THE EFFECTS OF DIABETES MELLITUS ON THE RESPONSE TO PEGINTERFERON-ALPHA IN COMBINATION WITH RIBAVIRIN THERAPY IN EGYPTIAN CHRONIC HEPATITIS C PATIENTS

Objective:The present study aimed to determine whether type 2 diabetes mellitus influences the response to antiviral therapy with peg-interferon alpha plus ribavirin in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C. Methods:All patients were treated with peginterferon alpha 2 b (1.5 μg/Kg/body weight) subcutaneously plus oral ribavirin application in a dose ranging from 800-1200 mg/day and followed after 12 w of therapy. Results: The present study indicated that, non-significant changes were observed in liver function, kidney function, thyroid function tests, tumor marker, immunological analysis, hematological parameters, viral load and degree of cirrhosis between both groups’ baselines, while the only significant difference was regarded in glucose level. However, diabetic group showed a significant decrease in response to antiviral therapy as compared to non-diabetic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients. Furthermore, significant decrease in serum liver enzymes activity and total bilirubin level as compared to baseline levels in both groups, while there were a significant increase in alanine transaminase (ALT) activity and total bilirubin level in diabetic group as compared to non-diabetic HCV group after treatment. Also, significant decreases in hemoglobin concentration, white blood cells and platelet counts, in both groups after treatment as compared to there before treatment while diabetic group showed significant decreases in hemoglobin concentration and white blood cells count when compared with non-diabetic HCV group after treatment. Conclusion: Type 2 diabetes mellitus influence the response to antiviral therapy with peginterferon plus ribavirin in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C

Metabolic and immunological responses of Drosophila melanogaster to dietary restriction and bacterial infection differ substantially between genotypes in a population

To respond to changing environmental conditions, a population may either shift toward better-adapted genotypes or adapt on an individual level. The present work aimed to quantify the relevance of these two processes by comparing the responses of defined Drosophila melanogaster populations to different stressors. To do this, we infected two homogeneous populations (isofemale lines), which differ significantly in fitness, and a synthetic heterogeneous population with a specific pathogen and/or exposed them to food restriction. Pectobacterium carotovorum was used to infect Drosophila larvae either fed standard or protein-restricted diet. In particular, the two homogeneous groups, which diverged in their fitness, showed considerable differences in all parameters assessed (survivorship, protein and lipid contents, phenol-oxidase (PO) activity, and antibacterial rate). Under fully nutritious conditions, larvae of the homogeneous population with low fitness exhibited lower survivorship and protein levels, as well as higher PO activity and antibacterial rate compared with the fitter population. A protein-restricted diet and bacterial infection provoked a decrease in survivorship, and antibacterial rate in most populations. Bacterial infection elicited an opposite response in protein and lipid content in both isofemale lines tested. Interestingly, the heterogeneous population showed a complex response pattern. The response of the heterogeneous population followed the fit genotype in terms of survival and antibacterial activity but followed the unfit genotype in terms of PO activity. In conclusion, our results show that defined genotypes exhibit highly divergent responses to varying stressors that are difficult to predict. Furthermore, the responses of heterogeneous populations do not follow a fixed pattern showing a very high degree of plasticity and differences between different genotypes

Universal spectral statistics of Andreev billiards: semiclassical approach

The classification of universality classes of random-matrix theory has recently been extended beyond the Wigner-Dyson ensembles. Several of the novel ensembles can be discussed naturally in the context of superconducting-normal hybrid systems. In this paper, we give a semiclassical interpretation of their spectral form factors for both quantum graphs and Andreev billiards.Comment: final improved version (to be published in Physical Review E), 6 pages, revtex

The Versatile Transceiver Proof of Concept

SLHC experiment upgrades will make substantial use of optical links to enable high-speed data readout and control. The Versatile Link project will develop and assess optical link architectures and components suitable for deployment at SLHC. The on-detector element will be bidirectional optoelectronic module: the Versatile Transceiver that will be based on a commercially available module type minimally customized to meet the constraints of the SLHC on-detector environment in terms of mass, volume, power consumption, operational temperature and radiation environment. We report on the first proof of concept phase of the development, showing the steps towards customization and first results of the radiation resistance of candidate optoelectronic components

Atomic and electronic structure of graphene oxide/Cu interface

The results of X-ray photoemission (XPS) and valence bands spectroscopy, optically stimulated electron emission (OSEE) measurements and density functional theory based modeling of graphene oxide (GO) placed on Cu via an electrophoretic deposition (EPD) are reported. The comparison of XPS spectra of EPD prepared GO/Cu composites with those of as prepared GO, strongly reduced GO, pure and oxidized copper demonstrate the partial (until C/O ratio about two) removal of oxygen-containing functional groups from GO simultaneously with the formation of copper oxide-like layers over the metallic substrate. OSEE measurements evidence the presence of copper oxide phase in the systems simultaneously with the absence of contributions from GO with corresponding energy gap. All measurements demonstrate the similarity of the results for different thickness of GO cover of the copper surface. Theoretical modeling demonstrates favorability of migration of oxygen-containing functional groups from GO to the copper substrate only for the case of C/O ratio below two and formation of Cu-O-C bonds between substrate and GO simultaneously with the vanishing of the energy gap in GO layer. Basing on results of experimental measurements and theoretical calculations we suggest the model of atomic structure for Cu/GO interface as Cu/CuO/GO with C/O ratio in gapless GO about two.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figures, accepted to Thin Solid Films journa