Efavirenz in an obese HIV-infected patient - a report and an in vitro-in vivo extrapolation model indicate risk of underdosing.

Here, we report suboptimal efavirenz exposure in an obese patient treated with the standard 600 mg dose. Tripling the dose allowed attainment of therapeutic efavirenz concentrations. We developed an in vitro-in vivo extrapolation model to quantify dose requirements in obese individuals. Obesity represents a risk factor for antiretroviral therapy underdosing.

Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy

Irish Travellers are an indigenous minority who, according to historical evidence, have been part of Irish society for centuries. They have a long shared history, value system, language, customs and traditions that make them a group recognised by themselves and others as distinct. This distinctive life-style and culture, based on a nomadic tradition, sets them apart from the settled population. The history of the Traveller community includes a struggle to uphold their distinct cultural identity and to maintain a nomadic way of life. For the purposes of this report it is accepted that Travellers have shared a nomadic tradition and a means of communication, beliefs, values and practices distinct from the majority culture.

Task Force on the Physical Sciences Report and Recommendation

Ireland has positioned itself to take advantage of technological change by encouraging the inward investment of high-tech industries and by providing a highly-educated workforce to sustain and enlarge them. Employment of science, engineering and technology graduates at all levels has been a hallmark of the modern Irish economy, as the educational sector responded to the mix of skills demanded by industry. An outstanding record of graduate output has contributed to the phenomenal growth in Irish-based technology. In an era of rapid technological change, the goal of "scientific literacy for all" has become a primary objective of a general education. Science is one of three literacy domains, along with reading and mathematics, that is included in measures of educational achievement by the OECD.

Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy

Irish Travellers are an indigenous minority who, according to historical evidence, have been part of Irish society for centuries. They have a long shared history, value system, language, customs and traditions that make them a group recognised by themselves and others as distinct. This distinctive life-style and culture, based on a nomadic tradition, sets them apart from the settled population. The history of the Traveller community includes a struggle to uphold their distinct cultural identity and to maintain a nomadic way of life. For the purposes of this report it is accepted that Travellers have shared a nomadic tradition and a means of communication, beliefs, values and practices distinct from the majority culture.

PHA Annual report and accounts 2012-2013

The Public Health Agency Annual report 2012-2013 provides background information about the PHA, highlights the achievements during the�2012-2013 financial year and provides an overview of work undertaken in priority areas�within each directorate�of�the organisation.The�full financial accounts are included in this report as is�information on members of the PHA board.Click here for the PDF

PHA Annual report and accounts 2013-2014

The Public Health Agency Annual report 2013-2014 provides background information about the PHA, highlights the achievements during the�2013-2014 financial year and provides an overview of work undertaken in priority areas�within each directorate�of�the organisation.The�full financial accounts are included in this report as is�information on members of the PHA board.Click here for the PDF: PHA Annual report and accounts for year ended 31 March 2014

Traumatic mitral valve injury after blunt chest trauma: a case report and review of the literature.

Mitral valve injury after blunt chest trauma is a rare occurrence. We recently admitted a patient with severe traumatic mitral regurgitation who was successfully treated with surgery. Review of the literature aimed at taking an inventory of cases of traumatic nonpenetrating mitral insufficiency that were operated on, since the earliest report in 1964. Eighty-two cases were found and analyzed allowing for a better understanding of the epidemiology, etiology, natural history, pathology, and treatment of this rare condition. The most common lesions reach the papillary muscles (PM), followed by the chordae and then the mitral valve leaflets. Among the 82 cases reported that have been treated with surgery, 57% required a valve replacement. More than half of the patients had a PM injury with a complete or partial rupture. When the rupture is complete, and especially when it involves the anterior PM, the clinical picture is most always acute with clinically important hemodynamic repercussions, often necessitating emergency surgery, most of the time with mitral valve replacement. One must always suspect traumatic mitral injury after blunt chest trauma. The most common mitral lesions affect the PM. The clinical course can be indolent or devastating, and most often requires urgent or delayed surgical treatment, either with mitral valve repair or replacement.

PHA Annual report and accounts 2014-2015

The Public Health Agency Annual report 2014 2015 provides background information about the PHA, highlights the achievements during the�2014-2015 financial year and provides an overview of work undertaken in priority areas�within each directorate�of�the organisation.The�full financial accounts are included in this report as is�information on members of the PHA board.Click here for the PDF.

The deployment of an e-book consultation and loan service : the experience of the Open University of Catalonia Library

La Biblioteca de la UOC (UOC Library) ha ofert durant tres mesos (octubre-desembre 09), en fase de prova pilot, un servei de consulta i préstec de lectors de llibres electrònics (e-readers). Aquest nou desplegament s'ha desenvolupat en consonància amb l'aposta general de la Universitat en innovació en tecnologies aplicades a l'educació, i la voluntat de potenciar les col·leccions de llibres electrònics i l'ús dels dispositius de lectura de llibres electrònics com una extensió més de la tecnologia del Campus 5.0, en el suport a l'aprenentatge dels seus estudiants durant la seva formació a la Universitat. Aquest treball presenta en detall les especificacions de la prova pilot, a més de contenir una anàlisi i avaluació dels resultats obtinguts: punts forts i punts febles, relació dels aspectes a millorar i modificar, de cara a la consolidació final del servei.

Lutzomyia longipalpis in Uruguay: the first report and the potential of visceral leishmaniasis transmission

Phlebotomine captures were performed in February 2010 in Salto (Salto department) and Bella Unión-Cuarein (Artigas department), Uruguay. Bella Unión is located across the Paraná River from Monte Caseros, Argentina, where a focus of canine visceral leishmaniasis (VL) was reported in 2009. No VL cases have ever been recorded in Uruguay and the last reported capture of Phlebotominae was in 1932 (Lutzomyia cortelezzii and Lutzomyia gaminarai). Light traps were placed in peridomestic environments, and Lutzomyia longipalpis, the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis, was found in Salto and Bella Unión. This is a first report of an area of potential VL transmission in Uruguay. Active and coordinated surveillance is required immediately the Uruguay-Argentina-Brazil border area.

Sphenoid sinus metastasis as the presenting manifestation of a prostatic adenocarcinoma: case report and overview of the literature.

Although a metastatic presentation of an occult prostatic adenocarcinoma is not uncommon, the majority of these patients present with bone metastasis affecting the axial skeleton. Cranial metastases to the paranasal sinuses are extremely rare. A 56-year-old man presented with loss of vision and numbness of the right side of the face. Computed tomography (CT) scan and cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a mass invading the sphenoid sinus. The patient underwent surgery to remove the lesion, and the histopathological examination suggested metastasis of an adenocarcinoma, with positive staining to prostatic specific antigen (PSA). However, serum PSA was 4 ng/mL, and the patient did not report any lower urinary tract symptoms or bone pain. Transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy revealed prostatic adenocarcinomas with a Gleason score of 8 [4 + 4]. The subsequent treatment consisted of radiotherapy and androgen deprivation, followed by first- and second-line chemotherapy (docetaxel and cabazitaxel) when the disease progressed. The patient achieved a good response with the last cycle of cabazitaxel and after a 5-year followup is currently alive. Cranial metastases of prostate adenocarcinoma are rare, and there is currently no standard treatment for these patients. Whenever possible, surgery combined with radiotherapy and hormonotherapy is the recommended option.

Gouty tophi in the penis: a case report and review of the literature.

Gout is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperuricemia and the deposition of monosodium urate crystals in different anatomical locations. We report the case of a 61-year-old man who received consultation for gouty tophi in the penis, which is an unusual location for this type of pathology, that was resolved with the surgical removal of the tophi. We provide a review on gout and its treatment as well as other locations where atypical gouty tophi have been described.

Superficial Acral Fibromyxoma involving the nail's apparatus. Case report and literature review.

Superficial Acral Fibromyxoma is a rare tumor of soft tissues. It is a relatively new entity described in 2001 by Fetsch et al. It probably represents a fibrohistiocytic tumor with less than 170 described cases. We bring a new case of SAF on the 5th toe of the right foot, in a 43-year-old woman. After surgical excision with safety margins which included the nail apparatus, it has not recurred (22 months of follow up). We carried out a review of the location of all SAF published up to the present day.

Pulsatile tinnitus caused by an aneurysm of the transverse-sigmoid sinus: a new case report and review of literature.

A 28-year-old woman consulted for disabling pulsatile tinnitus. Clinical examination suggested a venous etiology. An aneurysm of the transverse-sigmoid sinus was identified on computed tomography angiography (CTA) and confirmed by digital subtraction angiography. Endovascular occlusion of the aneurysm with detachable coils permanently eliminated the bruit. Thus, this report is of a new case of pulsatile tinnitus caused by an aneurysm of the transverse-sigmoid sinus, with a focus on a literature review and etiopathophysiology. Embryological studies suggest that these aneurysms represent a partial remnant of the petrosquamous sinus.

Calcinose tumorale, à propos d'un cas pédiatrique [Tumoral calcinosis in a child: a case report and review]

Tumoral calcinosis (Ct) is a rare pathology of unknown origin.We present the clinical, imaging ( including CT and MRI), surgical and pathology findings of Ct in a 9 year-old boy who presented with an incidental finding of a large elbow mass. The MR aspect of Ct has been reported only once and this case is the second description in a child. The association of Ct and dermatomyositis, as reported hereby, has also been described only once. With respect to treatment alternatives, we believe that it is important for radiologists to recognise this rare pathology in pediatric patients.