Pilot Sub-Study of the Effect of Hepatitis C Cure by Glecaprevir/Pibrentasvir on the Gut Microbiome of Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Genotypes 1 to 6 in the Mythen Study.

In this small pilot sub-study, longitudinal gut microbiota composition changes, after successful treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) with the co-formulated glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB), were analyzed before treatment (baseline) and 12 weeks post-treatment. Participating patients provided a fresh stool sample the week before their study visit, from which microbial DNA was extracted and sequenced for the 16S rRNA region in an Illumina MiSeq2 platform. Microbial and statistical analyses were conducted to determine the alpha-diversity (number of different taxa within a sample) and beta-diversity (number of overlapping taxa between samples).

Real-world effectiveness and safety of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection in Switzerland.

Aim Of The Study: In the era of pangenotypic treatment regimens against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, data from postmarketing observational studies are crucial to better understand the treatment patterns used in specific countries and treatment outcomes under real-life conditions. We report data from Switzerland from an ongoing, multinational postmarketing observational study on the pangenotypic treatment regimen of glecaprevir (GLE; NS3/4A protease inhibitor) and pibrentasvir (PIB; NS5A inhibitor), coformulated as GLE/PIB.

Methods: Adults infected with chronic HCV genotypes 1–6 were eligible to participate in the postmarketing observational study if they started GLE/PIB at the treating physician’s discretion.

A prospective, multicenter, post-marketing observational study to measure the quality of life of HCV genotype 1 infected, treatment naïve patients suffering from fatigue and receiving 3D regimen: The HEMATITE study.

Aim: Fatigue is the most commonly reported symptom of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infected patients and severely impacts their quality of life. The aim of this study was to measure the impact of 3D regimen treatment on the fatigue, daytime physical activity and sleep efficiency of HCV infected patients with fatigue.

Methods: HEMATITE was an observational, prospective, open-label, single-arm, Swiss multi-centric study in mono-infected HCV genotype 1 patients.

Trends in reported malaria cases and the effects of malaria control in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Background: Considerable upscaling of malaria control efforts have taken place over the last 15 years in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country with the second highest malaria case load after Nigeria. Malaria control interventions have been strengthened in line with the Millenium Development Goals. We analysed the effects of these interventions on malaria cases at health facility level, using a retrospective trend analysis of malaria cases between 2005 and 2014.

Malaria case management by community health workers in the Central African Republic from 2009-2014: overcoming challenges of access and instability due to conflict.

Background: In the Central African Republic (CAR), decades of armed conflict have crippled the public health system. This has left the population without timely access to life-saving services and therefore vulnerable to the numerous consequences of infectious diseases, including malaria. As a response, in 2008 an international non-governmental organization started a network of community health workers (CHWs) in the highly malaria-endemic region of northwest CAR.

Long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) ownership, use and cost of implementation after a mass distribution campaign in Kasaï Occidental Province, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Background: Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) are a highly effective means for preventing malaria infection and reducing associated morbidity and mortality. Mass free distribution campaigns have been shown to rapidly increase LLIN ownership and use. Around 3.

Amino acids regulate transgene expression in MDCK cells.

Gene expression and cell growth rely on the intracellular concentration of amino acids, which in metazoans depends on extracellular amino acid availability and transmembrane transport. To investigate the impact of extracellular amino acid concentrations on the expression of a concentrative amino acid transporter, we overexpressed the main kidney proximal tubule luminal neutral amino acid transporter B0AT1-collectrin (SLC6A19-TMEM27) in MDCK cell epithelia. Exogenously expressed proteins co-localized at the luminal membrane and mediated neutral amino acid uptake.

The value of treatment-goal themes for treatment planning and outcome evaluation of psychiatric inpatients.

Background: The taxonomy of treatment-goal themes of the Bern Inventory of Treatment Goals (BIT-T) has shown to be a comprehensive coding system for outpatient use.

Aim: The current study examines the value of the BIT-T for treatment planning and outcome evaluation of psychiatric inpatients.

Method: The 1991 treatment goals of 675 predominantly non-psychotic psychiatric inpatients were coded using the BIT-T.

Predicting marital stability and divorce in newlywed couples.

A longitudinal study with 95 newlywed couples examined the power of the Oral History Interview to predict stable marital relationships and divorce. A principal-components analysis of the interview with the couples (Time 1) identified a latent variable, perceived marital bond, that was significant in predicting which couples would remain married or divorce within the first 5 years of their marriage. A discriminant function analysis of the newlywed oral history data predicted, with 87.

Epistemological barriers to radical behaviorism.

The historian and philosopher of science Gaston Bachelard proposed the concept of epistemological barriers to describe the intellectual challenges encountered by scientists in their work. In order to embrace novel ways of approaching a problem in science, scientists must overcome barriers or obstacles posed by their prior views. For example, Einsteinian physics presents scientists with claims that space is curved and that time and space are on the same continuum.