Early and Highly Suppressive ART are Main Factors Associated with Low Viral Reservoir in European Perinatally HIV Infected Children

Abstract BACKGROUND: Future strategies aiming to achieve HIV-1 remission are likely to target individuals with small reservoir size. SETTING: We retrospectively investigated factors associated with HIV-1 DNA levels in European, perinatally HIV-infected children starting ART <6 months of age. METHODS: Total HIV-1 DNA was measured from 51 long-term suppressed children 6.3 years (median) after initial viral suppression. Factors associated with log10 total HIV-1 DNA were analyzed using linear regression. RESULTS: At ART initiation, children were aged median [IQR] 2.3 [1.2,4.1] months, CD4% 37 [24,45] %, CD8% 28 [18,36] %, log10 plasma viral load (VL) 5.4 [4.4,5.9] copies/ml. Time to viral suppression was 7.98 [4.6,19.3] months. Following suppression, 13 (25%) children had suboptimal response [ 652 consecutive VL50-400 followed by VL<50] and/or experienced periods of virological failure [ 652 consecutive VL 65400 followed by VL<50]. Median total HIV-1 DNA was 43 [6,195] copies/10 PBMC.Younger age at therapy initiation was associated with lower total HIV-1 DNA (adjusted coefficient [AC] 0.12 per month older, p=0.0091), with a month increase in age at ART start being associated with a 13% increase in HIV DNA. Similarly, a higher proportion of time spent virally suppressed (AC 0.10 per 10% higher, p=0.0022) and absence of viral failure/suboptimal response (AC 0.34 for those with fail/ suboptimal response, p=0.0483) were associated with lower total HIV-1 DNA. CONCLUSION: Early ART initiation and a higher proportion of time suppressed are linked with lower total HIV-1 DNA. Early ART start and improving adherence in perinatally HIV-1 infected children minimize the size of viral reservoir.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License 4.0 (CCBY-NC), where it is permissible to download, share, remix, transform, and buildup the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be used commercially without permission from the journal

Biodeterioration patterns found in dammar resin used as art material

Since the middle of the XIX century, when dammar became popular in Occident, this natural resin is one of the most used in art painting techniques as final protective coating (varnish) as well as a component of pictorial media. The present work is the first approach to the study of the microbiological biodeterioration of this artistic material, which can seriously affect the appearance and integrity of works of art when bad conservation conditions -especially high humidity levels- take place. 12 microorganisms, fungi and bacteria, came from collection and from oil paintings affected by biodeterioration patterns, were inoculated on test specimens prepared with varnish dammar. These were incubated and analyzed by GC-MS to determine both the microbiological capacity of growth and chemical alteration on the resin. Some of the studied microorganisms have shown patterns of deterioration similar to those found in works dedicated to natural or accelerated photochemical ageing of triterpenoid varnishes

An approach to the study of the fungal deterioration of a classical art material: Mastic varnish

Mastic, one of the best natural varnishes, is frequently used as protective and finishing layer or as component of oleo-resinous media in paintings, both in the past and currently. However, this resin is affected by complex deterioration processes which can change its characteristics and thus the visual aspect of works of art. The alteration processes caused by radiation have been widely studied, but there is a lack of information on the biodeterioration of this natural product. In this paper, fungi from collections as well as from oil paintings of the Fine Arts Museum of Granada (Spain) were inoculated onto slides covered with mastic. The samples, after an incubation period of 15 days, were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify the chemical changes undergone, and a visual monitoring of the samples was performed to determine the formation of mycelia onto solidified resins. Major changes were detected in Chrysonilia sitophila, Phoma herbarum, and P. chrysogenum, showing evidence of alteration processes caused or favoured by these microorgamisms

Efectividad de la fistulotom\ueda programada o procedimiento de seton para la resoluci\uf3n de las f\uedstulas anorectales. Hospital Central Universitario "Antonio Mar\ueda Pineda". Barquisimeto

Se realiz\uf3 un estudio tipo ensayo cl\uednico con el fin de determinar la efectividad de la Fistulotomia Programada o Procedimiento de Seton para la resoluci\uf3n de f\uedstulas anorectales. H.C.U.A.M.P. Barquisimeto durante el lapso comprendido de Julio 2004 a Diciembre 2006. La muestra estuvo conformada por 60 pacientes con diagn\uf3stico de f\uedstulas anorectales que acudieron a la consulta de los servicios de coloproctolog\ueda, cirug\ueda general, gastroenterolog\ueda y emergencia general. A estos pacientes se les program\uf3 y realiz\uf3 el Procedimiento de Seton, obteniendo los siguientes resultados: La mayor\ueda pertenece al sexo masculino representando el 73,3% con una edad promedio de 39,6 a\uf1os. Los tipos de f\uedstulas encontrados fueron: interesfint\ue9ricas (36,6%), transesfint\ue9ricas (28,3%), supraesfint\ue9rica ( 5%), compleja recidivada ( 28,3%), compleja en herradura (1,67%).El procedimiento present\uf3 un (100%) de \ue9xito sin recidiva, en 18 meses de seguimiento. Las complicaciones reportaron dolor (51,6%), abscesos (6,6%), incontinencia gases (11,6%), ninguna (36,6%). Es de se\uf1alar que 8 pacientes (13.3%) eran diab\ue9ticos esto no influy\uf3 en la tasa de complicaciones. Las patolog\uedas asociadas reportaron: proctitis (53,3%), hemorroides externas (31,6%), hemorroides internas (5%), fisura anal (20%), plicoma (1%), ninguna (5%). El n\ufamero de intervenciones, una (43,3%), dos (40%), tres (15%), cuatro (1,6%). Los controles post operatorio encontramos: 4 controles (21,6%), 5 controles (6,6%), 6 controles (21,6%), 8 controles (38,3%) y 10 controles (11,6%). Podemos concluir que en nuestro estudio la T\ue9cnica de Seton es segura y altamente eficaz con poco deterioro de la continencia y baja tasa de recidiva

Diversity of Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) collected with Malaise traps in the tropical dry forest of San Javier, Sonora, Mexico

Results of a faunistic study of the Encyrtidae family (parasitoid wasps) of the tropical dry forest of San Javier, Sonora, Mexico are presented. The study was carried out from November 2003 to October 2004. Collections using Malaise trapping were made during 5 days of every month. A total of 52 species, 27 genera and 2 subfamilies were recorded. The subfamily with the largest number of recorded species was Encyrtinae, with 19 genera and 32 species, followed by Tetracneminae, with 8 genera and 20 species. The genus with the largest number of recorded species was Metaphycus with 10. Species richness was analyzed using parametric models; the best-fitting model was the Logarithmic, which is unbounded. Species had low abundance. Species richness and abundance varied with time, with the highest values recorded in the dry season. The fauna of San Javier was more similar to that of Huautla, Morelos, than to that of Huatulco, Oaxaca, both previously studied.<br>Se presentan los resultados del estudio de la fauna de la familia Encyrtidae (avispas parasitoides) en el bosque tropical caducifolio de San Javier, Sonora, México. El estudio se llevó a cabo de noviembre del 2003 a octubre del 2004. Las recolectas se realizaron durante 5 días de cada mes, el método de recolecta fue trampas Malaise. Se registró un total de 52 especies, 27 géneros y 2 subfamilias. La subfamilia con el mayor número de especies fue Encyrtinae, con 19 géneros y 32 especies, seguida por Tetracneminae con 8 géneros y 20 especies. El género con mayor número de especies fue Metaphycus con 10. El valor de la riqueza estimada de especies fue analizado usando los modelos paramétricos, el mejor fue el logarítmico, el cual es indefinido. Las especies no fueron abundantes. La riqueza y abundancia de las especies varió con el tiempo, registrándose el valor más grande durante la temporada de secas. La fauna fue más parecida a la de Huautla, Morelos que a la de Huatulco, Oaxaca, ambas previamente estudiadas

Fluorescence-based bowel anastomosis perfusion evaluation: results from the IHU-IRCAD-EAES EURO-FIGS registry

Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the dreaded complications following surgery in the digestive tract. Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging is a means to intraoperatively visualize anastomotic perfusion, facilitating fluorescence image-guided surgery (FIGS) with the purpose to reduce the incidence of AL. The aim of this study was to analyze the current practices and results of NIRF imaging of the anastomosis in digestive tract surgery through the EURO-FIGS registry

Reduced Cancer Incidence in Huntington's Disease: Analysis in the Registry Study

Background: People with Huntington's disease (HD) have been observed to have lower rates of cancers. Objective: To investigate the relationship between age of onset of HD, CAG repeat length, and cancer diagnosis. Methods: Data were obtained from the European Huntington's disease network REGISTRY study for 6540 subjects. Population cancer incidence was ascertained from the GLOBOCAN database to obtain standardised incidence ratios of cancers in the REGISTRY subjects. Results: 173/6528 HD REGISTRY subjects had had a cancer diagnosis. The age-standardised incidence rate of all cancers in the REGISTRY HD population was 0.26 (CI 0.22-0.30). Individual cancers showed a lower age-standardised incidence rate compared with the control population with prostate and colorectal cancers showing the lowest rates. There was no effect of CAG length on the likelihood of cancer, but a cancer diagnosis within the last year was associated with a greatly increased rate of HD onset (Hazard Ratio 18.94, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Cancer is less common than expected in the HD population, confirming previous reports. However, this does not appear to be related to CAG length in HTT. A recent diagnosis of cancer increases the risk of HD onset at any age, likely due to increased investigation following a cancer diagnosis

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic

Aim This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Method This was an international cohort study of patients undergoing elective resection of colon or rectal cancer without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Centres entered data from their first recorded case of COVID-19 until 19 April 2020. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included anastomotic leak, postoperative SARS-CoV-2 and a comparison with prepandemic European Society of Coloproctology cohort data. Results From 2073 patients in 40 countries, 1.3% (27/2073) had a defunctioning stoma and 3.0% (63/2073) had an end stoma instead of an anastomosis only. Thirty-day mortality was 1.8% (38/2073), the incidence of postoperative SARS-CoV-2 was 3.8% (78/2073) and the anastomotic leak rate was 4.9% (86/1738). Mortality was lowest in patients without a leak or SARS-CoV-2 (14/1601, 0.9%) and highest in patients with both a leak and SARS-CoV-2 (5/13, 38.5%). Mortality was independently associated with anastomotic leak (adjusted odds ratio 6.01, 95% confidence interval 2.58–14.06), postoperative SARS-CoV-2 (16.90, 7.86–36.38), male sex (2.46, 1.01–5.93), age >70 years (2.87, 1.32–6.20) and advanced cancer stage (3.43, 1.16–10.21). Compared with prepandemic data, there were fewer anastomotic leaks (4.9% versus 7.7%) and an overall shorter length of stay (6 versus 7 days) but higher mortality (1.7% versus 1.1%). Conclusion Surgeons need to further mitigate against both SARS-CoV-2 and anastomotic leak when offering surgery during current and future COVID-19 waves based on patient, operative and organizational risks