scholarly journals Why do poxviruses still matter?

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhilong Yang ◽  
Mark Gray ◽  
Lake Winter

AbstractPoxviruses comprise many members that infect both vertebrate and invertebrate animals, including humans. Despite the eradication of the historically notorious smallpox, poxviruses remain significant public health concerns and serious endemic diseases. This short review briefly summarizes the present, historical, and future threats posed by poxviruses to public health, wildlife and domestic animals, the role poxviruses have played in shaping modern medicine and biomedical sciences, the insight poxviruses have provided into complex life processes, and the utility of poxviruses in biotechniques and in fighting other infectious diseases and cancers. It is anticipated that readers will appreciate the great merit and need for continued strong support of poxvirus research; research which benefits not only the expansion of fundamental biological knowledge but also the battle against diverse diseases.

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-304
Author(s):  
Kripouri Panagiota ◽  
Filippou Dimitrios

Helminthiasis is known to man since antiquity, but it still remains a significant public health problem. In ancient times many plants have been tried as possible therapeutics in search of an effective drug. This manuscript investigates ancient beliefs on parasitic worm infestation. Moreover, Alexander of Tralles’ (525 – 605 CE) suggestions on the treatment of this condition are discussed as found in his lesser-known work “A letter on helminths”, along with comments on the use of those herbal cures by modern medicine.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 250-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M Hille

ObjectiveTo identify changes in the linear trend of the age-standardized incidence of melanoma in Australia for all persons, males, and females. MethodsA two-piece piecewise linear regression was fitted to the data. The piecewise breakpoint varied through an iterative process to determine the model that best fits the data.ResultsStatistically significant changes in the trendof the age-standardized incidence of melanoma in Australia were found for all persons, males, and females. The optimal breakpoint for all persons and males was at 1998. For females, the optimal breakpoint was at 2005. The trend after these breakpoints was flatter than prior to the breakpoints, but still positive.ConclusionMelanoma is a significant public health issue in Australia. Overall incidence continues to increase. However, the rate at which the incidence is increasing appears to be decreasing.


Author(s):  
Jennifer D. Allen ◽  
Rachel C. Shelton ◽  
Karen M. Emmons ◽  
Laura A. Linnan

There is substantial variability in the implementation of evidence-based interventions across the United States, which leads to inconsistent access to evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies at a population level. Increased dissemination and implementation of evidence-based interventions could result in significant public health gains. While the availability of evidence-based interventions is increasing, study of implementation, adaptation, and dissemination has only recently gained attention in public health. To date, insufficient attention has been given to the issue of fidelity. Consideration of fidelity is necessary to balance the need for internal and external validity across the research continuum. There is also a need for a more robust literature to increase knowledge about factors that influence fidelity, strategies for maximizing fidelity, methods for measuring and analyzing fidelity, and examining sources of variability in implementation fidelity.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1656
Author(s):  
Carla Huerta-López ◽  
Jorge Alegre-Cebollada

Biomaterials are dynamic tools with many applications: from the primitive use of bone and wood in the replacement of lost limbs and body parts, to the refined involvement of smart and responsive biomaterials in modern medicine and biomedical sciences. Hydrogels constitute a subtype of biomaterials built from water-swollen polymer networks. Their large water content and soft mechanical properties are highly similar to most biological tissues, making them ideal for tissue engineering and biomedical applications. The mechanical properties of hydrogels and their modulation have attracted a lot of attention from the field of mechanobiology. Protein-based hydrogels are becoming increasingly attractive due to their endless design options and array of functionalities, as well as their responsiveness to stimuli. Furthermore, just like the extracellular matrix, they are inherently viscoelastic in part due to mechanical unfolding/refolding transitions of folded protein domains. This review summarizes different natural and engineered protein hydrogels focusing on different strategies followed to modulate their mechanical properties. Applications of mechanically tunable protein-based hydrogels in drug delivery, tissue engineering and mechanobiology are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 117863022110183
Author(s):  
Hamidreza Aghababaeian ◽  
Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh ◽  
Ali Ardalan ◽  
Ali Asgary ◽  
Mehry Akbary ◽  
...  

Background: Dust storms and their impacts on health are becoming a major public health issue. The current study examines the health impacts of dust storms around the world to provide an overview of this issue. Method: In this systematic review, 140 relevant and authoritative English articles on the impacts of dust storms on health (up to September 2019) were identified and extracted from 28 968 articles using valid keywords from various databases (PubMed, WOS, EMBASE, and Scopus) and multiple screening steps. Selected papers were then qualitatively examined and evaluated. Evaluation results were summarized using an Extraction Table. Results: The results of the study are divided into two parts: short and long-term impacts of dust storms. Short-term impacts include mortality, visitation, emergency medical dispatch, hospitalization, increased symptoms, and decreased pulmonary function. Long-term impacts include pregnancy, cognitive difficulties, and birth problems. Additionally, this study shows that dust storms have devastating impacts on health, affecting cardiovascular and respiratory health in particular. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that dust storms have significant public health impacts. More attention should be paid to these natural hazards to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate these hazardous events to reduce their negative health impacts. Registration: PROSPERO registration number CRD42018093325


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 44S-50S ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle M. Joyner ◽  
Eman Faris ◽  
Diana Hernández ◽  
Joyce Moon Howard ◽  
Robert E. Fullilove ◽  
...  

A public health workforce that reflects the increasing diversity of the U.S. population is critical for health promotion and to eliminate persistent health disparities. Academic institutions must provide appropriate education and training to increase diversity in public health professions to improve efforts to provide culturally competent care and programs in the most vulnerable communities. Reaching into the existing talent pool of diverse candidates at the undergraduate level is a promising avenue for building a pipeline to advanced training and professional careers in the field of public health. The Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) is a 10-week summer internship program with a mission to increase knowledge and interest in public health and biomedical sciences. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Undergraduate Public Health Summer Programs, sponsored by the CDC’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, SPHSP aims to pipeline underrepresented students into public health graduate programs and careers by providing mentorship, academic enrichment, professional development, and field-based placements. The SPHSP is uniquely positioned to offer scholars a program that exposes them to core public health training components through the joint effort of all four CUIMC schools: public health, dentistry, nursing, and medicine. Here, we describe the program’s academic enrichment components, which provide advanced and multifaceted public health training opportunities. We discuss the impacts of the program on student outcomes and lessons learned in developing and refining the program model.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  

Gambling-related harms are increasingly recognised as a significant public health issue in Great Britain. The vast majority of those experiencing gambling harms remain unidentified and without support. Don't Bet Your Life On It (DBYLOI) blends lived experience and clinical expertise to deliver practical safer gambling strategies virtually for players that can be accessed anytime and anywhere to prevent any life from being needlessly affected by gambling-related harm. It is designed to support players at any level of play by providing players with a “seat belt” to prevent harms from occurring, identify early signs of risk, and signpost those experiencing harms to get the help they need. This theory of change visual and narrative considers the inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes necessary to achieve these goals. It can be used by organizations, groups, and individuals in any sector impacted by gambling related harms in Great Britain.


2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 2075-2082 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Garcia Serpa Osorio-de-Castro ◽  
Gabriela Costa Chaves ◽  
Adriana Mendoza Ruiz ◽  
Elaine Silva Miranda ◽  
Mônica Rodrigues Campos ◽  
...  

Malaria is a serious public health problem in over 90 countries worldwide. In Brazil the disease is prevalent in the Amazon and the control rationale is based on early diagnosis and treatment. Quality pharmaceutical services are considered a key element for control. A proposal for evaluating pharmaceutical services for malaria is presented here. A theoretical outline composed of a logical model and an indicator framework is discussed and strives to establish a basis for assessment and judgment of the way in which these services are actually delivered. The aim is to contribute to the understanding of pharmaceutical services for malaria and other endemic diseases, complying with the directives of the Brazilian National Medicines Policy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mainak Bardhan ◽  
Debolina Pramanik ◽  
Rizana Riyaz ◽  
Mohammad Mehedi Hasan ◽  
Mohammad Yasir Essar

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc in the world from last year, and any further insults like Zika virus will surely bring the apocalypse unto us. In July 2021, Zika began spreading in India, mainly in the state of Kerala. Zika infection resembles closely COVID-19 and other arboviral infections, which might lead to delayed and misdiagnosis, further leading to underreporting of cases. Some of the feared complications of Zika include Guillain–Barré syndrome and congenital Zika syndrome leading to microcephaly. Thus, Zika virus disease (ZVD) has significant public health and social impacts. Since the trifecta of infectious diseases (host, agent and environment) are all conducive to the spread of Zika in India, there is a huge risk that ZVD might become endemic in India, which is especially dangerous in the backdrop of this pandemic. This has to be stopped at all costs: the main aspects of which are public health measures, vector control and early diagnosis, especially in case of pregnant women. The diversion of healthcare resources for this pandemic has albeit made this difficult, but we must do our bit if we have to overcome this situation.


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