Prioritizing persons deprived of liberty in global guidelines for tuberculosis preventive treatment

In this Policy Forum piece, Aditya Narayan and colleagues discuss the challenges and opportunities for tuberculosis preventive treatment in carceral settings

Serum biomarkers associated with SARS-CoV-2 severity

Immunity with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the acute phase is not sufficiently well understood to differentiate mild from severe cases and identify prognostic markers. We evaluated the immune response profile using a total of 71 biomarkers in sera from patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, confirmed by RT-PCR and controls. We correlated biological marker levels with negative control (C) asymptomatic (A), nonhospitalized (mild cases-M), and hospitalized (severe cases-S) groups. Among angiogenesis markers, we identified biomarkers that were more frequently elevated in severe cases when compared to the other groups (C, A, and M). Among cardiovascular diseases, there were biomarkers with differences between the groups, with D-dimer, GDF-15, and sICAM-1 higher in the S group. The levels of the biomarkers Myoglobin and P-Selectin were lower among patients in group M compared to those in groups S and A. Important differences in cytokines and chemokines according to the clinical course were identified. Severe cases presented altered levels when compared to group C. This study helps to characterize biological markers related to angiogenesis, growth factors, heart disease, and cytokine/chemokine production in individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, offering prognostic signatures and a basis for understanding the biological factors in disease severity

Localization and broadband follow-up of the gravitational-wave transient GW150914

A gravitational-wave transient was identified in data recorded by the Advanced LIGO detectors on 2015 September 14. The event candidate, initially designated G184098 and later given the name GW150914, is described in detail elsewhere. By prior arrangement, preliminary estimates of the time, significance, and sky location of the event were shared with 63 teams of observers covering radio, optical, near-infrared, X-ray, and gamma-ray wavelengths with ground- and space-based facilities. In this Letter we describe the low-latency analysis of the gravitational wave data and present the sky localization of the first observed compact binary merger. We summarize the follow-up observations reported by 25 teams via private Gamma-ray Coordinates Network Circulars, giving an overview of the participating facilities, the gravitational wave sky localization coverage, the timeline and depth of the observations. As this event turned out to be a binary black hole merger, there is little expectation of a detectable electromagnetic signature. Nevertheless, this first broadband campaign to search for a counterpart of an Advanced LIGO source represents a milestone and highlights the broad capabilities of the transient astronomy community and the observing strategies that have been developed to pursue neutron star binary merger events. Detailed investigations of the electromagnetic data and results of the electromagnetic follow-up campaign will be disseminated in the papers of the individual teams

Examinando o desenho infantil como recurso terapêutico para o desenvolvimento de linguagem de crianças surdas Examining children's drawing as a therapeutic resource for deaf children's language development

A vivência prática do desenho na Clínica Fonoaudiológica é abordada como o núcleo central e gerador deste trabalho. Procurou-se investigar as práticas dialógicas desencadeadoras de processos de construção de conhecimentos, que relacionassem o desenho à apropriação de sentidos e significados, que pudessem interferir no desenvolvimento da linguagem da criança surda. A partir do referencial de análise qualitativa, utilizou-se os construtos teóricos e metodológicos da perspectiva Histórico-Cultural. Os sujeitos deste relato de caso foram duas crianças surdas bilíngües, ambas do sexo masculino; faixa etária de nove e dez anos; diagnóstico audiológico de surdez profunda bilateral e queixa de atraso do desenvolvimento de linguagem. Os dados coletados ao longo de um ano contêm 30 horas de filmagem e relatórios das sessões semanais de 60 minutos destinados ao atendimento clínico-terapêutico. Reconhecendo o desenvolvimento - da criança, da linguagem e do desenho - como um processo em constante movimento, o foco das análises recaiu sobre a emergência das ações em mudança e na dinâmica das interações entre os sujeitos. Os resultados mostraram que o uso prioritário da língua de sinais associado ao trabalho com atividades sígnicas, além da consideração das particularidades lingüísticas e das mediações semióticas, foram fundamentais para que o desenvolvimento e aquisição da linguagem favorecessem as práticas sociais da criança surda.<br>The practical experience of drawing in the Speech-Language Pathology clinical practice is taken as the central and generating nucleus of the present study. It is investigated the dialogical practices that trigger processes of knowledge construction able to relate drawing to the appropriation of senses and meanings, which could affect the deaf children's language development. From the point of view of a qualitative analysis, the study used theoretical and methodological constructs stemming from a Historic-Cultural perspective. The subjects of this case report were two bilingual male deaf children with ages between nine and ten years, both with profound bilateral hearing loss and complaints of delay in their language development. Data were gathered for a year, producing 30 hours of video recordings and reports regarding the 60-minutes weekly therapy sessions that were carried out during this period. Taking children's, language's and drawing's development as a constantly-changing process, the focus of the analyses was the emergence of actions-in-change and the dynamics of the interactions between the studied subjects. Results showed that the priority given to the use of sign language associated with the therapeutic focus on signic activities, which took into account linguistic particularities and semiotic mediations, were vital for language acquisition and development to favor deaf children's social practices