Prevalence of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 in a Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic in Miami

The Prevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 among STD clinics in Miami is not known. The objective of this study was to evaluate infection rates of HSV 1 and 2, and to describe the socio-demographic characteristics, sexual orientation and co-infection with HIV and other STIs, in individuals attending a Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) clinic in Miami. A cross-sectional study of 663 patients tested for HSV type-specific serology or herpes culture during the year 2007 was performed. An overall infection rate of HSV-1 was 42.1% and 36.7% for HSV-2. Statistically higher infection rates for HSV-1and 2 were seen among Hispanics (56.7%, 54.4%) compared to non-Hispanic black (36.80%, 41.70%) and non-Hispanic white patients (6.1%, 3.5%) respectively. Females showed higher HSV-2 infection rates over males, 41.6% vs. 58.4%; p = 0.03. HSV-1 and 2 infection rates were 60.2% and 57.6% among foreign-born individuals, in contrast to 39.8% and 42.4% found among persons born in the United States. Our data shows high infection rates for HSV-1 and 2 in this community, and especially among the Hispanic population. Efforts to decrease acquisition among the Hispanic population should be a focus of future STI prevention programs

Infectious Syphilis in Non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics in an Urban STD Clinic

Syphilis is a complex infectious disease caused by Treponema pallidum and acquired through sexual contact or vertical transmission. The natural history of syphilis is divided in primary, secondary, latent and tertiary stages. The syphilis epidemic has evolved over the years. National rates of syphilis infection dropped to the lowest in 2000 and have since increased in certain populations. Men who have sex with men (MSM) account for 60% of new infections and high rates occur in individuals with human immune deficiency virus co-infection. This study describes and compares the demographic characteristics, risk factors, and clinical presentation ofinfectious syphilis cases diagnosed in the Miami-Dade Health Department STD clinic among the two main ethnicities (non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic)

Prevalence of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 in a Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic in Miami

ABSTRACT The Prevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 among STD clinics in Miami i

CHANGES IN INTERVENTIONS IN TYPE B ACUTE AORTIC DISSECTION PATIENTS

none16siopenMisirliyan, Sevan; Trimarchi, Santi; Mussa, Firas F.; Fattori, Rossella; Khoynezhad, Ali; Montgomery, Daniel; Evangelista, Arturo; Di Eusanio, Marco; Kline-Rogers, Eva; Myrmel, Truls; Abdul-Nour, Khaled; Deeb, G. Michael; Isselbacher, Eric; Nienaber, Christoph; Eagle, Kim; Patel, HimanshuMisirliyan, Sevan; Trimarchi, Santi; Mussa, Firas F.; Fattori, Rossella; Khoynezhad, Ali; Montgomery, Daniel; Evangelista, Arturo; Di Eusanio, Marco; Kline-Rogers, Eva; Myrmel, Truls; Abdul-Nour, Khaled; Deeb, G. Michael; Isselbacher, Eric; Nienaber, Christoph; Eagle, Kim; Patel, Himansh

Implementing Sustainability in Retrofitting Heritage Buildings. Case Study: Villa Antoniadis, Alexandria, Egypt

Sustainable design is believed to stand on the opposite side of heritage conservation. This view is supported by the fact that sustainable design requires invasive measures to implement new technologies and treatments that challenge the principle of minimum intervention in heritage conservation. Another point of view sees heritage conservation as an already act of sustainable development that protects and preserves social and cultural resources such as heritage buildings and their intangible values. On the other hand, research and practice have proven that heritage buildings can be the subjects of sustainable design projects that achieve outstanding measures of sustainability and energy efficiency while not compromising the authenticity of the heritage value of the building. This sustainable conservation reaches its peak in adaptive-reuse projects of heritage buildings as reusing the building guarantees its ongoing maintenance and promotes its social, cultural and economic values to society, while giving it the ability to withstand modern users’ comfort and energy efficiency standards. This research presents a case study of the adaptive-reuse project of Villa Antoniadis in Alexandria; a heritage building built in the mid-nineteenth century and in the process of a major adaptive-reuse project. The history and significance of the building will be studied as well as the conservation values of the current project, then some proposals for interventions that could achieve more energy efficiency for the project while conserving the building are discussed. The research included a simulation of the building, using building energy modelling software for the current adaptive-reuse project as a base case, and the hypothetical application of different proposed sustainable interventions such as thermal insulation, double glazing, shading, lighting control, natural ventilation, and photovoltaic energy generation, where the energy savings potentials for each proposed intervention were studied. The simulation proved a possible reduction of 36.5% in the cooling, heating and lighting energy consumption as well as generated 74.7% of the energy required for cooling, heating and lighting from renewable energy sources

Effectiveness of external wall shading in reducing the energy consumption of desert buildings

[abstract not available

Selective Targeting of Breast Cancer by Tafuramycin A Using SMA-Nanoassemblies

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous subtype of tumors that tests negative for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and excess HER2 protein. The mainstay of treatment remains chemotherapy, but the therapeutic outcome remains inadequate. This paper investigates the potential of a duocarmycin derivative, tafuramycin A (TFA), as a new and more effective chemotherapy agent in TNBC treatment. To this extent, we optimized the chemical synthesis of TFA, and we encapsulated TFA in a micellar system to reduce side effects and increase tumor accumulation. In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that both TFA and SMA–TFA possess high anticancer effects in TNBC models. Finally, the encapsulation of TFA offered a preferential avenue to tumor accumulation by increasing its concentration at the tumor tissues by around four times in comparison with the free drug. Overall, the results provide a new potential strategy useful for TNBC treatment

Effectiveness of external wall shading in reducing the energy consumption of desert buildings

[abstract not available

Improving buildings\u27 energy performance by defining optimum shape geometry of sun-breakers window shading

[abstract not available