Laboratory validation of a simplified DNA extraction protocol followed by a portable qPCR detection of M. tuberculosis DNA suitable for point of care settings.

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a treatable and curable disease, and yet remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Diagnosis is essential to reducing the number of cases and starting treatment, but costly tests and equipments that require complex infrastructure hamper their widespread use as a tool to contain the disease in vulnerable populations as well countries lacking resources. Therefore, it becomes necessary to develop new technological approaches to molecular methods as well as screening tests that can be rapidly conducted among people presenting to a health facility to differentiate those who should have further diagnostic evaluation for TB from those who should undergo further investigation for non-TB diagnoses.

Physical activity interventions to improve cognition in first-episode psychosis: What we know so far.

Background: Cognitive impairment is a core feature of psychosis, which adversely affects global functioning and quality of life and has been consistently reported from the early stages of illness. Patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) exhibit deficits in processing speed, short-term memory, attention, working memory, and executive functioning, which respond poorly to psychotropic drugs. Among non-pharmacological approaches, physical activity has shown promise in improving cognitive functioning in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Brain metabolic profiling of schizophrenia: a path towards a better understanding of the neuropathogenesis of psychosis.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a complex psychotic syndrome whose pathogenesis involves countless protagonists, none of which, to date, can fully explain how this disorder develops. In this narrative review, an overview of the biochemical impairment is offered according to several perspectives. Indeed, the metabolic framework behind SCZ dopaminergic hypotheses, glutamate - gamma-amynobutyric acid dysregulation, norepinephrine and serotonin, calcium channel dysfunction is addressed together with the energetic impairment, involving glucose and lipids in SCZ etiopathogenesis, in order to highlight the multilevel pathways affected in this neuropsychiatric disorder.