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BMC Gastroenterology Jul 2021The chronic and progressive evolution of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), with its prototypical fluctuating trend, creates a condition of psycho-social discomfort,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The chronic and progressive evolution of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), with its prototypical fluctuating trend, creates a condition of psycho-social discomfort, impacting the quality of life in terms of personal, working, and interpersonal.
AIMS
In this article, we want to identify the nature and extent of the research evidence on the life experiences, the perceived engagement, the psychological, social care and welfare needs of people affected by IBD across the lifecycle.
METHODS
Following the approach set out by Arksey and O'Malley and the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews, we conducted a scoping review in March 2019 and closed the review with an update in October 2019. It was performed using electronic databases covering Health and Life Sciences, Social Sciences and Medical Sciences, such as PubMed, Medline, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, PsycInfo.
RESULTS
We identified 95 peer-reviewed articles published from 2009 to 2019, that allowed to detection the main needs in children (psychological, need to be accepted, physical activity, feeding, parent style, support, social needs), adolescents (to understand, physical and psychological needs, protection, relational, gratitude, respect, and engagement) and adults (information, medical, psychological, social, work-related, practical, future-related, engagement). Although the literature confirms that the majority of the IBD units have planned provision for the different types of transitions, the quality and appropriateness of these services have not been assessed or audited for all the kinds of challenges across the life cycle.
CONCLUSIONS
The literature shows the relevance of organizing a flexible, personalized health care process across all the critical phases of the life cycle, providing adequate benchmarks for comparison in a multidisciplinary perspective and ensuring continuity between hospital and territory.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Child; Humans; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Life Cycle Stages; Parents; Quality of Life; Social Support
PubMed: 34261434
DOI: 10.1186/s12876-021-01850-1 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Apr 2018Schistosomiasis is one of the most disabling neglected tropical diseases, ranking second in terms of years lived with disability. While treatment with the drug... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Schistosomiasis is one of the most disabling neglected tropical diseases, ranking second in terms of years lived with disability. While treatment with the drug praziquantel can have immediate beneficial effects, reinfection can occur rapidly if people are in contact with cercaria-infested water. Water treatment for schistosomiasis control seeks to eliminate viable cercariae from water, thereby providing safe alternative water supplies for recreational and domestic activities including laundry and bathing. This provision may reduce contact with infested water, which is crucial for reducing reinfection following chemotherapy and cutting schistosome transmission.
METHODOLOGY
A qualitative systematic review was carried out to summarize the existing knowledge on the effectiveness of water treatment in removing or inactivating human schistosome cercariae. Four online databases were searched. Studies were screened and categorized into five water treatment processes: storage, heating, chlorination, filtration, and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection.
CONCLUSIONS
All five water treatment methods can remove or inactivate cercariae in water, and hence produce cercaria-free water. However, reliable design guidelines for treating water do not exist as there are insufficient data. Overall, the review found that cercariae are inactivated when storing water for 10-72 hours (depending on temperature), or with chlorination values of 3-30 mg-min/l. UV fluences between 3-60 mJ/cm2 may significantly damage or kill cercariae, and sand filters with 0.18-0.35 mm grain size have been shown to remove cercariae. This systematic review identified 67 studies about water treatment and schistosomiasis published in the past 106 years. It highlights the many factors that influence the results of water treatment experiments, which include different water quality conditions and methods for measuring key parameters. Variation in these factors limit comparability, and therefore currently available information is insufficient for providing complete water treatment design recommendations.
Topics: Animals; Cercaria; Chlorine; Fresh Water; Humans; Schistosoma; Schistosomiasis; Water Purification; Water Supply
PubMed: 29608589
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006364 -
The International Journal of... 2006The cellular and developmental analysis of evolutionary-conserved genes directing bilaterian mesodermal and myogenic cell fate previously identified the hydromedusan... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Review
The cellular and developmental analysis of evolutionary-conserved genes directing bilaterian mesodermal and myogenic cell fate previously identified the hydromedusan entocodon and its differentiation product, the striated muscle, as mesodermal derivatives. In view of these findings we presented a hypothesis disputing the diploblast classification of cnidarians without providing further explanations for the apparent diploblasty of the polyp stage and the formation of the subepidermal striated muscle in those Medusozoa lacking the entocodon nodule (Seipel and Schmid, 2005). Hence we carried out a systematic review of the histological and experimental evidence for mesodermal differentiations in cnidarians. In anthozoan and scyphozoan but not in hydrozoan polyps the presumptive mesodermal elements include amoeboid cells, the mesentery retractor muscles and scleroblasts, all of which are embedded or deeply rooted in the extracellular matrix (mesoglea) and derive from the ectoblastemal cells invading the extracellular matrix from the gastrulation site during or shortly after endoderm formation. These data lend further support to the cnidarian mesodermate hypothesis, whereby cnidarians and bilaterians share a common triploblast ancestor, the Urtriploblast, a small, motile, possibly medusa-like organism that did not feature a sessile polyp stage in its life cycle. As a consequence the diploblasty of the hydrozoan polyps may represent a derived morphology resulting from heterochronic modulations of the gastrulation process after endoderm formation.
Topics: Animals; Cell Differentiation; Cnidaria; Germ Layers; Life Cycle Stages; Mesoderm; Models, Biological; Muscle, Skeletal
PubMed: 16892172
DOI: 10.1387/ijdb.062150ks -
Developmental and Comparative Immunology Nov 2022Amphibians are among the vertebrate groups suffering great losses of biodiversity due to a variety of causes including diseases, such as chytridiomycosis (caused by the...
Amphibians are among the vertebrate groups suffering great losses of biodiversity due to a variety of causes including diseases, such as chytridiomycosis (caused by the fungal pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and B. salamandrivorans). The amphibian metamorphic period has been identified as being particularly vulnerable to chytridiomycosis, with dramatic physiological and immunological reorganisation likely contributing to this vulnerability. Here, we overview the processes behind these changes at metamorphosis and then perform a systematic literature review to capture the breadth of empirical research performed over the last two decades on the metamorphic immune response. We found that few studies focused specifically on the immune response during the peri-metamorphic stages of amphibian development and fewer still on the implications of their findings with respect to chytridiomycosis. We recommend future studies consider components of the immune system that are currently under-represented in the literature on amphibian metamorphosis, particularly pathogen recognition pathways. Although logistically challenging, we suggest varying the timing of exposure to Bd across metamorphosis to examine the relative importance of pathogen evasion, suppression or dysregulation of the immune system. We also suggest elucidating the underlying mechanisms of the increased susceptibility to chytridiomycosis at metamorphosis and the associated implications for population persistence. For species that overlap a distribution where Bd/Bsal are now endemic, we recommend a greater focus on management strategies that consider the important peri-metamorphic period.
Topics: Amphibians; Animals; Chytridiomycota; Immune System; Metamorphosis, Biological; Mycoses
PubMed: 35985564
DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2022.104510 -
Journal of Microscopy Oct 2015Malaria, being an epidemic disease, demands its rapid and accurate diagnosis for proper intervention. Microscopic image-based characterization of erythrocytes plays an... (Review)
Review
Malaria, being an epidemic disease, demands its rapid and accurate diagnosis for proper intervention. Microscopic image-based characterization of erythrocytes plays an integral role in screening of malaria parasites. In practice, microscopic evaluation of blood smear image is the gold standard for malaria diagnosis; where the pathologist visually examines the stained slide under the light microscope. This visual inspection is subjective, error-prone and time consuming. In order to address such issues, computational microscopic imaging methods have been given importance in recent times in the field of digital pathology. Recently, such quantitative microscopic techniques have rapidly evolved for abnormal erythrocyte detection, segmentation and semi/fully automated classification by minimizing such diagnostic errors for computerized malaria detection. The aim of this paper is to present a review on enhancement, segmentation, microscopic feature extraction and computer-aided classification for malaria parasite detection.
Topics: Erythrocytes; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Life Cycle Stages; Malaria; Malaria, Falciparum; Microscopy; Parasitemia; Plasmodium; Plasmodium falciparum
PubMed: 26047029
DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12270 -
Malaria Journal Jul 2014While significant advances have been made in the prevention and treatment of malaria in recent years, these successes continue to fall short of the World Health... (Review)
Review
While significant advances have been made in the prevention and treatment of malaria in recent years, these successes continue to fall short of the World Health Organization (WHO) goals for malaria control and elimination. For elimination strategies to be effective, limited disease transmission, achieved through rapid reduction in the infectious parasite reservoir and decreased gametocyte carriage, will be critical. Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) forms the cornerstone of WHO-recommended treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria, and in combination with other effective interventions will undoubtedly play a vital role in elimination programmes. The gametocytocidal properties of artemisinins are a bonus attribute; there is epidemiological evidence of reductions in malaria incidence and transmission in African regions since the introduction of these agents. Many studies and analyses have specifically investigated the effects of the ACT, artemether-lumefantrine (AL) on gametocyte carriage. In this systematic review of 62 articles published between 1998 and January 2014, the effects of AL on gametocyte carriage and malaria transmission are compared with other artemisinin-based anti-malarials and non-ACT. The impact of AL treatment of asymptomatic carriers on population gametocyte carriage, and the potential future role of AL in malaria elimination initiatives are also considered. Despite the inherent difficulties in comparing data from a range of different studies that also utilized different diagnostic approaches to assess baseline gametocyte counts, the gametocytocidal effect of AL was proportionately consistent across the studies reviewed, suggesting that AL will continue to play a vital role in the treatment of malaria and contribute to clearing the path towards malaria elimination. However, the specific place of AL is the subject of much ongoing research and will undoubtedly be dependent on different demographic and geographical scenarios. Utilizing ACT, such as AL, within malaria elimination strategies is also associated with a number of other challenges, such as balancing potential increased use of ACT (e g, treatment of asymptomatic carriers and home-based treatment) with rational use and avoidance of drug resistance development.
Topics: Antimalarials; Artemether, Lumefantrine Drug Combination; Artemisinins; Drug Combinations; Ethanolamines; Fluorenes; Humans; Malaria, Falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum; Trophozoites
PubMed: 25069530
DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-13-291 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Nov 2022Larval source management (LSM) may help reduce Plasmodium parasite transmission in malaria-endemic areas. LSM approaches include habitat modification (permanently or... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Larval source management (LSM) may help reduce Plasmodium parasite transmission in malaria-endemic areas. LSM approaches include habitat modification (permanently or temporarily reducing mosquito breeding aquatic habitats); habitat manipulation (temporary or recurrent change to environment); or use of chemical (e.g. larviciding) or biological agents (e.g. natural predators) to breeding sites. We examined the effectiveness of habitat modification or manipulation (or both), with and without larviciding. This is an update of a review published in 2013.
OBJECTIVES
1. To describe and summarize the interventions on mosquito aquatic habitat modification or mosquito aquatic habitat manipulation, or both, on malaria control. 2. To evaluate the beneficial and harmful effects of mosquito aquatic habitat modification or mosquito aquatic habitat manipulation, or both, on malaria control.
SEARCH METHODS
We used standard, extensive Cochrane search methods. The latest search was from January 2012 to 30 November 2021.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomized controlled trials (RCT) and non-randomized intervention studies comparing mosquito aquatic habitat modification or manipulation (or both) to no treatment or another active intervention. We also included uncontrolled before-after (BA) studies, but only described and summarized the interventions from studies with these designs. Primary outcomes were clinical malaria incidence, malaria parasite prevalence, and malaria parasitaemia incidence.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used standard Cochrane methods. We assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool for RCTs and the ROBINS-I tool for non-randomized intervention studies. We used a narrative synthesis approach to systematically describe and summarize all the interventions included within the review, categorized by the type of intervention (habitat modification, habitat manipulation, combination of habitat modification and manipulation). Our primary outcomes were 1. clinical malaria incidence; 2. malaria parasite prevalence; and 3. malaria parasitaemia incidence. Our secondary outcomes were 1. incidence of severe malaria; 2. anaemia prevalence; 3. mean haemoglobin levels; 4. mortality rate due to malaria; 5. hospital admissions for malaria; 6. density of immature mosquitoes; 7. density of adult mosquitoes; 8. sporozoite rate; 9. entomological inoculation rate; and 10.
HARMS
We used the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of the evidence for each type of intervention.
MAIN RESULTS
Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Six used an RCT design, six used a controlled before-after (CBA) study design, three used a non-randomized controlled design, and one used an uncontrolled BA study design. Eleven studies were conducted in Africa and five in Asia. Five studies reported epidemiological outcomes and 15 studies reported entomological outcomes. None of the included studies reported on the environmental impacts associated with the intervention. For risk of bias, all trials had some concerns and other designs ranging from moderate to critical. Ten studies assessed habitat manipulation (temporary change to the environment). This included water management (spillways across streams; floodgates; intermittent flooding; different drawdown rates of water; different flooding and draining regimens), shading management (shading of drainage channels with different plants), other/combined management approaches (minimal tillage; disturbance of aquatic habitats with grass clearing and water replenishment), which showed mixed results for entomological outcomes. Spillways across streams, faster drawdown rates of water, shading drainage canals with Napier grass, and using minimal tillage may reduce the density of immature mosquitoes (range of effects from 95% reduction to 1.7 times increase; low-certainty evidence), and spillways across streams may reduce densities of adult mosquitoes compared to no intervention (low-certainty evidence). However, the effect of habitat manipulation on malaria parasite prevalence and clinical malaria incidence is uncertain (very low-certainty evidence). Two studies assessed habitat manipulation with larviciding. This included reducing or removal of habitat sites; and drain cleaning, grass cutting, and minor repairs. It is uncertain whether drain cleaning, grass cutting, and minor repairs reduces malaria parasite prevalence compared to no intervention (odds ratio 0.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.42 to 0.83; very low-certainty evidence). Two studies assessed combination of habitat manipulation and permanent change (habitat modification). This included drainage canals, filling, and planting of papyrus and other reeds for shading near dams; and drainage of canals, removal of debris, land levelling, and filling ditches. Studies did not report on epidemiological outcomes, but entomological outcomes suggest that such activities may reduce the density of adult mosquitoes compared to no intervention (relative risk reduction 0.49, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.50; low-certainty evidence), and preventing water stagnating using drainage of canals, removal of debris, land levelling, and filling ditches may reduce the density of immature mosquitoes compared to no intervention (ranged from 10% to 55% reductions; low-certainty evidence). Three studies assessed combining manipulation and modification with larviciding. This included filling or drainage of water bodies; filling, draining, or elimination of rain pools and puddles at water supply points and stream bed pools; and shoreline work, improvement and maintenance to drainage, clearing vegetation and undergrowth, and filling pools. There were mixed effect sizes for the reduction of entomological outcomes (moderate-certainty evidence). However, filling or draining water bodies probably makes little or no difference to malaria parasite prevalence, haemoglobin levels, or entomological inoculation rate when delivered with larviciding compared to no intervention (moderate-certainty evidence).
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Habitat modification and manipulation interventions for preventing malaria has some indication of benefit in both epidemiological and entomological outcomes. While the data are quite mixed and further studies could help improve the knowledge base, these varied approaches may be useful in some circumstances.
Topics: Adult; Animals; Humans; Culicidae; Ecosystem; Hemoglobins; Larva; Malaria; Mosquito Control; Water
PubMed: 36367444
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD008923.pub3 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2019Malaria elimination remains a priority research agenda with the need for interventions that reduce and/or block malaria transmission from humans to mosquitoes.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Malaria elimination remains a priority research agenda with the need for interventions that reduce and/or block malaria transmission from humans to mosquitoes. Transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs) are in development, most of which target the transmission stage (i.e., gametocyte) antigens Pfs230 and Pfs48/45. For these interventions to be implemented, there is a need to understand the naturally acquired immunity to gametocytes. Several studies have measured the prevalence of immune responses to Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 in populations in malaria-endemic areas. We conducted a systematic review of studies carried out in African populations that measured the prevalence of immune responses to the gametocyte antigens Pfs230 and Pfs48/45. We assessed seroprevalence of antibody responses to the two antigens and investigated the effects of covariates such as age, transmission intensity/endemicity, season, and parasite prevalence on the prevalence of these antibody responses by meta-regression. We identified 12 studies covering 23 sites for inclusion in the analysis. We found that the range of reported seroprevalence to Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 varied widely across studies, from 0 to 64% for Pfs48/45 and from 6 to 72% for Pfs230. We also found a modest association between increased age and increased seroprevalence to Pfs230: adults were associated with higher seroprevalence estimates in comparison to children (β coefficient 0.21, 95% CI: 0.05-0.38, = 0.042). Methodological factors were the most significant contributors to heterogeneity between studies which prevented calculation of pooled prevalence estimates. Naturally acquired sexual stage immunity, as detected by antibodies to Pfs230 and Pfs48/45, was present in most studies analyzed. Significant between-study heterogeneity was seen, and methodological factors were a major contributor to this, and prevented further analysis of epidemiological and biological factors. This demonstrates a need for standardized protocols for conducting and reporting seroepidemiological analyses.
Topics: Africa; Antibodies, Protozoan; Antigens, Protozoan; Female; Humans; Life Cycle Stages; Malaria Vaccines; Malaria, Falciparum; Male; Plasmodium falciparum
PubMed: 31695697
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02480 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Apr 2020The use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) has arisen as a promising biological platform for toxicity testing of pesticides such as herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides....
The use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) has arisen as a promising biological platform for toxicity testing of pesticides such as herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. Therefore, it is relevant to assess the use of zebrafish in models of exposure to investigate the diversity of pesticide-associated toxicity endpoints which have been reported. Thus, this review aimed to assess the recent literature on the use of zebrafish in pesticide toxicity studies to capture data on the types of pesticide used, classes of pesticides, and zebrafish life stages associated with toxicity endpoints and phenotypic observations. A total of 352 articles published between September 2012 and May 2019 were curated. The results show an increased trend in the use of zebrafish for testing the toxicity of pesticides, with a great diversity of pesticides (203) and chemical classes (58) with different applications (41) being used. Furthermore, experimental outcomes could be clustered in 13 toxicity endpoints, mainly developmental toxicity, oxidative stress, and neurotoxicity. Organophosphorus, pyrethroid, azole, and triazine were the most studied classes of pesticides and associated with various toxicity endpoints. Studies frequently opted for early life stages (embryos and larvae). Although there is an evident lack of standardization of nomenclatures and phenotypic alterations, the information gathered here highlights associations between (classes of) pesticides and endpoints, which can be used to relate mechanisms of action specific to certain classes of chemicals.
Topics: Animals; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Insecticides; Larva; Pesticides; Toxicity Tests; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Zebrafish
PubMed: 32062774
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-07902-5 -
History of Psychiatry Mar 2014This paper provides an overview and critical reassessment of the cases of clinical lycanthropy reported in the medical literature from 1850 onwards. Out of 56 original... (Review)
Review
This paper provides an overview and critical reassessment of the cases of clinical lycanthropy reported in the medical literature from 1850 onwards. Out of 56 original case descriptions of metamorphosis into an animal, only 13 fulfilled the criteria of clinical lycanthropy proper. The remaining cases constituted variants of the overarching class of clinical zoanthropy. Forty-seven cases involved primary delusions, and nine secondary delusions on the basis of somatic and/or visual hallucinations which may well have affected the patients' sense of physical existence, also known as coenaesthesis. Cases of secondary delusions in particular warrant proper somatic and auxiliary investigations to rule out any underlying organic pathology, notably in somatosensory areas and those representing the body scheme.
Topics: Delusions; Hallucinations; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans
PubMed: 24594823
DOI: 10.1177/0957154X13512192