Systemic diseases and biotherapies: Understanding, evaluating, and preventing the risk of hepatitis B reactivation

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation can occur in chronic carriers of the HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and constitutes a well-known complication of immunosuppressive therapy. HBV reactivation has also been reported after contact with the HBV. The increasing use of biological agents (TNFα antagonists, rituximab, abatacept, and tocilizumab) to treat systemic diseases has resulted in numerous publications about the risk of HBV reactivation. The relevant scientific societies have issued recommendations designed to prevent HBV reactivation. The main measures consist of screening for markers indicating chronic HBV infection (HBsAg) or HBV infection in the distant past (antibodies to the HBV core antigen) before initiating biological therapies, vaccinating marker-negative patients, and considering close follow-up or antiviral treatment before immunosuppressive treatment initiation or in the event of HBV reactivation. Here, we discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying HBV reactivation during biological treatments, most notably in patients with occult HBV infection or markers for remote HBV infection, whose hepatocyte nuclei may contain a resistance form of HBV DNA known as covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). Assessment of the risk of reactivation relies on the HBV status, drugs used, and data from the literature. Finally, we discuss the various recommendations and modalities for HBV vaccination, preemptive treatment, and patient management, according to the level of risk and to the circumstances in which reactivation occurs

Dietary patterns of school-age children in Scotland : association with socio-economic indicators, physical activity and obesity

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Sugar intake and dental decay : results from a national survey of children in Scotland

Peer reviewedPreprin

Toward the assessment of the susceptibility of a digital system to lightning upset

Accomplishments and directions for further research aimed at developing methods for assessing a candidate design of an avionic computer with respect to susceptability to lightning upset are reported. Emphasis is on fault tolerant computers. Both lightning stress and shielding are covered in a review of the electromagnetic environment. Stress characterization, system characterization, upset detection, and positive and negative design features are considered. A first cut theory of comparing candidate designs is presented including tests of comparative susceptability as well as its analysis and simulation. An approach to lightning induced transient fault effects is included

ASSOCIATION OF LACTOFERRIN WITH SPECIFIC GRANULES IN RABBIT HETEROPHIL LEUKOCYTES

Lactoferrin has been identified in rabbit heterophil leukocytes on the basis of its immunological reactivity, electrophoretic mobility, acid-resistant iron-binding properties, and spectral characteristics. Leukocyte lactoferrin was found to be exclusively localized in the specific (secondary) granules, which have been resolved from other subcellular components by zonal differential centrifugation and by isopycnic equilibration

Vortex in Maxwell-Chern-Simons models coupled to external backgrounds

We consider Maxwell-Chern-Simons models involving different non-minimal coupling terms to a non relativistic massive scalar and further coupled to an external uniform background charge. We study how these models can be constrained to support static radially symmetric vortex configurations saturating the lower bound for the energy. Models involving Zeeman-type coupling support such vortices provided the potential has a "symmetry breaking" form and a relation between parameters holds. In models where minimal coupling is supplemented by magnetic and electric field dependant coupling terms, non trivial vortex configurations minimizing the energy occur only when a non linear potential is introduced. The corresponding vortices are studied numericallyComment: LaTeX file, 2 figure