Changes in insulin sensitivity over time and associated factors in HIV-infected adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To compare prevalence of insulin resistance between perinatally HIV-infected (PHIV+) and perinatally HIV-exposed, but uninfected adolescents (PHEU), determine incidence of and contributory factors to new and resolved cases of insulin resistance in PHIV+, and evaluate glucose metabolism. DESIGN: Cross-sectional design for comparison of prevalence among PHIV+ and PHEU. Longitudinal design for incidence and resolution of insulin resistance among PHIV+ at risk for these outcomes. METHODS: The source population was adolescents from pediatric HIV clinics in the United States and Puerto Rico participating in the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study designed to evaluate impact of HIV infection and its treatment on multiple domains in preadolescents and adolescents. Insulin resistance was assessed by homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance. Those with incident insulin resistance underwent 2-h oral glucose tolerance test and HbA1c. Baseline demographic, metabolic, and HIV-specific variables were evaluated for association with incident or resolved insulin resistance. RESULTS: Unadjusted prevalence of insulin resistance in PHIV+ was 27.3 versus 34.1% in PHEU. After adjustment for Tanner stage, age, sex, and race/ethnicity, there was no significant difference between groups. Factors positively associated with developing insulin resistance included female sex, higher BMI z score, and higher waist circumference; those associated with resolving insulin resistance included male sex and lower BMI z score. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of insulin resistance in PHIV+ and PHEU was substantially higher than that reported in HIV-uninfected nonoverweight youth, but similar to that in HIV-uninfected obese youth. Factors associated with incident or resolved insulin resistance among PHIV+ were similar to those reported in HIV-negative obese youth. However, a contributory role of HIV infection and/or its treatment to the incident risk of insulin resistance cannot be excluded

Characterization of vascular strain during in-vitro angioplasty with high-resolution ultrasound speckle tracking

Abstract Background Ultrasound elasticity imaging provides biomechanical and elastic properties of vascular tissue, with the potential to distinguish between tissue motion and tissue strain. To validate the ability of ultrasound elasticity imaging to predict structurally defined physical changes in tissue, strain measurement patterns during angioplasty in four bovine carotid artery pathology samples were compared to the measured physical characteristics of the tissue specimens. Methods Using computational image-processing techniques, the circumferences of each bovine artery specimen were obtained from ultrasound and pathologic data. Results Ultrasound-strain-based and pathology-based arterial circumference measurements were correlated with an R2 value of 0.94 (p = 0.03). The experimental elasticity imaging results confirmed the onset of deformation of an angioplasty procedure by indicating a consistent inflection point where vessel fibers were fully unfolded and vessel wall strain initiated. Conclusion These results validate the ability of ultrasound elasticity imaging to measure localized mechanical changes in vascular tissue. </jats:sec

A Simulation Study of Medium Access Control Protocols of Wireless Networks

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Rohan Uddhav Patel on May 8, 2008

The Nesting Success of the Indian Shag Phalacrocorax fuscicollis (Aves: Suliformes: Phalacrocoracidae) in the Kamlanehru Zoological Park, Ahmedabad, India

The Indian shag Phalacrocorax fuscicollis is a freshwater species that has been nesting in the Kamlanehru Zoological Park (KZP), Ahmedabad since 2019. Here, the breeding of the Indian shag was studied during the period of 2021 to record the nesting success of species in KZP. The breeding activities of the Indian shag commenced in July and continued until November. It was noted that the birds built their nests on (Azadirachta indica, Ficus religiosa and Peltophorum pterocarpum) trees. As recorded both partners participated in nest building but male recorded while collecting most of materials. Incubation period was from 28-30 days and fledging period recorded upto 8 weeks. Though many studies were recorded of cormorants and breeding biology of little cormorants received major attention. Here, In particular, there no published information on the nesting success of Indian shag recorded. To support this information gap, this study was conducted to record the observations of successful nesting of Indian shag. Site observations and photographs of Indian shag nesting since 2019 were used to compile a record of successful breeding and compared with the present observations

Marine bacterial, archaeal and protistan association networks reveal ecological linkages

Microbes have central roles in ocean food webs and global biogeochemical processes, yet specific ecological relationships among these taxa are largely unknown. This is in part due to the dilute, microscopic nature of the planktonic microbial community, which prevents direct observation of their interactions. Here, we use a holistic (that is, microbial system-wide) approach to investigate time-dependent variations among taxa from all three domains of life in a marine microbial community. We investigated the community composition of bacteria, archaea and protists through cultivation-independent methods, along with total bacterial and viral abundance, and physico-chemical observations. Samples and observations were collected monthly over 3 years at a well-described ocean time-series site of southern California. To find associations among these organisms, we calculated time-dependent rank correlations (that is, local similarity correlations) among relative abundances of bacteria, archaea, protists, total abundance of bacteria and viruses and physico-chemical parameters. We used a network generated from these statistical correlations to visualize and identify time-dependent associations among ecologically important taxa, for example, the SAR11 cluster, stramenopiles, alveolates, cyanobacteria and ammonia-oxidizing archaea. Negative correlations, perhaps suggesting competition or predation, were also common. The analysis revealed a progression of microbial communities through time, and also a group of unknown eukaryotes that were highly correlated with dinoflagellates, indicating possible symbioses or parasitism. Possible ‘keystone’ species were evident. The network has statistical features similar to previously described ecological networks, and in network parlance has non-random, small world properties (that is, highly interconnected nodes). This approach provides new insights into the natural history of microbes

Delay in sexual maturation in perinatally HIV-infected youths is mediated by poor growth

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between HIV infection and sexual maturation, and mediation of this association by HIV effects on growth. DESIGN: Pooled data were analyzed from two longitudinal cohort studies, the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials P219/219C Study (1993-2007) and the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study Adolescent Master Protocol (2007-2015), including perinatally HIV-infected (PHIV) and HIV-exposed uninfected (PHEU) youths. METHODS: We evaluated age at sexual maturity among 2539 PHIV and PHEU adolescents based on annual physician-assessed pubertal staging measures. Interval-censored regression models were used to evaluate associations of HIV infection with age at maturity. Mediation analyses accounting for height and BMI Z-scores at specific ages were used to estimate direct and indirect effects of HIV infection on age at sexual maturity. RESULTS: Mean ages at sexual maturity for PHIV girls (n = 1032) were 15.5 years for both female breast and pubic hair and 15.9 and 15.8 years for PHIV boys (n = 1054) for genitalia and pubic hair, respectively. PHIV youths matured approximately 6 months later on average than PHEU (n = 221 girls and 232 boys), and this difference persisted after adjustment for race/ethnicity and birth cohort. BMI and height Z-scores mediated the association between HIV infection and later maturation in girls, accounting for up to 74% of the total HIV effect. Only height Z-scores mediated the effect of HIV on male age at maturity, accounting for up to 98% of the HIV effect. CONCLUSION: PHIV youths attain sexual maturity later on average than PHEU youths. Much of this difference may be attributable to deficient growth, suggesting directions for future interventions

A review- Recent research on microsponge a novel new drug delivery system

Microsponge is recent novel technique for control release and target specific drug delivery system. Therefore many scientist or researcher attracted towards the microsponge drug delivery system. Also Microsponge technology has been introduced in topical drug products to facilitate the controlled release of active drug into the skin in order to reduce systemic exposure and minimize local cutaneous reactions to active drugs. More and more developments in delivery systems are being integrated to optimize the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the therapy. Microsponge technology offers entrapment of ingredients and is believed to contribute towards reduced side effects, improved stability, increased elegance, and enhanced formulation flexibility. In addition, numerous studies have confirmed that microsponge systems are non-irritating, non-mutagenic, non-allergenic, and non-toxic. Microsponge drug delivery system technology is being used currently in cosmetics, over-the-counter (OTC) skin care, sunscreens and prescription products

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Low Thrust Transfers Between Periodic Orbits in the Earth-Moon Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem

With growing interest in cislunar exploration, the importance of trajectory design in this environment has become prevalent. The Circular Restricted Three Body Problem (CR3BP) offers a useful dynamical model to incorporate the gravitational influence from the Earth and Moon in this regime. Several fundamental solutions exist in this model that are beneficial for trajectory design. One type of motion is periodic orbits that are repeating with respect to the motion of the Earth and Moon about the system barycenter. A wide variety of stable and unstable periodic orbits have been identified around equilibrium points and both celestial bodies. Transfers between periodic orbits can help facilitate cislunar exploration objectives for human spaceflight, space domain awareness, and science missions. Thus, this thesis focuses on designing transfers for low thrust spacecraft between periodic orbits in the Earth-Moon CR3BP. Insights of the dynamics are leveraged along with strategies to form initial guess transfer paths between two periodic orbits. Shooting schemes are employed to produce continuous transfers for each initial guess, and continuation is used compute potentially many transfers of interest. Finally, direct optimization is used to compute locally fuel-optimal transfers. The process of identifying potential initial guess paths, recovering a continuous solution, and ultimately an optimal trajectory is shown to be an effective method to find transfers between periodic orbits. Example cases are demonstrated between subsets of the L1 and L2 halo periodic orbit family and a near rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) to a distant retrograde orbit (DRO) in the Earth-Moon system.</p

Role of doppler in fetal growth restriction

Background: Fetal growth restriction is an important and particularly challenging problem for modern obstetricians and paediatricians. The present study is to correlate the importance of Doppler velocimetry and perinatal outcome in cases of growth restricted foetuses by comparing perinatal outcome of control & study groups with normal and abnormal Doppler waveforms.Methods: A study and a control group comprising of 50 pregnant women having growth restricted foetuses in each group was matched for all other confounding factors except for Doppler changes. These patients were followed up and the perinatal outcomes of FGR foetuses having Doppler changes was compared with those having normal Doppler studies.Results: In our study, alteration in both MCA and UmbA Doppler was associated with perinatal morbidity and NICU admissions in 64% and mortality in 28%. Doppler changes showing altered CPR less than 1 had adverse outcome with NICU admission in 61% and mortality in 34%. Alteration in DV Doppler was associated with perinatal morbidity and NICU admissions in 17% cases and mortality in 83% cases, with no pregnancies having a healthy outcome. Among high-risk pregnancies with suspected IUGR, the use of Doppler assessment significantly decreases the likelihood of labor induction, caesarean delivery, and perinatal deaths.Conclusions: Abnormal Doppler waveform changes indicate adverse perinatal outcome of pregnancies with FGR. Doppler study helps to reduce perinatal mortality and morbidity by timely and appropriate interventions