Partial Substitution of Fishmeal and Fish Oil in a Semi-Purified Diet for Noble Crayfish, Astacus astacus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Continuous environmental disturbances and the crayfish plague have restricted freshwater crayfish populations in Greece. Therefore, the need for the establishment of a repopulation policy in Greece and the increasing commercial interest for the species, dictated in the Thessaly County, have imposed the investigation of the optimum husbandry and dietary requirements of Astacus astacus in culture conditions. Hundred and five adult crayfish were placed in cement tanks for 60 days and fed a semipurified diet, whereas 90 adult crayfish were placed in similar cement tanks for the same time period and fed a control diet consisting of fresh fish and carrots. The semipurified diet had a Protein: Energy ratio of 21.29 mg Prot. kJ-1, a protein level of 37.95%, and a lipid level of 9.6% (on a Dry Matter basis). By the end of the experiment, crayfish fed the semipurified diet gained almost 5 g of weight with acceptable survival rates. Despite the total substitution of corn oil by soy oil and the partial substitution of fish oil (by 3%) and fishmeal (by 7%) with other plant-derived materials, in comparison with their levels in the semipurified diet of a previous experiment, dietary linoleic, and linolenic acids have been substantially high whereas dietary arachidonic acid and EPA, DHA have been somehow lower compared with the respective ones of the semipurified diet of a previous experiment. Although EPA tail muscle tissue has been progressively augmented throughout the experiment, DHA respective levels seemed to stay unaffected and at similar levels throughout the experiment. These results dispute the ability of noble crayfish for bioconversion of EPA to DHA and call for further investigation. © 2022 National Shellfisheries Association. All rights reserved

Response to combination antiretroviral therapy : variation by age - The Collaboration of Observational HIV Epidemiological Research Europe (COHERE) Study Group

Objective: To provide information on responses to combination antiretroviral therapy in children, adolescents and older HIV-infected persons. Design and setting: Multicohort collaboration of 33 European cohorts. Subjects: Forty-nine thousand nine hundred and twenty-one anti retroviral-naive individuals starting combination antiretroviral therapy from 1998 to 2006. Outcome measures: Time from combination antiretroviral therapy initiation to HIV RNA less than 50copies/ml (virological response), CD4 increase of more than 100cells/mu l (immunological response) and new AIDS/death were analysed using survival methods. Ten age strata were chosen: less than 2, 2-5, 6-12, 13-17, 18-29, 30-39 (reference group), 40-49, 50-54, 55-59 and 60 years or older; those aged 6 years or more were included in multivariable analyses. Results: The four youngest age groups had 223, 184, 219 and 201 individuals and the three oldest age groups had 2693, 1656 and 1613 individuals. Precombination antiretroviral therapy CD4 cell counts were highest in young children and declined with age. By 12 months, 53.7% (95% confidence interval: 53.2-54.1%) and 59.2% (58.7-59.6%) had experienced a virological and immunological response. The probability of virological response was lower in those aged 6-12 (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.87) and 13-17 (0.78) years, but was higher in those aged 50-54 (1.24), 55-59 (1.24) and at least 60 (1.18) years. The probability of immunological response was higher in children and younger adults and reduced in those 60 years or older. Those aged 55-59 and 60 years or older had poorer clinical outcomes after adjusting for the latest CD4 cell count. Conclusion: Better virological responses but poorer immunological responses in older individuals, together with low precombination antiretroviral therapy CD4 cell counts, may place this group at increased clinical risk. The poorer virological responses in children may increase the likelihood of emergence of resistance. (C) 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Human immunodeficiency virus continuum of care in 11 european union countries at the end of 2016 overall and by key population: Have we made progress?

Background. High uptake of antiretroviral treatment (ART) is essential to reduce human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission and related mortality; however, gaps in care exist. We aimed to construct the continuum of HIV care (CoC) in 2016 in 11 European Union (EU) countries, overall and by key population and sex. To estimate progress toward the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 90-90-90 target, we compared 2016 to 2013 estimates for the same countries, representing 73% of the population in the region. Methods. A CoC with the following 4 stages was constructed: number of people living with HIV (PLHIV); proportion of PLHIV diagnosed; proportion of those diagnosed who ever initiated ART; and proportion of those ever treated who achieved viral suppression at their last visit. Results. We estimated that 87% of PLHIV were diagnosed; 92% of those diagnosed had ever initiated ART; and 91% of those ever on ART, or 73% of all PLHIV, were virally suppressed. Corresponding figures for men having sex with men were: 86%, 93%, 93%, 74%; for people who inject drugs: 94%, 88%, 85%, 70%; and for heterosexuals: 86%, 92%, 91%, 72%. The proportion suppressed of all PLHIV ranged from 59% to 86% across countries. Conclusions. The EU is close to the 90-90-90 target and achieved the UNAIDS target of 73% of all PLHIV virally suppressed, significant progress since 2013 when 60% of all PLHIV were virally suppressed. Strengthening of testing programs and treatment support, along with prevention interventions, are needed to achieve HIV epidemic control