Prevalence of human papillomavirus in oral rinse samples from healthy individuals in northern Thailand

BACKGROUND

The incidence of oral cancers associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) has been increasing in recent years. Therefore, it is necessary to elucidate HPV prevalence in oral cells and exposure to risk factors in various age groups.

METHODS

Oral rinse samples from healthy individuals in northern Thailand were investigated for HPV prevalence and genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction (GP5+/6+ primers) and DNA sequencing of the PCR products.

RESULTS

Samples were collected from 594 participants between 4 and 60 years of age. HPV was detected in 3.7% of samples. The prevalence of HPV-positive cases was 8.6% in the 31-50 age group. HPV prevalence increased with age and was the highest (9.2%) in the 41-50 age group, but decreased (to 3%) in the 51-60 age group. Risk factors significantly associated with HPV-positive cases included alcohol consumption, coffee drinking, sexual activity, and having children. HPV 16 and 18 were common genotypes, especially in the 31-50 age group, and were associated with having sexual activity (odds ratio 19.0 [95% CI: 2.5-142.5]). At follow-up of some individuals in the 4-10 age group, a 9-year-old child was found to be positive for HPV18.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that HPV can be acquired at a young age and the prevalence peaks in the middle age class among healthy individuals in northern Thailand, especially in the 31-50 age group.

Human-Rhesus macaque conflict at Pumdivumdi/ Tallokodi, Pokhara, West Nepal

The study on conflict between human and Rhesus macaque was carried out at Pumdivumdi/Tallokodi in Pokhara valley in March, 2016. Questionnaire survey was carried out in 60 households to assess conflict, economic impact on livelihood of people and identify local deterrent method practiced. Purposive sampling method was used to select respondent for questionnaire survey. Majority of the respondents (58.3%) agreed that the damage of crops caused by monkeys was severe. According to 21.7% respondents, physical hurt and harassment were done by monkeys in the study area. There was a loss of more than NRs. 20,000 in 2015 in 32% of the total households surveyed. Maize was the most raided crop (31%) followed by potato (30%). Keeping dog in house (40%) was the most preferred local deterrent method followed by throwing stone and using catapult (21.7%). Banko JanakariA Journal of Forestry Information for NepalVol. 27, No. 2, 2017, Page: 46-50

Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinsons Disease in Nepal

Background Parkinsons disease is a central nervous system degenerative disorder affecting motor system and characterized by progressive tremor, rigidity, gait abnormalities. Surgical treatment of Parkinsons disease is based on the changes in the basal gangliothalamocortical circuits which is altered in Parkinsons disease. Currently pallidotomy and Deep Brain Stimulation are available modes of surgical treatment of Parkinsons disease. Objective To know efficacy of deep brain stimulation in Parkinsons Disease in Nepal. Method All patients of idiopathic Parkinsons disease who underwent Deep Brain Stimulation in Annapurna Neurological Institute and Allied sciences since 2014 were included. The standard functional coordinates for Subthalamic nucleus and Globus pallidus internus was used. We used Zamarano-Dujovny (ZD) Fisher Frame with its software. Patients' Unified Parkinsons disease rating score, Modified Hoehn and Yahr Staging and Schwab and England Activities of daily living Scale were evaluated preoperativelyv as well as postoperatively. Result Ten patients underwent Deep Brain Stimulation. The male is to female ratio was 2:1. The mean age was 55.4±8.9 years and duration of illness was 5.5±2 years. There was a significant improvement in the scores for the main motor manifestations of the disease between the preoperative off-dopa and postoperative off-dopa/on-stim conditions. There was a significant improvement in Schwab and England Activities of daily living scale scores in the off-dopa condition between the preoperative score and the postoperative M6 score. Conclusion Our result of Deep Brain Stimulation is quite promising. However, it is very expensive and requires frequent follow-up for neuromodulation.

D-Meson Azimuthal Anisotropy in Midcentral Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s]_{NN}=5.02 TeV

The azimuthal anisotropy coefficient v_{2} of prompt D^{0}, D^{+}, D^{*+}, and D_{s}^{+} mesons was measured in midcentral (30%-50% centrality class) Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The D mesons were reconstructed via their hadronic decays at midrapidity, |y|<0.8, in the transverse momentum interval 1<p_{T}<24  GeV/c. The measured D-meson v_{2} has similar values as that of charged pions. The D_{s}^{+} v_{2}, measured for the first time, is found to be compatible with that of nonstrange D mesons. The measurements are compared with theoretical calculations of charm-quark transport in a hydrodynamically expanding medium and have the potential to constrain medium parameters.

Pharmacokinetics, clot strength and safety of a new fibrinogen concentrate: randomized comparison with active control in congenital fibrinogen deficiency

Essentials Congenital afibrinogenemia causes a potentially life-threatening bleeding and clotting tendency. Two human fibrinogen concentrates (HFCs) were compared in a randomized pharmacokinetic study. Bioequivalence was not shown for AUCnorm , which was significantly larger for the new HFC. Increases in clot strength were comparable, and no thromboses or deaths occurred in the study.

SUMMARY

Background Human fibrinogen concentrate (HFC) corrects fibrinogen deficiency in congenital a-/hypofibrinogenemia. Objectives To assess pharmacokinetics (PK), effects on thromboelastometry maximum clot firmness (MCF), and safety of a new double virus-inactivated/eliminated, highly purified HFC vs. active control. Patients/Methods In this multinational, randomized, phase II, open-label, crossover study in 22 congenital afibrinogenemia patients aged ≥ 12 years, 70 mg kg-1 of new HFC (FIBRYGA, Octapharma AG) or control (Haemocomplettan® P/RiaSTAP™, CSL Behring GmbH) were administered, followed by crossover to the other concentrate. Fibrinogen activity, PK and MCF in plasma were assessed. Results The concentrates were not bioequivalent for the primary endpoint, AUCnorm (mean ratio, 1.196; 90% confidence interval [CI], 1.117, 1.281). Remaining PK parameters (Cmaxnorm , IVR, t1/2 , MRT) reflected bioequivalence between concentrates, except for clearance (mean ratio, 0.836; 90% CI, 0.781, 0.895) and Vss (mean ratio, 0.886; 90% CI, 0.791, 0.994). Mean AUCnorm was significantly larger for the new HFC (1.62 ± 0.45 vs. 1.38 ± 0.47 h kg g L-1  mg-1 , P = 0.0001) and mean clearance was significantly slower (0.665 ± 0.197 vs. 0.804 ± 0.255 mL h-1  kg-1 , P = 0.0002). Mean MCF increased from 0 mm to 9.68 mm (new HFC) and 10.00 mm (control) 1-hour post-infusion (mean difference, -0.32 mm; 95% CI, -1.70, 1.07, n.s.). No deaths, thromboses, viral seroconversions or serious related adverse events occurred. Conclusions Bioequivalence was not demonstrated for AUCnorm , clearance and Vss . Larger AUCnorm and slower clearance were observed for the new HFC. Remaining pharmacokinetic parameters reflected bioequivalence to control. Safety profiles and increases in clot strength were comparable between concentrates.

J/ψ Elliptic Flow in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

We report a precise measurement of the J/ψ elliptic flow in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The J/ψ mesons are reconstructed at midrapidity (|y|<0.9) in the dielectron decay channel and at forward rapidity (2.5<y<4.0) in the dimuon channel, both down to zero transverse momentum. At forward rapidity, the elliptic flow v_{2} of the J/ψ is studied as a function of the transverse momentum and centrality. A positive v_{2} is observed in the transverse momentum range 2<p_{T}<8  GeV/c in the three centrality classes studied and confirms with higher statistics our earlier results at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76  TeV in semicentral collisions. At midrapidity, the J/ψ  v_{2} is investigated as a function of the transverse momentum in semicentral collisions and found to be in agreement with the measurements at forward rapidity. These results are compared to transport model calculations. The comparison supports the idea that at low p_{T} the elliptic flow of the J/ψ originates from the thermalization of charm quarks in the deconfined medium but suggests that additional mechanisms might be missing in the models.

Insulin resistance correlates with maculopathy and severity of retinopathy in young adults with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

AIMS

To assess the relationship between insulin resistance (IR), retinopathy and maculopathy in young adults with Type 1 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study at a regional Australian tertiary hospital. Retinal pathology, assessed by colour fundus photography, was correlated with two surrogate measures of IR: estimated Glucose Disposal Rate (eGDR) and Insulin Sensitivity Score (ISS), where lower scores reflect greater IR.

RESULTS

107 patients were recruited, with mean age 24.7years, 53% male, and mean duration of disease 10.8years. Mean eGDR scores (5.6vs 8.0 p<0.001) and ISS (4.7vs 7.9, p<0.001) were lower in subjects having at least moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR; relative to nil/mild-NPDR). Similarly, mean eGDR (4.2vs 6.2, p=0.001) and ISS (3.8vs 6.1, p=0.003) were lower in patients with maculopathy. Multivariate logistic regression modelling was used to control for confounding. For retinopathy severity, a unit increase in eGDR or ISS (representing lower IR) was associated with a 50% decrease in odds of moderate-NPDR or worse (eGDR OR 0.5, 95%CI 0.32-0.77, p=0.002; ISS OR 0.49, 95%CI 0.29-0.84, p=0.01). A unit increase in eGDR or ISS was associated with a 46-56% decrease in odds of maculopathy (eGDR OR 0.54, 95%CI 0.37-0.81, p=0.003; ISS OR 0.44, 95%CI 0.22-0.88, p=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

IR correlates with more severe retinopathy in young adults with Type 1DM. This is the first description of a correlation between IR and maculopathy in Type 1DM, warranting further evaluation. Prospective studies examining whether reducing IR can improve microvascular complications are required.

Development of cable fed flash X-ray (FXR) system

Flash X-ray sources driven by pulsed power find applications in industrial radiography, and a portable X-ray source is ideal where the radiography needs to be taken at the test site. A compact and portable flash X-ray (FXR) system based on a Marx generator has been developed with the high voltage fed to the FXR tube via a cable feed-through arrangement. Hard bremsstrahlung X-rays of few tens of nanosecond duration are generated by impinging intense electron beams on an anode target of high Z material. An industrial X-ray source is developed with source size as low as 1 mm. The system can be operated from 150 kV to 450 kV peak voltages and a dose of 10 mR has been measured at 1 m distance from the source window. The modeling of the FXR source has been carried out using particle-in-cell and Monte Carlo simulations for the electron beam dynamics and X-ray generation, respectively. The angular dose profile of X-ray has been measured and compared with the simulation.