scholarly journals Schistosomiasis: from established diagnostic assays to emerging micro/nanotechnology-based rapid field testing for clinical management and epidemiology

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 439-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurice Mutro Nigo ◽  
Georgette Salieb-Beugelaar ◽  
Manuel Battegay ◽  
Peter Odermatt ◽  
Patrick Hunziker
Keyword(s):  
Point Of Care ◽  
Field Testing ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Analytical Strategy ◽  
Diagnostic Assays ◽  
And Control ◽  
Analytical Platforms ◽  
Selection Of

Schistosomiasis is a neglected invasive worm disease with a huge disease burden in developing countries, particularly in children, and is seen increasingly in non-endemic regions through transfer by travellers, expatriates, and refugees. Undetected and untreated infections may be responsible for the persistence of transmission. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is the key to treatment and control. So far, parasitological detection methods remain the cornerstone of Schistosoma infection diagnosis in endemic regions, but conventional tests have limited sensitivity, in particular in low-grade infection. Recent advances contribute to improved detection in clinical and field settings. The recent progress in micro- and nanotechnologies opens a road by enabling the design of new miniaturized point-of-care devices and analytical platforms, which can be used for the rapid detection of these infections. This review starts with an overview of currently available laboratory tests and their performance and then discusses emerging rapid and micro/nanotechnologies-based tools. The epidemiological and clinical setting of testing is then discussed as an important determinant for the selection of the best analytical strategy in patients suspected to suffer from Schistosoma infection. Finally, it discusses the potential role of advanced technologies in the setting near to disease eradication is examined.

scholarly journals Diagnosis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bharat S. Parekh ◽  
Chin-Yih Ou ◽  
Peter N. Fonjungo ◽  
Mireille B. Kalou ◽  
Erin Rottinghaus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Epidemic Control ◽  
Quality Management Systems ◽  
Life Saving ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Periodic Monitoring ◽  
Hiv Diagnostics ◽  
Selection Of

SUMMARYHIV diagnostics have played a central role in the remarkable progress in identifying, staging, initiating, and monitoring infected individuals on life-saving antiretroviral therapy. They are also useful in surveillance and outbreak responses, allowing for assessment of disease burden and identification of vulnerable populations and transmission “hot spots,” thus enabling planning, appropriate interventions, and allocation of appropriate funding. HIV diagnostics are critical in achieving epidemic control and require a hybrid of conventional laboratory-based diagnostic tests and new technologies, including point-of-care (POC) testing, to expand coverage, increase access, and positively impact patient management. In this review, we provide (i) a historical perspective on the evolution of HIV diagnostics (serologic and molecular) and their interplay with WHO normative guidelines, (ii) a description of the role of conventional and POC testing within the tiered laboratory diagnostic network, (iii) information on the evaluations and selection of appropriate diagnostics, (iv) a description of the quality management systems needed to ensure reliability of testing, and (v) strategies to increase access while reducing the time to return results to patients. Maintaining the central role of HIV diagnostics in programs requires periodic monitoring and optimization with quality assurance in order to inform adjustments or alignment to achieve epidemic control.

Motives for ‘Disappearances’ in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay in the 1970s

1995 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang S. Heinz
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
State Violence ◽  
Civilian Control ◽  
Internal Security ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Military ◽  
Good And Evil ◽  
Point Of Departure ◽  
Selection Of

The article looks at the motives of military governments in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay to introduce ‘disappearances’ as a new method to fight ‘subversion’ and thereby commit human rights violations. Five variables are taken as a point of departure, the country's previous experience with use of state violence, the selection of victims, the role of international public opinion, the selection of methods within the state and ideological factors. Among the key elements were in two countries the shift of responsibility for the use of violence to the military before the coup (except Chile), a lack of civilian control and influence in the formulation and control of internal security policies and an overwhelming, confused ideological definition in Argentina and in Chile (to a lesser degree in Uruguay) of the armed conflict as a war between good and evil and against World Communism which endangered the survival of the nation.

scholarly journals Serological Diagnostic Assays for HIV-Associated Tuberculosis in Sub-Saharan Africa?

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 787-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen D. Lawn
Keyword(s):  
Potential Role ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Antibody Responses ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Simple Point ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Diagnostic Assays ◽  
Hiv Coinfection ◽  
Sub Saharan

ABSTRACTIn this issue ofClinical and Vaccine Immunology, Siev and colleagues present an evaluation of antibody responses to four immunodominant proteins ofMycobacterium tuberculosisin patients with HIV-associated pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in South Africa (M. Siev, D. Wilson, S. Kainth, V. O. Kasprowicz, C. M. Feintuch, E. Jenny-Avital, and J. J. Achkar, 21:791–798, 2014, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/CVI.00805-13). This commentary discusses the enormous need for simple point-of-care assays for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis in patients with and without HIV coinfection in high-burden settings and considers the potential role of serological assays and the huge challenges inherent in developing and validating such assays.

scholarly journals COVID-19 diagnostic multiplicity and its role in community surveillance and control

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishwajit Deshmukh ◽  
Satyendra N. Tripathi ◽  
Ashlesh Patil ◽  
Jaya Prasad Tripathy
Keyword(s):  
Point Of Care ◽  
Antibody Detection ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Global Consensus ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Diagnostic Modalities ◽  
Antigen Antibody ◽  
And Control

Diagnosis of persons exposed to/infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is central to controlling the global pandemic of COVID-19. Currently, several diagnostic modalities are available for COVID-19, each with its own pros and cons. Although there is a global consensus to increase the testing capacity, it is also essential to prudently utilize these tests to control the pandemic. In this paper, we have reviewed the current array of diagnostics for SARSCoV-2 highlighted the gaps in current diagnostic modalities and their role in community surveillance and control of the pandemic. The different modalities of COVID-19 diagnosis discussed are: clinical and radiological, molecular-based (laboratory-based and point-of-care), Immunoassay based (ELISA, rapid antigen and antibody detection tests) and digital diagnostics (artificial intelligence-based algorithms). The role of rapid antigen/antibody detection tests in community surveillance has also been described here. These tests can be used to identify asymptomatic persons exposed to the virus and in community-based seroprevalence surveys to assess the epidemiology of spread of the virus. However, there are few concerns about the accuracy of these tests which needs to evaluated beforehand.

Management of Metastatic Sarcoma

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayana Allard-Picou ◽  
Steven C Katz
Keyword(s):  
Soft Tissue ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
The Body ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Histologic Subtype ◽  
Metastatic Sarcoma ◽  
Selection Of Patients ◽  
Selection Of

Approximately 12,310 soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) were diagnosed in 2016. These tumors originate from mesenchymal cells throughout the body and account for less than 1% of all newly diagnosed cancers in adults. STSs comprise a heterogeneous group of tumors, with over 50 different histologic subtypes categorized based on the presumptive tissue of origin, each with varying individual characteristics and varying patterns of behavior. Most commonly, they originate in the extremity followed by the trunk as the second most common site of primary lesions. The likelihood of metastatic spread is highly variable among histologic subtype and primary disease site. Distant hematogenous metastases occur in up to 50% of patients with high-grade sarcomas but in only 5% of patients with low-grade sarcomas. Most metastases occur within 2 years following initial diagnosis. The risk of metastasis is dependent on several prognostic factors, including tumor depth, tumor size, and mitotic rate. The role of surgery in the management of metastatic disease is governed by careful patient selection in the context of a multidisciplinary plan including systemic treatment. Selection of patients for resection of sarcoma metastases is most appropriately based on consideration of factors associated with long-term survival. We review the role of surgery in the management of STS metastases, rational selection of patients for resection, and strategies for integrating surgery into multidisciplinary treatment planning for patients with metastatic STS.  This review contains 3 figures, 3 tables and 60 references Key words: gastrointestinal stromal tumor, hepatic sarcoma metastases, metastatic sarcoma, pulmonary sarcoma metastases, retroperitoneal sarcoma, sarcoma, soft tissue sarcoma, surgical resection of sarcoma metastases  

scholarly journals Hypoxia in the tumorigenesis of gliomas and as a potential target for therapeutic measures

2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. E24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randy L. Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Clonal Selection ◽  
Hypoxia Inducible Factor ◽  
Tumor Hypoxia ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Genetic Changes ◽  
Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1 ◽  
Therapeutic Measures ◽  
Selection Of

✓ In this article, the author provides a brief description of the role of hypoxia in the tumorigenesis of gliomas and suggests potential ways of exploiting this role to design treatment modalities. Tumor hypoxia predicts the likelihood of metastases, tumor recurrence, resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, invasive potential, and decreased patient survival for many human malignancies. Various methods of measurement of tumor hypoxia are discussed, including direct measurement and imaging methods. The role of hypoxia-responsive molecules, especially hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), in glioma tumorigenesis is explored. Treatment modalities regulated by hypoxia are proposed and some potential strategies reviewed. The progression of a low-grade astrocytoma to a glioblastoma multiforme may be mediated by hypoxia-induced phenotypic changes and subsequent clonal selection of cells that overexpress hypoxia-responsive molecules, such as HIF-1. In this model, intratumoral hypoxia causes genetic changes that produce a microenvironment that selects for cells of a more aggressive phenotype.

scholarly journals Role of TIPS in Improving Survival of Patients with Decompensated Liver Disease

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sundeep J. Punamiya ◽  
Deepak N. Amarapurkar
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Options ◽  
Venous Pressure ◽  
Covered Stents ◽  
Decompensated Liver Disease ◽  
Portosystemic Shunts ◽  
Portal Decompression ◽  
Cirrhotic Patients ◽  
And Control ◽  
Selection Of

Liver cirrhosis is associated with higher morbidity and reduced survival with appearance of portal hypertension and resultant decompensation. Portal decompression plays a key role in improving survival in these patients. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts are known to be efficacious in reducing portal venous pressure and control of complications such as variceal bleeding and ascites. However, they have been associated with significant problems such as poor shunt durability, increased encephalopathy, and unchanged survival when compared with conservative treatment options. The last decade has seen a significant improvement in these complications, with introduction of covered stents, better selection of patients, and clearer understanding of procedural end-points. Use of TIPS early in the period of decompensation also appears promising in further improvement of survival of cirrhotic patients.

scholarly journals Implications of asymptomatic carriers for infectious disease transmission and control

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 172341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca H. Chisholm ◽  
Patricia T. Campbell ◽  
Yue Wu ◽  
Steven Y. C. Tong ◽  
Jodie McVernon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Model Structure ◽  
Infectious Disease Transmission ◽  
Asymptomatic Carriers ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Control ◽  
Selection Of

For infectious pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae , some hosts may carry the pathogen and transmit it to others, yet display no symptoms themselves. These asymptomatic carriers contribute to the spread of disease but go largely undetected and can therefore undermine efforts to control transmission. Understanding the natural history of carriage and its relationship to disease is important for the design of effective interventions to control transmission. Mathematical models of infectious diseases are frequently used to inform decisions about control and should therefore accurately capture the role played by asymptomatic carriers. In practice, incorporating asymptomatic carriers into models is challenging due to the sparsity of direct evidence. This absence of data leads to uncertainty in estimates of model parameters and, more fundamentally, in the selection of an appropriate model structure. To assess the implications of this uncertainty, we systematically reviewed published models of carriage and propose a new model of disease transmission with asymptomatic carriage. Analysis of our model shows how different assumptions about the role of asymptomatic carriers can lead to different conclusions about the transmission and control of disease. Critically, selecting an inappropriate model structure, even when parameters are correctly estimated, may lead to over- or under-estimates of intervention effectiveness. Our results provide a more complete understanding of the role of asymptomatic carriers in transmission and highlight the importance of accurately incorporating carriers into models used to make decisions about disease control.

scholarly journals Application guide: training of professional users of devices for near-patient testing

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Barabas ◽  
Andreas Bietenbeck
Keyword(s):  
Point Of Care ◽  
Point Of Care Testing ◽  
Operator Training ◽  
Train The Trainer ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Learning Path ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Near Patient Testing ◽  
Selection Of

AbstractInsufficient operator training has been identified as an underlying root cause for many errors of point-of-care testing. However, while the need for operator training is beyond doubt, the practical solutions on how to train operators remain challenging. Therefore a multidisciplinary team of experts created the application guide VDE-AR-E 2411-2-101 “Schulung professioneller Anwender von patientennahen Tests” (Training of professional users of devices for near-patient testing). This work is based on the talk of Nicola Barabas during the POCT-Symposium in Munich 2017 and presents selected aspects of the application guide such as the role of the manufacturer, the learning path, the selection of training topics, the train-the-trainer concept and e-learning.

scholarly journals Diversification by CofC and control by CofD govern biosynthesis and evolution of coenzyme F420 and its derivative 3PG-F420

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmudul Hasan ◽  
Sabrina Schulze ◽  
Leona Berndt ◽  
Gottfried J Palm ◽  
Daniel Braga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Mode ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Substrate Selection ◽  
Substrate Channeling ◽  
Biotechnological Production ◽  
Evolutionary Trajectory ◽  
And Control ◽  
Selection Of

Coenzyme F420 is a microbial redox cofactor that is increasingly used for biocatalytic applications. Recently, diversified biosynthetic routes to F420 and the discovery of a derivative, 3PG-F420, were reported. 3PG-F420 is formed via activation of 3-phospho-d-glycerate (3-PG) by CofC, but the structural basis of substrate binding, its evolution, as well as the role of CofD in substrate selection remained elusive. Here, we present a crystal structure of the 3-PG-activating CofC from Mycetohabitans sp. B3 and define amino acids governing substrate specificity. Site-directed mutagenesis enabled bidirectional switching of specificity and thereby revealed the short evolutionary trajectory to 3PG-F420 formation. Furthermore, CofC stabilized its product, thus confirming the structure of the unstable molecule, revealing its binding mode and suggesting a substrate channeling mechanism to CofD. The latter enzyme was shown to significantly contribute to the selection of related intermediates to control the specificity of the combined biosynthetic CofC/D step. Taken together, this work closes important knowledge gaps and opens up perspectives for the discovery, enhanced biotechnological production, and engineering of coenzyme F420 derivatives in the future.

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