Migration to middle-income countries and tuberculosis-global policies for global economies.

BACKGROUND: International migration to middle-income countries is increasing and its health consequences, in particular increasing transmission rates of tuberculosis (TB), deserve consideration. Migration and TB are a matter of concern in high-income countries and targeted screening of migrants for active and latent TB infection is a main strategy to manage risk and minimize transmission. In this paper, we discuss some aspects of TB control and migration in the context of middle-income countries, together with the prospect of responding with equitable and comprehensive policies. MAIN BODY: TB rates in middle-income countries remain disproportionally high among the poorest and most vulnerable groups in large cities where most migrant populations are concentrated. Policies that tackle migrant TB in high-income countries may be inadequate for middle-income countries because of their different socio-economic and cultural scenarios. Strategies to control TB in these settings must take into account the characteristics of middle-income countries and the complexity of TB as a disease of poverty. Intersectoral policies of social protection such as cash-transfer programs help reducing poverty and improving health in vulnerable populations. We address the development of new approaches to improve well-established strategies including contact tracing and active and latent TB screening as an 'add on' to the existing health care guidelines of conditional cash transfer programs. In addition, we discuss how it might improve health and welfare among both poor migrants and locally-born populations. Authorities from middle-income countries should recognise that migrants are a vulnerable social group and promote cooperation efforts between sending and receiving countries for mitigation of poverty and prevention of disease in this group. CONCLUSIONS: Middle-income countries have long sent migrants overseas. However, the influx of large migrant populations into their societies is relatively new and a growing phenomenon and it is time to set comprehensive goals to improve health among these communities. Conditional cash transfer policies with TB screening and strengthening of DOTS are some strategies that deserve attention. Reduction of social and health inequality among migrants should be incorporated into concerted actions to meet TB control targets

Immunocompetent human 3D brain cell cultures to advance ATMP development

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A physiologic overview of the organ‑specific transcriptome of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus

To further obtain insights into the Rhipicephalus microplus transcriptome, we used RNA-seq to carry out a study of expression in (i) embryos; (ii) ovaries from partially and fully engorged females; (iii) salivary glands from partially engorged females; (iv) fat body from partially and fully engorged females; and (v) digestive cells from partially, and (vi) fully engorged females. We obtained > 500 million Illumina reads which were assembled de novo, producing > 190,000 contigs, identifying 18,857 coding sequences (CDS). Reads from each library were mapped back into the assembled transcriptome giving a view of gene expression in different tissues. Transcriptomic expression and pathway analysis showed that several genes related in blood digestion and host-parasite interaction were overexpressed in digestive cells compared with other tissues. Furthermore, essential genes for the cell development and embryogenesis were overexpressed in ovaries. Taken altogether, these data offer novel insights into the physiology of production and role of saliva, blood digestion, energy metabolism, and development with submission of 10,932 novel tissue/cell specific CDS to the NCBI database for this important tick species

Spin-coated polysaccharide-based multilayered freestanding films with adhesive and bioactive moieties

Freestanding films based on catechol functionalized chitosan (CHI), hyaluronic acid (HA), and bioglass nanoparticles (BGNPs) were developed by spin-coating layer-by-layer assembly (SA-LbL). The catechol groups of 3,4-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine (DOPA) present in the marine mussels adhesive proteins (MAPs) are the main factors responsible for their characteristic strong wet adhesion. Then, the produced films were cross-linked with genipin to improve their stability in wet state. Overall, the incorporation of BGNPs resulted in thicker and bioactive films, hydrophilic and rougher surfaces, reduced swelling, higher weight loss, and lower stiffness. The incorporation of catechol groups onto the films showed a significant increase in the films’ adhesion and stiffness, lower swelling, and weight loss. Interestingly, a synergetic effect on the stiffness increase was observed upon the combined incorporation of BGNPs with catechol-modified polymers, given that such films were the stiffest. Regarding the biological assays, the films exhibited no negative effects on cellular viability, adhesion, and proliferation, and the BGNPs seemed to promote higher cellular metabolic activity. These bioactive LbL freestanding films combine enhanced adhesion with improved mechanical properties and could find applications in the biomedical field, such as guided hard tissue regeneration membranes.This research was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the European program FEDER/FEEI (PTDC/BTM-MAT/28123/2017 and PTDC/NAN-MAT/31036/2017) and FCT (MIT-EXPL/BIO/0089/2017).The authors acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the European program FEDER/FEEI for the financial support through projects PTDC/BTM-MAT/28123/2017 and PTDC/NAN-MAT/31036/2017. The authors also acknowledge FCT for the financial support through the exploratory project MIT-EXPL/BIO/0089/2017

Erratum: Moreira, J., et al., Spin-Coated Polysaccharide-Based Multilayered Freestanding Films with Adhesive and Bioactive Moieties. Molecules 2020, 25, 840

Erratum: Moreira, J., et al., Spin-Coated Polysaccharide-Based Multilayered Freestanding Films with Adhesive and Bioactive Moieties. Molecules 2020, 25, 840. DOI: 10.3390/molecules25040840The authors wish to make changes to the published paper 11 j. 1. UV-Vis Analysis of Catechol-Modified Polymers In the original manuscript theie is a mistake concerning the word "Wavenumber" in the X-Coordinate in Figure 1. Tile corrected word is "Wavelength". Tlx- A uthors also wish to change mg«mL-l to mg ml-1 in the legend of Figure l;see corrected Figure 1 below. (Figure Presented).(undefined

inTB - a data integration platform for molecular and clinical epidemiological analysis of tuberculosis

This deposit is composed by the main article plus the supplementary materials of the publication.Tuberculosis is currently the second highest cause of death from infectious diseases worldwide. The emergence of multi and extensive drug resistance is threatening to make tuberculosis incurable. There is growing evidence that the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis may have important clinical consequences. Therefore, combining genetic, clinical and socio-demographic data is critical to understand the epidemiology of this infectious disease, and how virulence and other phenotypic traits evolve over time. This requires dedicated bioinformatics platforms, capable of integrating and enabling analyses of this heterogeneous data.Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Programa Nacional de Luta contra a Tuberculose, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Ricardo Jorge, Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo

Chitosan-Based Membranes for Skin Wound Repair in a Dorsal Fold Chamber Rat Model

Frequently, deep partial and full-thickness skin wounds do not spontaneously regenerate. To restore the normal function of skin, epidermal and dermal components have to be supplied to the wound bed by grafting various substrates. Available options are limited and frequently costly. Herein, authors present a possible approach using 3D skin scaffolds capable of mimicking structure and biological functions of the extracellular matrix, providing, in parallel, a good environment for cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation. Low-molecular weight chitosan-based membranes were prepared by freeze-drying and ionizing radiation techniques to be used as skin scaffolds. Poly (vinyl alcohol), PVA, vinyl pyrrolidone, VP, and gelatin from cold water fish were incorporated. Information regarding membranes’ physical-chemical properties from SEM analysis, swelling and weight loss, together with biological response through in vitro assays (using Human Caucasian Fetal Foreskin Fibroblast) allowed the selection of an optimized batch of membranes that was used as skin scaffold in a dorsal rat model wound. The in vivo implantation assays (in Wistar rats) resulted in very promising results: (i) healing process faster than control; (ii) good vascularization; (iii) viable new tissues morphologically functional.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

FEM MODAL ANALYSIS FOR DAMAGE DETECTION IN AIRPLANE STRUCTURES

Technics for damage and fatigue detection has become an essential part of Aeronautic industry safety. The duration of service lives of such vehicles can be considerably extended by systematic monitoring of small, possibly undetected, damages to their structures. In this paper, we propose damage detection in airplane structures via modal analysis. By using Finite Element Method numerical models, developed in commercial software, as a first step, we make comparisons of the free vibration frequencies of undamaged models and models where we deliberately introduce damage. We observe the difference in frequency values. In future work we will propose numerical damage indicators based on the modal analysis. Keywords: Aeronautical Structure, Damage Detection, Modal Analysis, FEM

Cytotoxicity evaluation of two root canal sealers and a commercial calcium hydroxide paste on THP1 cell line by Trypan Blue assay

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of two brands of root canal sealers, epoxy-resin based and zinc oxide-eugenol based, and one commercial calcium hydroxide paste on a monocyte cell line THP-1. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Undiluted (crude extract) and diluted extracts to 10%, 1%, 0.1%, 0.01%, 0.001% and 0.0001% of the sealers were tested for cytotoxicity to THP-1 cells using the trypan blue assay. Extracts were obtained according to ISO standard. Data were analyzed statistically by the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests at 5% significance level. RESULTS: Crude extract of AH Plus and Fill Canal killed approximately 90% of THP-1 cells versus 36% of THP-1 cells killed by L&C crude extract (