54 research outputs found
Epidemiologia da infeção por rotavírus em Huambo, Angola: prevalência da infeção e dos genótipos circulantes
No full textDissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Microbiologia MédicaOs rotavírus são considerados a principal causa de gastroenterite aguda (GEA) em crianças menores de cinco anos de idade, afetando especialmente os países em desenvolvimento onde ocorre mais de 90% das mortes atribuídas a este vírus. O presente estudo foi realizado no Huambo, na região central de Angola, um país da África subsaariana com elevada mortalidade por diarreia pediátrica mas sem dados anteriores sobre epidemiologia dos rotavírus. O objetivo deste estudo consistiu em estudar a ocorrência da infeção e genotipar os rotavírus circulantes em crianças (<5 anos) com GEA naquela região de Angola.
Durante o mês de Junho de 2012 (época seca), foram colhidas 246 amostras fecais de crianças com GEA atendidas no serviço da urgência de 3 hospitais municipais (Alto-Hama, Bailundo e Caála) e 3 centros de saúde (Calenga, Casseque III e Mineira) do distrito de Huambo. A realização do teste rápido imunocromatográfico permitiu detetar rotavírus em 37,4% (92/246) das amostras. A presença de rotavírus foi ainda confirmada por métodos de biologia molecular, tendo-se procedido à determinação dos respetivos genótipos pelo ensaio de RT-PCR multiplex e/ou sequenciação/análise filogenética. Observou-se predominância de rotavírus dos genótipos G1P[8] (45,6%) e G1P[6] (34,8%), este último considerado pouco comum. Os genótipos G2P[4], G8P[6], G12P[6] e G9P[6] também foram identificados, embora com frequências mais baixas (1%-5,4%) mostrando uma alta diversidade de estirpes de rotavírus a circular na região.
Com base nos genótipos identificados, as vacinas atualmente usadas deverão, teoricamente, proteger contra >85% dos rotavírus circulantes. Porém, a análise filogenética demonstrou que as linhagens dos genótipos G1, G2 e P[8] são diferentes das estirpes vacinais. Assim, consideramos importante não só a introdução da vacina contra rotavírus na região como também a vigilância das estirpes virais, durante e após o processo, para avaliar a eficácia das vacinas atualmente disponíveis na proteção contra estes vírus
Author affiliation countries.
No full textChoropleth map shows author affiliation countries based on matches to ISO-3166-1 country names or Alpha-3 codes. Color is scaled to the number of times that country’s name appeared in the author affiliations across all articles in the inventory. Figure was created using the R ggplot2 package which obtains map data from Natural Earth [71], which is in the public domain. (TIF)</p
Rotavirus Stimulates Release of Serotonin (5-HT) from Human Enterochromaffin Cells and Activates Brain Structures Involved in Nausea and Vomiting
No full textotavirus (RV) is the major cause of severe gastroenteritis in young children. A virus-encoded enterotoxin, NSP4 is proposed to play a major role in causing RV diarrhoea but how RV can induce emesis, a hallmark of the illness, remains unresolved. In this study we have addressed the hypothesis that RV-induced secretion of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) by enterochromaffin (EC) cells plays a key role in the emetic reflex during RV infection resulting in activation of vagal afferent nerves connected to nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and area postrema in the brain stem, structures associated with nausea and vomiting. Our experiments revealed that RV can infect and replicate in human EC tumor cells ex vivo and in vitro and are localized to both EC cells and infected enterocytes in the close vicinity of EC cells in the jejunum of infected mice. Purified NSP4, but not purified virus particles, evoked release of 5-HT within 60 minutes and increased the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration in a human midgut carcinoid EC cell line (GOT1) and ex vivo in human primary carcinoid EC cells concomitant with the release of 5-HT. Furthermore, NSP4 stimulated a modest production of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP(3)), but not of cAMP. RV infection in mice induced Fos expression in the NTS, as seen in animals which vomit after administration of chemotherapeutic drugs. The demonstration that RV can stimulate EC cells leads us to propose that RV disease includes participation of 5-HT, EC cells, the enteric nervous system and activation of vagal afferent nerves to brain structures associated with nausea and vomiting. This hypothesis is supported by treating vomiting in children with acute gastroenteritis with 5-HT(3) receptor antagonists.Original Publication: Marie Hagbom, Claudia Istrate, David Engblom, Thommie Karlsson, Jesus Rodriguez-Diaz, Javier Buesa, John A Taylor, Vesa Loitto, Karl-Eric Magnusson, Hakan Ahlman, Ove Lundgren and Lennart Svensson, Rotavirus Stimulates Release of Serotonin (5-HT) from Human Enterochromaffin Cells and Activates Brain Structures Involved in Nausea and Vomiting, 2011, PLOS PATHOGENS, (7), 7, . http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1002115 Licensee: Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://www.plos.org
Contribution à l'analyse de l'environnement sonore et à la fusion multimodale pour l'identification d'activités dans le cadre de la télévigilance médicale
No full textThe medical remote monitoring is a today's society challenge because life expectancy is increasing in all countries and statistical forecasts announce a significant number of elderly (17% of 60-74 years in 2030) or very elderly (12% from 75 in 2030). With the progress of medicine they may be kept longer in their homes but are more fragile and therefore require technical solutions to make it easier for caregivers and increase the comfort of these people. This manuscript provides a summary of research activities conducted by the author in the field of medical remote monitoring. These research activities are structured in two themes: sound environment analysis and multimodal data fusion. The sound environment is very rich in information that can be used to detect or to predict distress, either directly or through the analysis of the activities of the person. The sound analysis is subject to the constraints of the remote audio acquisition, the presence of noise from outside and the large variability in recognizing sounds. The manuscript describes different solutions evaluated and their practical implementation in the framework of several European and national research projects. The second theme is represented by merging the output of the noise analysis with other sensors to improve the robustness of the system. Data fusion must process signals of different nature (binary or continuous), with different sample rates and different types (periodic or asynchronous). Two techniques (fuzzy logic and evidence networks) are studied, adapted and evaluated in the same research projects. This manuscript concludes with the research perspectives of the author. Six scientific papers are added in the appendix.La télévigilance médicale représente un enjeu de la société d'aujourd'hui. En effet l'espérance de vie augmente dans tous les pays industrialisés et les prévisions statistiques annoncent un nombre important de personnes âgées (17% de 60-74 ans en 2030) ou très âgées (12% de plus 75 ans en 2030). Grâce à la progression de la médecine ces personnes peuvent être maintenues plus longtemps à leur domicile mais demeurent plus fragiles et nécessitent donc des solutions techniques permettant d'améliorer leur confort et de faciliter la tâche des aidants. Ce mémoire donne une synthèse des activités de recherche menées par l'auteur dans le domaine de la télévigilance médicale. Cette recherche est structurée en deux axes : l'analyse de l'environnement sonore et la fusion de données multimodales. L'environnement sonore est très riche en informations utilisables, directement ou à travers l'analyse des activités de la personne pour détecter ou prévoir une situation de détresse. L'analyse sonore est soumise aux contraintes de l'acquisition sonore distante, à la présence des bruits provenant de l'extérieur et à la grande variabilité des sons à reconnaître. Le manuscrit décrit différentes solutions adoptées, leur mise en oeuvre et leur évaluation dans le cadre de plusieurs projets de recherche nationaux et européens. Le deuxième axe porte sur la fusion de la sortie de l'analyse sonore avec d'autres capteurs en vue d'améliorer la robustesse du système. La fusion de données doit traiter des signaux de natures différentes (signaux binaires ou continus), avec des périodicités différentes et de différentes temporalités (périodiques ou asynchrones). Deux techniques (logique floue et réseaux d'évidence) sont étudiées, adaptées et évaluées dans plusieurs projets de recherche. Le mémoire se termine avec les perspectives de recherche de l'auteur. Six publications scientifiques sont finalement annexées
ACTION DIRECTIONS REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTH TRAVEL IN ROMANIA
No full textThe mutations that are currently manifesting in the global economy areinfluencing in a positive manner the development of youth travel, and the main quantitativeand qualitative directions that are being shaped internationally and in Europe are alsoleaving a mark on the evolution tourism for young people in our country.By analyzing the framework favourable for the development of youth travel in our country, wehave prepared a series of courses of action for its development, courses that have beenstructured on several levels: the development and diversification of the tourism supply, thebroader promotion of a system of facilities, marketing actions, the improvement of the legaland institutional frameworks, etc.youth travel, youth travel in Romania, development of youth travel.
THE FUTURE IN CENTRAL BANKS ACTIVITY – CENTRAL BANK DIGITAL CURRENCY –
No full textDevelopments in recent years in the technologies that underpin money transfers and financial investments have challenged banking in general and central banking in particular. On the one hand, with the onset and manifestation of the 2008 crisis, the banking system is being called into question as to whether it can be trusted, and on the other hand, also in the same historical context, blockchain technology is emerging and is seen as a threat by banks. Lately, there has been interest in Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) which are a digital replacement for banknotes and coins in physical form. In this paper we will highlight the features of CBDCs and the proposed Ethereum-based central bank money technology
Analiza cluster la soiurile de viță de vie provenite din Coarnă Neagră
No full textThe Coarnă neagră grapevine variety was used as maternal genitor in the
creation of some new grapevine varieties. Of these varieties, the author have chosen
Coarnă neagră selecționată, Azur, Milcov, Gelu, Ozana and Mara with which, on
the basis of Cluster analysis will determine the phenotypical similarity among the
Coarnă neagră varieties genitor and its descendants, with a view to establish the
polyphyletic groupings among the biological material under analysis
Analiza cluster la soiurile de viță de vie provenite din Coarnă Neagră
No full textThe Coarnă neagră grapevine variety was used as maternal genitor in the
creation of some new grapevine varieties. Of these varieties, the author have chosen
Coarnă neagră selecționată, Azur, Milcov, Gelu, Ozana and Mara with which, on
the basis of Cluster analysis will determine the phenotypical similarity among the
Coarnă neagră varieties genitor and its descendants, with a view to establish the
polyphyletic groupings among the biological material under analysis
Individuals with selective IgA deficiency resolve rotavirus disease and develop higher antibody titers (IgG, IgG1) than IgA competent individuals
No full textWhile IgA is proposed to be essential to control rotavirus disease, no information is available how IgA deficient individuals modulate rotavirus disease and immune responses. We report that individuals (n=62) with selective IgA deficiency ( IgA-D) (<0,05g/l) resolve rotavirus disease and show higher total IgG and IgG1 subclass antibody titers to rotavirus than IgA proficient individuals ( n=62) (GMT 18101 vs 4000 (p<0.005); 8463 vs 1691, (p<0.005). We conclude that IgA is not essential for resolving rotavirus infection in humans.</p
Analyzing Protein Denaturation using Fast Differential Scanning Calorimetry
No full textThis paper investigates the possibility to measure protein denaturation with Fast Differential Scanning Calorimetry (FDSC). Cancer can be diagnosed by measuring protein denaturation in blood plasma using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). FDSC can reduce diagnosis time from hours to minutes, requiring significantly smaller sample quantities. To show the feasibility of measuring protein denaturation with FDSC, protein denaturation in human hair is measured. We have been able to observe the phenomena of water evaporation and pyrolysis as they were measured in hair by DSC, however, the protein denaturation peaks are largely obscured by the water evaporation and pyrolysis phenomena, as the current set up only allows dry measurements.MicroelectronicsElectrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
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