Higher In vitro Proliferation Rate of Rhizopus oryzae in Blood of Diabetic Individuals in Chronic Glycaemic Control Compared with Non-diabetic Individuals

We thank all members of the Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology in the Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea González, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitacion and Hospital General de México. Also, thanks to the Wellcome Trust Strategic Award, corresponding author’s scholarship sponsor. Financial Support This study did not have pharmaceutical or grant support, and resources were obtained from institutional budgets.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Loop Current Spin-off Eddies, Slope Currents and Dispersal of Reef Fish Larvae from The Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary and The Florida Middle Grounds

Large energetic spin—off eddies from Loop Current intrusions into the Gulf of Mexico play a major role in water exchange between the continental shelf and the deep basin in the northern Gulf. Reef fish larvae, spawned on the outer shelf and planktonic during their early life history, are broadly dispersed by this mechanism, but may be lost to the cohort by transport away from suitable settlement habitat. In this study, satellite altimeter data—assimilative ocean model currents (HYCOM) from 2003—2015 are used to calculate kinetic energy of the mixed layer over the upper continental slope (200 m —1000 m) due to eddy interactions with the shelf and to track the dispersal of larvae spawned during core summer (June—August) season. Over the 13 year model period, dispersal into the deep basin from the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary averaged 63.5%, with a high of 90.8% and a low of 34.6%. Dispersal from the Florida Middle Grounds averaged 9.5%, with a high of 23.1% and a low of 0.6%. Temporal dispersal of larvae was associated with trends in turbulent kinetic energy and mean kinetic energy over the continental slope, and varied with the North Atlantic Oscillation Index. Between 2010 and 2011, mean kinetic energy replaced turbulent kinetic energy as the dominant dispersal mechanism

A reference architecture for federating IoT infrastructures supporting semantic interoperability

: The Internet-of-Things (IoT) is unanimously identified as one of the main pillars of future smart scenarios. However, despite the growing number of IoT deployments, the majority of IoT applications tend to be self-contained, thereby forming vertical silos. Indeed, the ability to combine and synthesize data streams and services from diverse IoT platforms and testbeds, holds the promise to increase the potential of smart applications in terms of size, scope and targeted business context. This paper describes the system architecture for the FIESTA-IoT platform, whose main aim is to federate a large number of testbeds across the planet, in order to offer experimenters the unique experience of dealing with a large number of semantically interoperable data sources. This system architecture was developed by following the Architectural Reference Model (ARM) methodology promoted by the IoT-A project (FP7 “light house” project on Architecture for the Internet of Things). Through this process, the FIESTAIoT architecture is composed of a set of Views that deals with a “logical” functional decomposition (Functional View, FV) and data structuring and annotation, data flows and inter-functional component interactions (Information View, IV)

HBV Testing and Vaccinations among Asian and Pacific Islander Patients: Understanding the Impact of the San Francisco Hepatitis B Free Campaign on Physician Awareness

Background and Significance: One in 12 Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) are infected with hepatitis B (HBV). APIs represent one-third of the population in San Francisco. San Francisco Hep B Free (SFHBF), a citywide collaboration, works to educate physicians and the community on the importance of hepatitis B among APIs through increasing awareness, education and the availability of screening and vaccinations. The purpose of this paper was to qualitatively assess the perceived impact of SFHBF on the awareness and attitudes of physicians regarding screening and vaccination of APIs. Methods: Twenty physicians (n=20) participated in key informant interviews about HBV awareness and involvement with SFHBF. The questions focused on physician attitudes and practice towards HBV screening, vaccination and follow-up care, communication with patients about HBV, and awareness and effectiveness of the SFHBF outreach efforts. Results: Findings highlighted SFHBF’s impact on physicians’ sensitivity and awareness. Overall, physicians were increasing their HBV screening and vaccination rates among their API patients. Physicians noted the need for continual support to prioritize HBV screening and vaccination among their API patients. Conclusion: The findings of this study are important for understanding the impact of public health campaigns on physician attitudes and practices regarding HBV education, screening, and vaccinations among their API patients

Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Negative Microscopic Diagnosis of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Rural Peru.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic to South America where diagnosis is most commonly conducted via microscopy. Patients with suspected leishmaniasis were referred for enrollment by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Lima, Iquitos, Puerto Maldonado, and several rural areas of Peru. A 43-question survey requesting age, gender, occupation, characterization of the lesion(s), history of leishmaniasis, and insect-deterrent behaviors was administered. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted on lesion materials at the Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 in Lima, and the results were compared with those obtained by the MoH using microscopy. Factors associated with negative microscopy and positive PCR results were identified using

Urinary eicosanoid metabolites in HIV-infected women with central obesity switching to raltegravir: an analysis from the women, integrase, and fat accumulation trial.

Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of HIV infection. Eicosanoids reflect inflammation, oxidant stress, and vascular health and vary by sex and metabolic parameters. Raltegravir (RAL) is an HIV-1 integrase inhibitor that may have limited metabolic effects. We assessed urinary F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs), prostaglandin E2 (PGE-M), prostacyclin (PGI-M), and thromboxane B2 (TxB2) in HIV-infected women switching to RAL-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART). Thirty-seven women (RAL = 17; PI/NNRTI = 20) with a median age of 43 years and BMI 32 kg/m(2) completed week 24. TxB2 increased in the RAL versus PI/NNRTI arm (+0.09 versus -0.02; P = 0.06). Baseline PGI-M was lower in the RAL arm (P = 0.005); no other between-arm cross-sectional differences were observed. In the PI/NNRTI arm, 24-week visceral adipose tissue change correlated with PGI-M (rho = 0.45; P = 0.04) and TxB2 (rho = 0.44; P = 0.005) changes, with a trend seen for PGE-M (rho = 0.41; P = 0.07). In an adjusted model, age ≥ 50 years (N = 8) was associated with increased PGE-M (P = 0.04). In this randomized trial, a switch to RAL did not significantly affect urinary eicosanoids over 24 weeks. In women continuing PI/NNRTI, increased visceral adipose tissue correlated with increased PGI-M and PGE-M. Older age (≥ 50) was associated with increased PGE-M. Relationships between aging, adiposity, ART, and eicosanoids during HIV-infection require further study