Longitudinal Analysis of the Intestinal Microbiota among a Cohort of Children in Rural and Urban Areas of Pakistan.

The profile of the intestinal microbiota is known to be altered in malnourished young children in low- and middle-income countries. However, there are limited studies longitudinally evaluating the intestinal microbiota in malnourished young children in resource-limited settings over the first two years of life. In this longitudinal pilot study, we determined the effect of age, residential location, and intervention on the composition, relative abundance, and diversity of the intestinal microbiota in a representative sample of children under 24 months of age with no diarrhea in the preceding 72 h in the urban and rural areas of Sindh, Pakistan nested within a cluster-randomized trial evaluating the effect of zinc and micronutrients on growth and morbidity (ClinicalTrials.

Predictors of loss to follow-up from HIV antiretroviral therapy in Namibia.

Despite progress on population-level HIV viral suppression, unknown outcomes amongst people who have initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) in low- and middle-income countries, commonly referred to as loss to follow-up (LTFU), remains a barrier. The mean global estimate of LTFU is 20%, exceeding the World Health Organization target of <15%. Pervasive predictors associated with LTFU include younger age, low body mass index, low CD4 count, advanced HIV clinical stage and certain ART regimens.

[Incorporation Monitoring of Staff using I-131 and Lu-177 in a Nuclear Medicine Ward].

Objectives: In addition to the well-established therapy with iodine-131, treatments with lutetium-177 are increasingly being performed on an inpatient basis in Germany. All of these treatments have be taken into account when assessing the potential internal dose and for incorporation monitoring of personnel. This article describes the experience with and the results of incorporation monitoring of staff of a nuclear medicine ward of a university hospital in Germany.

Tuberculosis-Learning the Impact of Nutrition (TB LION): protocol for an interventional study to decrease TB risk in household contacts.

Background: Comorbidities such as undernutrition and parasitic infections are widespread in India and other tuberculosis (TB)-endemic countries. This study examines how these conditions as well as food supplementation and parasite treatment might alter immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and risk of progression to TB disease.

Methods: This is a 5-year prospective clinical trial at Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research in Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, India.

Assessment of the radiation exposure of relatives and caregivers of patients treated with Ra-223 - Results of a German multicenter study.

Unlabelled: A multicenter study was conducted to assess the radiation exposure of relatives and caregivers of patients suffering from castration resistant prostate cancer with bone metastases and treated with Ra-223 dichloride in an outpatient setting. As Ra-223 and most of its progeny emit alpha particles, especially the internal exposure of persons in the patient's vicinity had to be evaluated.

Methods: The external radiation was measured in distances of 1 m and 2 m.

Measurement of Rn-219 with Alphaguard radon monitors.

The alpha-emitting radionuclide Ra-223 is used in nuclear medicine in form of the commercially available radiopharmaceutical "Xofigo". The direct progeny of Ra-223 is Rn-219, a noble gas with a half-life of approx. four seconds, that might be exhaled by patients treated with Ra-223.

Cytogenetic Analysis After Temporary Residence in the Area of the Uncontrolled Ruthenium-106 Release in Russia in September 2017.

In September and October 2017, elevated atmospheric ruthenium contamination was measured in several European countries. The most probable origin of this release of radionuclides was reconstructed to be the Southern Ural region. During that time, five workers from a German company stayed up to 2 wk about 120 km from the Chelyabinsk region in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Undernutrition and Tuberculosis: Public Health Implications.

Almost 800 million people are chronically undernourished worldwide, of whom 98% are in low- and middle-income countries where tuberculosis is endemic. In many tuberculosis-endemic countries, undernutrition is a driver of tuberculosis incidence and associated with a high population attributable fraction of tuberculosis and poor treatment outcomes. Data suggest that undernutrition impairs innate and adaptive immune responses needed to control Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and may affect responses to live vaccines, such as BCG.

Food security and dietary diversity are associated with health related quality of life after 6 months of follow up among people living with HIV in Accra, Ghana.

With the efficacy of antiretroviral therapy, people living with HIV (PLWH) are surviving longer and improving their health related quality of life (HRQol) has become an important long-term HIV treatment and management indicator. HRQol has been associated with various factors, including food insecurity (FI). The objective of this prospective study was to examine the association between FI and dietary diversity (HDDS) and HRQol among PLWH in Accra, Ghana.

Implementation of a nutrition assessment, counseling and support program and its association with body mass index among people living with HIV in Accra, Ghana.

In spite of the important role nutrition plays in the management of HIV, access to nutrition services is inadequate, especially in resource limited settings. In addition, nutrition programs for people living with HIV (PLWH) have not been sufficiently evaluated for efficacy and this study was conducted to address this gap. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of the nutrition assessment, counseling and support (NACS) program in Accra, Ghana, and to assess whether the level of implementation of NACS was associated with the body mass index (BMI) of PLWH.

2017 Infectious Diseases Society of America Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Infectious Diarrhea.

These guidelines are intended for use by healthcare professionals who care for children and adults with suspected or confirmed infectious diarrhea. They are not intended to replace physician judgement regarding specific patients or clinical or public health situations. This document does not provide detailed recommendations on infection prevention and control aspects related to infectious diarrhea.

High Prevalence of Lipid Abnormalities and Insulin Resistance Among Antiretroviral Naïve HIV-infected Children in India.

Background: As large numbers of children are accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART) in India, we evaluated the dietary intake, growth pattern and risk of metabolic complications like dyslipidemia and insulin resistance among ART-naïve HIV-infected children (CLHIV).

Methods: CLHIV 2-12 years of age, at the time of initiating ART in Chennai and Bangalore, were assessed for their dietary intake, anthropometry, blood CD4 cell count, HIV-1 viral load, fasting serum lipids, glucose and insulin. Homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance was derived.

2017 Infectious Diseases Society of America Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Infectious Diarrhea.

These guidelines are intended for use by healthcare professionals who care for children and adults with suspected or confirmed infectious diarrhea. They are not intended to replace physician judgement regarding specific patients or clinical or public health situations. This document does not provide detailed recommendations on infection prevention and control aspects related to infectious diarrhea.

How does dietary particle size affect carnivore gastrointestinal transit: A dog model.

The effect of dietary particle size on gastrointestinal transit in carnivores has not been studied and might offer more insight into their digestive physiology. This study evaluated the effect of two dietary particle sizes (fine = 7.8 mm vs.

Factors affecting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in HIV-infected patients on nevirapine-based antiretroviral therapy.

Background & Objectives: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and high triglycerides is common in the general population in India. As nevirapine (NVP)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) tends to increase HDL-C, gene polymorphisms associated with HDL-C metabolism in HIV-infected adults on stable NVP-based ART were studied.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2013 and July 2014 among adults receiving NVP-based ART for 12-15 months.

Neurodevelopment: The Impact of Nutrition and Inflammation During Preconception and Pregnancy in Low-Resource Settings.

The rapid pace of fetal development by far exceeds any other stage of the life span, and thus, environmental influences can profoundly alter the developmental course. Stress during the prenatal period, including malnutrition and inflammation, impact maternal and fetal neurodevelopment with long-term consequences for physical and mental health of both the mother and her child. One primary consequence of maternal malnutrition, inflammation, and other sources of prenatal stress is a poor birth outcome, such as prematurity or growth restriction.

Natural History of Cryptosporidiosis in a Birth Cohort in Southern India.

Background: Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of moderate to severe childhood diarrhea in resource-poor settings. Understanding the natural history of cryptosporidiosis and the correlates of protection are essential to develop effective and sustainable approaches to disease control and prevention.

Methods: Children (N = 497) were recruited at birth in semiurban slums in Vellore, India, and followed for 3 years with twice-weekly home visits.

[Disposal of radioactive contaminated waste from Ga-68-PET - calculation of a clearance level for Ge-68].

Ga-68-labeled radiotracers, particularly used for the detection of neuroendocrine tumors by means of Ga-68-DOTA-TATE or -DOTA-TOC or for the diagnosis of prostate cancer by means of Ga-68-labeled antigens (Ga 68-PSMA), become increasingly important. In addition to the high sensitivity and specificity of these radiopharmaceuticals, the short-lived radionuclide Ga-68 offers almost ideal nuclear characteristics for use in PET. Ga-68 is obtained from a germanium-gallium-generator system, so that the availability of Ga-68-labeled radiotracers is independent of an on-site-cyclotron regardless of the short half-life of Ga-68 of about 68minutes.

Longitudinal Analysis of the Intestinal Microbiota in Persistently Stunted Young Children in South India.

Stunting or reduced linear growth is very prevalent in low-income countries. Recent studies have demonstrated a causal relationship between alterations in the gut microbiome and moderate or severe acute malnutrition in children in these countries. However, there have been no primary longitudinal studies comparing the intestinal microbiota of persistently stunted children to that of non-stunted children in the same community.

Role of intestinal dysfunction in the nutritional compromise seen in human immunodeficiency virus-infected adults in rural India.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease progression is often marked by significant weight loss with or without chronic diarrhoea. We studied the extent of intestinal dysfunction using a D-xylose absorption test and association with nutritional compromise as measured by body mass index (BMI) and serum antioxidants levels in HIV-infected individuals through a cross-sectional survey of 45 ART naïve, HIV-positive and 45, age-socioeconomic status matched negative controls in a rural population in India. More than 40% of HIV-positive and HIV-negative participants had intestinal dysfunction (42.

FRAILTY, FOOD INSECURITY, AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS IN PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV.

Background: Nutritional status and food insecurity are associated with frailty in the general U.S. population, yet little is known about this in the aging population of people living with HIV (PLWH).

Cholesterol Levels in HIV- and/or HCV-Infected Drug Users Living in Argentina.

Improved understanding of cholesterol levels in HIV- and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected persons in Argentina will guide optimal antiretroviral therapy. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study in Argentina to describe associations between HIV, HCV, and cholesterol. Of the 202 participants, 21 were HIV infected, 15 were HCV infected, 46 were HIV/HCV coinfected, and 120 were HIV/HCV uninfected.