Digital health for the end TB strategy : developing priority products and making them work

In 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed the End TB Strategy in response to a World Health Assembly Resolution requesting Member States to end the worldwide epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) by 2035. For the strategy's objectives to be realised, the next 20 years will need novel solutions to address the challenges posed by TB to health professionals, and to affected people and communities. Information and communication technology presents opportunities for innovative approaches to support TB efforts in patient care, surveillance, programme management and electronic learning. The effective application of digital health products at a large scale and their continued development need the engagement of TB patients and their caregivers, innovators, funders, policy-makers, advocacy groups, and affected communities. In April 2015, WHO established its Global Task Force on Digital Health for TB to advocate and support the development of digital health innovations in global efforts to improve TB care and prevention. We outline the group's approach to stewarding this process in alignment with the three pillars of the End TB Strategy. The supplementary material of this article includes target product profiles, as developed by early 2016, defining nine priority digital health concepts and products that are strategically positioned to enhance TB action at the country level

Stomatal responses of Eucalyptus species to elevated CO2 concentration and drought stress

Five species of Eucalyptus (E. grandis, E. urophylla, E. camaldulensis, E. torelliana, and E. phaeotrica), among the ten species most commonly used in large scale plantations, were selected for studies on the effects of elevated CO2 concentration [CO2] and drought stress on stomatal responses of 2.5-month old seedlings. The first three species belong to the subgenus Smphyomyrtus, whereas the fourth species belongs to the subgenus Corymbia and E. phaeotrica is from the subgenus Monocalyptus. Seedlings were grown in four pairs of open-top chambers, arranged to have 2 plants of each species in each chamber, with four replications in each of two CO2 concentrations: 350 ± 30 mumol mol-1 and 700 ± 30 mumol mol-1. After 100 days in the chambers, a series of gas exchange measurements were made. Half the plants in each chamber, one plant per species per chamber, were drought-stressed by withholding irrigation, while the remaining plants continued to be watered daily. Drought stress decreased stomatal conductance, photosynthesis and transpiration rates in all the species. The effect of drought stress on stomatal closure was similar in both [CO2]. The positive effects of elevated [CO2] on photosynthesis and water use efficiency were maintained longer during the stress period than under well-watered conditions. The photosynthetic rate of E. phaeotrica was higher even in the fourth day of the drought stress. Drought stress increased photoinhibition of photosynthesis, as measured by chlorophyll fluorescence, which varied among the species, as well as in relation to [CO2]. The results are in agreement with observed differences in stomatal responses between some eucalyptus species of the subgenera Symphyomyrtus and Monocalyptus

Electrochemical, Theoretical, and Surface Morphological Studies of Corrosion Inhibition Effect of Green Naphthyridine Derivatives on Mild Steel in Hydrochloric Acid

The corrosion inhibition efficiencies of three novel naphthyridines namely, 5-amino-9-hydroxy-2-phenylchromeno­[4,3,2-<i>de</i>]­[1,6]­naphthyridine-4-carbonitrile (N-1), 5-amino-9-hydroxy-2-(<i>p</i>-tolyl)­chromeno­[4,3,2-<i>de</i>]­[1,6]­naphthyridine-4-carbonitrile (N-2), and 5-amino-9-hydroxy-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)­chromeno­[4,3,2-<i>de</i>]­[1,6]­naphthyridine-4-carbonitrile (N-3) have been investigated for mild steel in 1 M HCl solution by using weight loss, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and potentiodynamic polarization methods. All three compounds show high inhibition activities at 6.54 × 10^–5 M : N-1, 94.28%; N-2, 96.66%; and N-3, 98.09%. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis reveals an increase in polarization resistance due to the adsorbed inhibitor molecules on metal surface. Potentiodynamic polarization analysis reveals that all three compounds act as mixed-type inhibitors but of predominantly cathodic type. The adsorption of the studied compounds on mild steel surface follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Surface morphology examined by using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy analysis shows a smoother surface for mild steel in the presence of naphthyridines in acidic solution. Quantum chemical parameters correlate well with the experimental results, which support higher inhibition efficiencies of N-3 and N-2 due to the electron-donating effects of −OCH₃ and −CH₃ substituents, respectively, than of N-1, which is devoid of substituents. The magnitudes of the adsorption energies obtained from Monte Carlo simulations also agree with the trend of the experimental inhibition efficiency