Pelvic arteriovenous malformation mimicking benign prostatic hyperplasia: A case report.

Pelvic arteriovenous malformation is a rare vascular abnormality, espescially in male patients, and is difficult to treat because of its nature supplied by multiple arterial feeders. We report a 70-year-old male patient admitted due to symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Ultrasound was performed initially, and no other abnormalities were found other than an enlarged prostate. CT scan later demonstrated a pelvic arteriovenous malformation adjacent to the prostate, with multiple arterial feeders from the right internal iliac artery. Angiography confirmed the diagnosis, and transaterial embolization was successfully done. The symptoms disappeared several days later, and the patient remained asymptompmatic during follow-up.

Current application of algae derivatives for bioplastic production: A review.

Improper use of conventional plastics poses challenges for sustainable energy and environmental protection. Algal derivatives have been considered as a potential renewable biomass source for bioplastic production. Algae derivatives include a multitude of valuable substances, especially starch from microalgae, short-chain length polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) from cyanobacteria, polysaccharides from marine and freshwater macroalgae. The algae derivatives have the potential to be used as key ingredients for bioplastic production, such as starch and PHAs or only as an additive such as sulfated polysaccharides. The presence of distinctive functional groups in algae, such as carboxyl, hydroxyl, and sulfate, can be manipulated or tailored to provide desirable bioplastic quality, especially for food, pharmaceutical, and medical packaging. Standardizing strains, growing conditions, harvesting and extracting algae in an environmentally friendly manner would be a promising strategy for pollution control and bioplastic production.

A prospective "test-and-treat" demonstration project among people who inject drugs in Vietnam.

INTRODUCTION: Modelling suggests that early diagnosis and immediate antiretroviral therapy (ART) among key populations would have a substantial impact in reducing HIV transmission and mortality in Vietnam. An implementation research project of "test-and-treat" among people who inject drugs (PWID) was developed to inform effective roll-out of such interventions. METHODS: "Test-and-treat" was offered to PWID in two high burden provinces, Thai Nguyen and Thanh Hoa. The interventions comprised the offer of biannual HIV testing and immediate ART, irrespective of CD4 count. PWID were enrolled between April 2014 and July 2015 and followed up for 12 months, and retention, HIV viral load (VL) and risk behaviours were assessed. Retention in care of this prospective cohort was compared with the retention among men enrolled in care in the preceding period (April 2012 to March 2013) at the same clinics when ART was initiated at CD4 cell count ≤350 cells/mm3 . RESULTS: In total, 287 HIV positive PWID started immediate ART. The majority (98%) were men; median age was 34; and median (interquartile range) CD4 count was 199 (50 to 402) cells/mm3 . After 12 months, 238 participants (83%) were retained on ART, and 205 achieved viral suppression (<1000 copies/mL) (92% among those in whom VL was measured, 71% overall). Baseline CD4 count ≤100 cells/mm3 and history of imprisonment were associated with lower retention and viral suppression, while engagement in methadone maintenance was associated with higher retention. Retention in care was higher in the "test-and-treat" cohort (83%) compared with men enrolled in care in the preceding period (78%), primarily because lost-to-follow-up during pre-ART care was eliminated. No decline in consistent condom use and clean needle use was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Early ART initiation resulted in successful treatment outcomes among PWID, with no observed increase in self-reported risk behaviours, suggesting feasibility and potential effectiveness of "test-and-treat" approach. The results also call for differentiated care for PWID, including promoting early diagnosis and engagement in methadone maintenance therapy while enhancing care for those with advanced HIV disease and history of imprisonment.

An efficient access to ß-ketosulfones via ß-sulfonylvinylamines: metal-organic framework catalysis for the direct C-S coupling of sodium sulfinates with oxime acetates.

A copper-based framework Cu2(OBA)2(BPY) was synthesized and used as a recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of ß-sulfonylvinylamines from sodium sulfinates and oxime acetates via direct C-S coupling reaction. The transformation was remarkably affected by the solvent, and chlorobenzene emerged as the best option. This Cu-MOF displayed higher activity than numerous conventional homogeneous and MOF-based catalysts. The catalyst was reutilized many times in the synthesis of ß-sulfonylvinylamines without considerably deteriorating in catalytic efficiency. These ß-sulfonylvinylamines were readily converted to the corresponding ß-ketosulfones via a hydrolysis step with aqueous HCl solution. To the best of our knowledge, this direct C-S coupling reaction to achieve ß-sulfonylvinylamines was not previously conducted with a heterogeneous catalyst.