Incidence of liver damage of uncertain origin in HIV patients not co-infected with HCV/HBV.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Several studies have reported that a significant number of HIV patients not co-infected with HCV/HBV develop liver damage of uncertain origin (LDUO). The objective of our study was to evaluate the incidence of and risk factors for the development of LDUO in HIV infected patients not co-infected with HCV/HBV. METHODS Prospective longitudinal study that included HIV-infected patients free of previous liver damage and viral hepatitis B or C co-infections. Patients were followed up at 6-monthly intervals. Liver stiffness was measured at each visit. Abnormal liver stiffness (ALS) was defined as a liver stiffness value greater than 7.2 kPa at two consecutive measurements. For patients who developed ALS, a protocol was followed to diagnose the cause of liver damage. Those patients who could not be diagnosed with any specific cause of liver disease were diagnosed as LDUO and liver biopsy was proposed. RESULTS 210 patients matched the inclusion criteria and were included. 198 patients completed the study. After a median (Q1-Q3) follow-up of 18 (IQR 12-26) months, 21 patients (10.6%) developed ALS. Of these, fifteen patients were diagnosed as LDUO. The incidence of LDUO was 7.64 cases/100 patient-years. Histological studies were performed on ten (66.6%) patients and all showed liver steatosis. A higher HOMA-IR value and body mass index were independently associated with the development of LDUO. CONCLUSION We found a high incidence of LDUO in HIV-infected patients associated with metabolic risk factors. The leading cause of LDUO in our study was non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Ultrastructural and molecular analysis of Bowman's layer corneal dystrophies: an epithelial origin?

PURPOSE: Two mutations (R555Q and R124L) in the BIGH3 gene have been described in anterior or Bowman's layer dystrophies (CDB). The clinical, molecular, and ultrastructural findings of five families with CDB was reviewed to determine whether there is a consistent genotype:phenotype correlation. METHODS: Keratoplasty tissue from each patient was examined by light and electron microscopy (LM and EM). DNA was obtained, and exons 4 and 12 of BIGH3 were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and single-stranded conformation polymorphism/heteroduplex analysis. Abnormally migrating products were analyzed by direct sequencing. RESULTS: In two families with type I CDB (CDBI), the R124L mutation was defined. There were light and ultrastructural features of superficial granular dystrophy and atypical banding of the "rod-shaped bodies" ultrastructurally. Patients from three families with "honeycomb" dystrophy were found to carry the R555Q mutation and had characteristic features of Bowman's dystrophy type II (CDBII). CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong genotype:phenotype correlation among CBDI (R124L) and CDBII (R555Q). LM and EM findings suggest that epithelial abnormalities may underlie the pathology of both conditions. The findings clarify the confusion over classification of the Bowman's layer dystrophies.

Metagenomics, paratransgenesis and the Anopheles microbiome: a portrait of the geographical distribution of the anopheline microbiota based on a meta-analysis of reported taxa

Anophelines harbour a diverse microbial consortium that may represent an extended gene pool for the host. The proposed effects of the insect microbiota span physiological, metabolic and immune processes. Here we synthesise how current metagenomic tools combined with classical culture-dependent techniques provide new insights in the elucidation of the role of the Anopheles-associated microbiota. Many proposed malaria control strategies have been based upon the immunomodulating effects that the bacterial components of the microbiota appear to exert and their ability to express anti-Plasmodium peptides. The number of identified bacterial taxa has increased in the current “omics” era and the available data are mostly scattered or in “tables” that are difficult to exploit. Published microbiota reports for multiple anopheline species were compiled in an Excel® spreadsheet. We then filtered the microbiota data using a continent-oriented criterion and generated a visual correlation showing the exclusive and shared bacterial genera among four continents. The data suggested the existence of a core group of bacteria associated in a stable manner with their anopheline hosts. However, the lack of data from Neotropical vectors may reduce the possibility of defining the core microbiota and understanding the mosquito-bacteria interactive consortium.

Updating the geographical distribution and frequency of Aedes albopictus in Brazil with remarks regarding its range in the Americas

The geographical distribution of Aedes albopictus in Brazil was updated according to the data recorded across the country over the last eight years. Countrywide house indexes (HI) for Ae. albopictus in urban and suburban areas were described for the first time using a sample of Brazilian municipalities. This mosquito is currently present in at least 59% of the Brazilian municipalities and in 24 of the 27 federal units (i.e., 26 states and the Federal District). In 34 Brazilian municipalities, the HI values for Ae. albopictus were higher than those recorded for Ae. aegypti, reaching figures as high as HI = 7.72 in the Southeast Region. Remarks regarding the current range of this mosquito species in the Americas are also presented. Nineteen American countries are currently infested and few mainland American countries have not confirmed the occurrence of Ae. albopictus. The large distribution and high frequency of Ae. albopictus in the Americas may become a critical factor in the spread of arboviruses like chikungunya in the new world.

Mirdita Zone ophiolites and associated sediments in Albania reveal Neotethys Ocean origin

The Mirdita Ophiolite Zone in Albania is associated with widespread melanges containing components of up to nappe-size. We dated matrix and components of the melange by radiolarians, conodonts, and other taxa. The components consist of radiolarites, pelagic limestones and shallow-water limestones, all of Triassic age, as well as ophiolites. Triassic radiolarite as a primary cover of ophiolite material proves Middle Triassic onset of Mirdita ocean-floor formation. The melange contains a turbiditic radiolarite-rich matrix (''radiolaritic flysch''), dated as Late Bajocian to Early Oxfordian. It formed as a synorogenic sediment during west-directed thrusting of ophiolite and sediment-cover nappes representing ocean floor and underplated fragments of the western continental margin. The tectonic structures formed during these orogenic events (''Younger Kimmeridian or Eohellenic Orogeny'') are sealed by Late Jurassic platform carbonates. The geological history conforms with that of the Inner Dinarides and adjoining areas; we therefore correlate the Mirdita-Pindos Ophiolite Zone with the Vardar Zone and explain its present position by far-distance west-directed thrusting.

Classification of sags according to their origin based on the waveform similarity

A statistical method for classification of sags their origin downstream or upstream from the recording point is proposed in this work. The goal is to obtain a statistical model using the sag waveforms useful to characterise one type of sags and to discriminate them from the other type. This model is built on the basis of multi-way principal component analysis an later used to project the available registers in a new space with lower dimension. Thus, a case base of diagnosed sags is built in the projection space. Finally classification is done by comparing new sags against the existing in the case base. Similarity is defined in the projection space using a combination of distances to recover the nearest neighbours to the new sag. Finally the method assigns the origin of the new sag according to the origin of their neighbours

Gene expression profiling of isolated tumour cells from anaplastic large cell lymphomas: insights into its cellular origin, pathogenesis and relation to Hodgkin lymphoma.

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a main type of T-cell lymphomas and comprises three distinct entities: systemic anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive, systemic ALK(-) and cutaneous ALK(-) ALCL (cALCL). Little is known about their pathogenesis and their cellular origin, and morphological and immunophenotypical overlap exists between ALK(-) ALCL and classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). We conducted gene expression profiling of microdissected lymphoma cells of five ALK(+) and four ALK(-) systemic ALCL, seven cALCL and sixteen cHL, and of eight subsets of normal T and NK cells. The analysis supports a derivation of ALCL from activated T cells, but the lymphoma cells acquired a gene expression pattern hampering an assignment to a CD4(+), CD8(+) or CD30(+) T-cell origin. Indeed, ALCL display a down-modulation of many T-cell characteristic molecules. All ALCL types show significant expression of NFkappaB target genes and upregulation of genes involved in oncogenesis (e.g. EZH2). Surprisingly, few genes are differentially expressed between systemic and cALCL despite their different clinical behaviour, and between ALK(-) ALCL and cHL despite their different cellular origin. ALK(+) ALCL are characterized by expression of genes regulated by pathways constitutively activated by ALK. This study provides multiple novel insights into the molecular biology and pathogenesis of ALCL.

Contribution of recombination to the evolutionary history of HIV.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: An improved understanding of how recombination affects the evolutionary history of HIV is crucial to understand its current and future evolution. The present review aims to disentangle the manifold effects of recombination on HIV by discussing its effects on the evolutionary history and the adaptive potential of HIV in the context of concepts from evolutionary genetics and genomics. RECENT FINDINGS: The increasing occurrence of secondary contacts between divergent subtype populations (during coinfection) results in increased observations of recombinants worldwide. Recombination is heterogeneous along the HIV genome. Consequences of recombination of HIV evolution are, in combination with other demographic processes, expected to either homogenize the genetic composition of HIV populations (homogenization) or provide the potential for novel adaptations (diversification). New methods in population genomics allow deep characterization of recombinant genome (the segment composition and origin) and their evolutionary trajectories. SUMMARY: HIV recombinants increase worldwide and invade geographical regions where pure subtypes were previously predominant. This trend is expected to continue in the future, as ease to travel worldwide increases opportunities for recombination between divergent HIV strains. While the effects of recombination in HIV are much researched, more effort is required to characterize current HIV recombinant composition and dynamics. This can be achieved with new population genetic and genomic methods.

Quality uncertainty and allocation of decision rights in the European protected designation of origin

The paper considers some issue in the governance of the European Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). The PDO systems are the outcomes of both farmers and consumers expectations and connect the valorisation of the agricultural and rural resources of given territories to the quality of typical products. A critical point in the governance of the PDO systems is represented by the connection between the quality strategies and the uncertainty. The paper argues that the PDO systems can be thought of as strictly coordinated subsystems in which the ex post governance play a critical role in coping with quality uncertainty. The study suggests that the society's inducements given raise to complex organizational systems in which the allocation of decision rights to PDO collective organizations play a major role. The empirical analysis is carried out by examining ten Italian PDO systems in order to identify the decision rights allocated.

On the origin and scope of the second language speech production disadvatage

Los hablantes bilingües tienen un acceso al léxico más lento y menos robusto que los monolingües, incluso cuando hablan en su lengua materna y dominante. Este fenómeno, comúnmente llamado “la desventaja bilingüe” también se observa en hablantes de una segunda lengua en comparación con hablantes de una primera lengua. Una causa que posiblemente contribuya a estas desventajas es el uso de control inhibitorio durante la producción del lenguaje: la inhibición de palabras coactivadas de la lengua actualmente no en uso puede prevenir intrusiones de dicha lengua, pero al mismo tiempo ralentizar la producción del lenguaje. El primer objetivo de los estudios descritos en este informe era testear esta hipótesis mediante diferentes predicciones generadas por teorías de control inhibitorio del lenguaje. Un segundo objetivo era investigar la extensión de la desventaja bilingüe dentro y fuera de la producción de palabras aisladas, así como avanzar en el conocimiento de las variables que la modulan. En lo atingente al primer objetivo, la evidencia obtenida es incompatible con un control inhibitorio global, desafiando la idea de mecanismos específicos en el hablante bilingüe utilizados para la selección léxica. Esto implica que una explicación común para el control de lenguaje y la desventaja bilingüe en el acceso al léxico es poco plausible. En cuanto al segundo objetivo, los resultados muestran que (a) la desventaja bilingüe no tiene un impacto al acceso a la memoria; (b) la desventaja bilingüe extiende a la producción del habla conectada; y (c) similitudes entre lenguas a diferentes niveles de representación así como la frecuencia de uso son factores que modulan la desventaja bilingüe.   

A search for the origin of cadmium in the soil of the Swiss Jura

The top soil of a 14.5 km(2) region at la Chaux-de-Fonds in the Swiss Jura is exceptionally rich in cadmium. It contains an average of 1.3 mg per kg of soil. The spatial distribution of the metal has no simple pattern that could be explained by atmospheric deposition or agricultural practices. Thin soil contained most of its Cd at the surface; in thicker soil Cd is mainly concentrated between 60 and 80 cm depth. No specific minerals or soil fractions could account for these accumulation, and the vertical distribution of Cd is best explained by leaching from the topsoil and further adsorption within layers of nearly neutral pH. The local Jurassic sedimentary rocks contained too little Cd to account for the Cd concentrations in the soil. Alpine gravels from glacial till were too sparse in soils to explain such a spreading of Cd. Moreover this origin is contradictory with the fact that Cd is concentrated in the sand fraction of soils. The respective distributions of Fe and Cd in soils, and soil fractions, suggested that the spreading of iron nodules accumulated during the siderolithic period (Eocene) was not the main source of Cd. Atmospheric deposition, and spreading of fertiliser or waste from septic tanks seem the only plausible explanation for the Cd concentrations, but at present few factors allow us to differentiate between them.

Prediction of fat-free mass using bioelectrical impedance analysis in young adults from five populations of African origin.

Background/objectives:Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is used in population and clinical studies as a technique for estimating body composition. Because of significant under-representation in existing literature, we sought to develop and validate predictive equation(s) for BIA for studies in populations of African origin.Subjects/methods:Among five cohorts of the Modeling the Epidemiologic Transition Study, height, weight, waist circumference and body composition, using isotope dilution, were measured in 362 adults, ages 25-45 with mean body mass indexes ranging from 24 to 32. BIA measures of resistance and reactance were measured using tetrapolar placement of electrodes and the same model of analyzer across sites (BIA 101Q, RJL Systems). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to develop equations for predicting fat-free mass (FFM), as measured by isotope dilution; covariates included sex, age, waist, reactance and height(2)/resistance, along with dummy variables for each site. Developed equations were then tested in a validation sample; FFM predicted by previously published equations were tested in the total sample.Results:A site-combined equation and site-specific equations were developed. The mean differences between FFM (reference) and FFM predicted by the study-derived equations were between 0.4 and 0.6âeuro0/00kg (that is, 1% difference between the actual and predicted FFM), and the measured and predicted values were highly correlated. The site-combined equation performed slightly better than the site-specific equations and the previously published equations.Conclusions:Relatively small differences exist between BIA equations to estimate FFM, whether study-derived or published equations, although the site-combined equation performed slightly better than others. The study-derived equations provide an important tool for research in these understudied populations.