Major Issues and Challenges of Influenza Pandemic Preparedness in Developing Countries

Summary line: A pandemic is a global issue, and pandemic preparedness should be considered from a global perspective

Origin of measles virus: divergence from rinderpest virus between the 11th and 12th centuries

Measles, caused by measles virus (MeV), is a common infection in children. MeV is a member of the genus Morbillivirus and is most closely related to rinderpest virus (RPV), which is a pathogen of cattle. MeV is thought to have evolved in an environment where cattle and humans lived in close proximity. Understanding the evolutionary history of MeV could answer questions related to divergence times of MeV and RPV

Relationship between Duration of Untreated Psychosis（DUP）and the One-Year Prognosis among Patients with First-Episode Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE: A number of reports have been published concerning the relationship between the duration of untreated psychosis （DUP） and the prognosis after treatment in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. However, many of these reports are based on analysis of patients hospitalized for the first time. The present study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between DUP and the one-year prognosis among the patients paying their first visit to the Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic of our hospital. METHOD: Fifty-six patients diagnosed as having schizophrenia according to ICD-10 F20 were evaluated clinically using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale （BPRS） and the Global Assessment of Functioning （GAF） during the first visit and at a visit made one year later.departmental bulletin pape

Evolution of the M gene of the influenza A virus in different host species: large-scale sequence analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Influenza A virus infects not only humans, but also other species including avian and swine. If a novel influenza A subtype acquires the ability to spread between humans efficiently, it could cause the next pandemic. Therefore it is necessary to understand the evolutionary processes of influenza A viruses in various hosts in order to gain better knowledge about the emergence of pandemic virus. The virus has segmented RNA genome and 7th segment, M gene, encodes 2 proteins. M1 is a matrix protein and M2 is a membrane protein. The M gene may be involved in determining host tropism. Besides, novel vaccines targeting M1 or M2 protein to confer cross subtype protection have been under development. We conducted the present study to investigate the evolution of the M gene by analyzing its sequence in different species.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Phylogenetic tree revealed host-specific lineages and evolution rates were different among species. Selective pressure on M2 was stronger than that on M1. Selective pressure on M1 for human influenza was stronger than that for avian influenza, as well as M2. Site-by-site analyses identified one site (amino acid position 219) in M1 as positively selected in human. Positions 115 and 121 in M1, at which consensus amino acids were different between human and avian, were under negative selection in both hosts. As to M2, 10 sites were under positive selection in human. Seven sites locate in extracellular domain. That might be due to host's immune pressure. One site (position 27) positively selected in transmembrane domain is known to be associated with drug resistance. And, two sites (positions 57 and 89) locate in cytoplasmic domain. The sites are involved in several functions.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The M gene of influenza A virus has evolved independently, under different selective pressure on M1 and M2 among different hosts. We found potentially important sites that may be related to host tropism and immune responses. These sites may be important for evolutional process in different hosts and host adaptation.</p

Global respiratory syncytial virus-associated mortality in young children (RSV GOLD): a retrospective case series

Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is an important cause of pneumonia mortality in young children. However, clinical data for fatal RSV infection are scarce. We aimed to identify clinical and socioeconomic characteristics of children aged younger than 5 years with RSV-related mortality using individual patient data. Methods In this retrospective case series, we developed an online questionnaire to obtain individual patient data for clinical and socioeconomic characteristics of children aged younger than 5 years who died with community-acquired RSV infection between Jan 1, 1995, and Oct 31, 2015, through leading research groups for child pneumonia identified through a comprehensive literature search and existing research networks. For the literature search, we searched PubMed for articles published up to Feb 3, 2015, using the key terms “RSV”, “respiratory syncytial virus”, or “respiratory syncytial viral” combined with “mortality”, “fatality”, “death”, “died”, “deaths”, or “CFR” for articles published in English. We invited researchers and clinicians identified to participate between Nov 1, 2014, and Oct 31, 2015. We calculated descriptive statistics for all variables. Findings We studied 358 children with RSV-related in-hospital death from 23 countries across the world, with data contributed from 31 research groups. 117 (33%) children were from low-income or lower middle-income countries, 77 (22%) were from upper middle-income countries, and 164 (46%) were from high-income countries. 190 (53%) were male. Data for comorbidities were missing for some children in low-income and middle-income countries. Available data showed that comorbidities were present in at least 33 (28%) children from low-income or lower middle-income countries, 36 (47%) from upper middle-income countries, and 114 (70%) from high-income countries. Median age for RSV-related deaths was 5·0 months (IQR 2·3–11·0) in low-income or lower middle-income countries, 4·0 years (2·0–10·0) in upper middle-income countries, and 7·0 years (3·6–16·8) in high-income countries. Interpretation This study is the first large case series of children who died with community-acquired RSV infection. A substantial proportion of children with RSV-related death had comorbidities. Our results show that perinatal immunisation strategies for children aged younger than 6 months could have a substantial impact on RSV-related child mortality in low-income and middle-income countries

Desenvolvimento de competências comunicacionais como factor de integração: reconstruindo uma intervenção com uma criança com paralisia cerebral

Trabalho apresentado para obtenção do título de especialista na área de formação de professores. Instituto Politécnico de Beja. Escola Superior de Educação, 2010.Resumo Este trabalho decorre da actividade profissional da autora na área da Educação Especial. Nele se aborda uma intervenção visando a estimulação da Comunicação Aumentativa numa criança com Paralisia Cerebral e todo o processo de Intervenção Precoce, de integração da criança em Jardim de Infância e em meio escolar e, ainda, o dispositivo formativo conduzido pela autora em relação aos actores envolvidos na acção educativa com esta criança. O trabalho consta de duas partes, cujos textos correspondem a dois momentos de (re)construção desta intervenção: um primeiro momento, a quente, aquando da apresentação de uma comunicação, por parte da autora num evento de natureza científica; um segundo momento, decorrido um lapso de tempo dilatado após a realização desta comunicação, em que a autora faz uma releitura da intervenção que conduziu, à luz dos desenvolvimentos ocorridos em vários domínios (tecnológico, literatura sobre comunicação aumentativa, conceitos e práticas em Educação Especial, legislação, formação de adultos).Abstract This work results from the professional activity of the author in the area of Special Education. It addresses an intervention aimed at the stimulation of Augmentative Communication in a child with Cerebral Palsy and the whole process of Early Intervention, the integration of the child in kindergarten and at school, and also the training device conducted by the author regarding the actors involved in educational activities with this child. The work consists of two parts, whose texts represent two moments of (re)construction of this intervention: a first moment, in an impulsive manner, upon the presentation of a communication, by the author, in a scientific event, a second moment, after an extended period of time after this communication, in which the author makes a rereading of the conducted intervention in the light of developments in various areas that in the meanwhile had occurred (technological, literature on augmentative communication, concepts and practices in Special Education, legislation, training of adults)