Height and timing of growth spurt during puberty in young people living with vertically acquired HIV in Europe and Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe growth during puberty in young people with vertically acquired HIV. DESIGN: Pooled data from 12 paediatric HIV cohorts in Europe and Thailand. METHODS: One thousand and ninety-four children initiating a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or boosted protease inhibitor based regimen aged 1-10 years were included. Super Imposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) models described growth from age 8 years using three parameters (average height, timing and shape of the growth spurt), dependent on age and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) (WHO references) at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. Multivariate regression explored characteristics associated with these three parameters. RESULTS: At ART initiation, median age and HAZ was 6.4 [interquartile range (IQR): 2.8, 9.0] years and -1.2 (IQR: -2.3 to -0.2), respectively. Median follow-up was 9.1 (IQR: 6.9, 11.4) years. In girls, older age and lower HAZ at ART initiation were independently associated with a growth spurt which occurred 0.41 (95% confidence interval 0.20-0.62) years later in children starting ART age 6 to 10 years compared with 1 to 2 years and 1.50 (1.21-1.78) years later in those starting with HAZ less than -3 compared with HAZ at least -1. Later growth spurts in girls resulted in continued height growth into later adolescence. In boys starting ART with HAZ less than -1, growth spurts were later in children starting ART in the oldest age group, but for HAZ at least -1, there was no association with age. Girls and boys who initiated ART with HAZ at least -1 maintained a similar height to the WHO reference mean. CONCLUSION: Stunting at ART initiation was associated with later growth spurts in girls. Children with HAZ at least -1 at ART initiation grew in height at the level expected in HIV negative children of a comparable age

Polyphasic identification and preservation of fungal diversity : concepts and applications

Fungi are a diverse group of unique eukaryotic organisms currently accepted as the Eumycota kingdom. The (under) estimated number of fungal species is 1.5 × 106 of which only a small number have been identified (ca. 8–10%). They are ubiquitous in nature with an extraordinary ability to decompose plant wastes while also causing much spoilage of food and other relevant commodities. Certain species are used directly as food and others in the manufacture of foodstuffs, antibiotics, enzymes, organic acids and alcohol. Still others can infect humans, animals and crops. Information about each microorganism (e.g. morphological and molecular descriptions, including modern spectral data – MALDI-TOF MS, physiological and biochemical features, ecological roles, and societal risks or benefits) is the key element in fungal identification. In order to attain a sound fungal identification a polyphasic approach is required. It is achieved through the integration of all biological traits data. Fungal service culture collections have well established management systems and preservation techniques that are of elemental importance and guarantee the proper identification and characterisation of environmental fungal isolates. They also assure the continuity of taxonomic and comparative studies and fungal availability for biotechnological exploitation. To foster bio-economy and sustain the biotechnological developments new demands for quality control of fungal holdings preserved in culture collections are in course. The quality control system is associated with new guidelines for the culture collections to operate at global level and to adapt the traditional fungal repositories into the new OECD concept of Biological Resource Centres (BRCs).(undefined