linear regression model showed a negative correlation between FA and age. FA in females was significantly higher than males, whereas RD in female was significantly lower. Conclusions: We measured the diffusion properties of the intraorbital ON using dMRI tractography in an elderly cognitively normal population. The diffusion properties detected by dMRI tractography may substantially reflect the microstructure of the ON.

Schools that employ evidence-based multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) frameworks, like Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), invest in core system, data, and practice features to support students, families, and educators. A strong framework enables settings to enhance and adjust their implementation to meet the needs of all students, including students with disabilities, in a range of contexts. Importantly, as schools pivoted among remote, hybrid, and in-person learning modes throughout 2020 and 2021, effective leadership teams used their PBIS framework to successfully navigate these transitions. Based on lessons learned during this period, we present three key recommendations to adapt implementation in response to crises: (1) leverage existing systems, (2) use data to guide decision-making, and (3) pivot practices. To illustrate these recommendations, we describe PBIS implementation in an alternative setting supporting students with disabilities and share examples of how educators used the PBIS framework to meet the challenges presented by new contexts.

Effective professional development programs (PDPs) rely on well-defined goals. However, recent studies on PDPs have not explored the goals from a multi-stakeholder perspective. This study identifies the most important learning goals of PDPs at science research institutions as perceived by four groups of stakeholders, namely teachers, education researchers, government representatives, and research scientists. Altogether, over 100 stakeholders from 42 countries involved in PDPs at science research institutions in Europe and North America participated in a three-round Delphi study. In the first round, the stakeholders provided their opinions on what they thought the learning goals of PDPs should be through an open-ended questionnaire. In the second and third rounds, the stakeholders assessed the importance of the learning goals that emerged from the first round by rating and ranking them, respectively. The outcome of the study is a hierarchical list of the ten most important learning goals of PDPs at particle physics laboratories. The stakeholders identified enhancing teachers' knowledge of scientific concepts and models and enhancing their knowledge of the curricula as the most important learning goals. Furthermore, the results show strong agreement between all the stakeholder groups regarding the defined learning goals. Indeed, all groups ranked the learning goals by their perceived importance almost identically. These outcomes could help policymakers establish more specific policies for PDPs. Additionally, they provide PDP practitioners at science research institutions with a solid base for future research and planning endeavors.

Abstract Background A retrospective comparative study was designed to determine whether the transvalvular gradient has a predictive value in the assessment of operative outcome in patients with severe aortic stenosis and poor left ventricular function. Methods From a surgical database, a series of 30 consecutive patients, who underwent isolated aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis with depressed left ventricular (LV) function (EF < 40%), were enrolled in the study and divided into two groups according to the mean transvalvular gradient (TVG): LG(low gradient)-Group < 40 mmHg (n = 13), and HG(high gradient)-Group > 40 mmHg (n = 17). Both groups were then comparatively assessed with respect to perioperative organ functions and mortality. Results Both groups were well matched with respect to the preoperative clinical status. LG-Group had a larger aortic valve area, higher LVEDP, larger LVESD and LVEDD, and higher mean pulmonary pressures. The immediate postoperative outcome, hospital morbidity and mortality did not differ significantly among the groups. Conclusion In patients with severe aortic stenosis and poor LV function, the mean transvalvular gradient, although corresponds to reduced LV performance, has a limited prognostic value in the assessment of surgical outcome. Generally, operating on this select group of patients is safe.

Specialized computational chemistry packages have permanently reshaped the landscape of chemical and materials science by providing tools to support and guide experimental efforts and for the prediction of atomistic and electronic properties. In this regard, electronic structure packages have played a special role by using first-principle-driven methodologies to model complex chemical and materials processes. Over the past few decades, the rapid development of computing technologies and the tremendous increase in computational power have offered a unique chance to study complex transformations using sophisticated and predictive many-body techniques that describe correlated behavior of electrons in molecular and condensed phase systems at different levels of theory. In enabling these simulations, novel parallel algorithms have been able to take advantage of computational resources to address the polynomial scaling of electronic structure methods. In this paper, we briefly review the NWChem computational chemistry suite, including its history, design principles, parallel tools, current capabilities, outreach, and outlook.

BackgroundWe determined the levels of 11 soluble immune mediators in oral washings of AIDS Clinical Trials Group A5254 participants with varying degrees of plasma viremia and CD4 T-cell counts to characterize the mucosal immune response at different stages of HIV-1 infection.MethodsA5254 was a multicenter, cross-sectional study in people with HIV (PWH) recruited into 4 strata based on CD4 count and levels of plasma viremia: stratum (St) A: CD4 ≤200 cells/mm3, HIV-1 RNA (viral load [VL]) >1000 cps/mL; St B: CD4 ≤200, VL ≤1000; St C: CD4 >200, VL >1000; St D: CD4 >200, VL ≤1000. Oral/throat washings were obtained from all participants. Soluble markers were tested in oral/throat washings using a multibead fluorescent platform and were compared across strata. Linear regression was used to determine the associations between cytokines and HIV-1 in plasma and oral fluid.ResultsSt A participants had higher levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), and interferon gamma (IFNγ) compared with St B and D (P = .02; P < .0001) but were not different from St C. IL-8, IL-10, and IL-12 were elevated in St A compared with the other 3 strata (P = .046; P < .0001). Linear regression demonstrated that oral HIV-1 levels were associated with IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα production (R > .40; P < .001) when controlling for CD4 count and opportunistic infections.ConclusionsOur results show that high levels of oral HIV-1, rather than low CD4 counts, were linked to the production of oral immune mediators. Participants with AIDS and uncontrolled viremia demonstrated higher levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory soluble immune mediators compared with participants with lower HIV-1 RNA. The interplay of HIV-1 and these immune mediators could be important in the oral health of PWH.

In this study, we aimed to assess whether women are able to withstand more tau before exhibiting verbal memory impairment. Using data from 121 amyloid-β-positive Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative participants, we fit a linear model with Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test score as the response variable and tau-PET standard uptake value ratio as the predictor and took the residuals as an estimate of verbal memory reserve for each subject. Women demonstrated higher reserve (i.e. residuals), whether the Learning (t = 2.78, P = 0.006) or Delay (t = 2.14, P = 0.03) score from the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test was used as a measure of verbal memory ability. To validate these findings, we examined 662 National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center participants with a C2/C3 score (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease) at autopsy. We stratified our National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center sample into Braak 1/2, Braak 3/4 and Braak 5/6 subgroups. Within each subgroup, we compared Logical Memory scores between men and women. Men had worse verbal memory scores within the Braak 1/2 (Logical Memory Immediate: β = -5.960 ± 1.517, P

Recently, hydropower energy resources become an attractive means of generating electricity for, off-grid networks, especially in rural areas. This work aims to design a suitable prototype of an energy-storing system, which is called a Potential Steam Hydro Capacitor (PSHC). This system gives a manageable source of electricity, and partially provides drinkable water, at a low cost, as an alternative to comparatively high-cost electrical batteries. The system is composed of two solar collectors, connected in series. The working fluid in the first collector is Dead Sea Water (DSW); and in the second fresh water, a heat exchanger, a thermosiphon solar water heater, connected to a high column to pass the vapor to high altitude, and a condensation unit, on the roof of the building. The system succeeds in producing a considerable amount of fresh water at a height of 3.4 m. The potential energy produced, can operate a small turbine. The capability of the system, to convert thermal energy in the freshwater, to potential energy, was high, with an efficiency of 66.7%. adding solar concentrators to the system would increase the water collected.

The paper presents the results of the ageing resistance of automotive mudflaps made of recycled polyethylene blends. The mudflaps were manufactured by a plastic sheet extrusion-calendaring process in Novotech Kostrzyn nad Odrą company. The changes of the mechanical properties in the tensile test and impact toughness test as well as in Shore hardness due to the accelerated aging process were characterized, taking into account the aging sensitivity coefficient (KI), and changes in the structure within the wavenumber range 4000-400 cm-1, taking into account the CI coefficient. The results showed a higher melting point and crystallinity for the recycled HDPE blends during photo-oxidative degradation. Moreover, the results presented decreased tensile strength and ductility, due to macromolecular chain scission caused by oxidation. It was found that the blends of HDPE based on recycled materials are more sensitive to the aging process than virgin HDPE. Finally, it can be concluded that the sensitivity to ageing blends increases with the increase of recycled HDPE content in the HDPE matrix.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has enormous potential for the development of novel cardiovascular implants. In particular, the evaluation of the thrombogenic potential of implants is gaining importance. For this purpose, the numerical model must represent the essential properties of the real system, i.e., an implant in the human blood circulation, in a suitable form. Due to its complexity, the model building process is crucial for the successful application of the model. Currently, there is no structured guideline for the application of numerical flow simulation to which model developers can refer. Based on NASA and ASTM, we present key aspects of the model building process using CFD for stent flow as an example.

The implantation of a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with severe aortic stenosis improves pathologic blood flow through the aortic valve, but still alters hemodynamics in comparison to a healthy native aortic valve. The hemodynamic characteristics of TAVR are associated with hypo-attenuating leaflet thickening and prosthetic leaflet thrombosis, which may reduce the durability of TAVR. For this reason we developed a numerical model to identify pro-thrombotic regions of TAVR based on the velocity field. In silico models have already been proven to be an effective tool for device optimization in other medical device applications. However, when using an in silico model, it is important to validate the model assumptions with experimental data or analytical solutions to confirm the accuracy of the model. In this study, we present an approach to validate a complex numerical Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) model used to simulate leaflet kinematics and flow in the vicinity of a TAVR. Based on the recommendation of ISO 5840 (2021), a combined validation of the kinematic and fluid dynamic parameters was performed for this purpose. The leaflet kinematic was investigated via high-speed recordings and evaluated based on the Geometric Orifice Area (GOA). The velocity field of the TAVR was determined experimentally using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The evaluation of the GOA showed a good agreement of the in silico model with the in vitro data for the systolic duration. The occurring velocities were qualitatively compared during peak systole for three planes and showed similar flow characteristics. The maximum velocity was 1.1 m/s in the in vitro and in silico model. Based on the results, it can be assumed that the numerical FSI model of the TAVR can be used for thrombosis risk assessment.