1,500 research outputs found
Pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of a single co-administered dose of diethylcarbamazine, albendazole and ivermectin in adults with and without Wuchereria bancrofti infection in Cote d\u27Ivoire
BackgroundA single co-administered dose of ivermectin (IVM) plus diethylcarbamazine (DEC) plus albendazole (ALB), or triple-drug therapy, was recently found to be more effective for clearing microfilariae (Mf) than standard DEC plus ALB currently used for mass drug administration programs for lymphatic filariasis (LF) outside of sub-Saharan Africa. Triple-drug therapy has not been previously tested in LF-uninfected individuals from Africa. This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and efficacy of triple-drug therapy in people with and without Wuchereria bancrofti infection in West Africa.MethodsIn this open-label cohort study, treatment-naïve microfilaremic (>50 mf/mL, n = 32) and uninfected (circulating filarial antigen negative, n = 24) adults residing in Agboville district, Côte d’Ivoire, were treated with a single dose of IVM plus DEC plus ALB, and evaluated for adverse events (AEs) until 7 days post treatment. Drug levels were assessed by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Persons responsible for assessing AEs were blinded to participants’ infection status.FindingsThere was no difference in AUC0-inf or Cmax between LF-infected and uninfected participants (P>0.05 for all comparisons). All subjects experienced mild AEs; 28% and 25% of infected and uninfected participants experienced grade 2 AEs, respectively. There were no severe or serious adverse events. Only fever (16 of 32 versus 4 of 24, PConclusionsModerate to heavy W. bancrofti infection did not affect PK parameters for IVM, DEC or ALB following a single co-administered dose of these drugs compared to uninfected individuals. The drugs were well tolerated. This study confirmed the efficacy of the triple-drug therapy for clearing W. bancrofti Mf and has added important information to support the use of this regimen in LF elimination programs in areas of Africa without co-endemic onchocerciasis or loiasis.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02845713.</div
Stone-Wales Transformation Paths in Fullerene C60
The mechanisms of formation of a metastable defect isomer of fullerene C60
due to the Stone-Wales transformation are theoretically studied. It is
demonstrated that the paths of the "dynamic" Stone-Wales transformation at a
high sufficient for overcoming potential barriers) temperature can differ from
the two "adiabatic" transformation paths discussed in the literature. This
behavior is due to the presence of a great near-flat segment of the
potential-energy surface in the neighborhood of metastable states. Besides, the
sequence of rupture and formation of interatomic bonds is other than that in
the case of the adiabatictransformation.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure
Compiling a Comprehensive EVA Training Dataset for NASA Astronauts
Training for a spacewalk or extravehicular activity (EVA) is considered hazardous duty for NASA astronauts. This activity places astronauts at risk for decompression sickness as well as various musculoskeletal disorders from working in the spacesuit. As a result, the operational and research communities over the years have requested access to EVA training data to supplement their studies
Afterload promotes maturation of human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes in engineered heart tissues
Instantaneous Normal Mode analysis of liquid HF
We present an Instantaneous Normal Modes analysis of liquid HF aimed to
clarify the origin of peculiar dynamical properties which are supposed to stem
from the arrangement of molecules in linear hydrogen-bonded network. The
present study shows that this approach is an unique tool for the understanding
of the spectral features revealed in the analysis of both single molecule and
collective quantities. For the system under investigation we demonstrate the
relevance of hydrogen-bonding ``stretching'' and fast librational motion in the
interpretation of these features.Comment: REVTeX, 7 pages, 5 eps figures included. Minor changes in the text
and in a figure. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
Instantaneous Normal Mode Analysis of Supercooled Water
We use the instantaneous normal mode approach to provide a description of the
local curvature of the potential energy surface of a model for water. We focus
on the region of the phase diagram in which the dynamics may be described by
the mode-coupling theory. We find, surprisingly, that the diffusion constant
depends mainly on the fraction of directions in configuration space connecting
different local minima, supporting the conjecture that the dynamics are
controlled by the geometric properties of configuration space. Furthermore, we
find an unexpected relation between the number of basins accessed in
equilibrium and the connectivity between them.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Flat-plate solar array project. Volume 4: High-efficiency solar cells
The High Efficiency Solar Cell Task was assigned the objective of understanding and developing high efficiency solar cell devices that would meet the cost and performance goals of the Flat Plate Solar Array (FSA) Project. The need for research dealing with high efficiency devices was considered important because of the role efficiency plays in reducing price per watt of generated energy. The R&D efforts conducted during the 1982 to 1986 period are summarized to provide understanding and control of energy conversion losses associated with crystalline silicon solar cells. New levels of conversion efficiency were demonstrated. Major contributions were made both to the understanding and reduction of bulk and surface losses in solar cells. For example, oxides, nitrides, and polysilicon were all shown to be potentially useful surface passivants. Improvements in measurement techniques were made and Auger coefficients and spectral absorption data were obtained for unique types of silicon sheets. New modelling software was developed including a program to optimize a device design based on input characteristics of a cell
Risperidone-induced weight gain is mediated through shifts in the gut microbiome and suppression of energy expenditure
AbstractRisperidone is a second-generation antipsychotic that causes weight gain. We hypothesized that risperidone-induced shifts in the gut microbiome are mechanistically involved in its metabolic consequences. Wild-type female C57BL/6J mice treated with risperidone (80μg/day) exhibited significant excess weight gain, due to reduced energy expenditure, which correlated with an altered gut microbiome. Fecal transplant from risperidone-treated mice caused a 16% reduction in total resting metabolic rate in naïve recipients, attributable to suppression of non-aerobic metabolism. Risperidone inhibited growth of cultured fecal bacteria grown anaerobically more than those grown aerobically. Finally, transplant of the fecal phage fraction from risperidone-treated mice was sufficient to cause excess weight gain in naïve recipients, again through reduced energy expenditure. Collectively, these data highlight a major role for the gut microbiome in weight gain following chronic use of risperidone, and specifically implicates the modulation of non-aerobic resting metabolism in this mechanism
Quantum-electrodynamical treatment of second-harmonic generation through phase-conjugate six-wave mixing: Temporal analysis
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