Survival of HIV-1 vertically infected children

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: It is 20 years since the start of the combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) era and more than 10 years since cART scale-up began in resource-limited settings. We examined survival of vertically HIV-infected infants and children in the cART era. RECENT FINDINGS: Good survival has been achieved on cART in all settings with up to 10-fold mortality reductions compared with before cART availability. Although mortality risk remains high in the first few months after cART initiation in young children with severe disease, it drops rapidly thereafter even for those who started with advanced disease, and longer term mortality risk is low. However, suboptimal retention on cART in routine programs threatens good survival outcomes and even on treatment children continue to experience high comorbidity risk; infections remain the major cause of death. Interventions to address infection risk include a cotrimoxazole prophylaxis, isoniazid preventive therapy, routine childhood and influenza immunization, and improving maternal survival. SUMMARY: Pediatric survival has improved substantially with cART and HIV-infected children are aging into adulthood. It is important to ensure access to diagnosis and early cART, good program retention as well as optimal comorbidity prophylaxis and treatment to achieve the best possible long-term survival and health outcomes for vertically infected children

The journey of the hero and the heroine in the myth of Campbell and in the tale of Propp: analysis of the heroic character

En este trabajo se estudiará al héroe y la heroína en el mito y en el cuento desde la perspectiva del método funcional de Propp y del método psicoanalítico de Campbell. Se buscarán las similitudes y diferencias en los trabajos de estos dos autores y a través de sus planteamientos se contestará a las preguntas ¿cómo llega a ser uno un héroe? y ¿qué cualidades hay que tener para ser un héroe? Por último, se explicará la importancia de este tema con respecto a la religión.In this paper, the hero and heroin in myth and story will be studied from the perspective of Propp’s functional method and Campbell’s psychoanalytic method. We will look for the similarities and differences in the works of these two authors and through their approaches, we will answer the questions: how does one become a hero? and what qualities do one have to have to be a hero? Finally, the importance of this subject with regard to religion will be explained.Instituto Universitario de Ciencias de las ReligionesFac. de FilologíaTRUEunpu

Solid-phase enzyme modification via affinity chromatography

In the present study antileukemic enzyme L-asparaginase (ASNase) and catalase (as a model enzyme) were modified in solid-phase with activated polyethylene glycol (PEG ) by using ligand-immobilized affinity column systems L-asparagine- 2 Sepharose CL-4B and Procion red-Sepharose CL-4B, respectively. Studies on change of specific activity with modification time showed negligible differences between batches of modified catalase. Modification of ASNase for 1 h resulted in 50.2% recovery of the specific activity and the attachment of 69 molecules of PEG per molecule of ASNase forming ‘PEGylated 2 ASNase’. Sequential modification of ASNase by activated PEG and heparin resulted in coupling of about nine molecules of heparin per molecule of PEGylated ASNase. Intravenous (i.v.) administration of PEG -modified ASNase showed prolonged 2 presence in the blood circulation and no adverse effects or symptoms of anaphylaxis were observed in presensitized mice.(METU AFP-99-06-02-23

Feasibility analysis of using NeuCube 3D SNN environment for spatio-temporal EEG data classification related to perception of art

This thesis is a feasibility study of using a Spiking Neural Network (SNN) architecture named NeuCube for the classification of electroencephalography (EEG) data related to the perception of art. We have performed classification of human brain perception EEG data obtained via a set of experiments on originally created audio, video, and audio & video mixed stimuli. The analysis of results confirms that the proposed method is feasible for further analysis and experimentation, and for the study of art perception and creativity. Massive amounts of complex Spatio-Temporal Brain Data (STBD) have been accumulated recently. As it is critical in many disciplines to rely on proper analysis, understanding and utilization of complex spatio-temporal brain data, such as that from an EEG, this is a great challenge which this study seeks to contribute to. In this study for classification purposes a new evolving Spiking Neural Network (SNN) architecture will be used, called NeuCube. NeuCube is the latest neuroscience software tool developed at KEDRI, AUT, for spatio- and spectro -temporal pattern recognition of brain data, for the creation of concrete models to map, learn and understand STBD. A NeuCube model is based on a 3D evolving SNN that is an approximate map of structural and functional areas of interest of the brain related to the modeling STBD. An evaluation of feasibility of NeuCube for classification of Spatio-Temporal EEG brain perception data is performed in this study. An authentication methodology is proposed and illustrated on several small-scale examples of classification of EEG human brain perception data collected on audio and visual stimuli pairs. A methodology for person identification is proposed that uses a certain audio and/or video stimulus as a “security key” for the authentication process. The stimuli pairs used for experiments in this study were created the following way; an audio pair is highly structural classical music versus disordered / chaotic noise, a visual pair is a set of opposing structural repetitive archetypical video patterns from an abstract modern art video, and also mixed audio/video pairs are used. The term of “brainprints” is offered by the analogy with fingerprints and prospectively having the ability to supply similar functionality but with an even higher level of security. In addition the following hypotheses on the nature of human creativity are proposed in this study: human creativity might be defined as naturally inherited human ability and necessity to decipher, digest and transfer the universe global programme (human-independent) into patterned structures, expressed in some unique distinctive way. Therefore the concept of a genius might be defined as human ability to decipher and translate “global universe postulates” into human-readable patterns, performed the best possible way for the majority of a certain population

Rasgos Morfológicos y Dimensionales del Hueso Furcal en Furcopatías Grados II y III en Radiografías Periapicales de Molares Permanentes de la Consulta Privada. Arequipa 2022

Esta investigación tiene por objeto evaluar y comparar las características morfológicas y dimensionales del hueso furcal en furcopatías grados II y III en radiografías periapicales de molares permanentes de la Consulta Privada. Se trata de una investigación observacional, prospectiva, transversal y comparativa en la que las variables fueron estudiadas mediante observación radiográfica periapical en dos grupos de lesiones furcales grados II y III, cada uno constituido por 31 furcopatías por grupo. La información obtenida a través de la aplicación de una ficha de registro, fue luego procesada en una matriz de datos, y posteriormente tratada estadísticamente mediante frecuencias absolutas y porcentuales para los indicadores categóricos, y por medio de la media, desviación estándar, valores máximo y mínimo, así como el rango, para indicadores numéricos; y analizada mediante las pruebas X2 y T para dos muestras independientes. Los resultados muestran que según la prueba X2 existe diferencia estadística significativa en los rasgos morfológicos del hueso furcal entre furcopatías grados II y III. De acuerdo al contraste T, existe diferencia estadística en los rasgos dimensionales de dicha estructura entre ambos tipos de lesión furcal. Por tanto, se rechaza la hipótesis nula; y se acepta la hipótesis alterna o investigativa en rasgos morfológicos del hueso furcal de furcopatías grados II y III, así como en sus rasgos dimensionales, con un nivel de significación p < 0.05

The Smooth Away From Expected (SAFE) non-inferiority frontier: theory and implementation with an application to the D3 trial

Background In a non-inferiority trial, the choice of margin depends on the expected control event risk. If the true risk differs from expected, power and interpretability of results can be affected. A non-inferiority frontier pre-specifies an appropriate non-inferiority margin for each value of control event risk. D3 is a non-inferiority trial comparing two treatment regimens in children living with HIV, designed assuming a control event risk of 12%, a non-inferiority margin of 10%, 80% power and a significance level (α) of 0.025. We consider approaches to choosing and implementing a frontier for this already funded trial, where changing the sample size substantially would be difficult. Methods In D3, we fix the non-inferiority margin at 10%, 8% and 5% for control event risks of ≥9%, 5% and 1%, respectively. We propose four frontiers which fit these fixed points, including a Smooth Away From Expected (SAFE) frontier. Analysis approaches considered are as follows: using the pre-specified significance level (α=0.025); always using a reduced significance level (to achieve α≤0.025 across control event risks); reducing significance levels only when the control event risk differs significantly from expected (control event risk &lt;9%); and using a likelihood ratio test. We compare power and type 1 error for SAFE with other frontiers. Results Changing the significance level only when the control event risk is &lt;9% achieves approximately nominal (&lt;3%) type I error rate and maintains reasonable power for control event risks between 1 and 15%. The likelihood ratio test method performs similarly, but the results are more complex to present. Other analysis methods lead to either inflated type 1 error or badly reduced power. The SAFE frontier gives more interpretable results with low control event risks than other frontiers (i.e. it uses more reasonable non-inferiority margins). Other frontiers do not achieve power close (i.e. within 1%) to SAFE across the range of likely control event risks while controlling type I error. Conclusions The SAFE non-inferiority frontier will be used in D3, and the non-inferiority margin and significance level will be modified if the control event risk is lower than expected. This ensures results will remain interpretable if design assumptions are incorrect, while achieving similar power. A similar approach could be considered for other non-inferiority trials where the control event risk is uncertain

FEM analysis of the biaxial cyclic loading of the elastoplastic plate with concentrators: asymptotic states

Elements of structures which work in real conditions quite often are affected by variable temperatures and loadings. Nowadays due to the growth of interest to the knowledge of asymptotic behavior of the inelastic structure subjected to cyclic loading, direct and incremental methods of stabilized state determining begin to develop. If loadings vary and the body deforms elastically, then its durability is defined by fatigue characteristics of material, failure comes after a large number of cycles. If the body experiences elasto-plastic deformation, at loadings below limit, achievement of a dangerous state at rather small number of cycles is possible. In the present study results of finite-element (FEM) calculations of the asymptotical behavior of an elastoplastic plate with the central circular and elliptic holes under the biaxial cyclic loading for three different materials are presented. Incremental cyclic loading of the sample with stress concentrator (the central hole) is performed in the multifunctional finite-element package SIMULIA Abaqus. The ranges of loads found for shakedown, cyclic plasticity, ratcheting are presented. The results obtained are generalized and analyzed. Convenient normalization is suggested. The chosen normalization allows us to present all computed results, corresponding to separate materials, within one common curve with minimum scattering of the points. Convenience of the generalized diagram consists in a possibility to find an asymptotical behavior of an inelastic structure for materials for which computer calculations were not made should be included

INFLUENCING FACTOFS ON SUCCESSFUL BODILY‒SELF’S BECOMING OF MID-LIFE CRISIS

The Aim of this publication is to study the functioning of bodily‒self during the mid–life crisis.Material and methods: psychodiagnostical complex for research the psychosomatic competence and bodily–self of personality consists of the five methods: «The bodily‒self’s verbalization» uncompleted sentences (by T. B. Khomulenko; the introspective experimental method for diagnostic the imagination ability (by T. B. Khomulenko, K. M. Rodina); the method of intraseption sensitivity diagnostic (by T. B. Khomulenko, K. M. Rodina; the reflective method «My attitude to my own body» (by E. B. Stankovskaia); the color a person body dissatisfaction test (CAPT) by V. G. Sakharova adaptation. The diagnostic indicators of all the methods have been conducted analysis of r-Pearson’s correlation, which has been spread to 42 variables scales. The composition of the experimental sample consisted of men and women in the age range from 39 to 50 years old.Results: Breaking the relationship with bodily‒self is creates favourable conditions for the emergence of psychosomatic’s crisis that causes the destructive phenomena in personality. In turn, the bodily‒self is serving a part of the cognitive component of psychosomatic competence the sufficient level of which one is reduction the crisis’s state. Therefore, the article aims is to study the peculiarities of bodily‒self’s functioning of personality in the mid–life crisis’s period. The results of the study have been showed that midlife crisis has specific features of psychosomatic competence and functioning of the bodily‒self which manifested in a positive attitude to the whole body image, and to sample some of its parts. In the process, it was discovered prospects of creating correction and developing programs of bodily‒self personality reconnect. The differences of perception your own body and bodily‒self by women and men leads us to further development the problems in the context of sexual dimorphism.Conclusions: The mid-life crisis and the psychosomatic crisis are unrelated. It’s means that the crisis of the psychosomatic may occur at any period of a life and with a specific age is not connected. The mid–life crisis has the specific features of psychosomatic competence and the bodily‒self’s functioning.Keywords: bodily‒self, psychosomatic competence, mid-life crisis, psychosomatic phenomena, family factors.У статті розглядаються явище тілесного Я під час кризи середнього віку. Порушення взаємозв'язку з тілесним-Я сприяє виникненню психосоматичної кризи, яка викликає деструктивні явища в особистості. У свою чергу, тілесний-сам служить частиною когнітивної складової психосоматичної компетентності, достатній рівень якої скорочує стан кризи. Тому метою статті є вивчення особливостей функціонування особистості в періоді кризи середнього віку. Результати дослідження показали, що криза середнього віку має специфічні особливості психосоматичної компетентності та функціонування тілесного Я, що проявляється в позитивному ставленні до всього образу тіла, а також деяких його частин. У процесі було виявлено перспективи створення корекційно-розвивальної програм відновлення тілесного Я. Відмінності у сприйнятті власного тіла та тілесного Я жінками та чоловіками становить перспективу вивчення проблеми у контексті статевих відмінностей.Ключові слова: тілесне-Я, психосоматична компетентність, криза середнього віку, психосоматичні явища, сімейні фактори