The Golgi stress response is an important cytoprotective system that enhances Golgi function in response to cellular demand, while cells damaged by prolonged Golgi stress undergo cell death. OSW-1, a natural compound with anticancer activity, potently inhibits OSBP that transports cholesterol and phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P) at contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus. Previously, we reported that OSW-1 induces the Golgi stress response, resulting in Golgi stress-induced transcription and cell death.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has deeply impacted tuberculosis (TB) services globally. This study aims to assess the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on TB diagnosis and care and explore associated factors in the Western Pacific Region.
Methods: We analysed TB case notifications and treatment outcomes for the Region and 14 selected countries and areas from 2015 to 2022.
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading infectious cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Despite available tools for preventing, finding, and treating TB, many people with TB remain undiagnosed. In high-incidence settings, TB transmission is ubiquitous within the community, affecting both high-risk groups and the general population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: A population-wide, systematic screening initiative for tuberculosis (TB) was implemented on Daru island in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, where TB is known to be highly prevalent. The initiative used a mobile van equipped with a digital X-ray device, computer-aided detection (CAD) software to identify TB-related abnormalities on chest radiographs, and GeneXpert machines for follow-on diagnostic testing. We describe the results of the TB screening initiative, evaluate its population-level impact and examine risk factors associated with TB detection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWestern Pac Surveill Response J
April 2024
Objective: To identify progress and challenges in the national response to tuberculosis (TB) in Solomon Islands through an epidemiological overview of TB in the country.
Methods: A descriptive analysis was conducted using the national TB surveillance data for 2016-2022. Case notifications, testing data, treatment outcomes and screening activities were analysed.
Early diagnosis and treatment of infectious tuberculosis (TB) is essential to the attainment of global targets specified in the End TB Strategy. Using case-based TB surveillance data, we analysed delays in health seeking, diagnosis and treatment among TB patients in Mongolia from 2018 to 2021. We calculated the median and interquartile range (IQR) for "diagnostic delay," defined as the time from symptom onset to diagnosis, subdivided into "health-seeking delay" (time from symptom onset to first visit to a health facility) and "health facility diagnostic delay" (time from first health facility visit to diagnosis), and for "treatment delay," defined as the time from diagnosis to start of treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe sea squirt Ciona robusta (formerly Ciona intestinalis type A) has been the subject of many interdisciplinary studies. Known as a vanadium-rich ascidian, C. robusta is an ideal model for exploring microbes associated with the ascidian and the roles of these microbes in vanadium accumulation and reduction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe present study clarified changes in physiological sensitivities of cultured Nieuwkoop and Faber stage 57 tadpole-organ-heart exposed to thyroxine (T) using acetylcholine (ACh), norepinephrine (NE) and atropine. For preliminary life span and the chemical tests, 60% minimum essential medium (MEM), two types of modified Hank's balanced salt-solution-culture-media (MHBSS-CM) I and II containing relatively lower concentrations of amino acids and collagen were prepared. In preliminary lifespan-test of cultured tadpole hearts, the hearts maintained in 60% MEM was 50 days on average, whereas that of the tadpole-hearts in MHBSS-CMs was extended by 109 days on average, showing superior effectiveness of MHBSS-CMs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWestern Pac Surveill Response J
November 2023
Objective: This paper provides an overview of financing for tuberculosis (TB) prevention, diagnostic and treatment services in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region during 2005-2020.
Methods: This analysis uses the WHO global TB finance database to describe TB funding during 2005-2020 in 18 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the Western Pacific Region, with additional country-level data and analysis for seven priority countries: Cambodia, China, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Viet Nam.
Results: Funding for the provision of TB prevention, diagnostic and treatment services in the 18 LMICs tripled fromUS$ 358 million in 2005 to US$ 1061 million in 2020, driven largely by increases in domestic funding, which rose from US$ 325 million to US$ 939 million over the same period.
Cortical expansion has occurred during human brain evolution. By comparing human and mouse RNA-seq datasets, we found that transmembrane protein 25 (TMEM25) was much more highly expressed in human neural progenitors (NPCs). Overexpression of either human TMEM25 or mouse Tmem25 similarly promoted mouse NPC proliferation in vitro.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: The Western Pacific has one of the fastest-growing older adult populations globally, and tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the foremost infectious causes of disease and death in the region. Older adults are at higher risk of TB due to immunosenescence, comorbidities, and increased institutionalisation. Atypical symptoms and reduced access to health services may delay care-seeking and TB diagnosis, while co-morbidity and increased risk of adverse drug reactions complicate TB treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPublic Health Action
June 2023
Background: This study was to meet a practical need to design a simple tool to identify TB patients who may potentially be facing catastrophic costs while seeking TB care in the public sector. Such a tool may help prevent and address catastrophic costs among individual patients.
Methods: We used data from the national TB patient cost survey in the Philippines.
The MADS domain transcription factor AGAMOUS (AG) regulates floral meristem termination by preventing maintenance of the histone modification lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3) along the KNUCKLES (KNU) coding sequence. At 2 d after AG binding, cell division has diluted the repressive mark H3K27me3, allowing activation of KNU transcription prior to floral meristem termination. However, how many other downstream genes are temporally regulated by this intrinsic epigenetic timer and what their functions are remain unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWestern Pac Surveill Response J
April 2023
Mongolia has a high tuberculosis (TB) burden. Data from routine paper-based surveillance were used to describe the epidemiology of TB in Mongolia; the data included testing presumptive TB cases, TB notifications, drug-resistant cases, treatment outcomes and notifications in prisoners. The proportion of the population tested for TB increased between 2015 and 2019.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConsecutive sexual maturation (CSM), an abnormal reproductive phenomenon of a marine snail, , has occurred since 2017 in the vicinity of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant after the nuclear disaster there. We hypothesized that alterations in animal physiology mediated through genetic/epigenetic changes could sensitively reflect environmental pollution. Understanding the mechanism of this rapid biological response should enable us to quantitatively evaluate long-lasting effects of the nuclear disaster.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmacies represent a key health system entry point for people with TB in Viet Nam, but high fragmentation hinders their broader engagement. Professional networking apps may be able to facilitate pharmacy engagement for systematic TB screening and referral. Between September and December 2019, we piloted the use of a social networking app, SwipeRx, to recruit pharmacists for a TB referral scheme across four districts of Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWestern Pac Surveill Response J
March 2023
Objective: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most important infectious diseases with an estimated 9.9 million people falling ill globally in 2020. We describe the epidemiology of TB in the Pacific island countries and areas (PICs) to inform potential priority actions to implement the .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cambodia has achieved great success in tuberculosis (TB) control in the past decade. Nevertheless, people with TB are missed by the health systems at different stages of the care pathway. This programme review corroborated the care-seeking behaviours of people with TB and TB services availability and estimated the number of people completing each step of the TB disease and TB preventive treatment (TPT) care cascade.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWestern Pac Surveill Response J
February 2023
Background: Diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) have radically changed in accordance with recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) in the past decade, allowing rapid and simple diagnosis and shorter treatment duration with new and repurposed drugs.
Methods: A descriptive analysis of the status and progress of DR-TB diagnosis and treatment in six priority countries in the Western Pacific Region was conducted using information from interviews with countries and the WHO TB database.
Results: Over the past decade, the use of Xpert MTB/RIF has increased in the six priority countries, in parallel with implementation of national policies and algorithms to use Xpert MTB/RIF as an initial diagnostic test for TB and detection of rifampicin resistance.
Background: The Western Pacific Region has one of the fastest-growing populations of older adults (≥ 65 years) globally, among whom tuberculosis (TB) poses a particular concern. This study reports country case studies from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore reflecting on their experiences in managing TB among older adults.
Findings: Across all four countries, TB case notification and incidence rates were highest among older adults, but clinical and public health guidance focused on this population was limited.
The surveillance cameras we focus on target the volume zone, and area reduction is a top priority. However, by simplifying the ADC comparator, we face a new RUSH current issue, for which we propose a circuit solution. This paper proposes two novel techniques of column-ADC for surveillance cameras to improve low-light characteristics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease associated with poverty. Moreover, a significant proportion of TB patients face a substantial financial burden before and during TB care. One of the top targets in the End TB strategy was to achieve zero catastrophic costs due to TB by 2020.
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