Search

Promising results in improvement of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) have been identified following probiotic (PRO) treatment.

Objectives This cross-sectional study sought to assess bone formation and spontaneous tooth eruption in a cohort of 25 consecutive patients aged 6 to 11 years who underwent primary gingivoperiosteoplasty by the Collares technique.Design Cross-sectional study assessing bone formation in the cleft area using a within-group time series design.Setting Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), a tertiary hospital in Brazil.Patients Twenty-five patients with nonsyndromic, complete unilateral cleft lip and palate, no comorbidities, and unerupted permanent canines.Intervention Cheiloplasty was performed by means of the Millard II technique, with the addition of a triangle at the mucocutaneous junction, vomer flap nasal floor closure, and wide subperiosteal elevation, followed by gingivoperiosteoplasty by the Collares technique.Main Outcome Measures Cone-beam computed tomography was used to assess treatment effect. In a novel method, software was used to obtain two three-dimensional reconstructions, one each of the cleft and noncleft sides, enabling quantitative comparison of bone presence in the alveolar defect area.Results Of the 25 patients, 24 achieved bone bridge formation. The cleft side had 75.1% (67.9%-82.3%) of the bone volume, 70.5% (53.1%-87.9%) of the height, and 63.3% (44.1%-82.5%) of the width of the noncleft side. Bone formation was 17.28% lower in patients with lateral incisor agenesis.Conclusion Collares gingivoperiosteoplasty performed well as a technique for alveolar repair in patients with cleft lip and palate, allowing spontaneous eruption of deciduous and permanent lateral incisors through the bone bridge created.

Fibrin(ogen) is central to hemostasis and thrombosis and also contributes to multiple physiologic and pathologic processes beyond coagulation. However, the precise contribution of soluble fibrinogen vs insoluble fibrin matrices to vascular integrity, tissue repair, inflammation, and disease has been undefined and unapproachable. To establish the means to distinguish fibrinogen- and fibrin-dependent processes in vivo, FibAEK mice were generated that carry normal levels of circulating fibrinogen but lack the capacity for fibrin polymer formation due to a germ-line mutation in the Aα chain thrombin cleavage site. Homozygous FibAEK mice developed to term and exhibited postnatal survival superior to that of fibrinogen-deficient mice. Unlike fibrinogen-deficient mice, platelet-rich plasma from FibAEK mice supported normal platelet aggregation in vitro, highlighting that fibrinogenAEK retains the functional capacity to support interactions with platelets. Thrombin failed to release fibrinopeptide-A from fibrinogenAEK and failed to induce polymer formation with FibAEK plasma or purified fibrinogenAEK in 37°C mixtures regardless of incubation time. FibAEK mice displayed both an absence of fibrin polymer formation following liver injury, as assessed by electron microscopy, and a failure to generate stable occlusive thrombi following FeCl3 injury of carotid arteries. FibAEK mice exhibited a profound impediment in Staphylococcus aureus clearance following intraperitoneal infection similar to fibrinogen-deficient mice, yet FibAEK mice displayed a significant infection dose-dependent survival advantage over fibrinogen-deficient mice following peritonitis challenge. Collectively, these findings establish for the first time that fibrin polymer is the molecular form critical for antimicrobial mechanisms while simultaneously highlighting biologically meaningful contributions and functions of the soluble molecule.

HIV-related renal diseases are the leading causes of chronic kidney diseases worldwide. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of pathological proteinuria and its risk factors among HIV patients.

AbstractThe Savannah River Tritium Plant (TP) relies on well understood but aging sensor technology for process gas analysis. Although new sensor technologies have been brought to various readiness levels, the TP has been reluctant to install technologies that have not been tested in tritium service. This gap between sensor development and incorporating new technologies into practical applications demonstrates fundamental challenges that exist when transitioning from status quo to state-of-the-art in an extreme environment such as a tritium plant. These challenges stem from three root obstacles: 1) The necessity for a comprehensive assessment of process sensing needs and requirements; 2) The lack of a pick-list of process-compatible sensor technologies; and 3) The need to test sensors in a tritium-contaminated process environment without risking production.At Savannah River, these issues are being addressed in a two phase project. In the first phase, TP sensing requirements were determined by a team of process experts. Meanwhile, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) sensor experts identified candidate technologies and related them to the TP processing requirements. The resulting roadmap links the candidate technologies to actual plant needs. To provide accurate assessments of how a candidate sensor technology would perform in a contaminated process environment, an instrument demonstration station was established within a TP glove box. This station was fabricated to TP process requirements and designed to handle high activity samples. The combination of roadmap and demonstration station provides the following assets:• Creates a partnership between the process engineers and researchers for sensor selection, maturation, and insertion• Selects the right sensors for process conditions• Provides a means for safely inserting new sensor technology into the process without risking production, and• Provides a means to evaluate off normal occurrences where and when they occur.This paper discusses the process to identify and demonstrate new sensor technologies for the Savannah River TP.

AbstractThe US Department of Energy (DOE) has clearly defined requirements for nuclear material control and accountability (MC&A) of tritium whereas the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) does not since tritium is not a fissile material. MC&A requirements are expected for tritium fusion machines and will be dictated by the host country or regulatory body where the machine is operated. Material Balance Areas (MBAs) are defined to aid in the tracking and reporting of nuclear material movements and inventories. Material sub-accounts (MSAs) are established along with key measurement points (KMPs) to further subdivide a MBA to localize and minimize uncertainties in the inventory difference (ID) calculations for tritium accountancy.Fusion systems try to minimize tritium inventory which may require continuous movement of material through the MSAs. The ability of making meaningful measurements of these material transfers is described in terms of establishing the MSA structure to perform and reconcile ID calculations. For fusion machines, changes to the traditional ID equation will be discussed which includes breading, burn-up, and retention of tritium in the fusion device. The concept of “net” tritium quantities consumed or lost in fusion devices is described in terms of inventory taking strategies and how it is used to track the accumulation of tritium in components or fusion machines.

The aim of the present research is to investigate the fatigue behaviour of friction stir (FS) welded tubular joints in aluminium alloy subjected to torsional fatigue loading. To manufacture the samples which were tested, an MTS I-STIR process development system was equipped with a retracting tool specifically designed for these tubular welds. Al 6082-T6 FS welded samples were tested under cyclic torsion with a nominal shear stress ratio equal to-1 and 0. The test data show that, strictly speaking, the presence of non-zero mean shear stresses has a detrimental effect on the overall torsional fatigue strength of the FS welded joints. However, the reanalysis discussed in the present paper suggests that, from a statistical point of view, any detrimental effect is small. This means that fatigue assessment under torsional fatigue loading of these FS welded tubular connections can be performed with little loss of accuracy by neglecting the presence of non-zero mean shear stresses.

The diagnosis of latent or active tuberculosis in children is often challenging. Recently, interferon- release assays have been licensed, but their diagnostic accuracy in young children remains questionable as frequent false-negative or indeterminate results have been reported.

Le conseil agricole occupe une place prépondérante dans l’appui aux processus d’innovation, particulièrement dans les pays du Sud. Or, l’accompagnement de l’innovation nécessite une diversité de formes d’appuis, appelés services support à l’innovation (SSI). À partir d’une analyse exploratoire à Madagascar, cet article questionne la place du conseil agricole vis-à-vis de la diversité des organisations et des activités d’accompagnement de l’innovation. Les principales organisations fournissant des SSI ont été étudiées dans quatre régions des Hautes Terres de Madagascar et leur offre de SSI caractérisée. Les résultats montrent que le conseil technique reste prépondérant dans l’éventail de l’offre de SSI, avec un fort pluralisme des fournisseurs de conseil et une diversité de combinaisons avec les autres SSI. Or, les porteurs d’innovation doivent bénéficier d’autres SSI, tels que le renforcement de capacité, la mise en réseau, des appuis institutionnels, un accès au financement, intrants et équipements nécessaires à l’innovation. Ces résultats appellent à renouveler les postures du conseiller agricole vers davantage d’appui au renforcement de capacité et interrogent la stratégie des organisations vis-à-vis de leur appui à l’innovation : la spécialisation dans le conseil, la combinaison à d’autres SSI ou la collaboration avec d’autres organisations. Ces éléments renouvellent le constat du pluralisme de l’offre de conseil qui, analysé par le prisme des SSI, ne s’applique pas seulement à l’échelon de l’agent-conseiller ou de l’organisation, mais également dans des réseaux d’organisations aux configurations variables. Les perspectives de cette analyse sont d’assurer la coordination des dispositifs de conseil avec les autres fournisseurs de SSI pour une plus grande efficacité dans l’accompagnement des porteurs d’innovation.

A female offspring of consanguineous parents, showed features of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS), including recurrent infections, eczema, thrombocytopenia, defective T cell proliferation and chemotaxis, and impaired natural killer cell function. Cells from this patient had undetectable WAS protein (WASP), but normal WAS sequence and messenger RNA levels. WASP interacting protein (WIP), which stabilizes WASP, was also undetectable. A homozygous c.1301C>G stop codon mutation was found in the WIPF1 gene, which encodes WIP. Introduction of WIP into the patient’s T cells restored WASP expression. These findings indicate that WIP deficiency should be suspected in patients with features of WAS in whom WAS sequence and mRNA levels are normal.

Trousseau syndrome is classically defined as migratory, heparin-sensitive but warfarin-resistant microthrombi in patients with occult, mucinous adenocarcinomas. Injecting carcinoma mucins into mice generates platelet-rich microthrombi dependent on P- and L-selectin but not thrombin. Heparin prevents mucin binding to P- and L-selectin and mucin-induced microthrombi. This model of Trousseau syndrome explains resistance to warfarin, which inhibits fluid-phase coagulation but not selectins. Here we found that carcinoma mucins do not generate microthrombi in mice lacking P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1), the leukocyte ligand for P- and L-selectin. Furthermore, mucins did not activate platelets in blood from PSGL-1–deficient mice. Mucins induced microthrombi in radiation chimeras lacking endothelial P-selectin but not in chimeras lacking platelet P-selectin. Mucins caused leukocytes to release cathepsin G, but only if platelets were present. Mucins failed to generate microthrombi in cathepsin G-deficient mice. Mucins did not activate platelets in blood from mice lacking cathepsin G or protease-activated receptor-4 (PAR4), indicating that cathepsin G activates platelets through PAR4. Using knockout mice and blocking antibodies, we found that mucin-triggered cathepsin G release requires L-selectin and PSGL-1 on neutrophils, P-selectin on platelets, and Src family kinases in both cell types. Thus, carcinoma mucins promote thrombosis through adhesion-dependent, bidirectional signaling in neutrophils and platelets.

Background Although mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) rates are at an all-time low in Western Europe, potentially preventable transmissions continue to occur. Duration of antenatal combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) is strongly associated with MTCT risk.Methods Data on pregnant HIV-infected women enrolled in the Western and Central European sites of the European Collaborative Study between January 2000 and July 2009 were analysed. The proportion of women receiving no antenatal ART or 1–13 days of treatment was investigated, and associated factors explored using logistic regression models.Results Of 2,148 women, 142 (7%) received no antenatal ART, decreasing from 8% in 2000–2003 to 5% in 2004– 2009 (?2=8.73; P<0.01). A further 41 (2%) received 1–13 days of ART. One-third (64/171) of women with ‘insufficient’ (0 or 1–13 days) antenatal ART had a late HIV diagnosis (in the third trimester or intrapartum), but half (85/171) were diagnosed before conception. Pre-term delivery<34 weeks was associated with receipt of no and 1–13 days antenatal ART (adjusted odds ratios [ORs] 2.9 [P<0.01] and 4.5 [P<0.01], respectively). History of injecting drug use was associated with an increased risk of no ART (adjusted OR 2.9; P<0.01) and severe symptomatic HIV disease with a decreased risk (adjusted OR 0.2; P<0.01). MTCT rates were 1.1% (15/1,318) among women with=14 days antenatal ART and 7.4% (10/136) among those with insufficient ART.Conclusions Over the last 10 years, around one in 11 women in this study received insufficient antenatal ART, accounting for 40% of MTCTs. One-half of these women were diagnosed before conception, suggesting disengagement from care.

Data on daptomycin use in the pediatric setting are scanty. We conducted a multicenter, retrospective study on 46 children treated with intravenous daptomycin at a mean dosage of 7.0 mg/kg/d, for a median of 14 days. Three children had adverse events possibly related to daptomycin. The drug was overall well tolerated, even with prolonged treatment.

In the field of cast metals, fatigue strength assessment necessarily deals with the strength reduction caused by randomly distributed small-sized defects. When components are taken into account, stress raisers due to component geometry are possible crack initiation sites as well as defects. For the investigation of the overall performance, an appropriate model considering notch sensitivity of parent material and defect behavior shall be used. Unfortunately, several mechanical models of material sensitivity to notches and defects require the knowledge of the un-defected material strength, which is not obtainable in this case. In this contribution, experimental fatigue tests have been carried out on plane and notched specimens, considering small size notches as well. An appropriate analysis of the generated results allowed the evaluation of the material behavior and its notch sensitivity according to critical distances theories. The obtained results have been confirmed also direct inspection of broken samples.