Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) study of hepatocytes cultured on collagen films and gels

Summary of paper describing the process whereby primary hepatocyte cultures form an integral part of many hybrid artificial liver designs, and the extracellular matrix environment of the cultures is an important factor for optimal expression of hepatocyte-specific phenotype. This study investigates the effect of incorporating 20% chondroitin-6-sulphate (Ch6SO4), a glycosaminoglycan (GAG), into collagen films and gels, and crosslinking the films and the gels with 1,6-diaminohexane (DAH) on the viability of hepatocytes cultured for 48 hours

The Why What Where and How: Children\u27s Homes

https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/crs_books/1330/thumbnail.jp

Field Experiments at College Station with Corn, Cotton and Forage Plants.

27 p

Natures Solution to Climate Change

A strategy to protect whales can limit greenhouse gases and global warmin

Clinical utility of archived HIV-1 DNA sequencing: Optimizing antiretroviral therapy in patients with a suppressed HIV viral load

Introduction: Viral resistance testing is a cornerstone for selecting antiretroviral therapy (ART) in patients with HIV. Recommendations regarding regimen switching in the setting of virologic suppression are not standardized, but genotypic assays are frequently utilized in this scenario to help determine an efficacious medication regimen. Currently, only one genotypic assay (GA) is available for patients whose HIV RNA is less than 500 copies/mL. Little data exists for its clinical significance or utility in practice.Research Question or Hypothesis: This study aims to assess the utility of the GA by comparing ART regimens and HIV RNA pre- and post-GA.Study Design: This study is a retrospective chart review based on GA reports obtained historically through the Oklahoma State University Internal Medicine Specialty Clinic electronic medical record.Methods: The information gathered consisted of clinical indications for a GA, mutations on GA results, ART at the time of the archive draw, and ART post-GA results. Demographic and disease related information will also be collected. Other information gathered included reported compliance to therapy, and regimen tolerability.Results: Data were gathered from 67 patients, primarily male (87%), with an average age of 45. The most common indications for obtaining a GA were baseline testing (29.8%), re-establishing care (25.4%), and history of non-adherence (20.9%). Approximately half (49%) of patients had an undetectable viral load 3 months after switching their ART regimen based on GA results

Monitoring among patients at risk for metabolic syndrome secondary to concomitant antiretroviral and second-generation antipsychotic therapy in an HIV patient population

Purpose: Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) and protease inhibitors (PIs) have significant metabolic side effect profiles. These risks are compounded with concomitant therapy, both due to additive side effects and as a result of the interaction between the classes which can increase serum SGA concentrations. The goal of this study is to explore the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among patients on concurrent SGA and PI therapy compared to SGA use with other antiretroviral therapy (ART) and to evaluate current risk management practices.Introduction to Methods: This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board. Monitoring, incidence of metabolic syndrome, and dosage adjustments among patients taking both SGAs and PIs will be compared to those on concomitant SGA and either integrase inhibitor or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor therapy. A retrospective review of a randomized selection of 100 charts of patients taking both SGAs and ART from September 1, 2017 to September 1, 2018 will be conducted. Monitoring frequency and parameters will be compared to that recommended by the American Diabetes Association for individuals taking SGAs. Our goal is to determine the prevalence of patients at risk for the potential long-term consequences of SGA and PI combination therapy compared to other ART and to evaluate current clinical monitoring and preventative strategies that are in place

Dean Acheson and the Turkish-American alliance, 1945-1953

The early Cold War historiography on Turkish-American relations has long been dominated by chronological narratives that explained post-WWII developments in relations between the two countries either through an ideological account, or through an attempt to identify which officials, usually on the U.S. side, pushed for and promoted closer ties between the two states. This dissertation, based on research performed in the U.S. National Archives in College Park, Maryland and the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri, breaks with the traditional post-WWII historiography on Turkish-American relations by focusing on one official, U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson, in order to provide a more comprehensive account of how Turkish-U.S. relations developed between 1945 and 1953. Through concentration on Acheson’s life, character, career, and approach to diplomacy, this dissertation explores the decisions that Acheson took concerning U.S. relations with Turkey, and his interactions with Turkish officials, especially Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Feridun Cemal Erkin. Additionally, the text focuses on the postwar U.S. political and social context in order to provide a more complete examination of the factors which Secretary Acheson considered while formulating policies towards Turkey that eventually resulted in Turkish accession to NATO. Ultimately, this thesis provides a new conceptual framework for post-WWII Turkish-U.S. events, and concludes that Acheson was the single most important U.S. official responsible for developments in post-WWII Turkish-American affairs. Furthermore, the U.S. Congress is identified as the single greatest impediment, on the U.S. side, to faster development in Turkish-U.S. relations after WWII

Evaluating weight gain with the initiation of antiretroviral therapy: A comparison of integrase strand transfer inhibitors to other antiretrovirals

Background: Existing research has observed a potential association between antiretroviral therapy (ART) exposed individuals and a high prevalence of weight gain and obesity. However, the impact of these metabolic changes imparted by integrase strand transfer inhibitor based regimens in particular remains unclear. The objective of this study is to evaluate weight change in treatment-naive patients with newly initiated ART in a Ryan White Clinic.Methods: This IRB-approved, retrospective chart review study utilized EMR records to identify patients aged 18 years or older with a diagnosis of HIV-1, who are treatment-naive or have been without ART for >6 months, initiated on ART between January 1, 2013 and January 1, 2018, maintained therapy for ≥24 months, had weight values recorded at least twice during the study period, and were initiated on any three-drug NNRTI, INSTI, or PI-based regimen. The following data was collected, recorded without patient identifiers, and maintained confidentially: patient regimen, age, gender, ethnicity, AIDS status, plasma HIV-1 RNA (viral load), CD4+ T-cell count, weight, BMI, and BMI categories. Patient weight, BMI, and BMI categories were evaluated at baseline, 6 months, and 18 months on ART.Results: Of the 3,054 patients identified, a total of 200 patients were included in the final analysis. The patient population consisted primarily of Caucasian (55.0%) males (81.0%) with an average age of 38.3 years. At initiation of treatment, the median CD4+ T-cell count = 356.2 cells/uL, HIV-1 RNA viral load = 481,801 copies/mL, weight = 80.8 kg, and BMI = 26.2 kg/m2. For all classes evaluated, the highest percentage of patients at baseline fell within BMI category indicating normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m2). A total of 42 (21.0%), 50 (25.0%), and 113 (56.5%) patients were initiated on NNRTI, PI, and INSTI-based regimens, respectively. Of the 113 patients who were initiated on an INSTI-based regimen, 82 (72.5%) patients began regimens containing doultegravir, 25 (22.1%) patients began regimens containing elvitegravir, and 6 (5.3%) patients began regimens containing raltegravir. All 6 patients who were initiated on raltegravir were also on concomitant darunavir. At 18 months of therapy, a median increase in weight of 2.2 kg and BMI of 0.5 kg/m2 was associated with NNRTI-based regimens, compared to a 3.9 kg and 1.3 kg/m2 increase associated with PI-based regimens. Of the INSTI-based regimens, use of dolutegravir was associated with a 4.3 kg and 1.7 kg/m2 increase, elvitegravir a 1.1 kg and 0.4 kg/m2 increase, and raltegravir a 7.7 kg and 2.5 kg/m2 increase in weight and BMI, respectively. At 18-months, 37.8% and 50.0% of patients initiated on dolutegravir and raltegravir-based therapy, respectively, were considered obese with an associated BMI of ≥ 30 kg/m2.Conclusions: Treatment naive patients with HIV-1 initiating therapy with dolutegravir-based regimens were associated with a higher incidence of increase in weight and BMI at 18-months than those initiating elvitegravir, NNRTI, and PI-based regimens. Those initiating raltegravir-based regimens, which also contained the PI darunavir, were associated with the highest incidence of increase in weight and BMI at 18-months compared to all other regimens. Further study is recommended

On the viability of holistic cosmic-ray source models

We consider the energy spectrum of cosmic-rays (CRs) from a purely phenomenological point of view and investigate the possibility that they all be produced by the same type of sources with a single power-law spectrum, in E^{-x}, from thermal to ultra-high energies. We show that the relative fluxes of the Galactic (GCR) and extra-galactic (EGCR) components are compatible with such a holistic model, provided that the index of the source spectrum be x \simeq 2.23\pm 0.07. This is compatible with the best-fit indices for both GCRs and EGCRs, assuming that their source composition is the same, which is indeed the case in a holistic model. It is also compatible with theoretical expectations for particle acceleration at relativistic shocks.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic