Epidemic modeling and control of HIV/AIDS dynamics in populations under external interactions: A worldwide challenge

In this chapter the problem of the interaction between groups of subjects singularly characterized by a specific infectious disease is addressed. The dynamical characteristics of an isolated population are preliminary studied, with particular reference to the equilibrium points and their stability. Then, the effects of constant inputs on the dynamics are deeply analysed also by numerical simulations; this analysis is propaedeutic to the study of the interaction between groups. The interactions between the different populations are modelled as additional input/output to the single group dynamics introducing total averaged effects including all the external migration effects. This approach focuses on the changes in the dynamics of one population when interactions are present without showing the global migration fluxes, but stressing the influences on each populations. Besides the simplifications of the model, this point of view may be fruitful also with respect of the design of control actions, assuming that each group can adopt the best control strategy for his own specific social characteristics. The epidemic case analysed is the HIV-AIDS one. This choice has been performed since this virus is present all over the world, but with different levels of dangerousness and number of infected patients depending on the economic, social and cultural habits. The model used is a recently introduced one, which describes this epidemic spread considering two compartments of susceptible people, distinguished by the level of attention with respect to the virus transmission, one of the infected individuals not aware of their status and two classes of patients, divided according to the level of infection. The additional inputs are introduced to model fluxes of susceptible individuals and infected not aware individuals. These effects are reported in numerous figures showing the results of numerical simulations

MicroRNome Analysis Unravels the Molecular Basis of SARS Infection in Bronchoalveolar Stem Cells

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV, is an acute infectious disease with significant mortality. A typical clinical feature associated with SARS is pulmonary fibrosis and associated lung failure. In the aftermath of the SARS epidemic, although significant progress towards understanding the underlying molecular mechanism of the infection has been made, a large gap still remains in our knowledge regarding how SARS-CoV interacts with the host cell at the onset of infection. The rapidly changing viral genome adds another variable to this equation. We have focused on a novel concept of microRNA (miRNA)–mediated host–virus interactions in bronchoalveolar stem cells (BASCs) at the onset of infection by correlating the “BASC–microRNome” with their targets within BASCs and viral genome. This work encompasses miRNA array data analysis, target prediction, and miRNA–mRNA enrichment analysis and develops a complex interaction map among disease-related factors, miRNAs, and BASCs in SARS pathway, which will provide some clues for diagnostic markers to view an overall interplay leading to disease progression. Our observation reveals the BASCs (Sca-1+ CD34+ CD45- Pecam-), a subset of Oct-4+ ACE2+ epithelial colony cells at the broncho-alveolar duct junction, to be the prime target cells of SARS-CoV infection. Upregulated BASC miRNAs-17*, -574-5p, and -214 are co-opted by SARS-CoV to suppress its own replication and evade immune elimination until successful transmission takes place. Viral Nucleocapsid and Spike protein targets seem to co-opt downregulated miR-223 and miR-98 respectively within BASCs to control the various stages of BASC differentiation, activation of inflammatory chemokines, and downregulation of ACE2. All these effectively accounts for a successful viral transmission and replication within BASCs causing continued deterioration of lung tissues and apparent loss of capacity for lung repair. Overall, this investigation reveals another mode of exploitation of cellular miRNA machinery by virus to their own advantage

Escola, consumo e projetos de vida na visão de jovens estudantes de uma escola pública e outra privada no interior do estado de São Paulo

The guidelines that establish the Basic Education in Brazil are the same to public and private schools, however, the education developed with students from both groups can have different directions. The relation between the different socioeconomic contexts, normally existent, can cause different perceptions regarding the opportunities that these students will have during the construction of their life projects and their future perspectives. In this context, this research sought to discuss the relationship between the consumption and the life project under the view of young students from a public school and a private one, trying to understand how these elements make us rethink the education in a critical way. To reach the proposed goal, it was chosen two schools in São Paulo’s countryside, where the researcher works as Geography and History teacher. High school students, mainly seniors, participated in this research. The methodology used was initially based on a quiz given in these schools and, later on, semistructured interviews were developed. This way, general data was collected in order to find out the socioeconomic profile of the groups, apart from trying to identify the relation with the consumption, the school and the life projects of these students. It was possible to conclude that the life projects of these students tend to be individualists and oriented many times by the power of consumption as, between the interviewed, there was no student that showed concerns on social or environmental context. It was presented as proposals to improve these issues, the increase of educational public policies, besides the projects that can be developed in the schools, in order to favor the development of a emancipatory education about current society. In this context, themes and directions about how to make these discussions were suggested, in order to evolve the role of the different classes in the maintenance of social structures, rethinking the origin of inequality, racial, historical, school and family issues. If the life project is uncritical, these individuals may not be clear of what really happens in the society, in respect of having or not. Their projects can summarize in acquisition of a determined social status to make their consumption dream.Não recebi financiamentoAs diretrizes que estabelecem a Educação Básica no Brasil são as mesmas tanto para a escola pública, quanto para a escola privada, entretanto, a educação desenvolvida, com os estudantes de ambos os grupos pode ter direcionamentos distintos. As diferenças entre os contextos socioeconômicos, normalmente existentes, pode provocar percepções distintas em relação às oportunidades que esses estudantes venham a ter durante a construção de seus projetos de vida e de suas perspectivas futuras. Nesse âmbito, esta pesquisa procurou discutir as relações entre o consumo e o projeto de vida na visão de jovens estudantes de uma escola pública e outra privada, na tentativa de entender como esses elementos nos fazem repensar a educação de forma crítica. Para atingir o objetivo proposto, escolheu-se duas escolas do interior do Estado de São Paulo, onde o pesquisador atua como docente nas disciplinas de geografia e história. Participaram desta pesquisa estudantes do Ensino Médio, principalmente do 3º ano. A metodologia utilizada baseou-se inicialmente na aplicação de um questionário aplicado nas escolas, e, posteriormente, foram desenvolvidas entrevistas semiestruturadas. Dessa maneira, dados gerais foram coletados a fim de realizar um levantamento do perfil socioeconômico dos grupos, além de tentar identificar relações com o consumo, com a escola e com o projeto de vida desses estudantes. Foi possível concluir que os projetos de vida desses estudantes tendem a ser individualistas e orientados muitas vezes pelo poder de consumo, já que, entre os entrevistados, não se identificou nenhum estudante que demonstrasse preocupações no âmbito social ou ambiental. Foram apresentadas como propostas, para a melhoria destas questões, o aumento de políticas públicas educacionais, além de projetos que poderão ser desenvolvidos nas escolas, na perspectiva de favorecer o desenvolvimento de uma educação emancipadora sobre a sociedade atual. Nesse contexto, foram sugeridos temas e direcionamentos sobre como realizar essas discussões, de forma a envolver o papel das diferentes classes na manutenção das estruturas sociais, repensando a origem das desigualdades, das questões raciais, históricas, escolares e familiares. Se o projeto de vida for acrítico, esses indivíduos podem não ter clareza do que realmente acontece na sociedade, na relação do ter e não ter. Seus projetos podem se resumir apenas à aquisição de um determinado status social para realizarem seu sonho de consumo

In vitro evaluation of the biological activity of Lebanese medicinal plants extracts against herpes simplex virus type 1

Medicinal plants extracts are interesting novel drugs for use as antimicrobial and antiviral agents. In this study we investigate the in vitro antiviral activity of eight ethanol medicinal plant extracts against Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) infection on monkey kidney cells. Acyclovir, an antiviral agent currently applied for treatment of herpes virus type 1 infection, was used to compare the plant extracts therapeutic activity. The inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were determined for eight medicinal plants extracts obtained from the following plants: Calamintha origanifolia, Satureja thymbra, Prangos aspurela, Sidiritis Perfoliata, Aspurela glomerata, Erythreae Centaurium, Hyssopus officinalis and Salvia accetabulosa. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay in Vero cells. The selective index (SI) of these medicinal plant extracts was used to prove the therapeutic activity. We found that C. origanifolia and S.thymbra extracts have the highest selective index (SI) in our data and are therefore potentially be used for treatment of HSV-1 disease

In vitro evaluation of the biological activity of Lebanase medicinal plants extracts against herpes simplex virus type 1.

Medicinal plants extracts are interesting novel drugs for use as antimicrobial and antiviral agents. In this study we investigate the in vitro antiviral activity of eight ethanol medicinal plant extracts against Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) infection on monkey kidney cells. Acyclovir, an antiviral agent currently applied for treatment of herpes virus type 1 infection, was used to compare the plant extracts therapeutic activity. The inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were determined for eight medicinal plants extracts obtained from the following plants: Calamintha origanifolia, Satureja thymbra, Prangos aspurela, Sidiritis Perfoliata, Aspurela glomerata, Erythreae Centaurium, Hyssopus officinalis and Salvia accetabulosa. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay in Vero cells. The selective index (SI) of these medicinal plant extracts was used to prove the therapeutic activity. We found that C. origanifolia and S.thymbra extracts have the highest selective index (SI) in our data and are therefore potentially be used for treatment of HSV-1 disease