Efficacy and safety of darunavir and etravirine in an antiretroviral multi-experienced youth with vertically HIV-1 infection

Multiclass-drug resistance, often caused by poor treatment compliance, is a challenging problem in all categories of HIV-infected patients. Selective pressure is higher in youth for both biological and behavioral reasons. We report the case of a 15-year-old Caucasian male, with vertically acquired HIV-1 infection, who failed several lines of antiretroviral therapy and was successfully treated with darunavir/ritonavir and etravirine

Assessment of the different types of failure on anterior cantilever resin-bonded fixed dental prostheses fabricated with three different materials: An in vitro study

background: resin-bonded fixed dental prosthesis (RBFDP) represents a highly aesthetic and conservative treatment option to replace a single tooth in a younger patient. The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the fracture strength and the different types of failure on anterior cantilever RBFDPs fabricated using zirconia (ZR), lithium disilicate (LD), and PMMA-based material with ceramic fillers (PM) by the same standard tessellation language (STL) file. Methods: sixty extracted bovine mandibular incisives were embedded resin block; scanned to design one master model of RBFDP with a cantilevered single-retainer. Twenty cantilevered single-retainer RBFDPs were fabricated using ZR; LD; and PM. Static loading was performed using a universal testing machine. Results: the mean fracture strength for the RBFDPs was: 292.5 Newton (Standard Deviation (SD) 36.6) for ZR; 210 N (SD 37.6) for LD; and 133 N (SD 16.3) for PM. All the failures of RBFDPs in ZR were a fracture of the abutment tooth; instead; the 80% of failures of RBFDPs in LD and PM were a fracture of the connector. Conclusion: within the limitations of this in vitro study, we can conclude that the zirconia RBFDPs presented load resistance higher than the maximum anterior bite force reported in literature (270 N) and failure type analysis showed some trends among the groups

Constant-angle surfaces in liquid crystals

We discuss some properties of surfaces in R3 whose unit normal has constant angle with an assigned direction field. The constant angle condition can be rewritten as an Hamilton-Jacobi equation correlating the surface and the direction field. We focus on examples motivated by the physics of interfaces in liquid crystals and of layered fluids, and discuss the properties of the constant-angle surfaces when the direction field is singular along a line (disclination) or at a point (hedgehog defect

Statistical Mechanics of Logarithmic REM: Duality, Freezing and Extreme Value Statistics of 1/f1/f Noises generated by Gaussian Free Fields

We compute the distribution of the partition functions for a class of one-dimensional Random Energy Models (REM) with logarithmically correlated random potential, above and at the glass transition temperature. The random potential sequences represent various versions of the 1/f noise generated by sampling the two-dimensional Gaussian Free Field (2dGFF) along various planar curves. Our method extends the recent analysis of Fyodorov Bouchaud from the circular case to an interval and is based on an analytical continuation of the Selberg integral. In particular, we unveil a {\it duality relation} satisfied by the suitable generating function of free energy cumulants in the high-temperature phase. It reinforces the freezing scenario hypothesis for that generating function, from which we derive the distribution of extrema for the 2dGFF on the $[0,1]$ interval. We provide numerical checks of the circular and the interval case and discuss universality and various extensions. Relevance to the distribution of length of a segment in Liouville quantum gravity is noted.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figures Published version. Misprint corrected, references and note adde

Faces of matrix models

Partition functions of eigenvalue matrix models possess a number of very different descriptions: as matrix integrals, as solutions to linear and non-linear equations, as tau-functions of integrable hierarchies and as special-geometry prepotentials, as result of the action of W-operators and of various recursions on elementary input data, as gluing of certain elementary building blocks. All this explains the central role of such matrix models in modern mathematical physics: they provide the basic "special functions" to express the answers and relations between them, and they serve as a dream model of what one should try to achieve in any other field.Comment: 10 page

Adjuvant sequential methotrexate → 5-fluorouracil vs 5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin in radically resected stage III and high-risk stage II colon cancer

The aim of the study was to determine whether modulation of 5-fluorouracil (FU) by methotrexate (MTX) improves survival compared to FU+6-s-leucovorin (LV) following potentially curative resection of stage II and III colon cancer. Within 8 weeks from surgery, 1945 patients with stage III (44%) or high-risk stage II (55%) colon cancer were randomly assigned to receive either 6 monthly cycles of FU 370 mg m−2 i.v. bolus preceded by LV 100 mg m−2 i.v. bolus on days 1–5, or 6 monthly cycles of sequential MTX 200 mg m−2 i.v. days 1 and 15 and FU 600 mg m−2 i.v. on days 2 and 16 followed by LV rescue (15 mg given p.o. q 6 h × 6 doses). Levamisole 50 mg p.o. t.i.d. on days 1–3, every 14 days for 6 months, was planned to be given in both arms. After a median follow-up of 4.2 years, 568 patients have relapsed and 403 have died. Survival was similar with MTX → FU and FU+LV (77 vs 77% at 5 years; P=0.90), as were 5-year disease-free survivals (67 vs 63%; P=0.44). Efficacy results were similar for both stage III and II patients. There were two toxic deaths, two in the MTX → FU arm (0.2%) and zero in the control arm. We conclude that biochemical modulation of FU with LV or with MTX produces similar results in the adjuvant setting of colon cancer

Comparison of risk patterns in carcinoma and melanoma of the skin in men: a multi-centre case–case–control study

We directly compared risk factors between 214 histologically confirmed melanomas (CMM), 215 basal-cell carcinomas (BCC) and 139 squamous-cell carcinomas (SCC) in a multiple case–case–control study with 349 controls from patients without dermatological disease admitted to the same hospitals. Subjects with fair hair had a significant risk increase for all types of tumours at a comparable level (ORadj for blonde hair: CMM 2.3; SCC 2.4; BCC 2.3). The effect of pale eyes was significant and similar for CMM and BCC (ORadj 2.6). Intermittent sun exposure measured in hours spent at beach during holidays was significant for both CMM (ORadj 2.6 for more than 7000 lifelong hours) and BCC (ORadj 2.1 for more than 7000 lifelong hours), while SCC exhibited a significant risk increase for chronic exposure to sunlight measured in hours of outdoor work (ORadj 2.2 for more than 6000 lifelong hours). In the case–case comparison using a multinomial logistic regression model, we found a statistically significant risk difference for pale eyes, and number of naevi in the CMM group, compared to other skin cancers. For intermittent sun exposure, there was a significant risk difference of BCC when compared to the risk of SCC. Factors influencing risk of SCC are different, with chronic exposure to sun playing a major role in causing this type of carcinoma

PNPLA3 rs738409 I748M is associated with steatohepatitis in 434 non-obese subjects with hepatitis C

Background The PNPLA3/Adiponutrin rs738409 C/G single nucleotide polymorphism is associated with the severity of steatosis, steatohepatitis and fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, as well as the severity of steatosis and fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Aim To test in genotype 1(G1)-CHC patients, the putative association between the PNPLA3 variant and histological features of steatohepatitis, as well as their impact on the severity of fibrosis. Methods Four hundred and thirty-four consecutively biopsied Caucasian G1-CHC patients were genotyped for PNPLA3 rs738409, its effect evaluated by using an additive model. Histological features of steatohepatitis in CHC were assessed using the Bedossa classification. Hepatic expression of PNPLA3 mRNA was evaluated in 63 patients. Results The prevalence of steatohepatitis increased from 16.5% in patients with PNPLA3 CC, to 23.2% in CG and 29.2% in the GG genotype (P = 0.02). By multiple logistic regression, PNPLA3 genotype (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.03-2.30, P = 0.03), together with age (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.05, P = 0.02), BMI 65 30 (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.04-4.10, P = 0.03) and homoeostasis model assessment (HOMA, OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.04-1.32, P = 0.006) were independently linked to steatohepatitis. When stratifying for obesity, PNPLA3 was associated with NASH in non-obese patients only (12.0% in CC vs. 18.3% in CG vs. 27.3% in GG, P = 0.01), including after correction for metabolic confounders (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.26-3.36, P = 0.004). We showed an independent association between steatohepatitis (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.05-4.02, P = 0.003) and severe fibrosis. Higher liver PNPLA3 mRNA was associated both with the severity of steatosis (adjusted P = 0.03) and steatohepatitis after adjusting for gender, age, BMI and HOMA (P = 0.002). Conclusion In patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C, the PNPLA3 G variant is associated with a higher risk of steatosis severity and steatohepatitis, particularly among non-obese subjects

Knowledge and beliefs on vaccines among a sample of Italian pregnant women: results from the NAVIDAD study

BACKGROUND: Vaccine hesitancy is an emerging phenomenon in European countries and leads to decreasing trends in infant vaccine coverage. The aim of this study was to analyze the level of confidence and correct awareness about immunizations, which are crucial for the success of vaccination programmes. METHODS: As part of the NAVIDAD multicentre study, we examined vaccination confidence and complacency among a sample of 1820 pregnant women from 14 Italian cities. The questionnaire assessed the interviewee's knowledge, beliefs and misconceptions, as well as their socioeconomic status, information sources about vaccines and confidence in the Italian National Healthcare Service. RESULTS: Only 9% of women completely believed to the efficacy, necessity and safety of vaccinations. Almost 20% of them had misconceptions on most of the themes. There was a significant difference in the level of knowledge considering educational level: women with a high educational level have less probability of obtaining a low knowledge score (odds ratio (OR) 0.43 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34-0.54]). The level of knowledge was also influenced by the sources of information: women who received information from their general practitioner (GP) and from institutional websites had a significantly lower chance of having misconceptions (OR 0.74 [95% CI 0.58-0.96]; OR 0.59 [95% CI 0.46-0.74]). Finally, the results underlined the influence of trust in healthcare professional information on the likelihood of having misconceptions (OR 0.49 [95% CI 0.27-0.89]). CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest the efficacy of GPs and institutional websites as a source of information to contrast misconceptions and underline the importance of confidence in the healthcare system to increase complacency and confidence in vaccines