Using Virtual Reality to Improve Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence in the Treatment of HIV: Open-Label Repeated Measure Study.

Background: Nonadherence to HIV medications is a serious unsolved problem and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the HIV-positive population. Although treatment efficacy is high if compliance is greater than 90%, about 40% of people with HIV do not meet this threshold.

Objective: This study aimed to test a novel approach to improve medication adherence by using a low-cost virtual reality (VR) experience to educate people with HIV about their illness.

Comparative Effectiveness of a Technology-Facilitated Depression Care Management Model in Safety-Net Primary Care Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: 6-Month Outcomes of a Large Clinical Trial.

Background: Comorbid depression is a significant challenge for safety-net primary care systems. Team-based collaborative depression care is effective, but complex system factors in safety-net organizations impede adoption and result in persistent disparities in outcomes. Diabetes-Depression Care-management Adoption Trial (DCAT) evaluated whether depression care could be significantly improved by harnessing information and communication technologies to automate routine screening and monitoring of patient symptoms and treatment adherence and allow timely communication with providers.

Biochemical characterization of rice xylan O-acetyltransferases.

Rice xylan is predominantly monoacetylated at O-2 and O-3, and 14 rice DUF231 proteins were demonstrated to be xylan acetyltransferases. Acetylated xylans are the principal hemicellulose in the cell walls of grass species. Because xylan acetylation impedes the conversion of cellulosic biomass into biofuels, knowledge on acetyltransferases catalyzing xylan acetylation in grass species will be instrumental for a better utilization of grass biomass for biofuel production.

Minimizing weight gain for patients taking antipsychotic medications: The potential role for early use of metformin.

Background: Patients taking antipsychotic medications are at high risk for weight gain, which in turn leads to poor health outcomes, nonadherence with treatment, and low self-esteem.

Methods: We reviewed published studies of pharmacologic interventions aimed at minimizing antipsychotic-induced weight gain. Treatments initiated prior to onset of weight gain were compared with those that started once weight gain already had occurred.

Cytosol-Localized UDP-Xylose Synthases Provide the Major Source of UDP-Xylose for the Biosynthesis of Xylan and Xyloglucan.

Xylan and xyloglucan are the two major cell wall hemicelluloses in plants, and their biosynthesis requires a steady supply of the sugar donor, UDP-xylose. UDP-xylose is synthesized through conversion of UDP-glucuronic acid (UDP-GlcA) by the activities of UDP-xylose synthase (UXS). There exist six UXS genes in the Arabidopsis thaliana genome; three of them (UXS1, UXS2 and UXS4) encode Golgi-localized enzymes and the other three (UXS3, UXS5 and UXS6) encode cytosol-localized enzymes.