Gaps in research and capacity development for malaria surveillance and response in the Asia-Pacific: meeting report.

BackgroundThis report is based on the 2021 annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Malaria Elimination Network Surveillance and Response Working Group held online on November 1-3, 2021. In light of the 2030 regional malaria elimination goal, there is an urgency for Asia-Pacific countries to accelerate progress towards national elimination and prevent re-establishment. The Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN) Surveillance Response Working Group (SRWG) supports elimination goals of national malaria control programmes (NMCPs) by expanding the knowledge base, guiding the region-specific operational research agenda and addressing evidence gaps to improve surveillance and response activities.MethodsAn online annual meeting was hosted from 1 to 3 November 2021, to reflect on research needed to support malaria elimination in the region, challenges with malaria data quality and integration, current surveillance-related technical tools, and training needs of NMCPs to support surveillance and response activities. Facilitator-led breakout groups were held during meeting sessions to encourage discussion and share experience. A list of identified research priorities was voted on by attendees and non-attending NMCP APMEN contacts.Findings127 participants from 13 country partners and 44 partner institutions attended the meeting, identifying strategies to address malaria transmission amongst mobile and migrant populations as the top research priority, followed by cost effective surveillance strategies in low resource settings, and integration of malaria surveillance into broader health systems. Key challenges, solutions and best practices for improving data quality and integrating epidemiology and entomology data were identified, including technical solutions to improve surveillance activities, guiding priority themes for hosting informative webinars, training workshops and technical support initiatives. Inter-regional partnerships and SRWG-led training plans were developed in consultation with members to be launched from 2022 onwards.ConclusionThe 2021 SRWG annual meeting provided an opportunity for regional stakeholders, both NMCPs and APMEN partner institutions, to highlight remaining challenges and barriers and identify research priorities pertaining to surveillance and response in the region, and advocate for strengthening capacity through training and supportive partnerships

Setting the scene and generating evidence for malaria elimination in Southern Mozambique

Mozambique has historically been one of the countries with the highest malaria burden in the world. Starting in the 1960s, malaria control efforts were intensified in the southern region of the country, especially in Maputo city and Maputo province, to aid regional initiatives aimed to eliminate malaria in South Africa and eSwatini. Despite significant reductions in malaria prevalence, elimination was never achieved. Following the World Health Organization's renewed vision of a malaria-free-world, and considering the achievements from the past, the Mozambican National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) embarked on the development and implementation of a strategic plan to accelerate from malaria control to malaria elimination in southern Mozambique. An initial partnership, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the La Caixa Foundation, led to the creation of the Mozambican Alliance Towards the Elimination of Malaria (MALTEM) and the Malaria Technical and Advisory Committee (MTAC) to promote national ownership and partner coordination to work towards the goal of malaria elimination in local and cross-border initiatives. Surveillance systems to generate epidemiological and entomological intelligence to inform the malaria control strategies were strengthened, and an impact and feasibility assessment of various interventions aimed to interrupt malaria transmission were conducted in Magude district (Maputo Province) through the "Magude Project". The primary aim of this project was to generate evidence to inform malaria elimination strategies for southern Mozambique. The goal of malaria elimination in areas of low transmission intensity is now included in the national malaria strategic plan for 2017-22 and the NMCP and its partners have started to work towards this goal while evidence continues to be generated to move the national elimination agenda forward

Longitudinal relationship of liver injury with inflammation biomarkers in COVID-19 hospitalized patients using a joint modeling approach

The mechanisms underlying liver disease in patients with COVID-19 are not entirely known. The aim is to investigate, by means of novel statistical techniques, the changes over time in the relationship between inflammation markers and liver damage markers in relation to survival in COVID-19. The study included 221 consecutive patients admitted to the hospital during the first COVID-19 wave in Spain. Generalized additive mixed models were used to investigate the influence of time and inflammation markers on liver damage markers in relation to survival. Joint modeling regression was used to evaluate the temporal correlations between inflammation markers (serum C-reactive protein [CRP], interleukin-6, plasma D-dimer, and blood lymphocyte count) and liver damage markers, after adjusting for age, sex, and therapy. The patients who died showed a significant elevation in serum aspartate transaminase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase levels over time. Conversely, a decrease in serum AST levels was observed in the survivors, who showed a negative correlation between inflammation markers and liver damage markers (CRP with serum AST, alanine transaminase [ALT], and gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT]; and D-dimer with AST and ALT) after a week of hospitalization. Conversely, most correlations were positive in the patients who died, except lymphocyte count, which was negatively correlated with AST, GGT, and alkaline phosphatase. These correlations were attenuated with age. The patients who died during COVID-19 infection displayed a significant elevation of liver damage markers, which is correlated with inflammation markers over time. These results are consistent with the role of systemic inflammation in liver damage during COVID-19S

Age and date for early arrival of the Acheulian in Europe (Barranc de la Boella, la Canonja, Spain)

The first arrivals of hominin populations into Eurasia during the Early Pleistocene are currently considered to have occurred as short and poorly dated biological dispersions. Questions as to the tempo and mode of these early prehistoric settlements have given rise to debates concerning the taxonomic significance of the lithic assemblages, as trace fossils, and the geographical distribution of the technological traditions found in the Lower Palaeolithic record. Here, we report on the Barranc de la Boella site which has yielded a lithic assemblage dating to ,1 million years ago that includes large cutting tools (LCT). We argue that distinct technological traditions coexisted in the Iberian archaeological repertoires of the late Early Pleistocene age in a similar way to the earliest sub-Saharan African artefact assemblages. These differences between stone tool assemblages may be attributed to the different chronologies of hominin dispersal events. The archaeological record of Barranc de la Boella completes the geographical distribution of LCT assemblages across southern Eurasia during the EMPT (Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition, circa 942 to 641 kyr). Up to now, chronology of the earliest European LCT assemblages is based on the abundant Palaeolithic record found in terrace river sequences which have been dated to the end of the EMPT and later. However, the findings at Barranc de la Boella suggest that early LCT lithic assemblages appeared in the SW of Europe during earlier hominin dispersal episodes before the definitive colonization of temperate Eurasia took place.The research at Barranc de la Boella has been carried out with the financial support of the Spanish Ministerio de Economı´a y Competitividad (CGL2012- 36682; CGL2012-38358, CGL2012-38434-C03-03 and CGL2010-15326; MICINN project HAR2009-7223/HIST), Generalitat de Catalunya, AGAUR agence (projects 2014SGR-901; 2014SGR-899; 2009SGR-324, 2009PBR-0033 and 2009SGR-188) and Junta de Castilla y Leo´n BU1004A09. Financial support for Barranc de la Boella field work and archaeological excavations is provided by the Ajuntament de la Canonja and Departament de Cultura (Servei d’Arqueologia i Paleontologia) de la Generalitat de Catalunya. A. Carrancho’s research was funded by the International Excellence Programme, Reinforcement subprogramme of the Spanish Ministry of Education. I. Lozano-Ferna´ndez acknowledges the pre-doctoral grant from the Fundacio´n Atapuerca. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Exposición a cuentas con contenido nutricional en la red social Instagram y alimentación saludable en estudiantes mujeres de 18 a 25 años de una universidad privada de Lima - Perú, 2020

Objetivo: Determinar la asociación entre la exposición a cuentas con contenido nutricional en la red social Instagram y la alimentación saludable en estudiantes mujeres de 18 a 25 años de una universidad privada de la ciudad de Lima, Perú. Método: Estudio descriptivo transversal y observacional

Fast synthesis and bioconjugation of 68Ga core-doped extremely small iron oxide nanoparticles for PET/MR imaging

Combination of complementary imaging techniques, like hybrid PET/MRI, allows protocols to be developed that exploit the best features of both. In order to get the best of these combinations the use of dual probes is highly desirable. On this sense the combination of biocompatible iron oxide nanoparticles and 68Ga isotope is a powerful development for the new generation of hybrid systems and multimodality approaches. Our objective was the synthesis and application of a chelator-free 68Ga-iron oxide nanotracer with improved stability, radiolabeling yield and in vivo performance in dual PET/MRI. We carried out the core doping of iron oxide nanoparticles, without the use of any chelator, by a microwave-driven protocol. The synthesis allowed the production of extremely small (2.5 nm) 68Ga core-doped iron oxide nanoparticles. The microwave approach allowed an extremely fast synthesis with a 90% radiolabeling yield and T1 contrast in MRI. With the same microwave approach the nano-radiotracer was functionalized in a fast and efficient way. We finally evaluated these dual targeting nanoparticles in an angiogenesis murine model by PET/MR imaging.This work was supported by a grant from Spanish ministry of economy (MAT2013‐47303‐P and SAF2012‐1207), Fundació La Marató de TV3 (70/C/2012), by a grant from the Comunidad de Madrid (S2010/BMD‐2326, Inmunothercan‐CM and CAM/API1009). EA.hy926 cells were kindly provided by Dr. C‐J. S. Edgell, University of North Carolina. SC is recipient of a fellowship from the Marie Curie Actions – PEOPLE ‐ COFUND Programme. The CNIC is supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and the Pro‐CNIC Foundation

En trabajo decente, el Gobierno de Juan Manuel Santos no pasa el examen : balance económico, laboral y sindical del cuatrienio 2010-2013

El Plan Nacional de Desarrollo Prosperidad para Todos tenía como metas el crecimiento de la economía en 6,2%, el crecimiento de los ingresos, y la disminución del desempleo a un digito: 8,9%; además la creación de 2,4 millones de empleos nuevos hasta 2014 y la formalización de 500.000 puestos informales. Lo anterior se lograría a través de las denominadas locomotoras del crecimiento, las cuales se esperaba que crecieran más de 10% y así lograran arrastrar otros vagones de la economía y generar empleos. Si bien entre 2010-2013 creció la economía, lo hizo por debajo de lo prometido: 4,7% en promedio, lo que no es suficiente para disminuir la desigualdad y generar trabajo decente. El empleo que se está generando es precario, no les garantiza a los trabajadores mínimos derechos laborales y acentúa los problemas de informalidad y tercerización laboral

La perspectiva de género en las metodologías del aprendizaje en la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Alicante: identificación de las necesidades del alumnado

La propuesta de este trabajo asume que la docencia universitaria debe ser contemplada desde la perspectiva de género, con especial atención a las similitudes y diferencias en las experiencias, intereses, expectativas, actitudes y comportamientos de las mujeres y hombres, identificando y combatiendo las causas y consecuencias de las desigualdades. Para dar respuesta a esta premisa se propone promover en la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Alicante estrategias y metodologías tendente a proporcionar al alumnado una visión integral de la problemática que supone no contar en la docencia y en el campo de la investigación con la perspectiva de género. En este sentido, la amplia variedad de la oferta profesional que proporcionan los estudios jurídicos hace imprescindible desplegar una correcta metodología de aprendizaje con perspectiva de género en la universidad; para cumplir este objetivo se ha realizado una encuesta-estudio para identificar las necesidades formativas y de información del alumnado, respecto al reconocimiento de la presencia o ausencia de la perspectiva de género en la docencia universitaria en cada una de las titulaciones que se ofertan en la Facultad de Derecho

La comida : punto de encuentro y fuente de conflictos

Con este proyecto se pretende, sobre todo, unificar criterios entre el centro y las familias en aspectos relacionados con la alimentación. Se quiere establecer un programa conjunto de actividades que determinen una línea de actuación, que mejore el aprendizaje de los alumnos y que incida en una mayor implicación de los padres y madres en la escuelas. Entre las actividades destacan un plan de formación para las familias y el personal de la escuela, la semana de la alimentación sana, la plantación de productos en el huerto, elaboración de vídeos, y consumo de alimentos propios de cada temporada. La evaluación es continua y resalta la información sobre los cambios de alimentación, hábitos de higiene y autonomía que se han ido produciendo. Incluye unidades dicácticas, fichas de trabajo y fotografías.Madrid (Comunidad Autónoma). Consejería de SanidadMadridNo disponibleES