22 research outputs found

    Impact of Prison Status on HIV-Related Risk Behaviors

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    Baseline data were collected to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions on completion of the hepatitis A and B vaccine series among 664 sheltered and street-based homeless adults who were: (a) homeless; (b) recently (<1 year) discharged from prison; (c) discharged 1 year or more; and (d) never incarcerated. Group differences at baseline were assessed for socio–demographic characteristics, drug and alcohol use, sexual activity, mental health and public assistance. More than one-third of homeless persons (38%) reported prison time and 16% of the sample had been recently discharged from prison. Almost half of persons who were discharged from prison at least 1 year ago reported daily use of drugs and alcohol over the past 6 months compared to about 1 in 5 among those who were recently released from prison. As risk for HCV and HIV co-infection continues among homeless ex-offenders, HIV/HCV prevention efforts are needed for this population

    Evolutionary Pathways of the Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 in the UK

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    The emergence of the influenza (H1N1) 2009 virus provided a unique opportunity to study the evolution of a pandemic virus following its introduction into the human population. Virological and clinical surveillance in the UK were comprehensive during the first and second waves of the pandemic in 2009, with extensive laboratory confirmation of infection allowing a detailed sampling of representative circulating viruses. We sequenced the complete coding region of the haemagglutinin (HA) segment of 685 H1N1 pandemic viruses selected without bias during two waves of pandemic in the UK (April-December 2009). Phylogenetic analysis showed that although temporal accumulation of amino acid changes was observed in the HA sequences, the overall diversity was less than that typically seen for seasonal influenza A H1N1 or H3N2. There was co-circulation of multiple variants as characterised by signature amino acid changes in the HA. A specific substitution (S203T) became predominant both in UK and global isolates. No antigenic drift occurred during 2009 as viruses with greater than four-fold reduction in their haemagglutination inhibition (HI) titre (“low reactors”) were detected in a low proportion (3%) and occurred sporadically. Although some limited antigenic divergence in viruses with four-fold reduction in HI titre might be related to the presence of 203T, additional studies are needed to test this hypothesis

    Coetzee, Agamben, and the Passion of Abu Ghraib

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    Monomeric eNAMPT in the development of experimental diabetes in mice: a potential target for type 2 diabetes treatment

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    This work was supported by the following funding from the European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes/Lilly fellowship, a Society for Endocrinology Early Career Grant and a Diabetes UK project grant (15/0005154) to PWC. MFS was funded by FUNDACAO PARA A CIENCIA E TECNOLOGIA, Ministerio da Educacao e Ciencia, Portugal. JK, SMH and MMY are supported by the Bart’s and the London National Institute of Health Research Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit

    System architecture for a magnetically guided endovascular microcatheter

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    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided minimally invasive interventions are an emerging technology. We developed a microcatheter that utilizes micro-electromagnets manufactured on the distal tip, in combination with the magnetic field of a MRI scanner, to perform microcatheter steering during endovascular surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate a user control system for operating, steering and monitoring this magnetically guided microcatheter. The magnetically-assisted remote control (MARC) microcatheter was magnetically steered within a phantom in the bore of a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner. Controls mounted in an interventional MRI suite, along with a graphical user interface at the MRI console, were developed with communication enabled via MRI compatible hardware modules. Microcatheter tip deflection measurements were performed by evaluating MRI steady-state free precession (SSFP) images and compared to models derived from magnetic moment interactions and composite beam mechanics. The magnitude and direction of microcatheter deflections were controlled with user hand, foot, and software controls. Data from two different techniques for measuring the microcatheter tip location within a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner showed correlation of magnetic deflections to our model (R(2): 0.88) with a region of linear response (R(2): 0.98). Image processing tools were successful in autolocating the in vivo microcatheter tip within MRI SSFP images. Our system showed good correlation to response curves and introduced low amounts of MRI noise artifact. The center of the artifact created by the energized microcatheter solenoid was a reliable marker for determining the degree of microcatheter deflection and auto-locating the in vivo microcatheter tip
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