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Development of prototypes draws major focus in contemporary manufacturing organisations. Sustainability analysis and comparison of the prototype manufacturing process plays a vital role in deciding the sustainability level of the product. Sustainability of prototyping depends on model building material and model building process. In this paper based on the customer requirements, Environmental Conscious Quality Function Deployment (ECQFD) was carried out. Increased lives, strength, reduced toxicity of material with biodegradability were the major outputs of ECQFD. Cambridge Engineering Selector (CES) and Grey Relation Analysis (GRA) were used for material selection. Wood, ABS, Poly Lactic acid (PLA) and Lead were selected as cost efficient materials for the case product. A CAD model of the case product was developed and subjected to Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) using solid works sustainability express for the above materials. Prototypes of the case products where produced by wood carving, casting, CNC Milling and 3D printing by considering all input parameters required across each process. LCA was conducted using GaBi for the above process and the results were compared. From this study, it was observed that the case product developed using PLA with 3D printing technology had very less impact on environment and is considered as the best and cost effective prototyping method.

Tangeretin, 4′,5,6,7,8-pentamethoxyflavone, is one of the major polymethoxyflavones (PMFs) existing in citrus fruits, particularly in the peels of sweet oranges and mandarins. Tangeretin has been reported to possess several beneficial bioactivities including anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative and neuroprotective effects. To achieve a thorough understanding of the biological actions of tangeretin in vivo, our current study is designed to investigate the pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, distribution and excretion of tangeretin in rats. After oral administration of 50 mg/kg bw tangeretin to rats, the Cmax, Tmax and t1/2 were 0.87 ± 0.33 μg/mL, 340.00 ± 48.99 min and 342.43 ± 71.27 min, respectively. Based on the area under the curves (AUC) of oral and intravenous administration of tangeretin, calculated absolute oral bioavailability was 27.11%. During tissue distribution, maximum concentrations of tangeretin in the vital organs occurred at 4 or 8 h after oral administration. The highest accumulation of tangeretin was found in the kidney, lung and liver, followed by spleen and heart. In the gastrointestinal tract, maximum concentrations of tangeretin in the stomach and small intestine were found at 4 h, while in the cecum, colon and rectum, tangeretin reached the maximum concentrations at 12 h. Tangeretin excreted in the urine and feces was recovered within 48 h after oral administration, concentrations were only 0.0026% and 7.54%, respectively. These results suggest that tangeretin was mainly eliminated as metabolites. In conclusion, our study provides useful information regarding absorption, distribution, as well as excretion of tangeretin, which will provide a good base for studying the mechanism of its biological effects. [Display omitted] •Absolute oral bioavailability of tangeretin in rats was 27.11%.•Tangeretin was mainly concentrated in the kidney, lung and liver.•Less than 8% of tangeretin excreted in either urine or feces.

A mixed method case study procedure was employed for this research. The quantitative approach utilized survey questionnaire to collect self reported baseline oral health information among adults ages 18 and older in Liberia, West Africa. Forty two case study participants provided direct written responses to 27 survey questions with emphasis on case study participants oral health behaviors, oral health history, oral health problems and psychosocial factors. Direct response interview questions and a focus group discussion made up the qualitative fragment of the case study. Fifteen participants completed 10 questions and provided self reported information pertaining to their oral health habits and practices. Ten case study participants discussed 4 questions primarily focused on case study participants barriers to attaining good oral health status. An excel spreadsheet was used to compile participants responses from survey questionnaire data using frequency counts for nominal variables. The direct response interview questions and focus group discussion responses were analyzed by itemizing and grouping participants written statements and key words into specific category to generate themes and patterns in helping to extrapolate participants overall viewpoints. Responses gathered from the survey questionnaire indicated that oral health conditions among respondents were satisfactory in relation to the lack of oral health services and poor oral health literacy among case study participants.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) with MYC translocations combined with translocations involving BCL-2 or BCL-6 are referred to as double-hit lymphomas. These lymphomas are generally refractory to currently available therapies and have a poor prognosis. Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) is a rare subtype of DLBCL, which shares clinical, pathologic, and genetic similarities with classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. Unlike DLBCL, rearrangements involving MYC, BCL-2, and BCL-6 are typically absent in PMBL. We present a patient with PMBL who had increased gene copy numbers of MYC and BCL-2 along with increased protein expression of BCL-2 (c-Myc expression was about 15%-20% by immunostain). The disease was refractory to standard and salvage chemotherapies. The lymphoma, however, responded to brentuximab vedotin, a CD30-directed chemoimmunoconjugate.

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) decreases bone mineral density (BMD). We hypothesized that vitamin D3 (VITD3) would increase BMD in youth receiving TDF. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of directly observed VITD3 vs placebo every 4 weeks for 48 weeks in youth aged 16-24 years with HIV, RNA load <200 copies/mL, taking TDF-containing combination antiretroviral therapy (TDF-cART) for ≥180 days. Participants (N = 214) received a daily multivitamin containing VITD3 400 IU and calcium 162 mg, plus monthly randomized VITD3 50000 IU (n = 109) or placebo (n = 105). Outcome was change from baseline to week 48 in lumbar spine BMD (LSBMD). Data presented are median (Q1, Q3). Participants were aged 22.0 (21.0, 23.0) years, 84% were male, and 74% were black/African American. At baseline, 62% had 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD) <20 ng/mL. Multivitamin adherence was 49% (29%, 69%), and VITD3/placebo adherence 100% (100%, 100%). Vitamin D intake was 2020 (1914, 2168) and 284 (179, 394) IU/day, and serum 25-OHD concentration was 36.9 (30.5, 42.4) and 20.6 (14.4, 25.8) ng/mL at 48 weeks in VITD3 and placebo groups, respectively (P < .001). From baseline to week 48, LSBMD increased by 1.15% (-0.75% to 2.74%) in the VITD3 group (n = 99; P < .001) and 0.09% (-1.49% to 2.61%) in the placebo group (n = 89; P = .25), without between-group difference (P = .12). VITD3 group changes occurred with baseline 25-OHD <20 ng/mL (1.17% [-.82% to 2.90%]; P = .004) and ≥20 ng/mL (0.93% [-.26% to 2.15%]; P = .033). For youth taking TDF-cART, LSBMD increased through 48 weeks with VITD3 plus multivitamin, but not with placebo plus multivitamin, independent of baseline vitamin D status. NCT01751646.

The goal of this research was to examine associations among sociodemographic factors, HIV risk, and community context (e.g., economic insecurity, job training, housing instability, crime victimization, and perceived community norms) in adolescents and young adults who ever exchanged sex for drugs or money. Anonymous survey data were collected using ACASIs at community venues where adolescents and young adults congregate in resource-challenged, STI prevalent, urban, US neighborhoods. Conventional descriptive statistics, Fisher’s exact tests, and generalized estimating equations approaches were used to examine associations. Participants (1818, 95.5 % of those screened eligible) were, on average, aged 21.0 years; 42.2 % were males, and 4.6 % were transgender. Almost one-third (32.1 %) identified as gay or lesbian, 18.1 % identified as bisexual; 66.2 % were Black and 21.0 % were Hispanic; 1.3 % was ‘living on the street’. A sizeable proportion reported HIV-related risk: 16.3 % exchanged sex, 12.6 % had sex with someone they knew to be HIV-infected, 7.8 % had sex with someone who injected drugs, and 1.3 % injected drugs. Multivariate comparisons identified a number of variables (e.g., being male or transgender, homelessness, sex with a partner who has HIV, STI history, unemployment, job training access, housing instability, crime victimization, perceived community norms) that were significantly associated with exchange of sex (p < 0.05). This research contributes to the knowledge-base regarding exchange of sex among adolescents and young adults, particularly as it relates to community context. Longitudinal studies to describe the trajectory of social, health, and physical risks and consequences are needed for development of effective evidence-based prevention strategies.

The mammalian splicing factor U2AF$^{65}$ binds to the polypyrimidine tract adjacent to the 3′ splice site and promotes assembly of U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein on the upstream branch point, an interaction that involves base pairing with U2 small nuclear RNA (snRNA). U2AF$^{65}$ contains an RNA binding domain, required for interaction with the polypyrimidine tract, and an arginine-serine-rich (RS) region, required for U2 snRNP recruitment and splicing. Here it is reported that binding of U2AF$^{65}$ to the polypyrimidine tract directed the RS domain to contact the branch point and promoted U2 snRNA-branch point base pairing even in the absence of other splicing factors. Analysis of RS domain mutants indicated that the ability of U2AF$^{65}$ to contact the branch point, to promote the U2 snRNA-branch point interaction, and to support splicing are related activities, requiring only a few basic amino acids. Thus, the U2AF$^{65}$ RS domain plays a direct role in modulating spliceosomal RNA-RNA interactions.

This study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance and nutrient digestibility of guar meal, an unconventional protein-rich feed ingredient in kids in comparison to conventional groundnut cake. A total of 18 kids were randomly allotted to three groups, and T1 group was fed on basal diet, T2 and T3 groups were offered diet replacing groundnut cake at 50% and 100% with guar meal, respectively, for a period of 120-day. At the end of the growth trial, a digestibility trial was conducted to evaluate the nutrient utilization. There was no significant difference in dry matter intake among three groups. Nutrient digestibilities were significantly higher (p<0.05) in kids fed T2 ration with 50% replacement of groundnut cake with guar meal. It can be concluded that guar meal can be incorporated at 50% level in the concentrate mixture of goats replacing groundnut cake without any adverse effects.

Background Morbidity due to Buruli ulcer disease (BUD), a cutaneous infection caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, has been increasingly recognized in rural West Africa. The source and mode of transmission remain unknown. Methods To identify BUD risk factors, we conducted a case-control study in 3 BUD-endemic districts in Ghana. We enrolled case patients with clinically diagnosed BUD and obtained skin biopsy specimens. M. ulcerans infection was confirmed by at least 1 of the following diagnostic methods: histopathologic analysis, culture, polymerase chain reaction, and Ziehl-Neelsen staining of a lesion smear. We compared characteristics of case patients with confirmed BUD with those of age- and community-matched control subjects using conditional logistic regression analysis. Results Among 121 case patients with confirmed BUD, leg lesions (49%) or arm lesions (36%) were common. Male case patients were significantly more likely than female case patients to have lesions on the trunk (25% vs. 6%; P = .009). Multivariable modeling among 116 matched case-control pairs identified wading in a river as a risk factor for BUD (odds ratio [OR], 2.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27–5.68; P = .0096). Wearing a shirt while farming (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.11–0.70; P = .0071), sharing indoor living space with livestock (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.15–0.86; P = .022), and bathing with toilet soap (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.19–0.90; P = .026) appeared to be protective. BUD was not significantly associated with penetrating injuries (P = .14), insect bites near water bodies (P = .84), bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination (P = .33), or human immunodeficiency virus infection (P = .99). Conclusions BUD is an environmentally acquired infection strongly associated with exposure to river areas. Exposed skin may facilitate transmission. Until transmission is better defined, control strategies in BUD-endemic areas could include covering exposed skin.

Young pregnant women with HIV may be at significant risk of unplanned pregnancy, lower treatment coverage, and other adverse pregnancy outcomes. In a large cohort of pregnant women with HIV in Italy, among 2979 pregnancies followed in 2001–2016, 9·0% were in women <25 years, with a significant increase over time (2001–2005: 7·0%; 2006–2010: 9·1%; 2011–2016: 12·2%, P < 0·001). Younger women had a lower rate of planned pregnancy (23·2% vs. 37·7%, odds ratio (OR) 0·50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·36–0·69), were more frequently diagnosed with HIV in pregnancy (46·5% vs. 20·9%, OR 3·29, 95% CI 2·54–4·25), and, if already diagnosed with HIV before pregnancy, were less frequently on antiretroviral treatment at conception (<25 years: 56·3%; ⩾25 years: 69·0%, OR 0·58, 95% CI 0·41–0·81). During pregnancy, treatment coverage was almost universal in both age groups (98·5% vs. 99·3%), with no differences in rate of HIV viral suppression at third trimester and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The data show that young women represent a growing proportion of pregnant women with HIV, and are significantly more likely to have unplanned pregnancy, undiagnosed HIV infection, and lower treatment coverage at conception. During pregnancy, antiretroviral treatment, HIV suppression, and pregnancy outcomes are similar compared with older women. Earlier intervention strategies may provide additional benefits in the quality of care for women with HIV.