Is Option B+ the best choice?

The success of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes (Options A and B) in middle-income countries, together with clinical trial data on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment as prophylaxis, has emboldened UN agencies to aggressively promote lifelong ARVs for PMTCT (Option B+). Unsubstantiated claims submit that Option B+ is cost-effective at population-level, will protect HIV-negative male partners, improve maternal and infant health, and increase ARV coverage. We provide counterfactual arguments about the ethics, medical safety, programme feasibility and economic benefits of Option B+.Option B+ offers no advantage to PMTCT and there are social hazards associated with privileging pregnant woman for treatment over men and non-pregnant women, especially with the absence of data to suggest that discordant relationships are more frequent among pregnant women or that they contribute disproportionately to the horizontal HIV transmission. The benefits and safety of long-term ARVs – including adherence and resistance – in mothers who do not need treatment for their own health, need to be considered, as well as, crucially, health service costs. The assumption that a decrease in efficiency caused by inappropriate targeting is compensated for by lower recruitment costs, is untested. Lives could be saved instead with appropriately targeted interventions. Countries should make individual decisions based on their HIV epidemiology, resources, priorities and local evidence.S Afr J HIV Med 2013;14(1):8-10. DOI:10.7196/SAJHIVMED.898This article is reprinted from The Lancet, with permission from Elsevier: Coutsodis A, Goga A, Desmond C, Barron P, Black V, Coovadia H. Is Option B+ the best choice? Lancet 2013;381(9863):269-271. [http://dx/doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61807-8

COMPARISON BETWEEN TETRACYCLINE RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCI ISOLATED FROM SHEEP AND TYPICAL CHEESE IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OF “PARCO NAZIONALE DEI MONTI SIBILLINI”

Enterococci were isolated from sheep faeces and cheese taken in the «Parco nazionale dei monti Sibillini»; then they were submitted to the antibiotic susceptibility test and to the PCR reaction to amplify tet M and tet O genes. The analysis showed that 23,64% of Enterococci from sheep and 30,77% from cheese were resistant to tetracycline; 14 strains from sheep and 5 from cheese contained tet M and tet O genes as genetic determinants of resistance. These results allow to say that resistant bacteria and genes have the possibility to be transferred from animals to derived food; therefore reducing antibiotic use in farm animals could affect the amount of resistant microorganisms that can reach human beings using this way of diffusion

Actuator structure analysis using new electro-thermo-mechanical finite element for functionally graded materials.

Proposed paper deals with electro-thermo-mechanical analysis of chosen actuator structure made od FGM using new finite element derived specially for this purpose. Rectangular cross-section of individual beams that form the von Mises structure with variation of material properties in longitudinal and lateral direction will be considered. Actuator action, electric voltage and temperature peak and also mechanical stress of the structure will be evaluated. Results from the analysis calculated using our new FGM beam finite elements will be compared to results from conventional FEM analysis where standard finite elements will be used

Rotation of the flap controlled by the air flow from the fan – educational mechatronic system

This work was supported by the Slovak Grant Agency: KEGA 006STU-4/2023, VEGA 1/0416/21, and APVV-19-0406. This article was also created thanks to support under the Operational Program Integrated Infrastructure for the project: National Infrastructure for Supporting Technology Transfer in Slovakia II – NITT SK II, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund

Enterotoxin production by Staphylococcus aureus isolated from mastitic cows.

Staphylococcus aureus is an important cause of mastitis in cows. The ability of S. aureus strains to produce one or more enterotoxins in milk and dairy products is linked to staphylococcal food poisoning. To determine whether staphylococci causing bovine mastitis could cause human foodborne intoxication, the production of staphylococcal enterotoxins A through D (SEA, SEB, SEC, and SED) by 160 S. aureus isolates was evaluated with the use of a reverse passive latex agglutination enterotoxin kit. All S. aureus strains were isolated over a 9-month period from 2,343 routine submissions of a composite quarter collection of individual mastitic cows at 18 dairy farms in the San Joaquin Valley in California. Prior to enterotoxin detection, isolates were grown by a method that enhances the in vitro synthesis of enterotoxin. Twenty-two of 160 S. aureus isolates produced enterotoxin. Seven produced SEC, 12 produced SED, and 3 produced both SEC and SED. None of the isolates produced SEA or SEB

Electro-thermo-mechanical analysis of actuator structure made of functionally graded material.

The paper deals with a new approach in analyzing of the actuator systems made of Functionally Graded Materials (FGM) using our new beam finite elements. Weak coupled electro-thermomechanical analysis and spatial continuous variation of material properties are considered for chosen actuator structure. This electrically driven actuator is simple-shaped due to properly chosen variation of material properties to ensure functionality of the actuator at material and physical level instead of the geometric shape level. The solution results will be compared with those obtained by using solid elements of a FEM commercial program

Effects of UV irradiation in a continuous turbulent flow UV reactor on microbiological and sensory characteristics of cow's milk.

The dairy industry under current pasteurization conditions (15 s at 72°C) and sanitary standards achieves a safe product with excellent quality. In an ever-competitive market there is still a need to improve product quality and extend shelf life of dairy products to increase competitiveness and open up new markets. In an attempt to test the effect of UV irradiation on microbiota of fluid milk, a continuous flow UV system at 254 nm was used to treat 3.5 and 2% fat milk at two UV doses (880 and 1,760 J liter(-1)). Milk was obtained from three processors, and two lots from each processor were assessed. To assess the impact on the most descriptive native microbiota in pasteurized milk after UV illumination, the product was held at two storage temperatures (4 and 7°C) and tested weekly for 5 weeks for aerobic plate counts (psychrotrophic and mesophilic bacteria), laboratory pasteurization counts, aerobic sporeformers, coliform organisms, and titratable acidity. Microbial counts for all tested microorganisms were lower in UV-treated milk when compared with control throughout storage at 4 and 7°C in both 3.5 and 2% fat milk. Sensory analysis indicated that there is a sensory defect associated with UV treatment at the wavelength used

Quality and turnaround times of viral load monitoring under prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV Option B+ in six South African districts with a high antenatal HIV burden

Background. Barriers to monitoring maternal HIV viral load (VL) and achieving 90% viral suppression during pregnancy and breastfeeding still need to be understood in South Africa (SA).Objectives. To measure quality of VL care and turnaround times (TATs) for returning VL results to women enrolled in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programme in primary healthcare facilities.Methods. Data were obtained from a 2018 cross-sectional evaluation of the PMTCT Option B+ programme in six SA districts with high antenatal and infant HIV prevalence. Quality of VL care was measured as the proportion of clients reporting that results were explained to them. TATs for VL results were calculated using dates abstracted from four to five randomly selected facility-based client records to report overall facility ‘short TAT’ (≥80% of records with TAT ≤7 days). Logistical regression and logit-based risk difference statistics were used.Results. Achieving overall short TAT was uncommon. Only 50% of facilities in one rural district, zero in one urban metro district and 9 - 38% in other districts had short TAT. The significant difference between districts was influenced by the duration of keeping results in facilities after receipt from the laboratory. Expected quality of VL care received ranged between 66% and 85%. Client-related factors significantly associated with low quality of care, observed in two urban districts and one rural district, included lower education, recent initiation of antiretroviral treatment and experiencing barriers to clinic visits. Experiencing clinic visit barriers was also negatively associated with short TATs.Conclusions. We demonstrate above-average quality of care and delayed return of results to PMTCT clients. Context-specific interventions are needed to shorten TATs

CONSIDERATIONS ON MEAT INSPECTION PROCEDURES IN THE LIGHT OF CONDEMNATIONS AT AN ITALIAN EU SLAUGHTERHOUSE IN THE PERIOD 2004-2009

Post-mortem findings of 373.901 cattle slaughtered at an EC abattoir are reported. Results show high incidence of pneumonia and hepatic lesions. Total condemnation of the whole carcass has happened 91 times in Bovine species, 1073 times in swine species, 40 in sheep. In the light of the EC Regulation N.854/2004 of the European parliament and of the council of 29th April 2004 that lays down specific rules for the organization of official controls of products of animal origin destined for human consumption, authors outline the examples of simplification and partial redrafting of the existing laws on the basis of the opinions expresses by the EFSA. Comparison to other European countries and an estimate of economic damage are discussed

Forced vibration of the aluminum beam using a piezoelectric actuator - experiment and finite element analysis.

This paper deals with the forced vibration of the aluminum beam using a piezoelectric actuator. Cantilever beam was excited by thin piezoelectric film placed near the fix support. The oscillation of the free end of the beam was measured using a laser displacement sensor. The beam's eigenfrequency and damping ratio for the first bending vibration mode was determined experimentally. The beam's deflection when the beam was excited by a piezoelectric actuator was also determined experimentally. The actuator was controlled by a signal generator and high-performance power supply and linear amplifier module for driving piezoelectric actuators. Data from experimental measurements were used to validate the finite element model of the beam with piezoelectric actuator. Results from experimental measurements and numerical simulations were compared