Human immunodeficiency virus treatment-induced adipose tissue pathology and lipoatrophy: Prevalence and metabolic consequences

Lipoatrophy and metabolic complications of treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection may share common associations with adipose tissue pathology and inflammation. To investigate these relationships, we undertook a large-scale study of adipose tissue, body composition, and metabolic outcomes among HIV-infected adult men at a tertiary hospital HIV cohort during the period 2001-2007. Methods. Assessments included adipose biopsies (np211) for investigation of adipocyte mitochondrial DNA content, adipocytokine expression, and adipose macrophage content; and whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans (np225) for objective body composition changes; 138 individuals contributed both biopsy and DEXA data. Results. Compared with 78 treatment-naive control subjects, 98 zidovudine recipients (48%) and 49 stavudine recipients (67%) had leg fat measures <10% threshold value. Adipose samples associated with current stavudine or zidovudine (np99) revealed significant adipocyte mitochondrial DNA depletion, adipose tissue macrophage infiltration, and elevated proinflammatory cytokine levels, compared with samples from control subjects and nonthymidine nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) recipients (all P<.05). Improvements in adipose pathology after NRTI switching (np21 longitudinal samples) correlated with increased preswitch adipose inflammation and less severe fat loss (both P<.05). Elevated ratios of total to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and Homeostatic Metabolic Assessment scores correlated independently with lipoatrophy severity (P<.05) and increased body mass index (P<.05) in thymidine NRTI-experienced individuals. No effect of demographic or HIV-related variables, or HIV protease inhibitor therapy exposure was detected. Conclusions. Adipose tissue pathology and lipoatrophic fat loss are highly prevalent among recipients of stavudine- or zidovudine-based HIV treatment and are associated with adverse metabolic outcomes. Restoring adipose tissue health appears to be an important issue in the long-term treatment of this patient population

Introduction: Social security and the challenge of demographic change

From 29 November to 4 December 2010, the International Social Security Association (ISSA) will meet in Cape Town, Republic of South Africa, to mark the event of the ISSA World Social Security Forum. The Forum provides a unique opportunity for decision-makers from all regions to share knowledge, recognize good practices and discuss key policy challenges as these relate to the design and delivery of national social security programmes. One key policy challenge identified by the ISSA's worldwide membership is demographic change. For this important reason, among the events planned for the Cape Town Forum, a plenary will focus specifically on demography. To coincide with the preparations for the World Forum, and to complement the wider and longer-term endeavours of the ISSA to promote knowledge sharing, the International Social Security Review has chosen to produce this double special issue on "Social security and the challenge of demographic change". The expectation is that this set of papers will make a contribution to supporting social security policy-makers, practitioners, analysts and researchers in all countries as they work towards developing and implementing tailored policy responses to the multifaceted challenge of demographic change.social security, demographic change, demography, policy

Hydraulic Analysis of a Reversible Fluid Coupling

This paper presents a hydraulic analysis of a fluid coupling which is designed to operate either in a forward or reverse mode when a set of turning vanes are respectively withdrawn or inserted into the flow between the driving and driven rotors. The flow path is subdivided into a set of streamtubes and an interative method is used to adjust the cross-sectional areas of these streamtubes in order to satisfy radial equilibrium. Though the analyis requires the estimation of a number of loss coefficients, it predicts coupling performance data which are in good agreement with that measured in NAVSSES tests of a large reversible coupling intended for use in a ship drive train

Association between low 25(OH) vitamin D levels, antiretroviral therapy and metabolic profile in a cohort of treated ahd therapy naive HIV positive patients in Western Australia

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Flight and tunnel test results of the MDC mechanical jet noise suppressor nozzle

The flight and wind tunnel tests to determine the acoustic and performance effects of a mechanical jet noise suppressor nozzle mounted on a Viper engine of an HS-125 airplane are discussed. Flyover noise measurements were made with microphones mounted on top of a 137.5 m bridge tower. Seven nozzle configurations including two references nozzles, two suppressors, and three ejector inlets were tested. The suppressor nozzle of interest for an advanced supersonic transport, the suppressor/treated ejector, achieved a measured noise reduction of 14 EPNdB relative to a conventional conical reference nozzle at the highest pressure ratio tested (approximately 2.5). The unique engine nacelle, flight hardware, and nacelles from the HS-125 flight test program, combined with a simulated HS-125 fuselage were windtunnel tested. Both propulsion and acoustic data were recorded. Preliminary thrust data results from the wind tunnel tests are summarized and compared to other mechanical suppressor test results. The test results indicate that a noise reduction of at least 16 EPNdB would be possible for the suppressor/ejector nozzle scaled to typical AST engine size with a 5% thrust loss at a typical takeoff climb speed

Prospective genetic screening decreases the incidence of Abacavir hypersensitivity reactions in the Western Australian HIV cohort study

Abacavir therapy is associated with significant drug hypersensitivity in ∼8% of recipients, with retrospective studies indicating a strong genetic association with the HLA-B*5701 allelle. In this prospective study, involving 260 abacavir-naive individuals (7.7% of whom were positive for HLA-B*5701), we confirm the usefulness of genetic risk stratification, with no cases of abacavir hypersensitivity among 148 HLA-B*5701–negative recipients

FANSUR SEBAGAI KOTA TUA ISLAM

Fansur is an ancient Islamic city in Nusantara (the Indonesian archipelago) which was very popular in the past. However, the specific location of the city is still being debated today. Generally, contemporary writers state that Fansur is located in Barus, one of the areas in Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra. This opinion has been challenged from several authoritative sources. To solve the above problems, this research was conducted through an archaeological approach and literature study. Based on archaeological evidence and written sources, Fansur City is located in Lhok Pancu or Lhok Lambaroneujid, one of the coastal areas to the west of the city of Banda Aceh, Aceh. This location fits perfectly with the character of the Fansur location mentioned in ancient records from the Middle East, China and Europe. Due to geological changes that have occurred frequently in the past in the Aceh region, most of the area has been lost and cannot be seen again. The remains of ancient ceramics, tombstones and ancient tomb complex (diway) are archaeological evidence to strengthen the argument that Fansur is an ancient Islamic port city located in the Aceh Besar region, not in Barus, Central Tapanuli